Worse lung function, more allergic sensitization but less blood eosinophilia in elderly patients with long-standing versus late-onset asthma.

Background: Asthma in the elderly is usually considered homogeneous and non-atopic.

Objective: To compare clinical, functional and immunological features between elderly asthmatics with long-standing asthma (LSA) and those with late-onset asthma (LOA).

Methods: Eighty-two asthmatics older than 64 were included into LSA (asthma onset before age 40;  = 46) and LOA (asthma onset from 40 years of age on;  = 36) groups.

Community-acquired Acinetobacter baumannii pneumonia: a rare case in Brazil.

Acinetobacter baumannii, a common pathogen in nosocomial infections, is a rare cause of community-acquired pneumonia. This report highlights the difficulties in its early diagnosis and effective treatment, as it is a multidrug-resistant microorganism with rapid, unfavorable progression. To better understand its clinical outcome, we searched the literature for similar cases but found no community-acquired cases in Brazil.

Increase of placental sensitivity to melatonin and the alteration to its local synthesis in hypertensive syndromes in pregnancy.

Objective: To evaluate the relation between hypertensive syndromes and melatonin, and its possible protective role against lesions due to hypertension.

Methods: Placentas were classified into gestational hypertension (GH), chronic hypertension (CH), pre-eclampsia (PE) and pre-eclampsia superimposed on chronic hypertension, and morphologically examined by hematoxylin-eosin and periodic acid Schiff methods. Immunohistochemistry was performed to detect tryptophan hydroxylase (TH) and melatonin receptor 1A (MR-1A).