Introduction: Canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL) is a zoonotic disease with different clinical manifestations. Parasitism often occurs in bone marrow, but changes have been observed in peripheral blood and serum biochemical parameters. The aim of this study was to evaluate the hematological and biochemical parameters in dogs naturally infected by Leishmania chagasi. Methods: Eighty-five adult dogs of both sexes and various weights and ages from the Zoonosis Control Center of Fortaleza (CCZ) were used, selected by immunofluorescence assay (IFA) and considered positive with IFA titers greater than 1:40 and by visualizing amastigotes of Leishmania chagasi in smears obtained by bone marrow aspiration. The dogs (n = 85) were grouped according to clinical signs: negative (CN = 7), subclinical (CS = 10), and clinical (CC = 68). Blood samples were collected for determination of hematological and biochemical serum values. The experimental protocol was approved by the CEUA/UECE. Results: The most frequent clinical signs were cachexia (77.9%), keratitis (61.8%), and lymphadenopathy (55.9%), and 86.8% of the animals showed more than one clinical sign characteristic of CVL. In CC were observed reductions in red blood cells (63%), hematocrit (72%), and hemoglobin (62%), as well as leukocytosis (33%), neutropenia (28%), thrombocytopenia (50%), uremia (45%), hyperproteinemia (53%, p<0.05), hypergammaglobulinemia (62%, p<0.01), and hypoalbuminemia (58%). Conclusions: Animals with the clinical form of the disease demonstrate hematological and biochemical changes consistent with anemia, uremia, hyperproteinemia, and hyperglobulinemia, which present themselves as strong clinical markers of visceral leishmaniasis associated with the signs previously reported. Keywords: Dogs. Canine visceral leishmanisis. Biomarkers. Anemia. Uremia. Hyperglobulinemia. RESUMO Introdução:A leishmaniose visceral canina (LVC) é uma zoonose com diferentes manifestações clínicas. O parasitismo ocorre frequentemente na medula óssea e têm sido relatadas alterações hematológicas e bioquímicas. Objetivou-se avaliar os parâmetros clínicos, hematológicos e bioquímicos de cães naturalmente infectados por Leishmania chagasi. Métodos: Utilizaram-se 85 cães adultos, ambos os sexos, peso e idade variados, oriundos do Centro de Controle de Zoonoses de Fortaleza, selecionados pela reação de imunofluorescência indireta (RIFI), sendo considerados positivos os animais com títulos de RIFI ≥ 1:40 e pelo exame parasitológico das formas amastigotas de Leishmania chagasi em esfregaços de medula óssea. Os cães foram agrupados conforme os sinais clínicos associados à doença: negativos (CN=7); subclínicos (CS=10) e clínicos (CC=68). Amostras de sangue foram coletadas para determinação dos parâmetros hematológicos e bioquímicos séricos. O protocolo experimental foi aprovado pelo CEUA/UECE, protocolo n° 08622833-1. Resultados: Os sinais clínicos mais frequentes foram caquexia (77,9%), ceratoconjuntivite (61,8%) e linfadenopatia (55,9%), sendo que 86, 8% dos animais aprese...

Multi-microcystic kidney disease secondary to long-term lithium therapy can be detected with MR imaging regardless of known renal impairment. Preservation of renal CMD was observed in both patients with normal kidney function. The results of our preliminary study suggest the possible role of MR imaging for the screening of early manifestations of nephropathy in patients undergoing chronic lithium therapy.

Within South Africa (SA) (as in many other countries), HIV infection is a significant cause of morbidity in women and their infants. In SA, 26% of pregnant women are HIV-infected, and in the absence of preventive therapy there is a 15-30% risk of HIV infection in their infants. [1,2] Even children who are part of the prevention of motherto-child transmission (PMTCT) programme have an increased risk of HIV-related infection relative to those who are not exposed, although that risk is substantially reduced. Mortality in HIV-infected children results primarily from respiratory tract infections. [3,4] In children (especially HIV-infected children) with acute severe respiratory disease requiring endotracheal intubation and ventilation, a number of pathogens (including Pneumocystis jiroveci and cytomegalovirus (CMV)) have been isolated. (The term PCP (P. pneumonia) was retained when P. carinii was taxonomically renamed P. jiroveci). Although there has been considerable focus on P. jiroveci as a cause of mortality, [5] CMV infection has been reported to affect nearly 90% of HIV-exposed infants, [6] especially HIVexposed infants with severe pneumonia. Admitting HIV-infected infants with severe pneumonia to an intensive care unit (ICU) in a resource-limited setting has created a number of ethical dilemmas for paediatricians, which have been accentuated by the historically poor outcome for these patients and the pressure on scarce resources. [7] However, previous reports have suggested that severe pneumonia can now be successfully treated when the mode of ventilation and antibiotic therapy is appropriate for all pathogens that may be present. [8] The successful management of PCP requires careful attention to ventilation strategies, fluid restriction and multiple antibiotics. [9] Objective To report on the progress in improving survival of HIV-exposed and-infected infants admitted to a PICU with respiratory failure and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and to explore the relationship between therapeutic strategies (which have not changed since the previous study) [9] and patient outcomes. In addition, this follow-up study reports on the use of highly active antiretroviral treatment (HAART) initiated in the PICU. Methods All HIV-exposed infants admitted to the PICU at the Steve Biko Academic Hospital in Pretoria, SA, with respiratory failure were recruited into this study. Patients had to fit the diagnosis of ARDS as described by Bernard et al., [8] the most important criterion being hypoxic acute lower respiratory tract infection with a partial pressure of oxygen in mmHg over fraction of inspired oxygen (P/F) ratio of <200. Each infant was ventilated using a strategy of high positive end expiratory pressure (PEEP) of 10-15 cm of water, a tidal volume of 6-8 mL/kg and a positive inspiratory pressure (PIP) not exceeding 30 cm of water. Tidal volume was read from the ventilator display despite limitations of this technique. [10,11] None of the infants was offered high-frequency oscillation ventilation. Total fluid in...

