Skin cancer prevention campaign in childhood: survey based on 3676 children in Brazil.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Primary skin cancer prevention campaigns are essential and more effective among children, not only because of the importance of sun exposure effects during this period, but also because this age is when individuals are developing behaviours. The Brazilian Society of Dermatology - Regional State of Sao Paulo developed and conducted the programme named 'The Sun, Friend of Childhood', a school health education and disease prevention project for children and parents. Our objective was to evaluate the cognitive and behavioural effects of the children and parents before and after an education model-based intervention of sun protection. METHODS: We carried out a study on a school population of Social Service of Industry - Regional State of São Paulo, from the first to the fifth years of the regular course (6-10 years). Our educational project was planned to be based on two children's learning tools (comic magazine and a DVD cartoon). Questionnaires in relation to habits and knowledge in sun exposure were applied to the children (3776) before and (2748) after the intervention. A questionnaire was applied to 3663 parents regarding personal details and habits of their children. RESULTS: According to the McNemar's statistical test, all changes in the children in acquiring new knowledge about good practices for sun exposure were statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Educative sun exposure programmes in childhood are a relevant tool to modify the history of life for next generations, to concern the skin cancer and good health practices.

Chemical composition, oviposition deterrent and larvicidal activities against Aedes aegypti of essential oils from Piper marginatum Jacq. (Piperaceae).

The essential oils of leaves, stems and inflorescences of Piper marginatum, harvested in the Atlantic forest in the State of Pernambuco, Brazil, were obtained by hydrodistillation. GC and GC-MS analyses revealed the presence of 40 components accounting, respectively, for 99.6%, 99.7% and 99.1% of the leaf, stem and inflorescence oil, the most abundant being (Z)- or (E)-asarone and patchouli alcohol. The essential oil of the inflorescences exhibited potent activity against the 4th instar of Aedes aegypti with LC(10) and LC(50) values of 13.8 and 20.0 ppm, respectively. Furthermore, the inflorescence oil did not interfere in the oviposition of A. aegypti females when assayed at 50 ppm. These properties suggest that P. marginatum oil is a potential source of valuable larvicidal compounds for direct use or in conjunction with baits in traps constructed to capture eggs and larvae.

Cervical neoplasia after diagnosis and follow-up of women with atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance.

BACKGROUND: Although the cytological finding of atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS) occurs in around 5% of women undergoing cytological screening, the clinical evolution is unknown. The objective of this study was to evaluate women with a diagnosis of ASCUS and compare the histological findings and clinical evolution over six and 12 months. METHODS: 1244 patients with ASCUS (two diagnostic cytologists) were evaluated in this study with Pap Smears and colposcopy (biopsy if necessary) at the first visit, and thereafter at second and third visits (6 and 12 months after the first visit). Comparisons were made between cytological findings and histological diagnoses at every visit during the study and during evolution. RESULTS: At the first visit, 60.3% of the biopsied patients presented histological findings of CIN I, 17.46% CIN II/III and 6.3% invasive neoplasia. At the second visit, 48.3% of the biopsied patients presented CIN I, 24.1% CIN II/III and none invasive neoplasia. At the third visit, 68.9% of the biopsied patients presented CIN I, 13.8% CIN II/III and none invasive carcinoma. If we consider all visits, a total of 213 colposcopy-guided biopsies were performed, representing 17.1% of all the patients included. Of these, 164 (13.2%) presented a histological diagnosis of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and eight (0.6%) presented with invasive carcinoma. CONCLUSION: We conclude that CIN or invasive lesions frequently occur in women with a diagnosis of ASCUS. Immediate review of the thin sections, new cytological tests or colposcopy and rigorous follow-up should be considered when making a diagnosis of ASCUS.

Ultrasonographic criteria and tumor marker assay are good procedures for the diagnosis of ovarian neoplasia in preselected outpatients.

PURPOSE OF INVESTIGATION: To identify parameters for the diagnosis of ovarian neoplasia using ultrasonography (US) and serum tumor marker (TM: CA125, CA19.9, CA15.3, AFP, CEA and estradiol) assay. METHODS: Prospective study which included 373 women with increased ovarian volume (> 18 cm3 in premenopause and > 8 cm3 in postmenopause). US criteria (> or = 1) for surgery were: persistent (> 4 months) or increased cyst, cysts with > 1 thick septum or > or = 2 thin septa, cyst diameter > or = 7 cm, vegetation, calcification or cystic predominance (> 50%), solid tumor (> 50%). Doppler with a resistance index (RI) < 0.4 was considered abnormal. RESULTS: Laparotomy was performed in 164 (44%) patients with 66 (40.2%) benign neoplasias and 19 (11.6%) malignant cases (73.6% at Stage I or II). Two hundred and nine patients were maintained on clinical follow-up. The sensitivity for neoplasia and malignant neoplasia was, respectively, for RI: 17 and 63.6 and RI plus TM: 53.1 and 90.9. CONCLUSION: Ultrasound criteria and TM assay were indicated for the diagnosis of ovarian neoplasia.

