Caracterización de pacientes adultos con linfoma no Hodgkin difuso de células grandes B / Characterization of adult patients with diffuse large B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma

Introducción: El linfoma difuso de células grandes B es el subtipo histológico más común de los linfomas no Hodgkin de curso agresivo. Objetivo: Caracterizar el comportamiento de pacientes adultos con linfoma difuso de células grandes B. Métodos: Se realizó un estudio observacional, descriptivo, longitudinal y retrospectivo que incluyó 56 pacientes adultos con linfoma difuso de células grandes B atendidos en el Instituto de Hematología e Inmunología desde enero 1998 hasta diciembre 2018. Resultados: El 55,4 por ciento de los pacientes fueron del sexo masculino; predominó el color de piel blanco (76,8 por ciento) y el grupo de 59 a 78 años (44,6 por ciento). Prevalecieron pacientes con comorbilidades fundamentalmente la hipertensión arterial (35,7 por ciento) y con validismo regular (55,4 por ciento). El 53,6 por ciento de los pacientes estaba en estadio IV al diagnóstico; predominaron los pacientes con síntomas B en 85,7 por ciento y fue más frecuente el grupo de riesgo bajo intermedio en 35,7 por ciento. El esquema más empleado fue R-CHOP, con el que se logró 85,7 por ciento de remisión completa. El 17,9 por ciento de los pacientes fallecieron y 41,1 por ciento recayeron. La sobrevida global a los 3, 5 y 10 años fue de 87,0 por ciento, 83,0 por ciento, y 80,0 por ciento, respectivamente. La sobrevida libre de enfermedad a los 3, 5 y 10 años fue de 74,0 por ciento, 67 por ciento y 56 por ciento, respectivamente. Conclusiones: La sobrevida global y la sobrevida libre de enfermedad de los pacientes fueron altas(AU)

Introduction: Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma is the most common subtype of aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Objective: Characterize the behavior of adult patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Methods: An observational retrospective longitudinal descriptive study was conducted of 56 adult patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma attending the Institute of Hematology and Immunology from January 1998 to December 2018. Results: Of the patients studied, 55.4 percent were male, and a predominance was found of white skin color (76.8 percent) and the 59-78 years age group (44.6 percent). Patients with comorbidities prevailed, mainly hypertension (35.7 percent) with an ability to perform activities of daily living (55.4 percent). 53.6 percent of the patients were in stage IV at diagnosis. Patients with type B symptoms prevailed with 85.7 (AU) , and the low to intermediate risk group was the most common with 35.7 percent. The regimen most frequently used was R-CHOP, obtaining 85.7 percent complete remission. 17.9 percent of the patients died and 41.1 percent relapsed. Overall survival at 3, 5 and 10 years was 87.0 percent, 83.0 percent and 80.0 percent, respectively. Disease-free survival at 3, 5 and 10 years was 74.0 percent, 67 percent and 56 percent, respectively. Conclusions: Overall and disease-free survival were high(AU)

Sobrevida e características ecocardiográficas de gatos com e sem cardiomiopatias / Survival and echocardiographic characteristics of cats with and without cardiomyopathies

Cardiopatias felinas apresentam importante relevância na rotina veterinária, todavia os seus aspectos epidemiológicos em gatos não são conhecidos regionalmente. O objetivo do estudo foi descrever a frequência das cardiopatias na região Norte e Vale do Itajaí no estado de Santa Catarina e determinar a sobrevida de pacientes cardiopatas e não cardiopatas. O estudo contou com a análise retrospectiva de 74 laudos ecocardiográficos e prontuários médicos de gatos oriundos de estabelecimentos veterinários da região, de janeiro de 2017 a dezembro de 2019. Tutores ou veterinários responsáveis foram contatados para averiguar a sobrevida dos animais. Os animais do estudo em sua maioria eram machos (n=40/74) e sem raça definida (n=47/74). Cardiomiopatia foi o diagnóstico mais comum (n=21/74), com destaque para o fenótipo hipertrófica (n=13/21). As cardiomiopatias foram diagnosticadas mais comumente em gatos acima de oito anos de idade. Os principais sinais clínicos nos gatos sintomáticos (n=41/74) foram sopro (n=15/41) e dispneia (n=6/41). Os principais achados ecocardiográficos foram hipertrofia concêntrica da parede livre do ventrículo esquerdo (n=18/41) e dilatação do átrio esquerdo (n=12/41). A mediana de sobrevida dos 74 gatos foi de 303±209.8 dias, estando altamente relacionado com a classe do estadiamento clínico (P=0,006). Gatos com fenótipo dilatada tiveram menor média de sobrevida (180.5 dias). As doenças concomitantes mais observadas foram doença renal crônica (n=7/15), hipertensão (n=5/15) e/ou hipertireoidismo (n=3/15). Gatos com cardiomiopatias, sintomáticos e com estágios mais avançados de remodelamento cardíaco, demostraram viver menos se comparados com aqueles em estágio inicial da cardiopatia. Bem como pacientes com doenças de base associada apresentaram menor expectativa de vida.

