Smoking as a risk factor for the development of breast cancer

INTRODUCTION: Smoking is considered a public health problem and in many cases is responsible for the development of lung diseases and cancer. One of the mechanisms by which tobacco can induce cancer is through the generation of free radicals, establishing an oxidative stress status in smokers. With increasing smoking among women, much evidence in the literature has shown a relation between smoking and breast cancer development. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this review was to analyze the available studies in literature that demonstrate the association between smoking and the risk of breast cancer development. METHODS: We performed a review from the literature based on the search results in PubMed and Scielo. The selected works were composed by current articles according to their relevance and human application. RESULTS: The literature revealed several published studies linking smoking to oxidative stress through the action of free radicals that are generated by toxic compounds found in cigarettes. There are few studies relating smoking with breast cancer, which is a relatively more recent research line, where the vast majority of works includes epidemiological and controversial studies. CONCLUSIONS: The selected works show that, although controversial, smoking is considered a risk factor for developing breast cancer.

Aspects related to oxidative stress-mediated toxicity of doxorubicin during chemotherapy treatment

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to describe the main toxic effects mediated by oxidative stress associated with treatment with doxorubicin in scientific research articles available in the literature. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This study employed a descriptive review methodology applied to the literature. For the theoretical scientific background, we used the electronic PubMed search engines. CONCLUSION: The toxicity of chemotherapy treatment with doxorubicin causes damage in various organs of patients who are in uninterrupted treatment with this antineoplastic agent. Anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity has been investigated to a great degree and is especially indicated as the principal side effect. Therefore, care needs to be given to other damage caused by this medication as important as myocardial toxicity, such as renal, pulmonary and liver toxicity, among others. There is a need for further studies to prevent or even encounter a way to control the damage caused by these toxicities in various tissues.

Interações entre candida albicans e hospedeiro / Interactions between candida albicans and host

Candida albicans pode causar graves infecções em pacientes que estão imunocomprometidos por doenças, por cirurgias ou por terapia imunossupressiva. Os altos níveis de morbidade e mortalidade resultantes de infecções em pacientes hospitalizados mostraram que C. albicans tornou-se um patógeno humano de grande relevância clínica. Mesmo o sistema imune sendo o principal fator que define a transição do fungo de comensal para patogênico, fatores de virulência expressos por C. albicans, tais como adesinas, mudança fenotípica, comportamento dimórfico, e secreção de enzimas hidrolíticas, podem contribuir para a persistência da colonização, assim como o desenvolvimento de episódios sintomáticos. A defesa do hospedeiro compreende ingestão e eliminação do fungo por células fagocíticas que possuem vários receptores, como o Toll-4, dectina-1 associado a receptores tipo Toll-2 e receptores de manose. A interleucina-10 (IL-10) produzida por fagócitos determina a susceptibilidade do hospedeiro a infecção fúngica, enquanto a IL-10 produzida por células T reguladoras é responsável pelo comensalismo. Em contraste, a produção de fator de necrose tumoral- α (TNF-α), interleucina –1 β (lL-1 β), (IL-6), (Il-12) e IL-17 conferem imunidade protetora. O interferon-γ (IFN- γ) produzido por células natural “killer” e células Th1 estimula a migração de fagócitos e maior eficácia na destruição do fungo. Nas células epiteliais de mucosas os receptores NOD-like e defensinas-β citoplasmáticos evitam a translocação de C. albicans da microbiota para os tecidos os quais são modulados por citocinas IL-1 β,IL-17 e IL-22.

