RESUMO
The use of improved microbiological procedures associated with molecular techniques has increased the identification of Candida bloodstream infections, even if the isolation of more than one species by culture methods remains uncommon. We report the cases of two children presenting with severe gastrointestinal disorders and other risk factors that contribute to Candida infections. In the first patient, C. albicans DNA was initially detected by a nested-amplification and C. tropicalis was found later during hospitalization, while blood cultures were persistently negative. In the second child, there was amplification of C. albicans and C. glabrata DNA in the same samples, but blood cultures yielded only C. albicans. Both patients received antifungal therapy but had unfavorable outcomes. These two cases illustrate that PCR was more successful than culture methods in detecting Candida in the bloodstream of high risk children, and was also able to detect the presence of more than one species in the same patient that might impact therapy when the fungi are resistant to azole compounds.
Assuntos
Candidemia/diagnóstico , Micologia/métodos , Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase/métodos , Candida albicans/isolamento & purificação , Candida glabrata/isolamento & purificação , Candida tropicalis/isolamento & purificação , Candidemia/microbiologia , Criança , Pré-Escolar , Estado Terminal , Feminino , Gastroenteropatias/complicações , Humanos , MasculinoRESUMO
O objetivo deste estudo foi analisar as não-conformidades analíticas dos exames citopatológicos realizados no Setor de Citologia Oncótica, da Divisão de Patologia do Instituto Adolfo Lutz (SCO-IAL), e discutir ações corretivas para minimizar essas ocorrências. O SCO-IAL recebeu 44.197 amostras citopatológicas cérvico-vaginais enviadas pelas Unidades de Saúde (US), de setembro de 2005 a fevereiro de 2007, que foram coradas pelo método de Papanicolaou e classificadas segundo a Nomenclatura Brasileira recomendada pelo Ministério da Saúde. Do total, 1.155 (2,61%) foram classificadas como insatisfatórias, sendo: 351 por artefatos de dessecamento; 198 pela presença de piócitos; 98 por material insuficiente; 47 pela presença de sangue e 12 por superposição celular. Em 449 casos, houve associação de duas ou mais causas; sendo o dessecamento presente em 351 casos. Das 198 amostras insatisfatórias pela presença de piócitos, 37 apresentaram agentes infecciosos. Observou-se também nesse mesmo período que dos 1.558(3.52%) casos de atipias de significado indeterminado, 371 foram limitados em seu diagnóstico. Os resultados obtidos demonstram que programas de treinamento nas US são de melhor estratégia para melhoria na qualidade das amostras. O controle de qualidade interno e externo, desde a colheita até a emissão dos laudos, é fundamental para o sucesso dos programas de rastreamento citológico.
Assuntos
Humanos , Citodiagnóstico , Controle de Qualidade , Esfregaço VaginalRESUMO
N-acetylcysteine (NAC) has been used safely in humans and in other mammals as an antidote against several toxic and carcinogenic agents, including aflatoxin B1 (AFB1). The aim of this study was to evaluate the capability of dietary supplementation with NAC to ameliorate the effects of subacute intoxication with AFB1 in broiler chickens. One hundred twenty male Hubbard 1-d-old chickens were allocated into one of four dietary treatments: 1) control group without treatment, 2) purified AFB1 added to diet (3 mg/kg of feed) for 21 d, 3) NAC (800 mg/kg BW, daily), or 4) AFB1 plus NAC at the same doses as Groups 2 and 3. Broilers treated with AFB1 plus NAC were shown to be partially protected against deleterious effects on BW (57.8%), daily weight gain (49.1%), feed conversion index (21.4%), plasma and hepatic total protein concentration (45.2, 66.7%), plasma alanine aminotransferase (67.4%), hepatic glutathione-S-transferase (18.8%), and reduced glutathione liver concentration (75.0%). In addition, they showed less intense liver fading, friable texture, and microvesicular steatosis. In the kidney, thickening of glomerular basement membrane was also less severe in NAC+AFB1-treated chickens than in AFB1-treated chickens. Our results suggest that NAC provided protection against negative effects on performance, liver and renal damage, and biochemical alterations induced by AFB1 in broiler chickens. Effects of NAC alone on chick performance were also evaluated. Addition of NAC to diet (800 mg/kg BW) did not negatively affect feed consumption, conversion index, or serum chemistry and did not induce structural changes in the liver or kidney.
