Lower expression of NOTCH components in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant patients

ABSTRACT Introduction: Chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGvHD) not only remains the main cause of late mortality after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant, but also has the capacity of causing severe organ impairment in those who survive. The Notch, a highly conserved ligand-receptor pathway, is involved in many immunological processes, including inflammatory and regulatory responses. Recently, mouse models have shown that the blockage of canonical Notch signaling prevents GvHD. Objective and Method: Due to the lack of data on the Notch pathway in human chronic GvHD, we sought to study the expression of NOTCH components in primary samples of patients who received allo-HCT and presented active cGvHD or a long-term clinical tolerance to cGvHD. Results: Our results showed a significantly lower expression of NOTCH components in both groups that received allo-HCT, independently of their cGvHD status, when compared to healthy controls. Conclusion: Moreover, there were no differences in gene expression levels between the active cGvHD and clinically tolerant groups. To our knowledge, this is one of the first studies performed in human primary samples and our data indicate that much remains to be learned regarding NOTCH signaling as a new regulator of GvHD.

Ultrassonografia no auxílio do diagnóstico de vesiculite seminal em touros de corte / Ultrasonography in the diagnosis of seminal vesiculites in beef bulls

A vesiculite é um processo inflamatório das glândulas vesiculares, podendo ser unilateral ou bilateral, que acomete reprodutores. O objetivo do presente trabalho foi avaliar a utilização da ultrassonografia como meio de diagnóstico precoce das alterações das vesículas seminais em touros. O presente trabalho foi realizado no município de Videira, Santa Catarina. Analisou-se um total 42 reprodutores, com média de idade de 15 meses, das raças Aberdeen Angus e Polled Hereford em semi-confinamento. Foi realizado exame clinico do estado geral dos animais e exame andrológico dos reprodutores. As amostras de sêmen para a realização do exame das características físicas do ejaculado foram obtidas por eletroejaculação. Através da palpação retal, realizou-se a avaliação das glândulas vesiculares por ultrassonografia. A análise estatística dos dados foi realizada por meio de análise de variância (ANOVA) para comparação entre médias com nível de significância de 5%. A presença de vesiculite foi observada em 31 animais (73,8%) dos 42 analisados. Dos 31 animais portadores 11 animais (35,5%) apresentaram vesiculite bilateral e 20 apresentaram vesiculite unilateral (64,5%; P<0,05). Animais com perímetro escrotal maior tendem a desenvolver vesiculite unilateral, tal fato pode ser explicado pela precocidade sexual agravado pela sodomia entre os animais. O uso do ultrassom auxilia de forma preventiva a detecção de animais portadores de vesiculite em reprodutores.(AU)

The vesiculite is an inflammatory process of the vesicular glands, unilateral or bilateral, that affects bulls. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of ultrasound as a complementary method for early detection of changes in seminal vesicles in bulls. This study was conducted in the municipality of Videira, Santa Catarina. We evaluated 42 bulls, with an average age of 15 months, Aberdeen Angus and Polled Hereford breeds and in semi-confinement. Clinical animal examination and andrological exam were performed in all animals. Semen samples were obtained by electroejaculation and physical characteristics of the ejaculate were performed. Rectal palpation was performed by ultrasonography to evaluate vesicular glands changes. Statistical analysis of the data was performed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) for comparison between means with significance level of 5%. The presence of vesiculitis was observed in 31 (73.8%) from the 42 analyzed bulls. Of the 31 animals, 11 animals (35.5%) presented bilateral vesiculitis and 20 showed unilateral vesiculitis (64.5%; P<0.05). Animals with a larger scrotal perimeter tend to develop unilateral vesiculitis, which can be explained by the sexual precocity observed by sodomy among animals. In this way, the use of ultrasound helps preventively to detect animals with vesiculitis in breeding animals.(AU)

Evolution of equine influenza viruses (H3N8) during a Brazilian outbreak, 2015

Abstract Equine influenza is one of the major respiratory infectious diseases in horses. An equine influenza virus outbreak was identified in vaccinated and unvaccinated horses in a veterinary school hospital in São Paulo, SP, Brazil, in September 2015. The twelve equine influenza viruses isolated belonged to Florida Clade 1. The hemagglutinin and neuraminidase amino acid sequences were compared with the recent isolates from North and South America and the World Organisation for Animal Health recommended Florida Clade 1 vaccine strain. The hemagglutinin amino acid sequences had nine substitutions, compared with the vaccine strain. Two of them were in antigenic site A (A138S and G142R), one in antigenic site E (R62K) and another not in antigenic site (K304E). The four substitutions changed the hydrophobicity of hemagglutinin. Three distinct genetic variants were identified during the outbreak. Eleven variants were found in four quasispecies, which suggests the equine influenza virus evolved during the outbreak. The use of an out of date vaccine strain or updated vaccines without the production of protective antibody titers might be the major contributing factors on virus dissemination during this outbreak.

