Browsing by Issue Date, starting with "2014"
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- Potential cardiovascular risk protection of bilirubin in end-stage renal disease patients under hemodialysisPublication . Sameiro-Faria, M.; Kohlova, M.; Ribeiro, S.; Rocha-Pereira, P.; Teixeira, L.; Nascimento, H.; Reis, F.; Miranda, V.; Bronze-da-Rocha, E.; Quintanilha, A.; Belo, L.; Costa, E.; Santos-Silva, A.We evaluated the potential cardiovascular risk protection of bilirubin in hemodialysis (HD) patients. An enlarged set of studies were evaluated in 191 HD patients, including hematological study, lipid profile, iron metabolism, nutritional, inflammatory markers, and dialysis adequacy. The TA duplication screening in the UDP-glucuronosyltransferase 1 A1 (UGT1A1) promoter region was also performed. The UGT1A1 genotype frequencies in HD patients were 49.2%, 42.4%, and 8.4% for 6/6, 6/7, and 7/7 genotypes, respectively. Although no difference was found in UGT1A1 genotype distribution between the three tertiles of bilirubin, significant differences were found with increasing bilirubin levels, namely, a decrease in platelet, leukocyte, and lymphocyte counts, transferrin, oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL), ox-LDL/low-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio, apolipoprotein (Apo) A, Apo B, and interleukin-6 serum levels and a significant increased concentration of hemoglobin, hematocrit, erythrocyte count, iron, transferrin saturation, Apo A/Apo B ratio, adiponectin, and paraoxonase 1 serum levels. After adjustment for age these results remained significant. Our data suggest that higher bilirubin levels are associated with beneficial effects in HD patients, by improving lipid profile and reducing the inflammatory grade, which might contribute to increase in iron availability. These results suggest a potential cardiovascular risk protection of bilirubin in HD patients
- Internal iliac and uterine arteries Doppler ultrasound in the assessment of normotensive and chronic hypertensive pregnant womenPublication . Guedes-Martins, L.; Cunha, A.; Saraiva, J.; Gaio, R.; Macedo, F.; Almeida, H.The objective of this work was to compare Doppler flows pulsatility index (PI) and resistance indexes (RI) of uterine and internal iliac arteries during pregnancy in low risk women and in those with stage-1 essential hypertension. From January 2010 and December 2012, a longitudinal and prospective study was carried out in 103 singleton uneventful pregnancies (72 low-risk pregnancies and 31 with stage 1 essential hypertension)at the 1(st), 2(nd) and 3(rd) trimesters. Multiple linear regression models, fitted using generalized least squares and whose errors were allowed to be correlated and/or have unequal variances, were employed; a model for the relative differences of both arteries impedance was utilized. In both groups, uterine artery PI and RI exhibited a gestational age related decreasing trend whereas internal iliac artery PI and RI increased. The model testing the hemodynamic adaptation in women with and without hypertension showed similar trend. Irrespective of blood pressure conditions, the internal iliac artery resistance pattern contrasts with the capacitance pattern of its immediate pelvic division, suggesting a pregnancy-related regulatory mechanism in the pelvic circulation.
