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Gabriela Morgado de Oliveira Coelho,1 Ainá Innocencio da Silva Gomes,2 Beatriz Gonçalves Ribeiro,2 Eliane de Abreu Soares11Nutrition Institute, Rio de Janeiro State University, Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; 2Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Macaé Campus, Granja dos Cavaleiros, Macaé, BrazilAbstract: Eating disorders are serious mental diseases that frequently appear in female athletes. They are abnormal eating behaviors that can be diagnosed only by strict criteria. Disordered eating, although also characterized as abnormal eating behavior, does not include all the criteria for diagnosing eating disorders and is therefore a way to recognize the problem in its early stages. It is important to identify factors to avoid clinical progression in this high-risk population. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to discuss critical information for the prevention of eating disorders in female athletes. This review discusses the major correlates for the development of an eating disorder. We also discuss which athletes are possibly at highest risk for eating disorders, including those from lean sports and female adolescent athletes. There is an urgent need for the demystification of myths surrounding body weight and performance in sports. This review includes studies that tested different prevention programs' effectiveness, and the majority showed positive results. Educational programs are the best method for primary prevention of eating disorders. For secondary prevention, early identification is essential and should be performed by preparticipation exams, the recognition of dietary markers, and the use of validated self-report questionnaires or clinical interviews. In addition, more randomized clinical trials are needed with athletes from multiple sports in order for the most reliable recommendations to be made and for some sporting regulations to be changed.Keywords: nutrition, disordered eating, sport, anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, female athlete triad

Background: The immunological response to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and immunisation is variable., Objectives: To describe the humoral immune response by correlating IgA and IgG antibodies with NAbs titration following CoronaVac® immunisation and an mRNA (Comirnaty®) booster among healthcare workers (HCWs) and to compare the cytokine and interleukin profiles between HCWs vaccinated with CoronaVac and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infected patients., Methods: Samples from 133 HCWs collected at 20 (T1) and 90 (T2) days after CoronaVac immunisation and 15 (T3) days after a booster dose with the Comirnaty vaccine were analysed for IgA and IgG EIA and neutralisation assay. Cytokine levels from vaccinated individuals at T1 day and COVID-19 patients were compared., Findings: Neutralising antibodies (NAbs) were observed in 81.7% of participants at T1, but only 49.2% maintained detectable NAbs after 90 days. The booster dose increased NAbs response in all participants. The cytokines with the highest levels post-vaccination were IL-6 and MCP-1. The MCP-1, IL-18, and IFN- γ levels were higher in COVID-19 patients than in vaccinated HCWs, while IL-22 levels increased in the vaccinated HCWs group., Main Conclusions: The neutralisation titres in the T2 samples decreased, and antibody levels detected at T2 showed a more significant reduction than the neutralisation. The higher IL-22 expression in immunised individuals compared to those with COVID-19 suggests that IL-22 may be beneficial in protecting against severe disease.

Although the ankle is often involved in low energy trauma, high-energy trauma may occur, being this considered more serious and more common of affecting young and active men. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate and compare the functionality, pain and quality of life of active and inactive adult individuals whose ankle fracture was surgically treated. Seventy-six patients split into two groups (active, n = 58 X inactive, n = 18), of the men (active, n = 38; inactive, n = 9) and women (active, n = 20; inactive, n = 9) gender participated in this prospective study. The IPAQ, MMSE, SF-36, VAS, sociodemographic and clinical questionnaires were applied in person right after surgery. The SF-36 and VAS questionnaires were reapplied 3 months in average after the surgery. Active and inactive patients of both genders show significant differences (p ≤ 0.05) in the functional capacity and physical aspect domains; and the bodily pain domain revealed significant difference in active and inactive men (p ≤ 0.05) between the periods post-surgical and 3 months after surgery (on average). Moderate and significant correlations were found (p ≤ 0.05) between functional capacity, physical aspect and bodily pain domains of the SF-36 and the VAS pain scores for active and inactive patients of both genders in the final follow-up period. Other significant correlations (p < 0.05) for inactive men (physical aspect and bodily pain) and inactive women (functional capacity and bodily pain) are observed (after 3 months of surgery). Three months after surgery (on average), active and inactive men had functional limitations and pain symptoms. These factors seem to have negatively influenced the patient's social involvement, worsening their quality of life. Most active and inactive patients had a positive self-perception of their general