Percorrer por autor "Silva, Ana Rita"
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- Aspergillus fumigatus - úlcera cutânea e osteomielite crónica em doente imunocompetentePublication . Tavares, Raquel; Silva, Ana Rita; Oliveira, Isménia; Calha, Jaime; Pereira, Patrícia; Galvão, Isabel; Sabino, Raquel; Veríssimo, Cristina; Rodrigues, PauloOs casos de osteomielite por Aspergillus são pouco frequentes e quando ocorrem, podem dever-se a contiguidade, disseminação hematogénea, traumatismo ou procedimentos cirúrgicos Os autores reportam um caso de ulceração cutânea extensa com dois anos de evolução e consequente atingimento ósseo, secundária a A. fumigatus, de difícil diagnóstico e tratamento, num homem imunocompetente, natural de São Tomé e Príncipe, previamente saudável (à excepção de hepatite B crónica), sem história de traumatismo grave ou intervenção cirúrgica. A identificação do agente foi efetuada por detecção molecular de DNA fúngico na biópsia óssea.
- Community-Based Pilot Study of Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae Urogenital Infections Among Young Adults in the North and the Central Coast of PortugalPublication . Rodrigues, Rafaela; Loureiro, Sónia; João, Inês; Jordão, Inês; Borrego, Maria José; Catalão, Carlos; Silva, Ana Rita; Sousa, Carlos; Vale, NunoBackground and Objectives: Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) are among the most common sexually transmitted infections (STIs), with the highest incidence in individuals aged up to 25 years. However, data from Portugal remain scarce. This cross-sectional pilot study aimed to assess the prevalence of urogenital CT and NG infections in young adults in Portugal and to identify the major CT genotypes circulating in this population. Materials and Methods: A total of 152 young adults aged 18-25 years were recruited over a six-month period from universities, a sports club, and a coworking space. Urine samples were tested using the Cobas 4800 CT/NG assay (Roche, Rotkreuz, Switzerland). CT-positive samples were further genotyped based on ompA gene diversity to identify major urogenital genotypes (D to K). All participants provided informed consent and completed a questionnaire on demographic characteristics and risk behaviors. Results: Of the 152 urine samples analyzed, five tested positive for CT, one for NG, and one sample showed co-infection with both pathogens. None of the participants with positive results reported symptoms. Genotyping of CT-positive samples identified ompA genotype E in three cases. Conclusions: Despite limitations such as small sample size and convenience sampling, this pilot study offers preliminary insights into the prevalence and genetic diversity of CT and NG infections among young adults in Portugal. The findings highlight the need for expanded screening programs, site-specific sample collection, and culture-based diagnostics to support evidence-based public health strategies targeting these infections.
- ENTOSAFE - Edible insects: From a sustainable food production to a food safety concern.Publication . Cardoso, Diogo; Mostafaie, Amid; Silva, Ana Rita; Motta, Carla; Murta, Daniel; Pinto, Glória; Coelho, Inês; Prodana, Marija; Silva, Patricia; Alvito, Paula; Calisto, Vania; Loureiro, SusanaThe use of insects as a food and feed source is nowadays considered a solution for the increasing food demands in the following years. With that in mind, the recently funded project “ENTOSAFE - Edible insects: From a sustainable food production to a food safety concern” aims to integrate the food safety and the environmental sustainability aspects of edible insect farming. ENTOSAFE will take advantage of a symbiotic multidisciplinary team with members from industry (EntoGreen® - Ingredient Odyssey, Portugal) and academia (Univ. of Aveiro and National Health Institute Doutor Ricardo Jorge, Portugal). The project is committed to provide knowledge on the accumulation and transfer of potential contaminants (e.g., metals, mycotoxins, PAHs, pharmaceuticals) in insects farmed in rearing facilities, contributing directly with data sets to the new legislation and regulatory limits, concerning the presence of these compounds in the substrate. ENTOSAFE brings new approaches, focusing on full bioaccumulation studies through a complete uptake phase, assessing the contaminant into insects in different times during this phase. Considering the lack of information on insects’ elimination capacity to excrete contaminants from their body, an elimination phase will be studied in a non-contaminated substrate. ENTOSAFE is also promoting environmentally sustainable strategies while avoiding any wasted components from the process. The application of frass, as an organic fertilizer - produced by the digestion of the agricultural wastes or other residues by insects - on crops is presented as a promising solution to a zero-waste policy. Despite promising, the available information on the benefits that this by-product has on crop productivity is scarce. In this context, ENTOSAFE seeks evidence on the impact of this frass on agricultural soil’s main functions and the key processes behind. The project will evaluate the effects in soil quality and functions, soil-biota interactions in soils enriched with organic amendments and plant responses to stressors, by performing a series of experiments from laboratory to greenhouse scale. In summary, ENTOSAFE will contribute to an upscaling on the use of edible insects as feed and food, covering not only safety concerns but also promoting the sustainability of insect rearing processes.
