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O objetivo deste trabalho foi comparar, de modo prospectivo e casualizado, duas técnicas de sutura: uma com revestimento interno com dreno de PENROSE e outra utilizando a invaginação submucosa-mucosa nas anastomoses esôfago-esofágicas cervicais. Foram utilizados trinta e dois cães machos com pesos entre 8 e 10 Kg, distribuídos em dois grupos de dezesseis animais. Cada grupo foi dividido em dois subgrupos baseado nos períodos observados até o 7o e 14o dias de pós-operatórios. Em cada grupo, as anastomoses foram avaliadas em seus aspectos clínicos, macroscópicos e microscópicos. Nenhuma fístula ou óbito foi observado no pós-operatório. Todos os animais do grupo com revestimento interno com dreno de PENROSE apresentaram disfagia por tempo mínimo de sete dias, enquanto apenas quatro animais do grupo sutura com invaginação apresentaram disfagia transitória com duração máxima de dois dias. À microscopia óptica, foi observada deficiência na regeneração das túnicas submucosa e mucosa nas anastomoses com prótese. Os resultados observados permitem concluir que a anastomose esôfago-esofágica cervical com revestimento interno com dreno de PENROSE apresentou piores resultados do que a por invaginação.

Aim: To evaluate the urinary biomarkers related to sepsis in preterm newborns (NBs) and to investigate the predictive capacity of these biomarkers for a longer hospital stay. Methods: Serum and urine were collected from 27 healthy NBs, 24 NBs with neonatal infection without sepsis and 11 NBs with sepsis for the measurement of sindecan-1, lipocalin associated with urinary neutrophil gelatinase (uNGAL), urinary cystatin-C (uCysC) and urinary kidney injury molecule-1. Results: Levels of uNGAL and urinary cystatin-C were elevated in NBs with sepsis and neonatal infection, and uNGAL was significant predictor of hospital stay longer than 30 days (odds ratio: 1.052; 95% CI: 1.012-1.093; p  = 0.01). Conclusion: uNGAL was associated with sepsis in preterm NBs and was useful to predict extended hospital stay.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the biochemical, hormonal, and hematological blood responses of native sheep subjected to five temperatures (20°, 24°, 28°, 32°, and 36 °C), using 24 sheep of the following breeds: Santa Inês (SI), Morada Nova (MN), Soinga (SO) and no defined racial pattern (NDRP), kept in collective pens inside the climatic chamber. The experimental design was completely randomized, in a 5 × 4 factorial scheme (5 temperatures and 4 breeds) with 6 animals of each breed at each temperature. There was interaction for urea (P < .0001), glucose (P < .0001), cholesterol (P < .0001), and magnesium (P < .0001) as a function of breed and air temperature. Urea (P = .001), glucose (P < .0001), triglycerides (P = .033), cholesterol (P = .004), and magnesium (P < .0001) showed differences according to breed. It was observed that T4 (P < .0001) and cortisol (P < .0001) showed an interaction between breed and temperature, while T4 (P = .001) and cortisol (P = .001) an effect of breed. The highest magnesium concentration was observed in MN, and the lowest was in NDRP, SO, and SI, which are statistically similar, and SI and NDRP are statistically similar. The hormones showed a significant effect (P < .0001) for temperature, where cortisol increased, and thyroid hormones decreased with increasing temperature. Temperatures of 32° and 36 °C contribute to changes in blood, hormone, and hematological biochemical responses of native sheep., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors report no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Clinical studies have shown that low levels of endogenous testosterone are associated with cardiovascular diseases. Considering the intimate connection between oxidative metabolism and myocardial contractility, we determined the effects of testosterone deficiency on the two spatially distinct subpopulations of cardiac mitochondria, subsarcolemmal (SSM) and interfibrillar (IFM)., Methods: We assessed cardiac function and cardiac mitochondria structure of SSM and IFM after 12 weeks of testosterone deficiency in male Wistar rats., Results and Discussion: Results show that low testosterone reduced myocardial contractility. Orchidectomy increased total left ventricular mitochondrial protein in the SSM, but not in IFM. The membrane potential, size and internal complexity in the IFM after orchidectomy were higher compared to the SHAM group. However, the rate of oxidative phosphorylation with all substrates in the IFM after orchidectomy was lower compared to the SHAM group. Testosterone replacement restored these changes. In the testosterone-deficient SSM group, oxidative phosphorylation was decreased with palmitoyl-L-carnitine as substrate; however, the mitochondrial calcium retention capacity in IFM was increased. There was no difference in swelling of the mitochondria in either group. These changes in IFM were followed by a reduction in phosphorylated form of AMP-activated protein kinase (p-AMPK-α), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha (PGC-1α) translocation to mitochondria and decreased mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM). Testosterone deficiency increased NADPH oxidase (NOX), angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) protein expression and reduced mitochondrial antioxidant proteins such as manganese superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD) and catalase in the IFM. Treatment with apocynin (1.5 mM in drinking water) normalized myocardial contractility and interfibrillar mitochondrial function in the testosterone depleted animals. In conclusion, our findings demonstrate that testosterone deficiency leads to reduced myocardial contractility and impaired cardiac interfibrillar mitochondrial function. Our data suggest the involvement of reactive oxygen species, with a possibility of NOX as an enzymatic source., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 do Val Lima, Ronconi, Morra, Rodrigues, Ávila, Merlo, Graceli, Simões, Stefanon and Ribeiro Júnior.)

