RESUMO
Public health concerns exist surrounding the epidemic of the Zika virus (ZIKV) and the rapid growth of transplantation in developing countries, including endemic zones of active arbovirus transmission, as well as travel to such regions by potential organ donors and recipients. Few data exist regarding the clinical characteristics of ZIKV infection in immunocompromised hosts. Laboratory screening protocols for transplantation to differentiate ZIKV infections from other endemic viral diseases and for the detection of possible donor-derived infection have not been stated. The diagnosis of ZIKV infection remains a challenge, fueled by the lack of standardized commercially available diagnostic tests and validated reference diagnostic laboratories, as well as the limited duration of ZIKV viremia. In this small series, ZIKV infection in renal and liver recipients presented without rash, conjunctivitis, or neurological symptoms, and with abnormal graft function, thrombocytopenia, and bacterial superinfection. We report the first case series of ZIKV infection in solid organ recipients, with a description of clinical and laboratory features and therapeutic management.
Assuntos
Rejeição de Enxerto/etiologia , Transplante de Órgãos/efeitos adversos , Viremia/etiologia , Infecção por Zika virus/complicações , Zika virus/patogenicidade , Rejeição de Enxerto/diagnóstico , Sobrevivência de Enxerto , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Prognóstico , RNA Viral/genética , Fatores de Risco , Viremia/diagnóstico , Zika virus/genética , Infecção por Zika virus/virologiaRESUMO
A common mutation in the BRAF gene, comprising the T1799A nucleotide transversion, which leads to the V600E amino acid substitution in the BRAF protein, has been observed in about 50% of papillary thyroid carcinomas (PTCs). However, BRAF protein expression has been rarely examined in such tumors. Clinical studies have shown important associations between BRAF mutation and clinical parameters in PTC, such as progression, invasion, and recurrence. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between BRAF protein overexpression and the BRAF V600E mutation in a group of PTC patients. The study group included 116 patients with PTC from Araújo Jorge Hospital, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil. Immunohistochemistry was utilized to analyze BRAF protein expression. Presence of the BRAF V600E mutation was determined by polymerase chain reaction amplification and restriction fragment length polymorphism, and confirmed by direct sequencing. The chi-square test with Yates correction and the Fisher exact test were used for statistical analysis. BRAF overexpression was detected in 55 patients with PTC (47.4%) and the BRAF V600E mutation was observed in 74 patients (63.8%). In the studied group, significant associations were observed between the BRAF V600E mutation and BRAF protein overexpression (P = 0.0115), and also between BRAF overexpression and extra-thyroid extension of the tumor (P = 0.0111). This study demonstrated a significant association between BRAF overexpression and the BRAF V600E mutation in PTC, highlighting the importance of these molecular events in the process of PTC carcinogenesis.
Assuntos
Substituição de Aminoácidos , Carcinoma/genética , Mutação Puntual , Proteínas Proto-Oncogênicas B-raf/genética , Neoplasias da Glândula Tireoide/genética , Adolescente , Adulto , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Sequência de Bases , Carcinoma/patologia , Carcinoma/cirurgia , Carcinoma Papilar , Análise Mutacional de DNA , Feminino , Expressão Gênica , Humanos , Metástase Linfática , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Dados de Sequência Molecular , Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase , Polimorfismo de Fragmento de Restrição , Estudos Retrospectivos , Câncer Papilífero da Tireoide , Neoplasias da Glândula Tireoide/patologia , Neoplasias da Glândula Tireoide/cirurgiaRESUMO
Previous results show that elevated T-maze (ETM) avoidance responses are facilitated by acute restraint. Escape, on the other hand, was unaltered. To examine if the magnitude of the stressor is an important factor influencing these results, we investigated the effects of unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS) on ETM avoidance and escape measurements. Analysis of Fos protein immunoreactivity (Fos-ir) was used to map areas activated by stress exposure in response to ETM avoidance and escape performance. Additionally, the effects of the UCMS protocol on the number of cells expressing the marker of migrating neuroblasts doublecortin (DCX) in the hippocampus were investigated. Corticosterone serum levels were also measured. Results showed that UCMS facilitates ETM avoidance, not altering escape. In unstressed animals, avoidance performance increases Fos-ir in the cingulate cortex, hippocampus (dentate gyrus) and basomedial amygdala, and escape increases Fos-ir in the dorsolateral periaqueductal gray and locus ceruleus. In stressed animals submitted to ETM avoidance, increases in Fos-ir were observed in the cingulate cortex, ventrolateral septum, hippocampus, hypothalamus, amygdala, dorsal and median raphe nuclei. In stressed animals submitted to ETM escape, increases in Fos-ir were observed in the cingulate cortex, periaqueductal gray and locus ceruleus. Also, UCMS exposure decreased the number of DCX-positive cells in the dorsal and ventral hippocampus and increased corticosterone serum levels. These data suggest that the anxiogenic effects of UCMS are related to the activation of specific neurobiological circuits that modulate anxiety and confirm that this stress protocol activates the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis and decreases hippocampal adult neurogenesis.
