Soroprevalence for Hepatitis C virus is reported as 2.12% in Northern Brazil, with about 50% of the patients exhibiting a sustained virological response (SVR). Aiming to associate polymorphisms in Killer Cell Immunoglobulin-like Receptors (KIR) with chronic hepatitis C and therapy responses we investigated 125 chronic patients and 345 controls. Additionally, 48 ancestry markers were genotyped to control for population stratification. The frequency of the KIR2DL2 and KIR2DL2+HLA-C Asp80 gene and ligand was higher in chronic infected patients than in controls (p < 0.0009, OR = 3.4; p = 0.001, OR = 3.45). In fact, KIR2DL3 is a weaker inhibitor of NK activity than KIR2DL2, which could explain the association of KIR2DL2 with chronic infection. Moreover, KIR2DS2 and KIR2DS2+HLA-C Asp80 (p < 0.0001, OR = 2.51; p = 0.0084, OR = 2.62) and KIR2DS3 (p < 0.0001; OR = 2.57) were associated with chronic infection, independently from KIR2DL2. No differences in ancestry composition were observed between control and patients, even with respect to therapy response groups. The allelic profile KIR2DL2/KIR2DS2/KIR2DS3 was associated with the chronic hepatitis C (p < 0.0001; OR = 3). Furthermore, the patients also showed a higher mean number of activating genes and a lower frequency of the homozygous AA profile, which is likely secondary to the association with non-AA and/or activating genes. In addition, the KIR2DS5 allele was associated with SVR (p = 0.0261; OR = 0.184).The ancestry analysis of samples ruled out any effects of population substructuring and did not evidence interethnic differences in therapy response, as suggested in previous studies.

A síndrome de disfunção de múltiplos órgãos e sistemas (DMOS) e a disfunção renal aguda compartilham muitos dos fatores fisiológicos envolvidos em seu desenvolvimento. Estudos recentes correlacionam suscetibilidades individuais, determinadas geneticamente, à disfunção de órgãos em pacientes criticamente enfermos, situação em que o gene da enzima conversora da angiotensina (ECA) poderia ser um candidato para elucidar predisposição ou risco genético. Nosso objetivo foi examinar os efeitos da presença de dois polimorfismos, I/D e -262A > T, na disfunção renal em pacientes agudamente graves do Sul do Brasil. O escore SOFA (sequential organ failure assessment) à admissão e a tendência da função renal (medida pelo escore renal diário do SOFA) foram determinados em pacientes de unidade de terapia intensiva (UTI). Um total de 153 pacientes adultos (79 homens) foi incluído no estudo. Houve monitoração diária da função renal durante toda a permanência na UTI e também pós-UTI. Observou-se a progressão para insuficiência renal (SOFA 3 e 4) nos primeiros sete dias de internação em UTI, bem como necessidade de diálise. As frequências genotípicas gerais em nossa amostra foram II = 0,17; ID = 0,46; DD = 0,37; e AA = 0,30; AT = 0,55; TT = 0,15; e as frequências alélicas foram I = 0,40, D = 0,60; e A = 0,56; T = 0,44. Este é o primeiro estudo para verificar a influência de polimorfismos I/D e -262A > T da ECA em disfunção renal aguda em pacientes críticos. Nenhuma associação significativa foi encontrada entre os genótipos ou as frequências alélicas e a evolução da função renal. Os polimorfismos I/D e -262A > T da ECA não têm impacto significativo sobre a evolução da função renal durante a primeira semana de internação na UTI nem exercem qualquer influência sobre a mortalidade em pacientes graves.

Multiple organ failure syndrome and acute renal dysfunction share many of physiologic factors involved in their development. Recent studies correlate the susceptibility to organ dysfunction in critically ill patients with genetic inheritance. Many of them consider ACE gene could be a possible candidate to elucidate a genetic predisposition or a genetic risk factor. We aimed to examine the effects of I/D and -262A > T ACE polymorphisms in the renal function in severely ill southern Brazilians patients. A multi-organic worldwide known failure score, the SOFA (sequential organ failure assessment), was used to determine the basal health state at first day (ICU admission). Considering admission SOFA score and trend of renal function (measured by daily renal SOFA scores, with daily measure of serum creatinine and diuresis), we hypothesize that ACE polymorphisms could influence in the trend of renal function in ICU patients. A total of 153 critically ill adult patients (79 men) were included in this study. We monitored the patients daily during their entire ICU and post-ICU (hospital) stay (measured from the ICU admission day to a maximum of 224 days). We observed progression to renal failure (SOFA scores 3 and 4) in first seven days of ICU stay and need for dialysis. The general genotypic frequencies in our sample were II = 0.17; ID = 0.46; DD = 0.37 and AA = 0.30; AT = 0.55; TT = 0.15, and the allelic frequencies were I = 0.40; D = 0.60 and A = 0.56; T = 0.44. This is the first study to verify the influence of I/D and -262A > T ACE polymorphisms in acute renal dysfunction among critically ill patients. No significant association was found between genotypes or allele frequencies and the trend of the renal function. The I/D and -262A > T ACE polymorphisms have no significant impact on the trend of renal function during the first week of ICU stay, neither any influence in mortality in critically ill patients.