Assuntos
Acetilcisteína/farmacologia , Aflatoxina B1/antagonistas & inibidores , Galinhas , Sequestradores de Radicais Livres/farmacologia , Doenças das Aves Domésticas/prevenção & controle , Aflatoxina B1/toxicidade , Alanina Transaminase/sangue , Alanina Transaminase/efeitos dos fármacos , Ração Animal , Animais , Aspartato Aminotransferases/sangue , Aspartato Aminotransferases/efeitos dos fármacos , Proteínas Sanguíneas/efeitos dos fármacos , Proteínas Sanguíneas/metabolismo , Peso Corporal/efeitos dos fármacos , Doença Hepática Induzida por Substâncias e Drogas , Glutationa/efeitos dos fármacos , Glutationa/metabolismo , Glutationa Transferase/efeitos dos fármacos , Glutationa Transferase/metabolismo , Rim/efeitos dos fármacos , Rim/patologia , Nefropatias/induzido quimicamente , Nefropatias/veterinária , Fígado/efeitos dos fármacos , Fígado/metabolismo , Fígado/patologia , Hepatopatias/veterinária , Masculino , Doenças das Aves Domésticas/induzido quimicamente , Distribuição Aleatória , Resultado do TratamentoRESUMO
The aim of this work is detecting the loss of heterozygosity (LOH) and its relationship with the development and progression of head and neck cancer. Matched normal and tumor DNA from 81 patients with head and neck cancer were examined for LOH using six microsatellite repeat markers mapped to chromosomal regions 3p13, 6q13, 9p21, 11p15, 17p13.1, and 17q22. LOH frequency at a locus ranged from 21% to 55%. The highest frequencies were at 3p (41%), 9p (48%), and 17p (54%). Thirty-two of 81 tumor samples showed allelic loss at more than one region. Significant associations were found between LOH at 3p and 9p (P = 0.001), 9p and 11p (P = 0.03), and 9p and 17p (P = 0.007). LOH at 11p was frequent in tumors from the oral cavity (5/17), oropharynx (2/7), and hypopharynx (5/10), but absent in tumors from the larynx (0/11) (P = 0.02), and LOH at 17q was observed in tumors from oral cavity (10/30) and hypopharynx (3/9), but not in tumors from the oropharynx (0/10) or larynx (0/13) (P = 0.003). In addition to that, the occurrence of allelic losses at 9p and 17p strongly correlates to tobacco smoking (P = 0.03 and P = 0.006, respectively) and alcohol intake (P = 0.01 and P = 0.005, respectively). These results suggest that tumors from different sites have different LOH patterns and corroborate with epidemiological data implicating tobacco and alcohol in the etiology of head and neck tumors.
Assuntos
Carcinoma de Células Escamosas/genética , Deleção Cromossômica , Neoplasias de Cabeça e Pescoço/genética , Adulto , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Carcinoma de Células Escamosas/patologia , Feminino , Neoplasias de Cabeça e Pescoço/patologia , Humanos , Perda de Heterozigosidade/genética , Masculino , Repetições de Microssatélites/genética , Pessoa de Meia-IdadeRESUMO
In this study we investigated the incidence of mutations and loss of heterozygosity (LOH) of the TP53 gene in DNA samples from paired tumor and adjacent normal tissue from 90 patients with untreated squamous-cell carcinoma of the head and neck. Evidence for TP53 mutations were demonstrated in 53% (48/90) of the cases analyzed. All cases were also examined for loss of heterozygosity, using a PCR-based polymorphic marker at TP53. LOH was found in 36 out of 72 (50%) informative cases. Direct sequencing of PCR products was performed in 45 cases with evidence of mutations. The sequencing results revealed the presence of base-substitutions (67%), deletions (29%) and insertions (4%). Of the base-substitutions, 70% were transitions and 30% were transversions. Demographic variables, tumor site, stage (TNM), family history of cancer, lymph-node involvement and histological grade were not important predictors of TP53 mutations. Nor did TP53 genetic alterations correlate with survival status. In conclusion, we show that TP53 genetic alterations are frequent in head-and-neck tumors, but are not associated with clinicopathological variables or disease progression. Our study provides an evaluation of the spectrum of TP53 mutations in the pathogenesis of head-and-neck carcinoma in Brazil.
