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Biomedical subjects

E Ferreira

Publications and source records attributed to E Ferreira.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Antimicrobial susceptibility, serotype and genotype distribution of meningococci in Portugal, 2001-2002.

One hundred and eighteen Neisseria meningitidis isolates were recovered from patients with invasive meningococcal disease in Portugal, over one year. Our study was undertaken to evaluate antimicrobial susceptibility, serogroup, serotype and genotype of isolates. One quarter (24.6%) of the isolates showed moderate resistance to penicillin and 47.4% were resistant to sulphadiazine. The two most common serosubtypes were C:2b:P1.5,2 (31.3%) and B:4:P1.15 (3.4%). Half (53.6%) of the isolates with moderate resistance to penicillin were phenotype C:2b:P1.5,2 (n=14), C:2b:P1.2 (n=1) or C:2b:NST (n=1); Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) showed that all these isolates were genetically related. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) analysis of representative clones from each PFGE pattern showed the predominance of the ST-8 complex/cluster A4 among N. meningitidis with moderate resistance to penicillin. This clonal complex has been principally found in Southern Europe. The apparent emergence and dissemination of the hypervirulent ST-8 complex/cluster A4 among serogroup C strains increases the need for a continued surveillance of antimicrobial susceptibility of meningococci and of genotypic markers in Portugal.

Anti-Infective Agents↗
PubMed2005

Population data on 15 autosomal STRs in a sample from East Timor.

Allele frequencies for the fifteen STRs included in the AmpF/STR Identifiler (CSF1PO, D2S1338, D3S1358, D5S818, D7S820, D8S1179, D13S317, D16S539, D18S51, D19S433, D21S11, FGA, TH01, TPO and VWA) were estimated from a sample of 186 unrelated individuals from East Timor. No deviations from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium were observed (only after applying the Bonferroni correction in the cases of D2S1338, TPO and D5S818). Genetic parameters of forensic interest were calculated and comparison with geographically nearby populations was performed.

DNA Fingerprinting↗
PubMed2005

The stigma of burns Perceptions of burned patients' relatives when facing discharge from hospital.

The objective of this ethnographic study was to investigate the cultural meanings reported by 25 relatives of burned patients about their loved one's impending hospital discharge. Data were collected by means of participant observation and semi-structured interviews conducted during hospital visiting hours, and support group meetings with relatives. The following inter-related phases were considered in the analysis process: reading of the material and data reduction (selection of data using the objective of the study as a guide), data display, conclusion outlining, and verification. Following this process, the data were coded and similar codes were grouped into categories. It was found that the relatives of burned patients felt afraid when faced with the prospect of hospital discharge. Their descriptions reveal the family's feelings and attitudes in face of other people's reactions, and in face of the patient's own reactions in the context of possible changes in their social roles.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

[Use of growth factors in the repair of bone].

Osteoformation is induced by numerous growth factors that play an important role in bone repair such as fracture healing. They may serve as therapeutic agent in the treatment of squeletal injuries in the orthopeadic and maxillo-facial fields. Among these proteins, Bone Morphogenetic Proteins (BMP) are the only known osteoinductive growth factors. Unfortunately, they are highly susceptible to proteolysis in vivo and require a suitable delivery system to potentiate their biological activity in a local, controlled and durable manner. In this aim, three options are under investigations: (i) osteoinductive materials made of appropriate carrier to release the protein in situ, (ii) in vivo gene therapy in which the gene is directly transfected in cells of the patient or (iii) ex vivo gene therapy in which cells are harvested from the patient, transfected with DNA in culture and then implanted in the defect. These different kinds of BMP delivery will be discussed.

Bone Diseases↗
PubMed2004

Acromegaly due to an ectopic pituitary adenoma in the sphenoid sinus.

An ectopic pituitary adenoma, exclusively involving the sphenoid sinus, associated with a normal size pituitary gland and an empty sella is a rare clinical entity. Only four cases have been found in the literature. We describe the case of a 47-year-old woman with clinical and biochemical acromegaly. Computed tomography (CT) appeared to show expansion of the sellar floor inferiorly into the sphenoid sinus, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) demonstrated an empty sella and a mass lesion confined to the sphenoid sinus. The tumor was totally resected by taking a transnasal endoscopic approach and the dura mater of the base of the pituitary fossa was confirmed intact.

Acromegaly↗
PubMed2003

The denaturation of alpha, beta and psi bovine trypsin at pH 3.0: evidence of intermediates.

The conformational stability and the folding process of alpha, beta and Psi bovine trypsin at pH 3.0 followed by circular dichroism (CD) and size exclusion in HPLC have been analyzed as a function of urea concentration. The thermodynamic stability for a and b are deltaG = 15.91 +/- 0.28 kcal/mol, deltaG = 15.54 +/- 2.39 kcal/mol. respectively, and y trypsin is deltaG = 16.10 +/- 2.51 kcal/mol. The transition curves for alpha, beta and Psi forms suggest a molten globule state.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Tumour morphology and radiotherapy immediate response in laryngeal tumours.

