Repositório RCAAP

ABSTRACT Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality worldwide. The Brazilian Society of Hepatology (SBH) published in 2015 its first recommendations about the management of HCC. Since then, new data have emerged in the literature, prompting the governing board of SBH to sponsor a single-topic meeting in August 2018 in São Paulo. All the invited experts were asked to make a systematic review of the literature reviewing the management of HCC in subjects with cirrhosis. After the meeting, all panelists gathered together for the discussion of the topics and the elaboration of updated recommendations. The text was subsequently submitted for suggestions and approval of all members of the Brazilian Society of Hepatology through its homepage. The present manuscript is the final version of the reviewed manuscript containing the recommendations of SBH.

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Recently it was shown an association between lower urinary tract symptoms in mothers and their children. However, the role of functional constipation in this binomial is unclear. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate bladder and bowel dysfunction between mothers and children. METHODS: A population-based cross-sectional study. Mothers and their children responded a self-administrated questionnaire composed by Rome IV criteria, International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire - Overactive Bladder, Dysfunctional Voiding Scoring System and demographic questions. RESULTS: A total of 441 mother-child pairs was obtained. Children’s mean age was 9.1±2.7 years, with 249 (56.5%) female. Mothers’ mean age was 35.7±6.1 years. Isolated constipation was present at 35 (7.9%) children and 74 (16.8%) mothers. Isolated lower urinary tract symptoms were present in 139 (31.5%) children and 92 (20.9%) mothers and bladder bowel dysfunction occurred in 51 (11.6%) children and 78 (17.7%) mothers. There wasn’t any association between isolated lower urinary tract symptoms in children and isolated lower urinary tract symptoms in mothers (P=0.31). In univariate analysis there were an association between bladder bowel dysfunction in children and bladder bowel dysfunction in mothers (OR=4.8 IC 95% 2.6-9.6, P<0.001) and isolated constipation in children and isolated constipation in mothers (OR=3.0 IC 95% 1.4-6.4, P=0.003). In multivariate analysis mothers with bladder bowel dysfunction was the only independent factor associated with bladder bowel dysfunction in children (OR=5.4 IC 95% 2.5-11.6, P<0.001). CONCLUSION: Mothers with bladder bowel dysfunction are more likely to have a child with bladder bowel dysfunction. Association between these two dysfunctions plays an important role in this familiar presentation.

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer is the third most common type of cancer in the world and the increased survival of the colorectal cancer population is very significant. Thus, it becomes relevant to study the symptoms associated with the progression of the disease and treatment, for proper clinical management. OBJECTIVE: To describe the clinical and epidemiological profile of colorectal cancer patients and to identify the most prevalent signs and symptoms patterns. METHODS: Cross-sectional study evaluating the prevalence of symptoms in 348 colorectal cancer patients admitted to a referral oncology hospital. We applied MSAS-BR scale and, through factor analysis with principal componente analysys, we performed the grouping of symptoms. RESULTS: There was a predominance of men, aged 60 years or older, married, white, with high school, moderately differentiated tumor, stage III/IV disease, colon cancer and no distant metastasis. The most prevalent symptoms were weight loss (67.53%) and the least prevalent were mouth sores (2.01%). The groupings of symptoms established were “fatigue and psychic symptoms”, “gastrointestinal symptoms”, “self-perceptive symptoms” and “general symptoms”, which described 80% of the symptoms presented. CONCLUSION: We evidenced the importance of identifying these symptoms clusters in order to improve strategies for clinical management in patients with colorectal cancer.

ABSTRACT Pelvic floor rehabilitation aims to address perineal functional and anatomic alterations as well as thoraco-abdominal mechanic dysfunctions leading to procto-urologic diseases like constipation, fecal and urinary incontinence, and pelvic pain. They require a multidimensional approach, with a significant impact on patients quality of life. An exhaustive clinical and instrumental protocol to assess defecation disorders should include clinical and instrumental evaluation as well as several clinical/physiatric parameters. All these parameters must be considered in order to recognize and define any potential factor playing a role in the functional aspects of incontinence, constipation and pelvic pain. After such evaluation, having precisely identified any thoraco-abdomino-perineal anatomic and functional alterations, a pelvi-perineal rehabilitation program can be carried out to correct the abovementioned alterations and to obtain clinical improvement. The success of the rehabilitative process is linked to several factors such as a careful evaluation of the patient, aimed to select the most appropriate and specific targeted rehabilitative therapy, the therapist’s scrupulous hard work, especially as regards the patient’s emotional and psychic state, and finally the patient’s compliance in undertaking the therapy itself, especially at home. These factors may deeply influence the overall outcomes of the rehabilitative therapies, ranging from “real” success to illusion “myth”.