health status, emotional aspects and mental health domains. Regarding active women, we observed lower energy and vitality after the same postoperative period., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest None., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Viruses from the Flaviviridae family, such as Dengue virus (DENV), Yellow fever virus (YFV), and Zika virus (ZIKV) are notorious global public health problems. ZIKV emergence in Polynesia and the Americas from 2013 to 2016 raised concerns as new distinguishing features set it apart from previous outbreaks, including its association with neurological complications and heightened disease severity. Virus detection is impaired as cross-reactivity to other closely related orthoflaviviruses is common among commercially available diagnostic kits. While non-structural protein 1 (NS1) has been used as an early marker of DENV and West Nile virus (WNV) infection, little is known about NS1 expression during ZIKV infection. In the present work, we developed a NS1 capture ELISA using a novel ZIKV-specific monoclonal antibody to study NS1 expression dynamics in vitro in mosquito and human cell lines. While detectable in culture supernatants, higher concentrations of NS1 were predominantly cell-associated. To our knowledge, this is the first report of NS1 detection in human cells despite viral clearance over time. Tests with human samples need to be conducted to validate the applicability of NS1 detection for diagnosis, but overall, the tools developed in this work are promising for specific detection of acute ZIKV infection., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Since its emergence in late 2019, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused millions of deaths and socioeconomic losses. Although vaccination significantly reduced disease mortality, it has been shown that protection wanes over time, and that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants of concern (VOCs) may escape vaccine-derived immunity. Therefore, serological studies are necessary to assess protection in the population and guide vaccine regimens. A common measure of protective immunity is the presence of neutralizing antibodies (nAbs). However, the gold standard for measuring nAbs (plaque reduction neutralization test, or PRNT) is laborious and time-consuming, limiting its large-scale applicability. We developed a high-throughput fluorescence reduction neutralization assay (FRNA) to detect SARS-CoV-2 nAbs. Because the assay relies on immunostaining, we developed and characterized monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to lower costs and reduce the assay's vulnerability to reagent shortages. Using samples of individuals vaccinated with COVID-19 and unvaccinated/pre-pandemic samples, we showed that FRNA results using commercial and in-house mAbs strongly correlated with those of the PRNT method while providing results in 70% less time. In addition to providing a fast, reliable, and high-throughput alternative for measuring nAbs, the FRNA can be easily customized to assess SARS-CoV-2 VOCs. Additionally, the mAb we produced was able to detect SARS-CoV-2 in pulmonary tissues by immunohistochemistry assays., (© 2023 The Authors. Journal of Medical Virology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

The Chemical Response to Oil Spills: Ecological Effects Research Forum created a standardized protocol for comparing the in vivo toxicity of physically dispersed oil to chemically dispersed oil to support science-based decision making on the use of dispersants in the early 2000s. Since then, the protocol has been frequently modified to incorporate advances in technology; enable the study of unconventional and heavier oils; and provide data for use in a more diverse manner to cover the growing needs of the oil spill science community. Unfortunately, for many of these lab-based oil toxicity studies consideration was not given to the influence of modifications to the protocol on media chemistry, resulting toxicity and limitations for the use of resulting data in other contexts (e.g., risk assessments, models). To address these issues, a working group of international oil spill experts from academia, industry, government, and private organizations was convened under the Multi-Partner Research Initiative of Canada's Oceans Protection Plan to review publications using the CROSERF protocol since its inception to support their goal of coming to consensus on the key elements required within a "modernized CROSERF protocol"., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Oil dispersion by the application of chemical dispersants is an important tool in oil spill response, but it is difficult to quantify in the field in a timely fashion that is useful for coordinators and decision-makers. One option is the use of rugged portable field fluorometers that can deliver essentially instantaneous results if access is attainable. The United States Coast Guard has suggested, in their Special Monitoring of Applied Response Technologies (SMART) protocols, that successful oil dispersion can be identified by a five-fold increase in oil fluorescence. Here we test three commercial fluorometers with different excitation/emission windows (SeaOWL, Cyclops 7FO, and Cyclops 7F-G) that might prove useful for such applications. Results show that they have significantly different dynamic ranges for detecting oil and that using them (or similar instruments) in combination is probably the best option for