F. Ventura - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by F. Ventura

Journal of Forensic Sciences, 2010

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a severe lung disease characterized by inflammation... more Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a severe lung disease characterized by inflammation of the lung parenchyma leading to impaired gas exchange. This condition is often lethal, usually requiring mechanical ventilation and admission to an intensive care unit. We present two fatal cases of hidden pneumonia in young people and discuss the pathophysiological mechanism of ARDS with reference to the histological pattern. A complete forensic approach by means of autopsy and histological, immunohistochemical, and microbiological, examination was carried out. In both cases the cause of death was cardio-respiratory failure following an acute bilateral pneumonia with diffuse alveolar damage and ARDS associated with sepsis and disseminated intravascular coagulation. Our cases suggest on one side the importance of an early diagnosis to avoid unexpected death while on the other that the diagnosis of ARDS has to be confirmed on the basis of a careful postmortem examination and a complete microscopy and microbiological study.

Clinical and Experimental Immunology, 2007

Summary Chronic HIV infection is associated with T cell abnormalities and altered effector functi... more Summary Chronic HIV infection is associated with T cell abnormalities and altered effector function. Regulatory T cells (Treg) are CD4+ T cells that play a critical role in regulating the immune system. The impact of regulatory T cells on HIV infection and disease progression may be highly significant. We hypothesize that chronic antigenic stimulation from a persistent, high viraemic state may promote a population of Treg that contributes to HIV-associated immune dysfunction. We evaluated the pattern of Treg in chronically infected, HIV-positive individuals over a course of 6 months. Treg are depleted at a distinct rate from that of absolute CD4 cells and loss of Treg is slower in the presence of viral suppression. In vitro depletion of CD25+ CD4+ cells resulted in increased Gag-specific CD4 and CD8 responses. A significant correlation between ex vivo measurement of Treg and Gag-specific CD4 T cell responses was observed (r = −0·41, P = 0·018) with a trend observed with Gag-specific...

Malaria, syphilis and Hepatitis B during pregnancy are detrimental to the life of the pregnant wo... more Malaria, syphilis and Hepatitis B during pregnancy are detrimental to the life of the pregnant women and the foetus. In this study, we documented the prevalence of the three diseases among pregnant women attending a selected Comprehensive Health Care center in Osogbo, Nigeria using serological kits. Of the 200 participants consented to participate in the study, 26 (13%) were positive for malaria while 6 (3%) were positive for Hapatitis B Virus (HBV). The co-infection of malaria and HBV was found only in two participants (1%) while none of the participants was positive for syphilis. There was no significant difference in the prevalence of malaria and Hepatitis B in relation to age (p > 0.05). All the participants had good knowledge that mosquitoes transmit malaria but only 29 (14.5%) claimed to be sleeping under insecticide treated bed-net. About 169 (84.5%) relied solely on insecticide spray of the room and 2 (1%) did not practice any mosquito control measures. The results may suggest the low prevalence of malaria, Hepatitis B virus and syphilis at the study area. However, early surveillance and adequate public health education will be immeasurable in safe-guiding the pregnant women from the detrimental effects of these infections.

Revista Portuguesa de Pneumologia, 2013

Vírus da imunodeficiência humana; Pneumonia por Pneumocystis jirovecii; Infeções oportunistas Res... more Vírus da imunodeficiência humana; Pneumonia por Pneumocystis jirovecii; Infeções oportunistas Resumo Como é sabido, nos doentes com infeção por vírus da imunodeficiência humana (VIH) existe um alto risco de ocorrência de infeções oportunistas (IO), tais como as infeções por Pneumocystis jirovecii, um agente patogénico com distribuição mundial, que provoca pneumonia intersticial (PPc). Apresentamos um caso de um doente recém-diagnosticado com infeção por VIH-1 e múltiplas IO pulmonares, incluindo uma forma persistente de PPc, aspergilose invasiva (AI), e infeções por citomegalovírus e por Mycobacterium xenopi. Descrevemos a combinação de fatores cruciais para a recuperação do doente, que incluíram a obtenção de dados laboratoriais, intervenção cirúrgica e múltipla terapêutica antimicrobiana.

International Journal of Infectious Diseases, 2012

Results: The results revealed that majority of natural users (50%) had positive clinical signs, b... more Results: The results revealed that majority of natural users (50%) had positive clinical signs, but in hormonal users (65%) hadn't any clinical symptoms. There was statistically significant differences between clinical signs and contraception methods (P = 0/00). The prevalence of Candidiasis was determined 7.5% in contraceptives users. But in natural methods prevalence of Candidiasis was determined (2.5%). Conclusion: Yeasts are found in the vagina of healthy women and can overgrow if the environment in the vagina changes. Candidiasis was the most common genital infection. Women using contraception methods require a regular follow-up, clinical examination and counseling.

Medical Mycology, 2010

patient who presented in our clinic with cachexia, oropharyngeal thrush, two fi stulas of the pal... more patient who presented in our clinic with cachexia, oropharyngeal thrush, two fi stulas of the palate, and generalized facial swelling. We also describe the diffi culties that we encountered in generating a conclusive diagnosis of his condition. Case report The patient was a 29-year-old male who was born in and lived in Guinea-Bissau. He had a history of facial swelling, dysphonia, and nasal congestion that began in August 2004. He was a carpenter, had no previous pathological history or drug use, and lived with his wife and son. He denied that there was any physical trauma to his face or nose. At the onset of this clinical picture, he had been treated in his homeland with several courses of dexamethasone and furosemide, which resulted in partial improvement of the symptoms. In February 2006, he eventually exhibited intermittent fever and productive cough with purulent sputum

Clinical and Experimental Immunology, 1997

Lymphocyte proliferation and cytokine responses induced by a panel of mycobacterial antigens were... more Lymphocyte proliferation and cytokine responses induced by a panel of mycobacterial antigens were compared in Portuguese donors with pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) with or without HIV co-infection, HIV þ patients and healthy Mantoux-positive controls. Control donors showed stronger proliferative responses than any of the patient groups, with secreted antigens (Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) 30 kD and short-term culture filtrate proteins (ST-CFP)), purified protein derivative (PPD) and Mtb H37Rv Sonicate (MtbS) inducing the strongest proliferation. Patients with pulmonary TB showed lower proliferation to PPD or to the 30-kD antigen. Responses to all the antigens (PPD, ST-CFP, MtbS, 70 kD, 65 kD, 38 kD, 30 kD and 10 kD) were higher in TB/HIV patients with CD4 counts у 200 CD4 þ T cells/ mm 3 compared with HIV alone (CD4 у 200 T cells/mm 3), but were lost in both TB/HIV and HIV patients when CD4 counts fell below 200 T cells/mm 3. Measurements of interferon-gamma (IFN-g) in culture supernatants revealed that PPD, 30 kD, MtbS and ST-CFP induced the strongest Th1 response. Analysis of mRNA for IFN-g, IL-4 and IL-10 confirmed that IFN-g production was maintained in patients with pulmonary TB without any concomitant increase in IL-4 or IL-10 mRNA expression, although expression of IL-10 mRNA was increased if HIV infection was present. These results reveal that IFN-g production is retained in pulmonary TB patients to a broad range of mycobacterial antigens, and that no switch to IL-4 production is seen even with HIV infection. Secreted antigens, and in particular ST-CFP, were the best inducers of IFN-g secretion, confirming their role in protective responses to Mtb.