Chayote (Sechium edule) (Cucurbitaceae), also known as vegetable pear, mirliton, or mango squash, is a commercially important vegetable crop in Brazil, where it is affected by chayote witches'-broom disease. Affected plants exhibit witches'-broom growths and other symptoms characteristic of plant diseases caused by phytoplasmas. Since previous electron microscopic studies revealed the association of a phytoplasma with chayote witches'-broom, the present work was aimed at detecting and classifying the phytoplasma that may be the causal agent of the disease. Strains of a phytoplasma belonging to group 16SrIII (X-disease phytoplasma group) were discovered in chayote affected by witches'-broom disease and in diseased plants of Momordica charantia that were growing as weeds in fields of chayote in Brazil. On the basis of results from restriction fragment length polymorphism and nucleotide sequence analyses of 16S rDNA, the phytoplasma was classified in a new subgroup, designated subgroup III-J. This classification was supported by a phylogenetic tree constructed by the Neighbor-Joining method.

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Background. The use of human recombinant erythropoietin (rHuEPO) in pregnant patients has been limited by the fear of eventual maternal and fetal repercussions (either direct or indirect). Methods. The authors present their experience with the use of rHuEPO during pregnancy, with two pregnant women with kidney transplants and in three others with chronic renal insufficiency (one with diabetic nephropathy, another dialysis dependent), all with hematocrit below 30% and adequate iron reserves. Results. Three of the patients had needed blood transfusions before beginning therapy, and another needed transfusion after significant metrorrhagia. The length of the treatment varied between 2 and 23 weeks and the hematocrit at delivery varied between 26% and 36%. Secondary effects (appearance or worsening of hypertension and seizures) were nil. There was one fetal death at 23 weeks of pregnancy (following an abruptio placentce), two neonates weighing between the 5th and the 10th percentiles, and three needing phototherapy (1 to 2 days). One year after birth, all showed a normal ponderal and neurologic development.Conclusions. Among the cases presented, no maternal and perinatal complications attributable to rHuEPO were registered. It is important that institutions report their experiences with the use of rHuEPO, given its restrictive indications and the limited experience of each institution.

Results: Over six months, 148 outbreak-related cases were reported: 87.8% occurred in three of the 16 affected counties and 78.4% had a known epidemiological link. Median age was 14.5 years (2-62) and 70.3% were 11-20 years old; 61.5% were male. The mean duration of disease was seven days (2-20). The disease was generally mild; 80.4% had fever and in 55.4% there was unilateral involvement of the parotid gland. Seven cases had orchitis, one oophoritis and one had nephritis. Two cases were hospitalized. School transmission predominated and class attack rates were < 30%. Most of the cases occurred in vaccinated individuals (92%) of whom 86.8% had received 2 doses; 17.7% had received one dose of the vaccine containing the Rubini strain. Mumps virus genotype G was identified in 4 cases. Discussion: This mumps outbreak among a highly vaccinated population, occurring mostly in teenagers at school, could be due to the partial effectiveness of the vaccine against the disease (particularly in the group vaccinated with Rubini strain), waning immunity overtime and genotype mismatch.Conclusions: This outbreak report shows the importance of discussion about the need of more booster dose of the actual vaccine or new vaccine including more genotypes to improve immunogenicity.

We concluded that low-dose simvastatin and fish oil are both effective and safe in correcting post-RT hyperlipidaemia. Further prospective studies with larger follow-up are needed to clarify whether this therapy has an impact on cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in RT patients.

Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don (periwinkle) is well known as an experimental host for diverse phytoplasmas that are artificially transmitted to it through the use of dodder (Cuscuta sp.), laboratory vector insects, or grafting. However, few phytoplasma taxa have been reported in natural infections of C. roseus, and the role of C. roseus in phytoplasma dissemination and natural disease spread is not clear. In this study, naturally diseased plants of C. roseus exhibiting yellowing and witches' broom symptoms indicative of phytoplasma infection were observed throughout the year in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Shoots and leaves of four diseased plants were assayed for the presence of phytoplasma DNA sequences by nested polymerase chain reactions (PCR) as previously described (2,3). Phytoplasma rDNA was amplified from diseased periwinkle plants in PCR primed by primer pair P1/P7 and was reamplified in nested PCR primed by primer pair R16F2n/R16R2 (F2n/R2). The results indicated the presence of phytoplasma in all four diseased plants. Phytoplasma identification was accomplished by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis, using 11 restriction enzymes, of 16S rDNA amplified in PCR primed by F2n/R2. Phytoplasmas were classified according to the system of Lee et al. (1). On the basis of collective RFLP patterns of 16S rDNA, the phytoplasma infections in the four periwinkle plants could not be distinguished from one another. Furthermore, the collective RFLP patterns were indistinguishable from those reported previously for hibiscus witches' broom phytoplasma, “Candidatus Phytoplasma brasiliense” (2). The phytoplasma found in C. roseus, designated strain HibWB-Cr, was classified in group 16SrXV (hibiscus witches' broom phytoplasma group). HibWB-Cr is tentatively considered a new strain of “Ca. P. brasiliense”. C. roseus is the first known, naturally diseased alternate plant host of “Ca. P. brasiliense”. The present study identified strain HibWB-Cr in Rio de Janeiro State, where hibiscus witches' broom disease is prevalent (2). How this economically important disease of hibiscus spreads is not known. Our findings raise the possibility that a polyphagous insect vector is involved in the natural transmission of “Ca. P. brasiliense” and that C. roseus or other plant species serve as reservoirs for the spread of this phytoplasma taxon. References: (1) I.-M. Lee et al. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 48:1153, 1998. (2) H. G. Montano et al. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol. 51:1109, 2001. (3) H. G. Montano et al. Plant Dis. 84:429, 1999.

RESUMO. Estudou-se a comunidade de nematoides do solo em quatro sistemas de manejo no Sistema Integrado de Produção Agroecológica (SIPA): pasto, capoeira, figo com Paspalum notatum e horta. As amostras de solo foram coletadas a cada quatro meses durante um ano. A comunidade de nematoides foi identificada e descrita com os parâmetros: riqueza de famílias, diversidade de Shannon-Weaner, de dominância de Simpson, além da diversidade trófica e dominância trófica.Os fitoparasitas e bacteriófagos dominaram as comunidades de nematoides nas áreas. Os onívoros foram menos abundantes em todos os sistemas estudados. O sistema pasto apresentou maior diversidade de famílias de nematoides enquanto que, no sistema capoeira se encontraram valores de diversidade baixos, porém constantes no tempo, indicando condição de maior estabilidade. A ação antrópica induzida pelo manejo modificou a distribuição trófica em benefício dos nematoides bacteriófagos, normalmente associados à maior taxa de decomposição da matéria orgânica. Nematoides fitoparasitas e bacteriófagos foram dominantes nos sistemas estudados, o que sugere a influência de densidade radicular elevada no pasto e alta taxa de mineralização na horta. A distribuição relativa de grupos tróficos de nematoides do solo confirmou ser uma eficiente forma de se determinar o nível de perturbação de solos submetidos a distintos manejos.Palavras-chave: microfauna, sistemas de cultivo, diversidade.ABSTRACT. Structure of soil nematode population under an organically managed crop in Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil. Soil nematode communities were studied in four differents crop systems at the Integrated System of Agroecological Production. Soil samples were collected at four-month intervals during one year, with three replications for each location. Nematode communities were measured by the following parameters: family richness, ShannonWeaner's index, Simpson's index, trophic diversity (T) and dominance index (Ig). These data were submitted to ANOVA statistical analysis at 5% level of Tukey's test. The population of bacterivores and herbivore nematodes was high in all areas. Omnivores were found in lower abundance in all systems. The highest diversity of nematode families was found on pasture. In forests, the values of richness and abundance were always lower but constant in time, suggesting an ecosystem of higher stability. Soil management induced the proliferation of bacterivores usually associated with higher decomposition rates of organic matter. Herbivores and bacterivores were dominant in all systems, suggesting it is important to have high root (for pasture) or high decomposition rates (for horticulture system). The relative distribution of trophic groups of soil nematodes proved to be a good way to determine the level of perturbation of ecosystems.