- O Papel dos Testes de Estimulação Farmacológica no Diagnóstico da Deficiência de Hormona do Crescimento em Crianças e AdolescentesPublication . Gonçalves, J.; Correia, F.; Cardoso, H.; Borges, T.; Oliveira, M.INTRODUCTION: The incidence of short stature associated with growth hormone deficiency has been estimated to be about 1:4000 to 1:10000. It is the main indication for treatment with recombinant growth hormone. OBJECTIVES: The aims of the study were to evaluate the results of growth hormone stimulation tests and identify the growth hormone deficiency predictors. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A cross-sectional, analytical and observational study was conducted. We studied all the children and adolescents submitted to growth hormone pharmacological stimulation tests between January 2008 and May 2012. Growth hormone deficiency diagnosis was confirmed by two negatives growth hormone stimulation tests (growth hormone peak < 7 ng/ml). The statistical analysis was performed using student t-test, chi-square, Pearson correlation and logistic regression. Statistical significance determined at the 5% level (p ≤ 0.05). RESULTS: Pharmacological stimulation tests were performed in 89 patients, with a median age of 10 [3-17] years. Clonidine (n = 85) and insulin tolerance test (n = 4) were the first growth hormone stimulation tests performed. Growth hormone deficiency was confirmed in 22 cases. In cases with two growth hormone stimulation tests, the growth hormone peak showed a moderate correlation (r = 0.593, p = 0.01). In logistic regression model height (z-score) and the growth hormone peak in first stimulation test were predictors of growth hormone deficiency diagnosis (each one unit increase in z-score decrease the growth hormone deficiency probability). DISCUSSION: Measurement of IGF-1 cannot be used in diagnosing growth hormone deficiency. CONCLUSION: Auxological criteria associated with a positive test seems to be a reliable diagnostic tool for growth hormone deficiency.
- Anorectal melanoma: an uncommon and aggressive diseasePublication . Magalhães, M.; Salgado, M.; Pedroto, I.
- Juvenile systemic sclerosis: review of 15 patientsPublication . Sousa, S.; Fernandes, S.; Estanqueiro, P.; Zilhão, C.; Resende, C.; Ramos, F.; Salgado, M.; Guedes, M.; Gomes, J.; Santos, M.
- Biologic therapy for psoriasis - still searching for the best target.Publication . Pinto-Almeida, T.; Torres, T.Psoriasis is a chronic skin disease that results from the complex interaction between genetic and environmental factors. Over the last few decades, scientific evidence has redirected the focus of therapeutic studies to the immunologic pathways underlying its pathogenesis. This led to the biologic boom that we are currently experiencing, with the development and approval of targeted progressively more selective biological therapies and ongoing clinical trials of increasingly specific drugs, given their important implications for long-term efficacy and safety. Nevertheless, the search for the optimal biologic is still ongoing, and the best target has yet to be found.
- Interleucina-17 como Alvo Terapêutico na PsoríasePublication . Torres, T.; Filipe, P.A psoríase é uma doença crónica, inflamatória, imunomediada que afecta cerca de 1-3% da população geral. O avanço no conhecimento da patogénese da psoríase levou ao desenvolvimento de novos fármacos direccionados para vias imunitárias mais específicas que os existentes. A IL-17 e os linfócitos Th17 têm um importante papel na patogénese de várias doenças auto-imunes e imunomediadas, incluindo a psoríase. A IL-17A é uma citocina pró-inflamatória, produzida pelos linfócitos Th17 juntamente com outras citocinas efetoras, como a IL-17F e IL-22. Esta citocina é igualmente expressa por outras células do sistema imune inato, incluíndo os mastócitos, neutrófilos e células dendríticas, todas elas encontradas nas lesões de psoríase. Por esta razão a IL-17 surgiu como um alvo terapêutico potencial. Vários agentes que inibem a IL-17 estão em desenvolvimento e os resultados clínicos preliminares são bastante promissores, confirmando a importância da IL-17 na fisiopatologia da psoríase. A intervenção selectiva no sistema imune desta nova classe de agentes biotecnológicos, torna-os uma abordagem terapêutica interessante no controlo de doenças auto-imunes e imunomediadas, como na psoríase. Num futuro próximo, estas novas terapêuticas poderão constituir uma alternativa válida aos agentes biológicos actualmente disponíveis.
- Effects of Acupuncture on Leucopenia, Neutropenia, NK, and B Cells in Cancer Patients: A Randomized Pilot StudyPublication . Pais, I.; Correia, N.; Pimentel, I.; Teles, M.; Neves, E.; Vasconcelos, J.; Guimarães, J.; Azevedo, N.; Moreira-Pinto, A.; Machado, J.; Efferth, T.; Greten, H.Chemotherapy is one of most significant therapeutic approaches to cancer. Immune system functional state is considered a major prognostic and predictive impact on the success of chemotherapy and it has an important role on patients' psychoemotional state and quality of life. In Chinese medicine, chemotherapy is understood as "toxic cold" that may induce a progressive hypofunctional state of immune system, thus compromising the fast recovery of immunity during chemotherapy. In this study, we performed a standardized acupuncture and moxibustion protocol to enhance immunity in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and to assess if the improvement of immunity status correlates with a better psychoemotional state and quality of life.
