This work was supported by grants from the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico – CNPq (#301869/2017–0), Fundação Amazônia Paraense de Amparo a Estudos e Pesquisas (FAPESPA/ PRONEX-2015) and Universidade Federal do Pará (PAPQ/2019).

Introduction This study confirmed the absence of natural infection with Xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV) or XMRV-related disease in human populations of the Brazilian Amazon basin. We demonstrated that 803 individuals of both sexes, who were residents of Belem in the Brazilian State of Pará, were not infected with XMRV. Methods Individuals were divided into 4 subgroups: healthy individuals, individuals infected with human immunodeficiency virus, type 1 (HIV-1), individuals infected with human T-lymphotrophic virus, types 1 or 2 (HTLV-1/2), and individuals with prostate cancer. XMRV infection was investigated by nested PCR to detect the viral gag gene and by quantitative PCR to detect pol. Results There was no amplification of either gag or pol segments from XRMV in any of the samples examined. Conclusions This study supports the conclusions of the studies that eventually led to the retraction of the original study reporting the association between XMRV and human diseases.

Introdução: A doença meningocócica (DM) é um processo infeccioso agudo e inflamatório das meninges, membranas que recobrem a medula espinhal e o cérebro. A transmissão da doença acontece por meio do contato direto com secreções respiratórias de pessoas infectadas. Objetivo: Descrever os casos de meningite notificados no Sistema de Informação de Agravos de Notificações (SINAN) no período de 2014 a 2019. Metodologia: Trata-se de um estudo transversal retrospectivo. Os dados foram coletados no SINAN através do Departamento de Informática do Sistema Único de Saúde (DATASUS) no período de 2014 a 2019. Resultados e Discursões: Foi observado um total de 2768 notificações entre 2014 a 2019 com média anual de 461,33. Os anos de 2014 e 2019 registram o menor número de casos com 368 e 430, respectivamente. Estes casos tendem a ocorrer não sazonalmente, ou seja, ocorrendo independentemente das estações do ano. Além disso, os indivíduos entre 20 a 29 anos foram mais acometidos pela doença, pois essa faixa etária é economicamente ativa, favorecendo as formas de transmissão da doença, uma vez que se propaga pelo contato com secreções respiratórias das pessoas infetadas. Além disso, o diagnóstico clínico isolado foi utilizado 9,36% dos casos, já o método laboratorial quimiocitológico foi o mais utilizado. Conclusão: Os dados reforçam a necessidade de ações diferenciadas no contexto da doença no Estado, por meio da prevenção e estratégias na Atenção Básica a Saúde para a assistência e conscientização das medias higiênico-preventivas contra a doença.  

Food supplements are products composed mainly of vitamins, minerals, plant stracts, tissue extracts, tissue extracts, proteins and amino acids, or the combination of these different elements, usually administered orally to complement a specific nutritional deficiency and assist in development by providing the improvement of the physical performance of an individual. As a result, the objective of this study was to evaluate the nutritional aspects related to food supplementation, as well as the risks and benefits of its use. The methodology used in the present is in a descriptive/exploratory, documentary way, of the systematic review type. The data collection of the articles was carried out during the period from February 24, 2021 to October 8, 2021, using as a database the Online platform for Search and Analysis of Medical Literature (Medline), Scientifc Electronic Library Online (Scielo) and Latin American and Caribbean Literature in Health Sciences (Lilacs) and Virtual Library in Health (BVS). Thus, from the data collected it was possible to realize that the choice of the foods that make up the diet of coaches and athletes is fundamental for the maintenance of the health of these individuals, but also for non-athletes, as a form of weight control and body composition. In this sense, there is evidence that the use of nutritional supplements has grown, for the up for the purposes of hypertrophy, elimination of excess body fat. For the use of a certain nutritional supplement it is necessary to undergo a medical evaluation in order to establish the amount and which appropriate supplement.

The Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder occurs due to the consumption of alcohol by the mother during the gestational period and constitutes, currently, a serious problem, as it contributes to the appearance of a series of inborn defects in the child, especially with regard to child neurodevelopment. In that way, the objective of this study was to carry out a bibliographic review about this topic, with the goal of analyzing the consequences on the neurodevelopment of the newborn caused by this syndrome. It consists of a qualitative study that made use of twenty-one articles from 2009 to 2021. Under this bias, it was noted that the most affected systems by the fetal alcohol spectrum disorder were the cardiovascular and the nervous system, and the main clinical presentations were heart malformations and modifications in physical and neural development. It was also noticed that despite the evident harm derived from the ingestion of alcohol during pregnancy it remains a critical problem. For this reason, it is necessary to emphasize early diagnosis and intervention, as well as the promotion of research specifically focused on this subject.

Instituto Evandro Chagas (IEC), Universidade do Estado do Pará (UEPA), Fundação Amazônia de Amparo a Estudo e Pesquisas (FAPESPA), Secretária de Saúde do Estado do Pará (SESPA), Secretária Municipal de Saúde de Itaituba (SEMSA) Setor de Endemias do Hospital Municipal de Itaituba (HMI). Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPQ). Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES).

INTRODUCTION: The present study investigated the prevalence of two single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) gene in patients infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV). METHODS: Samples collected from HCV (n = 74) and HBV (n = 35) carriers were subjected to quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) to detect the presence of the SNPs rs5743305 and rs3775291 in TLR3 and to measure the following biomarkers: alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT), and prothrombin time (PT). A healthy control group was investigated and consisted of 299 HCV- and HBV-seronegative individuals. RESULTS: No significant differences in allele, genotype and haplotype frequencies were observed between the investigated groups, and no association was observed between the polymorphisms and histopathological results. Nevertheless, genotypes TA/AA (rs5743305) and GG (rs3775291) appear to be associated with higher levels of ALT (p<0.01), AST (p<0.05) and PT (p<0.05). In addition, genotypes TT (rs5743305; p<0.05) and GG (rs3775291; p<0.05) were associated with higher GGT levels. CONCLUSIONS: This genetic analysis revealed the absence of an association between the polymorphisms investigated and susceptibility to HBV and HCV infection; however, these polymorphisms might be associated with a greater degree of biliary damage during the course of HCV infection.

Introduction: The present study investigated the prevalence of two single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) gene in patients infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV). Methods: Samples collected from HCV (n = 74) and HBV (n = 35) carriers were subjected to quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) to detect the presence of the SNPs rs5743305 and rs3775291 in TLR3 and to measure the following biomarkers: alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT), and prothrombin time (PT). A healthy control group was investigated and consisted of 299 HCV- and HBV-seronegative individuals. Results: No signifi cant differences in allele, genotype and haplotype frequencies were observed between the investigated groups, and no association was observed between the polymorphisms and histopathological results. Nevertheless, genotypes TA/AA (rs5743305) and GG (rs3775291) appear to be associated with higher levels of ALT (p<0.01), AST (p<0.05) and PT (p<0.05). In addition, genotypes TT (rs5743305; p<0.05) and GG (rs3775291; p<0.05) were associated with higher GGT levels. Conclusions: This genetic analysis revealed the absence of an association between the polymorphisms investigated and susceptibility to HBV and HCV infection; however, these polymorphisms might be associated with a greater degree of biliary damage during the course of HCV infection.