Journals
2013 EN
Naomi Tsurikisawa · Akemi Saito · Chiyako Oshikata
+3 more
Background Studies of avoidance of exposure to group 1 allergens of the Dermatophagoides group (Der p 1) have not yielded consistent improvements in adult asthma through avoidance. We explored whether the use of pillow and bed covers and allergen-avoidance counseling resulted in Der 1-level reduction, as measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and thus improved asthma symptoms in adult patients. Methods Twenty-five adult patients with moderate or severe atopic asthma were randomized into intervention and control groups. Intervention patients slept on pillows and mattresses or futons encased in microfine-fiber covers and were counseled in allergen avoidance through bedroom cleaning. Control patients received neither special covers nor counseling. In the period August to October in 2009 (pre-intervention) and 2010 (post-intervention), dust samples were collected in open Petri dishes placed in bedrooms for 2 weeks and by rapid lifting of dust from bedding and skin using adhesive tape on the morning of 1 day of Petri dish placement. We examined the associations between changes in Der 1 level (as measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) and clinical symptom score, minimum % peak expiratory flow, and fraction of exhaled nitric oxide. Results Der 1 allergen levels on the mattress/futon covers and near the floor of the bedrooms of intervention patients, but not controls, were lower in 2010 than in 2009. From 2009 to 2010, asthma symptom scores decreased significantly, and minimum % peak expiratory flow increased significantly, in intervention patients. The fall in Der p 1 concentration was correlated with a reduction in the fraction of exhaled nitric oxide. Conclusions Minimization of Der 1 allergen exposure by encasing pillows and mattresses or futons and receiving counseling on avoiding exposure to indoor allergens improved asthma control in adult patients.
Journals
2013 EN
Marcelo Ananias Teocchi · Ana Érika Dias Ferreira · Evandro Pinto da Luz de Oliveira
+2 more
Background Previous research in animal seizure models indicates that the pleiotropic cytokine TNF is an important effector/mediator of neuroinflammation and cell death. Recently, it has been demonstrated that TNF downregulates Klotho (KL) through the nuclear factor kappa B (NFkB) system in animal models of chronic kidney disease and colitis. KL function in the brain is unclear, although Klotho knockout ( Kl −/− ) mice exhibit neural degeneration and a reduction of hippocampal synapses. Our aim was to verify if the triad KL - NFKB1 - TNF is also dysregulated in temporal lobe epilepsy associated with hippocampal sclerosis (TLE(HS)) patients. Findings We evaluated TNF , NFKB1 and KL relative mRNA expression levels by reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) in resected hippocampal tissue samples from 14 TLE(HS) patients and compared them to five post mortem controls. Four reference genes were used: GAPDH , HPRT1 , ENO2 and TBP . We found that TNF expression was dramatically upregulated in TLE(HS) patients ( P <0.005). NFKB1 expression was also increased ( P <0.03) while KL was significantly downregulated ( P <0.03) in TLE(HS) patients. Hippocampal KL expression had an inverse correlation with NFKB1 and TNF . Conclusions Our data suggest that, similar to other inflammatory diseases, TNF downregulates KL through NFkB in TLE(HS) patients. The remarkable TNF upregulation in patients is a strong indication of hippocampal chronic inflammation. Our finding of hippocampal KL downregulation has wide implications not only for TLE(HS) but also for other neuronal disorders related to neurodegeneration associated with inflammation.
Journals
2013 EN
Francesca Ferretti · Simonetta Gerevini · B. Colombo
+6 more
Susac’s Syndrome (SS) is an autoimmune endotheliopathy of cerebral, retinal and cochlear arterioles. We report of an HIV-infected woman who developed a first SS episode following a spontaneous reduction of plasma viral load and several relapses six years later, following initiation of combined antiretroviral therapy (cART). Corticosteroids and intravenous immunoglobulins alone did not control the disease, which improved after combined treatment with acyclovir and ganciclovir. SS onset in HIV infection and relapses during cART-induced immune reconstitution are consistent with the dysimmune nature of the disease. The response to anti-herpes drugs suggests a viral contribute in this case of SS.
