Browsing by Author "Silva, M."
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- Low Golimumab trough levels at week 6 are associated with poor clinical, endoscopic and histological outcomes in ulcerative colitis patients: pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic sub-analysis of the evolution studyPublication . Magro, F.; Lopes, S.; Silva, M.; Coelho, R.; Portela, F.; Branquinho, D.; Correia, L.; Fernandes, S.; Cravo, M.; Caldeira, Paulo; Sousa, Helena Tavares; Patita, M.; Lago, P.; Ramos, J.; Afonso, J.; Redondo, I.; Machado, P.; Cornillie, F.; Lopes, J.; Carneiro, F.Background and Aims: Golimumab has an established exposure-response relationship in patients with ulcerative colitis [UC]. However, the association of serum golimumab trough levels [TL] with objective markers of disease activity, such as endoscopic and histological activity scores and concentrations of biomarkers, remains less understood. This report describes the relationship of serum golimumab TL at the end of the induction period [Week 6] with clinical, endoscopic, histological, and biomarker parameters. Methods: This was an open-label, uncontrolled, prospective and interventional study. Moderate to severely active UC patients naive to biologic therapy were treated with golimumab. Serum golimumab TL and faecal calprotectin levels were measured at baseline [Week 0 of induction] and Week 6. Results: A total of 34 patients completed the induction phase [Week 6] and were included in this analysis. Overall, 47.1% and 14.7% of patients achieved clinical response and remission with significantly higher serum golimumab TL in patients with early response or remission [3.7 mu g/mL vs 1.3 mu g/mL, p = 0.0013; and 3.1 mu g/mL vs 1.7 mu g/mL, p = 0.0164, respectively]. In addition, golimumab TL were significantly higher in patients achieving histological remission [4.2 mu g/mL vs 1.7 mu g/mL, p = 0.0049]. Week 6 golimumab TL were inversely correlated with the total Mayo score [rs = -0.546; p = 0.0008], the Mayo endoscopic subscore [rs = -0.381; p = 0.0262], the Geboes histological activity score [rs = -0.464; p = 0.0057], and faecal calprotectin levels [rs = -0.497; p = 0.0044]. Conclusions: A higher early exposure to golimumab is associated with a better objective response in active UC patients and appears to drive the outcome at Week 6.
- A methodology for defining homogeneous water bodies in estuaries e application to the transitional systems of the EU Water Framework DirectivePublication . Ferreira, J.; Nobre, A.; Simas, T.; Silva, M.; Newton, Alice; Bricker, S.; Wolff, W.; Stacey, A.; Sequeira, A.A methodology is developed and tested for division of estuarine and coastal systems into water bodies for monitoring and management purposes. This division is often implicit in the choice of sampling stations and in pollution abatement measures applied to different locations e it is now an explicit requirement of European Union Directive 2000/60/EC (Water Framework Directive) and recommended by United States Agencies such as EPA and NOAA. The approach considers both natural characteristics and the human dimension, by means of a stepwise methodology, which considers, on the one hand, morphology and salinity distribution, and, on the other, appropriate indicators of pressure and state. In the present application, nitrogen and phosphorus loading was used as the pressure component and chlorophyll a and dissolved oxygen as indicators of state. The criteria for system division were defined based on (1) an adimensional shape factor and salinity classes for the natural component; and (2) a normalised pressure index and (ASSETS) eutrophication symptom classes for the human dimension. Water quality databases and GIS were used to develop spatial distributions for the various components, and the results were aggregated into a final water body division, using tidal excursion as a ‘‘common sense’’ test. The methodology was applied to three well-studied systems in Portugal, a tubular estuary (Mondego), a wide lagunal estuary (Sado) and a coastal barrier island system (Ria Formosa). Although a final definition of water bodies will usually be a policy decision, this type of approach for the division of coastal systems into management units scientifically informs the decision-making process.
- Use of different intertidal habitats by faunal communities in a temperate coastal lagoonPublication . Almeida, C.; Coelho, R.; Silva, M.; Bentes, L.; Monteiro, P.; Ribeiro, J.; Erzini, Karim; Gonçalves, J. M. S.The faunal communities of four intertidal habitats namely sand, mud, seagrass (Zostera noltii) and seagrass patches (mixSM) of a temperate coastal lagoon, Ria Formosa (southern Portugal), were sampled. A total of 47 species were taken in 428 bottomless drop sampler samples, with the highest number of species and the more commonly occurring species belonging to the Mollusca phylum. The dominance of these gastropod species underlines the importance of the grazing food chain in these habitats. Bittium reticulatum was the most abundant species, being especially abundant in the seagrass habitat. The most frequent and highest biomass species in the community was Carcinus maenas, a predator that makes use of the available resources and that is adapted to the highly variable intertidal environment. Pomatoschistus microps was the most abundant fish species, with highest densities in the mud habitat, which demonstrates an ability to occupy a low depth area. The seagrass; habitat had the highest diversity, abundance and biomass, followed by the mixSM habitat and was different from all the others. Assemblages were highly influenced by the presence of vegetation, providing forage and refuge from predation. A well defined summer group was identified in all habitats. These results highlight the importance of seagrass beds and the idea that their decrease implies the decrease of lagoon production through the impoverishment of the trophic structure of the lagoon. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.