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: The high-resolution manometry has been a significant advance in esophageal diagnostics. There are different types of catheter and systems devices to capture esophageal pressures that generate variable data related to Chicago Classification (CC) and consequently influence normal values results. There are not normative data for the 24-channel water-perfused high-resolution manometry system most used in Brazil with healthy volunteers in supine posture. OBJECTIVE: To determine manometric esophageal normative values for a 24-channel water-perfused high-resolution manometry catheter in supine posture using healthy volunteers according to CC 3.0 parameters. METHODS: A total of 92 volunteers with no gastrointestinal symptoms or medications affecting GI motility underwent esophageal high-resolution manometry by standard protocol. Age, gender and manometry parameters analyzed using Alacer software were collected. The median, range, and 5th and 95th percentiles (where applicable) were obtained for all high-resolution manometry metrics. Normal value percentiles were defined as 95th integrated relaxation pressure, 5th-100th distal contractile integral, and 5th distal latency. RESULTS: The mean age was 40.5±13.2 years. Our normative metrics were integrated relaxation pressure <16 mmHg and distal contractile integral (708-4111 mmHg.cm.s) distal latency was <6 s and peristaltic break size (>4 cm). For EGJ-CI the range 5th-95th was 21.7-86.9 mmHg.cm.s. CONCLUSION: This is the first report of normative data for the 24-channel water-perfused system in supine posture. It revealed higher integrated relaxation pressure and distal latency duration which suggest the need to change CC 3.0 cutoffs for this system. It is observed that there is a tendency that DCI >7000 mmHg.cm.s may represent the lower limit of hypercontractility, and when <700 mmHg.cm.s (<5% percentile) interpreted as ineffective esophageal motility or failcontraction. Also compared to Chicago 3.0, higher integrated relaxation pressure and duration of distal latency were found. We emphasize that these data must be confirmed by future studies.

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Irritable bowel syndrome is a functional and chronic gastrointestinal disorder that may cause abdominal pain and altered bowel habits, affecting the nutritional status and quality of life of its carriers. Its prevalence is high, affecting about 10% to 15% of the general population in developed countries, being more prevalent in women than in men in the proportion 2:1. OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study was to compare the profile of body adiposity, life habits, and the quality of life of women with irritable bowel syndrome with a healthy control group. METHODS: Case-control study on 70 women, 34 with irritable bowel syndrome and 36 healthy. We applied the “Irritable Bowel Syndrome Quality of Life Questionnaire”to assess quality of life. Body adiposity was assessed from body mass index, waist circumference, and waist-to-hip ratio. We investigated the self-reporting of gastrointestinal symptoms with food deemed as problematic for carriers of irritable bowel syndrome and the presence of typical comorbidities. Assessment of life habits included: practice of physical activities, alcoholism, smoking, daytime sleepiness, and exclusion of foods from the feeding routine. For statistical analysis we used the IBM SPSS program, with a significance level at 5%. RESULTS: There was higher volume of central and general adiposity in the case group compared with the control group (P<0.05). Cases presented a higher chance of developing IBS-related comorbidities (P<0.05). About of 80% of patients with irritable bowel syndrome have excluded some food from the diet (P<0.01) and the total amount of troublesome foods varied from 7 to 21 (P<0.01). The case group featured worse quality of life compared with the control (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Compared to the control group, women with irritable bowel syndrome showed greater body adiposity, higher frequency of comorbidities, greater restriction on the consumption of problematic foods and worse quality of life.

