ABSTRACT
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that regulate target gene expression and hence play important roles in metabolic pathways. Recent studies have evidenced the interrelation of miRNAs with cell proliferation, differentiation, development, and diseases. Since they are involved in gene regulation, they are intrinsically related to metabolic pathways. This leads to questions that are particularly interesting for investigating medical and laboratorial applications. We developed an miRNApath online database that uses miRNA target genes to link miRNAs to metabolic pathways. Currently, databases about miRNA target genes (DIANA miRGen), genomic maps (miRNAMap) and sequences (miRBase) do not provide such correlations. Additionally, miRNApath offers five search services and a download area. For each search, there is a specific type of input, which can be a list of target genes, miRNAs, or metabolic pathways, which results in different views, depending upon the input data, concerning relationships between the target genes, miRNAs and metabolic pathways. There are also internal links that lead to a deeper analysis and cross-links to other databases with more detailed information. miRNApath is being continually updated and is available at http://lgmb.fmrp.usp.br/mirnapath.
Subject(s)
Humans , Animals , Databases, Nucleic Acid , MicroRNAs/genetics , Software , Computational Biology/methodsABSTRACT
La biopsia renal es el principal método de diagnóstico de las glomerulopatías. El Registro de biopsias renales es importante para conocer la situación epidemiológica y clínicopatológica de las enfermedades renales de un país y las variaciones geográficas entre los países o continentes. Para conocer la situación actual de las glomerulopatías del Paraguay se ha realizado el presente estudio en 1.365 biopsias renales registradas entre agosto de 1989 a junio de 2005 en el Departamento de Patología del IICS, que es el Centro de Referencia y Registro de Biopsias Renales del país, analizando sus aspectos histológicos, demográficos y las diferencias entre periodos quinquenales de estudio. Del total de casos, 1072 (75.5%) fueron glomerulopatías y, a diferencia de la mayoría de los países, se observó un predominio de glomerulonefritis secundarias (GNS) (57.3%) de las cuales 85.9% fueron nefritis lúpica (NL). En las glomerulonefritis primarias (GNP) la GN proliferativa mesangial (GNPM) y la membranoproliferativa (GNMP) fueron las mas frecuentes (39.8% y 28.2%), mientras que la Nefropatía por IgA (NIgA) y la Enfermedad de cambios mínimos (ECM) fueron raras (1.9% y 1.3%). No se observaron cambios significativos de incremento o disminución de tipos histológicos a través de los periodos de estudio tanto en las GNP como en las GNS. La existencia de este registro de biopsias renales fue la base para la creación del Registro de Glomerulopatías del Paraguay en el año 2004, cuyos datos son necesarios para establecer programas de tratamiento y prevención de las enfermedades glomerulares en nuestro país a fin de disminuir su progresión al estadío terminal.
Renal biopsy is the main diagnostic method of glomerulopathies. The registry of renal biopsies is important to know the epidemiological and clinical and pathological situation of renal diseases of a country and the geographic variations between countries or continents. In order to know the current situation of glomerulopathies in our country, we studied 1,365 renal biopsies registered between August 1989 to June 2005 at the Pathology Department of the IICS, the reference center and the Renal Biopsy Registry of the country, analyzing histological and demographic aspects as well as the differences between fiveyear periods of study. On the total cases, 1,072 (75.5%) were glomerulopathies while secondary glomerulonephritis (SGN) were more frequent (57.3 %) with 85.9% of lupus nephritis (LN) in contrast to most countries. Among primary glomerulonephritis (PGN), mesangioproliferative GN (MPGN) and membranoproliferative GN (MPGN) were predominant (39.8% and 28.2%) while IgA Nephropathy (IgAN) and Minimal Change Disease (ECM) were rare (1.9% and 1.3%). We did not observe significant changes of increases or decreases of histological types through the study periods in PGN as well as in SGN. The existence of this registry of renal biopsy was the base for the creation of the Paraguayan Registry of Glomerulopathies in 2004, which data are necessary to establish treatment and prevention programs of glomerular diseases in our country in order to decrease their progression to endstage renal disease.