Assuntos
Carcinoma de Células Escamosas/genética , Genes p53 , Neoplasias de Cabeça e Pescoço/genética , Perda de Heterozigosidade , Mutação , Consumo de Bebidas Alcoólicas , Brasil , Feminino , Mutação da Fase de Leitura , Humanos , Masculino , Deleção de Sequência , FumarRESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To analyze variations in leukocyte count and thromboxane B2 production in the femoral vein of patients with chronic venous hypertension (CVH). DESIGN: Prospective clinical study, controlled, non randomized and open. LOCATION: Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, referral center, university hospital. PARTICIPANTS: 15 patients with recurring stasis ulcer were analyzed, selected randomly from the venous diseases outpatient center, and 4 without lower limb venous alterations were also analyzed. INTERVENTION: Blood samples from the femoral and brachial veins were drawn following supine and 45 degrees reverse Trendelenburg. MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURES: Direct leukocyte count and analysis of the thromboxane B2 with enzyme linked immunosorbent assay test. RESULTS: After 30 minutes in reverse Trendelenburg, patients with CVH showed a leukocyte count reduced by +/- 27% (p = 0.02) and thromboxane B2 levels increased by +/- 158% (p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that future studies of medications for stasis ulcers include their effects on leukocyte entrapment and thromboxane B2 production in the lower limb venous system.
Assuntos
Hematócrito , Contagem de Leucócitos , Tromboxano B2/sangue , Úlcera Varicosa/sangue , Adolescente , Adulto , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Estudos Prospectivos , Tromboxano B2/metabolismo , Úlcera Varicosa/metabolismoRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Loss of function of the tumor suppressor gene TP53 contributes to the development of several tumors. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We screened DNA samples from 47 patients with upper respiratory system squamous cell carcinomas for the presence of TP53 mutations. Exons 4 to 8 of the TP53 gene were amplified by the polymerase chain reaction, and mutations were identified by single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis. RESULTS: The TP53 mutations were demonstrated in 23 cases (49%). Mutations were distributed as follows: exon 4, 5 cases; exon 5, 4 cases; exon 6, 6 cases; exon 7, 4 cases; and exon 8, 4 cases. Demographic variables, tumor site, stage, family history of cancer, and tobacco smoking were not predictors of TP53 mutations. There was an increasing number of mutations in the more undifferentiated tumors (P = 0.0594). CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that TP53 mutations are associated with tumor differentiation, but not with the risk of lymph node metastasis in the group of patients analyzed.