- Obstructive Sleep Apnea: New insights into antioxidant activity and cellular response to stressPublication . Vaz, Fátima; Feliciano, Amélia; Silva, Ana Rita; Coelho, Cristina; Torres, Vukosava Millic; Bozanic, Vesna; Malhotra, Atul; Pinto, Paula; Bárbara, Cristina; Penque, DeborahObstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a sleep¬related breathing disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of apnea/and hypopnea during sleep with resultant intermittent hypoxia and sleep fragmentation, leading to cardiometabolic diseases. OSA affects 3.7% to 26% of adult population, but frequently is underdiagnosed. By 2DIGE-proteomics approach, we have investigated red blood cells (RBC) in OSA to uncover new insights into putative chronic stress-induced RBC dysfunction that lead to inflammation and metabolic syndrome associated with OSA. A number of proteins as potential candidate biomarkers for OSA, such as the cytosolic antioxidant regulators, catalase (CAT) and peroxiredoxin2 (PRX2) was identified, needing additional biochemical research validation.
- Proteómica da Apneia Obstrutiva do Sono para a descoberta de biomarcadoresPublication . Silva, Ana Rita; Penque, Deborah; Rebelo, Maria Teresa[PT] A síndrome da apneia obstrutiva do sono (SAOS) é um importante problema de saúde pública, não só por comprometer o estilo de vida e bem-estar do doente, mas também por ser um factor de risco para o desenvolvimento de doenças cardiovasculares, metabólicas e carcinogénicas. Apesar de grandes avanços nos métodos de diagnóstico e tratamento da SAOS, permanecem ainda por esclarecer os mecanismos moleculares que levam ao seu desenvolvimento e às patologias associadas. A avaliação do perfil proteómico do plasma sanguíneo que possa estar associado à SAOS, aos vários estadios da doença ou à resposta/eficácia do tratamento com pressão positiva contínua das vias aéreas (CPAP), foi o objectivo último deste estudo. As proteínas constituintes deste perfil, uma vez validadas, são potenciais biomarcadores de diagnóstico, prognóstico e/ou de monitorização terapêutica da SAOS. Numa primeira fase foi necessária a optimização da preparação de amostras de plasma e sua análise por electroforese bidimensional (2DE) em mini-géis, para futura identificação de proteínas diferencialmente expressas na doença/condição, por espectrometria de massa. Este objectivo do projecto foi concluído com sucesso, pois mostrou que a utilização de 2DE em minigeis é possível em análises futuras com uma boa relação custo-eficácia. Em paralelo, investigou-se se o estado redox-oligomérico da proteína peroxiredoxina 2 (Prx2) (um biomarcador de inflamação/stress oxidativo), encontrava-se alterado no plasma de doentes com SAOS e, se esta alteração, era parcialmente revertida após tratamento CPAP, tal como vem sendo observado nos eritrócitos destes doentes (dados preliminares do laboratório). A validação em plasma dos dados de proteómica obtidos em eritrócitos, poderá contribuir para uma melhor compreensão da relevância do papel da Prx2 na SAOS. Para isso, selecionaram-se amostras de plasma ‘noite’, recolhidas na noite anterior ao diagnóstico polissonográfico e ‘manhã’, recolhidas na manhã seguinte para cada indivíduo roncador (controlo) e doente SAOS (ligeira, moderada e grave). Para estes últimos, foram também recolhidas amostras matinais ‘CPAP’, após seis meses de tratamento. As amostras de plasma foram analisadas por 1DE SDS-PAGE reduzido e não-reduzido (com ou sem agente redutor), seguido de western blotting com anticorpo específico para a Prx2 ou PrxSO2/3 (formas hiperoxidadas da Prx2). Os resultados indicaram que as formas hiperoxidadas estavam aumentadas nos doentes 3 SAOS, mais significamente (p≤0,05) à noite, em relação aos indivíduos controlo. O tratamento CPAP pareceu reduzir esta hiperoxidação. Estes resultados corroboram os resultados obtidos nos eritrócitos destes doentes. No entanto, formas da Prx2, possivelmente com outras modificações pós-traducionais, que não a hiperoxidação, também mostraram uma tendência para um aumento matinal nos doentes SAOS. Esta tendência foi significativamente (p≤0.05) reduzida após tratamento. Estes resultados, embora preliminares, são interessantes dado que a presença desta proteína no meio extra celular ser reconhecida como uma sinalizadora de stress/inflamação. Em suma, os dados obtidos são motivadores para se prosseguir com a investigação no plasma, no desenvolvimento futuro de novas ferramentas de diagnóstico, prognóstico e/ou monitorização terapêutica da SAOS.
