ObjectiveThe aims of this study were to estimate the frequency of left ventricular hypertrophy and to identify variables associated with this condition in under 25-year-old patients with sickle cell anemia.MethodsA cross-sectional study was performed of children, adolescents and young adults with sickle cell anemia submitted to a transthoracic Doppler echocardiography. The mass of the left ventricle was determined by the formula of Devereux et al. with correction for height, and the percentile curves of gender and age were applied. Individuals with rheumatic and congenital heart disease were excluded. The patients were divided into two groups according to the presence or absence of left ventricular hypertrophy and compared according to clinical, echocardiographic and laboratory variables.ResultsA total of 37.6% of the patients had left ventricular hypertrophy in this sample. There was no difference between the groups of patients with and without hypertrophy according to pathological history or clinical characteristics, except possibly for the use of hydroxyurea, more often used in the group without left ventricular hypertrophy. Patients with left ventricular hypertrophy presented larger left atria and lower hemoglobin and hematocrit levels, reticulocyte index and a higher albumin:creatinine ratio in urine.ConclusionLeft ventricular hypertrophy was observed in more than one-third of the young patients with sickle cell anemia with this finding being inversely correlated to the hemoglobin and hematocrit levels, and reticulocyte index and directly associated to a higher albumin/creatinine ratio. It is possible that hydroxyurea had had a protective effect on the development of left ventricular hypertrophy.

Stress hyperglycemia is an independent predictive factor for in-hospital complications after ACS in diabetic and nondiabetic patients. The results highlight the need to assess admission blood glucose concentration in all patients admitted due to ACS, including nondiabetic ones, aiming at identifying those at higher risk for complications.

RESUMOObjetivos: Descrever e classificar alterações retinianas encontradas em portadores de anemia falciforme com genótipo SS, bem com comparar métodos diagnósticos (mapeamento de retina e angiofluoresceinografia). Métodos: Neste estudo transversal foram avaliados pacientes portadores de anemia falciforme com idade igual ou superior a sete anos. Esses pacientes foram submetidos a mapeamento de retina e angiofluoresceinografia. Os achados do mapeamento de retina foram agrupados em três classes: sem alterações; alterações não proliferativas e alterações proliferativas. Os resultados à angiofluoresceinografia foram classificados de acordo com os estágios de Goldberg, variando de I a V e expressando gradiente crescente de gravidade. Resultados: Foram avaliados 61olhos de 31pacientes. A retinopatia falciforme foi encontrada em 38/61 (62,3%) dos olhos examinados. A média de idade do grupo de portadores de retinopatia foi menor que dos pacientes sem retinopatia (14,4 versus 17,4 anos, p=0,04). Observou-se elevada freqüência de retinopatia não proliferativa, especialmente as tortuosidades vasculares (27,9%), seguidas por anastomoses arteriovenosas na periferia da retina (24,6%) e oclusões arteriolares (8,2%). Em um olho foi observado neovascularização. Em 16,4% dos olhos obteve-se resultado normal no mapeamento de retina e alterado à angiofluoresceinografia. Conclusões: As alterações retinianas do tipo não proliferativa são frequentes e precoces nos portadores de anemia falciforme do tipo SS, sendo a angiofluoresceinografia mais sensível no diagnóstico quando comparada ao mapeamento de retina. Descritores INTRODUÇÃOA anemia falciforme é a doença hereditária mais prevalente no Brasil (1) . A hemoglobinopatia ocorre em situação de homozigose do gene responsável pela produção de uma hemoglobina mutante, a hemoglobina S, que em seu estado desoxigenado pode sofrer polimerização e originar hemácias falcizadas, responsáveis por anemia hemolítica crônica e fenômenos vasoclusivos (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6) .Embora haja outros genótipos para a doença falciforme, acredita-se que SC, Sβ 0 talassemia, em menor grau, o SS (este o responsável pelo Alterações retinianas em jovens portadores de anemia falciforme (hemoglobinopatias) em hospital universitário no nordeste do BrasilRetinal impairment in young individuals with sickle cell anemia (hemoglobin ss disease) in university hospital in Northeastern of Brazil

BackgroundAcute coronary syndrome (ACS) is one of the main causes of morbidity and mortality in the modern world. A sedentary lifestyle, present in 85% of the Brazilian population, is considered a risk factor for the development of coronary artery disease. However, the correlation of a sedentary lifestyle with cardiovascular events (CVE) during hospitalization for ACS is not well established.ObjectiveTo evaluate the association between physical activity level, assessed with the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), with in-hospital prognosis in patients with ACS.MethodsObservational, cross-sectional, and analytical study with 215 subjects with a diagnosis of ACS consecutively admitted to a referral hospital for cardiac patients between July 2009 and February 2011. All volunteers answered the short version of the IPAQ and were observed for the occurrence of CVE during hospitalization with a standardized assessment conducted by the researcher and corroborated by data from medical records.ResultsThe patients were admitted with diagnoses of unstable angina (34.4%), acute myocardial infarction (AMI) without ST elevation (41.4%), and AMI with ST elevation (24.2%). According to the level of physical activity, the patients were classified as non-active (56.3%) and active (43.7%). A CVE occurred in 35.3% of the cohort. The occurrence of in-hospital complications was associated with the length of hospital stay (odds ratio [OR] = 1.15) and physical inactivity (OR = 2.54), and was independent of age, systolic blood pressure, and prior congestive heart failure.ConclusionA physically active lifestyle reduces the risk of CVE during hospitalization in patients with ACS.

Objective To evaluate viral vaccine antibody levels in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia after chemotherapy and after vaccine booster doses. Methods Antibody levels against hepatitis B, rubella, measles and mumps vaccine antigens were evaluated in 33 children after completing chemotherapy (before and after vaccine booster doses) and the results were compared to the data of 33 healthy children matched for gender, age and social class. Results After chemotherapy, 75.9%, 67.9%, 59.3% and 51.7% of the patients showed low antibody titers that would be unlikely to protect against exposure to measles, rubella, hepatitis B and mumps, respectively. After receiving a vaccine booster dose for these antigens the patients had high antibody levels consistent with potential protection against measles, mumps and hepatitis B, but not against rubella. Conclusion Extra doses of measles-mumps-rubella plus hepatitis B vaccines are recommended in acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients submitted to treatment after hematologic recovery. After this, viral vaccine antibody levels should be verified to define the individual's protective status.