Publications by authors named "Lirio M"

Brazil is home to the highest absolute number of human T-cell lymphotropic virus type-1 (HTLV-1)-infected individuals worldwide; the city of Salvador, Bahia, has the highest prevalence of HTLV-1 infection in Brazil. Due to the complex nature of several diseases associated with this retrovirus, a multidisciplinary health care approach is necessary to care for people living with HTLV-1. The Bahia School of Medicine and Public Health's Integrative Multidisciplinary HTLV Center (CHTLV) has been providing support to people living with HTLV and their families since 2002, striving to ensure physical and mental well-being by addressing biopsychosocial aspects, providing clinical care and follow-up, including to pregnant/postpartum women, as well as comprehensive laboratory diagnostics, psychological therapy, and counseling to family members.

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Article Synopsis
  • Vertebral labelling and segmentation are crucial for improving automated spine image processing, aiding in clinical decision-making and population health analysis.
  • The Large Scale Vertebrae Segmentation Challenge (VerSe) was created to tackle the challenges of this field by having participants develop algorithms for labelling and segmenting vertebrae using a curated dataset of CT scans.
  • Results showed that an algorithm's performance depends significantly on its ability to identify vertebrae with rare anatomical variations, highlighting the complexities in spine analysis.
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Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) promotes challenging immune and inflammatory phenomena. Though various therapeutic possibilities have been tested against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the most adequate treatment has not yet been established. Propolis is a natural product with considerable evidence of immunoregulatory and anti-inflammatory activities, and experimental data point to potential against viral targets.

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Background: Co-infection between the human T-cell lymphotropic virus (HTLV) and the hepatitis C virus (HCV) can modify the natural history of HCV infection. The aim of this study was to describe the inflammatory cytokines and IL-10 network in patients co-infected with HTLV and HCV viruses in Bahia, Brazil.

Methods: Samples from 31 HTLV/HCV co-infected individuals and 27 HCV monoinfected individuals were evaluated.

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Background: Few reports have investigated the association between human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) and tuberculosis (TB) in countries where both infections are endemic. This study estimates the incidence of TB in a cohort infected with HTLV-1, compared with non-infected individuals, over a ten-year period.

Methods: Retrospective cohort study involving the cross-matching of records of individuals for whom a HTLV serology was performed at a referral center for HTLV (CHTLV) with a database of TB cases from Sinan-the Information System on Diseases of Compulsory Declaration between 2002 and 2012.

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The control of HIV / Tuberculosis (TB) co -infection remains a challenge for public health. Notification is mandatory for both diseases and the National Case Registry Database (Sinan) is responsible for the collection and processing of individual forms of reporting and monitoring. The adequate fulfillment of these fields chips (completeness) is essential to follow the dynamics of the disease and set priorities for intervention.

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The aim of this study was to evaluate the completeness of tuberculosis reporting forms in the greater metropolitan areas of five Brazilian capitals where the incidence of tuberculosis was high in 2010 - Salvador, Rio de Janeiro, Cuiabá, Porto Alegre, and Belém - using tabulations obtained from the Sistema Nacional de Informação de Agravos de Notificação (National Case Registry Database). The degree of completeness was highest in Porto Alegre and Cuiabá, whereas it was lowest in Rio de Janeiro, where there are more reported cases of tuberculosis than in any other Brazilian capital. A low degree of completeness of these forms can affect the quality of the Brazilian National Tuberculosis Control Program, which will have negative consequences for health care and decision-making processes.

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Background: The rK39 recombinant protein is derived from a specific antigen produced by the Leishmania donovani complex, and has been used in the last two decades for the serodiagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis. We present here a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies evaluating serologic assays to diagnose visceral leishmaniasis to determine the accuracy of rK39 antigen in comparison to the use of other antigen preparations.

Methodology/principal Findings: A systematic review with meta-analysis of the literature was performed to compare the rK39 strip-test and ELISA formats against serological tests using promastigote antigens derived from whole or soluble parasites for Direct Aglutination Test (DAT), Indirect Immunofluorescence test (IFAT) and ELISA with a promastigote antigen preparation (p-ELISA).

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