Publications by authors named "Isabel Leite"

Background: Leprosy control remains challenging in Brazil and has been aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Objective: To analyze the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the epidemiological scenario of leprosy through the detection rate of new cases, the risk of illness, and the hidden prevalence of leprosy according to high-risk micro-region in Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Methods: An ecological study conducted in the health micro-regions of Minas Gerais, using data on new leprosy cases diagnosed between 2015 and 2023.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

This cross-sectional study aimed to analyze the self-perceived oral health of young university students at the Federal University of Juiz de Fora and identify the associated factors. Data were collected in 2021 using a self-administered questionnaire containing questions on students' sociodemographic variables and oral health. Binary logistic regression was applied in the multivariate analysis using the SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) software (version 20.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • This cross-sectional study investigated the distance between the buccal and lingual cortical bones and their relationship to the mandibular canal roof in lower third molars in the III-C position using cone-beam computed tomography.
  • A total of 140 lower third molars were analyzed, with measurements taken at 25%, 50%, and 75% of the distance to the mandibular canal roof, revealing average distances of 1.78, 1.1, and 1.53 mm, respectively.
  • The findings indicated that while the impacted teeth are close to the mandibular canal roof, no pathological conditions were found associated with these teeth.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) antibody-associated disease (MOGAD) is an immune-mediated demyelinating disease that is challenging to differentiate from multiple sclerosis (MS), as the clinical phenotypes overlap, and people with MOGAD can fulfil the current MRI-based diagnostic criteria for MS. In addition, the MOG antibody assays that are an essential component of MOGAD diagnosis are not standardized. Accurate diagnosis of MOGAD is crucial because the treatments and long-term prognosis differ from those for MS.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The mammalian gut contains a community of microorganisms called gut microbiome. The gut microbiome is integrated into mammalian physiology, contributing to metabolism, production of metabolites, and promoting immunomodulatory actions. Microglia, the brain's resident innate immune cells, play an essential role in homeostatic neurogenesis, synaptic remodeling, and glial maturation.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Previous research has shown that, like faces, words are processed either holistically or through the automatic representation of their parts combined. The automaticity assumed to underlie the holistic processing of words presupposes that individuals have a relatively low level of control over these processes. However, they may also be capable of learning from their environments whether processing words as a whole is the most efficient processing strategy-which would require at least some control over the corresponding processes.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objectives: This systematic review sought to provide evidence for the effectiveness of common pharmacological interventions used for treating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms in the autism spectrum disorder (ASD) population, considering studies attempting to find safe and effective drugs.

Methods: We searched for randomized controlled trials describing the effectiveness and/or safety profile of pharmacological interventions for treating ASD and ADHD or ASD with ADHD symptoms using three bibliographic databases: PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Embase. We have chosen ADHD symptoms measured by any clinical scale as the primary outcome.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG) is a chronic disease that significantly affects patients' quality of life and highlights the need for better treatments.
  • The ongoing phase III study evaluates the long-term safety and effectiveness of the drug zilucoplan in patients with acetylcholine receptor autoantibody-positive gMG.
  • Results from 200 patients showed that a significant majority experienced treatment-emergent adverse events, but those receiving zilucoplan showed continued improvements in daily living activities over 60 weeks, especially after switching from a placebo.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Azathioprine is the first choice medicine for treating myasthenia gravis, but many people also use mycophenolate and methotrexate as alternatives.
  • A survey of 235 people found that azathioprine caused liver problems in 23% of users, mycophenolate led to diarrhea in 14%, and methotrexate made 18% feel tired.
  • Women generally have more side effects from these medicines, and azathioprine is often stopped more often than the other two due to these side effects, showing there’s a need for better treatments.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Fatigue significantly affects patients with myasthenia gravis (MG), and its impact can be measured using the Neuro-QoL Short Form Fatigue scale, which converts scores into T-scores for better clinical understanding.
  • In the Phase 3 RAISE study, patients with MG were treated with zilucoplan or a placebo, with those completing the study offered ongoing treatment in RAISE-XT.
  • Results showed that zilucoplan led to significant improvements in fatigue scores and severity, with benefits lasting up to 60 weeks after treatment started.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • - The study aims to examine how patients on dialysis therapy access care across different health regions in Minas Gerais, analyzing patient distributions and their relation to local socioeconomic factors.
  • - Researchers utilized an ecological approach, assessing proportions of dialysis patients and transplant list registrations, while applying spatial techniques to understand correlations between these factors and regional economic indicators.
  • - Results revealed significant regional disparities, with wealthier areas having more nephrologists and higher transplant list registrations, while poorer regions faced challenges in dialysis provision and access to transplantation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Improvement in treatment options has increased the survival of people living with HIV (PLHIV). Thus, we evaluated the factors associated with better health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among PLHIV in Brazil. This was a cross-sectional study carried out among 349 PLHIV.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objectives: To evaluate the knowledge of senior dental students and newly graduated dentists about the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of oral manifestations of syphilis.

