Diaphanocephalus galeatus (Nematoda: Diaphanocephalidae), a poorly known parasite of lizards: redescription, first genetic characterization and a revision of its congeners from Brazil.

Diaphanocephalus galeatus collected from the small intestine of the lizard Dracaena paraguayensis in the Pantanal wetlands, State of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, is redescribed. Genetic characterization and observations using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were performed for the first time. The vouchers of D. galeatus and the type specimens of its congeners, deposited in the Coleção Helmintológica do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz (CHIOC), were consulted. Light and SEM observations revealed several undescribed features of D. galeatus, i.e. structure of the cephalic end and of the buccal capsule, position and morphology of deirids, presence of phasmids in females and presence of unpaired papilla on the membranous projection that covers the genital cone in males. After observation of the specimens deposited in the helminthological collection, D. jacuruxi is considered a synonym of D. galeatus, and D. diesingi, despite its incomplete description, is tentatively retained as valid due to the poor condition of the type material. The results also indicated low host specificity of D. galeatus, contradicting previous assertions. Genetic comparisons using patristic distances and phylogenetic trees generated from sequences of the 28S rRNA nuclear gene indicated that D. galeatus is closer to the taxa within Ancylostomatoidea and Strongyloidea than any lineage of Metastrongyloidea or Trichostrongyloidea. However, most of the nodal supports were low. Based on the genetic and morphological characterization, the validity of D. galeatus was confirmed. These data may serve for further comparative approaches for different populations of the parasite, from different hosts in different geographical areas, mitigating taxonomic confusions.

Intersectoral action for health: preventing psittacosis spread after one reported case

Zoonotic diseases are a significant health threat for humans and animals. To better understand the epidemiology, etiology, and pathology of infectious agents affecting humans and animals combined approaches are needed. Here we describe an epidemiological investigation conducted by physicians and veterinarians after a reported case of psittacosis. Upon admission suffering from respiratory distress syndrome in a hospital and with a history of bird contact, a female patient was serologically diagnosed with psittacosis. After the case notification, veterinarians were able to investigate the source of infection by detecting Chlamydia psittaci in her pet cockatiel. The bird was hospitalized and successfully treated. In addition, the establishment where the pet bird was purchased was traced and through molecular techniques other birds intended to be sold as pets tested positive for C. psittaci. As a result, sanitary measures were applied and the establishment then was closed down. The birds intended for the pet commerce were treated and retested with negative molecular results for C. psittaci, thus avoiding disease propagation. Reliable data about zoonotic diseases can only be generated through the application of multidisciplinary approaches which take into account the epidemiological factors and interactions of humans, animals and their environments as an integrated system

A network meta-analysis of primary prophylaxis for invasive fungal infection in haematological patients.

WHAT IS KNOWN AND OBJECTIVE: Antifungal prophylaxis is an option to reduce the incidence of invasive fungal infection (IFI) in haematological patients. To date, no network meta-analysis (NMA) of high-quality evidence (double-blind randomized controlled trials) has been performed on this subject. This systematic review and NMA aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of different antifungal agents used for prophylaxis of IFI in patients with haematological disorders. METHODS: A systematic review was performed according to PRISMA and Cochrane recommendations. The search for articles was conducted on PubMed, Scopus and the Web of Science. We searched for double-blind randomized clinical trials comparing antifungal agents for IFI prophylaxis head-to-head vs placebo in patients with any blood cancer. Network meta-analyses were conducted using Addis version 1.16.6. Evaluation of the quality of included RCTs was also performed. RESULTS: Twenty-five trials were included in the qualitative and quantitative analyses. Posaconazole stood out as the best IFI prophylaxis option and for avoiding IFI-related mortality. For the incidence of candidiasis outcome, the azoles were superior to placebo. Voriconazole and posaconazole were, respectively, the first and second best options. For the incidence of aspergillosis outcome, the probability rank suggested that voriconazole followed by liposomal amphotericin B is, possibly, the best choice. The quality of studies was considered good, with a mean Jadad score of 4.0. WHAT IS NEW AND CONCLUSION: The results of our work support prophylaxis with antifungal agents as reducing the risk of IFI in haematological patients. Overall, the second-generation azoles were found to be the best option for preventing IFI in this population.

Intersectoral action for health: preventing psittacosis spread after one reported case.

Zoonotic diseases are a significant health threat for humans and animals. To better understand the epidemiology, etiology, and pathology of infectious agents affecting humans and animals combined approaches are needed. Here we describe an epidemiological investigation conducted by physicians and veterinarians after a reported case of psittacosis. Upon admission suffering from respiratory distress syndrome in a hospital and with a history of bird contact, a female patient was serologically diagnosed with psittacosis. After the case notification, veterinarians were able to investigate the source of infection by detecting Chlamydia psittaci in her pet cockatiel. The bird was hospitalized and successfully treated. In addition, the establishment where the pet bird was purchased was traced and through molecular techniques other birds intended to be sold as pets tested positive for C. psittaci. As a result, sanitary measures were applied and the establishment then was closed down. The birds intended for the pet commerce were treated and retested with negative molecular results for C. psittaci, thus avoiding disease propagation. Reliable data about zoonotic diseases can only be generated through the application of multidisciplinary approaches which take into account the epidemiological factors and interactions of humans, animals and their environments as an integrated system.

Safety of interferon-free therapies for chronic hepatitis C: a network meta-analysis.

WHAT IS KNOWN AND OBJECTIVE: Interferon-free (IFN-free) therapies for hepatitis C virus (HCV) have been developed to provide more effective, tolerable and safer therapeutic strategies. To date, no network meta-analysis (NMA) evaluating the safety profile of these regimens has been performed. This systematic review and NMA aimed to evaluate safety outcomes of IFN-free treatment options for chronic hepatitis C. METHODS: A systematic review was performed according to PRISMA and Cochrane recommendations. A literature search was conducted in PubMed/Medline, Scopus, Cochrane Library, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts and Web of Science electronic databases and included only randomized clinical trials that provided safety outcomes of interest of evaluated second-generation direct-acting antivirals: incidence of any adverse events (AEs) and serious AE. NMA allowed estimating probability for the relative safety of the interventions. A consistency model was used to draw conclusions about relative safety of treatments, presented as odds ratio (OR) and corresponding 95% credible interval (CrI). RESULTS: Fifty-one clinical trials were included (13 089 participants). Most participants had hepatitis C genotype 1 virus (76%) and were treated for 12 weeks. Two NMAs were built to investigate the incidence of AEs and serious AEs, comparing 13 and 10 IFN-free treatment options, respectively. For the outcome incidence of AEs, few significant differences were observed, which were explained by the presence of RBV. Elbasvir with grazoprevir and placebo were both safer than ombitasvir in combination with paritaprevir, ritonavir, daclatasvir plus RBV [ORs with 95% Crl of 4·09 (1·17-14·09) and 2·40 (1·19-4·77), respectively] and sofosbuvir with RBV [ORs with 95% Crl of 0·22 (0·07-0·72) and 2·69 (1·53-4·80), respectively]. Furthermore, elbasvir with grazoprevir was safer than sofosbuvir used with velpatasvir and RBV [OR 0·19 (95% CrI 0·03-0·98)]; ombitasvir in combination with paritaprevir, ritonavir, daclatasvir was safer than the same therapy but combined with RBV [OR 2·14 (95% CrI 1·09-4·44)]; and sofosbuvir used with velpatasvir was safer than sofosbuvir with RBV [OR 2·07 (95% CrI 1·13-3·79)]. Elbasvir with grazoprevir (50%) followed by placebo (28%) had the highest probabilities of less AEs. No significant differences were observed for serious AE outcomes. WHAT IS NEW AND CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis included a large number of therapies. Small differences were observed in any AEs, but not in serious AEs.

Helminth parasite communities of allopatric populations of the frog Leptodactylus podicipinus from Pantanal, Brazil.

