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Browsing by Author "Oliveira, D"

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  • Efficacy of a broad host range lytic bacteriophage against E. coli adhered to urothelium
    Publication . Sillankorva, S; Oliveira, D; Moura, A; Henriques, M; Faustino, A; Nicolau, A; Azeredo, J
    Persistent urinary tract infections (UTI) are often caused by E. coli adhered to urothelium. This type of cells is generally recognized as very tolerant to antibiotics which renders difficult the treatment of chronic UTI. This study investigates the use of lytic bacteriophages as alternative antimicrobial agents, particularly the interaction of phages with E. coli adhered to urothelium and specifically determines their efficiency against this type of cells. The bacterial adhesion to urothelium was performed varying the bacterial cell concentrations and the period and conditions (static, shaken) of adhesion. Three collection bacteriophages (T1, T4, and phiX174 like phages) were tested against clinical E. coli isolates and only one was selected for further infection experiments. Based on the lytic spectrum against clinical isolates and its ability to infect the highest number of antibiotic resistant strains, the T1-like bacteriophage was selected. This bacteriophage caused nearly a 45% reduction of the bacterial population after 2 h of treatment. This study provides evidence that bacteriophages are effective in controlling suspended and adhered cells and therefore can be a viable alternative to antibiotics to control urothelium- adhered bacteria.
    2011Journal article Open access Show more
  • Primary adrenal insufficiency in adult population: a Portuguese multicentre study by the Adrenal Tumours Study Group
    Publication . Ferreira, L; Silva, J; Garrido, S; Bello, C; Oliveira, D; Simões, H; Paiva, I; Guimarães, J; Ferreira, M; Pereira, MT; Bettencourt-Silva, R; Martins, AF; Silva, T; Fernandes, V; Ferreira, M
    INTRODUCTION: Primary adrenal insufficiency (PAI) is a rare but severe and potentially life-threatening condition. No previous studies have characterized Portuguese patients with PAI. AIMS: To characterize the clinical presentation, diagnostic workup, treatment and follow-up of Portuguese patients with confirmed PAI. METHODS: This multicentre retrospective study examined PAI patients in 12 Portuguese hospitals. RESULTS: We investigated 278 patients with PAI (55.8% were females), with a mean age of 33.6±19.3 years at diagnosis. The most frequent presenting clinical features were asthenia (60.1%), mucocutaneous hyperpigmentation (55.0%) and weight loss (43.2%); 29.1% of the patients presented with adrenal crisis. Diagnosis was established by high plasma ACTH and low serum cortisol in most patients (43.9%). The most common etiology of PAI was autoimmune adrenalitis (61.0%). There were 38 idiopathic cases. Autoimmune comorbidities were found in 70% of the patients, the most frequent being autoimmune thyroiditis (60.7%) and type 1 diabetes mellitus (17.3%). Seventy-nine percent were treated with hydrocortisone (mean dose 26.3±8.3 mg/day) mostly in three (57.5%) or two (37.4%) daily doses. The remaining patients were treated with prednisolone (10.1%), dexamethasone (6.2%) and methylprednisolone (0.7%); 66.2% were also on fludrocortisone (median dose of 100 g/day). Since diagnosis, 33.5% of patients were hospitalized for disease decompensation. In the last appointment, 17.2% of patients had complaints (7.6% asthenia and 6.5% depression) and 9.7% had electrolyte disturbances. CONCLUSION: This is the first multicentre Portuguese study regarding PAI. The results emphasize the need for standardization in diagnostic tests and aetiological investigation and provide a framework for improving treatment.
    2017-10-31Journal article Open access Show more