successfully assessing the effectiveness of oil dispersion operations. Nevertheless, the rapid dilution of dispersed oil means that measurements must be made within an hour or two of dispersion, suggesting that one feasible scenario would be monitoring ship-applied dispersants by vessels following close behind the dispersant application vessel. Alternatively, autonomous submersibles might be pre-deployed to monitor aerial dispersant application, although the logistical challenges in a real spill would be substantial., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Crown Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Energy availability (EA) is calculated by subtracting exercise energy expenditure from energy intake, adjusted for fat-free mass (FFM) obtained using accurate methods, such as dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Unlike DXA, the bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) is low in cost, simple and easy to carry out. This study aimed to test the concordance between the calculation of EA using FFM values from four BIA predictive equations and FFM obtained using DXA in female adolescent athletes (n = 94), recruited via social media. Paired Student's t test, Wilcoxon test, Lin's concordance correlation coefficient, root mean square error, limits of agreement, and mean absolute percentage error were used to evaluate agreement between the FFM values obtained by the four SF-BIA predictive equations and DXA. Regression linear analysis was used to determine the relation between FFM values obtained using DXA and the BIA predictive equations. Standardized residuals of the FFM and EA were calculated considering DXA values as reference. The most appropriate model for the FFM (limits of agreement = 4.0/-2.6 kg, root mean square error = 1.9 kg, mean absolute percentage error = 4.34%, Lin's concordance correlation coefficient = .926) and EA (limits of agreement = 2.51/4.4 kcal·kg FFM-1·day-1, root mean square error = 1.8 kcal·kg FFM-1·day-1, mean absolute percentage error 4.24%, Lin's concordance correlation coefficient = .992) was the equation with sexual maturity as a variable, while the equation with the greatest age variability was the one with the lowest agreement. FFM-BIA predictive equations can be used to calculate EA of female adolescent athletes. However, the equation should be chosen considering sex, age, and maturation status. In the case of athletes, researchers should use equations developed for this group.

The use of dispersants can be an effective response tool for large offshore spills by applying dispersants on unemulsified slicks and treating as much oil as possible before it becomes too viscous. Assessing the dispersibility of an oil slick under actual environmental conditions is an important step in spill response decision-making. This research seeks to develop a new field kit that is quick and reliable and could be used by spill response personnel without scientific training. The resulting Dispersibility Assessment Kit (DAK) incorporates an automated mixing unit to standardize the applied energy, thereby eliminating the variability in "hand mixing" that is used in other dispersant field kits. The automated mixing energy was studied to determine the optimal mixing regime that correlates with ocean conditions and was incorporated in the DAK protocol. The DAK was validated against 14 oils and emulsions and was successfully tested by response personnel during at-sea demonstration., (Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Transcutaneous parasacral nerve stimulation (TPNS) via electrodes placed over the sacrum can activate afferent neuronal networks noninvasively, leading to sacral reflexes that may improve colonic motility. Thus, TPNS can be considered a promising, noninvasive, and safe method for the treatment of constipation. However, there is no published study investigating its use in children with functional constipation. This is a single-center, prospective, longitudinal, and interventional study designed to assess the applicability and clinical outcomes of TPNS in functionally constipated children., Patient Concerns: Parents or guardians of patients will be informed of the purpose of the study and will sign an informed consent form. The participants may leave the study at any time without any restrictions., Diagnosis: Twenty-eight children (7-18 years old) who were diagnosed with intestinal constipation (Rome IV criteria) will be included., Interventions: The patients will be submitted to daily sessions of TPNS for a period of 4 or 8 weeks and will be invited to participate in semistructured interviews at 3 or 4 moments: 1 week before the beginning of TPNS; immediately after the 4 and/or 8 weeks of TPNS; and 4 weeks after the end of the intervention period. In these appointments, the aspects related to bowel habits and quality of life will be assessed., Outcomes: This study will evaluate the increase in the number of bowel movements and stool consistency, the decrease in the number of episodes of retentive fecal incontinence, and the indirect improvement in the overall quality of life., Conclusion: we expect that this study protocol can show the efficacy of this promising method to assist the treatment of children with functional constipation., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2020 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Euterpe edulis (Arecaceae) Mart has high ecological and economic importance providing food resources for more than 58 species of birds and 20 species of mammals, including humans. E . edulis is the second most exploited nontimber product from Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Due to overexploitation and destruction of habitats, E. edulis is threatened by extinction. Euterpe edulis populations have large morphological variations, with individuals having green, red, or yellow leaf sheath. However, no study has related phenotypic distinctions between populations and their levels of genetic structure. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the diversity and genetic structure of different E. edulis morphotypes. We sampled 250 adult individuals in eight populations with the different morphotypes. Using 14 microsatellite markers, we access genetic diversity through population genetic parameters calculated in the GenAlex program and the diveRsity package in R. We used the Wilcoxon test to verify population bottlenecks and the genetic distance of Nei and Bayesian analysis for genetic clusters. The eight populations showed low allele richness, low observed heterozygosity, and high inbreeding values ( f ). In addition, six of the eight populations experienced genetic bottlenecks, which would partly explain the low genetic diversity in populations. Cluster analysis identified two clusters ( K  = 2), with green morphotype genetically distinguishing from yellow and red morphotypes. Thus, we show, for the first time, a strong genetic structure among E. edulis morphotypes even for geographically close populations., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2020 The Authors. Ecology and Evolution published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Visceral Leishmaniasis is a public health problem caused by protozoans of the genus Leishmania. K39 serological test is commonly used in the initial investigation, with high specificity, but variable sensitivity. Amastigotes can be identified by optical microscopy, however, the differential diagnosis with cellular debris or other intracellular parasites is necessary. Recent studies have raised the possibility of using immunohistochemistry in the diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis with labeling of amastigotes by the anti-CD1a antibody. This retrospective study was based on 38 samples from patients with visceral leishmaniasis whose diagnoses were confirmed by myelogram and/or k39 testing, aside from positive (N=13) and negative biopsies (N=25), 2 samples from patients with false positive biopsies for visceral leishmaniasis and 8 samples from patients with histoplasmosis diagnosis. The histological slides were evaluated for the presence of amastigotes and their Modified Ridley Parasitic Index. The samples were submitted to immunohistochemical reactions using the anti-CD1a antibody with MTB1 and O10 clones. Immunohistochemical reactions with MTB1 and O10 clones had low sensitivity in this study. However, all bone marrow samples were previously decalcified with nitric acid which is probably a deleterious treatment for immunohistochemical reactions in this site. Excluding these samples, we obtained 58.33% sensitivity and 100% specificity with the MTB1 clone. Despite the intermediate sensitivity, the immunohistochemistry for the CD1a marker with clone MTB1 can be useful in the differential diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis, helping to discriminate leishmania amastigotes from other pathogens with similar morphology and cellular debris in different samples, except in bone marrow biopsies previously decalcified with nitric acid.

Ribeiro, BG, Morales, AP, Sampaio-Jorge, F, Barth, T, de Oliveira, MBC, Coelho, GMdO, and Leite, TC. Caffeine attenuates decreases in leg power without increased muscle damage. J Strength Cond Res 30(8): 2354-2360, 2016-Caffeine ingestion has been shown to be an effective ergogenic aid in several sports. Caffeine administration may increase exercise capacity, which could lead to a greater degree of muscle damage after exercise. This was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study. Six male handball athletes ingested placebo (PLA) or caffeine (CAF) (6 mg·kg body mass) capsules on 2 different occasions. Sixty minutes after ingestion of the capsules, serum CAF levels were evaluated. Thereafter, all participants performed a protocol of vertical jumps (VJs). The protocol consisted of 4 sets of 30 seconds of continuous VJs with 60 seconds of recovery between sets. Blood lactate (LAC) and creatine kinase (CK) levels were determined before and after the protocol. We found significant differences in serum CAF levels between PLA (0.09 ± 0.18 µg·ml) vs. CAF (6.59 ± 4.44 µg·ml) (p < 0.001). Caffeine elicited a 5.23% (p ≤ 0.05) improvement in the leg power compared with PLA. The CAF trial displayed higher LAC (p ≤ 0.05) compared with PLA (6.26 ± 2.01 vs. 4.39 ± 2.42 mmol·L, respectively) after protocol of VJs, whereas no difference in CK was observed between trials (p > 0.05). These results indicate that immediate ingestion of CAF (6 mg·kg body weight) can reduce the level of muscle fatigue and preserve leg power during the test, possibly resulting in increase in LAC. There was no increase in muscle damage, which indicates that immediate administration of (6 mg·kg body weight) CAF is safe. Thus, nutritional interventions with CAF could help athletes withstand a greater physiological overload during high-intensity training sessions. The results of this study would be applicable to sports and activities that require repetitive leg power.