Assuntos
Ansiedade/etiologia , Ansiedade/patologia , Hipocampo/metabolismo , Neurogênese/fisiologia , Proteínas Oncogênicas v-fos/metabolismo , Análise de Variância , Animais , Aprendizagem da Esquiva , Corticosterona/sangue , Modelos Animais de Doenças , Proteínas do Domínio Duplacortina , Proteína Duplacortina , Reação de Fuga , Masculino , Aprendizagem em Labirinto , Camundongos , Proteínas Associadas aos Microtúbulos/metabolismo , Neuropeptídeos/metabolismo , Ratos Wistar , Tempo de Reação/fisiologia , Estresse Psicológico/complicações , Fatores de TempoRESUMO
BACKGROUND: The limited supply of organs restricts the number of transplantations. Studying the families who refuse donation may help to increase the number of transplantations. METHODS: This descriptive cross-sectional study used a questionnaire to obtain information from 61 family members who had refused to donate organs from January 1997 to December 2004. The exclusion criterion was donor death less than 1 year from the study. The mean age of subjects was 41 ± 12.7 years (range, 18 to 79 years) with 66% women. RESULTS: More than half (36 of 69; 52%) of the families who refused donation would agree to donate in a new situation. The primary reasons for refusing donation were: disagreement among family members (25 of 128; 19%), lack of knowledge regarding the deceased's wishes (22 of 128; 17%), and previous request from the deceased not to be a donor (17 of 128; 13%). The most frequent suggestions to increase organ donation were to provide families with more information (43 of 149; 29%), initiate contact among the families (36 of 149; 24%), and involve a trusted physician (30 of 149; 20%). CONCLUSION: Most family members who refused organ donation changed their minds and would agree to donate in a few situation. Most of the reasons for refusing to donate reflected a lack of information and discussion on the topic.
Assuntos
Comportamento de Escolha , Família/psicologia , Conhecimentos, Atitudes e Prática em Saúde , Transplante de Órgãos/psicologia , Consentimento do Representante Legal , Doadores de Tecidos/provisão & distribuição , Obtenção de Tecidos e Órgãos , Adolescente , Adulto , Idoso , Atitude Frente a Morte , Comunicação , Estudos Transversais , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Papel do Médico , Relações Profissional-Família , Inquéritos e Questionários , Adulto JovemRESUMO
BACKGROUND: The identification of the psychological issues that impair the quality of life and the adherence to treatment in transplant candidates are important. OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the presence of symptoms of depression and the quality of life of liver transplant candidates. METHODS: One hundred liver transplant candidates underwent a psychological analysis using the following instruments: the short form-36 (SF-36) quality of life questionnaire, the Beck depression inventory (BDI), and Structured Interviews for liver transplant candidates. RESULTS: Seventy-three (73%) of the patients were males. Interestingly, 63% of the patients were in a domestic partnership. At the time of the evaluation, 55 patients were not working due to illness, 27 patients were actively working, and 11 patients were retired. Importantly, fears related to the transplant (e.g., fear the surgery and of death) were identified in 38% of the patients. The data from this study demonstrated a significant negative correlation between depressive scores (BDI) and seven of the eight areas of quality of life (SF-36), such as functional capacity (r = .317, P = .0013), social aspects (r = -.469, P < .0001), economic aspects (r = -.319, P = .0012), and mental health (r = -.3832, P < .0001). CONCLUSION: The data indicated that the psychological aspects related to transplants require psychological intervention because they can affect the recuperation process, the quality of life, and the adherence to treatment for potential transplant patients.
Assuntos
Depressão/etiologia , Hepatopatias/cirurgia , Transplante de Fígado/psicologia , Saúde Mental , Qualidade de Vida , Listas de Espera , Adolescente , Adulto , Idoso , Atitude Frente a Morte , Efeitos Psicossociais da Doença , Depressão/diagnóstico , Depressão/psicologia , Emprego/psicologia , Medo , Feminino , Humanos , Hepatopatias/diagnóstico , Hepatopatias/mortalidade , Hepatopatias/psicologia , Transplante de Fígado/efeitos adversos , Transplante de Fígado/mortalidade , Masculino , Estado Civil , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Cooperação do Paciente , Prognóstico , Aposentadoria/psicologia , Inquéritos e Questionários , Adulto JovemRESUMO
Given the important role of leptin in metabolism, we looked for a possible association of leptin and leptin receptor polymorphisms with carcass and growth traits in Nellore cattle. We examined associations of leptin and leptin receptor SNPs with ultrasound carcass (longissimus dorsi muscle area (ribeye area), backfat thickness and rump fat thickness and growth traits (weaning weight adjusted to 210 days of age, yearling weight adjusted to 550 days of age, weight gain of weaning to yearling and scrotal circumference adjusted to 550 days of age) of 2162 Bos primigenius indicus (Nellore) animals. Allele and genotypic frequencies were calculated for each marker. Allele substitution, additive and dominance effects of the polymorphisms were also evaluated. Some alleles of the molecular markers had low frequencies, lower than 1%, in the sample analyzed, although the same polymorphisms described for B. p. taurus cattle were found. Due to very low allelic frequencies, the E2JW, A59V and UASMS2 markers were not included in the analysis, because they were almost fixed. E2FB was found to be significantly associated with weight gain, ribeye area and backfat thickness. The promoter region markers, C963T and UASMS1, were also found to be significantly associated with ribeye area. T945M was significantly associated with weight gain. We conclude that the leptin and receptor gene markers would be useful for marker-assisted selection.
