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Introdução: A história natural da infecção pelo SARS-Cov-2 apresenta características específicas que refletiram em alto índice de hospitalização e óbitos. Um dos objetivos do Estudo Covid-19 HNH-BR (Hospitalized Natural History - Brazil) foi estabelecer através de uma coorte observacional a caracterização clínica e laboratorial de pacientes internados um hospital de referência universitário por doença grave/crítica no primeiro ano pandêmico, em que as variantes alfa, beta e gama estavam circulantes, a fim de determinar as variáveis de maior impacto no período pré-vacinação em massa do município de Botucatu (SP). Método: Entre maio/2020 a maio/2021, 432 casos de hospitalizações em adultos com covid-19 grave/crítica foram incluídos. Composição dos grupos (desfechos “alta hospitalar”): G1: com sequelas (n = 145, 33,6%); G2: sem sequelas (n = 84, 19,4%); G3: Óbito Enfermaria (n = 22, 5,1%) e G4: Óbito UTI (n = 181, 41,9%). Estatística: teste de ANOVA seguido de Tukey, distribuição Gamma e de Poisson seguidos de Wald, tabelas de contingência e regressão logística multinomial. Resultados: 203 (47%) da casuística evoluiu para óbito. Média de idade: 60,7 (±15,4) anos, Homens: 234 (54,2%). Houve homogeneidade em relação aos sintomas e comorbidades, exceto para alto risco cardiovascular (p = 0,017) e neoplasia ativa (p = 0,004), mais prevalentes em G3 e G4. Óbito também esteve relacionado com níveis menores de hemoglobina (p =,0002), menor saturação de O2 no momento da admissão (p =,0007), pior relação de troca respiratória (p

This data article contains data related to the research article entitled, “Synchrotron X-ray microscopy reveals early calcium and iron interaction with crocidolite fibers in the lung of exposed mice” [1]. Asbestos fibers disrupt iron homeostasis in the human and mouse lung, leading to the deposition of iron (Fe) onto longer asbestos fibers which forms asbestos bodies (AB) [2]. Similar to Fe, calcium (Ca) is also deposited in the coats of the AB. This article presents data on iron and calcium in the mouse lung after asbestos exposure detected by histochemical evaluation. Keywords: Asbestos, Animal model, Iron, Calcium, Histochemistry, Histopathology

Benign Familial Neonatal Seizures (BFNS) is a rare, autosomal-dominant epilepsy of the newborn caused by mutations in Kv7.2 (KCNQ2) or Kv7.3 (KCNQ3) genes encoding for neuronal potassium (K+) channel subunits. In this study, we describe a sporadic case of BFNS; the affected child carried heterozygous missense mutations in both Kv7.2 (D212G) and Kv7.3 (P574S) alleles. Electrophysiological experiments revealed that the Kv7.2 D212G substitution, neutralizing a unique negatively-charged residue in the voltage sensor of Kv7.2 subunits, altered channel gating, leading to a marked destabilization of the open state, a result consistent with structural analysis of the Kv7.2 subunit, suggesting a possible pathogenetic role for BFNS of this Kv7.2 mutation. By contrast, no significant functional changes appeared to be prompted by the Kv7.3 P574S substitution. Computational modelling experiments in CA1 pyramidal cells revealed that the gating changes introduced by the Kv7.2 D212G increased cell firing frequency, thereby triggering the neuronal hyperexcitability which underlies the observed neonatal epileptic condition.

Introduction: Experimental models and ex-vivo studies suggest a crucial role of some matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in the development of acute coronary syndromes, but expression levels of MMP-2, MMP-9 and TIMP-1 in human coronary plaques causing stable angina or an acute coronary syndrome have not been reported, yet., Methods: MMP-2, -9 and TIMP-1 expressions were assessed by real-time PCR from the debris collected into distal protective vascular guards from patients with stable angina (SA-Group, n=16), acute coronary syndrome (ACS-Group, n=16) undergoing percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI). MMP-2 and -9 activities were also evaluated by gelatin-substrate zymography on plasma samples collected immediately before PCI, and compared to those of healthy subjects (Control-Group)., Results: The expression of MMP-2 was similar in ACS and SA-Groups. MMP-9 (P=0.011), but not TIMP-1, expression was higher in debris samples from patients in the ACS-Group than in SA-Group. In both groups, the expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9 were inversely correlated (rho=-0.7; P<0.004). Zymography data indicated that pro and active MMP-9 were higher in ACS than in SA-Group, while no difference in MMP-2 was found., Conclusions: MMP-9, but not TIMP-1 or MMP-2 expression is increased in plaques causing acute coronary syndrome.