Feline cardiopathies are relevant on veterinary practice although lack of regional epidemiogical description. The purpose of this study is to determine cardiopathy prevalence and survival of cardiac and non-cardiac patients on Santa Catarina's northern and Itajai valley regions. The retrospective study included 74 echocardiographic exams and medical records from January 2017 to December 2019. Veterinarians and owners were contacted to check survival on cardiac and non-cardiac patients. The animals were most male (n=40/74) and mongrel (n=47/74). Cardiomyopathies were the most common diagnosis (n=21/74), specially the hypertrophic phenotype (n=13/21). The cardiomyopathy diagnosis was evidenced in cats above eight years old. The most usual clinical findings on symptomatic patients (n=41/74) were cardiac murmur (n=15/41) and dyspnea (n=6/41). Left ventricular free wall concentric hypertrophy (n=18/41) and left atrium dilation (n=12/41) were the main echocardiographic findings. Median survival from 74 cats was 303±209,8 days and related to clinical staging (p=0,006). Cats with dilated cardiomyopathy phenotype presented lower mean survival (180,5 days). Concomitant diseases included chronic renal disease (n=7/15), systemic arterial hypertension (n=5/15) and/or hyperthyroidism (n=3/15). In conclusion, cats with cardiomyopathies, symptomatic and with more advanced stages of cardiac remodeling, have shown to live less than those in early stage of heart disease. As well as patients with associated concomitant diseases, they had a lower life expectancy.

Dendrophysiological plant strategies of Poincianella pyramidalis (Tul.) L.P. Queiroz after wood herbivory in semiarid region of Paraíba - Brazil / Estratégias dendrofisiológicas em Poincianella pyramidalis (Tul.) L.P. Queiroz depois da herbivoria no tronco em regiões semiáridas na Paraíba - Brasil

The increase in Equus africanus asinus Linnaeus population in semiarid areas of Northeast Brazil had significant impacts on wild and rural areas. The objective of this work was to analyze the herbivory of E. africanus asinus on Poincianella pyramidalis (Tul). L.P. Queiroz and determine the dendrophysiological strategies P. pyramidalis used during and after damage caused by E. africanus asinus. The selected areas have significant populations of P. pyramidalis with amplified importance value higher than 50%. Two areas were established: one control and another experimental, with presence of E. africanus asinus. The study was carried out from 2001 to 2015. The evaluated variables of P. pyramidalis were: sap flow, basic density, diameter, volume, biomass and leaf area index. The increase of abandoned E. africanus asinus in semiarid areas resulted in impact and responses from P. pyramidalis. This plant species compensates for biomass losses and physiological activities reduction with two strategies: i) increase in the belowground biomass stock, and ii) increase in sap flow in undisturbed branches.

O aumento da população de Equus africanus asinus Linnaeus em áreas do Semiárido do Nordeste brasileiro teve um impacto significativo sobre as áreas silvestres e rurais. O objetivo desse trabalho foi analisar a herbivoria de E. africanus asinus sobre a espécie vegetal Poincianella pyramidalis (Tul). L.P. Queiroz e quais as estratégias dendrofisiológicas que essa espécie (P. pyramidalis) utilizou no momento e depois do dano causado pelo E. africanus asinus. As áreas selecionadas possuem significante presença populacional de P. pyramidalis, com valor de importância ampliada maior do que 50%. Duas áreas foram estabelecidas: uma controle e outra experimental com a presença de E. africanus asinus. O estudo foi realizado de 2001 a 2015. As variáveis avaliadas de P. pyramidalis foram: fluxo da seiva, densidade básica, diâmetro, volume, biomassa e índice de área foliar. O aumento da população de E. africanus asinus abandonados em áreas do Semiárido resultou em impacto e respostas na espécie P. pyramidalis. Essa espécie vegetal compensou suas perdas dendrométricas e redução nas atividades fisiológicas com duas estratégias: i) aumento no estoque de biomassa abaixo da superfície do solo; e ii) aumento do fluxo de seiva nos ramos não impactados.

