Revisiting the metallothionein genes polymorphisms and the risk of oral squamous cell carcinoma in a Brazilian population.

BACKGROUND: Metallothioneins (MTs) gene polymorphisms have been associated with the ability of free radical scavenging and detoxification of heavy metals leading to cancer development. Our aim was to revisit, in a Brazilian population, single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the MT gene family previously associated with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). MATERIAL AND METHODS: A case-control investigation with 28 OSCC patients and 45 controls was conducted, using conventional risk factors (tobacco use and alcohol consumption) as covariates. SNPs genotyping for rs8052334 (MT1B), rs964372 (MT1B), and rs1610216 (MT2A) was performed by PCR-RFLP, and SNPs for rs11076161 (MT1A) were analyzed by TaqMan assay. RESULTS: The only SNP associated with increased risk for OSCC was the MT-1A AA genotype (OR = 4.7; p = 0.01). We have also evidenced for the first time a significant linkage disequilibrium between the SNPs of MT-2A and MT-1A in this population with the highest frequency (30%) of the unfavorable haplotype G/A/C/T (rs1610216 / rs11076161 / rs964372 / rs8052334) of MT gene polymorphisms (OR = 6.2; p = 0.04). Interestingly, after removing the effects of conventional risk factors, we have uncovered the significance of the AA genotype of the rs11076161 with increased odds of 19-fold higher towards OSCC development. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first demonstration that a significant linkage disequilibrium among gene polymorphisms of the MT family may affect susceptibility to oral cancer, which is conditioned by the G/A/C/T haplotype (rs1610216/rs11076161/rs964372/ rs8052334) and the MT-1A gene polymorphism has a potential clinical utility for the OSCC risk assessment.

Simple bone cyst: description of 60 cases seen at a Brazilian School of Dentistry and review of international literature.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to describe the relative frequency and the main demographic and clinic-radiographic features related to patients diagnosed with Simple bone cyst (SBC) in an Oral Diagnosis Service in Southeast Brazil and present a review and discussion of international literature on this topic. MATERIAL AND METHODS: SBC cases from our service encompassing the period between 1978 and 2017 were selected. In addition, a literature search was performed in the Pubmed/MEDLINE online electronic database published between 1951 and 2019. RESULTS: A total of 2,459 cystic lesions were documented in our service, thus 60 patients were diagnosed with the SBC representing 2.4% of all jaw cystic. Most of cases were asymptomatic. Multiple SBC lesions were seen in two patients (3.4%) and association with cemento-osseous dysplasia was seen in one female patient (1.7%). A total of 793 cases were enrolled in this literature review. CONCLUSIONS: The SBC is an asymptomatic lesion often discovered in routine image exams in young patients. The unilocular, well defined margin with scalloped appearance is characteristic and helps the definition of diagnosis. This review suggests a different epidemiologic trend concerning to the sex and it confirms the posterior region of mandible as the more frequent location. The conservative treatment with limited exploration and curettage remains as the gold-standard treatment.

Searching chaos and coherent structures in the atmospheric turbulence above the Amazon forest.

In this work, the possible chaotic nature of the atmospheric turbulence above a densely forested area in the Amazon region is investigated. To this end, we use high-resolution temperature data obtained during a micrometeorological measurement campaign in the Brazilian Amazonia. Estimates of the correlation dimension (D(2)=3.50+/-0.05) and of the largest Lyapunov exponent (lambda(1)=0.050+/-0.002) suggest the existence of chaos in the atmospheric boundary layer. Our findings indicate that this low-dimensional chaotic dynamics is associated with the presence of the coherent structures within the boundary layer right above the canopy top and not with the atmospheric turbulence per se, as previously claimed.

Quantificacao de anticorpos diftericos em cobaias. I. Persistencia do titulo de anticorpos sericos em animais inoculados com uma dose de toxoide difterico. / Qualification of diphtheria antibodies in guinea pigs. I. Persistence of serum antibodies level in animals inoculated with a dose of diphtheria toxoid

Foi estudado o comportamento da cinetica de anticorpogenese em cobaias inoculadas com uma dose de toxoide difterico precipitado pelo alumen. Paralelamente, foi estudada a dinamica da imunidade passiva naturalmente transmitida aos filhotes. Em cobaias vacinadas com uma dose de antigeno, foi verificado que a sintese de antitoxina difterica persiste, em titulos detectaveis, ate 36 meses apos. Os anticorpos transferidos, passivamente, da mae vacinada para os filhotes atingiram nestes,concentracoes plasmaticas superiores, sendo que a imunidade perdurou em titulos detectaveis ate cerca de tres meses de idade dos mesmos

Prevalencia de aglutininas antileptospiras em equinos mantidos para producao de soros terapeuticos. / Prevalence of leptospiral agglutinins in horses used for production of therapeutic sera

Atraves da reacao de soroaglutinacao microscopica para leptospirose, foram examinados 504 soros de equinos.Como antigenos, utilizaram-se 18 culturas vivas de varias sorotipos e considerou-se o titulo inicial de 1:100 como reacao positiva. Tentativas de isolamento a partir de urina de 6 animais, resultaram negativas, 51 soros (10, 11%) foram positivos, tendo-se encontrado aglutininas contra os sorotipos andamana (23,53%), pomona (15,67%), panama e australis (13,72%), como os mais frequentes.Foram evidenciados ainda, anticorpos para os sorotipos wolffii, canicola, butembo, shermani, icterohaemorrhagiae, grippotyphosa e brasiliensis. Em seis soros ocorreram anticorpos para dois ou mais sorotipos e nenhuma correlacao entre cegueira e leptospirose foi constatada

Vacinacao anti-rabica experimental.Possivel influencia da replicacao do virus Flury HEP modificado, no sistema nervoso central, sobre a atividade cerebro-neutralizante. / Experimental anti-rabies vaccination. Possible influence of Flury HEP modified virus replication in the central nervous system on the brain-tissue neutralization activity

Instalacao e replicacao do virus vacinante Flury HEP no tecido cerebral de animais inoculados. Inoculacoes intracerebrais (IC) e intramusculares (IM) das vacinas Flury HEP virus modificado, Flury HEP virus inativado e tipo Fuenzalida e Palacios, em lotes de 20 camundongos, comprovaram inducao de maior atividade cerebro-neutralizante pelo primeiro tipo de vacina.Demonstraram tambem ser viavel a replicacao viral no sistema nervoso central (SNC), aparentemente sem danos ao animal. As inoculacoes via IC e via IM induziram ao aparecimento de corpusculos fluorescentes no SNC, em maior intensidade ao redor de 8o.dia