Aquatic toxicity considerations are part of the net environmental benefit analysis and approval decision process on the use of dispersants in the event of an offshore oil spill. Substantial information is available on the acute toxicity of physically and chemically dispersed oil to a diverse subset of aquatic species generated under controlled laboratory conditions. However, most information has been generated following standard laboratory practices, which do not realistically represent oil spill conditions in the field. The goal of the present quantitative review is to evaluate the use of standard toxicity testing data to help inform decisions regarding dispersant use, recognizing some key issues with current practices, specifically, reporting toxicity metrics (nominal vs measured), exposure duration (standard durations vs short-term exposures), and exposure concentrations (constant vs spiked). Analytical chemistry data also were used to demonstrate the role of oil loading on acute toxicity and the influence of dispersants on chemical partitioning. The analyses presented here strongly suggest that decisions should be made, at a minimum, based on measured aqueous exposure concentrations and, ideally, using data from short-term exposure durations under spiked exposure concentrations. Available data sets are used to demonstrate how species sensitivity distribution curves can provide useful insights to the decision-making process on dispersant use. Finally, recommendations are provided, including the adoption of oil spill-appropriate toxicity testing practices., (© 2014 SETAC.)

Objective. The aim of this study was to determine which of the seven selected equations used to predict basal metabolic rate most accurately estimated the measured basal metabolic rate. Methods. Twenty-eight adult women with type 2 diabetes mellitus participated in this cross-sectional study. Anthropometric and biochemical variables were measured as well as body composition (by absorptiometry dual X-ray emission) and basal metabolic rate (by indirect calorimetry); basal metabolic rate was also estimated by prediction equations. Results. There was a significant difference between the measured and the estimated basal metabolic rate determined by the FAO/WHO/UNU (P value < 0.021) and Huang et al. (P value ≤ 0.005) equations. Conclusion. The calculations using Owen et al's. equation were the closest to the measured basal metabolic rate.

The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of disordered eating and possible health consequences in adolescent female tennis players. This cross-sectional controlled study investigated the pubertal development (Tanner stages); body composition (dual energy X-ray absorptiometry-DXA); dietary intake (food record); presence of disordered eating (EAT-26, BITE and BSQ); menstrual status (questionnaire) and bone mineral density (DXA). The Female Athlete Triad (FAT) was divided into two severity stages. The study included 45 adolescents (24 athletes and 21 controls) at some pubertal developmental stage. The athletes exhibited better body composition profiles. We found that 91.7%, 33.3% and 25% of athletes and 71.4%, 9.5% and 33.3% of controls met criteria for disordered eating and/or low energy availability, menstrual irregularities and low bone mass, respectively. A greater percentage of athletes than controls presented with 1 and 2 FAT components (stage I), and 4.2% presented with the full syndrome. In conclusion, tennis players appear to present with more severe disorders than controls and should be monitored to avoid damage to their performance and health., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The purpose of the study was to make a systematic review and describe and confront recent studies that compare the presence of disordered eating and its complications in young female athletes and controls subjects - PubMed, Scielo, Medline, ScienceDirect, WILEY InterScience, Lilacs and Cochrane were the databases used for this review. Out of 169 studies 22 were selected and 11,000 women from 68 sports were studied. The short version of the EAT was the most common instrument used to track disordered eating. Results showed that 55% found no significant difference in the percentage of disordered eating between athletes and controls. Also a higher percentage of studies reported higher frequency of menstrual dysfunction in athletes than controls and finally 50% of the studies found incidence of low bone mass in controls. Not all the studies that investigated all the conditions in the triad, but the authors concluded that it seemed that