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The effect of calorie restriction, fasting, and ketogenic diets on the treatment of liver cancer remains uncertain. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review to evaluate the effect of restrictive diets on the development and progression of liver cancer in animal models. We did a meta-analysis using the Cochrane Collaboration's Review Manager software, with the random effects model and the inverse variance technique. We examined 19 studies that were conducted between 1983 and 2020. Of these, 63.2% investigated calorie restriction, 21.0% experimented with a ketogenic diet, and 15.8% investigated the effects of fasting. The intervention lasted anything from 48 h to 221 weeks. Results showed that restrictive diets may reduce tumor incidence and progression, with a significant reduction in the risk of liver cancer development. Thereby, our results suggest that putting limits on what you eat may help treat liver cancer in more ways than one., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare no conflicts of interest that pertain to this work. PROSPERO registration: CRD42021267023., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Immunotherapies with antibody-drug-conjugates (ADC) and CAR-T cells, targeted at tumor surface antigens (surfaceome), currently revolutionize clinical oncology. However, target identification warrants a better understanding of the surfaceome and how it is modulated by the tumor microenvironment. Here, we decode the surfaceome and endocytome and its remodeling by hypoxic stress in glioblastoma (GBM), the most common and aggressive brain tumor in adults. We employed a comprehensive approach for global and dynamic profiling of the surfaceome and endocytosed (endocytome) proteins and their regulation by hypoxia in patient-derived GBM cultures. We found a heterogeneous surface-endocytome profile and a divergent response to hypoxia across GBM cultures. We provide a quantitative ranking of more than 600 surface resident and endocytosed proteins, and their regulation by hypoxia, serving as a resource to the cancer research community. As proof-of-concept, the established target antigen CD44 was identified as a commonly and abundantly expressed surface protein with high endocytic activity. Among hypoxia induced proteins, we reveal CXADR, CD47, CD81, BSG, and FXYD6 as potential targets of the stressed GBM niche. We could validate these findings by immunofluorescence analyses in patient tumors and by increased expression in the hypoxic core of GBM spheroids. Selected candidates were finally confronted by treatment studies, showing their high capacity for internalization and ADC delivery. Importantly, we highlight the limited correlation between transcriptomics and proteomics, emphasizing the critical role of membrane protein enrichment strategies and quantitative mass spectrometry. Our findings provide a comprehensive understanding of the surface-endocytome and its remodeling by hypoxia in GBM as a resource for exploration of targets for immunotherapeutic approaches in GBM., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Stone wool is commonly used as a plant substrate in soilless cultivation and discarded after one growing season. Stone wool waste is difficult to recycle, and thus it is typically landfilled. Alkali-activation of stone wool (i.e., milling and mixing with an alkaline solution) has been shown to be a feasible way to upcycle this waste fraction into, for example, construction products. In this study, the aim was to develop recycled plant substrate from stone wool waste from greenhouses via alkali activation., Methods: Waste stone wool from greenhouses was characterized by X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and mixed with sodium silicate solution either directly or after ball milling. The alkali-activation process was combined with the addition of H 2 O 2 , pre-made foam, or granulation to obtain suitable porous material for the plant substrate application. Preliminary greenhouse cultivation experiments of pea ( Pisum sativum ) were conducted with alkali-activated stone wool mixed with peat (a weight ratio of 1:1) and fertility analysis of the mixture were conducted., Results: The results indicated that the most feasible production method was to use ball-milled stone wool and to combine alkali activation with granulation. The obtained granules could reach 2.7 MPa as compressive strength while the other methods resulted in very fragile material. The preliminary greenhouse cultivation experiments revealed that there were significant levels of nutrients (Ca, P, K, and S) and alkalinity leached from the granules which hindered the growth of pea. The high P and S amounts were also confirmed by the XRF results of stone wool., Conclusions: It can be concluded that the developed granules did not function well as a plant substrate for pea but could enable the re-utilization of the nutrients contained in the greenhouse stone wool waste. Moreover, their application to acidic sulfate soils could be feasible as it would utilize the alkalinity of granules., Competing Interests: No competing interests were disclosed., (Copyright: © 2024 de Oliveira KG et al.)

