Paracoccidioidomycosis: Epidemiological and Clinical Aspects in 546 Cases Studied in the State of Espírito Santo, Brazil

Paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) is an endemic disease in the southeast region of Brazil, which includes the state of Espírito Santo (ES). This historic case series analyses 546 patients treated in this state from 1978 to 2012. Patients aged from 7 to 83 years, 509 males and 37 females, yielding a ratio of 13.7:1. Most of the patients (81.4%) originated from rural areas in ES, 71.0% being farmers. A higher concentration of cases was observed in municipalities located along the western range of the state. Sixty patients (11.0%) had an acute/subacute form of the disease, 485 (88.9%) had a chronic form, and one had a subclinical form. The most affected organs included the lungs, oropharyngeal mucosa, lymph nodes, skin, and larynx. The diagnosis was confirmed by histopathology in 252 (46.2%) cases, direct examination in 168 (30.7%), both exams in 111 (20.3%) and serology in 15 (2.8%). Tuberculosis, acquired immune deficiency syndrome, leishmaniasis, and intestinal parasites were the most frequently associated infectious diseases. From 328 patients followed up, total regression of the lesions was observed in 17.4%, partial regression in 77.4%, and no regression in 17 (5.2%) cases. Regarding the number of cases in this series, ES emerges as an important endemic area for PCM in Brazil.

Early menarche in normal-weight girls and its association with excess weight, abdominal obesity and metabolic changes at the end of sexual maturation

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

The objective of this study was to assess whether early menarche in normal-weight girls is associated with excess weight, abdominal obesity and metabolic changes at the end of sexual maturation.

SUBJECTS/METHODS

This is a cohort study of 255 normal-weight girls aged 10-18 years attending public schools in the city of Recife, Pernambuco, Northeast of Brazil. The following data were collected in 2007 and 2012: anthropometric; lifestyle, socioeconomic and demographic data; lipid profile; and self-assessed sexual maturation.

RESULTS

Eighty-four girls (32.9%) had early menarche. The socioeconomic level and time spent using a computer increased during this 5-year period, whereas the time spent watching television decreased. The prevalences of excess weight and abdominal obesity were 19.2% and 9.8%, respectively. The anthropometric and laboratory variables of girls with and without early menarche did not differ.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that early menarche did not influence weight, abdominal obesity and serum lipids in the final stage of sexual maturation.

Evaluation of the antifungal activity of plant extracts and oral antiseptics against Candida albicans

<p><strong>Objective: </strong>Oral candidiasis is the most common fungal infection of the oral cavity, and <em>Candida albicans</em> is the most frequently isolated species. <strong>Material and Methods:</strong> In this study, the potential antifungal effect of extracts from <em>Gossypium hirsutum </em>L., <em>Arctium lappa</em>,<em> Equisetum </em>sp<em>.</em>, <em>Cecropia pachystachya </em>Trécul and <em>Pogostemon heyneanus</em> plants were evaluated on non-adhered cells of <em>C. albicans</em>, and the effect of oral antiseptics A (cetylpyridinium chloride 0.500 mg), B (chlorhexidine gluconate 0.12%), C (hydrogen peroxide 1.5%) and D (thymol, eucalyptol, menthol and methyl salicylate) were evaluated on non-adhered cells and biofilms of C. albicans, using turbidimetry and minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the extracts and the maximal inhibitory dilution (MID) of the antiseptics. <strong>Results:</strong> The most promising results on non-adhered cells were obtained with <em>Cecropia pachystachya</em>Trécul extracts, with MIC values between 7.81 and 3.91 µg/mL. Antiseptics A and B showed the lowest MID values, between 0.20 and 0.10% (Kruskal-Wallis, p&lt;0.0001). Regarding biofilm inhibition, the MID values found were similar for the tested antiseptics, varying from 50% to 0.20% (Kruskal-Wallis, p=0.6915). <strong>Conclusion:</strong> These results show that some plant extracts has potential use in the prevention and treatment of oral candidiasis. </p>