Background: The chronic use of immunosuppressive drugs is a key risk factor of death because of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in kidney transplant recipients (KTRs), although no evident association between the class of immunosuppressive and outcomes has been observed. Thus, we aimed to compare COVID-19-associated outcomes among KTRs receiving 3 different immunosuppressive maintenance regimes., Methods: This study included data from 1833 KTRs with COVID-19 diagnosed between March 20 and April 21 extracted from the national registry before immunization. All patients were taking calcineurin inhibitor associated with mycophenolate acid (MPA, n = 1258), azathioprine (AZA, n = 389), or mammalian targets of rapamycin inhibitors (mTORi, n = 186). Outcomes within 30 and 90 d were assessed., Results: Compared with patients receiving MPA, the 30-d (79.9% versus 87.9% versus 89.2%; P < 0.0001) and 90-d (75% versus 83.5% versus 88.2%; P < 0.0001) unadjusted patient survivals were higher in those receiving AZA or mTORi, respectively. Using adjusted multivariable Cox regression, compared with patients receiving AZA, the use of MPA was associated with a higher risk of death within 30 d (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 1.70; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.21-2.40; P = 0.003), which was not observed in patients using mTORi (aHR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.45-1.35; P = 0.365). At 90 d, although higher risk of death was confirmed in patients receiving MPA (aHR, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.09-1.98; P = 0.013), a reduced risk was observed in patients receiving mTORi (aHR, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.35-0.97; P = 0.04) compared with AZA., Conclusions: This national cohort data suggest that, in KTRs receiving calcineurin inhibitor and diagnosed with COVID-19, the use of MPA was associated with higher risk of death, whereas mTORi use was associated with lower risk of death., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Understanding soil organic matter (SOM) dynamics is essential to employ management that contribute to the improvement of soil quality (SQ). The aim of this study was to characterize the SOM and evaluate the emission of mineralizable C (C-CO 2 ) in different management systems. The soil was collected in five managed areas: exposed soil (ES), conventional tillage system (CTS), no-tillage system (NTS), permanent pasture (PP) and sugarcane (SC), in addition to a forest area (NF), in the layers of 0-5, 5-10, and 10-20 cm. Total organic carbon (TOC), physical-granulometric fractionation of SOM were performed, determining the contents and stocks of particulate organic matter (C-POM; StockPOM) and mineral organic matter (C-MOM; StockMOM), in addition to calculating SQ indices. In addition to C-CO 2 emissions from the soil. The areas of PP and NTS presented the highest levels of TOC in the surface layer. The highest levels of C-MOM and StockMOM were observed in the PP area, besides higher CSI (carbon stock index), reaching 1.67 in the 10-20 cm layer. The areas of PP and SC were similar to the NF in all layers regarding CMI (carbon management index). In CTS, there were higher peaks in emissions and accumulation of C-CO 2 . It is evident that the improvements in the SQ in the areas of PP, SC, and NTS caused mainly by the deposition of plant material and by soil revolving not being performed. In the CTS, high emission peaks of C-CO 2 show that the lack of conservation management practices contributes to the emission of greenhouse gases., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Aim: To evaluate the prediction capacity of urinary biomarkers for death in critically ill patients with COVID-19. Methods: This is a prospective study with critically ill patients due to COVID-19 infection. The urinary biomarkers NGAL, KIM-1, MCP-1 and nephrin were quantified on ICU admission. Results: There was 40% of death. Urinary nephrin and MCP-1 had no association with death. Tubular biomarkers (proteinuria, NGAL and KIM-1) were predictors of death and cut-off values of them for death were useful in stratify patients with worse prognosis. In a multivariate cox regression analysis, only NGAL remains associated with a two-mount survival chance. Conclusion: Kidney tubular biomarkers, mostly urinary NGAL, had useful capacity to predict death in critically ill COVID-19 patients.

Data from the general population suggest that fatality rates declined during the course of the pandemic. This analysis, using data extracted from the Brazilian Kidney Transplant COVID-19 Registry, seeks to determine fatality rates over time since the index case on March 3rd, 2020. Data from hospitalized patients with RT-PCR positive SARS-CoV-2 infection from March to August 2020 (35 sites, 878 patients) were compared using trend tests according to quartiles (Q1: <72 days; Q2: 72-104 days; Q3: 105-140 days; Q4: >140 days after the index case). The 28-day fatality decreased from 29.5% (Q1) to 18.8% (Q4) ( p for-trend = 0.004). In multivariable analysis, patients diagnosed in Q4 showed a 35% reduced risk of death. The trend of reducing fatality was associated with a lower number of comorbidities (20.7-10.6%, p for-trend = 0.002), younger age (55-53 years, p for-trend = 0.062), and better baseline renal function (43.6-47.7 ml/min/1.73 m 2 , p for-trend = 0.060), and were confirmed by multivariable analysis. The proportion of patients presenting dyspnea ( p for-trend = 0.001) and hypoxemia ( p for-trend < 0.001) at diagnosis, and requiring intensive care was also found reduced ( p for-trend = 0.038). Despite possible confounding variables and time-dependent sampling differences, we conclude that COVID-19-associated fatality decreased over time. Differences in demographics, clinical presentation, and treatment options might be involved., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Sandes-Freitas, Cristelli, Requião-Moura, Modelli de Andrade, Viana, Garcia, de Oliveira, Esmeraldo, de Lima, Charpiot, Ferreira, Franco, Costa, Simão, Ferreira, Santana, Almeida, Deboni, Saldanha, Noronha, Oliveira, Carvalho, Oriá, Medina-Pestana and Tedesco-Silva Junior.)

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of adding different concentrations of either urea or NaOH in dehydrated acerola (Malpighia emarginata) fruit residue (DAFR) on chemical composition, in vitro rumen degradability, and gas and methane production. A completely randomized design was used with the following seven treatments: control, without chemical treatment, or pretreatment of DAFR with urea or NaOH at 20, 40, or 60 g/kg dry matter (DM). DM degradability and gas and methane production of DAFR were evaluated by semi-automated in vitro gas production technique. DAFR treated with urea or NaOH at concentrations of 40 and 60 g/kg DM decreased its neutral detergent fiber (P = 0.0115) and lignin (P < 0.0001) content, and this reduction was greater with the highest concentration (60 g/kg DM). In all tested concentrations, urea and NAOH were effective to increase the DM effective degradability of DAFR compared with the control treatment, although treatments with a concentration of 60 g/kg DM presented the highest values (P < 0.0001). Treatment of DAFR with NaOH or urea at 60 g/kg DM promotes greater lignin solubilization and DM degradability and lower gas and methane production in in vitro rumen fermentation.

Background: Low back pain is a considerable global public health problem. Use of back belts in occupational settings arises from the expectation of countless biomechanical benefits, which together would contribute to the prevention of this problem., Objective: To orient students, physicians and health institutions on the use of back belts, lumbar support or braces for prevention of low back pain or injury among asymptomatic workers., Method: The present guideline was developed based on a systematic literature review; 809 studies were located in database MEDLINE and 571 in EMBASE and Cochrane CENTRAL. Evaluating back-belt use as preventive intervention against low back pain demands quantifying benefits, harms and difficulties to implementation, as well as the methodological quality of primary studies., Conclusion: Despite the weak benefits reflected in the individual, partial and isolated results of a few studies, there is no consistent evidence for the use of back belts, lumbar supports or braces for primary prevention of low back pain or occupational low back injury among workers. According to the available evidence, back-belt use is not associated with reduction of absenteeism.