Objective: To determine risk factors for the development of long coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in healthcare personnel (HCP)., Methods: We conducted a case-control study among HCP who had confirmed symptomatic COVID-19 working in a Brazilian healthcare system between March 1, 2020, and July 15, 2022. Cases were defined as those having long COVID according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention definition. Controls were defined as HCP who had documented COVID-19 but did not develop long COVID. Multiple logistic regression was used to assess the association between exposure variables and long COVID during 180 days of follow-up., Results: Of 7,051 HCP diagnosed with COVID-19, 1,933 (27.4%) who developed long COVID were compared to 5,118 (72.6%) who did not. The majority of those with long COVID (51.8%) had 3 or more symptoms. Factors associated with the development of long COVID were female sex (OR, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.05-1.39), age (OR, 1.01; 95% CI, 1.00-1.02), and 2 or more SARS-CoV-2 infections (OR, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.07-1.50). Those infected with the SARS-CoV-2 δ (delta) variant (OR, 0.30; 95% CI, 0.17-0.50) or the SARS-CoV-2 o (omicron) variant (OR, 0.49; 95% CI, 0.30-0.78), and those receiving 4 COVID-19 vaccine doses prior to infection (OR, 0.05; 95% CI, 0.01-0.19) were significantly less likely to develop long COVID., Conclusions: Long COVID can be prevalent among HCP. Acquiring >1 SARS-CoV-2 infection was a major risk factor for long COVID, while maintenance of immunity via vaccination was highly protective.

Objective: To compare the long-term vaccine effectiveness between those receiving viral vector [Oxford-AstraZeneca (ChAdOx1)] or inactivated viral (CoronaVac) primary series (2 doses) and those who received an mRNA booster (Pfizer/BioNTech) (the third dose) among healthcare workers (HCWs)., Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study among HCWs (aged ≥18 years) in Brazil from January 2021 to July 2022. To assess the variation in the effectiveness of booster dose over time, we estimated the effectiveness rate by taking the log risk ratio as a function of time., Results: Of 14,532 HCWs, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was confirmed in 56.3% of HCWs receiving 2 doses of CoronaVac vaccine versus 23.2% of HCWs receiving 2 doses of CoronaVac vaccine with mRNA booster ( P < .001), and 37.1% of HCWs receiving 2 doses of ChAdOx1 vaccine versus 22.7% among HCWs receiving 2 doses of ChAdOx1 vaccine with mRNA booster ( P < .001). The highest vaccine effectiveness with mRNA booster was observed 30 days after vaccination: 91% for the CoronaVac vaccine group and 97% for the ChAdOx1 vaccine group. Vacine effectiveness declined to 55% and 67%, respectively, at 180 days. Of 430 samples screened for mutations, 49.5% were SARS-CoV-2 delta variants and 34.2% were SARS-CoV-2 omicron variants., Conclusions: Heterologous COVID-19 vaccines were effective for up to 180 days in preventing COVID-19 in the SARS-CoV-2 delta and omicron variant eras, which suggests the need for a second booster., Competing Interests: All authors report no conflict of interest relevant to this article., (© The Author(s) 2023.)