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary oxidized poultry offal fat on the performance of broilers and on the oxidative stability of dark chicken meat. One hundred and sixty male chicks were fed a corn-soybean meal diet containing 4% fresh or oxidized poultry fat from 10 to 47 days of age. Fresh fat was stored frozen until diets were produced, and oxidized fat was obtained by electrical heating (110 to 120 ºC). Birds were slaughtered at 47 days of age, and carcass characteristics were measured. Skinless and deboned thigh meat was stored chilled during 12 days, and samples were periodically collected to assess their quality and oxidative stability. Dietary oxidized fat did not affect bird performance or carcass characteristics. During chilled storage, meat color (L*, a* and b*) was not affected by dietary treatments; however, TBARS (Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances) values were higher (P<0.05) in thigh meat from chickens fed the oxidized fat, indicating that oxidative stability was adversely affected.

There are some evidences described in the literature showing reduced energy metabolizability of ingredients for newly hatched chicks. Hence, a metabolism trial was carried out with the objective of determining the metabolizable energy of corn grain, soybean meal and micronized full fat soybean for newly hatched chicks. The method of total excreta collection was used in an experiment with 192 male chicks from one to seven days, distributed in a completely randomized design with four treatments and four replicates of twelve birds. Excreta were collected from four to seven days of age. The treatments included a reference diet, two test-diets consisting of 60% of the reference diet and 40% of the test ingredients: corn grain (CG) and soybean meal (SM), and one test-diet consisting of 80% of the reference diet and 20% of micronized full fat soybean (MFFS). The N-corrected apparent metabolizable energy (AMEn) and the metabolizability coefficient of gross energy (MCGE) of the ingredients determined for the chicks were respectively 3,213 kcal/kg and 81.6% for CG; 2,085 kcal/kg and 49.7% for SM and 4,068 kcal/kg and 74.8% for MFFS.

This study was conducted to determine the effect of microbial or antimicrobial additives on the performance and organ morphology of broilers raised in batteries or in floor pens. The effect of microbial additives on the presence of oocysts in the litter was also studied. Experiments 1 and 2 consisted of four treatments (non-supplemented control diet or diet supplemented with avilamycin, bacitracin methylene disalicylate or enramycin) and six repetitions in a randomized block design. In Experiment 1, 288 day-old chicks were housed in heated batteries in a environmentally controlled room, 12 chicks per cage; in Experiment 2, 1,200 day-old chicks were housed in a curtain-sided experimental house, with concrete floor and rice hulls as litter material, 50 chicks per pen. Experiments 3 and 4 were carried out similarly to Experiments 1 and 2, respectively, but the treatments consisted of microbial additives (non-supplemented control diet or Bacillus subtilis added to the feed plus Lactobacillus reuteri and Lactobacillus johnsonii added to the water, undefined microflora added to the water or live yeast added to the feed). The antibiotics did not affect the performance of birds raised in batteries, but improved feed conversion, weight gain and live weight when chickens were kept on the floor pens. Microbial additives did not affect bird performance in any environment; however, treatments affected liver weight. Microbial agents increased intestinal weight in floor-raised broilers. No relationship was seen between the use of microbial additives and the presence of oocysts in the litter.

