Cardiac Biomarkers in a Brazilian Indigenous Population Exposed to Arboviruses: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Arthropod-borne viral diseases are acute febrile illnesses, sometimes with chronic effects, that can be debilitating and even fatal worldwide, affecting particularly vulnerable populations. Indigenous communities face not only the burden of these acute febrile illnesses, but also the cardiovascular complications that are worsened by urbanization. A cross-sectional study was conducted in an Indigenous population in the Northeast Region of Brazil to explore the association between arboviral infections (dengue, chikungunya, and Zika) and cardiac biomarkers, including cardiotrophin 1, growth differentiation factor 15, lactate dehydrogenase B, fatty-acid-binding protein 3, myoglobin, N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide, cardiac troponin I, big endothelin 1, and creatine kinase-MB, along with clinical and anthropometric factors.

Lethal and intentional violent crimes against women in Alagoas, Northeast Brazil: a comparative study before and during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Background: The death of women as a result of violent crime has become a major social and health problem worldwide. Most of these crimes are committed by their partners. The Covid-19 pandemic seems to have amplified the problem, given that measures to contain the spread of the disease have exposed women to more prolonged contact with their aggressors.

AIDS mortality in Brazil, 2012-2022: a time series study.

Background: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is a health problem in Brazil and worldwide. Without treatment, the infection can progress to Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), with a high mortality potential. The objective of this study was to analyze the time trend of AIDS mortality in Brazil, macro-regions, federal units and their respective capitals, from 2012 to 2022.

Prevalence and associated factors of chronic kidney disease among Truká Indigenous adults in Cabrobó, Brazil: a population-based study.

Background: The prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is increasing worldwide, especially in developing countries, due to factors such as lifestyle changes and the rise of non-communicable diseases. Populations living in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas are subject to a higher burden of CKD. However, the burden of CKD on Brazilian Indigenous people, especially those undergoing an advanced urbanisation process, has not yet been described.

Pentraxin-3 (PTX-3) as a potential biomarker for predicting death in hospitalized patients with COVID-19.

Background: Pentraxin 3 (PTX3) is an acute-phase protein that belongs to the pentraxin family, which plays an important role in the body's defense against pathogens. PTX3 levels have been associated with inflammatory processes, and it is a possible biomarker for the diagnosis and prognosis of different infectious diseases, including COVID-19. The objective of this study was to analyze the potential of PTX3 as a plasma biomarker for predicting death in patients hospitalized with COVID-19.

Primary care performance measurement in Brazil (Previne Brasil Program), 2022-2023.

Background: Previne Brasil is a new way of financing Primary Health Care (PHC) in Brazil that places users of public health services at the center of the system's analysis and attention through the use of seven performance indicators. This study aims to analyze the performance of Primary Health Care in Brazil under the new financing model (Previne Brasil) in the period from the first four months of 2022 to the first four months of 2023.

Methods: This is a territorial ecological study using secondary data from the Primary Care Health Information System (SISAB).

Long-term complications and outcomes of therapeutic embolization of cerebral arteriovenous malformations: a systematic review.

Background: Embolization is a promising treatment strategy for cerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVMs). However, consensus regarding the main complications or long-term outcomes of embolization in AVMs remains lacking.

Objective: To characterize the most prevalent complications and long-term outcomes in patients with AVM undergoing therapeutic embolization.

The COVID-19 pandemic impacted the activities of the Schistosomiasis Control Program in Brazil: is the goal of controlling the disease by 2030 at risk?

Background: Schistosomiasis continues to represent a serious public health problem in Brazil. With the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, several control strategies were suspended, probably compromising the goals of eradicating the disease in the country. We aimed to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Schistosomiasis Control Program (PCE) actions in all endemic states of Brazil.

Prevalence and Factors Associated with Olfactory Dysfunction in Individuals with COVID-19 in Brazil: A Study of 20,669 Cases from 2020 to 2021.

Objective: The aim of the study is to determine the prevalence and factors associated with olfactory dysfunction in individuals with COVID-19 in the first 2 years of the pandemic in Brazil.

Materials And Methods: This is a prevalent study involving the confirmed cases of COVID-19 recorded in the municipality between the years 2020 and 2021. Individuals symptomatic for COVID-19, with a positive laboratory result and aged 12 or older were included in this study.

High production polymorphisms protect against COVID-19 complications in critically ill patients: A retrospective cohort study.

Mannose-binding lectin (MBL) binds to SARS-CoV-2, inhibits infection of susceptible cells, and activates the complement system via the lectin pathway. In this study, we investigated the association of polymorphisms with the risk of hospitalization and clinical worsening in patients with COVID-19. A total of 550 patients with COVID-19 were included (94 non-hospitalized and 456 hospitalized).

Association of PTX3 gene polymorphisms and PTX3 plasma levels with leprosy susceptibility.

Background: Pentraxin 3 (PTX3) is a soluble pattern recognition receptor that plays a crucial role in modulating the inflammatory response and activating the complement system. Additionally, plasma PTX3 has emerged as a potential biomarker for various infectious diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of PTX3 gene polymorphisms and PTX3 plasma levels with susceptibility to leprosy and clinical characteristics.