Candida albicans can cause grave infections in patients who are immunocompromised by diseases, by surgery, or by immunesupresive therapy. The high levels of morbidity and mortality resulting from those infections in hospitalized patients show that C. albicans became a prominent human pathogen. Although the host immune system is the major factor balancing the transition from commensalisms to pathogenicity, several virulence attributes expressed by C. albicans, such as adhesion factors, phenotypic switching, dimorphic behavior, and secretion of hydrolytic enzymes, might contribute to the persistence of colonization as well as the development of symptomatic episodes. Host defense against candidiasis relies mainly on the ingestion and elimination of C. albicans by phagocytic cells, which present receptors Toll-like 4, dectin–1 associated to receptors Toll-like2 and mannose receptors. The cytokine IL-10 (IL-10) produced by phagocytes has a crucial role on susceptibility of host fungal infection, whereas IL-10 produced by regulatory T cells is mainly responsible by commensalisms. In contrast, productions of tumour necrosis factor - α (TNF-α), interleukin–1 β (lL-1 β), (IL-6) and (Il-12) provided protective cell–mediated immunity. The interferon-γ produced by natural killer and TH1 cells stimulates migration of phagocytes and major efficacy on destruction of fungi. In epithelial cells from mucosas the NOD-like receptors and defensins-β cytoplasmatic prevent the translocation of C. albicans from microbiota to tissues, which are modulated by IL-1 β, Il-17 and Il-22 cytokines.

Breast cancer and oxidative stress in chemotherapy

Objective: This revision characterizes the biomarkers used for analysis of the development of oxidative stress produced during breast cancer chemotherapy. Materials and methods: A search of articles indexed in digital databases (Lilacs, Bireme, PubMed, Scielo and digital libraries), along with publications printed as books, periodicals and articles not available online, in the period from 1979 to 2009. Conclusion: Reactive oxygen and nitrogen species are produced, principally, during aerobic metabolism; however, its synthesis can be exacerbated or antioxidant defense reduced or more usually, both conditions can occurr in many pathophysiologic situations, leading to a net reactive species yelded. This unbalance is defined as oxidative stress. Stress biomarkers can be defined as predictive indicators able to detect in vivo oxidative damage and can be subdivided into antioxidant and pro-oxidants. To verify the antioxidant system, it is possible to analyze the superoxide dismutase enzymes, catalase and glutathione, along with vitamins A, E, C and glutathione among others. The analysis of pro-oxidants can be made through the verification of protein nitration and oxidation, heat shock proteins, lipoperoxidation, formation of aldehydes for malondialdehyde tests, 4-hydroxynonenal, oxidized LDL and isoprostanes or for chemiluminescent techniques. Advances in cancer detection through the identification of potential biomarkers consist of a promising strategy for the prevention and early identification of this pathology.

Paciente com cefaleia e síndrome vestibular periférica: relato de caso / Patient with headache and peripheral vestibular dysfunction: case report

TEMA: a Reabilitação Vestibular constitui-se numa opção de tratamento para pacientes portadores de síndrome vestibular periférica e cefaleia. PROCEDIMENTOS: o paciente, do sexo feminino com 26 anos de idade apresentava síndrome vestibular periférica acompanhada de crises de cefaleia. Foi realizada avaliação e terapia fonoaudiológica com exercícios de habituação vestibular além de fisioterapia e dieta recomendada pelo nutricionista. RESULTADOS: no período de 3 meses com reabilitação vestibular realizada semanalmente observou-se melhora no quadro vertiginoso e da cefaleia da paciente. CONCLUSÕES: evidenciou-se boa eficácia clínica para o tratamento desta paciente através da reabilitação vestibular com exercícios de habituação vestibular. Salienta-se a eficácia da reabilitação para a melhora na qualidade de vida da paciente e minimização das crises de cefaleia.

BACKGROUND: vestibular rehabilitation is an option for treating peripheral vestibular syndrome and headache patients. PROCEDURES: the patient is a 29-year old woman and has Peripheral Vestibular Syndrome along with headache attacks. Evaluation and Phonoaudiological therapy with exercises of habituation tests with physical and nutritional therapy were carried out. RESULTS: in 3 month period with weekly vestibular rehabilitation therapy, we observed an improvement in the condition of the patient's vertigo and migraine. CONCLUSIONS: it was evident that the patient's treatment through the rehabilitation test with habituation test exercises had good efficiency. Please note the effectiveness of the rehabilitation for the improvement in the patient's life quality and minimization of headache attacks.