Assuntos
Bovinos/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Bovinos/genética , Leptina/genética , Carne , Polimorfismo de Nucleotídeo Único/genética , Característica Quantitativa Herdável , Receptores para Leptina/genética , Alelos , Animais , Frequência do Gene/genética , Estudos de Associação Genética , Marcadores Genéticos , Genótipo , UltrassomRESUMO
Results from a previous study show that rats exposed to acute restraint display anxiogenic-like behavior, evidenced by facilitation of avoidance responses in the elevated T-maze (ETM) model of anxiety. In contrast, escape responses were unaltered by stress exposure. Since ETM avoidance and escape tasks seem to activate distinct sets of brain structures, it is possible that the differences observed with acute restraint are due to particularities in the neurobiological mechanisms which modulate these responses. In the present study, analysis of fos protein immunoreactivity (fos-ir) was used to map areas activated by exposure of male Wistar rats to restraint stress (30 min) previously (30 min) to the ETM. Corticosterone levels were also measured in stressed and non-stressed animals. Confirming previous observations restraint facilitated avoidance performance, an anxiogenic result, while leaving escape unaltered. Performance of the avoidance task increased fos-ir in the frontal cortex, intermediate lateral septum, basolateral amygdala, basomedial amygdala, lateral amygdala, anterior hypothalamus and dorsal raphe nucleus. In contrast, performance of escape increased fos-ir in the ventromedial hypothalamus, dorsolateral periaqueductal gray and locus ceruleus. Both behavioral tasks also increased fos-ir in the dorsomedial hypothalamus. Restraint significantly raised corticosterone levels. Additionally after restraint, fos-ir was predominantly seen in the basolateral amygdala and dorsal raphe of animals submitted to the avoidance task. This data confirms that different sets of brain structures are activated by ETM avoidance and escape tasks and suggests that acute restraint differently alters ETM behavior and the pattern of fos activation in the brain.
Assuntos
Química Encefálica/fisiologia , Reação de Fuga/fisiologia , Proteínas Oncogênicas v-fos/biossíntese , Estresse Psicológico/metabolismo , Estresse Psicológico/psicologia , Animais , Ansiedade/psicologia , Aprendizagem da Esquiva/fisiologia , Corticosterona/sangue , Interpretação Estatística de Dados , Sistema Hipotálamo-Hipofisário/efeitos dos fármacos , Sistema Hipotálamo-Hipofisário/metabolismo , Imuno-Histoquímica , Masculino , Sistema Hipófise-Suprarrenal/efeitos dos fármacos , Sistema Hipófise-Suprarrenal/metabolismo , Ratos , Ratos Wistar , Restrição FísicaRESUMO
The morphological and wetting properties of chitosan films containing dansyl derivatives have been investigated. By means of dynamic contact angle measurements, we study the modification of surface properties of chitosan-based films due to UV irradiation. The results were analyzed in the light of the molecular-kinetic theory which describes the wetting phenomena in terms of the statistical dynamics for the displacement of liquid molecules in a solid substrate. Our results show that the immobilization of dansyl groups in the chitosan backbone leads to a pronounced enhancement of the UV sensitivity of polymeric films.
Assuntos
Quitosana/química , Fosfatidilcolinas/química , Molhabilidade/efeitos da radiação , Raios UltravioletaRESUMO
The serological profile of 300 mongrel dogs of various ages and gender were investigated. Animals were captured in the streets and afterwards directed to a private kennel in Avaré city (SP) to search for leptospirosis, toxoplasmosis, and neosporosis. Blood samples were obtained from jugular or cephalic vein for the obtention of sera. The microscopic agglutination test (MAT) was used to leptospirosis. MAT detect the prevalence of 9.3%. The most frequent reactant serovars were Bratislava (35.7%), Cynopteri (17.9%), Autumnalis (14.3%), and Copenhageni (10.7%), besides 7.1% to others serovars: Icterohaemorrhagiae, Canicola, and Hardjo. The modified agglutination test used for the diagnosis of toxoplasmosis showed 26% of positive animals, with titers varying from 16 to 256, with 16 in 3.3%, 64 in 13.7%, and 256 in 9% of the samples. To canine neosporosis, it was used the indirect fluorescent antibody test, and two animals (0.7%) demonstrated antibodies with titers 25 and 100. The results show the participation of the animals in the epidemiological chain of the researched diseases.(AU)