Clinical and histopathological changes of the nasal mucosa induced by occupational exposure to sulphuric acid mists.

AIMS: To assess potential alterations of the nasal mucosa by clinical and histopathological evaluation of workers exposed to sulphuric acid mists at anodising plants, correlating the findings with duration of exposure and sulphuric acid concentrations in the air, and comparing them with a control group. METHODS: Fifty two workers from five plants underwent a clinical evaluation (standard questionnaire, clinical, and ear, nose, and throat examination including nasal endoscopy). For the histopathological study, 20 of the 52 subjects (study group) were randomly selected, as well as 11 unexposed subjects (control group), matched by sex, age, and smoking habits. Nasal biopsy specimens were obtained from the anterior septum mucosa and the anterior curvature of the middle turbinate in each individual. A total of 56 nasal mucosa specimens (37 in the study group and 19 in the control group) were evaluated with regard to normal respiratory epithelium or metaplastic epithelium, atypia or dysplasia, and alterations of the lamina propria. RESULTS: The histopathological study revealed squamous metaplasia in 29 (79%) and atypia in 13 (35%) of the 37 study group samples. No association was found between exposure duration and the clinical and histopathological variables, but a significant association was found between sulphuric acid concentrations higher than 200 micro g/m(3) and pale mucosal patches and ulcerations in the exposed subjects. Logistic regression analysis showed that the exposed subjects had a fivefold risk of developing atypia compared with the unexposed subjects. CONCLUSIONS: Workers exposed to sulphuric acid mists presented with a high incidence of nasal symptoms, and macroscopic and microscopic changes of the nasal mucosa, including squamous atypia and dysplasia. The risk for these histopthological lesions increased with higher sulphuric acid concentrations in the air, revealing an exposure-response relation.

Urinary nickel as bioindicator of workers' Ni exposure in a galvanizing plant in Brazil.

OBJECTIVES: We measured urinary nickel (U-Ni) in ten workers (97 samples) from a galvanizing plant that uses nickel sulfate, and in ten control subjects (55 samples) to examine the association between occupational exposure to airborne Ni and Ni absorption. METHODS: Samples from the exposed group were taken before and after the work shift on 5 successive workdays. At the same time airborne Ni (A-Ni) was measured using personal samplers. Ni levels in biological material and in the airborne were determined by a graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry validated method. In the control group the urine samples were collected twice a day, in the before and after the work shift, on 3 successive days. RESULTS: Ni exposure low to moderate was detected in all the examined places in the plant, the airborne levels varying between 2.8 and 116.7 micrograms/m3 and the urine levels, from samples taken postshift, between 4.5 and 43.2 micrograms/g creatinine (mean 14.7 micrograms/g creatinine). Significant differences in U-Ni creatinine were seen between the exposed and control groups (Student's t test, P < or = 0.01). A significant correlation between U-Ni and A-Ni (r = 0.96; P < or = 0.001) was detected. No statistical difference was observed in U-Ni collected from exposed workers in the 5 successive days, but significant difference was observed between pre- and postshift samples. CONCLUSIONS: Urinary nickel may be used as a reliable internal dose bioindicator in biological monitoring of workers exposed to Ni sulfate in galvanizing plants regardless of the day of the workweek on which the samples are collected.

Effect of apomorphine on rat motor activity induced by fencamfamine and other indirect psychostimulant drugs.

We evaluated the effects of low doses of apomorphine on the stimulant behavioral effects induced by amphetamine (2.5 mg/kg), fencamfamine (6.0 mg/kg) and cocaine (15.0 mg/kg). Rats received 0.02 mg/kg of apomorphine (sc) and 30 min later were injected with one of the stimulants. Motor activity including locomotion, rearing and sniffing was quantified in the animals home cages for 60 min at 15-min intervals. All stimulant drugs induced hyperactivity. When apomorphine was administered before cocaine, but not when administered before fencamfamine or amphetamine, distinctive changes occurred. The behavioral pattern resulting from high stimulation was replaced by that related to low stimulation, suggesting that apomorphine induces a transfer in the predominant behavior in cocaine-, and partially in fencamfamine-, but not in amphetamine-treated animals, by decreasing the intensity of the stereotyped effect. While no changes occurred when apomorphine was administered before amphetamine, the fencamfamine group showed intermediate alterations (nonsignificant changes in sniffing but a significant increase in rearing behavior). These results are discussed in terms of the different mechanisms of presynaptic action of the drugs studied.

Snail control in urban sites in Brazil with slow-release hexabutyldistannoxane and pentachlorophenol.

Slow release formulations of hexabutyldistannoxane (TBTO) and pentachlorophenol (PCP) were tested for the control of Biomphalaria tenagophila in 52 urban sites in Rio de Janeiro. TBTO acted faster and lasted longer than PCP and at 15 g/m(2) it eliminated snails from 76% of the treated sites for 1 year. Water pollution and rate of flow had no significant influence on the molluscicidal properties of either compound, but alkalinity lowered the activity of TBTO. Failure to control snail populations was due mainly to human interference and to the non-treatment of adjacent breeding sites that were temporarily dry and therefore overlooked.