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We compared the relationships among percentage of body fat (%BF) and physical activity with breast cancer (BC) and benign breast diseases (BBD) in low-income Brazilian women. A case-control study including 106 incident BC cases, 178 incident BBD cases, and 181 control women recruited from a public hospital-based screening center was conducted. Logistic regression models showed that sedentary women have a higher odds of developing BC in the age adjusted model [odds ratio (OR) = 2.39, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.43–3.99]. After adjusting for hormonal-related risk factors and family history of breast cancer (OR = 2.94, 95%CI 1.50–5.79) and also for the %BF (OR = 2.71, 95%CI 1.36–5.37) the odds remained high. Independent of the adjustments made, %BF did not affect the odds for developing BC. When the same models were tested for women with BBD, we found a significant association with sedentary lifestyle in all models tested, with an OR = 3.03 (95%CI 1.69–5.42) in the fully adjusted model. In the same way, in the fully adjusted model %BF was significantly associated to risk for BBD (OR = 0.54, 95%CI 0.30–0.98). Similar to results found in other populations, our data suggest that physical activity is an important, independent protective factor for the risk of developing BC and BBD in low-income women from an admixed population. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Aim: To evaluate whether anthropometric methods such as arm muscle area, arm fat area, Rohrer index, conicity index, and waist-to-height ratio and the commonly used body mass index method are suitable for obesity screening in a multiethnic paediatric population. Method: A cross-sectional population study was carried out in the city of Ouro Preto, Brazil, in 2006. Schoolchildren (n = 788) aged 6-15 years were selected by the stratified random sampling procedure by the proportion of students according to age and gender in all schools. Nonparametric receiver-operating characteristic analysis was used to define the cut-off for obesity for each method studied, using the tetrapolar bioelectrical impedance technique as the reference method. Results: Arm fat area measurements and Rohrer index were most suitable for adiposity screening in prepubertal and pubertal boys and in pubertal and prepubertal girls, respectively. In postpubertal period, the Rohrer index was the most suitable body fat assessment method in both genders. Conclusion: Body mass index presented the best balance between sensitivity and specificity only in the prepubertal period and postpubertal boys. Anthropometric measurements, especially arm fat area measurements and Rohrer index, are useful for screening of adiposity in a multiethnic paediatric population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to identify risk factors for cardiovascular disorders in schoolchildren living in Ouro Preto City, Brazil. A cross-sectional study was carried out in a population-based sampling of schoolchildren (6-14 years old), randomly selected and stratified by the proportion of students according to age and gender in each schools of the city. Biochemical, clinical and anthropometric variables as well as physical activity and family history were used in a logistic regression model for obesity or arterial hypertension. Out of 780 schoolchildren sampled, the risk of obesity was greater in subjects presenting high triglyceride and low high density lipoprotein-cholesterol levels, and those whose parents were obese, while the risk of hypertension was high in obese subjects and those who presented low birth weight. It was observed that 44.4% of the schoolchildren were exposed to two or three cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors and 8.2% were exposed to four or six factors. These findings should be considered in preventive measures to reduce the future risk for CVD among schoolchildren in Brazil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An evaluation of 5 laboratory methods for diagnosing American cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL) was carried out on patients from an endemic area of Brazil. From 164 patients presenting cutaneous lesions, and suspected to have ACL, 133 (81.1%) were confirmed for the disease by Montenegro skin test (MST) and/or parasitologic examination (PE). In both groups of patients, the positivity of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was similar to that of immunofluorescence assay and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and higher than that of MST and PE (P < .05). In the group of patients suspected to have ACL, PCR presented the same positivity as PE and MST together. No correlation between positivity of the laboratory methods and clinical or epidemiologic aspects was observed. Our data confirmed the value of PCR as an alternative laboratory method for diagnosing ACL, especially for those patients with negative PE and MST.