Background: Little is currently known about vaccine effectiveness (VE) for either 2 doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca (ChAdOx1) viral vector vaccine or CoronaVac (Instituto Butantan) inactivated viral vaccine followed by a third dose of mRNA vaccine (Pfizer/BioNTech) among healthcare workers (HCWs)., Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study among HCWs (aged ≥18 years) working in a private healthcare system in Brazil from January to December 2021. VE was defined as 1 - incidence rate ratio (IRR), with IRR determined using Poisson models with the occurrence of laboratory-confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection as the outcome, adjusting for age, sex, and job type. We compared those receiving viral vector or inactivated viral primary series (2 doses) with those who received an mRNA booster., Results: A total of 11 427 HCWs met the inclusion criteria. COVID-19 was confirmed in 31.5% of HCWs receiving 2 doses of CoronaVac vaccine versus 0.9% of HCWs receiving 2 doses of CoronaVac vaccine with mRNA booster (P < .001) and 9.8% of HCWs receiving 2 doses of ChAdOx1 vaccine versus 1% among HCWs receiving 2 doses of ChAdOx1 vaccine with mRNA booster (P < .001). In the adjusted analyses, the estimated VE was 92.0% for 2 CoronaVac vaccines plus mRNA booster and 60.2% for 2 ChAdOx1 vaccines plus mRNA booster, when compared with those with no mRNA booster. Of 246 samples screened for mutations, 191 (77.6%) were Delta variants., Conclusions: While 2 doses of ChAdOx1 or CoronaVac vaccines prevent COVID-19, the addition of a Pfizer/BioNTech booster provided significantly more protection., Competing Interests: Potential conflicts of interest. A. L. B. reports the following contracts or grants unrelated to this work: MCTIC/CNPq/FNDCT/MS/SCTIE/Decit 07/2020, Brazil. All other authors report no potential conflicts. All authors have submitted the ICMJE Form for Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest. Conflicts that the editors consider relevant to the content of the manuscript have been disclosed., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Objective: We investigated real-world vaccine effectiveness for Oxford-AstraZeneca (ChAdOx1) and CoronaVac against laboratory-confirmed severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection among healthcare workers (HCWs)., Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study among HCWs (aged ≥18 years) working in a private healthcare system in Brazil between January 1, 2021 and August 3, 2021, to assess vaccine effectiveness. We calculated vaccine effectiveness as 1 - rate ratio (RR), with RR determined by adjusting Poisson models with the occurrence of SARS-CoV-2 infection as the outcome and the vaccination status as the main variable. We used the logarithmic link function and simple models adjusting for sex, age, and job types., Results: In total, 13,813 HCWs met the inclusion criteria for this analysis. Among them, 6,385 (46.2%) received the CoronaVac vaccine, 5,916 (42.8%) received the ChAdOx1 vaccine, and 1,512 (11.0%) were not vaccinated. Overall, COVID-19 occurred in 6% of unvaccinated HCWs, 3% of HCWs who received 2 doses of CoronaVac vaccine, and 0.7% of HCWs who received 2 doses of ChAdOx1 vaccine ( P < .001). In the adjusted analyses, the estimated vaccine effectiveness rates were 51.3% for CoronaVac, and 88.1% for ChAdOx1 vaccine. Both vaccines reduced the number of hospitalizations, the length of hospital stay, and the need for mechanical ventilation. In addition, 19 SARS-CoV-2 samples from 19 HCWs were screened for mutations of interest. Of 19 samples, 18 were the γ (gamma) variant., Conclusions: Although both COVID-19 vaccines (viral vector and inactivated virus) can significantly prevent COVID-19 among HCWs, CoronaVac was much less effective. The COVID-19 vaccines were also effective against the dominant γ variant.