Este trabalho teve por objetivo avaliar o desenvolvimento in vitro de plântulas de progênies de oito genótipos de bananeira obtidos a partir de cultura de embriões. Os genótipos foram as espécies selvagens Calcutta e Malaccensis (Musa acuminata-AA), Butuhan e França (M. balbisiana-BB) e os híbridos 0304-02, 1304-06, 4252-04 e 9379-09 (M. acuminata-AA). Os embriões foram extraídos de forma asséptica, sendo introduzidos em meio de cultura MS com 30 g L-1 agar, inicialmente em placas de Petri (40 dias) e depois em tubos de ensaio (45 dias). Verificou-se efeito do genótipo no desenvolvimento in vitro dos embriões. As progênies dos genótipos selvagens do grupo BB, seguidos das progênies dos híbridos AA apresentaram maior desenvolvimento para as variáveis estudadas. O protocolo utilizado foi adequado para a cultura de embriões das progênies dos oito genótipos, devendo, no entanto, o período de desenvolvimento in vitro ser reduzido para 30 dias a fim de que o enraizamento não seja muito acentuado.

The objective of this work was to evaluate the development of in vitro plantlets of progenies of eight diploid banana genotypes that were obtained from embryo culture. The genotypes were the wild species Calcutta and Malaccensis (Musa acuminata-AA), Butuhan and França (M. balbisiana-BB) and the hybrids 0304-02, 1304-06, 4252-04 and 9379-09 (M. acuminata-AA). The embryos were aseptically, being introduced in MS medium with 30 g L-1 agar, initially in Petri dishes (40 days) and afterwards in test tubes (45 days). It was observed a pronounced effect of the genotype on the in vitro development of the embryos. The progenies of the wild genotypes of the BB group, followed by that of AA hybrids showed higher development for the studied variables. The protocol was appropriated for the embryo culture of progenies of the eight genotypes. However, in order to have a non accentuated rooting, the period of in vitro development should be reduced to 30 days.

Este estudo foi desenvolvido com a finalidade monitorar a qualidade da farinha de carne e ossos (FCO), durante o armazenamento prolongado (10 semanas), e avaliar os efeitos da adição do BHT (500mg/kg) a esta farinha. Um lote fresco de FCO (41,12% PB e 9,14% EE) foi dividido em seis partes iguais, sendo uma não tratada (CONTROLE) e as demais tratadas com BHT em diferentes tempos de armazenamento (nos dias 0, 7, 14, 21 e 28: BHT/0, BHT/7, BHT/14, BHT/21 e BHT/28, respectivamente). As FCO foram armazenadas em ambiente diariamente monitorado e sua qualidade foi avaliada por amostragens semanais, com determinação do índice de peróxidos, cujo nível máximo obtido foi de aproximadamente 80meq/kg (CONTROLE). A partir da 4ª semana de armazenamento, foi conduzido um experimento com frangos de corte alimentados por 42 dias com rações à base de milho e farelo de soja, contendo cerca de 4% das FCO armazenadas. Foram utilizados 1.440 pintos de um dia, machos, distribuídos num delineamento em blocos casualizados, com 6 tratamentos e 6 repetições. Os resultados médios obtidos para peso vivo, ganho de peso, consumo de ração, conversão alimentar, mortalidade e refugagem e fator de produção foram submetidos à análise da variância e as médias dos tratamentos foram comparadas ao CONTROLE através do teste de Dunnett. As variáveis estudadas, em geral, não foram afetadas pelos tratamentos (p>0,05), indicando que, neste estudo, o uso da FCO oxidada ou das FCO protegidas pelo BHT, não influenciaram o desempenho das aves.

The objectives of this study were to assess the variation in quality of meat and bone meal (MBM) during an extended storage period (10 weeks) and evaluate the effects of the antioxidant BHT on the oxidative stability of MBM and the performance of broilers fed diets containing these MBM. A freshly produced batch of MBM (41,12% protein and 9,12% fat) was divided in six portions. One portion was stored with no BHT added (CONTROL) and the others were treated with 500mg BHT/kg at day 0 (BHT/0), 7 (BHT/7), 14 (BHT/14), 21 (BHT/21) and 28 (BHT/28). The quality of MBM was measured through weekly samplings and the peroxide value (IP) was the main parameter analysed. After four weeks of storage, a feed trial was carried out using 1,440 male RossXRoss day-old chicks raised in floor pens in an experiment with six treatments and six replicates. The birds were fed ad libitum corn-soybean diets formulated to contain 4% MBM. Results of 42d liveweight, feed intake, feed:gain ratio and mortality and culling were submitted to analysis of variance. Treatment means were compared to CONTROL using Dunnett’s test. Although rancidity was observed in MBM during storage, the levels of IP found (maximum 80meq/kg) did not affect bird performance. In general, the performance of broilers was not affected (p>.05) by feeding MBM oxidized or preserved with BHT.