Several factors may influence the structure of parasite communities in amphibian hosts. In this study, we describe the helminth parasites of three allopatric populations of the frog Leptodactylus podicipinus and test whether host size and sex were determinants of the structure and composition of the helminth communities. One hundred and twenty-three anurans were collected from three different study sites within the Pantanal wetlands and surveyed for helminth parasites. We found 14 helminth taxa: 7 species of nematodes, 4 species of trematodes, 1 species of cestodes, 1 species of acanthocephalan and one unidentified cyst. Host sex and size did not cause significant differences in helminth abundance or richness. The structure of helminth communities from the three study sites varied in terms of species composition, abundance and diversity. Six out of 14 helminth taxa were found in the three localities. Among those, the nematodes Cosmocerca podicipinus and Rhabdias sp., the trematode Catadiscus propinquus and the helminth cyst showed significant differences in mean abundances. We suggest that such differences found among the three component communities are driven by biotic and abiotic factors operating locally. Moreover, these differences stress the importance of local conditions, such as hydrologic characteristics and landscape composition, on helminth community structure.

Allelic frequencies and statistical data obtained from 15 STR loci in a population of the Goiás State.

Due to the miscegenation of the Brazilian population, the central region of Brazil was colonized by internal migration of individuals from different origins, who contributed to the genetic diversity existing in this population. The purpose of this study was to estimate population parameters based on the allele frequencies for 15 polymorphic autosomal short-tandem repeat (STR) loci present in the population of the State of Goiás in the central region of Brazil, and to compare the results with those of others from different Brazilian populations. DNA was obtained from a sample of 986 unrelated individuals by a commercial reagent kit and was quantified by spectrometry for later amplification in the thermocycler. These loci, commonly used in forensics and paternity testing, reflected Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium in this population. The D18S51 and Penta E loci had the highest number of alleles, while the observed heterozygosity reached the highest rates in FGA (0.920), D7S820 (0.870), and vWA (0.867) markers. Genetic diversity reached the highest levels in Penta E (0.906), Penta D (0.873), and D18S51 (0.860) markers, and the investigated forensic parameters showed high average values, with 93% power of discrimination, polymorphism information content of 78%, gene diversity of 79%, and observed heterozygosity of 79%. Similar to the other populations of Brazil, the population of the Midwest is derived from the admixture of 3 main parental groups: Amerindian, European, particularly Portuguese, and Africans from sub-Saharan Africa. In this context, the overall distribution of allele frequencies in the STR markers of various Brazilian populations is quite similar to the data obtained in this study.

O impacto regulatório no desenvolvimento de formulações farmacêuticas: estudo de caso de um medicamento pediátrico / Regulatory impact on pharmaceutical formulation development: case study of a pediatric drug product

O desenvolvimento de medicamentos tem sofrido grande avanço nos anos recentes. Diversas tecnologias têm surgido, incrementando as chances de obtenção de medicamentos mais adequados às inúmeras patologias que ainda assolam a humanidade. Tanto esses novos produtos quanto modernizações de produtos antigos sofrem, todavia, uma carga regulatória cada vez mais exigente e detalhista. Inúmeras são as normas atualmente em vigor voltadas especificamente para os produtos farmacêuticos. O trabalho do pesquisador focado no desenvolvimento de produtos farmacêuticos muda seu modus operandi, uma vez que a contemplação de tais normas passa a ser uma exigência preponderante e não mais apenas os aspectos estritamente técnicos, como outrora.

Drug product development has seen great advances in recent years. Many new techniques have appeared, increasing the chance of developing more effective medicines against the innumerable diseases that continue to assail humans. However, both these new products and also renewed forms of older products are under a heavy regulatory load, which is becoming more and more stringent and detailed. A great number of regulations specific to drug products are currently in force. Pharmaceutical researchers need to change their modus operandi, no longer taking only technical questions into consideration, but also all the regulatory aspects.

Living together, sometimes feeding in a similar way: the case of the syntopic hylid frogs Hypsiboas raniceps and Scinax acuminatus (Anura: Hylidae) in the Pantanal of Miranda, Mato Grosso do Sul State, Brazil.