This study evaluated the feasibility of infrared (MIR/NIR) spectroscopy coupled to chemometrics as an alternative method for determining the antioxidant activity (AA%) of pomegranate (Punica granatum) and clove (Syzygium aromaticum) alcoholic extracts versus the conventional DPPH method. Multivariate curve resolution with alternating least squares (MCR-ALS) and Partial least squares (PLS) regression were efficient to predict the AA%, thus providing good accuracy and low residuals compared to the standard method. The MCR-ALS combined with NIR data stood out among the other models with R 2  ≥ 0.962 and RMSEP ≤ 3.38 %; furthermore, this technique presents the great feature of recovering the pure spectral profile of the analytes and identifying interferents in the sample. The application of chemometrics tools to predict the antioxidant activity of natural extracts resulted in a greener, low-cost and efficient process for the food industry., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Despite the advance of vaccination worldwide, epidemic waves caused by more transmissible and immune evasive genetic variants of SARS-CoV-2 have sustained the ongoing pandemic of COVID-19. Monitoring such variants is expensive, as it usually relies on whole-genome sequencing methods. Therefore, it is necessary to develop alternatives that could help identify samples from specific variants. Reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification is a method that has been increasingly used for nucleic acid amplification, as it is cheaper and easier to perform when compared to other molecular techniques. As a proof of concept that can help distinguish variants, we present an RT-LAMP assay capable of detecting samples carrying a group of mutations that can be related to specific SARS-CoV-2 lineages, here demonstrated for the Variant of Concern Gamma. We tested 60 SARS-CoV-2 RNA samples extracted from swab samples and the reaction showed a sensitivity of 93.33%, a specificity of 88.89% and a kappa value of 0.822 for samples with a Ct ≤ 22.93. The RT-LAMP assay demonstrated to be useful to distinguish VOC Gamma and may be of particular interest as a screening approach for variants in countries with poor sequencing coverage., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Cardiovascular comorbidity is common in small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and may significantly affect treatment tolerability and patient outcome. Still, there are no established biomarkers for objective and dynamic assessment as a tool for improved treatment decisions. We have investigated circulating levels of midregional-pro-adrenomedullin (MR-proADM), midregional-pro-atrial-natriuretic peptide (MR-proANP), copeptin (surrogate for vasopressin) and suppression-of-tumorigenicity-2 (ST2), all known to correlate with various aspects of cardiovascular function, in a SCLC cohort (N = 252) from a randomized, controlled trial (RASTEN). For all measured biomarkers, protein levels were inversely associated with survival, particularly with ST2 and MR-proADM, where the top versus bottom quartile was associated with an adjusted hazard ratio of 2.40 (95% CI 1.44−3.98; p = 0.001) and 2.18 (95% CI 1.35−3.51; p = 0.001), respectively, in the entire cohort, and 3.43 (95% CI 1.73−6.79; p < 0.001) and 3.49 (95% CI 1.84−6.60; p < 0.001), respectively, in extensive disease patients. A high combined score of MR-proADM and ST2 was associated with a significantly reduced median OS of 7.0 months vs. 14.9 months for patients with a low combined score. We conclude that the cardiovascular biomarkers MR-proADM and ST2 strongly correlate with survival in SCLC, warranting prospective studies on the clinical utility of MR-proADM and ST2 for improved, individualized treatment decisions.

The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of adenovirus (AdV), rotavirus (RV), and hepatitis E virus (HEV) in beef, pork, and chicken meat cuts in retail trade in the city of Uruguaiana, RS, Brazil. A total of 131 meat products were collected (beef, n  = 55; chicken, n  = 47; pork, n  = 29) from 18 commercial establishments (supermarkets, n  = 7; butchers, n  = 7; markets/grocery stores, n = 4). All samples were evaluated for AdV, RV, and HEV. The genomes of RV and AdV were identified in 29% ( n  = 38) and 5.34% ( n  = 7) of the samples, respectively. HEV was not identified in any of the samples. Chicken cuts had a higher frequency of AdV and RV isolates compared to beef and pork ( P  < 0.05). Among the categories of commercial establishments evaluated, all revealed at least one positive sample for AdV and RV; however, supermarkets showed a higher frequency of RV than others ( P  < 0.05). The genetic material of AdV and RV was identified simultaneously in 2.29% ( n  = 3) of samples from supermarkets ( n  = 2) and grocery stores ( n  = 1). This is the first report on detection of enteric viruses in meat cuts in the western region of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, and the presence of AdV and RV in these products may indicate flaws during the process of handling these foods, especially in places where commercialization provides important public health issues., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (© 2022 The Authors.)

