Health diagnosis: a responsibility of community health nursing in Angola.

OBJECTIVE: To characterize the health situation of the population in the Imbondeiro neighborhood, sector C (Luanda). METHOD: This is a descriptive, cross-sectional and quantitative study. Families living in the sector were included, included in the sample by "door to door" contact. They accepted to participate through a free and consented form. RESULTS: Health diagnosis of 341 family households was conducted, involving 1,312 people. A total of 46.02% are male and 54.08% are female; from these, 42.62% are children, 15.14% adolescents and 42.24% adults. CONCLUSION: The results obtained and presented are in accordance with the data from the National Institute of Statistics of Angola (INE), revealing that it is necessary to intervene and to promote healthy lifestyle habits, regarding issues such as domestic violence, alcohol consumption, inappropriate eating habits, sexually communicable diseases, among others.

Health diagnosis: a responsibility of community health nursing in Angola / Diagnóstico de salud: una responsabilidad de la enfermería comunitaria en Angola / Diagnóstico de saúde: uma responsabilidade da enfermagem comunitária em Angola

ABSTRACT Objective: To characterize the health situation of the population in the Imbondeiro neighborhood, sector C (Luanda). Method: This is a descriptive, cross-sectional and quantitative study. Families living in the sector were included, included in the sample by "door to door" contact. They accepted to participate through a free and consented form. Results: Health diagnosis of 341 family households was conducted, involving 1,312 people. A total of 46.02% are male and 54.08% are female; from these, 42.62% are children, 15.14% adolescents and 42.24% adults. Conclusion: The results obtained and presented are in accordance with the data from the National Institute of Statistics of Angola (INE), revealing that it is necessary to intervene and to promote healthy lifestyle habits, regarding issues such as domestic violence, alcohol consumption, inappropriate eating habits, sexually communicable diseases, among others.

RESUMEN Objetivo: Caracterizar la situación de salud de la población del barrio Imbondeiro, sector C (Luanda). Método: Estudio descriptivo, transversal, cuantitativo. Se incluyeron las familias residentes en el sector, que aceptaron participar de forma libre, aclarada, a las cuales se tuvo acceso de modo accidental, por contacto «puerta a puerta¼. Resultados: Se realizó el diagnóstico de salud de 341 agregados familiares, lo que implicó a 1321 personas, de las cuales un 46,02 % del sexo masculino y un 54,08 % del sexo femenino. De estos, un 42,62 % son niños, un 15,14 % adolescentes y un 42,24 % adultos. Conclusión: Los resultados obtenidos y presentados están de acuerdo con los datos del Instituto Nacional de Estadística, lo que revela la necesidad de intervenir en la promoción de hábitos de vida saludables, en cuestiones como violencia doméstica, consumo de alcohol, hábitos alimentarios inadecuados, enfermedades sexualmente transmisibles, entre otros.

RESUMO Objetivo: Caracterizar a situação de saúde da população do bairro do Imbondeiro, setor C (Luanda). Método: Estudo descritivo, transversal e quantitativo. Incluídas as famílias residentes no setor, que aceitaram participar de forma livre e esclarecida e acedidas de modo acidental, por contacto "porta a porta". Resultados: Fez-se o diagnóstico de saúde de 341 agregados familiares, envolvendo 1321 pessoas. 46,02% são do género masculino, 54,08% do género feminino; destes, 42,62% são crianças, 15,14% adolescentes e 42,24% adultos. A maioria das famílias é alargada. A alimentação engloba açúcares e hidratos de carbono. Existe consumo de álcool e violência. Conclusão: Os resultados obtidos e apresentados vão de encontro aos do Instituto Nacional de Estatística (INE), no que diz respeito às três faixas etárias estudadas e ao seu diagnóstico de situação de saúde, revelando ser necessário intervir na promoção de hábitos de vida saudáveis, em áreas como violência doméstica, consumo de álcool, hábitos alimentares, doenças sexualmente transmissíveis, entre outras.

Potential role of stem cell factor in the asthma control by glucocorticoids.

Asthma is an allergic disease characterized by inflammation that includes an increase in the number and activation of mast cells in the airways. Glucocorticoids, on the other hand, diminish inflammation as well as the number of mast cells in this disease. Stem cell factor (SCF) is a major growth factor for human mast cells, inducing chemotaxis as well as survival of the mast cells. SCF induces proliferation and differentiation of immature mast cells from CD34+ progenitors. It also potentiates the IgE-dependent activation of mast cells. Furthermore, SCF expression is reduced in the airways of asthmatic patients treated with glucocorticoids. Thus, SCF could be involved in mast cell-associated diseases such as asthma. We here review the main effects of glucocorticoids in asthma and on mast cells, with a special interest on SCF, as a potential therapeutic target in asthma.

Paradoxical early glucocorticoid induction of stem cell factor (SCF) expression in inflammatory conditions.

