HPV load and anal cytological abnormalities.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between estimated human papillomavirus (HPV) viral load and abnormal cytology on anal samples. METHODS: Anal cytological samples of 42 HIV-positive patients were analysed by conventional cytology and Hybrid Capture II. RESULTS: On cytology, 30.95% (13 of 42) anal samples were positive for cytological abnormalities, 47.61% (20 of 42) were negative and 21.42% (nine of 42) were unsatisfactory. High-risk HPV infection was more frequent in anal samples with cytological abnormalities than in negative samples (P = 0.0002, Fisher's exact test), it was detected in all samples with cytological abnormalities and in 35% (seven of 20) of the negative samples. On samples with cytological abnormalities, the median of the relative light unit/cutoff (RLU/CO) value (viral load estimate) was 10.39 (1.02-572.6) and in negative samples it was 0.51 (0.26-51.70). The median of the RLU/CO value was higher in samples with cytological abnormalities when compared with the median in negative samples (P = 0.0001, Mann-Whitney U-test) and only samples with cytological abnormalities showed RLU/CO values > 100. CONCLUSIONS: The estimated high-risk HPV viral load is significantly higher in samples with cytological abnormalities than in negative anal samples and may be useful as an adjunct to anal cytology for triage of patients to high-resolution anoscopy and biopsy.

The effect of tamoxifen on PCNA expression in fibroadenomas.

For almost three decades, tamoxifen has been used in the adjuvant treatment of breast cancer. It has also proven effective in the chemoprophylaxis of this disease and in the treatment of cyclic mastalgia. Since a fibroadenoma is a benign hormone-dependent neoplasm which contains estrogen receptor (ER) levels higher than in the mammary lobule, an evaluation of the effect of this drug on the proliferative activity of both the epithelium and the stroma of fibroadenomas in premenopausal women following the administration of 10 or 20 mg/day over 22 days was proposed. Forty women with fibroadenoma were selected for a randomized double-blind trial. They had regular menstrual cycles and had received neither hormones nor become pregnant 12 months prior to this study. Patients were divided into three groups: A (n = 14; placebo), B (n = 13; tamoxifen 10 mg/day), and C (n = 13; tamoxifen 20 mg/day). The treatment was initiated on the first day of their menstrual cycle and the surgeries were performed on the 22nd day. Estradiol, progesterone, and steroid hormone binding globulin (SHBG) were measured twice. The first measurement was performed on the 22nd day of the previous menstrual cycle and the second one was performed on the day of surgery. The fibroadenoma was fixed in 10% formaldehyde solution and stained with hematoxylin and eosin and then processed through immunohistochemical reaction (PC-10, DAKO code number M879, Denmark A/S). The immunoexpression of the proliferative cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) of at least 500 epithelial and 500 stromal cells was evaluated. Such cells were interactively counted using the Kontron Imaging System KS-300 computerized analysis system, with x 400 magnification. As to PCNA expression in the fibroadenomas' epithelium, the average percentage of stained nuclei in groups A, B, and C was 25.2, 19.3, and 18.0, respectively. However, no significant difference was found in the variance analysis of these data (p = 0.168). As to the study of the fibroadenomas' stroma, the average percentage of stained nuclei found in groups A, B, and C was 32.4, 23.2, and 18.4, respectively. The variance analysis (p = 0.031) and Fisher's multiple comparison test (1.39; 26.67 confidence interval [CI]) confirmed that the number of PCNA-expressing nuclei in the stroma was significantly lower in group C (20 mg/day) compared to group A (control). However, there was no significant difference between group B (10 mg/day) and group C (20 mg/day). It was found that tamoxifen reduced the expression of PCNA in the epithelium and the stroma of the fibroadenoma. However, the effect was only statistically significant in the stroma when a 20 mg/day dose was administered.

Gangliosideos: estudo do colágeno e da resposta inflamatória no processo cicatricial / Gangliosides: study of colagem and the inflamatory response in cicatricial process

Objetivo: Investigar o efeito dos gangliosídeos sobre a infiltração seqüencial de leucócitos e fibroblastos durante o processo de cicatrização usando um modelo de cicatrização da pele em ratos. Método: Foram utilizados 12 ratas EPM - 1 Wistar, com peso médio de 200 gramas e 4 meses de idade. Os animais procederam do Centro de Desenvolvimento de Pesquisa Experimental em Medicina e Biologia e foram mantidos por 5 dias para adaptação no biotério setorial da disciplina de Técnica Operatória e Cirurgia Experimental da UNIFESP-EPM, recebendo água e ração própria para a espécie. O protocolo anestésico utilizado foi uma associação de Cetamina (60mg.kg-1) e Xilazina (10mg.kg-1), por via intramuscular. Em seguida, realizava-se uma incisão longitudinal com 7 cm de extensão, na região dorsal paravertebral, interessando pele e tela subcutânea que foi fechada com pontos separados, com fio de prolene 7-0 e agulha triangular. As ratas foram distribuídas em dois grupos a saber: grupo experimento, que recebeu 3mg.kg-1.dia-1 de gangliosídeos, e um grupo controle, que recebeu veículo, ambos por via intramuscular durante 14 dias consecutivos. No 7º e 14º dias de pós-operatório foram ressecados fragmentos da pele e tela subcutânea para análise histológica, com a coloração de Tricrômio de Masson e Hematoxilina - Eosina. Resultados: As amostras apresentaram a mesma quantidade de colágeno em ambos os grupos mostrando que não houve inibição dos fibroblastos. Entretanto, a infiltração leucocitária foi retardada no grupo experimento quando comparado ao grupo controle. Conclusão: A alteração encontrada no processo cicatricial foi devida a um retardo na resposta inflamatória e não a uma inibição fibroblastos.

Antipyretic activity of an aqueous extract of Zizyphus joazeiro Mart. (Rhamnaceae).

Bark infusions of Zizyphus joazeiro Mart. (Rhamnaceae) have been employed in Northeastern Brazil as a remedy for fever. This study investigated the antipyretic activity of an aqueous extract of the plant in rabbits rendered febrile by intravenous injection of E. coli endotoxin. Fever responses were significantly decreased (P less than 0.05) by the oral administration of a bark infusion of Z. joazeiro Mart. These results lend support to the popular use of infusions of this plant in folk medicine as a remedy for fever and suggest that the characterization of the principle(s) responsible for such activity deserves further investigation.