Materials And Methods: A 32-question questionnaire was designed with three domains: (I) demographic, academic and professional data of the participants, (II) attitudes, practices and self-perception regarding training about syphilis and (III) knowledge about syphilis. All knowledge responses were classified as correct or incorrect.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Discrimination of reversible mirrored letters (e.g., d and b) poses a challenge when learning to read as it requires overcoming mirror invariance, an evolutionary-old perceptual tendency of processing mirror images as equivalent.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background And Objectives: Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) is a rare debilitating autoimmune disease of the CNS. Three monoclonal antibodies were recently approved as maintenance therapies for aquaporin-4 immunoglobulin G (AQP4-IgG)-seropositive NMOSD (eculizumab, inebilizumab, and satralizumab), prompting the need to consider best practice therapeutic decision-making for this indication. Our objective was to develop validated statements for the management of AQP4-IgG-seropositive NMOSD, through an evidence-based Delphi consensus process, with a focus on recommendations for eculizumab, inebilizumab, and satralizumab.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Aquaporin-4 antibody positive (AQP4+) neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease (MOGAD) are rare autoimmune diseases with overlapping phenotypes. Understanding their clinical manifestation prior to, during and after pregnancy may influence the management of women of child-bearing age (WOCBA) with these diseases.

Methods: This systematic review identified relevant MEDLINE-indexed publications dated between 01 January 2011 and 01 November 2021, and congress materials from key conferences between 01 January 2019 and 01 November 2021.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • In utero exposure to maternal antibodies against fetal acetylcholine receptors can cause severe conditions like arthrogryposis multiplex congenita (AMC) and the milder fetal acetylcholine receptor inactivation syndrome (FARIS), but the full impact remains unclear.
  • A study of 46 cases reveals that many affected mothers did not have prior diagnoses of myasthenia gravis, suggesting underreporting and missed preventative measures.
  • Among the findings, significant long-term effects in surviving infants included various physical weaknesses, respiratory issues, and unexpected conditions like hearing loss; treatment with oral salbutamol showed promising improvement in symptoms for many children.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Generalised myasthenia gravis is a rare and difficult-to-manage disease that has a high treatment burden, highlighting the need for better therapies; zilucoplan, a self-administered treatment, was tested in this context.
  • The RAISE trial was a phase 3 study conducted across 75 sites in multiple countries, comparing zilucoplan with a placebo in patients diagnosed with AChR-positive myasthenia gravis over a 12-week period.
  • Results indicated that patients receiving zilucoplan experienced a significant reduction in their MG-ADL scores compared to those on placebo, suggesting it may be an effective treatment option.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to compare the effectiveness of fractional CO2 laser treatment with Clobetasol for vulvar conditions among 20 women at a Brazilian university hospital.
  • Results showed no significant differences in clinical or anatomical characteristics between the two treatments, but patients in the laser group reported higher satisfaction three months after treatment.
  • The laser therapy was well-received and showed potential as an effective treatment option, despite increased instances of telangiectasia post-treatment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Lack of use of dental services can be a risk factor for oral health. In addition to recent visits to dental services, it is important to assess the regularity of use of these services, as well as the motivations for visiting the dentist. There is a gap in literature studies on the patterns of use of oral health services by the young university students.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Psychological distress and developing mental disorders in prisons are globally recognized public health issues. This study aimed to identify the prevalence of these symptoms and associated factors in 99 women over 18 years of age in the provisional, closed, and semi-open regimes in Juiz de Fora-MG, Brazil. This cross-sectional census study collected data face-to-face through a semi-structured and multidimensional questionnaire.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: To assess the analgesia and side effects of 10 mg oxycodone as compared to 30 mg of codeine phosphate associated with 500 mg of paracetamol after bilateral lower third molar extraction.

Methods: This is a prospective, randomized, double-blind study applied to a sample of 16 patients. They were evaluated for seven days postoperatively, and the mean score of the visual analogue scale (VAS) of pain between test and control medications was assessed by the Wilcoxon distribution.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF