Genitourinary Malignancies in Transplant or Dialysis Patients: The Frequency of Two Newly Described 2016 World Health Organization Histopathologic Types.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to revise the histopathologic types of neoplasias in the genitourinary tract and determine the frequency of 2 new entities included in the 2016 book of World Health Organization classification of renal tumors. It is not established so far whether these 2 recently described tumors are the most frequent in association with end-stage kidney disease. METHODS: In a retrospective analysis, we revised the histopathologic type of 37 genitourinary tumors from 21 patients in dialysis and/or submitted to renal transplantation from 2003 to 2016 aiming to find the frequency of acquired cystic disease-associated renal cell carcinoma and clear cell papillary (tubulopapillary) renal cell carcinoma. RESULTS: From the total of 37 tumors, 34 were from native end-stage kidneys, 1 from the pelvis of the transplant kidney, and 2 from the urinary bladder. The frequencies from native kidneys were: papillary carcinoma, 13/34 (38.2%); papillary adenoma, 9/34 (26.5%); acquired cystic disease-associated renal cell carcinoma, 4/34 (11.8%); oncocytoma, 3/34 (8.8%); conventional clear cell renal cell carcinoma, 3/34 (8.8%); and clear cell papillary (tubulopapillary) renal cell carcinoma, 2/34 (5.34%). The pelvis and urinary bladder tumors were high-grade urothelial carcinomas. The patients with urinary bladder tumors had been treated for polyomavirus infection. CONCLUSIONS: The frequencies of acquired cystic disease-associated renal cell carcinoma and clear cell papillary renal cell carcinoma were 11.8% and 5.9%, respectively. However, the spectrum of adenoma/carcinoma papillary tumors composed the majority, 64.7%, of tumors.

Defective expression of apoptosis-related molecules in multiple sclerosis patients is normalized early after autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Defective apoptosis might be involved in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS). We evaluated apoptosis-related molecules in MS patients before and after autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT) using BCNU, Etoposide, AraC and Melphalan (BEAM) or cyclophosphamide (CY)-based conditioning regimens. Patients were followed for clinical and immunological parameters for 2 years after AHSCT. At baseline, MS patients had decreased proapoptotic BAD, BAX and FASL and increased A1 gene expression when compared with healthy counterparts. In the BEAM group, BAK, BIK, BIMEL , FAS, FASL, A1, BCL2, BCLXL , CFLIPL and CIAP2 genes were up-regulated after AHSCT. With the exception of BIK, BIMEL and A1, all genes reached levels similar to controls at day + 720 post-transplantation. Furthermore, in these patients, we observed increased CD8+ Fas+ T cell frequencies after AHSCT when compared to baseline. In the CY group, we observed increased BAX, BCLW, CFLIPL and CIAP1 and decreased BIK and BID gene expressions after transplantation. At day + 720 post-AHSCT, the expression of BAX, FAS, FASL, BCL2, BCLXL and CIAP1 was similar to that of controls. Protein analyses showed increased Bcl-2 expression before transplantation. At 1 year post-AHSCT, expression of Bak, Bim, Bcl-2, Bcl-xL and cFlip-L was decreased when compared to baseline values. In summary, our findings suggest that normalization of apoptosis-related molecules is associated with the early therapeutic effects of AHSCT in MS patients. These mechanisms may be involved in the re-establishment of immune tolerance during the first 2 years post-transplantation.

Determinação da capacidade antioxidante de produtos naturais in vitro pelo método do DPPH•: estudo de revisão / Determination in vitro of the antioxidant capacity of natural products by the DPPH• method: review study

RESUMO: Os antioxidantes podem ser de grande benefício para a melhoria da qualidade de vida, já que eles têm a capacidade de proteger um organismo dos danos causados pelos radicais livres, prevenindo ou adiando o início de várias doenças. Uma das técnicas atualmente utilizada para detectar a presença de compostos antioxidantes, é um método baseado na eliminação do radical livre estável 1,1-difenil-2-picrilhidrazil (DPPH•). Este método é considerado fácil, preciso, rápido, simples, e econômico, sendo adequado para a determinação da capacidade antioxidante de substâncias puras e misturas. O objetivo deste artigo de revisão é fornecer informações sobre esse método. A pesquisa foi realizada usando o termo radical DPPH•, capacidade antioxidante-DPPH• e método DPPH• em periódicos, tais como: Pubmed, Wiley Online Library, ACS Publications, SpringerLink e ScinceDirect até janeiro de 2014

ABSTRACT: Determination in vitro of the antioxidant capacity of natural products by the DPPH•method: review study. Antioxidants can be of great benefit to improve the quality of life, since they have the ability to protect an organism from damage caused by free radicals, preventing or delaying the onset of various diseases. One of the techniques currently used to detect the presence of antioxidant compounds is a method based on the elimination of the stable free radical 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH•). This method is considered easy, accurate, rapid, simple and inexpensive, and it is suitable for the determination of the antioxidant capacity of pure substances and blends. The aim of this review article is to provide information on this method. This research was performed using the terms DPPH• radical, antioxidant capacity - DPPH• and DPPH• method in journals such as Pubmed, Wiley Online Library, ACS Publications, SpringerLink and ScinceDirect up to January 2014