Laryngeal cancer is relatively frequent in South Europe countries and its incidence suffered variations in last decades. Treatment options are usually based on histology, T category and stage. Tumors unchain in neighbour tissues the presence of cells that normally are associated to inflammatory response. A possible association between tumour inflammatory response and radiotherapy efficacy is focused in occasional papers. Several histological parameters (histologic type, nuclear grade, desmoplasia, necrosis, and cells normally involved in inflammatory response) were analysed in biopsy material obtained from 67 patients with laryngeal cancer treated with primary radiotherapy in our department. Statistical analyses were made in order to assess a possible association between tumour morphology and radiotherapy response.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Prevalence of insomnia symptoms in patients with sleep-disordered breathing.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of insomnia symptoms in patients with objectively diagnosed sleep-disordered breathing (SDB). DESIGN: Retrospective medical chart review of a representative sample of patients with SDB. SETTING: University sleep-disorders clinic and laboratory. PATIENTS: Two hundred thirty-one patients with SDB were selected from a pool of approximately 2,000 patients with sleep disorders. MEASUREMENTS: Data were extracted from intake questionnaires and polysomnographic studies. RESULTS: Of 231 patients with SDB diagnoses, 115 patients reported no insomnia complaints (SDB-only patients) and 116 patients reported clinically meaningful insomnia complaints (SDB-plus patients). Compared to SDB-only patients, SDB-plus patients reported significantly worse mean sleep characteristics consistent with insomnia, including sleep latency (17 min vs 65 min), total sleep time (7.2 h vs 5.6 h), and sleep efficiency (92% vs 75%). SDB-plus patients experienced significantly more psychiatric disorders, cognitive-emotional symptoms, and physical and mental symptoms that disrupted or prevented sleep. SDB-plus patients also reported greater use of sedative and psychotropic medications and had significantly more primary complaints of insomnia, restless legs or leg jerks, and poor sleep quality despite having relatively similar referral rates for sleep apnea or complaints of loud snoring. CONCLUSIONS: Problematic insomnia symptoms were reported by 50% of a representative sample of patients with objectively diagnosed SDB. Research is needed to determine the degree to which insomnia and related symptoms and behaviors interfere with SDB treatment.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Analysis of cost of dressings in the care of burn patients.

This study aimed at analyzing the costs of material used in the occlusive dressings of burn patients. The subjects of the study were patients over the age of 18 years who were admitted to the Burns Unit of the Ribeirão Preto Medical School Clinical Hospital, University of São Paulo-Brazil, from 15 January to 11 September 1998. Data were collected concerning the costs and duration of bathing and dressing of these patients. We concluded that there was a positive relation between the real costs of the materials used and the percentage of the body surface burned. In addition, there was a positive correlation between the number of staff involved in care and the size of the burns. There was no significant difference between the cost of materials used in dressings for burns of different depths.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

[Analysis of proxemic factors in the communication with laryngectomized patients].

The present study analyzed the proxemic factors of interactions between health professionals and laryngotomized patients in mediate post-surgery. We used the non-participant observation technique with pre-established guidelines. Data were analyzed according to Hall's theoretical framework. The speakers' sex or color did not influence the distance maintained in the interactions; the nursing technical care category was predominant; the attitude adopted was compatible with the meeting goals; instrumental touch with visual contact was predominant, voice tone was adequate to the distances maintained and the authors observed the presence of obstacles in some interactions, which demonstrated that communication was impaired.

Communication↗
PubMed1999

Human chromosomal localization, tissue/tumor expression, and regulatory function of the ets family gene EHF.

Ets factors are members of an ancient multigene family of transcription factors including oncoproteins and possibly tumor suppressors. We previously characterized a novel divergent ets gene, Ehf (ets homologous factor) in mice. Here we report the cDNA sequence, chromosomal location, and tissue/tumor expression patterns of the human EHF gene and the regulatory activity of the EHF protein. EHF maps to 11p12, which is deleted in many prostate, breast, and lung carcinomas and is a hot spot for inherited deletion- or amplification-associated developmental defects. EHF is differentially expressed in normal tissues and carcinomas and between tumor stages and is most highly expressed in the organs known to form carcinomas upon 11p12 deletion. EHF protein represses the ETS-2 induced activity of both stromelysin-1 and collagenase-1 promoters. These data suggest that EHF may contribute to human development and carcinogenesis and is a candidate for the 11p12 tumor suppressor gene.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1999

p300/cAMP-responsive element-binding protein interactions with ets-1 and ets-2 in the transcriptional activation of the human stromelysin promoter.