Journals
2013 EN
Maria Sandbacka · Hannele Laivuori · Érika L. Freitas
+5 more
Background Müllerian aplasia (MA) is a congenital disorder of the female reproductive tract with absence of uterus and vagina with paramount impact on a woman’s life. Despite intense research, no major genes have been found to explain the complex genetic etiology. Methods and Results We have used several genetic methods to study 112 patients with MA. aCGH identified CNVs in 8/50 patients (16%), including 16p11.2 and 17q12 deletions previously associated with MA. Subsequently, another four patients were shown to carry the ~0.53 Mb deletion in 16p11.2. More importantly, sequencing of TBX6, residing within 16p11.2, revealed two patients carrying a splice site mutation . Two previously reported TBX6 variants in exon 4 and 6 were shown to have a significantly higher frequency in patients (8% and 5%, respectively) than in controls (2% each). We also sequenced LHX1 and found three apparently pathogenic missense variants in 5/112 patients. Altogether, we identified either CNVs or variations in TBX6 or LHX1 in 30/112 (26.8%) MA patients. CNVs were found in 12/112 (10.7%), patients, novel variants in TBX6 or LHX1 in 7/112 (6.3%), and rare variants in TBX6 in 15/112 (13.4%) patients. Furthermore, four of our patients (4/112, 3.6%) were shown to carry variants in both TBX6 and LHX1 or a CNV in combination with TBX6 variants lending support to the complex genetic etiology of MA. Conclusions We have identified TBX6 as a new gene associated with MA. Our results also support the relevance of LHX1 and CNVs in the development of this congenital malformation.
Journals
2013 EN
Giovana Tardin Torrezan · Felipe Cavalcanti Carneiro da Silva · Érika Maria Monteiro Santos
+5 more
Background Patients with multiple colorectal adenomas are currently screened for germline mutations in two genes, APC and MUTYH . APC -mutated patients present classic or attenuated familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP/AFAP), while patients carrying biallelic MUTYH mutations exhibit MUTYH-associated polyposis (MAP). The spectrum of mutations as well as the genotype-phenotype correlations in polyposis syndromes present clinical impact and can be population specific, making important to obtain genetic and clinical data from different populations. Methods DNA sequencing of the complete coding region of the APC and MUTYH genes was performed in 23 unrelated Brazilian polyposis patients. In addition, mutation-negative patients were screened for large genomic rearrangements by multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification, array-comparative genomic hybridization, and duplex quantitative PCR. Biallelic MUTYH mutations were confirmed by allele-specific PCR. Clinical data of the index cases and their affected relatives were used to assess genotype–phenotype correlations. Results Pathogenic mutations were identified in 20 of the 23 probands (87%): 14 in the APC gene and six in the MUTYH gene; six of them (30%) were described for the first time in this series. Genotype-phenotype correlations revealed divergent results compared with those described in other studies, particularly regarding the extent of polyposis and the occurrence of desmoid tumors in families with mutations before codon 1444 (6/8 families with desmoid). Conclusions This first comprehensive investigation of the APC and MUTYH mutation spectrum in Brazilian polyposis patients showed a high detection rate and identified novel pathogenic mutations. Notably, a significant number of APC -positive families were not consistent with the predicted genotype-phenotype correlations from other populations.
Journals
2013 EN
Francesca Fanelli · Sara Sepe · Marcello D’Amelio
+6 more
Background Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease, especially affecting the hippocampus. Impairment of cognitive and memory functions is associated with amyloid β-peptide-induced oxidative stress and alterations in lipid metabolism. In this scenario, the dual role of peroxisomes in producing and removing ROS, and their function in fatty acids β-oxidation, may be critical. This work aims to investigating the possible involvement of peroxisomes in AD onset and progression, as studied in a transgenic mouse model, harboring the human Swedish familial AD mutation. We therefore characterized the peroxisomal population in the hippocampus, focusing on early, advanced, and late stages of the disease (3, 6, 9, 12, 18 months of age). Several peroxisome-related markers in transgenic and wild-type hippocampal formation were comparatively studied, by a combined molecular/immunohistochemical/ultrastructural approach. Results Our results demonstrate early and significant peroxisomal modifications in AD mice, compared to wild-type. Indeed, the peroxisomal membrane protein of 70 kDa and acyl-CoA oxidase 1 are induced at 3 months, possibly reflecting the need for efficient fatty acid β-oxidation, as a compensatory response to mitochondrial dysfunction. The concomitant presence of oxidative damage markers and the altered expression of antioxidant enzymes argue for early oxidative stress in AD. During physiological and pathological brain aging, important changes in the expression of peroxisome-related proteins, also correlating with ongoing gliosis, occur in the hippocampus. These age- and genotype-based alterations, strongly dependent on the specific marker considered, indicate metabolic and/or numerical remodeling of peroxisomal population. Conclusions Overall, our data support functional and biogenetic relationships linking peroxisomes to mitochondria and suggest peroxisomal proteins as biomarkers/therapeutic targets in pre-symptomatic AD.