- Causas biológicas de depressão em doentes com Lúpus Eritematoso Sistémico: um estudo de revisãoPublication . Braga, J.; Campar, A.A elevada prevalência de depressão em doentes com lúpus eritematoso sistémico (LES) pode resultar tanto do impacto psicossocial desta doença crónica como de lesão do sistema nervoso central (SNC). Recentemente, a base biológica de depressão no LES tem vindo a ser confirmada, sob influência de vários factores, que serão revistos neste artigo. A evidência publicada aponta para a participação de alterações bioquímicas e neurofisiológicas, induzidas por citocinas, no desenvolvimento de sintomas neuropsiquiátricos no LES. Através da activação da enzima indoleamina 2,3-dioxigenase (IDO), da alteração da biodisponibilidade de neurotransmissores, da modificação da neuroplasticidade e neurogénese e da sobrestimulação de determinados neurocircuitos, as citocinas são capazes de provocar alterações do humor e depressão. Por outro lado, associada à desregulação imune, a disfunção do eixo hipotálamo-hipófise-adrenal (HHA) correlaciona-se com alterações neurofisiológicas envolvidas na depressão. Adicionalmente, autoanticorpos cérebro-reactivos presentes no líquido cefalo-raquídeo (LCR), como os anti-(N-metil- -D-aspartato)NMDA e anti-proteína P ribossómica, podem causar lesão de neurónios em áreas cerebrais relevantes no humor e comportamento, podendo originar sintomas depressivos. Em termos neuroanatómicos, lesões cerebrais de áreas do sistema límbico em doentes com LES, embora de etiologia não esclarecida, sugerem atingimento cerebral com comprometimento de funções emocionais e comportamentais. Concluindo, inúmeras alterações biológicas podem causar depressão no LES, sendo a sua identificação fundamental na abordagem desta patologia.
- Effects of acute bleeding followed by hydroxyethyl starch 130/0.4 or a crystalloid on propofol concentrations, cerebral oxygenation, and electroencephalographic and haemodynamic variables in pigsPublication . Silva, A.; Ortiz, A.; Venâncio, C.; Souza, A.; Ferreira, L.; Branco, P.; de Pinho, P.; Amorim, P.; Ferreira, D.Bleeding changes the haemodynamics, compromising organ perfusion. In this study, the effects of bleeding followed by replacement with hydroxyethyl starch 130/0.4 (HES) or lactated Ringer's (LR) on cerebral oxygenation and electroencephalogram-derived parameters were investigated. Twelve young pigs under propofol-remifentanil anaesthesia were bled 30 mL/kg and, after a 20-minute waiting period, volume replacement was performed with HES (GHES; N = 6) or LR (GRL; N = 6). Bleeding caused a decrease of more than 50% in mean arterial pressure (P < 0.01) and a decrease in cerebral oximetry (P = 0.039), bispectral index, and electroencephalogram total power (P = 0.04 and P < 0.01, resp.), while propofol plasma concentrations increased (P < 0.01). Both solutions restored the haemodynamics and cerebral oxygenation similarly and were accompanied by an increase in electroencephalogram total power. No differences between groups were found. However, one hour after the end of the volume replacement, the cardiac output (P = 0.03) and the cerebral oxygenation (P = 0.008) decreased in the GLR and were significantly lower than in GHES (P = 0.02). Volume replacement with HES 130/0.4 was capable of maintaining the cardiac output and cerebral oxygenation during a longer period than LR and caused a decrease in the propofol plasma concentrations.