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Intestinal cancer often occurs in type 2 diabetic patients. The concept of increasing insulin levels and insulin-like growth factor in the blood with type 2 diabetes are stimulated with the growth and depletion of cloned cell walls, and the continuation of this process leads to the cellular deformation. This is the evidence for intestinal cancer in type 2 diabetes in population. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we aimed to find out the relationship between diabetics and intestinal cancer based on CD38 gene mutation. METHODS: Samples were collected from 200 population including normal and case ones. PCR products related to rs 6449181 of CD38 gene was amplified with ARMS-PCR technique, and a 420-bp sharp banding was observed as well. According three ARMS-PCR techniques, three primers were designed by oligo7 software. Primers include F1, F2 and R (amplifying for normal, mutant and reverse primer respectively). RESULTS: This band was observed using a primer F1 that carries the wild type nucleotide using a primer, and when it is used with the F2 primer, it brings the mutant primer to populations of patients with diabetes and diabetes-cancer. In addition, the clinical results including body mass index, blood glucose and insulin level were analyzed. The means ±SD and Tuckey’s post hoc test were significant between the clinical characterization parameters between cases and healthy populations. The allelic gene frequencies and Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium between nucleotides were evaluated, and the significant level between the alleles and gene frequencies was observed. CONCLUSION: In general, the current study found that there is a relationship between diabetes and intestinal cancer among the studied populations.

ABSTRACT Fat infiltration in the pancreas is called pancreatic steatosis and it has several synonyms such as pancreatic lipomatosis, non-alcoholic fatty pancreatic disease, lipomatous pseudohypertrophy, fatty replacement, fatty pancreas and fatty infiltration. Pancreatic steatosis describes a disease ranging from infiltration of fat in the pancreas to pancreatic inflammation, and development of pancreatic fibrosis. There are multiple aetiologies of this condition, such as metabolic syndrome, alcohol intake, viral infections, toxins, congenital syndromes, etc. Pancreatic steatosis is usually diagnosed by trans-abdominal ultrasound, computed tomography scan and magnetic resonance imaging. Fatty infiltration in pancreas may lead to pancreatitis, diabetes mellitus and may be a predisposing cause of pancreatic cancer. Now a day, pancreatic steatosis is a common incidental finding during abdominal ultrasonography for other reasons and is a new challenge in Gastroenterology. But there is no guideline for pancreatic steatosis till now. In this review article, we are trying to give an overall idea (aetiologies, diagnosis, management, clinical significances) on pancreatic steatosis.

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Molar incisor hypomineralization (MIH) is a developmental enamel defect with multifactorial etiology. Although the relationship between celiac disease (CD) and developmental enamel defect was demonstrated, the association between CD and MIH is uncertain. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to analyze the occurrence of MIH in CD patients. METHODS: Forty CD patients and a control group with 40 healthy individuals were selected. A calibrated examiner (k≥0.889) according to the European Academy of Pediatric Dentistry criteria performed the diagnosis of MIH. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics and Fischer’s exact test (α=0.05). RESULTS: Of the 80 participants, ten presented MIH with eight individuals with CD. Celiac patients presented 4.75 times the chance of occurrence of MIH than the control group (95% CI: 2.22-10.18; P=0.044). In all the evaluated teeth (n=978), 22 had MIH: 20 teeth in individuals with CD and two in those without the disease. All CD participants with MIH presented the classic form of the disease. CD participants showed 17 teeth (85.0%) with demarcated opacities, two (10.0%) post-eruptive collapses and one (5.0%) atypical restoration. The control group presented only demarcated opacities. CONCLUSION: CD increased the chance of MIH and associated with its clinical manifestations can assist in the diagnosis of CD.

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Portal hypertension is one of the complications of cirrhosis and is associated with numerous systemic manifestations, including renal, brain, pulmonary, cardiac and vascular changes. In routine ophthalmological examinations performed at our service, we observed that some children diagnosed with portal hypertension had increased retinal vascular tortuosity. OBJECTIVE: 1. To evaluate the presence of retinal vascular abnormalities (vascular tortuosity) in children diagnosed with portal hypertension; 2. To investigate the association between retinal vascular tortuosity and the presence of gastroesophageal varices in these children; 3. To evaluate the use of clinical and laboratory parameters to predict the presence of gastroesophageal varices in children with portal hypertension. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional and observational study that included patients aged <18 years with a diagnosis of portal hypertension. The participants included were submitted to dilated fundus examination and fundus photography with Visucam (Carl Zeiss Meditec AG) device. Besides, clinical and laboratorial data were collected from the patients’ medical records. RESULTS: A total of 72 patients were included in this study, and 36% of them had an increase in retinal vascular tortuosity. Platelet count (P=0.001), bilirubin dosage (P=0.013) and aspartate transaminase dosage (AST) (P=0.042) were associated with the presence of gastroesophageal varices in digestive endoscopy. There was no association between retinal vascular tortuosity and the presence of gastroesophageal varices (P=0.498). CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that platelet count, bilirubin dosage, and aspartate transaminase dosage were associated with the presence of gastroesophageal varices in digestive endoscopy. Regarding the retinal findings, we found that there was an increase in retinal vascular tortuosity in 36% of pediatric patients, but no association was found with the presence of gastroesophageal varices.