Gestational diabetes Mellitus (GDM) is a complex clinical condition that promotes pelvic floor myopathy, thus predisposing sufferers to urinary incontinence (UI). GDM usually regresses after birth. Nonetheless, a GDM history is associated with higher risk of subsequently developing type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and UI. Some aspects of the pathophysiology of GDM remain unclear and the associated pathologies (outcomes) are poorly addressed, simultaneously raising public health costs and diminishing women's quality of life. Exosomes are small extracellular vesicles produced and actively secreted by cells as part of their intercellular communication system. Exosomes are heterogenous in their cargo and depending on the cell sources and environment, they can mediate both pathogenetic and therapeutic functions. With the advancement in knowledge of exosomes, new perspectives have emerged to support the mechanistic understanding, prediction/diagnosis and ultimately, treatment of the post-GMD outcomes. Here, we will review recent advances in knowledge of the role of exosomes in GDM and related areas and discuss the possibilities for translating exosomes as therapeutic agents in the GDM clinical setting., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Background: Pelvic floor muscles (PFM) and rectus abdominis muscles (RAM) of pregnant diabetic rats exhibit atrophy, co-localization of fast and slow fibers and an increased collagen type I/III ratio. However, the role of similar PFM or RAM hyperglycemic-related myopathy in women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) remains poorly investigated. This study aims to assess the frequency of pelvic floor muscle disorders and pregnancy-specific urinary incontinence (PS-UI) 12 months after the Cesarean (C) section in women with GDM. Specifically, differences in PFM/RAM hyperglycemic myopathy will be evaluated., Methods: The Diamater is an ongoing cohort study of four groups of 59 pregnant women each from the Perinatal Diabetes Research Centre (PDRC), Botucatu Medical School (FMB)-UNESP (São Paulo State University), Brazil. Diagnosis of GDM and PS-UI will be made at 24-26 weeks, with a follow-up at 34-38 weeks of gestation. Inclusion in the study will occur at the time of C-section, and patients will be followed at 24-48 h, 6 weeks and 6 and 12 months postpartum. Study groups will be classified as (1) GDM plus PS-UI; (2) GDM without PS-UI; (3) Non-GDM plus PS-UI; and (4) Non-GDM without PS-UI. We will analyze relationships between GDM, PS-UI and hyperglycemic myopathy at 12 months after C-section. The mediator variables to be evaluated include digital palpation, vaginal squeeze pressure, 3D pelvic floor ultrasound, and 3D RAM ultrasound. RAM samples obtained during C-section will be analyzed for ex-vivo contractility, morphological, molecular and OMICS profiles to further characterize the hyperglycemic myopathy. Additional variables to be evaluated include maternal age, socioeconomic status, educational level, ethnicity, body mass index, weight gain during pregnancy, quality of glycemic control and insulin therapy., Discussion: To our knowledge, this will be the first study to provide data on the prevalence of PS-UI and RAM and PFM physical and biomolecular muscle profiles after C-section in mothers with GDM. The longitudinal design allows for the assessment of cause-effect relationships between GDM, PS-UI, and PFMs and RAMs myopathy. The findings may reveal previously undetermined consequences of GDM.

Workplace violence has potentially high prevalence, in addition to positive correlation with risk of physical and mental disorders, absenteeism, high turnover rates, impaired productivity and poorer organizational climate. Workplace violence is embedded in the work routine, while its manifestations are heterogeneous and vary according to the local culture, work activities and organization. The scientific evidence for the efficacy of interventions to reduce the prevalence of violent incidents is insufficient to ground general recommendations applicable to any occupational activity. Consensus among organizational actors about notions, relevance, prevalence and risk factors associated with workplace violence, based on epidemiological mappings, is necessary, given the subjective and cultural nature of this problem, and also to enable organizational actors to jointly design pilot solutions. This approach is based on methods used in experimental studies and seeks to promote greater adherence to changes.

Background: Bone tissue repair remains a challenge in tissue engineering. Currently, new materials are being applied and often integrated with live cells and biological scaffolds. The fibrin biopolymer (FBP) proposed in this study has hemostatic, sealant, adhesive, scaffolding and drug-delivery properties. The regenerative potential of an association of FBP, biphasic calcium phosphate (BCP) and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) was evaluated in defects of rat femurs., Methods: Adult male Wistar rats were submitted to a 5-mm defect in the femur. This was filled with the following materials and/or associations: BPC; FBP and BCP; FBP and MSCs; and BCP, FBP and MSCs. Bone defect without filling was defined as the control group. Thirty and sixty days after the procedure, animals were euthanatized and subjected to computed tomography, scanning electron microscopy and qualitative and quantitative histological analysis., Results: It was shown that FBP is a suitable scaffold for bone defects due to the formation of a stable clot that facilitates the handling and optimizes the surgical procedures, allowing also cell adhesion and proliferation. The association between the materials was biocompatible. Progressive deposition of bone matrix was higher in the group treated with FBP and MSCs. Differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells into osteogenic lineage was not necessary to stimulate bone formation., Conclusions: FBP proved to be an excellent scaffold candidate for bone repair therapies due to application ease and biocompatibility with synthetic calcium-based materials. The satisfactory results obtained by the association of FBP with MSCs may provide a more effective and less costly new approach for bone tissue engineering., Competing Interests: Competing interests: Benedito Barraviera, Rui Seabra Ferreira Jr. and Claudia Vilalva Cassaro, authors of this article, are respectively editor-in-chief, associate and junior editors of Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases. They did not get involved in the peer review process of this manuscript.

The Guidelines Project, an initiative of the Brazilian Medical Association, aims to combine information from the medical field in order to standardize producers to assist the reasoning and decision-making of doctors. The information provided through this project must be assessed and criticized by the physician responsible for the conduct that will be adopted, depending on the conditions and the clinical status of each patient.

Mercury intoxication is a public health risk factor due to its hazardous effect to several organs, including the cardiovascular system. There is evidence of endothelial dysfunction after exposure to mercury, but the effects on endothelium-dependent vasodilatation are still unknown. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the chronic effects of high HgCl 2 doses on the mechanisms of vasodilatation. Wistar rats were injected with HgCl 2 (1st dose 10.86 μg/kg, and daily doses 0.014 μg/kg for 30 days i.m.), and saline was used as control. Mercury exposure reduced the acetylcholine-induced vasodilatation in aortic rings, which was restored by incubation with antioxidant tiron. Inhibition of the NO synthase, Na + /K + -ATPase and K + channels indicates reduced participation of these factors. In the mercury group, there were an increased local anion superoxide and a reduced NO. The vasodilatation to exogenous NO was partially inhibited by co-incubation with TEA plus tiron, suggesting that reduced NO bioavailability is the responsible to that decreased the participation of K + channels. Moreover, there was an increased participation of the Na + /K + -ATPase associated with an up-regulation of its alpha-1 subunit. In conclusion, reduced NO bioavailability plays a major role in the impaired participation of K + channels and Na + /K + -ATPase in the acetylcholine-mediated relaxation, although sodium pump is up-regulated probably as a compensatory mechanism., (© 2018 Nordic Association for the Publication of BCPT (former Nordic Pharmacological Society).)