Objectives: To examine the prognostic significance of pretreatment C-reactive protein (CRP), N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), and cardiac troponin T (cTnT) levels on all-cause mortality 3 years after head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) diagnosis., Subjects and Methods: Data from 118 consecutive HNSCC patients, treated between 2012 and 2015, were evaluated prospectively. The impact of CRP, high-sensitive (hs)-cTnT, and NT-proBNP levels on the 3-year overall survival was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazard models., Results: During the 36-month follow-up, 37 patients (31.35%) died. Multivariate analysis revealed that elevated CRP (Hazard ratio: 3.71, 95% CI: 1.44-9.53, p = .007) and NT-proBNP levels (Hazard ratio: 5.04, 95% CI: 2.02-12.55, p = .001) were associated with negative prognosis, independent on age, sex, smoking and alcohol status, TNM classification, tumor site, body mass index (BMI), systolic blood pressure (SBP), and treatment modality (except for radiotherapy). hs-cTnT had no influence over the prognosis, but it was correlated with TNM classification and SBP. CRP was significantly correlated with BMI and TNM classification, and NT-proBNP with SBP and hs-cTnT., Conclusions: Pretreatment CRP and NT-proBNP levels were identified as independent prognostic markers for poor clinical outcome 3 years after HNSCC diagnosis., (© 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Infection caused by the new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) has become a serious worldwide public health problem, and one of the most important strategies for its control is mass testing. Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) has emerged as an important alternative to simplify the diagnostics of infectious diseases. In addition, an advantage of LAMP is that it allows for easy reading of the final result through visual detection. However, this step must be performed with caution to avoid contamination and false-positive results. LAMP performed on microfluidic platforms can minimize false-positive results, in addition to having potential for point-of-care applications. Here, we describe a polystyrene-toner (PS-T) centrifugal microfluidic device manually controlled by a fidget spinner for molecular diagnosis of COVID-19 by RT-LAMP, with integrated and automated colorimetric detection. The amplification was carried out in a microchamber with 5 μL capacity, and the reaction was thermally controlled with a thermoblock at 72 °C for 10 min. At the end of the incubation time, the detection of amplified RT-LAMP fragments was performed directly on the chip by automated visual detection. Our results demonstrate that it is possible to detect COVID-19 in reactions initiated with approximately 10 -3 copies of SARS-CoV-2 RNA. Clinical samples were tested using our RT-LAMP protocol as well as by conventional RT-qPCR, demonstrating comparable performance to the CDC SARS-CoV-2 RT-qPCR assay. The methodology described in this study represents a simple, rapid, and accurate method for rapid molecular diagnostics of COVID-19 in a disposable microdevice, ideal for point-of-care testing (POCT) systems.

Background: Macrophage activation plays a central role in hepatic and systemic inflammation and is involved in the pathogenesis of acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF)., Aims: This study aimed to investigate neopterin levels in patients admitted for acute decompensation (AD) of cirrhosis, evaluating its relationship with ACLF and prognosis., Methods: This prospective cohort study included 205 adult subjects hospitalized for AD of cirrhosis. Twenty-one healthy subjects and 89 patients with stable cirrhosis were evaluated as controls., Results: Circulating neopterin was higher in AD as compared to stable cirrhosis and healthy controls (p<0.001). ACLF was independently associated with higher neopterin levels (OR 1.015, 95% CI 1.002-1.028, p = 0.025). In the multivariate Cox regression analysis, neopterin levels (HR = 1.002, IC 95% 1.000-1.004, p = 0.041), Child-Pugh class C, and ACLF were predictors of 30-day survival. Among patients with ACLF, the Kaplan-Meier survival probability was 71.4% in those with neopterin levels < 25 nmol/L and 31.0% if neopterin ≥ 25 nmol/L (p<0.001)., Conclusions: Higher circulating neopterin was associated with ACLF in patients hospitalized for AD of cirrhosis. Neopterin levels were also independently predictors of high short-term mortality, especially among patients with ACLF, and could represent a useful biomarker of macrophage activation in clinical practice., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest None declared., (Copyright © 2020 Editrice Gastroenterologica Italiana S.r.l. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Zika virus (ZIKV) is a current threat to global health. In most of cases, ZIKV infection has no symptoms; however in some cases, ZIKV can cause paralysis (Guillain-Barré syndrome), and in pregnant women, it can cause birth defects in infants. Rapid and accurate diagnosis can help improve disease control as well as being vital to prenatal care for women living in endemic areas. Molecular diagnostics based on isothermal amplification techniques are an excellent alternative to conventional methods of DNA amplification, such as PCR. Here, we develop and optimized a rapid and sensitive method for direct detection of ZIKV in Serum samples based on RT-LAMP and visual detection. The reaction was thermally controlled with a thermoblock for 10 min at 72 °C. The results show that the use of the Bst 3.0 enzyme and an adequate optimization can further reduce the time needed for the RT-LAMP reaction to detect ZIKV. Our results demonstrate that it is possible to detect ZIKV through RT-LAMP directly from a Serum sample, without prior RNA extraction. As little as 10 -3 copies of RNA in a 10 μL reaction (20 zepto-molar) was detected by RT-LAMP from a panel of 51 Serum samples (16 samples from pregnant women and 35 samples from newborns infected with ZIKV during pregnancy). The RT-LAMP has proven to be a valuable tool for molecular diagnosis of Zika, presenting a great potential for point-of-care applications, especially in developing countries., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Primary brain tumors, in particular glioblastoma (GBM), remain among the most challenging cancers. Like most malignant tumors, GBM is characterized by hypoxic stress that triggers paracrine, adaptive responses, such as angiogenesis and macrophage recruitment, rescuing cancer cells from metabolic catastrophe and conventional oncological treatments. The unmet need of strategies to efficiently target tumor "stressness" represents a strong clinical motivation to better understand the underlying mechanisms of stress adaptation. Here, we have investigated how lipid loading may be involved in the paracrine crosstalk between cancer cells and the stromal compartment of the hypoxic tumor microenvironment., Methods: Regions from patient GBM tumors with or without the lipid loaded phenotype were isolated by laser capture microdissection and subjected to comparative gene expression analysis in parallel with cultured GBM cells with or without lipid loading. The potential involvement of extracellular lipids in the paracrine crosstalk with stromal cells was studied by immunoprofiling of the secretome and functional studies in vitro as well as in various orthotopic GBM mouse models, including hyperlipidemic ApoE-/- mice. Statistical analyses of quantitative experimental methodologies were performed using unpaired Student's T test. For survival analyses of mouse experiments, log-rank test was used, whereas Kaplan-Meier was performed to analyze patient survival., Results: We show that the lipid loaded niche of GBM patient tumors exhibits an amplified hypoxic response and that the acquisition of extracellular lipids by GBM cells can reinforce paracrine activation of stromal cells and immune cells. At the functional level, we show that lipid loading augments the secretion of e.g. VEGF and HGF, and may potentiate the cross-activation of endothelial cells and macrophages. In line with these data, in vivo studies suggest that combined local tumor lipid loading and systemic hyperlipidemia of ApoE-/- mice receiving a high fat diet induces tumor vascularization and macrophage recruitment, and was shown to significantly decrease animal survival., Conclusions: Together, these data identify extracellular lipid loading as a potentially targetable modulator of the paracrine adaptive response in the hypoxic tumor niche and suggest the contribution of the distinct lipid loaded phenotype in shaping the glioma microenvironment.

Leading taxonomist Prof. Eudóxia Maria Froehlich (1929*-2015†) kept an uncatalogued personal collection of a large set of histological glass slides of land planarians. Many of these slides carry insufficient written information for identification purposes. 2287 slides of her collection were examined under the microscope and compared with relevant literature. We found 1633 slides bearing type material of a total of 119 nominal species, mostly collected in the Neotropical region. Identification of 148 slides (belonging to 16 species) as type material is suspected but not confirmed. Type material represents 110 triclad species. There is also type material of two Polycladida, two Rhabdocoela, three Proseriata, one Prolecitophora, and one Acoelomorpha species. The 119 nominal species were described by Ernest Marcus, Eveline du Bois Reymond-Marcus, Diva Diniz Corrêa, Cláudio Gilberto Froehlich, and Eudóxia Maria Froehlich. While keeping the slides in their original location in cupboards, the catalogue provides a quick means of retrieving desired slides. Slides were deposited in the Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo.

