Zika Virus Epidemic in Brazil. II. Post-Mortem Analyses of Neonates with Microcephaly, Stillbirths, and Miscarriage.

Introduction: The recent Zika virus(ZIKV) epidemic in Brazil was characterized by a range of different clinical presentations, particularly microcephaly, Guillain-Barré syndrome, and death. In this context, we determined the causal relationship between fatal microcephaly cases and ZIKV infection.

Methods: Twelve fatal cases of neonates, whose mothers were infected with ZIKV during pregnancy, were examined; cases included nine neonatal deaths due to microcephaly, one miscarriage, and two stillbirths.

Zika virus epidemic in Brazil. I. Fatal disease in adults: Clinical and laboratorial aspects.

Background: Zika virus (ZIKV) was first detected in Brazil in May 2015 and the country experienced an explosive epidemic. However, recent studies indicate that the introduction of ZIKV occurred in late 2013. Cases of microcephaly and deaths associated with ZIKV infection were identified in Brazil in November, 2015.

NGF and P75NTR gene expression is associated with the hepatic fibrosis stage due to viral and non-viral causes.

This study evaluated the relative mRNA expression levels of nerve growth factor (NGF) and the p75 neurothrophin receptor (p75NTR) in different histological stages of human liver disease. Fifty-one liver biopsy specimens obtained from patients with hepatitis B virus (n = 6), hepatitis C virus (n = 28), and non-viral hepatitis--(n = 9) and standard histological liver (n = 8) as controls (CT) were subjected to qPCR and histopathological exams. Our data revealed a significant difference in the NGF expression levels between the three patient groups and the Control group.

Absence of correlation between IL-28B gene polymorphisms and the clinical presentation of chronic hepatitis B in an Amazon Brazilian population.

Objective: The present study investigated the prevalence of the IL-28B polymorphisms rs12979860 and rs8099917 in chronic hepatitis B patients from a case study in Eastern Amazonia.

Methods: In total, 65 chronically infected HBV patients and 97 healthy subjects who were anti-HBc and anti-HBs positive (control group) were evaluated between May 2011 and December 2012. The groups of patients were designated as inactive carriers, chronic hepatitis without cirrhosis, and chronic hepatitis with cirrhosis based on clinical, pathological, biochemical, hematological, and virological variables.

Association of killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptor polymorphisms with chronic hepatitis C and responses to therapy in Brazil.

Soroprevalence for Hepatitis C virus is reported as 2.12% in Northern Brazil, with about 50% of the patients exhibiting a sustained virological response (SVR). Aiming to associate polymorphisms in Killer Cell Immunoglobulin-like Receptors (KIR) with chronic hepatitis C and therapy responses we investigated 125 chronic patients and 345 controls.

Evaluation of the therapeutic response of hepatitis C in coinfected patients (HIV/HCV): a study of cases from a hospital for chronic liver diseases in the Eastern Brazilian Amazon.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to evaluate the therapeutic response of hepatitis C in patients coinfected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1).

Methods: A retrospective study of 20 patients coinfected with HIV-1/HCV who were treated in the outpatient liver clinic at the Sacred House of Mercy Foundation Hospital of Pará (Fundação Santa Casa de Misericórdia do Pará - FSCMPA) from April 2004 to June 2009. Patients were treated with 180 µg PEG interferon-α2a in combination with ribavirin (1,000 to 1,250 mg/day) for 48 weeks.

Association of cytokine gene polymorphisms and serum concentrations with the outcome of chronic hepatitis B.

Objective: The present paper investigated possible correlations between the clinical presentation of hepatitis B and the TNF-α -308G/A, IFN-γ +874A/T, TGF-beta1 -509C/T, and IL-10 -1081A/G polymorphisms and associated serum levels of these cytokines.

Methods: Fifty-three hepatitis patients were selected and divided into two groups: A - inactive (n=30) and B - chronic hepatitis/cirrhosis (n=23). The control group consisted of 100 subjects who were positive for anti-HBc and anti-HBs.

Clinical and pathological importance of vacA allele heterogeneity and cagA status in peptic ulcer disease in patients from North Brazil.

We have examined the prevalence of gene cagA and vacA alleles in 129 patients, 69 with gastritis and 60 with peptic ulcer diseases from North Brazil and their relation with histopathological data. vacA and cagA genotype were determined by polymerase chain reaction. Hematoxylin-eosin staining was used for histological diagnosis.

[The Liver Diseases Program of the Hospital Santa Casa de Misericórdia do Pará--infrastructure and clinical epidemiology in 10 years of attendance].

The Liver Diseases Program of the Hospital Santa Casa de Misericordia do Pará was create because of the need to attend patients with liver diseases of the Amazônia area, taking as priority to attend with quality, diagnosis of aetiologies, clinical following and specific treatment. This study aim to describe dates related to epidemiology, aetiologics agents and histopathologic analysis. One thousand sixty nine patients were evaluated through medical, laboratory, endoscopic, ultrasound or computerized tomography and histopathologic examination.

[Hepatitis B and C virus infection and the hepatocellular carcinoma in the East Amazon, Brazil].

In order to contribute to a better understanding of the possible role of hepatits B and C in the etiopathogenis of HCC in the East Amazon, there were studied 36 patients in Belém/PA. Serological hepatitis markers were evaluated and polymerase chain reaction assays were used to detect HBV-DNA and HCV-RNA. Alcohol abuse was observed in 33.

[Prevalence of hepatitis B virus genotypes and the occurrence of precore mutation A-1896 and to correlate them with the clinical presentation of chronic hepatitis, in a population group of the Eastern Amazon region].

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection presents itself with a variety of clinical manifestations. The present work aims to describe the prevalence of HBV genotypes and the occurrence of precore mutation A-1896 in a population group of the Eastern Amazon region of Brazil and to correlate them with the clinical presentation of chronic HBV infection. 51 HBsAg carriers (HBV-DNA positive) were selected and divided into three groups: A (14 asymptomatic subjects), B (20 HBeAg positive symptomatic patients) and C (17 HBeAg negative symptomatic patients).