ABSTRACT
The complement system is a fundamental component of the host immune response. In addition to its effector activity against pathogens, it possesses functions such as opsonization and phagocytosis, removal of immune complexes and activation of the inflammatory process. The knowledge of the complement system is important in the investigation of numerous diseases that can be observed in cases of deficiencies in cascade proteins, their receptors, or regulatory proteins. Clinical and experimental evidence demonstrate the association between the complement system and several inflammatory conditions, as well as a greater susceptibility to infection among patients with complement system dysfunction. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to describe the three complement system pathways - the activation and effector mechanisms and their biochemical characteristics - and correlate them to certain clinical conditions.
ABSTRACT
As transformações da prática médica nos últimos anos - sobretudo com a incorporação de novas tecnologias da informação - apontam a necessidade de ampliar as discussões sobre o processo ensino-aprendizagem na educação médica. A utilização de novas tecnologias computacionais no ensino médico tem demonstrado inúmeras vantagens no processo de aquisição de habilidades para a identificação e a resolução de problemas, o que estimula a criatividade, o senso crítico, a curiosidade e o espírito científico. Nesse contexto, ganham destaque as Redes Neurais Artificiais (RNA) - sistemas computacionais cuja estrutura matemática é inspirada no funcionamento do cérebro humano -, as quais têm sido úteis no processo ensino-aprendizagem e na avaliação de estudantes de Medicina. Com base nessas ponderações, o escopo da presente comunicação é revisar aspectos da aplicação das RNA na educação médica.
The transformations that medical practice has undergone in recent years - especially with the incorporation of new information technologies - point to the need to broaden discussions on the teaching-learning process in medical education. The use of new computer technologies in medical education has shown many advantages in the process of acquiring skills in problem solving, which encourages creativity, critical thinking, curiosity and scientific spirit. In this context, it is important to highlight artificial neural networks (ANN) - computer systems with a mathematical structure inspired by the human brain - which proved to be useful in the evaluation process and the acquisition of knowledge among medical students. The purpose of this communication is to review aspects of the application of ANN in medical education.
ABSTRACT
A resposta inflamatória sistêmica representa o evento patogênico central da sepse, subjazendo às manifestações clínicas e aos achados laboratoriais presentes nos enfermos. Inúmeras pesquisas têm demonstrado que os linfócitos T CD4+CD25+ - também conhecidos como células T reguladoras (Treg) - participam dos processos de desenvolvimento da sepse, em virtude de sua capacidade de suprimir a resposta imune. Com base nessas ideias, propôs-se, no presente artigo, a discussão do papel dos linfócitos Treg na sepse, com base na revisão da literatura com estratégia de busca definida (LILACS, PubMed e SciELO), tendo em vista duas abordagens principais: a participação dessas células nos processos de inflamação e imunidade, e as perspectivas de investigação fisiopatológica computacional da condição mórbida.
The systemic inflammatory response represents the core pathogenic event of sepsis, underlying clinical manifestations and laboratory findings in patients. Numerous studies have shown that CD4+CD25+ T lymphocytes, also known as regulatory T lymphocytes (Treg), participate in the development of sepsis due to their ability to suppress the immune response. The present article discusses the role of Treg lymphocytes in sepsis based on a specific search strategy (Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences / Literatura Latino-americana e do Caribe em Ciências da Saúde - LILACS, PubMed, and Scientific Electronic Library Online - SciELO) focusing on two main topics: the participation of Treg cells in inflammation and immunity as well as perspectives in the computational physiological investigation of sepsis.