Type III Secretion System Virulotypes and Their Association with Clinical Features of Cystic Fibrosis Patients.

Purpose: appears as the main pathogen in cystic fibrosis (CF) involved in recurrent pneumonia and pulmonary exacerbations. The type III secretion system (T3SS) is one of its main determinants of virulence and is associated with poor clinical progression and increased mortality. This study determined the relationship of clinical features of patients with CF and T3SS virulotypes.

High prevalence of atypical virulotype and genetically diverse background among Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates from a referral hospital in the Brazilian Amazon.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen causing different types of infections, particularly in intensive care unit patients. Characteristics that favor its persistence artificial environments are related to its high adaptability, wide arsenal of virulence factors and resistance to several antimicrobial classes. Among the several virulence determinants, T3SS stands as the most important due to the clinical impact of exoS and exoU genes in patient's outcome.

Respiratory physical therapy techniques recommended for patients with cystic fibrosis treated in specialized centers.

Background: Respiratory therapy is a part of the treatment of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). However, there is no information about the main factors influencing the recommendation of the use of different techniques or devices by physical therapists from different specialized centers.

Objective: To determine the respiratory therapy techniques recommended for the treatment of patients with CF seen in specialized treatment centers in Brazil.

Factors associated with smoking cessation.

OBJECTIVE To analyze the prevalence and factors associated with smoking abstinence among patients who were treated in a reference unit for smoking cessation. METHODS This cross-sectional study examined the medical records of 532 patients treated in a reference unit for smoking cessation in Belém, PA, Northern Brazil, between January 2010 and June 2012. Sociodemographic variables and those related to smoking history and treatment were analyzed.