Use of DNA barcode in the identification of fish eggs in tributaries of the Paranapanema River basin.

Fish eggs are often excluded from identification analysis since at this stage of development there are few morphological characters. The correct identification of eggs can provide important information about spawning areas of species. The current work aimed to identify fish eggs in the Tibagi and Cinzas Rivers using the DNA barcode to obtain information on richness and diversity, adding to the existing data in the area. Of the 928 sequences analyzed using the BOLD Systems database, 99.78% were able to be identified at a specific level, demonstrating a high success rate for egg identification. The samples resulted in 25 species, 11 families, and 2 orders. Of the 25 species found, more than half (60%) present reproductive migration behavior, indicating that the tributaries of the Capivara reservoir are being used as a migratory route by these species. Eggs of rare and endangered species were found, indicating these tributaries as spawning grounds for these species. The results demonstrate the importance of identifying fish eggs in reservoir-influenced environments to recognize breeding areas of native and endangered species, as well as the importance of the Tibagi and Cinzas Rivers for the maintenance of native fish species in the Paranapanema River.

CCL5 protein level: influence on breast cancer staging and lymph nodes commitment.

Many tumor cells express chemokines and chemokine receptors, and these molecules can contribute to distinct modes of metastasis processes. It is known that they play a crucial role in breast cancer (BC) tumorigenesis and progression. Considering this, it was investigated a possible role for C-Chemokine receptor type 5(CCR5) polymorphism (rs333/delta32) by conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and CCL5 (C-C motif chemokine ligand 5) protein level by immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 47 BC patients (resulting in 47 tumoral tissue samples and 47 adjacent normal tissue samples). There was a significant difference between CCL5 level in tumoral and adjacent normal tissues for the same BC patients (p < 0.0001). A significant association was also found for CCL5 level in relation to lymph nodes commitment (p = 0.03). Likewise, there was a significant difference in CCL5 level from tumor tissue of stage III in relation to stage I (p < 0.02). On the other hand, it was verified that CCR5-delta32 polymorphism presented no significant association in relation to CCL5 protein level. Considering the present findings, we suggest that CCL5 may be involved in BC staging and metastasis process.

CXCL12 chemokine and CXCR4 receptor: association with susceptibility and prognostic markers in triple negative breast cancer.

CXCL12/CXCR4 signaling has been implicated in breast carcinogenesis, and genetic polymorphisms in these molecules have been associated with different types of cancer. The present study analyzed genetic polymorphisms in CXCL12 (rs1801157, G > A) and CXCR4 (rs2228014, C > T) and CXCR4 immunostaining in tumor tissues from patients with triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) aiming to evaluate their possible role in its' susceptibility and prognosis. Genetic polymorphisms were analyzed in 59 TNBC patients and 150 control women; age-adjusted logistic regression showed no association when variants were considered in isolation; however, a statistically significant interaction was noted for heterozygosis for both allelic variants increasing the odds for TNBC (CXCL12-GA by CXCR4-CT: OR 7.23; 95% CI 1.15-45.41; p = 0.035). CXCL12 polymorphism was correlated negatively with proliferation index (Ki67) (Tau-b = - 0.406; p = 0.006). CXCR4 immunostaining was evaluated in 37 TNBC patients (22 with paired tumor-normal adjacent tissue). CXCR4 was detected more intensely in cell cytoplasm than in membrane, and was more expressed in tumor than in normal adjacent tissues, although not statistically significant. CXCR4 expression on the membrane of tumor cells was correlated positively with histopathological grade (Tau-b = 0.271; p = 0.036) and negatively with lymph node metastasis (Tau-b = - 0.478; p = 0.036). The present study indicates that CXCL12 and CXCR4 polymorphisms and CXCR4 immunostaining might have susceptibility and prognostic roles in TNBC pathogenesis.

HER2 Ile655Val polymorphism is negatively associated with breast cancer susceptibility.

BACKGROUND: The HER2 (human epidermal growth factor receptor-2) Ile655Val (rs1136201) genetic polymorphism can alter the receptor structure and its auto-activation, which can modify the signal transduction and, consequently, the cell cycle regulation. For this reason, this polymorphism has been extensively investigated as a candidate marker for breast cancer (BC). In this context, the aim of this study was to evaluate the possible influence of HER2 Ile655Val in BC susceptibility and prognostic factors in a Brazilian population. METHODS: Polymorphism genotype was assessed through RFLP-PCR in 107 BC patients with clinicopathological data available and in 150 women with no evidence of neoplasia and with no familial history of BC as control group. Association between this polymorphism and BC susceptibility and clinical parameters was evaluated through odds ratio (OR) and chi-squared or Fisher's exact test, respectively. RESULTS: A significant negative association between valine allele and BC susceptibility in dominant model was found (OR 0.5; 95% CI 0.27-0.93, P = .036). No significant association was found in relation to BC clinicopathological features (tumor size, lymph nodes commitment, histological grade, HER2 overexpression, hormonal receptors, p53, and Ki-67). CONCLUSION: Although this polymorphism did not demonstrate potential as a prognostic marker, it may be a suitable susceptibility marker for BC.