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Adequate fiber intake is associated with digestive health and reduced risk of several noncommunicable diseases and is recognized as essential for human health (World Health Organization, 2003). The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a daily fiber consumption of ≥25 g, but previous studies observed a fiber intake in Brazil lower than recommended. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to describe fiber intake among adults in Brazil and also respondents’ knowledge and perceptions about their fiber intake. METHODS: National online survey with community-dwelling Brazilian individuals. The survey was conducted during September 2018, using an online platform with closed-ended questions. A representative sample of Brazilian internet users stratified by sex, age, socioeconomic status and geographic region was adopted. Sample size was calculated using a 2% error margin and 95% confidence interval (n=2,000). Data was descriptively analyzed using measures of frequency, central tendency and dispersion. RESULTS: Sample included 2,000 individuals who were well-balanced in terms of sex (51.2% female), with mean age of 35.9 years (most represented age group was 35-54 years, 39.6%) and from all country geographic regions (49.4% from Southeast). A total of 69.7% of them consider their usual diet as healthy and 78.4% reported consuming fibers regularly. Fibers from natural sources are consumed at least once a day by 69.5% of the sample, while daily fiber supplements were reported by 29.9%. Absence of regular fiber intake was reported by 21.7% of respondents and the most common reason was “lack of knowledge about fiber sources” (39.3%). When informed about the food sources of each type of fiber (soluble and insoluble) and asked about the regular intake, only 2.5% answered that they do not consume any of them regularly (as opposed to 21.7% before receiving information about specific fiber sources). CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that fiber intake in Brazil is probably insufficient with a high proportion of individuals reporting irregular or absent ingestion of fiber sources in their daily lives. Lack of knowledge about fiber sources and fiber types seems to play a role in this inadequate intake, highlighting the need for nutritional education to achieve healthy dietary patterns in the country.

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Gastroesophageal reflux disease is associated with slower transit of the bolus through the pharynx and upper esophageal sphincter. Functional heartburn has similar symptoms to gastroesophageal reflux disease, however, the symptoms are not caused by reflux. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this investigation was to evaluate oral and pharyngeal transit in patients with functional heartburn, with the hypothesis that, similar to patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease, they have changes in pharyngeal and upper esophageal sphincter transit time. METHODS: Oral and pharyngeal transit was evaluated by videofluoroscopy in eight women with functional heartburn, five with mild dysphagia for solid foods, and 12 female controls. Controls and patients swallowed in duplicate 5 mL and 10 mL of liquid and paste boluses. RESULTS: No difference in the oral or pharyngeal transit time was found between patients and controls. No aspiration of bolus into the airways was detected in any individual. Pharyngeal residues were detected in the same proportion of swallows, in patients (12.5%) and controls (15.0%), after swallows of 10 mL paste bolus. CONCLUSION: Oral, pharyngeal and upper esophageal sphincter transit time are similar in patients with functional heartburn to healthy controls.