Assuntos
Carcinoma de Células Escamosas/genética , Genes p53/genética , Neoplasias de Cabeça e Pescoço/genética , Mutação Puntual/genética , Adulto , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Brasil , Carcinoma de Células Escamosas/patologia , Carcinoma de Células Escamosas/secundário , DNA de Neoplasias/análise , DNA de Neoplasias/genética , Éxons/genética , Feminino , Amplificação de Genes , Neoplasias de Cabeça e Pescoço/patologia , Humanos , Neoplasias Laríngeas/genética , Neoplasias Laríngeas/patologia , Metástase Linfática/genética , Metástase Linfática/patologia , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Neoplasias Bucais/genética , Neoplasias Bucais/patologia , Estadiamento de Neoplasias , Neoplasias Faríngeas/genética , Neoplasias Faríngeas/patologia , Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase , Polimorfismo Conformacional de Fita Simples , Fatores de Risco , FumarRESUMO
Susceptibility to rubella in 428 Mexican females of childbearing age from four sanitary areas confined to a Mexican State (Queretaro) was determined. Members of the group were residents of urban and rural communities and selected by random sampling. Anti-viral antibodies were determined by inhibition of haemagglutination. Concentration was expressed as International Units of IgG anti-rubella haemagglutinin (IU/ml). Antibody concentrations lower than 15.6 (IU/ml) were regarded as non-protective. The percentage of women immune-protected to rubella in the areas varied from 28.8 to 75.6 with an average of 61.9. The difference in percentages of immune-protected females within the areas was statistically significant (chi 2 = 48.26 and p < 0.001). Immune protection was associated to population density, with less protection in less populated areas. Our results differ from the reported values of a serosurvey performed in the same state one year before: immune protection 61.9% versus 79.96%, respectively.
Assuntos
Anticorpos Antivirais/sangue , Densidade Demográfica , Vírus da Rubéola/imunologia , Rubéola (Sarampo Alemão)/epidemiologia , Rubéola (Sarampo Alemão)/imunologia , Adolescente , Adulto , Estudos Transversais , Suscetibilidade a Doenças , Feminino , Humanos , México/epidemiologia , Vigilância da População , Fatores de Risco , Rubéola (Sarampo Alemão)/sangue , Saúde da População Rural , Estudos Soroepidemiológicos , Saúde da População UrbanaRESUMO
The relative expression of estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) mRNA transcripts was measured in 71 primary breast-cancer biopsies. ER and PR binding activity were estimated in parallel by the dextran-coated-charcoal method. There was a close correlation between the amount of ER mRNA and estradiol binding activity. Tumors from post-menopausal patients contained higher levels of ER mRNA than those from pre-menopausal patients. Northern-blot analysis indicated the presence of a major band of 6.3 kb in all ER mRNA-positive tumors. Some tumors showed, in addition, 3.7- and 2.4-kb transcripts. PR binding activity and overall PR mRNA levels correlated moderately. PR mRNA and ER mRNA were associated. Four PR mRNA species with estimated sizes of 11.4, 4.5, 3.7 and 2.5 kb were detected in 14% of the PR mRNA-positive tumors. The 3.7-kb transcript was detected to varying degrees in all PR mRNA-positive biopsies, accompanied in some tumors by the 2.5-kb species. ER and PR mRNA levels > or = 50 pg/5 micrograms total RNA correlated with prolonged survival of the patients. In addition, high ER mRNA levels were associated with absence or minimal necrosis and vascular invasion together with absence or minimal level of tumor lymphocytic infiltration, but not with age, clinical stage, tumor size or overexpression of c-myc or c-erbB-2 mRNA. PR mRNA was not statistically associated with any of the above clinicopathological features. A bivariate analysis showed that both ER and PR mRNA levels were able to predict overall survival independently of the lymph-node status.
Assuntos
Neoplasias da Mama/química , Carcinoma Ductal de Mama/química , RNA Mensageiro/análise , Receptores de Estrogênio/análise , Receptores de Progesterona/análise , Adulto , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Northern Blotting , Neoplasias da Mama/patologia , Carcinoma Ductal de Mama/patologia , Feminino , Humanos , Menopausa , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Prognóstico , Receptores de Estrogênio/genética , Receptores de Progesterona/genética , Análise de SobrevidaRESUMO
Linkage studies have indicated that a gene on chromosome arm 17q, designated BRCA1, confers susceptibility to familial breast and ovarian cancer. To investigate the possible involvement of the BRCA1 gene in sporadic breast cancer we have analysed loss of heterozygosity (LOH) in a panel of 100 sporadic primary breast tumours using 10 PCR-based polymorphic markers from 17q12-21. Allele losses were detected in 40 of 100 tumours informative for at least one of the markers analysed. Of these 40 deleted tumours, 27 showed partial or interstitial loss on 17q. The pattern of LOH in the tumours with partial or interstitial LOH revealed three putative distinct deleted regions on 17q12-21. The first lies on the proximal long arm between D17S250 and THRA1; the second one lies between D17S776 and D17S579, the region containing the BRCA1 gene; and the third is telomeric to D17S733. The most frequently deleted region overlaps with the minimal region containing the BRCA1 gene, suggesting that this gene might also be associated with the development or progression of a proportion of sporadic breast tumours.
