Objective: This study aimed to assess the knowledge of puerperal mothers about the Guthrie test. Methods: A total of 75 mothers who sought primary care between October 2014 and February 2015 were investigated. The form was applied by the main researcher and the data was analyzed, using descriptive statistics with Microsoft Office Excel, and Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) programs. Association tests and statistical power were applied.Results: Among the 75 mothers, 47 (62.7%) would have liked to receive more information about the newborn screening, especially regarding the correct sample collection period, followed by the screened morbidities. Most participants (n=55; 85.9%) took their children to be tested between the third and the seventh day of birth, as recommended by the Brazilian Health Ministry. Fifty-four women (72%) were unable to name the morbidities screened by the test in Minas Gerais, and they were also unaware that most have genetic etiology. The health professional who informed the mother about the Guthrie test was mainly the physician. This information was given prenatally to 57% of the cases, and to 43 % at the time of discharge from the hospital. The association test showed that mothers with higher education have more knowledge about the purpose and importance of the Guthrie test. The statistical power was 83.5%.Conclusions: Maternal knowledge about the Guthrie test is superficial and may reflect the health team’s usual practice.

TNF-alpha plays an important role in trypanocidal mechanisms and is related to tissue injury. This cytokine has been detected in the heart of human chagasic patients where it is associated with tissue damage. This study investigated whether TNF-alpha levels and the presence of genetic polymorphisms are associated with the presence of T. cruzi infection and/or with the development of the cardiac form in chronic chagasic patients. Genomic DNA of 300 subjects from an endemic area was extracted and analyzed by PCR using specific primers. TNF-alpha was assayed in culture supernatants by ELISA. An association was observed between the absence of the TNF-238A allele and negative serology. Furthermore, seropositive individuals carrying the TNF-238A allele produced significantly higher TNF-alpha levels without stimulation (p = 0.04) and after stimulation with LPS (p = 0.007) and T. cruzi antigens (p = 0.004). The present results suggest that the polymorphism at position -238 influences susceptibility to infection and that this allele is associated with higher TNF-alpha production in seropositive individuals.

We describe a de novo dup 17p11 in a boy with Alport syndrome, mild mental retardation, and minor anomalies. Combining classical and molecular cytogenetics analyses, the karyotype was defined as 46,XY.ish dup (17)(p11.2p11.2)(D17S29++,D17S379+). Alport syndrome is associated with mutations in the type IV alpha chain collagen gene, however, no known collagen-related gene is currently mapped to 17p11. Duplications involving 17p11.2 have been reported in Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, Dejerine-Sottas syndrome, and in a few sporadic patients with mental retardation and minor anomalies, however, no significant clinical similarity was found among these cases and the propositus. Further studies may clarify the meaning of the association between Alport syndrome and duplications of DNA sequences mapped at 17p11.2.

No abstract

Thus, the interleukin 1 alpha gene could be used as a therapeutic tool for the diagnosis, as well as for monitoring the patients.

ObjetivoDescrever o conhecimento dos profissionais de saúde sobre a triagem neonatal.MétodosTrata-se de um estudo exploratório, descritivo, quantitativo realizado com 122 profissionaisde saúde (57 enfermeiros, 57 técnicos de enfermagem e 8 médicos) que trabalhavamnas Unidades Básicas de Saúde de Uberaba, Minas Gerais. Os participantes responderama um questionário semiestruturado e os dados foram analisados de forma descritiva.ResultadosHouve predomínio do sexo feminino (93,5%) e idade média de 39 anos. Quanto àsdoenças detectadas pela triagem neonatal, a fibrose cística e anemia falciforme foram citadas por 89,4% dos participantes, a fenilcetonúria e hipotireoidismo congênitopor 78,9% e 75,6%, respectivamente, e a hiperplasia adrenal congênita por 43,1%.Apenas 24,4% dos participantes mencionaram a deficiência da biotinidase. A maioriados participantes (aproximadamente 90.0%) citaram que a triagem neonatal dever serrealizada entre o terceiro e o sétimo dias de vida do neonato e que sua finalidade éa detecção de doenças tratáveis. Quanto ao momento ideal para orientações sobre atriagem neonatal, a maioria citou o pré-natal (74,8%) seguido pela alta hospitalar e antesda coleta do exame, com valores de 43,1% cada. Cerca de 30.0% dos participantesnão sabiam para onde encaminhar as amostras após a coleta e 70.0% não realizaramreciclagens sobre o assunto.ConclusãoOs resultados mostram um conhecimento insuficiente sobre triagem neonatal. Essa lacunapoderia ser preenchida com ações de educação continuada, que proporcionariam umamelhora na qualidade da assistência prestada ao binômio mãe/filho.

We report on a 17-year-old patient with midline defects, ocular hypertelorism, neuropsychomotor development delay, neonatal macrosomy, and dental anomalies. DNA copy number investigations using a Whole Genome TilePath array consisting, of 30K BAC/PAC clones showed a 6.36 Mb deletion in the 9p24.1-p24.3 region and a 14.83 Mb duplication in the 20p12.1-p13 region, which derived from a maternal balanced t(9;20)(p24.1;p12.1) as shown by FISH studies. Monosomy 9p is a well-delineated chromosomal syndrome with characteristic clinical features, while chromosome 20p duplication is a rare genetic condition. Only a handful of cases of monosomy 9/ trisomy 20 have been previously described. In this report, we compare the phenotype of our patient with those already reported in the literature, and discuss the role of DMRT, DOCK8, FOXD4, VLDLR, RSPO4, AVP, RASSF2, PROKR2, BMP2, MKKS, and JAG1, all genes mapping to the deleted and duplicated regions.

Bronchial epithelial cells represent the first line of defense against microorganisms and allergens in the airways and play an important role in chronic inflammatory processes such as asthma. In an experimental model, both RvD1 and AT-RvD1, lipid mediators of inflammation resolution, ameliorated some of the most important phenotypes of experimental asthma. Here, we extend these results and demonstrate the effect of AT-RvD1 on bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS-2B) stimulated with IL-4. AT-RvD1 (100 nM) decreased both CCL2 and CXCL-8 production, in part by decreasing STAT6 and NF-κB pathways. Furthermore, the effects of AT-RvD1 were ALX/FRP2 receptor dependent, as the antagonist of this receptor (BOC1) reversed the inhibition of these chemokines by AT-RvD1. In addition, AT-RvD1 decreased SOCS1 and increased SOCS3 expression, which play important roles in Th1 and Th17 modulation, respectively. In conclusion, AT-RvD1 demonstrated significant effects on the IL-4-induced activation of bronchial epithelial cells and consequently the potential to modulate neutrophilic and eosinophilic airway inflammation in asthma. Taken together, these findings identify AT-RvD1 as a potential proresolving therapeutic agent for allergic responses in the airways.