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: It has been proposed that the combination of gastrin-17 (G-17), pepsinogens I and II (PGI and PGII), and anti-Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) antibodies (GastroPanel®, BIOHIT HealthCare, Helsinki, Finland) could serve as biomarkers of atrophic gastritis. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to ensure the diagnostic accuracy of GastroPanel® and evaluate the effect of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) on these biomarkers. METHODS: Dyspeptic patients who underwent gastrointestinal endoscopy were enrolled in the present study. Histological findings, which were the gold standard to stratify groups, were as follows: no atrophy (controls); antrum atrophy; corpus atrophy; multifocal atrophy; and neoplasia. G-17, PGI, PGII, and anti-H. pylori immunoglobulin (Ig)G antibodies were assayed using commercially available kits. The ratio of PGI/PGII was calculated. RESULTS: Among 308 patients, 159 (51.6%) were PPI users. The overall prevalence of atrophy was 43.8% (n=135). Ninety-two (29.9%) patients were H. pylori positive according to anti-H. pylori IgG levels. G-17 levels were not low in those with antrum atrophy but were high in those with corpus and multifocal atrophies. PGI levels were significantly lower in those with corpus and multifocal atrophies. The sensitivity of PGI <30 µg/L to detect corpus atrophy was 50% (95% CI 27.8-72.1%), with a specificity of 93.2% (95% CI 84.3-97.5%), a positive likelihood ratio of 7.4 (95% CI 2.9-19.2), and a negative likelihood ratio of 0.5 (95% CI 0.3-0.8). A small number of subjects (n=6) exhibited moderate to intense atrophy (4%), among whom 66.7% exhibited decreased PGI levels. PPI significantly increased the levels of G-17 and PGI, except in those with corpus and multifocal atrophies, in whom PGI levels were not increased by PPIs. CONCLUSION: GastroPanel® (Gastrin-17, PGI, and PGI/PGII ratio) did not demonstrate high sensitivity for detecting gastric atrophy.

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Intestinal constipation (IC) in patients with the digestive form of Chagas disease is one of the main reasons for seeking medical care. Population data indicate that the practice of physical activity improves gastrointestinal motility. OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the bowel frequency and symptoms of constipation and their relationship with the level of physical activity in patients with and without Chagas disease. METHODS: Patients (n=120) of both genres, aged between 35 and 84 years, in which 50% (n=60) were in the Chagas group and 50% (n=60) were in the control group, were evaluated regarding the level of IC using the Constipation Assessment Scale (CAS) and regarding the level of physical activity using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). RESULTS - Patients in the Chagas group classified as active (IPAQ 2) had higher proportion (P=0.0235) of moderate IC with severe abdominal distension (P=0.0159) and decreased evacuation frequency (P=0.0281) than the patients in the control group, considered to be very active (IPAQ 1). The sedentary lifestyle was greater (P=0.0051) in the Chagas group with duration, intensity and frequency of physical activity lower than the control group. The health perception in the Chagas group was regular for 46.7% (P=0.0035) and poor for 8.3% (P=0.0244). CONCLUSION: There is a lower risk of developing intestinal constipation in more active individuals, evidencing that the level of physical activity interferes with bowel frequency and symptoms of constipation in patients with and without Chagas disease. The level of physical activity and health perception were worse in the Chagas group, reinforcing the disease stigma, which should be modified by the training of health professionals who routinely attend these patients.

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Poor appetite is common through the aging process and increases the risk of weight loss, protein-energy malnutrition, immunossupression, sarcopenia and frailty. The Simplified Nutritional Appetite Questionnaire (SNAQ) has the aim to monitor appetite and identify older adults at risk of weight loss. OBJECTIVE: To describe the process of translation and cultural adaptation to Brazilian Portuguese of the SNAQ. METHODS: The translation and cultural adaptation was developed in five steps: translation (by three of the authors of the manuscript and assembled by consensus), backtranslation (by an English native speaker), semantic evaluation (by one verontologist and one nutritionist), comprehension of content (by nutrition specialists and by a group of older persons), pre-test and the SNAQ final version development. RESULTS: The SNAQ Portuguese version maintained the original version meaning and referral. To achieve this feature, the process required some modifications to improve the understanding of older persons, such as inclusion of other options to the answers of some questions, rewritten of one question and inclusion of a meal definition. CONCLUSION: SNAQ questionnaire has been successfully translated and adapted to Portuguese. As our next step, we are validating this tool in different clinical settings in Brazil.

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer is a serious public health problem and one of the most common cancer worldwide. Countries around the world have shown different trends. While incidence and mortality rates for colorectal cancer are on an upward trend in developing countries, these rates have been on a downward trend in most developed countries. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the temporal trend of morbimortality by colorectal cancer in Brazil between 2002 and 2016. METHODS: Descriptive, time series research. Data were extracted from the national information systems for hospitalizations and deaths of the respective years. RESULTS: There were increasing trends in hospital morbidity and mortality from colorectal cancer in all regions of the country, with the very elderly individuals dying at a higher rate. Women (52.1%) were more affected than men, but death rates were higher for males aged 60 years or more. Regional disparities were evident, with almost 80% of deaths occurring in the South and Southeast, with the largest annual increase in the South and the lowest in the North. Regarding hospitalization, South and Southeast presented higher annual growths. CONCLUSION: These data add knowledge about the profile of public hospitalizations and deaths, reaffirming that colorectal cancer contributes to an important burden of disease and mortality in Brazil. These elements have implications for the review of colorectal cancer prevention and control strategies, as well as for public health investments.

