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The article presents an analysis of the relationship between Catholic Church and state in Brazil, with a focus on the participation of the Liga Eleitoral Católica (LEC) in the local elections of Curitiba at the beginning of the 1950s. Topics mentioned include an historical overview of Brazilian political parties, laicism in Brazil, and political history.

Studying Protestantism is a fascination for many researchers for the last few years. The thematic core of this article is made up by its multiplicity, embodied combinations and constant metamorphosis. As a sample of a portion of that reality, this study encompasses both a dialogue with theorists of history and sociology who have dealt with this subject, as an approach to stories and experiences of practitioners of a religious community in Londrina, Parana. From this combination of looks, it is admitted that manifestation of sacred in this environment is not a consequence of mere repetition of patterns, but recreation, reinventions of tradition, from a simple people faith experience in their private life context. In addition to that, both in discourses and religious practices have occurred ruptures, as going to flexibility as going to a reinforcement of religious trenches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The MHC class II transactivator (CIITA) is a key regulator in expression of the HLA class II genes. It is well known that HLA-DRB1 genotypes have a strong influence on the risk of multifactorial autoimmune diseases, but the effect of CIITA genotypes remains controversial. We tested in a case-control study whether CIITA polymorphisms influence the risk of developing endemic pemphigus foliaceus (EPF) and whether CIITA and HLA-DRB1 interact as regards susceptibility to the disease. The rs4774 SNP is not associated to EPF, while rs3087456 in the CIITA gene promoter is associated with susceptibility [odds ratio (OR) = 2.6, p < 0.001 and OR = 2.0 p = 0.003 for genotypes G/G and G/A, respectively]. We suggest that the associations result from the effect of genetically controlled levels of CIITA on expression of the susceptible and protective HLA class II molecules. Remarkably, the interaction between CIITA and HLA-DRB1 genotypes is strong and additive. The OR for individuals having two susceptible HLA-DRB1 alleles is 14.1 in presence of the susceptible CIITA G/G or G/A genotypes and much lower (2.2) in presence of the protective CIITA A/A genotype. We conclude that quantitative as well as qualitative variation of HLA class II molecules have an effect on the risk of an individual developing EPF., (Copyright © 2013 American Society for Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)