1. Stem cell factor (SCF) is a major growth factor for mast cells, promoting their differentiation and chemotaxis. Its expression is regulated by glucocorticoids in inflammatory conditions, showing an early increased protein expression, before the expected anti-inflammatory decrease (Da Silva et al., Br. J. Pharmacol. 2002:135,1634). 2. We here evaluated the early kinetic of SCF expression regulated by interleukin (IL)-1beta, budesonide and the combination of both in human lung fibroblasts in culture. 3. Budesonide potentiated the IL-1beta-enhanced expression of SCF mRNA (+103%) and protein (+98%) very shortly after treatment (at 30 min and 1 h, respectively). A gentle downregulation followed. This potentiating effect of budesonide was related to increased SCF mRNA stability and SCF gene transcription. 4. Deletion of a kappaB-like site that we identified in the first intron of the SCF gene, in a luciferase reporter system, abolished the potentiation by budesonide, as well as the effect of IL-1beta alone, as compared to the wild-type construction activity. 5. All budesonide-induced effects were glucocorticoid-receptor dependent, since they were reproduced by dexamethasone and blocked by RU486. 6. IL-1beta+budesonide did not affect the relative expression of the soluble and membrane-bound forms of SCF. 7. In conclusion, our results clearly show that glucocorticoids act very early to adversely increase the expression of SCF mRNA and protein in the inflammatory conditions created by IL-1beta, and that this effect involves increased mRNA stability and increased gene expression through activation of the NF-kappaB-like responsive element.

Transcription of stem cell factor (SCF) is potentiated by glucocorticoids and interleukin-1beta through concerted regulation of a GRE-like and an NF-kappaB response element.

Expression of stem cell factor SCF, a major mast cell growth factor, is potentiated shortly after co-treatment with interleukin (IL)-1beta and glucocorticoids. SCF promoter contains a GRE-like sequence and a putative kappaB site. We assessed the mechanisms of the regulation of SCF transcription in human lung fibroblasts in culture. Chromatin immunoprecipitation showed that co-treatment with IL-1beta and the glucocorticoid budesonide increased the SCF promoter occupancy by NF-kappaB and GR, as compared with IL-1beta and budesonide alone. In reporter gene assays, IL-1beta time-dependently increased the promoter activity, which was abolished by either pre-treatment with the MAP kinase inhibitors PD98059 (MEK) and SB203580 (p38), pre-treatment with the NF-kappaB inhibitor PDTC, or deletion of the kappaB site. Budesonide time-dependently decreased the promoter activity, an effect requiring the GRE-like element. Co-treatment with IL-1beta and budesonide potentiated the promoter activity at 30 min, an effect blocked by PD98059 and SB203580, PDTC, or deletion of the kappaB or GRE-like element. In conclusion, the GRE-like sequence mediating the repression of SCF expression, thus acting as a negative-responsive element, is turned into a positive element in an NF-kappaB site-dependent manner, indicating a concerted action of these two regulatory elements in the potentiation of SCF gene expression.

Inhibition by glucocorticoids of the interleukin-1beta-enhanced expression of the mast cell growth factor SCF.

1. Stem cell factor (SCF) is a major mast cell growth factor that promotes differentiation and chemotaxis of mast cells and inhibits their apoptosis. 2. We evaluated the effect of interleukin (IL)-1beta, a major pro-inflammatory cytokine, on the constitutive expression of SCF and studied the effects of two glucocorticoids, budesonide and dexamethasone, on the IL-1beta-enhanced SCF expression. 3. Human lung fibroblasts in culture were serum-starved for 48 h and treated with IL-1beta, budesonide and/or RU486. SCF cDNA was quantified after total RNA reverse transcription by on-line fluorescent polymerase chain reaction. SCF protein was quantified by ELISA. 4. IL-1beta induced an increase in SCF mRNA (+91% at 2.5 h) and protein production (+32%) by human lung fibroblasts in culture (P<0.001). 5. Budesonide inhibited IL-1beta-induced SCF mRNA expression (-68%) at 2.5 h and even more so at 10 h (-192%) (P<0.001). The expression of SCF protein also decreased by 3.5-fold at 10 h. Results were similar with dexamethasone. The glucocorticoid antagonist RU486 cancelled the effects induced by the glucocorticoids. 6. Increased SCF mRNA levels were associated with increased stability of this mRNA as measured after treatment with actinomycin D (1.9-fold at 2.5 h). Budesonide decreased this IL-1beta-enhanced stability by about 1.5-fold (P<0.001). 7. We conclude that in 'inflammatory' conditions, mimicked in vitro by IL-1beta, glucocorticoid treatment inhibits expression of the mast cell growth factor SCF. The reduced number and activation of mast cells observed in the bronchi of asthmatic patients treated by glucocorticoids may be due in part to this effect.