We previously demonstrated that the loss of female hormones induces cardiac and mitochondrial dysfunction in the female heart. Here, we show the impact of endurance training for twelve weeks, a nonpharmacological therapy against cardiovascular disease caused by ovariectomy and its contribution to cardiac contractility, mitochondrial quality control, bioenergetics and oxidative damage. We found that ovariectomy induced cardiac hypertrophy and dysfunction by decreasing SERCA2 and increasing phospholamban protein expression. Endurance training restored myocardial contractility, SERCA2 levels, increased calcium transient in ovariectomized rats but did not change phospholamban protein expression or cardiac hypertrophy. Additionally, ovariectomy decreased the amount of intermyofibrillar mitochondria and induced mitochondrial fragmentation that were accompanied by decreased levels of mitofusin 1, PGC-1α, NRF-1, total AMPK-α and mitochondrial Tfam. Endurance training prevented all these features except for mitofusin 1. Ovariectomy reduced O 2 consumption, elevated O 2 .- release and increased Ca 2+ -induced mitochondrial permeability transition pore opening in both mitochondrial subpopulations. Ovariectomy also increased NOX-4 protein expression in the heart, reduced mitochondrial Mn-SOD, catalase protein expression and increased protein carbonylation in both mitochondrial subpopulations, which were prevented by endurance training. Taken together, our findings show that endurance training prevented cardiac contractile dysfunction and mitochondrial quality control in ovariectomized rats., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Increased susceptibility to permeability transition pore (mPTP) is a significant concern to decreased cardiac performance in postmenopausal females. The goal of this study was to assess the effects of estrogen deficiency on the two spatially distinct mitochondrial subpopulations from left ventricle: subsarcolemmal mitochondria (SSM) and intermyofibrillar mitochondria (IFM) based on: morphology, membrane potential, oxidative phosphorylation, mPTP and reactive oxygen species production. Female rats (8weeks old) that underwent bilateral ovariectomy were randomly assigned to receive daily treatment with placebo (OVX), estrogen replacement (OVX+E2) and Sham for 60days. The yield for IFM was found higher in the OVX group and lower in the SSM. SSM internal complexity and size were higher in the OVX group, although membrane potential was not different. The maximal rate of mitochondrial respiration, states 3 and 4, using glutamate+malate as substrate, were higher in IFM and SSM from the OVX group. The respiratory control ratio (RCR - state3/state 4), was not different in both SSM and IFM with glutamate+malate. The ADP:O ratio was found lower in IFM and SSM from OVX compared to Sham. When pyruvate was used, state 3 was found unchanged in both IFM and SSM, state 4 was greater in IFM from OVX rats compared to Sham and the ADP/O ratio was decreased. The RCR was unchanged in both subpopulations. The IFM from OVX rats presented a lower Ca 2+ retention capacity compared to Sham, however, the SSM remained unchanged. Hydrogen peroxide formation was found increased in the IFM from OVX animals with glutamate+malate and rotenone+succinate as substrates. The SSM showed increased ROS production only with rotenone+succinate. Western blot analyzes showed decreased levels of PGC-1α and NRF-1 in the OVX group. Estrogen replacement was able to restore most of the alterations induced by ovariectomy. In conclusion, our data shows that estrogen deficiency has distinct effects on the two spatially distinct mitochondrial subpopulations in oxidative phosphorylation, morphology, calcium retention capacity and ROS production., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. and Mitochondria Research Society. All rights reserved.)

This study aimed to develop a short tandem repeat (STR) multiplex system, made up of 22 highly informative STR loci, for application in forensic genetics. The system comprised 21 polymorphic autosomal loci (D3S1358, TH01, D21S11, D18S51, Penta E, D5S818, D13S317, D7S820, D16S539, CSF1PO, Penta D, vWA, D8S1179, TPOX, FGA, D2S441, D17S1301, D19S433, D18S853, D20S482, and D14S1434) and the amelogenin gene locus. Strategies were developed to overcome the challenges involved in creating a multiplex system. Based on the literature and available databases, the STR loci were selected with the aim to obtain discriminatory markers, and followed specific criteria for this purpose. Primers were projected using the Primer3 software, and AutoDimer was used to evaluate possible interactions between them. The 22 selected STR loci were validated individually and jointly, both to assess their sensitivity and to test the efficiency of the multiplex system. Statistical analyses were based on the genetic data of 450 unrelated individuals living in the State of Goiás, thus allowing the establishment of the parameters necessary to use this system. A total of 239 alleles were detected for the 22 loci in the set, allowing for a probability of identity of 4.23 x 10 -25 to be obtained. The combined power of discrimination was 0.999999999999999999999999 and the combined power of exclusion was 0.99999. Upon complete validation of the entire system, this multiplex assay was considered to be a powerful tool for application in human identification by DNA analysis.

Background: Leprosy or hansen's disease is a spectral disease whose clinical forms mostly depends on host's immune and genetic factors. Different Toll-like receptors (TLR) variants have been described associated with leprosy, but with some lack of replication across different populations., Objectives: To evaluate the role of polymorphisms in genes TLR1, TLR2 and TLR4 and susceptibility to leprosy in a genetic case control study; to verify the association between genotypes of these markers and the immunological profile in the serum of patients with leprosy., Methods: Pre-designed TaqMan® assays were used to genotype markers at TLR1 (rs4833095, rs5743551), TLR2 (rs7656411, rs3804099) and TLR4 (rs1927914, rs1927911). A panel of cytokines and chemokines was accessed by enzime-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test in the serum of a subgroup of patients with and without leprosy reactions., Findings: Our results show an association between the T allele of rs3804099 at the TLR2 gene and increased risk for leprosy per se [Odds ratio (OR) = 1.296, p = 0,022]. In addition, evaluating the association between different genotypes of the TLR1, 2 and 4 markers and cytokine/chemokine serological levels, IL-17 appears as an immunological marker regulated by the polymorphism of the three TLR genes evaluated, whereas different TLR1 genotypes were associated with differential production of IL-12p40 and MCP-1(CCL2). Furthermore, other relevant serum markers such as CXCL-10 and IL-6 seemed to be regulated by TLR2 variants and IL-1β was related to TLR4 genotypes., Main Conclusions: All together our data points that the tested TLR markers may have a regulatory role in the immunity against Mycobacterium leprae, by driving the host's production of key cytokines and chemokines involved in the pathogenesis of this disease.

Previous studies have reported on the glucose and lipid-lowering effects of ferulic acid (FA) but its anti-obesity potential has not yet been firmly established. This study investigated the possible anti-obesitogenic effects of FA in mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD) for 15 weeks. To assess the antiobesity potential of FA, 32 male Swiss mice, weighing 20-25 g (n=6-8 per group) were fed a normal diet (ND) or HFD, treated orally or not with either FA (10 mg/kg) or sibutramine (10 mg/kg) for 15 weeks and at the end of this period, the body weights of animals, visceral fat accumulation, plasma levels of glucose and insulin hormone, amylase and lipase activities, the satiety hormones ghrelin and leptin, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCH-1) were analyzed. Results revealed that FA could effectively suppress the HFD-associated increase in visceral fat accumulation, adipocyte size and body weight gain, similar to sibutramine, the positive control. FA also significantly (P<0.05) decreased the HFD-induced elevations in serum lipid profiles, amylase and lipase activities, and the levels of blood glucose and insulin hormone. The markedly elevated leptin and decreased ghrelin levels seen in HFD-fed control mice were significantly (P<0.05) reversed by FA treatment, almost reaching the values seen in ND-fed mice. Furthermore, FA demonstrated significant (P<0.05) inhibition of serum levels of inflammatory mediators TNF-α, and MCH-1. These results suggest that FA could be beneficial in lowering the risk of HFD-induced obesity via modulation of enzymatic, hormonal and inflammatory responses.