A pharmacophore design approach, based on the coordination chemistry of an intimate molecular hybrid of active metabolites of pro-drugs, known to release active species upon enzymatic oxidative activation, is devised. This is exemplified by combining two anti-mycobacterial drugs: pyrazinamide (first line) and delamanid (third line) whose active metabolites are pyrazinoic acid (PyzCOOH) and likely nitroxyl (HNO (or NO . )), respectively. Aiming to generate those active species, a hybrid compound was envisaged by coordination of pyrazine-2-hydroxamic acid (PyzCONHOH) with a Na 3 [Fe II (CN) 5 ] moiety. The corresponding pentacyanoferrate(II) complex Na 4 [Fe II (CN) 5 (PyzCONHO − )] was synthesized and characterized by several spectroscopic techniques, cyclic voltammetry, and DFT calculations. Chemical oxidation of this complex with H 2 O 2 was shown to induce the release of the metabolite PyzCOOH, without the need of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) pyrazinamidase enzyme (PncA). Control experiments show that both H 2 O 2 -and N-coordinated pyrazine Fe II species are required, ruling out a direct hydrolysis of the hydroxamic acid or an alternative oxidative route through chelation of a metal center by a hydroxamic group. The release of HNO was observed using EPR spectroscopy in the presence of a spin trapping agent. The devised iron metal complex of pyrazine-2-hydroxamic acid was found inactive against an actively growing/non-resistant Mtb strain; however, it showed a strong dose-dependent and reversible vasodilatory activity with mostly lesser toxic effects than the reference drug sodium nitroprussiate, unveiling thus a potential indication for acute or chronic cardiovascular pathology. This is a priori a further indirect evidence of HNO release from this metal complex, standing as a possible pharmacophore model for an alternative vasodilator drug.

Introdução: A embolia pulmonar é uma importante causa de mortalidade materna no mundo desenvolvido. A cintigrafia de ventilaçãoperfusãoe a tomografia computorizada causam exposição à radiação ionizante. A ressonância magnética com contraste-gadolínioendovenoso não é geralmente indicada em doentes grávidas. A RM utilizando técnicas resistentes aos artefactos de movimento, quenão usam contraste endovenoso, como a balanced steady-state free precession (SSFP) poderá ser uma abordagem preferível emdoentes grávidas.Objectivo: Descrever os achados preliminares do uso de SSFP na avaliação de doentes grávidas com suspeita de EP, comparandocom uma população de jovens mulheres avaliadas com RM 3D-gradiente eco após contraste-gadolínio pela mesma suspeita clínica.Materiais e Métodos: O arquivo radiológico foi retrospectivamente analisado para dois grupos de doentes submetidos a RM do tóraxem 1.5T por suspeita de EP, entre Janeiro de 2007 e Junho de 2010: grávidas com RM incluindo SSFP (grupo A) e mulheres comidade inferior a 45 anos com RM incluindo sequência ponderada em T1, 3D-GRE, após contraste-gadolínio (grupo B). A populaçãofinal incluiu 21 doentes. As imagens de RM foram avaliadas com leitura independente e cega, para qualidade de imagem do sistemaarterial pulmonar, EP e outros achados torácicos. Os dados foram submetidos a análise estatística.Resultados: A qualidade de imagem foi considerada boa em todas as artérias centrais e lobares de ambos os grupos e em pelo menos90% (grupo A) e 83,3% (grupo B) das artérias segmentares. Não ocorreram diferenças significativas na qualidade de imagem dasartérias pulmonares centrais e lobares entre os grupos A e B (p > 0,05).Conclusão: A RM com SSFP pode visualizar as artérias pulmonares centrais, lobares e segmentares em doentes grávidas, comqualidade de imagem adequada e comparável a 3D-GRE.