Background: The prevalence of high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA in cases of oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) varies widely. The aim of this study is to investigate the frequency of high-risk HPV DNA in a large Brazilian cohort of patients with oral cavity SCC., Methods: Biopsy and resected frozen and formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded specimens of oral cavity SCC were available from 101 patients who were recruited at two Brazilian centres. Stringent measures with respect to case selection and prevention of sample contamination were adopted to ensure reliability of the data. Nested PCR using MY09/MY11 and GP5 + /GP6 + as well as PGMY09/11 L1 consensus primers were performed to investigate the presence of HPV DNA in the tumours. HPV-positive cases were subjected to direct sequencing. Shapiro-Wilk and Student t test were used to evaluate data normality and to compare the means, respectively. Qualitative variables were analysed by logistic regression., Results: Our results demonstrate that the frequency of high-risk HPV types in oral cavity SCC is very low and is less than 4%. All HPV-positive cases were HPV16. In addition, our results do not show a significant association between the tumour clinical features and the risk factors (tobacco, alcohol and HPV) for oral cavity SCC., Conclusion: In the current study, we observed an overlapping pattern of risk factors that are related to tumour development. This, along with a low frequency of high-risk HPV DNA, supports the findings that HPV is not involved in the genesis of oral cavity SCC in Brazilian population.

Two opposing clusters of transcription factors (TF) have been associated with the differential risks of estrogen receptor positive or negative breast cancers, but the mechanisms underlying the opposing functions of the two clusters are undefined. In this study, we identified NFIB and YBX1 as novel interactors of the estrogen receptor (ESR1). NFIB and YBX1 are both risk TF associated with progression of ESR1-negative disease. Notably, they both interacted with the ESR1-FOXA1 complex and inhibited the transactivational potential of ESR1. Moreover, signaling through FGFR2, a known risk factor in breast cancer development, augmented these interactions and further repressed ESR1 target gene expression. We therefore show that members of two opposing clusters of risk TFs associated with ESR1-positive and -negative breast cancer can physically interact. We postulate that this interaction forms a toggle between two developmental pathways affected by FGFR2 signaling, possibly offering a junction to exploit therapeutically. Significance: Binding of the transcription factors NFIB and YBX1 to the estrogen receptor can promote an estrogen-independent phenotype that can be reverted by inhibiting FGFR2 signaling. Cancer Res; 78(2); 410-21. ©2017 AACR ., (©2017 American Association for Cancer Research.)

In recent years, isothermal DNA amplification methods have emerged as an alternative in molecular diagnostics due to its ease of operation. The purpose of using isothermal amplification is to simplify the diagnostics work by i) eliminating heating cycles, ii) reducing equipment costs, and iii) providing rapid and accurate results in laboratories with limited resources. Here we show a simple and fast method for E. coli detection in disposable polyester-toner (PeT) microdevice. The amplification by LAMP of the malB gene from E. coli was carried out in a microchamber with 5-μL capacity and the reaction was thermally controlled with a thermoblock at 66 °C for 60 min. The passivation of the surface of PeT channels with BSA improved the efficiency of the LAMP reaction. The detection of amplified LAMP fragments was performed directly on-chip by visual detection and validated with off-chip detection to compare results. Visualization of amplicons directly in the microchip yielded positive reactions as low as 10 double-stranded DNA copies. Separation by gel electrophoresis was able to detect amplicons in reactions that initiated only with one copy of double-stranded DNA. We demonstrate that LAMP in PeT microchip is an important tool for molecular diagnostics at the point-of-care., (Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.)