Objectives:: To clinically and epidemiologically characterize a population diagnosed with and treated for septic arthritis of the knee, to evaluate the treatment results and to analyze the differences between patients with positive and negative culture results, patients with Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial isolates and patients with S. aureus- and non-S. aureus-related infections., Methods:: One hundred and five patients with septic knee arthritis were included in this study. The clinical and epidemiological data were evaluated. Statistical analysis was performed to compare patients with and without an isolated causative agent, patients with Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens and patients with S. aureus-related and non S. aureus-related infections., Results:: Causative agents were isolated in 81 patients. Gram-positive bacteria were isolated in 65 patients and Gram-negative bacteria were isolated in 16 patients. The most commonly isolated bacterium was S. aureus. Comparing cases with an isolated pathogen to cases without an isolated pathogen, no differences between the studied variables were found except for the longer hospital stays of patients in whom an etiological agent was identified. When comparing Gram-positive bacteria with Gram-negative bacteria, patients with Gram-positive-related infections exhibited higher leukocyte counts. Patients with S. aureus-related infections were more frequently associated with healthcare-related environmental encounters., Conclusion:: S. aureus is the most common pathogen of septic knee arthritis. Major differences were not observed between infections with isolated and non-isolated pathogens and between infections with Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. S. aureus infections were more likely to be associated with a prior healthcare environment exposure., Competing Interests: No potential conflict of interest was reported.

Chromosomal changes are frequently observed in patients with syndromic seizures. Understanding the genetic etiology of this pathology is crucial for the guidance and genetic counseling of families as well as for the establishment of appropriate treatment. A combination of MLPA kits was used to identify pathogenic CNVs in a group of 70 syndromic patients with seizures. Initially, a screening was performed for subtelomeric changes (MLPA P036 and P070 kits) and for the regions most frequently related to microdeletion/microduplication syndromes (MLPA P064). Subsequently, the MLPA P343 was used to identify alterations in the 15q11q13, 16p11.2, and 22q13 regions. Screening with MLPA P343 allowed a 10-15.7% increase in the detection rate of CNVs reinforcing the importance of investigating changes in 15q11q13 and 16p11.2 in syndromic patients with seizures. We also demonstrated that the MLPA technique is an alternative with a great diagnostic potential, and we proposed its use as part of the initial assessment of syndromic patients with seizures.

Objective: The present study aimed to evaluate the muscle fatigue of the quadriceps muscle in high-performance soccer players undergoing (anterior cruciate ligament) ACL reconstruction., Methods: We evaluated 17 high-performance soccer players from three professional soccer teams of a state in Brazil from August 2011 to July 2012. All subjects were evaluated between 5.5 and 7 months after ACL reconstruction with a Biodex® isokinetic dynamometer (System 4 Pro) with test protocol CON/CON at 60°/s and 300°/s with 5 and 15 repetitions, respectively. In the calculation of local muscle fatigue, the fatigue index was used, which is calculated by dividing the labor done in the first one-third of the repetitions by that done at the final one-third of the repetitions, and multiplying by 100 to express a unit in percentage (i.e., as a discrete quantitative variable)., Results: All subjects were male, with a mean age of 21.3 ± 4.4 years and mean BMI 23.4 ± 1.53 cm; left dominance was observed in 47% ( n  = 8) of athletes, and right dominance, in 53% ( n  = 9) of athletes; and the limb involved in the lesion was the dominant in 29% ( n  = 5) and the non-dominant in 71% ( n  = 12). Fatigue rates were 19.6% in the involved limb and 29.0% in the non-involved limb., Conclusion: The results allow us to conclude that there was no significant difference between the limbs involved and not in ACL injuries regarding local muscle fatigue. No association was observed between the dominant side and the limb involved in the ACL injury.

Chlorogenic acid (CGA) is a polyphenol derivative that widely exists in higher plants like fruits, vegetables, black teas, and some traditional Chinese medicines. In this work, we have proposed a sensitive and selective electrochemical sensor for detection of CGA. The sensor was based on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) modified with a functional platform by grafting vinyltrimethoxysilane (VTMS) in multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and covered by a molecularly imprinted siloxane (MIS) film prepared using the sol-gel process. The VTMS was grafted onto the surface of the MWCNTs via in situ free radical polymerization. The MIS was obtained from the acid-catalyzed hydrolysis/condensation of a solution consisting of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS), phenyltriethoxysilane (PTEOS), (3-aminopropyl)trimethoxysilane (APTMS), and CGA as a template molecule. The modification procedure was evaluated by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Under optimized operational conditions, a linear response was obtained covering a concentration ranging from 0.08μmolL(-1) to 500μmolL(-1) with a detection limit (LOD) of 0.032μmolL(-1). The proposed sensor was applied to CGA determination in coffee, tomato, and apple samples with recoveries ranging from 99.3% to 108.6%, showing a promising potential application in food samples. Additionally, the imprinted sensor showed a significantly higher affinity for target CGA than the non-imprinted siloxane (NIS) sensor., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Spatially distinct mitochondrial subpopulation may mediate myocardial pathology through permeability transition pore opening (MPTP). The goal of this study was to assess sex differences on the two spatially distinct mitochondrial subpopulations: subsarcolemmal mitochondria (SSM) and intermyofibrillar mitochondria (IFM) based on morphology, membrane potential, mitochondrial function, oxidative phosphorylation, and MPTP. Aged matched Wistar rats were used to study SSM and IFM. Mitochondrial size was larger in SSM than in IFM in both genders. However, SSM internal complexity, yield, and membrane potential were higher in male than in female. The maximal rate of mitochondrial respiration, states 3 and 4, using glutamate + malate as substrate, were higher in IFM and SSM in the male group compared to female. The respiratory control ratio (RCR-state3/state 4), was not different in both SSM and IFM with glutamate + malate. The ADP:O ratio was found higher in IFM and SSM from female compared to males. When pyruvate was used, state 3 was found unchanged in both IFM and SSM, state 4 was also greater in male IFM compared to female. The RCR increased in the SSM while IFM remained the same. State 4 was higher in male SSM while in the IFM remained the same. The IFM presented a higher Ca(2+) retention capacity compared with SSM, however, there was a greater sensitivity to Ca(2+)-induced MPTP in SSM and IFM in the male group compared to female. In conclusion, our data show that spatially distinct mitochondrial subpopulations have sex-based differences in oxidative phosphorylation, morphology, and calcium retention capacity.

Objective: Intimal hyperplasia is associated with graft failure and vascular sutures in the first year after surgery and in postangioplasty restenosis. Allium sativum (common garlic) lowers cholesterol and has antioxidant effects; it also has antiplatelet and antitumor properties and, therefore, has great potential to reduce or inhibit intimal hyperplasia of the arteries. Our objective is to determine if the garlic has an efficacy to inhibit myointimal hyperplasia compared to cilostazol., Methods: Female New Zealand rabbits were divided into the following groups (n=10 each) according to treatment: group A, garlic, 800 µg×kg-1×day-1, orally; group C, cilostazol, 50 mg.day-1, orally; group PS, 10 ml of 0.9% physiological saline solution, orally. Our primary is the difference of the mean of myointimal hyperplasia. Statistical analysis was performed by using ANOVA and Tukey tests, as well as the Chi-square test. We calculated the 95% confidence interval for each point estimate, and the P value was set as < 0.05., Results: Group PS had a mean hyperplasia rate of 35.74% (95% CI, 31.76-39.71%); group C, 16.21% (95% CI, 13.36-19.05%); and group A, 21.12% (95% CI, 17.26-25.01%); P < 0.0001., Conclusion: We conclude that Allium sativum had the same efficacy in inhibiting myointimal hyperplasia when compared to the positive control, cilostazol., Competing Interests: No conflict of interest.

