ABSTRACT
Amyloidoses are a group of disorders in which soluble proteins aggregate and deposit extracellularly in tissues as insoluble fibrils, causing organ dysfunction. Clinical management depends on the subtype of the protein deposited and the affected organs. Systemic amyloidosis may stem from anomalous proteins, such as immunoglobulin light chains or serum amyloid proteins in chronic inflammation or may arise from hereditary disorders. Hereditary amyloidosis consists of a group of rare conditions that do not respond to chemotherapy, hence the identification of the amyloid subtype is essential for diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment. The kidney is the organ most frequently involved in systemic amyloidosis. Renal amyloidosis is characterized by acellular pathologic Congo red-positive deposition of amyloid fibrils in glomeruli, vessels, and/or interstitium. This disease manifests with heavy proteinuria, nephrotic syndrome, and progression to end-stage kidney failure. In some situations, it is not possible to identify the amyloid subtype using immunodetection methods, so the diagnosis remains indeterminate. In cases where hereditary amyloidosis is suspected or cannot be excluded, genetic testing should be considered. Of note, laser microdissection/mass spectrometry is currently the gold standard for accurate diagnosis of amyloidosis, especially in inconclusive cases. This article reviews the clinical manifestations and the current diagnostic landscape of renal amyloidosis.
ABSTRACT
A atividade biológica de plantas medicinais tem sido o alvo de intensa investigação científica, constituindo uma importante fonte de novos produtos biologicamente ativos. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a atividade antimicrobiana interativa, in vitro, de seis extratos vegetais, sendo eles: cajueiro (Anacardium occidentale L.), barbatimão (Stryphnodendron adstringens (Mart.) Coville, aroeira (Myracrodruon urundeuva), favela [Cnidoscolus phyllacanthus (Müll. Arg.) Pax & Hoffm L.], fedegoso (Heliotropium indicum L.) e quixaba [Sideroxylon obtusifolium (Humb. ex Roem. & Schult.) TD Penn.], através do método de difusão em disco, frente às cepas padrão American Type Culture Collection (ATCC): Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 e Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853. Os resultados revelaram que dentre os extratos testados 50% deles apresentaram atividade frente à cepa de S. aureus ATCC 25923. Os extratos ativos foram cajueiro, barbatimão e aroeira. Os demais extratos não apresentaram atividade antimicrobiana frente às cepas em estudo. Quando se avaliou a ação interativa entre os extratos ativos, observou-se interferência antagônica, constatada pela redução dos diâmetros dos halo de inibição de crescimento bacteriano nas associações com os extratos de cajueiro/barbatimão, cajueiro/aroeira e barbatimão/aroeira. De modo que, o uso concomitante extratos vegetais merece um olhar muito cuidadoso pela possibilidade de ocorrer interferências entre eles, reduzindo a potência da atividade antimicrobiana, em relação a sua potência quando utilizados isoladamente.(AU)
The biological activity of medicinal plants has been the subject of intensive scientific research and is an important source of new biologically active products. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of six interactive plant extracts, which are: cajueiro (Anacardium occidentale L.), barbatimão (Stryphnodendron adstringens (Mart.) Coville, aroeira (Myracrodruon urundeuva), favela [Cnidoscolus phyllacanthus (Müll. Arg.) Pax & Hoffm L.], fedegoso (Heliotropium indicum L.) and quixaba [Sideroxylon obtusifolium (Humb. ex Roem. & Schult.) TD Penn.], by disk diffusion method, front to standard strains American Type Culture Collection (ATCC): Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853. The results revealed that among the tested extracts 50% of them showed activity against the strain of S. aureus ATCC 25923. The active extracts were cajueiro, barbatimão and aroeira. When we evalued the interative action between the active extracts, we observed an antagonistic interference, evidenced by the reduction of the diameter of inhibition zone of bacterial growth among the associations in the extracts of cajueiro/barbatimão, cajueiro/aroeira and barbatimão/aroeira. Therefore, concomitant use of plant deserves a careful look at the possibility of interference occurs between them, reducing the potency antimicrobial activity against its power when used alone.(AU)