In this paper we show that transcription factors Ets-1 and Ets-2 recruit transcription adapter proteins p300 and CBP (cAMP-responsive element-binding protein) during the transcriptional activation of the human stromelysin promoter, which contains palindromic Ets-binding sites. Ets-2 and p300/CBP exist as a complex in vivo. Two regions of p300/CBP between amino acids (a.a.) 328 and 596 and a. a. 1678 and 2370 independently can interact with Ets-1 and Ets-2 in vitro and in vivo. Both these regions of p300/CBP bind to the transactivation domain of Ets-2, whereas the C-terminal region binds only to the DNA binding domain of Ets-2. The N- and the C-terminal regions of CBP (a.a. 1-1097 and 1678-2442, respectively) which lack histone acetylation activity independently are capable of coactivating Ets-2. Other Ets family transcription factors failed to cooperate with p300/CBP in stimulating the stromelysin promoter. The LXXLL sequence, reported to be important in receptor-coactivator interactions, does not appear to play a role in the interaction of Ets-2 with p300/CBP. Previous studies have shown that the stimulation of transcriptional activation activity of Ets-2 requires phosphorylation of threonine 72 by the Ras/mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway. We show that mutation of this site does not affect its capacity to bind to and to cooperate with p300/CBP.

Binding Sites↗
PubMed1999

Factors associated with outcome after cord blood transplantation in children with acute leukemia. Eurocord-Cord Blood Transplant Group.

We have analyzed factors influencing the outcome of 102 children with acute leukemia given a cord blood transplantation (CBT) and reported to the Eurocord Registry. Seventy patients with acute lymphoblastic and 32 with acute myeloid leukemia were given either a related (n = 42) or an unrelated (n = 60) CBT. Children given CBT during first or second complete remission were considered as belonging to the good-risk group (n = 66), whereas those who received a transplant in a more advanced stage of disease were assigned to the poor-risk group (n = 36). In the related group (RCBT), 12 of 42 patients received transplantation from an HLA-disparate donor, whereas in the unrelated group (UCBT) 54 of 60 received an HLA mismatched CBT. Kaplan-Meier estimates for neutrophil recovery at day 60 were 84% +/- 7% in RCBT and 79 +/- 6% in UCBT (P =.16). In multivariate analysis, the most important factor influencing neutrophil engraftment in UCBT was a nucleated cell dose infused greater than 3.7 x 10(7)/kg (P =.05, relative risk [RR] of 1.85, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.98-3.4). The incidence of grade II through IV acute graft-versus-host disease was 41% +/- 8% in the RCBT group and 37% +/- 6% in the UCBT group (P =.59). Kaplan-Meier estimates of 2-year event-free survival (EFS) after RCBT or UCBT were 39% +/- 8% and 30% +/- 7%, respectively (P =.19). In multivariate analysis, the most important factor influencing EFS was disease status at time of transplantation: good-risk patients had a 2-year EFS of 49% +/- 7% as compared to 8% +/- 5% in patients with more advanced disease (P =.0003, RR: 0.40, 95% CI: 0.24 to 0. 65). This was a consequence of both an increased 1-year transplant related mortality and a higher 2-year relapse rate in the poor-risk group (65% +/- 9% and 77% +/- 14%, respectively), as compared with good risk patients (34% +/- 6% and 31% +/- 9%, respectively). These data confirm that allogeneic CBT from either a related or an unrelated donor is a feasible procedure able to cure a significant proportion of children with acute leukemia, especially if transplanted in a favorable phase of disease.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1999

Specific sHLA in healthy donors and donor-specific sHLA in renal transplant patients.

We studied cadaver kidney transplant recipients to determine if their serum levels of donor-specific class I sHLA correlated with graft outcome. Testing of sHLA was performed by an ELISA sandwich assay using allospecific monoclonal trapping antibodies and anti-beta2-mu detecting antibody. Sufficient sHLA sensitivity (<1 ng/ml) was achieved by using two synergistic trapping antibodies. Suitable antibodies were available for A2 and B7, and data were collected for these two antigens. Stability of these sHLA was determined in plasma and serum as were ranges of normal and background levels. Background levels varied substantially. Five A2- recipients of A2+ grafts and 5 B7- recipients of B7+ grafts were studied with appropriate sHLA levels measured pre-transplant and at intervals post-transplant. Graft outcome was assessed by serum creatinines, renal biopsies and/or therapy for rejection. In the 5 patients (3 A2- and 2 B7-) whose post-transplant donor-specific sHLA never exceeded immunological complications (e.g., post-operative ATN, ureteral obstruction) did not affect the correlation. In the 5 patients with post-transplant levels exceeding pre-transplant levels, subsequent evidence of rejection was observed. Periodic measurement of donor-specific sHLA should be a useful instrument for monitoring renal allograft rejection.

Biomarkers↗