Browsing by Author "Duarte, Catarina"
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- An ex vivo study of nitric oxide efflux from human erythrocytes in both gendersPublication . Duarte, Catarina; Napoleão, Patricia; Freitas, Teresa; Saldanha, CarlotaINTRODUCTION: Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) is located on outer surface of erythrocyte membrane. Gender-related diferences in erythrocyte AChE enzyme activity had been verified in young adults. It is also known that binding of acetylcholine (ACh) withAChE on erythrocyte membrane initiates a signal transduction mechanism that stimulates nitric oxide (NO) efflux. AIMS: This ex vivo study was done to compare the amount of NO efflux obtained from erythrocytes of healthy donors in males and females. METHODS: We included 66 gender age-matched healthy donors (40–60 years old). We performed quantification of erythrocyte NO efflux from erythrocytes and of the membrane AChE enzyme activity. RESULTS: There are no significant differences in NO efflux from erythrocytes between men and women. Regarding AChE enzyme activity values, in this range of age, no differences between genders were obtained. However, the values of AChE enzyme activity in the third quartile of NO efflux values were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in women than in men. CONCLUSIONS: The efflux of NO from erythrocyte of healthy humans did not change with gender. For the same range of values of NO efflux from erythrocytes, in both gender, it was verified higher values of AChE enzyme activity in women.
- Association of LDL-cholesterol with prognosis in patients admitted for acutely decompensated heart failurePublication . Brito, Joana; Rin, João; Duarte, Catarina; Couto Pereira, Sara Cristina; Morais, Pedro; Cunha, Nelson; Ferreira, Diogo; Santos, Rafael; Rigueira, Joana; Pinto, Fausto J.; Brito, DulceIntroduction and objectives: The association of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels and prognosis in patients with heart failure (HF) remains uncertain. This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic significance of LDL-C in patients admitted for acutely decompensated HF and establish a safety cut-off value in this population. Methods: This retrospective, observational study included 167 consecutive patients admitted for acute HF. LDL-C levels were measured on hospital admission, and patients were categorized according to their estimated cardiovascular (CV) risk. The primary endpoint was all-cause mortality at one-year, while secondary endpoints included HF hospitalizations, major thrombotic events, and net clinical benefit. Results: During the follow-up period, 14.4% of patients died. Higher LDL-C levels were independently associated with improved survival, with a 4-fold increase in survival probability for each 1 mg/dL increase in serum LDL-C. The minimum LDL-C value not associated with increased mortality risk was 88 mg/dL. Patients with LDL-C below this cut-off had a significantly higher risk of mortality and a tendency for higher HF hospitalization risk. The net clinical benefit endpoint was also influenced by LDL-C levels, with LDL-C below 88 mg/dL associated with an increased risk of events. Conclusion: In patients admitted for acutely decompensated HF, higher LDL-C levels were associated with reduced risk of mortality. An LDL-C value below 88 mg/dL was associated with increased mortality, suggesting the need for a more liberal LDL-C target in this specific patient population. These findings highlight the importance of considering LDL-C levels in the management and risk assessment of patients with HF.
- Effect of the matrix system in delivery and in vitro bioactivity of microencapsulated Oregano essential oilPublication . Beirão-da-Costa, Sara; Duarte, Cláudia; Bourbon, Ana I.; Pinheiro, Ana C.; Serra, Ana Teresa; Moldão, Margarida; Januario, Isabel; Vicente, António A.; Delgadillo, Ivone; Duarte, Catarina; Beirão-da-Costa, Maria LuísaThe effect of encapsulating matrix on retention, protection and delivery of Oregano essential oil (EO) was studied. EO was encapsulated in rice starch porous spheres, inulin and gelatine/sucrose capsules by spray drying. Gelatine/sucrose matrix was also dried by freeze drying. Experimental designs were applied to test the effect of bonding agents and solids content for rice starch and drying temperature and solids content for inulin and gelatine/sucrose systems. The ratio of gelatine/sucrose was also tested. EO was identified (confocal laser scanning microscopy and FT-IR) in all tested matrices and the release profiles, antioxidant activity and antimicrobial activity of encapsulates evaluated. Results showed that the three tested materials are able to encapsulate Oregano EO. Higher diffusion coefficients were obtained for starch microcapsules (about 10 13 m2/s) followed by spray-dried gelatine/sucrose systems (about 10 15 m2/s) and inulin microcapsules (about 10 16 m2/s). Gelatine/sucrose microparticles exhibit high antioxidant and antimicrobial activity while inulin and rice starch microencapsulates ensure higher stability
