No abstract

ABH and Lewis blood group antigens are a good indicator for cellular alterations in the gastric epithelium.

Introduction: Viral hepatitis is a major public health concern in Brazil. There are few past studies on this issue, especially among riparian communities. This study aims at determining the seroprevalence of viral hepatitis B and C in the riparian community of Pacuí Island, within the Cametá municipality of Pará State, Brazil. Moreover, this study aims to investigate the principal risk factors that this community is exposed to. Methods: The current study has accessed blood samples from 181 volunteers who have answered an epidemiological questionnaire. Analyses on serological markers have been tested with commercial ELISA kits for detecting HBsAg, total anti-HBc, anti-HBs, and anti-HCV. Within seroreactive patients for HCV, RT-PCR and line probe assay have been performed to identify the viral genotype. Results: In the serological marker analysis for hepatitis B, no reactivity for HBsAg, rate of 1.1% for total anti-HBc, and rate of 19.3% for anti-HBs have been observed. On hepatitis C, 8.8% seroprevalence has been found, in which 62.5% have gotten viral RNA. Among the risk factors studied, the following have been highlighted: non-use of condoms, sharing of cutting instruments, use of illicit drugs, and reports of family disease with HBV or HCV. Conclusions: The vaccination coverage against HBV is low, and the high prevalence of HCV within this community has been observed.

The new coronavirus, called SARS-CoV-2, is a single-stranded RNA virus. The main mechanism of entry of the virus in the cells of the hosts is through the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE-2) that acts as a receptor in the epithelial cells of the upper respiratory tract. The aim of this research was to describe the epidemiological profile of those affected by COVID-19 in the city of Macapá, Brazil, in addition to calculating the lethality rates by age group, sex and previous morbidity. A quantitative analysis was carried out based on confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the municipality of Macapá, with secondary data extracted from the database and aggregated information from the Municipal Health Department. The analysis of the epidemiological profile of those affected, the evolution and severity of COVID-19 is important to determine and adapt mitigation strategies and to allow the planning of actions and health care to combat SARS-CoV-2 in Macapá.

Our study shows that the interaction between the type of infectious strain and the Th1 immune response can influence and perpetuate gastric inflammation, and thus contributes to the development of the different clinical manifestations of H. pylori infection.