Background: The effect of statins on the endothelial function in humans remains under discussion. Particularly, it is still unclear if the improvement in endothelial function is due to a reduction in LDL-cholesterol or to an arterial pleiotropic effect., Objective: To test the hypothesis that modulation of the endothelial function promoted by statins is primarily mediated by the degree of reduction in LDL-cholesterol, independent of the dose of statin administered., Methods: Randomized clinical trial with two groups of lipid-lowering treatment (16 patients/each) and one placebo group (14 patients). The two active groups were designed to promote a similar degree of reduction in LDL-cholesterol: the first used statin at a high dose (80 mg, simvastatin 80 group) and the second used statin at a low dose (10 mg) associated with ezetimibe (10 mg, simvastatin 10/ezetimibe group) to optimize the hypolipidemic effect. The endothelial function was assessed by flow-mediated vasodilation (FMV) before and 8 weeks after treatment., Results: The decrease in LDL-cholesterol was similar between the groups simvastatin 80 and simvastatin 10/ezetimibe (27% ± 31% and 30% ± 29%, respectively, p = 0.75). The simvastatin 80 group presented an increase in FMV from 8.4% ± 4.3% at baseline to 11% ± 4.2% after 8 weeks (p = 0.02). Similarly, the group simvastatin 10/ezetimibe showed improvement in FMV from 7.3% ± 3.9% to 12% ± 4.4% (p = 0.001). The placebo group showed no variation in LDL-cholesterol level or endothelial function., Conclusion: The improvement in endothelial function with statin seems to depend more on a reduction in LDL-cholesterol levels, independent of the dose of statin administered, than on pleiotropic mechanisms.

Objective: to assess post-angioplasty myointimal hyperplasia in iliac artery of rabbits treated with extract of Moringa oleifera leaves., Methods: we conducted a randomized trial in laboratory animals for five weeks of follow-up, developed in the Vivarium of Pharmaceutical Technology Laboratory of the Universidade Federal da Paraíba. We used rabbits from the New Zealand breed, subjected to a hypercholesterolemic diet and angioplasty of the external iliac artery, randomized into two groups: M200 Group (n=10) - rabbits treated with 200mg/kg/day of Moringa oleifera leaves extract orally; SF group (n=10) - rabbits treated with 0.9% saline orally. After five weeks, the animals were euthanized and the iliac arteries prepared for histology. Histological sections were analyzed by digital morphometry. Statistical analysis was performed using the Student's t test. The significance level was 0.05., Results: there was no significant difference in myointimal hyperplasia between M200 and SF groups when comparing the iliac arteries submitted to angioplasty., Conclusion: there was no difference of myointimal hyperplasia between groups treated with saline and Moringa oleifera after angioplasty.

Objective: This study aimed to ascertain the relationship between early diagnosis of giant-cell tumors (GCT) and their prognosis, by correlating the time of symptom onset with the staging of the injury (through the Campanacci classification at the time of diagnosis), and with the type of treatment. The secondary objective of the study was to outline the epidemiological profile of patients with GCT in the region where the data were gathered, and to compare them with data in the literature., Methods: The authors present an evaluation on 61 patients diagnosed with bone GCT, with regard to the site of involvement, age, initial symptoms, time of symptom onset, classification and type of treatment, among patients attended between May 1994 and August 2009., Results: The threshold indicated as the limit for Campanacci stage I tumors to be the commonest diagnosis, with a 98.2% chance that the treatment would be non-aggressive, was 2 months after symptom onset. This finding was statistically significant (p = 0.017). Every additional month increased the chance that a patient would be diagnosed with an advanced-stage tumor by 10.94%, in relation to the chances of having the other two stages of the tumor., Conclusion: The study result not only suggests that the alternative hypothesis that the earlier the diagnosis of GCT is, the less severe the lesion will be, has been confirmed; but also especially predicts the relationship between the time of symptom appearance and the severity of the tumor.

Determination of the neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) level can be used to detect acute kidney injury (AKI) earlier than determination of the serum creatinine (SCr) level in settings such as cardiac surgery, contrast nephropathy, and intensive care units. We hypothesized that urine NGAL (UrNGAL) would be an early biomarker of drug nephrotoxicity. To test this, we studied hemodynamically stable patients treated with amphotericin B (AmB). We measured the SCr and UrNGAL levels at the baseline and daily after initiation of AmB up to day 14 or development of AKI by the use of the SCr criterion. AKI was defined according to a Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) criterion (an increase in the SCr level by ≥0.3 mg/dl within 48 h or an SCr level ≥1.5 times the baseline level within 7 days). We studied 24 patients with a mean age of 48.4 ± 16.4 years. Most patients were male, and the patients received AmB (12 received AmB deoxycholate and 12 received liposomal AmB) for the treatment of leishmaniasis (91.7%). Overall, 17/24 patients fulfilled a KDIGO criterion for AKI. Peak UrNGAL levels were higher in patients with AKI than in patients without AKI and in recipients of AmB deoxycholate than in recipients of liposomal AmB. The diagnostic performance of the UrNGAL level on day 5 for the detection of AKI was moderate, with the area under the curve (AUC) being 0.68 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.41 to 0.95). In the subgroup receiving AmB deoxycholate, however, the AUC rose to 0.89 (95% CI, 0.67 to 1.00). In a patient-level analysis, we found that AKI could be detected 3.2 days earlier by the use of the UrNGAL criterion than by the use of the SCr criterion (times to AKI by the UrNGAL and SCr criteria, 3.7 ± 2.5 versus 6.9 ± 3.3 days, respectively; P = 0.001). Future studies should evaluate if a treatment strategy oriented toward evaluation of UrNGAL levels will improve outcomes. These findings for AmB-induced AKI in leishmaniasis patients could serve as a basis for the investigation of urine biomarkers in the early detection of drug nephrotoxicity in other clinical settings., (Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.)

In studies of human identification, obtaining a high standard of outcomes and satisfactory conclusions are directly related to the use of highly polymorphic molecular markers. In addition to the combined DNA index system (CODIS) group, it is also important to implement non-CODIS markers into the analysis, as they increase the power of discrimination. During the identification process, it is essential to consider the genetic variation among distinct groups of populations, as the allele frequencies are directly associated with the power of discrimination. However, the population of Goiás, a State located in Central Brazil, is characterized by a highly mixed population due to its diverse ethnic origins. In this study, a survey of the allelic frequencies in the Goiás population was carried out using a molecular assembly composed of 21 autosomal loci both from and external to the CODIS group. The new data, for some of the markers used, were statistically similar to those from previous studies. This consistency means that the use of these markers might serve as a parameter for future population comparisons. The results from these analyses further our knowledge of the study of human identification.