- Risk factors for infection, predictors of severe disease, and antibody response to COVID-19 in patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases in Portugal: a multicenter, nationwide studyPublication . Machado, Ana Rita; Barreira, Sofia; Bandeira, Matilde; Veldhoen, Marc; Gomes, Andreia; Serrano, Marta; Duarte, Catarina; Rato, Maria; Miguel Fernandes, Bruno; Garcia, Salomé; Pinheiro, Filipe; Bernardes, Miguel; Madeira, Nathalie; Miguel, Cláudia; Torres, Rita; Bento Silva, Ana; Pestana, Jorge; Almeida, Diogo; Mazeda, Carolina; Cunha Santos, Filipe; Pinto, Patrícia; Sousa, Marlene; Parente, Hugo; Sequeira, Graça; Santos, Maria José; Fonseca, João Eurico; Romão, Vasco C.Objective: To identify risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 infection and for severe/critical COVID-19, and to assess the humoral response after COVID-19 in these patients. Methods: Nationwide study of adult patients with inflammatory RMDs prospectively followed in the Rheumatic Diseases Portuguese Register-Reuma.pt-during the first 6 months of the pandemic. We compared patients with COVID-19 with those who did not develop the disease and patients with mild/moderate disease with those exhibiting severe/critical COVID-19. IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 were measured ≥3 months after infection and results were compared with matched controls. Results: 162 cases of COVID-19 were registered in a total of 6,363 appointments. Patients treated with TNF inhibitors (TNFi; OR = 0.160, 95% CI 0.099-0.260, P < 0.001) and tocilizumab (OR 0.147, 95% CI 0.053-0.408, P < 0.001) had reduced odds of infection. Further, TNFi tended to be protective of severe and critical disease. Older age, major comorbidities, and rituximab were associated with an increased risk of infection and worse prognosis. Most patients with inflammatory RMDs (86.2%) developed a robust antibody response. Seroconversion was associated with symptomatic disease (OR 13.46, 95% CI 2.21-81.85, P = 0.005) and tended to be blunted by TNFi (OR 0.17, 95% CI 0.03-1.05; P = 0.057). Conclusions: TNFi and tocilizumab reduced the risk of infection by SARS-CoV-2. Treatment with TNFi also tended to reduce rates of severe disease and seroconversion. Older age, general comorbidities and rituximab were associated with increased risk for infection and worse prognosis, in line with previous reports. Most patients with RMDs developed a proper antibody response after COVID-19, particularly if they had symptomatic disease.
- Tamoxifen in breast cancer ipse dixit in uterine malignant mixed Müllerian tumor and sarcoma : a report of 8 cases and review of the literaturePublication . Vasconcelos, Ana Luisa Cardoso; Nunes, Beatriz; Duarte, Catarina; Mendonça, Vera; Ribeiro, Joana; Jorge, Marília; Monteiro Grillo, IsabelAim: Report the outcome of 8 patients (pts) with breast cancer (BC) treated with Tamoxifen (TAM) that developed malignant mixed Müllerian tumor (MMMT) and rare uterine sarcoma (RUS). Patients and methods: Retrospective study based on data collected from the department medical records between April 1999 and September 2010 among 583 pts with endometrial cancer, 36 pts with MMMT and RUS histopathology. Among them, 8 pts underwent TAM between 4 and 10 years due to a previous diagnosis of BC; all pts were post-menopausal with regular gynecological surveillance; 6 pts (75%) with abnormal uterine bleeding. The diagnosis of 6 pts (MMMT) and 2 pts (RUS) occurred at median interval of 8 years (range 4–12) after initial BC treatment. Pts underwent surgical treatment and were staged as stage I (3pts), IIIA (3pts) and IIIC (2 pts) (FIGO 1988); followed by whole pelvis irradiation (50 Gy) and intracavitary HDR brachytherapy boost (24 Gy). Two pts underwent chemotherapy (CT). Overall and disease free survival was calculated by Kaplan Meier method. Results: With a median follow-up of 47 months (range 17–130), 3 pts remain alive recurrencefree of BC and RUS. Four pts died with distant metastasis within the first follow-up year, without BC. One pt died from non-related cancer cause. No evidence of local recurrence was found in the whole group of pts. At two years, DFS and OS were 40% and 80%, respectively. Conclusion: As reported in the literature, TAM administration and causal effect on MMMT and RUS in BC pts is still unknown. No reports about outcome from these specific pts were found.