We studied the feeding ecology of two Hylinae anurans (Hypsiboas raniceps and Scinax acuminatus), living sympatrically and syntopically in the Pantanal of Miranda, Mato Grosso do Sul State, Brazil. The two hylid species had similar relative mouth width but differed in body size. The diet of the two frog species were composed of arthropodan prey. Both species consumed 11 different prey types, of which seven were common among them. Hypsiboas raniceps had a larger niche breadth (B(A) = 0.64) than S. acuminatus (B(A) = 0.48). Trophic niche overlap among frog species was 60.7 %. Our data are suggestive that although for many anurans the diet simply tend to reflect prey availability in the microhabitat, these two frog species, despite sharing similar microhabitat and period of activity (thus potentially exposed to a similar array of preys), tends to differ somewhat in diet (about 40%) which may result from some intrinsic ecological aspects to each of them (e.g. ecophysiology) and/or differences in body size.

Helminth parasites of Leptodactylus podicipinus (Anura: Leptodactylidae) from south-eastern Pantanal, State of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.

Forty-three specimens of Leptodactylus podicipinus (Anura: Leptodactylidae) were collected in the south-eastern Pantanal, municipality of Corumbá, State of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil in February and July 2007, and examined for endoparasites. Forty (93%) specimens were infected with at least one helminth species. The predominant parasites were nematodes (Aplectana sp., Cosmocerca podicipinus, Oswaldocruzia lopesi, Physalopteroides venancioi, Rhabdias sp.), but the trematode Catadiscus propinquus also showed high prevalence. The trematodes Infidum infidum and Travtrema stenocotyle were also found, but in only one specimen. Adult frogs showed higher parasite diversity than subadults. Leptodactylus podicipinus was preferentially infected by direct life-cycle parasites and was reported as a new host record for seven helminth species.

New record of Haplometroides intercaecalis (Digenea, Plagiorchiidae) infecting a Brazilian snake

Phalotris matogrossensis (Serpentes, Colubridae) was reported as a new host for Haplometroides intercaecalis (Digenea, Plagiorchiidae). The host snake was obtained from the municipality of Anastácio, state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. One specimen of H. intercaecalis was recovered from the esophagus of the host and identified by the intercecal position of the vitellaria in the pre-acetabular region. This paper describes the second report of the occurrence of this trematode in fossorial snakes of the genus Phalotris in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.

[Double origin of anterior descending artery--from the left and right coronary arteries--associated with anomalous origin of the circumflex artery]. / Dupla origem do ramo descendente anterior--das coronárias esquerda e direita--associada a origem anômala à direita do ramo circunflexo.

A 65 year-old white man, with typical angina pectoris, underwent coronary angiography that showed dual left anterior descending artery (LAD), originating from the right coronary artery (RCA), associated with anomalous origin of the left circumflex artery (LCX) also from the RCA. This an extremely rare coronary artery anomaly and, it is the first case reported, so far. This rareness and clinical significance are emphasized.

Morphology and viability of the spleen after subtotal splenectomy.

1. Postsplenectomy complications have stimulated surgeons to opt for partial splenectomy as a more desirable technique for several diseases and in some cases for trauma to the spleen. 2. We studied spleen viability in 15 dogs submitted to subtotal splenectomy while maintaining the upper pole and upper splenogastric vessels. Macro- and microscopic histological studies as well as Tc99m-labeled heat-damaged erythrocyte scintigraphic analysis of splenic blood irrigation were carried out. 3. We conclude that: a) the splenogastric vessels are sufficient for the maintenance of spleen irrigation and drainage; b) the spleen remnants develop increased cellularity of the splenic cords and lymphoid folliculi; c) the length of the spleen remnants does not change for at least 2 months after surgery.

Morphology and viability of the spleen after subtotal splenectomy

1. Postsplenectomy complications have stimulated surgeons to opt for partial splenectomy as a more desirable technique for several diseases and in some cases for trauma to the spleen. 2. We studied spleen viability in 15 dogs submitted to subtotal splenectomy while maintaining the upper pole and upper splenogastric vessels. Macro-and microscopic histological studies as well as Tc99m-labeled heat-damaged erythrocyte scintigraphic analysis of splenic blood irrigation were carried out. 3. We conclude that: a) the spleen remnants develop increased cellularity of the splenic cords and lymphoid folliculi; c) the length of the epleen remnants does not change for at least 2 months after surgery