Improvement of intestinal permeability with alanyl-glutamine in HIV patients: a randomized, double blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial.

Context: Glutamine is the main source of energy of the enterocyte and diarrhea and weight loss are frequent in HIV infected patients.

Objective: To determine the effect of alanyl-glutamine supplementation on intestinal permeability and absorption in these patients.

Methods: Randomized double-blinded, placebo-controlled study using isonitrogenous doses of alanyl-glutamine (24 g/day) and placebo (glycine, 25 g/day) during 10 days.

Seroprevalence of herpes simplex 1-2 antibodies in Brazil.

Objective: To estimate the seroprevalence of HSV-1 and HSV-2 antibodies in Brazil and to analyze factors associated.

Methods: Cross-sectional study including subjects aged 1-40 years from the general population in four different geographical areas in Brazil between 1996 and 1997. All subjects were stratified by age and gender and 1,090 of them were included in the final analysis.

Comparison of dot-ELISA and standard ELISA for detection of Neisseria meningitidis outer membrane complex-specific antibodies.

Dot-ELISA using the outer membrane complex antigens of Neisseria meningitidis as a target was standardized for rapid detection of meningococcal-specific antibodies in human serum. We investigated the level of meningococcal-specific IgG, IgA, and IgM in serum using dot-ELISA with outer membrane antigens prepared from Neisseria meningitidis serotype B:4.19:P1.

Efficacy and safety of 1 and 2 doses of live attenuated influenza vaccine in vaccine-naive children.

Background: We investigated the efficacy and safety of 1 versus 2 doses of live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) in influenza vaccine-naive children aged 6 to <36 months.

Patients/methods: Subjects were randomized to 1 of 4 regimens in year 1: 2 doses LAIV, 1 dose LAIV, excipient placebo, or saline placebo. In year 2, LAIV recipients were to receive 1 dose of LAIV and placebo recipients were to receive saline placebo.

Vaccination in special situations.

Objective: To review the indications, contraindications and efficacy of vaccination in some special situations: immunosuppression, prematurity, pregnancy and post-exposure situations.

Sources Of Data: Systematic review of articles published during the two last decades, found in MEDLINE, SciELO and Lilacs databases; guidelines of Programa Nacional de Imunizações (Brazilian National Immunization Program), 2001 to 2004, and of Programa Nacional de DST/AIDS (Brazilian National STD/AIDS Program), 2004. Abstracts published in national and international pediatric and infectious disease congress annals during the last five years were also consulted.

Immunogenicity of a combined DTPa-HB vaccine co-administered with Haemophilus influenzae type B conjugate vaccine (PRP-T) for primary and booster vaccinations.

Objective: To evaluate the immunogenicity of a combined DTPa-HB vaccine co-administered with Haemophilus influenzae type b conjugate vaccine (PRP-T) in Brazilian infants.

Material And Methods: A prospective and open clinical study, in which 110 infants were immunized with a three-dose primary vaccination regime at two, four and six months of age and with a single booster vaccination. Blood samples were drawn immediately before the first dose, one month after the third dose, at the time of the booster dose and one month after the booster to assess seropositivity and antibody geometric mean titers (GMTs) of antibodies for diphtheria, tetanus, hepatitis B, Haemophilus influenzae type b and for the three pertussis antigens: Pertussis Toxin (PT), Filamentous Hemagglutinin (FHA) and Pertactin (PRN).

[Nasopharyngeal colonization by Streptococcus pneumoniae in children with sickle cell disease receiving prophylactic penicillin].

Objectives: To determine the prevalence of nasopharyngeal pneumococcus colonization in children with sickle cell disease undergoing penicillin prophylaxis, to identify risk factors for colonization and to serotype and determine antibiotic resistance in pneumococci obtained from those children.

Methods: Between April 9, 2002 and February 28, 2003, 188 nasopharyngeal swabs were obtained from 98 children with sickle cell disease in follow-up at the Hospital São Paulo-Universidade Federal de São Paulo. Pneumococci were isolated and identified by standard methods.

Pediatric risk of mortality and hospital infection.

We studied the association of Pediatric Risk of Mortality scores with nosocomial infections among 341 critically ill patients admitted to a pediatric intensive care unit between June 1998 and December 2000. Through stepwise logistic regression analysis, the best predictors for nosocomial infections were device utilization ratio, antimicrobial therapy, and length of stay.

[Vaccination and the respiratory tract--what should we know?].

Objective: This article aims at presenting a review of the main vaccines used in the pediatric population with direct impact on the prevention of infectious processes of the respiratory tract in children.

Sources: Data from articles published in national and international scientific journals. The data were selected by means of direct search or search in the Lilacs and Medline databases.

[Use of statistical process control charts in the epidemiological surveillance of nosocomial infections].

Objective: To monitor occurrence trends and identify clusters of nosocomial infection (NI) using statistical process control (SPC) charts.

Methods: Between January 1998 and December 2000 nosocomial infection occurrence was evaluated in a cohort of 460 patients admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit of a university hospital, according to the concepts and criteria proposed by the National Nosocomial Infection Surveillance System of the Centers for Disease Control, in the United States. Graphs were plotted using Poisson statistical distribution, including four horizontal lines: center line (CL), upper warning limit (UWL) and upper control limit (UCL).

[Nasopharyngeal isolates of S. pneumoniae from healthy carriers and children with pneumonia: colonization rates and antimicrobial susceptibility].

Objectives: To compare colonization rates and antimicrobial resistance of nasopharyngeal pneumococci in healthy carriers and children with pneumonia.

Methods: A cross-sectional study. Healthy subjects of this study were selected from randomly chosen immunization centers and day-care centers, and those with pneumonia were selected in pediatric emergency rooms.

Clinical presentation and follow up of children with congenital toxoplasmosis in Brazil.

We evaluated the clinical presentation and determined the ocular and neurologic sequelae in children with congenital toxoplasmosis in Brazil, taking into consideration the shortage of national publications on this disease. Follow-up evaluations were made of 43 children with congenital toxoplasmosis referred to Santa Casa de São Paulo, during a period of at least five years. Selection of the cases was based in clinical and laboratory criteria.

Antimicrobial susceptibility and serotypes of nasopharyngeal Streptococcus pneumoniae in children with pneumonia and in children attending day-care centres in Fortaleza, Brazil.

The susceptibility of nasopharyngeal Streptococcus pneumoniae to eight antibiotics was studied in 482 children under 5 years of age with community-acquired pneumonia and in 429 healthy pneumococci carriers in Fortaleza, Brazil. Serotyping of strains with pooled and type-specific antisera was also performed. Overall, S.