Conhecimento popular e atividade antimicrobiana de Cydonia oblonga Miller (Rosaceae) / Popular knowledge and antimicrobial activity of Cydonia oblonga Mill. (Rosaceae)

A espécie Cydonia oblonga Mill. (Rosaceae), Marmeleiro, é proveniente do Cáucaso e se difundiu pela Europa e países mediterrâneos, sendo introduzida no Brasil já em 1532. Algumas propriedades medicinais são atribuídas à C. oblonga determinando seu uso pela população. Neste trabalho, objetivou-se conhecer os diversos usos do marmeleiro em São João do Paraíso, assim como estudar a atividade antimicrobiana desta planta. O estudo etnobotânico foi realizado por meio de entrevistas aplicadas aos produtores do marmeleiro. Os ensaios de atividade antimicrobiana foram realizados por meio do método de difusão em placas, com discos embebidos nas concentrações de 100, 200 e 400 mg/mL do decocto do fruto e do extrato bruto das folhas de C. oblonga, testadas em seis bactérias. O estudo etnobotânico revelou que o marmelo utilizado no combate à diarréia, vômito e hipertensão, é também usado como cicatrizante e antisséptico. Quanto ao estudo antimicrobiano, somente o extrato bruto das folhas inibiu parcialmente o crescimento de Streptococcus agalactiae. Concluiu-se por meio deste trabalho que o decocto do marmelo é utilizado pela população na medicina tradicional e que extrato bruto das folhas afetou o crescimento de S. agalactiae.

The species Cydonia oblonga Mill., quince, originated from the Caucasus region, spreading over Europe and Mediterranean countries, and was introduced in Brazil already in 1532. Some medicinal properties are attributed to C. oblonga, determining its use by the population. In this context, the present study aimed to learn the several uses of quince in São João do Paraíso, as well as to study the antimicrobial activity of this plant. The ethnobotanical study was carried out by means of interviews applied to quince farmers. Antimicrobial activity assays were performed according to the diffusion method in dishes with disks embedded at the concentrations of 100, 200 and 400 mg/mL fruit decoction and crude extract from C. oblonga leaves, tested for six bacteria. The ethnobotanical study revealed that quince which has been used to treat diarrhea, vomit and hypertension is also used as healing and antiseptic. As to the antimicrobial study, only the crude extract from leaves partially inhibited the growth of Streptococcus agalactiae. This study led to the conclusion that quince decoction has been used by the population in traditional medicine and that the crude extract from leaves affected the growth of S. agalactiae.

Up-regulation of fas and fasL pro-apoptotic genes expression in type 1 diabetes patients after autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by T cell-mediated destruction of pancreatic ß cells, resulting in insulin deficiency and hyperglycaemia. Recent studies have described that apoptosis impairment during central and peripheral tolerance is involved in T1D pathogenesis. In this study, the apoptosis-related gene expression in T1D patients was evaluated before and after treatment with high-dose immunosuppression followed by autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HDI-AHSCT). We also correlated gene expression results with clinical response to HDI-AHSCT. We observed a decreased expression of bad, bax and fasL pro-apoptotic genes and an increased expression of a1, bcl-x(L) and cIAP-2 anti-apoptotic genes in patients' peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) compared to controls. After HDI-AHSCT, we found an up-regulation of fas and fasL and a down-regulation of anti-apoptotic bcl-x(L) genes expression in post-HDI-AHSCT periods compared to pre-transplantation. Additionally, the levels of bad, bax, bok, fasL, bcl-x(L) and cIAP-1 genes expression were found similar to controls 2 years after HDI-AHSCT. Furthermore, over-expression of pro-apoptotic noxa at 540 days post-HDI-AHSCT correlated positively with insulin-free patients and conversely with glutamic acid decarboxylase autoantibodies (GAD65) autoantibody levels. Taken together, the results suggest that apoptosis-related genes deregulation in patients' PBMCs might be involved in breakdown of immune tolerance and consequently contribute to T1D pathogenesis. Furthermore, HDI-AHSCT modulated the expression of some apoptotic genes towards the levels similar to controls. Possibly, the expression of these apoptotic molecules could be applied as biomarkers of clinical remission of T1D patients treated with HDI-AHSCT therapy.

Comportamento de diferentes parâmetros extraídos do sinal de EMG em função da força muscular / Behavior of different parameters extracted from the EMG signal as a function of strength

Muitos pesquisadores têm estudado a relação entre a atividade mioelétrica e performance muscular medido como trabalho, torque ou força. No entanto, não existe consenso sobre o melhor parâmetro para este tipo de análise...