The objective of this work was to evaluate the influence of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination on peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) proliferation and cytokine gene transcription. PBMCs isolated after HPV immunization were incubated with HPV vaccine, phytohemagglutinin, or buffer. Cell proliferation was assessed by MTT reduction assay. RNA was extracted from PBMCs, and the relative concentration of cytokine messenger RNA (mRNA) transcripts (IFN-β, IFN-γ, IL-12, TNF-α, IL-6, IL-17, or IL-10) relative to transcription of the β-actin gene was determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction. PBMC proliferation in response to HPV vaccine and PHA were greater than that observed in unstimulated cells (p<0.001). Cytokine mRNAs were upregulated in stimulated PBMC cultures. The median increase in vaccine-stimulated cultures was: IFN-β=334.4-fold; IL-12=46.33-fold; IFN-γ=12.64-fold; IL-6=9.07-fold; IL-17=7.33-fold; IL-10=6.47-fold; and TNF-α=2.36-fold. The IFN-β expression was significantly higher (p<0.05). Proliferative PBMC responses and multiple cytokine gene expression were detected in women who received the HPV vaccine.

A new antimicrobial peptide, herein named Stigmurin, was selected based on a transcriptomic analysis of the Brazilian yellow scorpion Tityus stigmurus venom gland, an underexplored source for toxic peptides with possible biotechnological applications. Stigmurin was investigated in silico, by circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy, and in vitro. The CD spectra suggested that this peptide interacts with membranes, changing its conformation in the presence of an amphipathic environment, with predominance of random coil and beta-sheet structures. Stigmurin exhibited antibacterial and antifungal activity, with minimal inhibitory concentrations ranging from 8.7 to 69.5μM. It was also showed that Stigmurin is toxic against SiHa and Vero E6 cell lines. The results suggest that Stigmurin can be considered a potential anti-infective drug., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Context and Objective: Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) is a common neoplastic disease in AIDS patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency of human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) infection in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients, with or without KS manifestations and correlate HHV-8 detection with KS staging., Design and Setting: Analytic cross-sectional study conducted in a public tertiary-level university hospital in Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil., Methods: Antibodies against HHV-8 lytic-phase antigens were detected by means of the immunofluorescence assay. HHV-8 DNA was detected in the patient samples through a nested polymerase chain reaction (nested PCR) that amplified a region of open reading frame (ORF)-26 of HHV-8., Results: Anti-HHV-8 antibodies were detected in 30% of non-KS patients and 100% of patients with KS. Furthermore, the HHV-8 DNA detection rates observed in HIV-positive patients with KS were 42.8% in serum, 95.4% in blood samples and 100% in skin biopsies; and in patients without KS, the detection rate was 4% in serum. Out of the 16 serum samples from patients with KS-AIDS who were classified as stage II, two were positive (12.5%); and out of the 33 samples from patients in stage IV, 19 (57.6%) were positive., Conclusion: We observed an association between HHV-8 detection and disease staging, which was higher in the serum of patients in stage IV. This suggests that detection of HHV-8 DNA in serum could be very useful for clinical assessment of patients with KS and for monitoring disease progression.

Dengue virus (DENV) of the Flaviviridae family is a single positive-stranded RNA virus that is transmitted by Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes. The objective of this study was to investigate the use of chloroquine (CLQ) as an antiviral drug against dengue virus in monkeys. To analyze the action of the drug in vivo, nonhuman primates groups (Aotus azarai infulatus) were inoculated with a subcutaneous injection of a virulent strain of DENV-2, treated and untreated CLQ. Blood hematological, viremia, and serum biochemical values were obtained from 16 DENV-2-inoculated, treated and untreated; four received only CLQ and one mock-infected Aotus monkeys. Monkey serum samples (day 0-10 post-inoculation) were assayed by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and Cytometric Bead Array for determination of viremia and inflammatory cytokines, respectively. Additionally, body temperature and activity levels were determined. In the present work, CLQ was effective on replication of DENV-2 in Aotus monkeys; a time viremia reduction was observed compared with the controls. The concentration of tumor necrosis factor alpha and interferon gamma in the serum of the animals had a statistically significant reduction in the groups treated with CLQ after infection compared with the controls. A significant decrease in systemic levels of the liver enzyme aspartate aminotransferase (AST) was also observed in the animals treated with CLQ after infection compared with the controls. These results suggest that CLQ interferes in DENV-2 replication in Aotus monkeys.

Mycobacterium leprae infects skin and peripheral nerves causing deformities and disability. The M. leprae bacterium binds to ErbB2 on the Schwann cell surface causing demyelination and favoring spread of the bacilli and causing nerve injury. Polymorphisms at the ERBB2 gene were previously investigated as genetic risk factors for leprosy in two Brazilian populations but with inconsistent results. Herein we extend the analysis of ERBB2 variants to a third geographically distinct population in Brazil. Our results show that there is no association between the genotyped SNPs and the disease (p>0.05) in this population. A gene set or pathway analysis under the genomic region of ERBB2 will be necessary to clarify its regulation under M. leprae stimulus., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.)

ANKHD1 is highly expressed in human acute leukemia cells and potentially regulates multiple cellular functions through its ankyrin-repeat domains. In order to identify interaction partners of the ANKHD1 protein and its role in leukemia cells, we performed a yeast two-hybrid system screen and identified SIVA, a cellular protein known to be involved in proapoptotic signaling pathways. The interaction between ANKHD1 and SIVA was confirmed by co-imunoprecipitation assays. Using human leukemia cell models and lentivirus-mediated shRNA approaches, we showed that ANKHD1 and SIVA proteins have opposing effects. While it is known that SIVA silencing promotes Stathmin 1 activation, increased cell migration and xenograft tumor growth, we showed that ANKHD1 silencing leads to Stathmin 1 inactivation, reduced cell migration and xenograft tumor growth, likely through the inhibition of SIVA/Stathmin 1 association. In addition, we observed that ANKHD1 knockdown decreases cell proliferation, without modulating apoptosis of leukemia cells, while SIVA has a proapoptotic function in U937 cells, but does not modulate proliferation in vitro. Results indicate that ANKHD1 binds to SIVA and has an important role in inducing leukemia cell proliferation and migration via the Stathmin 1 pathway. ANKHD1 may be an oncogene and participate in the leukemia cell phenotype., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To investigate hemostatic effects of supplementary factor XIII and desmopressin (DDAVP) in resuscitation of uncontrolled bleeding., Methods: Fifty-four rabbits were randomized in nine groups: G1: Sham; G2: FXIII and normotensive resuscitation (NBP); G3: FXIII and permissive hypotension (PH) (MAP 60% baseline); G4: FXIII/DDAVP/NBP; G5: FXIII/DDAVP/PH; G6: NBP only; G7: FXIII no hemorrhage; G8: FXIII/DDAVP no hemorrhage; G9: PH only. Thromboelastometry and intra-abdominal blood loss were assessed. Scanning electron microscopy (EM) of the clots was performed., Results: Compared to Sham, only G8 (FXIII/DDAVP w/o hemorrhage) showed clotting time (CT) significantly lower (p<0.05). NBP alone (G6) resulted in significantly prolonged CT compared to G2, G3 and G5 (p<0.05). Similarly, median alpha angle was significantly larger in G3,4,5, and 9 compared to G6 (p<0.05). Area under the curve was significantly greater in G5 than G2. Intra-abdominal blood loss was lower in G5 and G9 compared to G2 and G6. FXIII/DDAVP and PH resulted in more robust fibrin mesh by EM., Conclusions: Normotensive resuscitation provokes more bleeding and worsens coagulation compared to pH, that is partially reversed by factor XIII and desmopressin. FXIII and DDAVP can synergistically improve coagulation. Permissive hypotension reduces bleeding regardless of those agents.

