Publications by authors named "Aline B Moraes"

Article Synopsis
  • Effective research in natural sciences requires that findings be comparable and reproducible, especially in the context of understanding biodiversity and ecological patterns.
  • A study analyzed 470 papers on Brazilian ant diversity from the past 50 years, revealing that while 73.6% specified identification methods, only 5.8% provided complete data on specimen repositories.
  • The research indicates a growing acknowledgment of the importance of taxonomy in biodiversity studies, with more specialists and institutions involved and an increase in transparency about taxonomic procedures.
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Objective: Although there is growing evidence associating nonfunctioning adrenal incidentalomas (NFAI) with cardiovascular risk factors, there are limited data whether NFAI and autonomous cortisol secretion (ACS) groups have similar or different clinical and metabolic features. The aim of this study is to compare cardiometabolic clinic parameters among patients with ACS and NFAI, as well as controls.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

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Extra-pulmonary tuberculosis (EPT) is responsible for approximately 14% of all tuberculosis cases in Brazil. The incidence of EPT is increasing slightly and is often associated with human immunodeficiency virus infection and other causes of immunosuppression. The association of EPT and cancer is poorly documented.

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Context: Data regarding high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT) in patients with adrenal incidentaloma (AI) are unknown.

Purpose: To evaluate the areal bone mineral density (aBMD), microstructure, and fractures in patients with nonfunctioning AI (NFAI) and autonomous cortisol secretion (ACS).

Methods: We evaluated 45 patients with NFAI (1 mg dexamethasone suppression test [DST] ≤1.

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Adrenal venous sampling (AVS) is the gold standard test to differentiate the unilateral from the bilateral form in patients with primary aldosteronism (PA) although it may be a difficult procedure, especially the successful cannulation of the right adrenal vein. In this report, we describe a 49-year-old female patient diagnosed with PA, after investigating resistant hypertension and refractory hypokalemia. Abdominal computed tomography scan revealed a 2.

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Objective: To evaluate body dissatisfaction and distorted body self-image in women with prolactinoma.

Methods: Body dissatisfaction and distorted body self-image were evaluated in 80 women with prolactinoma. All patients were in menacme, 34% had normal body mass index (BMI), and 66% were overweight.

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Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) of cystic duct are extremely rare, accounting for less than 2% of NET cases. The association of biliary tree NET and multiple endocrine neoplasm type 1 (MEN1) are even more rare. In this report, we described a case of a 65-year-old woman who was referred to our neuroendocrine outpatient clinic to investigate MEN1 after an incidental diagnosis of gastrinoma.

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Context: Although metabolic syndrome has been studied in patients with autonomous cortisol secretion, there are limited data for those with nonfunctioning adrenal incidentaloma (NFAI).

Objective: To assess metabolic syndrome frequency in NFAI patients and controls without adrenal adenoma according to World Health Organization (WHO), National Cholesterol Education Program-Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP-ATP III), American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists/American College of Endocrinology (AACE/ACE) and International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria.

Design: Retrospective and transversal study.

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Background: Long-term remission of acromegaly after somatostatin analog withdrawal has been reported in 18-42% of patients in studies with a relatively small number of patients using different inclusion and remission criteria. The objectives of this study were to establish the probability and predictive factors for short- and long-term remission [normal IGF-1 for age/sex: IGF-1 ≤1.00 × upper limit of normal (ULN)] after octreotide long-acting release (LAR) withdrawal in a larger population of well-controlled patients with acromegaly (normal mean IGF-1 in the last 24 months).

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Unlabelled: Ring chromosomes (RCs) are uncommon cytogenetic findings, and RC11 has only been described in 19 cases in the literature. Endocrine abnormalities associated with RC11 were reported for two of these cases. The clinical features of RC11 can result from an alteration in the structure of the genetic material, ring instability, mosaicism, and various extents of genetic material loss.

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The aim of this case study is to describe changes in areal bone mineral density (aBMD) by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scan, as well as volumetric bone density and microarchitecture by high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT) in two patients with autosomal dominant osteopetrosis (ADO) and compare with 20 healthy subjects. We describe a 44-year-old male patient with six low-impact fractures since he was age 16 years, and a 32-year-old female patient with four low-impact fractures on her past history. Radiographic changes were typical of ADO.

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Objectives: To determine the dopamine receptor subtype 2 (DR2) mRNA levels and protein expression and to evaluate the effect of adjuvant cabergoline therapy on tumour volume (TV) in patients with postoperative residual nonfunctioning pituitary adenoma (NFPA).

Methods: The mRNA expression was quantified by real-time RT-PCR (TaqMan(®)), and protein expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. Tumours were classified according to the percentage of immunostained cells for DR2 as scores 1 (<50% of stained cells) or 2 (≥50%).

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Recent changes in Brazilian legislation reduced the width of riparian forest buffer needed to be preserved in private properties from 30 to 15 m or less. The consequences of these modifications can be dramatic, mainly because riparian buffer width is an important parameter for riparian forest structure and functioning. Our study assessed whether (1) macroinvertebrate family richness and Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera (EPT) family richness decrease with reduced riparian buffer width; (2) taxonomic composition and functional feeding group (FFG) composition of macroinvertebrates vary with a reduced riparian buffer width; and (3) reduced riparian buffer width similarly influence the macroinvertebrate community in different stream substrates.

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Introduction: There are few data regarding ZAC1 expression in clinically non-functioning pituitary adenomas (NFPA). Because somatotropinomas and NFPA behave differently with respect to tumor shrinkage during somatostatin analogs (SA) therapy, we sought to compare the ZAC1 and somatostatin receptor (sstr) types 1, 2, 3 and 5 mRNA expression in these two pituitary adenoma subtypes and in normal human pituitaries.

Methods: ZAC1 and SSTR mRNA expression levels were evaluated using real-time RT-PCR (TaqMan) in 20 NFPA and compared with the expression levels in 23 somatotropinomas and five normal pituitaries.

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Background: Giant prolactinomas are an unusual subset of macroprolactinomas and are more commonly found in men. The goal of this review is to propose a giant prolactinoma definition and discuss the available therapeutic options for biochemical and tumour volume control.

Methods: A comprehensive search of all published studies was performed between April and November 2012 in electronic databases (PubMed and Ovid).

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We present four FIPA kindred discussing clinical and molecular data and emphasizing the differences regarding AIP status, as well as the importance of genetic screening. Family 1 consists of five patients harboring somatotropinomas with germline E24X mutation in AIP. In one of the patients, acromegaly was diagnosed through active screening, being cured by surgery.

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Germ cell tumors (GCT) are a heterogeneous group of lesions whose origin is not well established. Several cases of primary intrasellar germinomas have been reported, however non-germinomatous GCT have rarely been described. We report the case of a young adult male patient with a mixed GCT that presented with a sellar tumor with suprasellar extension.

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Ectopically ACTH producing tumors may be difficult to localize by conventional radiology and functional imaging may be helpful. Case 1: 31-year-old man was diagnosed with ectopic ACTH-dependent Cushing's syndrome (ECS). Thorax CT revealed a 1.

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