Browsing by Author "Branca, F"
Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
Results Per Page
Sort Options
- Acute Alithiasic Cholecystitis and Human Herpes Virus Type-6 Infection: First CasePublication . Gomes, MM; Antunes, H; Lobo, AL; Branca, F; Correia-Pinto, J; Moreira-Pinto, JA three-year-old male child presented with erythematous maculopapular nonpruritic generalized rash, poor feeding, vomiting, and cramping generalized abdominal pain. He was previously healthy and there was no family history of immunologic or other diseases. On examination he was afebrile, hemodynamically stable, with painful palpation of the right upper quadrant and positive Murphy's sign. Laboratory tests revealed elevated inflammatory markers, elevated aminotransferase activity, and features of cholestasis. Abdominal ultrasound showed gallbladder wall thickening of 8 mm with a positive sonographic Murphy's sign, without gallstones or pericholecystic fluid. Acute Alithiasic Cholecystitis (AAC) was diagnosed. Tests for underlying infectious causes were negative except positive blood specimen for Human Herpes Virus Type-6 (HHV-6) by polymerase chain reaction. With supportive therapy the child became progressively less symptomatic with gradual improvement. The child was discharged on the sixth day, asymptomatic and with improved analytic values. Two months later he had IgM negative and IgG positive antibodies (1/160) for HHV-6, which confirmed the diagnosis of previous infection. In a six-month follow-up period he remains asymptomatic. To the best of our knowledge, this represents the first case of AAC associated with HHV-6 infection.
- Etiology of bronchiolitis in a hospitalized pediatric population: prospective multicenter studyPublication . Antunes, H; Rodrigues, H; Silva, N; Ferreira, C; Carvalho, F; Ramalho, H; Gonçalves, A; Branca, FBACKGROUND: In 2006, bronchiolitis due to adenovirus nosocomial infections resulted in the closure of a pediatric department in northern Portugal. OBJECTIVES: To determine the etiology of bronchiolitis in northern Portugal. STUDY DESIGN: It was a prospective multicenter study on the etiology of bronchiolitis during the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) season (November-April). Children < or = 24 months of age admitted for a first wheezing episode were included. Nasopharyngeal specimens were analyzed by an indirect immunofluorescent-antibody assay (IFA) for RSV, adenovirus (HAdV), parainfluenza (PIV) 1-3 and influenza (IV) A and B and by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or reverse transcription-PCR for the same viruses and for human metapneumovirus (hMPV), bocavirus (HBoV), rhinovirus (HRV), coronaviruses (229/E; NL63; OC43; HKU1) and enterovirus. RESULTS: During this period, 253 children were included, 249 IFA analyses and 207 PCRs were performed. IFA detected RSV in 58.1%; PCR increased it to 66.7%. IFA detected HAdV in 3.2%, PCR 10.0%. PCR detected IV A in 5; IV B in 2; PIV 1 in 6, PIV 2 in 4 and PIV 3 in 11 cases. HBoV, as single agent in 2 cases, and HRV were positive in 8 samples and hMPV in 11. With this virus panel, 19.7% remained without etiology. CONCLUSIONS: The most frequent agent was RSV, followed by HAdV. PCR can be cost-effective and more accurate than IFA, which is crucial for HAdV that may be associated with significant mortality (IFA alone did not detect 2/3 of the cases).
- G2P[4] the most prevalent rotavirus genotype in 2007 winter season in an European non-vaccinated populationPublication . Antunes, H; Afonso, A; Iturriza, M; Martinho, I; Ribeiro, C; Rocha, S; Magalhães, C; Carvalho, L; Branca, F; Gray, JBACKGROUND: Recently, a high prevalence of G2P[4] rotavirus (RV) infection was reported from Brazil, and linked with the universal RV vaccination programme that used the G1P[8] live oral RV vaccine. OBJECTIVE: To determine the genotypes of RV co-circulating in a non-vaccinated population, in northern Portugal in the winter season of 2007. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective multicenter study of the genotypes circulating in the northwest region of Portugal during January to March 2007. Children with acute gastroenteritis, who attended the Pediatric Emergency Services of five Hospitals, were included in the study. The parents of the children completed a clinical and epidemiological data questionnaire and stool samples were collected. Stool samples positive in a RV enzyme immunoassay (EIA) were genotyped by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: Stool samples were collected from 424 children. Two hundred and thirty-four (55.2%) stool samples were RV-positive. G2P[4] was the predominant RV type (68.6%), followed by G9P[8] (14.0%). CONCLUSIONS: Because our population was naïve for RV vaccine, the G2P[4] predominance cannot be explained by vaccination. Rather, this high prevalence of G2P[4] may be within the normal fluctuation of RV genotypes. RV strain surveillance programmes are important for informing RV vaccination programmes.
- O polimorfismo C/T-13910 como teste genético para o diagnóstico de hipolactasia tipo adulto em criançasPublication . Nascimento, J; Gonçalves, P; Branca, F; Antunes, H