Assuntos
Neoplasias da Mama/genética , Cromossomos Humanos Par 17 , DNA de Neoplasias/genética , Genes Supressores de Tumor , Proteínas de Neoplasias/genética , Deleção de Sequência , Fatores de Transcrição/genética , Proteína BRCA1 , Neoplasias da Mama/patologia , Cromossomos Humanos Par 17/ultraestrutura , DNA Satélite/genética , Feminino , Marcadores Genéticos , Humanos , Reação em Cadeia da PolimeraseRESUMO
The influence of androgens and time course of effects induced by hormone deprivation were examined on the spontaneous transmitter release in the levator ani (LA) muscle of 30-180-day-old male rats. The resting membrane potential (RMP) and miniature endplate potentials (mepps) were recorded intracellularly from LA muscle fibers of intact animals or gonadectomized at different ages. In intact animals, the frequency of mepps increased proportionately to the muscle fiber growth up to 60 days, stabilizing thereafter. Gonadectomy at any age did not affect the RMP, but increased the frequency of mepps by 65% to 140%. The effect was detected after 15 days and was unrelated to the degree of muscle atrophy. Independently of the age of gonadectomy control values of mepp frequency were restored after 90 days, while the accompanying postjunctional changes persisted. These results indicate that androgens exert a prejunctional inhibitory influence on the spontaneous transmitter release in the rat LA muscle. The transient nature of the prejunctional effect induced by hormone deprivation indicates an adjustment of nerve terminals to persistent postjunctional alterations.
Assuntos
Acetilcolina/metabolismo , Androgênios/fisiologia , Músculos/inervação , Músculos/fisiologia , Junção Neuromuscular/fisiologia , Androgênios/farmacocinética , Animais , Gônadas/fisiologia , Gônadas/cirurgia , Masculino , Potenciais da Membrana/fisiologia , Ratos , Ratos WistarAssuntos
DNA Viral/líquido cefalorraquidiano , Meningite Asséptica/microbiologia , Simplexvirus/isolamento & purificação , Adulto , Anticorpos Antivirais/análise , Sequência de Bases , Feminino , Humanos , Meningite Asséptica/líquido cefalorraquidiano , Dados de Sequência Molecular , Simplexvirus/genéticaRESUMO
The pharmacological activities of a water extract (WE) of Ageratum conyzoides L, a plant popularly known for its analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties, were studied in vivo and in vitro preparations. Oral administration (p.o.) of the water extract (WE, 0.1 to 5 g/kg) to rats and mice induced quietness and reduced the spontaneous motility. The sleeping time induced by sodium pentobarbital (50 mg/kg, i.p.) in mice was not altered by previous treatment with WE (2 g/kg, p.o.). The same treatment did not influence the paw edema induced by carrageenan or dextran, nor did it reduce the chronic paw edema induced by complete Freund's adjuvant or formaldehyde in rats. The tail flick response in immersion test and writhings induced by 0.8% acetic acid in mice were not altered by WE either. In isolated guinea-pig ilea WE (0.4 to 4 mg/ml) did not alter the EC50 values of histamine or acetylcholine, but reduced the maximal response to the agonists by 20 to 50%. WE (0.01 to 10 mg/ml) produced tonic contractions of the ileal smooth muscle proportional to the doses, reaching a maximum of 75% relatively to the maximum obtained with histamine. Those contractions were blocked by diphenhydramine (10 nM) and reduced by 32% in presence of atropine (10 nM). The results indicated that oral treatment of rodents with A. conyzoides L neither reduced the inflammatory edema nor did it decrease the reaction to pain stimuli. In vitro the extract presented an unexpected histamine-like activity characteristic of a partial agonist. The results did not confirm the popular medicinal indications of the plant.