- Towards safer edible insects: assessing contaminant bioaccumulation and depuration capacity in Tenebrio molitorPublication . Cardoso, Diogo N.; Alvito, Paula; de Boevre, Marthe; Silva, Ana Rita; Pinto, José; Rodrigues, Ana; Prodana, Marija; Silva, Patricia; Mostafaie, Amid; Loureiro, SusanaThe integration of insects into sustainable food and feed chains demands a robust evaluation of their capacity to accumulate and eliminate contaminants. Understanding these dynamics is fundamental to ensuring consumer safety and supporting the development of regulatory standards for insect-derived products. This study assessed the bioaccumulation and depuration kinetics of metal(loid)s (As, Cd, Pb) and mycotoxins (Aflatoxin B1, Ochratoxin A, Deoxynivalenol, and Zearalenone) in the yellow mealworm Tenebrio molitor, a species already authorized for human consumption in the EU. Larvae were reared on feed substrates artificially spiked at the maximum levels allowed for animal feed under EU legislation. The experimental design included 21 days of exposure followed by a 21-day elimination phase on uncontaminated substrate, to evaluate both uptake and depuration efficiency under realistic production conditions. Distinct toxicokinetic patterns were observed among metals. Arsenic displayed the highest accumulation potential, reaching internal concentrations of approximately 7 mg/kg dry weight (DW) at the end of exposure, with a progressive but incomplete decline during depuration. Cadmium accumulated steadily to ~2.5 mg/kg DW, exceeding the current feed limit, but was rapidly eliminated below regulatory thresholds within one day of clean feeding. Lead, in contrast, showed low assimilation and rapid clearance, remaining consistently below EU maximum levels. Mycotoxins and their metabolites were not detected above quantification limits in any treatment, confirming the species’ limited bioaccumulation potential for these compounds. Overall, the results highlight Tenebrio molitor’s high depuration capacity and resilience to transient contaminant exposure. These findings highlight the need to apply toxicokinetic principles in insect risk assessment to define effective depuration periods and ensure safe, circular production systems.
- Tracking SARS-CoV-2 lineage B.1.1.7 dissemination: insights from nationwide spike gene target failure (SGTF) and spike gene late detection (SGTL) data, Portugal, week 49 2020 to week 3 2021Publication . Borges, Vítor; Sousa, Carlos; Menezes, Luís; Gonçalves, António Maia; Picão, Miguel; Almeida, José Pedro; Vieita, Margarida; Santos, Rafael; Silva, Ana Rita; Costa, Mariana; Carneiro, Luís; Casaca, Pedro; Pinto-Leite, Pedro; Peralta-Santos, André; Isidro, Joana; Duarte, Sílvia; Vieira, Luís; Guiomar, Raquel; Silva, Susana; Nunes, Baltazar; Gomes, João P.We show that the SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7 lineage is highly disseminated in Portugal, with the odds of B.1.1.7 proportion increasing at an estimated 89% (95% confidence interval: 83-95%) per week until week 3 2021. RT-PCR spike gene target late detection (SGTL) can constitute a useful surrogate to track B.1.1.7 spread, besides the spike gene target failure (SGTF) proxy. SGTL/SGTF samples were associated with statistically significant higher viral loads, but not with substantial shift in age distribution compared to non-SGTF/SGTL cases.