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Intestinal constipation is characterized by problems related to evacuation, and presents high prevalence in the female gender. This condition has demonstrated negative effects on the development of daily activities, causing damage to the physical and emotional well-being of individuals who are diagnosed with it. Studies that investigate what health impairments intestinal constipation can cause are scarce in the literature. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to verify the prevalence and factors associated with intestinal constipation in premenopausal women living in Northeastern Brazil. METHODS: It is a cross-sectional study. This was carried out in the northeast of Brazil. Participated 195 women, adult and middle age. Social conditions, habits and lifestyle, clinical aspects and obstetric history were investigated. Constipation was diagnosed using the Rome III Criteria. Multivariate analysis was conducted using Poisson Regression with robust variance to analyze the relationship between intestinal constipation and independent variables. A statistical significance level of P<0.05 was considered. RESULTS: Most of the women were between 25 and 39 years old (49.2%) and had an income of up to one minimum wage (79.5%). The intestinal constipation prevalence was 35.4%. In the final multivariate regression model, hemorrhoid clinical aspects (P=0.01), pain (P=0.001) and a burning sensation (P=0.01) on bowel movement, and sexual dysfunction (P=0.03) remained associated with constipation. CONCLUSION: The present study found a significant prevalence of constipation among premenopausal women and clinical factors such as hemorrhoids, pain and a burning sensation, and sexual dysfunction were associated with intestinal constipation.

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Underwater endoscopic mucosal resection (UEMR) has emerged as a revolutionary method allowing resection of colorectal lesions without submucosal injection. Brazilian literature about this technique is sparse. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was evaluate the efficacy and safety of UEMR technique for removing non-pedunculated colorectal lesions in two Brazilian tertiary centers. METHODS: This prospective study was conducted between June 2016 and May 2017. Naïve and non-pedunculated lesions without signs of submucosal invasion were resected using UEMR technique. RESULTS: A total of 55 patients with 65 lesions were included. All lesions, except one, were successfully and completely removed by UEMR (success rate 98.5%). During UEMR, two cases of bleeding were observed (3.0%). One patient had abdominal pain on the day after resection without pneumoperitoneum. There was no perforation or delayed bleeding. CONCLUSION: This study supports the existing data indicating acceptable rates of technical success, and low incidence of adverse events with UEMR. The results of this Brazilian study were consistent with previous abroad studies.

Objetivou-se conhecer, na época normal de colheita, as quantidades de matéria seca acumuladas, as concentrações dos elementos essenciais às plantas, mais as de cobalto, alumínio e sódio na matéria fresca e seca de 50 cultivares de hortaliças num total de 35 espécies. As amostras, normalmente constituídas de produtos da colheita, foram na sua maioria procedentes da região de Campinas, Estado de São Paulo e separadas em: melancia - em casca + polpa branca, polpa vermelha e semente; melão - em casca + polpa e semente; ervilha - em vagem e grão; berinjela - em fruto e pedúnculo; couve-flor - em folha e inflorescência; beterraba, cenoura, nabo e rabanete - em folha e raiz; alcachofra - em folha + caule e inflorescência. Das demais hortaliças foram utilizados o fruto todo, as folhas ou os bulbos sem separação. Verificou-se que as leguminosas extraíram maiores quantidades de N, P, K, Mg, Cu, Mo, Zn e Co; as tuberosas, de Cl, Fe e Mn; as amarilidáceas, de S, B e Al; as folhosas, de Ca e Na. As cucurbitáceas extraíram menores quantidades da maioria dos nutrientes.

Conduziu-se em Jundiaí, SP, um experimento objetivando estudar o comportamento de quatro variedades de pessegueiro - talismã, ouro-mel, rei-da-conserva e campinas-1, enxertadas respectivamente sobre "seedlings" de 20, 8, 9 e 9 cultivares dessa espécie. Os porta-enxertos utilizados não exerceram influência na produtividade e nos hábitos vegetativos das plantas. Este resultado é considerado de grande importância sob o ponto de vista prático, ao proporcionar liberdade na escolha de material para porta-enxerto.