Background. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic inflammatory, multisystem, and autoimmune disease. Objective. The aim of this study was to describe the prevalence of hyposalivation in SLE patients and evaluate factors associated. Methods. This is a cross-sectional study developed at the Cuiaba University General Hospital (UNIC-HGU), Mato Grosso, Brazil. The study population consisted of female SLE patients treated at this hospital from 06/2010 to 12/2012. Unstimulated salivary flow rates (SFRs) were measured. Descriptive and inferential analyses were performed in all cases using a significance level P < 0.05. Results. The results showed that 79% of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus suffered from hyposalivation and that the disease activity and age in years were the factors that resulted in statistically significant differences. Conclusion. The activity of the disease, age >27 years, and the drugs used were factors associated with hyposalivation, resulting in a statistically significant decrease in saliva production.

The interest in human papilloma virus (HPV) seropositivity has increased considerably since HPV vaccines have become available worldwide. The aim of this study was to assess the performance of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in analyzing serum samples provided from women with and without genital DNA-HPV infection confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), for detection of specific antibodies of the isotypes IgG and IgA recognizing HPV-16 and -18, as well as virus-like particles (VLPs). From August to December 2013, 50 sexually active female patients between 18 and 35 years of age from the outpatient clinic at the university hospital were enrolled. In order to test them, positive controls were obtained from patients with HPV-induced lesions and who were DNA-HPV positive confirmed by PCR. A specific assay was used to identify antibodies to HPV VLPs by ELISA. The samples were divided into HPV positive and negative, and an ELISA detecting IgA and IgG anti-HPV-VLP was carried out. The effectiveness of ELISA and the kappa (k) index was obtained from the values entered in the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves for IgG and IgA. IgG-VLP-HPV-16 showed a good correlation between ELISA and PCR (k=0.75), and IgG-VLP-HPV-18 showed a very good correlation between ELISA and PCR (k=0.84). While the IgA antibody correlation was also positive, although weaker, IgA-VLP-HPV-16 was moderate (k=0.45) and IgA-VLP-HPV-18 good (k=0.66). The efficacy of the assay concerning IgG was: sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were 82.3%, 92%, and 88% to IgG-VLP-HPV-16, and 100%, 92%, and 94% to IgG-VLP-HPV-18. The assay concerning IgA was: sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were 64.7%, 80%, and 73.8% to IgA-VLP-HPV-16, and 100%, 80%, and 84.8% to IgA-VLP-HPV-18. IgG and IgA antibodies against HPV-16 and -18 can be detected in unvaccinated individuals by using the VLP that serve as the basis for bivalent HPV vaccine. The values for ELISA assays and the values found for IgG correlate good/very good with HPV-16/18 detected by PCR.

Objectives: To evaluate the concordance among knee surgery specialists regarding the classification and surgical technique indicated in cases of tibial plateau fracture, using conventional radiographs and computed tomography., Methods: Forty-four patients with fractures of the tibial plateau shown on radiographic and tomographic images were selected. These were evaluated by specialists at two different times, with an interval of seven days. On the first occasion, the specialists only had access to the radiographs, while on the second occasion they had access to both radiographs and computed tomography images. Their concordance was evaluated by means of the kappa coefficient., Results: The interobserver reliability of the Schatzker classification on the first occasion was 0.36 and on the second occasion, 0.35. This was considered to present low reproducibility. In evaluating the intra-observer reproducibility of this classification, the mean kappa index was 0.42, which was classified as moderate. From evaluating the choice of surgical access, the inter-observer reliability was 0.55 on the first occasion and 0.50 on the second, which was considered to present moderate reproducibility. Evaluation on the implant chosen showed that the interobserver reliability was 0.01 on the first occasion and -0.06 on the second, which was considered to be poor and discordant. In evaluating the classification of the three columns, the inter-observer reproducibility was 0.47 (p < 0.0001), which was classified as moderate concordance., Conclusion: Use of computed tomography did not present any improvement in the inter-observer concordance, using the Schatzker classification, and did not produce any change in the preoperative planning.

Human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) is the etiologic agent of all Kaposi's sarcoma (KS), the outcome of which is associated with immuno-dysregulation, resulting in the abnormal production of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. We quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay serum levels of interleukin (IL)-10, IL-17, interferon (IFN)-γ, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α from patients with KS-AIDS, classic KS, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) without KS. A correlation between HHV-8 molecular detection and cytokine production was also performed. We observed that IL-10 production was higher in patients with KS-AIDS when compared to those with classic KS or HIV. However, no significant differences were seen for IFN-γ, TNF-α, or IL-17 production between studied groups. When patients with KS-AIDS were analyzed according to lesion topography, IL-10 levels were higher in patients with disseminated disease than those observed in patients with only cutaneous lesions or cutaneous and digestive and/or respiratory tract lesions. Finally, patients with KS-AIDS that presented viral DNA for HHV-8 in serum showed a higher production of IL-10 when compared with those patients with a negative result for nested polymerase chain reaction for the virus. The results presented here are the first to demonstrate that there exists a stratification of patients with KS-AIDS according to lesion topography where IL-10 levels are higher in those individuals with disseminated disease than those with only localized lesions.

Objective: Show the steps of a Trauma Registry (TR) implementation in a Brazilian public hospital and evaluate the initial data from the database., Methods: Descriptive study of the a TR implementation in João XXIII Hospital (Hospital Foundation of the state of Minas Gerais) and analysis of the initial results of the first 1,000 patients., Results: The project was initiated in 2011 and from January 2013 we began collecting data for the TR. In January 2014 the registration of the first 1000 patients was completed. The greatest difficulties in the TR implementation were obtaining funds to finance the project and the lack of information within the medical records. The variables with the lowest completion percentage on the physiological conditions were: pulse, blood pressure, respiratory rate and Glasgow coma scale. Consequently, the Revised Trauma Score (RTS) could be calculated in only 31% of cases and the TRISS methodology applied to 30.3% of patients. The main epidemiological characteristics showed a predominance of young male victims (84.7%) and the importance of aggression as a cause of injuries in our environment (47.5%), surpassing traffic accidents. The average length of stay was 6 days, and mortality 13.7%., Conclusion: Trauma registries are invaluable tools in improving the care of trauma victims. It is necessary to improve the quality of data recorded in medical records. The involvement of public authorities is critical for the successful implementation and maintenance of trauma registries in Brazilian hospitals.