Assuntos
Plantas Medicinais , Analgésicos/farmacologia , Animais , Anti-Inflamatórios/farmacologia , Atropina/farmacologia , Brasil , Difenidramina/farmacologia , Avaliação Pré-Clínica de Medicamentos , Cobaias , Técnicas In Vitro , Camundongos , Contração Muscular/efeitos dos fármacos , Músculo Liso/efeitos dos fármacos , Extratos Vegetais/farmacologia , Ratos , Sono/efeitos dos fármacosRESUMO
The trophic influence of testosterone on the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor-ionic channel (AChR) was studied in the levator ani (LA) muscle of adult male rats (120 days) intact (C) or gonadectomized when 90 days old (G). In the indirectly elicited muscle twitch, the LA from G rats was less sensitive to d-tubocurarine (0.1-1 microM) than control muscles (IC25: C = 0.30 microM, G = 0.46 microM). In G rats, the amplitude of neurally evoked endplate currents (EPC) was reduced by 70%, but the EPC time constant was not changed. Maximal junctional binding of [125I]alpha-bungarotoxin in the LA (C: 72.5 +/- 13.2 amol/endplate) was reduced by 1.8-fold in LA from G rats, with no change of the association rate constant (C: 5.64 +/- 1.29 10(6) M-1 min-1). The results indicate that testosterone deprivation reduces the junctional AChR density in the rat LA without modifying the binding properties of the receptor.
Assuntos
Placa Motora/fisiologia , Músculos/fisiologia , Receptores Nicotínicos/efeitos dos fármacos , Testosterona/farmacologia , Animais , Sítios de Ligação , Masculino , Potenciais da Membrana , Orquiectomia , Ratos , Tubocurarina/farmacologiaRESUMO
The trophic influence of testosterone on the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor-ionic channel (AChR) was studied in the levator ani (LA) muscle of adult malr rats (120 days) intact (C) or gonadectomized when 90 days old (G). In the indirectly elicited muscle twitch, the LA from G rats was less sensitive to d-tubocurarine (0.1-1µM) than control muscles (IC25:C = 0.30µM,G=0.46µM). In G rats, the amplitude of neurally evoked endplate currents (EPC) was reduced by 70%, but the EPC time constant was not changed. Maximal junctional binding of [125I] alfa-bungarotoxin in the LA(C: 72.5 ñ 13.2 amol/endplate) was reduced by 18.8-fold in LA from G rats, with no change of the association rate constant (C: 5.64 ñ 1.29 10**6 M-1 min**-1). The results indicate that testosterone deprivation reduces the junctional AChR density in the rat LA without modifying the binding properties of the receptor
Assuntos
Animais , Masculino , Ratos , Placa Motora/fisiologia , Músculos/fisiologia , Receptores Colinérgicos/metabolismo , Testosterona/farmacologia , Sítios de Ligação , Castração , Potenciais da Membrana , Tubocurarina/farmacologiaRESUMO
One hundred and sixty-one cervicovaginal smears of women seen at the Instituto Adolfo Lutz, Laboratory I, in Taubaté (SP) were examined cytologically by the Papanicolaou method and by direct immunofluorescence (IF) for Chlamydia trachomatis (Ct). Thirty-three cases (20.5%) had positive results for Ct in the IF. With the Papanicolaou method, those cases presenting fine vacuolation in endocervical metaplastic cells according to recent criteria were suggestive of Ct infection. Compared to IF, the Papanicolaou method showed high sensitivity (91.6%) in the group of smears containing endocervical cells. The IF is a high sensitivity and specificity method, but its cost cannot be afforded by a great portion of our population. In view of the high incidence of Ct infection in the female genital tract, the authors concluded that the Papanicolaou method in smears containing endocervical cells may be considered the first option for the detection of this agent.