During 15 months (01 April 2003-31 July 2004), 20,389 women showing positive pregnancy tests were included in a serological evaluation of toxoplasmosis prevalence using automated immunoenzymatic assays. The women's serum samples were tested for the presence of IgG and/or IgM antibodies. Overall, 53.03% of the women were positive for IgG and 3.26% were positive for IgM; the analysis used a chi-square adherence test and a significance level of 0.05 (chi(2)=14,720.35; p=0.00). To discriminate between recent and past infection, IgG avidity tests (n=166) were carried out, of which 28.3% (n=47) presented low avidity. The seroconversion index observed in this study was 0.44%. The seroprevalence results obtained were similar to other serology data found in other regions of Brazil. These data demonstrate the importance of continuous regional and national seroepidemiological inquiries to define public health strategies that can revert and reduce serological prevalence, as described in other countries where toxoplasmosis monitoring is mandatory.

Pregnancy is a choreographed physiological phenomenon that involves maternal-fetal cross-talk. Elucidating the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in this communication will allow us to develop therapies for gestational complications. Little is known about the role of natural killer (NK) cells in the uterine microenvironment. In a recent study, Fu et al. (2017) used state-ofart technologies and showed that NK cells stimulate fetal growth via growth-promoting factors.Strikingly, transplantation of uterine NK cells from normal mice reversed the negative pregnancy outcome in NK cell-deficient transgenic mice, as well as in aged mice. This new knowledge provides insight into the role of NK cells in the uterine microenvironment during pregnancy.Approximately 20% of pregnancies result in embryonic death losses in mammals. 1 Pregnancy is a complex physiological process influenced by multiple genetic, epigenetic, and microenvironmental factors, such as hormonal balance, immune tolerance, and angiogenesis. Fetal growth during development demands the expansion of cells, commonly followed by cellular specialization and the generation of distinct organs. Information on the control of this growth remains very limited. Effective regulation of fetal development is essential for successful mammalian reproduction. Disturbances in this process may lead to several gestational complications including infertility, fetal growth restriction, spontaneous abortion, and premature delivery. Survival of the embryo in the uterus is dependent on multiple cellular and molecular events that occur in this microenvironment. 2 Hormones, cytokines, homeotic proteins, growth factors, and morphogens produced by a variety of cell types may influence pregnancy outcomes. The specific cells and the underlying mechanisms that directly contribute to the outcome of a pregnancy remain completely unknown. The lack of detailed knowledge about the cellular contributors that mediate pregnancy failures restricts the design of effective treatments.Understanding the regulation of fetal growth that occurs during pregnancy is a central question in reproduction research. The uterine microenvironment during pregnancy is highly complex and is replete with different cell populations, including activated immune cells. Most of the uterine immune cells identified during pregnancy are natural killer (NK) cells. 3 These cells were classically named due to their capacity to eliminate target cells without previous priming in a "natural" manner. As an important component of innate lymphoid cells, NK cells are capable of perceiving and eradicating malignant cells and cells infected with intracellular pathogens, such as viruses, parasites, and bacteria. 4 NK cells play essential roles in coordinating innate and adaptive immune responses by releasing a variety of molecules, including IFNγ, TGFβ, and IL10. The function of these cells in the uterus during normal pregnancy remains to be elucidated. In a recent article in Immunity, Fu et al. 5 investigated the role of uterine NK...

Both HTLV-I and HTLV-II occur among Brazilian blood donors. HTLV-I is associated with Asian ethnicity, greater age, and the presence of anti-HCV and anti-HBc. Three HTLV-I-positive donors had a history of blood transfusion, which emphasizes the need for HTLV-I/II screening in Brazil.

Avaliação técnica de testes de triagem sorológica para detecção de anticorpos anti-Toxoplasma gondii como medida preventiva a riscos transfusionais desnecessários

Narguilé é a principal forma de uso do tabaco e ocupa a segunda posição no Brasil. Considerando esse cenário e a forma crescente de utilização, buscou-se identificar a prevalência, frequência e malefícios do uso de narguilé entre os estudantes da área da saúde10. Trata-se de um estudo descritivo exploratório com abordagem quantitativa, visando conhecer a realidade dos estudantes universitários dos cursos de biomedicina, medicina e enfermagem de uma instituição filantrópica de Curitiba11. 39 (33,8%) referiram tabagistas, com utilização regular, 92,8% afirmaram realizar uso do narguilé, sendo que 59% utilizou pela primeira vez entre 13 e 16 anos. 61,5% acredita que o cachimbo d’água não causa danos quando comparado ao cigarro e 89,75% nunca foram aconselhados a abandar o vício. Em suma, a alta prevalência relevante de tabagismo e utilização de narguilé reitera a importância de ações de enfretamento, a fim de maximizar a prevenção e combate ao tabagismo.

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As crescentes mudanças gerenciais e tecnológicas, ocorridas na área da saúde, bem como as mudanças demográficas e o perfil epidemiológico, exigem dos profissionais que coordenam as Unidades de Saúde um perfil de competências mais flexível e adaptativo. O estudo teve como objetivo construir o perfil de competências dos coordenadores de Unidades de Saúde. Trata-se de uma pesquisa de caráter exploratório descritivo, com abordagem qualitativa, da qual participaram os profissionais da Secretaria de Saúde de um município do Paraná, sendo um total de vinte participantes. A coleta de dados ocorreu com a técnica de grupos focais, com a participação de cinco pessoas em cada um dos quatro grupos. Os dados foram analisados segundo a técnica de análise de conteúdo, na modalidade temática. Foram identificados os núcleos temáticos que surgiram nas discussões dos grupos, elencadas as unidades de sentido e as suas respectivas categorias.  Diante dos resultados advindos dos grupos focais, apresenta-se uma matriz de competência para a função de coordenador de Unidade de Saúde. A matriz está organizada da seguinte forma: as competências de cada núcleo temático delimitam a intenção do trabalho, determinando a atuação do coordenador e, para cada competência, é apresentado um conjunto de desempenhos. Esta descreve um leque de capacidades e habilidades, que resultam uma boa prática gerencial do coordenador de Unidades de Saúde, referenciada em critérios de excelência. As combinações de capacidades e os critérios de excelência ética, estética e científica determinam a qualidade da sua atuação. Podem ser utilizados em várias combinações e estilos singulares de gestão, produzindo resultados de sucesso, porém, sempre ancorados no perfil de competência esperado.

Identifying target microRNAs (miRNAs) might serve as a basis for developing advanced therapies for Parkinson’s disease (PD) and Alzheimer’s disease. This review aims to identify the main therapeutic targets of miRNAs that can potentially act in Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases. The publication research was conducted from May 2021 to March 2022, selected from Scopus, PubMed, Embase, OVID, Science Direct, LILACS, and EBSCO. A total of 25 studies were selected from 1549 studies evaluated. The total number of miRNAs as therapeutic targets evidenced was 90 for AD and 54 for PD. An average detection accuracy of above 84% for the miRNAs was observed in the selected studies of AD and PD. The major signatures were miR-26b-5p, miR-615-3p, miR-4722-5p, miR23a-3p, and miR-27b-3p for AD and miR-374a-5p for PD. Six miRNAs of intersection were found between AD and PD. This article identified the main microRNAs as selective biomarkers for diagnosing PD and AD and therapeutic targets through a systematic review and meta-analysis. This article can act as a microRNA guideline for laboratory research and pharmaceutical industries for treating Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases and offers the opportunity to evaluate therapeutic interventions earlier in the disease process.