Risk Factors for Cervical Cancer in a Sample Comprising Three Generations of Brazilian Women

Background: Cervical cancer is the main cause of cancer deaths in some developing countries. Age-related cervical cancer incidence has been fundamental for understanding the different stages of carcinogenesis concepts. No Brazilian study explored the environmental risk factors involved on cervical cancer, according to age groups taking 70’s sexual revolution in Brazil as reference. Aim: To determine the prevalence of epidemiological and clinical aspects related to cervical cancer development in a sample of three age groups of Brazilian women based on 70’s sexual revolution. Methods: A cross-section study was proceeded in a hospital-based cohort of women with altered Pap-test refereed to the National Cancer Institute for Colposcopy and treatment from October 2004 to May 2006. Two register nurses interviewed all patients ascertaining risk factors and clinical characteristics. Biopsy, partial ablation were used for CIN-1, and conization was the treatment for CIN-2/3. Results: From 318 women included in the study, 42.8% were 18 - 30 years old (born after 1975), 43.4% were 31 - 49 years old (born 1955-1975), and 13.8% were 50 - 68 years old (born 1936-1954). Pregnancies (OR = 1.16;CI95%: 1.01 - 1.34) and menarche under 12 years old (OR = 1.95;CI95%: 1.17 - 3.25) were independently associated to CIN2- 3/cancer in 18 - 30 age group;menopause age (OR = 1.21;CI95%: 1.04 - 1.41) and current smoking habit (OR = 1.37;CI95%: 1.10 - 1.70) were associated to CIN2- 3/cancer in 31 - 49 age group;no statistical significance was observed for 50 - 68 age group. Conclusion: Brazilian women present distinct risk for cervical cancer according to the generation they belong, when taking the Brazilian sexual revolution on 70’s as a reference.

Bacterial Fecal Microbiota in Healthy Subjects and Inpatients with <i>Clostridium difficile</i>Infection

Clostridium difficile is a nosocomial enteric pathogen, considered the main etiological agent of antibiotic-associated diarrhea in hospitals. C. difficile is resistant to several antimicrobial agents used in empiric treatment protocols, which confers selective advantages to this species as compared with other members of the intestinal microbiota. The aim of this study was to evaluate and identify possible alterations of the intestinal microbiota population resulting from the use of antimicrobials associated with infections by C. difficile (CDI). Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE) was used to evaluate fecal samples from two groups: healthy subjects and patients with C. difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD). A decrease in bacterial diversity was highlighted by the low number of bands in samples from CDAD patients, compared with healthy subjects. This may indicate that antibiotic treatment would affect bacterial diversity, leading to a significant difference between the intestinal microbiota of these two groups, but further studies are still needed. Firmicutes and Verrucomicrobia phyla were detected mainly in healthy individuals, and these could be related to protection factors against the CDI. Klebsiella variicola/K. pneumoniae were found mostly in samples from CDI patients. This study shows the effects of antimicrobials and the CDI itself on human intestinal microbiota.

Genetic Diversity of Uropathogenic Escherichia coli Isolated from Human T Lymphotropic Virus Type I (HTLV-I) Infected Individuals

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is a frequent pathology among HTLV-I+ individuals being capable of severely compromising the kidneys and bladder. Molecular characteristics of uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) from HTLV-I+ infected individuals are unknown. UPEC isolates from HTVL-I+ individuals, with and without clinical symptoms of myelopathy, were submitted to genetic typing seeking to infer bacterial diversity and potential virulence. 71 bacterial isolates were characterized according to random amplified polymorphic DNA and phylotypes. Phylotyping classified E. coli into four phylogenetic groups: A (18.3%), B1 (16.9%), B2 (39.4%), and D (25.3%) and 8 phylotypes according to the presence of the genetic sequences chuA, yjaA and the DNA fragment TSPE4.C2: ﹣﹣﹣ (5.6%) and ﹣+﹣ (12.6%) in phylogroup A, ﹣﹣+ (7.0%) and ﹣++ (9.8%) in B1, +++ (32.3%) and ++﹣ (7.0%) in B2, +﹣﹣ (15.4%) and +﹣+ (9.8%) in D. The B2 phylogroup was the most prevalent among HTLV﹣ associated myelopathy and asymptomatic individuals. RAPD-PCR typing revealed a high degree of bacterial polymorphism indicating a non-clonal origin. Genotypes were not found to be distributed according to clinical status or epidemiological features. Our results lead us to suggest that the neurological impairment in HTLV-I+ individuals can be a risk factor for urinary infections due E. coli which are caused by distinct bacterial lineages.

The Bird Community in a Threatened Coastal Lagoon in Southeastern Brazil

We provide a list of bird species for Ribeira lagoon, a protected area in Rio de Janeiro, southeastern Brazil. Data were obtained in monthly surveys in points along a continuous transect, between August 2008 and July 2009, and 21 ad libitum observations. In total, 174 species were listed, including 121 land birds and 53 waterbirds. Of these, 11 are considered threatened at regional level. Waterbird richness was significantly higher in the dry season (April to September) than in the rainy season (October to March), whereas land bird richness remained constant. However, land bird richness varied throughout the year, with the highest value in February 2009 (77 species) and the lowest in May 2009 (41 species). The species listed account for 23% of the total of 745 bird species listed for Rio de Janeiro, and for 49% of 108 waterbirds recorded for the state.

Large- and Medium-Sized Land Mammals of Northeast MarajóIsland, Lower Amazon, Brazil

Marajó, located in the lower Amazon, Brazil, is one of the largest river islands in the world. Most of the island is subject to tidal or seasonal flooding. Despite its historical, cultural and geographical importance, Marajó Island remains relatively less investigated in terms of mammal diversity, ecology and community structure than the rest of the Amazon. This scenario has motivated the presentation of this list of land mammals of eastern Marajó Island. Two field surveys were conducted in the course of 7-11 December 2012 and 17-25 October 2013 in Jaranduba, Dunas and Ribanceira Farms, northeast portions of Marajó Island. A total of 23 large and medium-sized land mammal species were recorded in the study area. These farms host a representative mammal community of northeastern Marajó, an area lacking previous faunal studies. Human pressure over centuries has deeply modified the environment in Marajó. Therefore, striking evidence of a long human-populated past in this island is in accordance to many other sites throughout the Amazon plain. The result of a land mammal survey in northeastern Marajó is a clear evidence of past and present human interference in the island. Even though Marajó Island has exalted mammal diversity, it will be much higher if long-term studies are effectively implemented.