Background: Little information is available on the natural history of patients with AVNRT. The purpose of this study was to compare the outcome of patients with Atrioventricular node reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT) who underwent ablation with those on antiarrhythmic therapy and those not receiving drugs., Methods: 93 consecutive patients (mean age=33.5+/-18.1 years) with AVNRT referred to our institution from 1988 to 1993 were prospectively followed-up for a mean of 13.2+/-2.0 years (range=11.4-16.1 years)., Results: 18 patients underwent ablation (group 1), 24 received antiarrhythmic therapy (group 2), 38 received no drugs or remained on drug therapy for only few months (group 3), 3 died and 10 were lost to follow-up. The frequency of symptoms at the baseline was higher in group 1 than in groups 2 and 3 (7.8+/-3.7, 3.5+/-2.3, 2.3+/-1.9 episodes/month, respectively; p<0.02 in group 1 vs. group 3). At the end of the follow-up 18/18 (100%) of group 1, 14/23 (61%) of group 2 and 17/38 of group 3 (44.7%) reported being asymptomatic for the previous 3 years. Group 3 patients who became asymptomatic had a shorter duration of symptoms before enrolment (3.7+/-1.5 vs. 7.1+/-3.6 years, p<0.05) and a shorter mean length of the tachycardia episodes (3.8+/-2.4 vs. 42.6+/-17.8 min, p<0.02) than patients from the same group who remained symptomatic., Conclusions: The main result of this study is that during a long-term follow-up a considerable number of untreated patients with AVNRT become asymptomatic. This finding should be considered for choosing treatment modality and for calculating healthcare costs of ablation vs. medical therapy.

Background: The aim of this study was to correlate early atrial fibrillation (AF) relapses with heart rate variability (HRV) parameters immediately recorded after electrical cardioversion (EC) of persistent AF., Methods and Results: We performed the spectral analysis of short-term HRV 30 min after EC in 25 patients with persistent AF. The numbers of patients who maintained sinus rhythm at 48 h, 7, and 30 days were 22, 16, and 14, respectively. A very low low frequency/high frequency ratio (0.93+/-0.08 vs. 1.89+/-1.30; p<0.003) significantly identified patients with AF recurrence at 48 h in comparison to patients without AF recurrence. On the contrary, HRV parameters did not identify patients with AF recurrence at 7 or 30 days., Conclusions: AF relapsed within the first 48 h more frequently in patients who presented a predominant vagal tone immediately after the restoration of sinus rhythm.

The aim of this prospective, randomized study was to investigate the effect of pretreatment with two different intracellular calcium-lowering drugs (verapamil and metoprolol) on recovery from atrial effective refractory period (AERP) shortening after internal electrical cardioversion (EC) of persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients on amiodarone. Twenty-one patients on amiodarone for at least 30 days were referred to our hospital for internal EC of a persistent AF refractory to external EC. They were randomized to receive only amiodarone (group AMI, n=7), or amiodarone and verapamil 240 mg/day (group VER, n=7), or amiodarone and metoprolol 100 mg/day (group MET, n=7). Left AERP was measured 10 min and 24 h after EC. AERP was also determined in 13 controls. The AERP after 10 min was significantly shorter in group AMI (201 (31) ms, P<0.02) and group MET (203 (34) ms, P<0.03) than in controls (249 (45) ms), but not in group VER (237 (51) ms, P=NS). The AERP after 24 h was still significantly shorter in group AMI (204 (38) ms, P<0.04) than in controls, but not in group MET (225 (52) ms, P=NS) or in group VER (290 (36) ms, P=NS). Pretreatment with amiodarone and verapamil prevents AERP shortening, while pretreatment with amiodarone and metoprolol only accelerated AERP recovery.

In order to evaluate the influence of aging on cardiovascular adaptations to endurance training and detraining, 12 young (range 19-25 years) and 12 older (range 50-65 years) male cyclists were examined during the training and after 2 months of detraining. Twelve young and 12 older healthy sedentary males matched for age and body surface area were used as control groups. Each subject underwent a maximal exercise test using a cycle-ergometer in order to measure maximum oxygen consumption, an M-mode and 2D echocardiography in order to assess left ventricle morphology and systolic function, and a Doppler echocardiography for evaluating the diastolic filling pattern. During the training period both groups of athletes showed higher values of maximum oxygen consumption, left ventricular wall thicknesses, end-diastolic diameter and volume, as well as left ventricular mass, than their control subjects; in the older subjects the adaptation of the heart to aerobic training seems to be obtained mainly through a higher increase in left ventricular diastolic filling. In both groups no significant modifications in the ejection fraction and diastolic function parameters were recorded. After the detraining period the wall thicknesses decreased only in young athletes, while left ventricular mass and end-diastolic diameter and volume reduced only in older athletes. In conclusion, training and detraining induced nearly similar left ventricular morphological modifications in the two age groups, even though greater in the older athletes with respect to the ventricular mass and volume. No relevant differences were observed in the Doppler filling pattern between athletes and sedentary controls.