athletes were in more severe stage of this disorder. Due to the heterogeneity of the studies, a definitive conclusion about the groups and at highest risk for disordered eating and its complications remains to be elucidated., (Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: The aim of this study was to identify risk factors for urinary tract infection during followup of children with fetal renal pelvic dilatation., Material and Methods: A total of 192 patients were diagnosed with isolated renal pelvic dilatation between 1999 and 2006 and were prospectively followed. After initial clinical and imaging evaluation ultrasound, clinical examination and laboratory reviews were scheduled at 6-month intervals. The event of interest was incidence of episodes of febrile urinary tract infection. A survival analysis was performed to identify variables significantly associated with the event. Cox model was applied to identify variables that were independently associated with urinary tract infection., Results: A significant uropathy was diagnosed in 78 infants (41%). Median followup was 24 months. During followup urinary tract infection occurred in 27 (14%) of the 192 children. The incidence rate of urinary tract infection decreased from 7.2 episodes per 1,000 person-months in the first year of life to 1.4 after the third year. By survival analysis the cumulative incidence of urinary tract infection for the whole series was estimated at 8% at age 12 months, 13% at 24 months and 21% at 36 months. After adjustment 2 variables were independent predictors of urinary tract infection during followup-female gender (RR 1.4, 95% CI, 1.04 to 1.8, p = 0.02) and presence of uropathy (RR 4.6, 95% CI, 1.8 to 11.3, p = 0.001)., Conclusions: According to our findings, in a cohort of prenatal hydronephrosis girls with vesicoureteral reflux or urinary tract obstruction had a higher risk of urinary tract infection during followup.

The purpose of this study was to report the outcome of infants with antenatal hydronephrosis. Between May 1999 and June 2006, all patients diagnosed with isolated fetal renal pelvic dilatation (RPD) were prospectively followed. The events of interest were: presence of uropathy, need for surgical intervention, RPD resolution, urinary tract infection (UTI), and hypertension. RPD was classified as mild (5-9.9 mm), moderate (10-14.9 mm) or severe (>or=15 mm). A total of 192 patients was included in the analysis; 114 were assigned to the group of non-significant findings (59.4%) and 78 to the group of significant uropathy (40.6%). Of 89 patients with mild dilatation, 16 (18%) presented uropathy. Median follow-up time was 24 months. Twenty-seven patients (15%) required surgical intervention. During follow-up, UTI occurred in 27 (14%) children. Of 89 patients with mild dilatation, seven (7.8%) presented UTI during follow-up. Renal function, blood pressure, and somatic growth were within normal range at last visit. The majority of patients with mild fetal RPD have no significant findings during infancy. Nevertheless, our prospective study has shown that 18% of these patients presented uropathy and 7.8% had UTI during a medium-term follow-up time. Our findings suggested that, in contrast to patients with moderate/severe RPD, infants with mild RPD do not require invasive diagnostic procedures but need strict clinical surveillance for UTI and progression of RPD.

Chromosomal rearrangements correlate with different clinical subgroups of blood disorders. Some of these chromosomal abnormalities are found in individuals from specific geographical areas and ethnic groups. A high incidence of t(15;17) translocation has been observed, for example, in the Hispanic populations of the United States and Spain. The same occurs in South America, due to the rich diversity of ethnic groups that colonized the region. We performed a cytogenetic analysis of 166 patients at the Division of Hematology of Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre between 1990 and 2002. Those patients who met the criteria for de novo acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and whose karyotypes could be successfully determined were included in the study. The karyotypes of each patient and the French-American-British (FAB) criteria for the diagnosis of AML were reviewed. Chromosomal abnormalities were identified and classified according to ISCN 1995. Chromosomal abnormalities were found in 53.6% of cases. Abnormalities were significantly more common in the FAB-M3 group (70.3%). The most common balanced translocation was t(15;17), observed in 13.25% of the patients.