IL32 expression in peripheral blood CD3+ cells from myelodysplastic syndromes patients

Background: Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a heterogeneous group of disorders characterized by ineffective hematopoiesis and risk of leukemia transformation. There is evidence to suggest the participation of immune system deregulation in MDS pathogenesis. Interleukin-32 (IL-32) is a newly described multifunctional cytokine reported as an important mediator in autoimmune and inflammatory disorders. In the present study, we reported the expression of IL32 and IL32 transcript variants (α, ß, γ and δ) in peripheral blood CD3+ cells from healthy controls and MDS patients. Methods: CD3+ cells were isolated by immunomagnetic cell sorting from thirty-nine untreated MDS patients and twenty-nine healthy donors. Gene expression was evaluated by quantitative PCR. For statistical analysis, Mann­Whitney test, Kruskal-Wallis test with Dunns post test and Log-rank (Mantel-Cox) were used, as appropriate. A p value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: IL32 expression and IL32 transcript variants IL32α, IL32ß, IL32γ, and IL32δ, were similar in peripheral blood CD3+ cells from healthy donors and MDS patients. Increased IL-32α expression was an independent predictor for MDS disease progression by univariate and multivariate analysis. Conclusions: We observed that IL32 expression is not differently expressed in CD3+ cells from MDS patients; nevertheless IL32α has a potential role in disease progression (AU)

SIVA, a target of p53, is downregulated in myelodysplastic syndromes

Background: SIVA is a transcriptional target of p53 that plays a potential role in the development and progression of cancer. In this study, we analyzed SIVA1 and SIVA2 expression, and its association with clinical features and TP53 and MDM2 expression in bone marrow cells from healthy donors and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) patients. Methods: Fifty-five untreated patients with MDS and 22 healthy donors were included. Gene expression was evaluated by quantitative PCR. For statistical analysis, Mann­Whitney test, Spearman correlation analysis and Log-rank (Mantel-Cox) were used, as appropriate. A p value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: SIVA1 and SIVA2 transcripts were significantly decreased in bone marrow samples from MDS patients compared to healthy donors, and positively correlated with MDM2 and TP53 expression in MDS patients (all p < 0.05). MDM2 expression was also downregulated in bone marrow samples from MDS patients compared to healthy donors (p < 0.05). However, SIVA1, SIVA2, MDM2 and TP53 expressions did not impact on MDS outcomes. Conclusions: SIVA1 and SIVA2 transcripts are downregulated in bone marrow samples from MDS patients (AU)

Descriptive study of the prevalence of anemia, hypertension, diabetes and quality of life in a randomly selected population of elderly subjects from São Paulo

BACKGROUND: The rapid increase in the aged population has resulted in a growing number of cases of chronic diseases. This increase is an important demographic change that low- and middle-income countries have to face and poses a new challenge to health services. One of the first steps to formulate public policies is to understand the reality of each country's aging population. This study describes the prevalence of anemia, hypertension and diabetes and the overall health status in pre-elderly and elderly subjects enrolled in two primary health care clinics, Eldorado and Piraporinha, in the city of Diadema, São Paulo. METHOD: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 373 participants. Clinical data were collected from patient charts and the degree of disability and common mental disorders, as well as demographic data were obtained by interviews. RESULTS: The prevalence of anemia was approximately 11% and hypertension was 70% and 81% in Eldorado and Piraporinha, respectively. The frequency of diabetes was 52% in Eldorado and 30% in Piraporinha. The subjects of both health care clinics reported having difficulties in some of their daily physical and instrumental activities, with physical symptoms and emotional disorders. CONCLUSION: Anemia, hypertension and diabetes are prevalent in the studied population, and patients showed degrees of dependency and impaired health status.

Equine influenza in Brazil / A influenza equina no Brasil

Equine influenza virus (EIV) (H3N8 and H7N7) is the causative agent of equine influenza, or equine flu. The H7N7 subtype has been considered to be extinct worldwide since 1980. Affected animals have respiratory symptoms that can be worsened by secondary bacterial respiratory infection, thereby leading to great economic losses in the horse-breeding industry. In Brazil, equine influenza outbreaks were first reported in 1963 and studies on hemagglutination antibodies against viral subtypes in Brazilian horses have been conducted since then. The objective of the present review was to present the history of the emergence of EIV around the world and in Brazil and the studies that have thus far been developed on EIV in Brazilian equines...

O vírus da influenza equina (EIV) (H3N8 e H7N7) é o agente causador da influenza equina, ou gripe equina. O subtipo viral H7N7 é considerado como mundialmente extinto desde 1980. Os animais afetados têm sintomas respiratórios característicos que podem ser agravados por uma infecção respiratória bacteriana secundária causando grandes prejuízos no ramo equestre. No Brasil, os surtos da EI têm sido relatados desde 1963 e desde então vem sendo efetuados estudos sobre a presença de anticorpos hemaglutinantes contra os subtipos virais nos equídeos brasileiros. O presente artigo tem o objetivo de apresentar um histórico sobre o surgimento do EIV no mundo e no Brasil destacando os estudos conduzidos no Brasil até o momento acerca da infecção pelo EIV nos equídeos brasileiros...