Sérgio da Cunha

Serum sample levels of selenium and copper in healthy volunteers living in Rio de Janeiro city.

The objective of this study was to analyze the serum sample levels of selenium and copper in healthy volunteers living in the city Rio de Janeiro. Thirty individuals were submitted for nutritional assessment, electrocardiogram, echocardiogram, and serum selenium and copper analysis through hydride generation and flame atomic absorption spectrometry, respectively. The accuracy and precision of these methods were evaluated using certified reference materials. None of the studied individuals was undernourished; 53% were overweight and 13.3% were slightly obese. The mean serum selenium level was 73.18+/-9.9 microg/l (56.50-94.50 microg/l). Among women it was 76.28+/-8.7 microg/l and in men 72.23+/-10.24 microg/l (P=0.35). Among non-white individuals the mean was 73.12+/-12.57 microg/l and in the white individuals it was 73.20+/-9.11 microg/l (P=0.98). The mean serum level of copper was 1.09+/-0.39 mg/l (0.56-1.80 mg/l). The mean found in women was 0.99+/-0.22 mg/l and in the men 1.13+/-0.43 mg/l (P=0.42). In non-white individuals it was 1.36+/-0.48 mg/l and in white individuals was 1.00+/-0.31 mg/l (P=0.02). The authors concluded that selenium and copper serum levels observed in this study were similar to those found in other cities.

Thiamin, selenium, and copper levels in patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy taking diuretics

OBJECTIVE To analyze the association of thiamin, selenium, and copper serum levels with cardiac function in patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy using diuretics, and also to compare them with levels in control patients with no evidence of disease. METHODS The study comprised 30 patients with heart disease and 30 healthy control individuals. Thiamin was analyzed by measuring the activity of erythrocytic transketolase and the effect of thiamin pyrophosphate. Selenium and copper serum levels were measured by hydride generation and flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry, respectively. RESULTS Thiamin deficiency was observed in 10% of the control individuals and in 33% of the patients with heart disease (p=0.02). The mean selenium and copper serum levels in control individuals and patients with heart disease were, respectively, 73.2+/-9.9 microg/L (56.5 to 94.5 microg/L) and 72.3+/-14.3 microg/L (35.5 to 94 microg/L) (p=0.77); 1.1+/-0.4 mg/L (0.6 to 1.8 mg/L) and 1.2+/- 0.4 mg/L (0.6 to 2.2 mg/L) (p=0.27). No association between the levels of these nutrients and cardiac function was observed. CONCLUSION Thiamin deficiency was significantly more frequent in patients with heart disease. No significant difference was observed between the mean selenium and copper serum levels in control individuals and in patients with heart disease. The results suggest possible benefits with thiamin replacement in patients taking diuretics.

Involvement of methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus related to sequence type 25 and harboring pvl genes in a case of carotid cavernous fistula after community-associated sepsis.

ABSTRACT Staphylococcus aureus encoding Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) genes has become the cause of life-threatening infections. We describe a case of carotid cavernous fistula after bacteremia in a 12-year-old male, caused by a methicillin-susceptible S. aureus isolate carrying the pvl, fnbA, and ebpS genes and related to sequence type 25 (ST25). The patients condition was complicated by pleural empyema and osteomyelitis in the right femur. The patient was discharged in good clinical condition after 160 days of hospitalization.