Persistence with Chytridiomycosis does not assure survival of direct-developing frogs.

The chytrid fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) has been linked to extinction and decline of numerous amphibians. We studied the population-level effects of Bd in two post-decline anuran species, Eleutherodactylus coqui and E. portoricensis, at El Yunque National Forest, Puerto Rico. Data on amphibian abundance was updated to report long-term population trends. Mark-recapture data was used to monitor Bd-infection status and estimate survival probabilities of infected versus uninfected adults. Prevalence of Bd (number of infected/total sampled) and individual infection level (number of zoospores) were compared among age classes at Palo Colorado Forest (661 m) and Elfin Forest (850 m). Results revealed that both species continued to decrease in Palo Colorado Forest, while in the Elfin Forest, E. portoricensis recuperated from drastic declines. Age class, season, and locality significantly predicted zoospore load. Age was also significantly associated with high zoospores loads among Bd-positive frogs, and the prevalence of Bd was higher in juveniles than adults in all populations studied. We suggest that early age represents a critical life stage in the survival of direct-developing frogs infected by this fungus. Survival probability was always higher for uninfected frogs, but recapture rates of infected versus uninfected adults were significantly different only in Palo Colorado, alerting that the negative effect of Bd infection under enzootic conditions is greater at mid-elevations. This work contributes to our understanding of how direct-developing amphibians persist with Bd, pointing to critical life stages and synergistic interactions that may induce fluctuations and/or declines in the wild.

Effects of maternal care on the lifetime reproductive success of females in a neotropical harvestman.

1. Few studies have experimentally quantified the costs and benefits of female egg-guarding behaviour in arthropods under field conditions. Moreover, there is also a lack of studies assessing separately the survival and fecundity costs associated with this behavioural trait. 2. Here we employ field experimental manipulations and capture-mark-recapture methods to identify and quantify the costs and benefits of egg-guarding behaviour for females of the harvestman Acutisoma proximum Mello-Leitão, a maternal species from south-eastern Brazil. 3. In a female removal experiment that lasted 14 days, eggs left unattended under natural conditions survived 75.6% less than guarded eggs, revealing the importance of female presence preventing egg predation. 4. By monitoring females' reproductive success for 2 years, we show that females experimentally prevented from guarding their eggs produced new clutches more frequently and had mean lifetime fecundity 18% higher than that of control guarding females. 5. Regarding survival, our capture-mark-recapture study does not show any difference between the survival rates of females prevented from caring and that of control guarding females. 6. We found that experimentally females prevented from guarding their eggs have a greater probability to produce another clutch (0.41) than females that cared for the offspring (0.34), regardless of their probability of surviving long enough to do that. 7. Our approach isolates the ecological costs of egg-guarding that would affect survival, such as increased risk of predation, and suggests that maternal egg-guarding also constrains fecundity through physiological costs of egg production. 8. Weighting costs and benefits of egg-guarding we demonstrate that the female's decision to desert would imply an average reduction of 73.3% in their lifetime fitness. Despite the verified fecundity costs of egg-guarding, this behaviour increases female fitness due to the crucial importance of female presence aimed to prevent egg predation.

La presión coloidosmótica como índice de supervivencia / Colloidosmotic pressure as a surviving rate

Se estudiaron 100 enfermos en estado crítico a los cuales se les midió la presión coloidosmótica (PCO) con el oncómetro de Weil y se determinaron las proteinas totales por electroforesis. Al calcularles la PCO con las fórmulas (F1 y F2, de Landis Pappenheimer se comprobó que la PCO se puede utilizar como índice pronóstico de superviviencia, ya que a mayor PCO aumenta ésta. La PCO medida y la calculada con la F1 pueden utilizarse indistintamente con una correlación estadística aceptable. La F2 no se correlaciona con la medida y sólo puede utilizarse con valores menores de 11.2 torr. En el enfermo grave las globulinas conservan su porcentaje de participación en la PCO como en el normal(30%).