Mpox in Northeast Brazil: Spatiotemporal analysis and predictors associated with confirmed diagnosis.

The mpox outbreaks reported in several countries from May 2022 have shown an epidemiological profile different from that observed in previous years, raising a global public health alert. This issue is particularly important for Brazil, the second country with the highest number of mpox cases. Herein, we performed a retrospective cross-sectional study on mpox cases notified in Pernambuco state, northeastern Brazil, between July 2022 and March 2023.

Bridging the Gaps: Investigating the Complex Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Tuberculosis Records in Brazil.

Background: This study aimed to analyze the temporal evolution, spatial distribution, and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on tuberculosis records in a northeastern state of Brazil.

Methods: This is an ecological study involving all diagnoses of Tuberculosis (TB) in residents of the state of Pernambuco/Brazil. Data were extracted from the National System of Notifiable Diseases.

Assessment of clinical characteristics and viral load in individuals infected by Delta and Omicron variants of SARS-CoV-2.

In late 2021, a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 called Omicron emerged, replacing Delta worldwide. Although it has been associated with a lower risk of hospitalization and severe forms of COVID-19, there is little evidence of its relationship with specific symptoms and viral load. The aim of this study was to verify the relationship between Delta and Omicron variants of concern, viral load, and the occurrence of symptoms in individuals with COVID-19.

Oral health of an indigenous population in northeastern Brazil: a cross-sectional Study of the Fulni-ô ethnic group.

Background: There is a lack of studies evaluating the oral health of traditional indigenous communities in Brazil.

Objectives: Thus, the objective of this study was to describe the oral health characteristics of the indigenous Fulni-ô ethnic group in Northeast Brazil.

Design And Setting: A cross-sectional observational investigation was conducted within the Project on Atherosclerosis among Indigenous Populations.

Epidemiology of chronic kidney disease in older indigenous peoples of Brazil: findings from a cross-sectional survey.

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a prevalent disease worldwide, with increasing incidence particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Indigenous communities have poorer CKD outcomes due to limited access to healthcare. They are also experiencing a shift toward a sedentary lifestyle and urbanization-related dietary changes, increasing the risk of CKD-related risk factors.

Urbanization and kidney dysfunction in Brazilian indigenous people: a burden for the youth.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate whether the degree of urbanization influences the prevalence of chronic kidney disease in Brazilian indigenous people.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study conducted between 2016 and 2017 in northeastern Brazil and includes individuals aged between 30 and 70 years from two specific indigenous groups who volunteered to participate in the study: the Fulni-ô people (lowest degree of urbanization) and the Truká group (greater degree of urbanization). Cultural and geographical parameters were used to characterize and measure the magnitude of urbanization.

Change in Rotavirus Vaccine Coverage in Brazil from before (2015-2019) through the COVID-19 Pandemic Period (2020-2021).

During the COVID-19 pandemic, a reduction in vaccination coverage of children and adolescents was observed in several countries. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of the pandemic, in the first two years, on human rotavirus vaccine (HRV) coverage in Brazil compared with previous years. The number of doses of HRV administered in the period from January 2015 to December 2021 and its annual vaccination coverage were analyzed.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the actions of the Schistosomiasis Control Program in an endemic area in Northeastern Brazil.

Schistosomiasis remains a serious public health concern in Brazil and the Schistosomiasis Control Program (PCE) was elaborated to assist in the control of the disease. Nevertheless, the irruption of the COVID-19 pandemic may have impacted the program. Herein, we assessed the impact of the pandemic on PCE actions in an endemic area in the region with the highest positivity rate for schistosomiasis in Brazil.

Urbanization and cardiovascular health among Indigenous groups in Brazil.

Background: We described the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in groups of Brazilian Indigenous people at different degrees of urbanization.

Methods: The Project of Atherosclerosis among Indigenous populations (Projeto de Aterosclerose em Indígenas; PAI) is a cross-sectional study conducted in Northeast Brazil between August 2016-June 2017. It included three populations: Fulni-ô Indigenous people (lowest degree of urbanization), Truká Indigenous people (greater urbanization), and a highly urbanized non-Indigenous local cohort (control group).

A Polymorphism in the TMPRSS2 Gene Increases the Risk of Death in Older Patients Hospitalized with COVID-19.

Background: Transmembrane serine protease type 2 (TMPRSS2) and angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) are the main molecules involved in the entry of SARS-CoV-2 into host cells. Changes in TMPRSS2 expression levels caused by single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) may contribute to the outcome of COVID-19. The aim was to investigate the association between TMPRSS2 gene polymorphisms and the risk of death in hospitalized patients with COVID-19.

Clinical characteristics and laboratory parameters associated with the risk of severe COVID-19 in patients from two hospitals in Northeast Brazil.

Background: Although most coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infections are mild, some patients have severe clinical conditions requiring hospitalization. Data on the severity of COVID-19 in Brazil are scarce and are limited to public databases. This study aimed to investigate the clinical and laboratory factors associated with the severity of COVID-19 in a cohort of hospitalized adults from two hospitals in Northeast Brazil.