A study of Lutzomyia longipalpis (Lutz and Neiva, 1912) (Diptera: Psychodidae), the primary vector of American visceral leishmaniasis (AVL), and the canine form of the disease, was carried out in Porteirinha. The city is situated in the northern part of the Brazilian State of Minas Gerais and is an endemic area of AVL. Systematic phlebotomine captures were performed in seven districts with previously reported cases of canine visceral leishmaniasis, during 2 years (January 2000--December 2001). A total of 2328 specimens of L. longipalpis were captured. The association between the local climate variables and the population density of L. longipalpis was evaluated and rainfall was determined to be a major factor, with increased populations during the rainy season (October--March). At the same time period, blood samples from every dog domiciled in the same seven districts, in total 14,077 animals, were analyzed for infection by viscerotropic Leishmania using indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA). Accumulated incidence rates of canine VL per district varied from 3.40 to 14.34 for the 2-year period. A positive correlation between the population density of L. longipalpis and the canine cases of visceral leishmaniasis in Porteirinha was observed.

A case-comparison study was carried out to identify risk factors for mucosal manifestations of American cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL) in southeast Brazil, using a series of 2820 patients, diagnosed with ACL between 1966 and 1999. The significant factors independently associated with mucosal leishmaniasis were: gender, age, nutritional status and length of disease. Mucosal leishmaniasis occurred 1.7 times more frequently among males than females; twice as often in individuals older than 22 years compared with the younger group; almost four times as often in individuals with severe malnutrition compared with those who were well nourished; and almost four times more frequently in individuals reporting the disease for more than 4 months compared with those reporting a shorter duration of the disease. Among individuals older than 22 years the risk of mucosal leishmaniasis increased significantly (from 1.9 to 9.6) as the nutritional status decreased, when compared with younger and well-nourished patients. The characteristics herein described and correlated with severe forms could be used as diagnostic markers as part of clinical screening in areas endemic for ACL.

One of the greatest concerns in Chagas' disease is the absence of reliable methods for the evaluation of chemotherapy efficacy in treated patients. The tests available to evaluate cure after the specific treatment are the complement-mediated lysis (CoML) and flow cytometry tests, but they are not feasible for routine clinical use. In this study, we evaluated an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) based on the recombinant Trypanosoma cruzi complement regulatory protein (rCRP) as a method to determine parasite clearance in comparison to the CoML and other methods such as conventional serology, hemoculture, and PCR in serum samples of 31 patients collected before and after the treatment, monitored for an average of 27.7 months after chemotherapy. The results showed that the percentage of patient samples that were positive by rCRP ELISA was reduced from 100 to 70.3, 62.5, 71.4, and 33.4% in the first, second, third, and fourth years after treatment, respectively, while the samples positive by CoML were reduced to 85.2, 81.2, 71.4, and 33.4% during the same period, demonstrating the same significant tendency in the reduction of positive samples. On the other hand, the conventional serology (CS) tests did not present this reduction. The percentage of samples positive by PCR was initially 77.4% and decreased to 55.5, 68.7, 47.7, and 50.0% at the fourth year after treatment, confirming the drastic clearance of circulating parasites after treatment. Our results strongly suggest that the rCRP ELISA was capable of detecting the early therapeutic efficacy in treated patients and confirmed its superiority over the CS tests and parasitologic methods.

The Montes Claros City is located in an endemic area for visceral leishmaniosis in the Minas Gerais State, Brazil. With the implementation of a program for the control of visceral leishmaniosis in 1994, a sectional study was carried out to evaluate the infection by viscerotropic Leishmania in the population of dogs from Montes Claros, basically using indirect immunofluorescence antibody test (IFAT). Blood samples were collected on filter paper from 33,937 dogs, representing 96.1% of the canine local population. The prevalence for visceral leishmaniosis was found to be 9.7% in the municipality, being 9.9% in the urban area and 8.8% in the rural area. The annual incidence showed to be 64.3/1000 dogs. Prevalence of infection was not correlated with dogs age. The most affected breeds were: Boxer (24.6%) and Cocker (26.9%); Mongrel dogs had a prevalence of 7.8%. Short-hair animals had a prevalence of 11.9%, while long-furred animals had a prevalence of 8.9%. The isoenzymatic profile indicated that Leishmania (Leishmania) chagasi was the visceral leishmaniosis etiological agent in Montes Claros City, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. The main geographical areas for the parasite transmission were identified, and control measures were immediately started. The role of the dog as a reservoir for L. chagasi was confirmed. It was demonstrated that short-furred animals are at a higher risk of acquiring visceral leishmaniosis than the long-furred dogs.