Journals
2013 EN
Raquel Pantarotto Souza · Fabrícia Gimenes · André LP de Abreu
+6 more
Background Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection is a serious problem for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected women, increases their risk of cervical lesions and cancer. In cervical carcinogenesis, mutations in the p53 gene occur most frequently within exons 5–8. To our knowledge, no previous studies have analyzed mutations in exons 5–8 of the p53 gene in HIV- and HPV-infected women. In our study, we verified these mutations in women with and without cervical abnormalities. Findings The study included 160 women, divided into three groups: (1) 83 HPV- and HIV-infected women (HIV group); (2) 37 HPV-infected/HIV-uninfected (control group); and (3) 40 normal cytology/DNA-HPV negative/HIV-uninfected women (negative control p53 reactions). HPV-DNA was detected using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and genotyping by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. Using primers for exons 5–8, the mutation of the p53 gene was verified by PCR-single strand conformational polymorphism. The total mutation of the p53 gene in exons 5–8 was not significantly associated with the HIV and control groups. The mutations in exon 7 were the highest in the HIV group (43.8%) and in exon 6 in the control group (57.2%) (p = 0.0793) suggesting a tendency toward differential mutation in exon 7 in the HIV group. Conclusions Our study provides preliminary evidence that the mutation in exon 7 might be an important differentiating factor for cervical carcinogenesis in HIV-infected women. This aspect deserves an additional cross-sectional and longitudinal study using a larger sample size with a higher number of High-grade squamous intraephitelial lesion (HSIL) to observe the evolution of cervical lesions.
Journals
2013 EN
Rolando AR Villacis · Érika MM Santos · Bernard Rossi
+3 more
Results It was found 252 CNVs (4.4 ± 3.6 CNVs/individual), including 104 genomic gains and 148 losses. After comparison with a reference group, composed of 100 healthy Brazilian women (Krepischi et al., 2012) and the Database of Genomic Variants (DGV-hg18), 106 rare CNVs were identified in 41 cases and 10 new rare CNVs in six cases. Four rare CNVs, of the same size, were detected in at least three cases: 1q21.1, 7p22.3, 11q13.2 and 15q11.2. Four patients had new rare CNVs mapped at 7p22.3. In 7p22.3 and 15q11.2.
Journals
2013 EN
Érika Maria Terra · Geórgia Modé Magalhães · Marcela M. M. P. Rodrigues
+3 more
Background Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a fundamental biologic process whereby epithelial cells detach from the surrounding tissue and acquire characteristics of mesenchymal cells, a unique motile, spindle-shaped cell with endto-end polarity. EMT can be induced or regulated by various growth and differentiation factors; among these, TGFb has received much attention as a major inducer of EMT during embryogenesis, cancer progression and fibrosis. Our aim was to correlate the immunohistochemical expression of TGFb, e-cadherin and vimentin in canine mammary tumors.
Journals
2013 EN
Geórgia Modé Magalhães · Érika Maria Terra · Rosemeri de Oliveira Vasconcelos
+4 more
Background Canine mammary neoplasias are very common and, in Brazil, 70% are considered malignant. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are able to self-renew and have abilities to form metastases. In canine mammary tumors these CSCs were isolated by flow cytometry by means of the surface markers CD44+/CD24-. The aims of this study was detect these CSCs by immunohistochemical reactions and correlate them with degrees of canine mammary neoplasias.