RESUMO

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection in the general population is widely known, however, there are still few studies related to this infection in minority groups, Thus, the objective is to analyze the frequency of human papillomavirus and associated factors in quilombola and gypsy women. METHODS: Cross-sectional research with 145 quilombola and gypsy women from Caxias, Maranhão. Two Pap smear collections were performed and a questionnaire with 46 questions was applied between January, 2020 and March, 2021. Descriptive analysis and Odds Ratio with 95% confidence interval were performed. The research was approved by the ethics committee. RESULTS: There were 09 cases of atypia. The frequency of human papillomavirus was 41.37%, with a higher risk in quilombolas 55 (91.70%). Multiple infections were prevalent (53%) with high-risk genotypes 21 (35%). Types 16 and 18 together accounted for 42.85% of cases. CONCLUSIONS: The frequency of human papillomavirus infection was higher than those recorded in the Northeast and Brazil, and therefore type 16 predominated. Due to limitations, the virus lineages and sublineages were not evaluated. Quilombola women had a higher rate of infection than gypsies.

Assuntos

Infecções por Papillomavirus , Roma (Grupo Étnico) , Displasia do Colo do Útero , Neoplasias do Colo do Útero , Feminino , Humanos , Estudos Transversais , Papillomavirus Humano , Papillomaviridae/genética , Infecções por Papillomavirus/epidemiologia , Displasia do Colo do Útero/epidemiologia , Neoplasias do Colo do Útero/epidemiologia , Grupos Minoritários , Adolescente , Adulto , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Brasil

RESUMO

PROBLEM OF RESEARCH: Candida spp. biofilms are complex microbial communities that have been associated with increasing resistance to clinically available antifungal drugs. Hence, novel pharmacological approaches with ability to inhibit biofilm formation have been investigated. AIM OF STUDY: The aim was to analyze in vitro antifungal activity of Euterpe oleracea Mart. (açaí berry) extract on biofilm strains of Candida albicans, C. parapsilosis, and C. tropicalis that were formed on abiotic surfaces. REMARKABLE METHODOLOGY: Biofilms of C. albicans, C. parapsilosis, and C. tropicalis were grown in vitro. They were then treated with E. oleracea Mart. extract at different concentrations (7.8, 15.6, 31.2, 62.5, 125, 250, 500, and 1000 µg/mL) for evaluation of both biofilm removal and anti-biofilm activity. REMARKABLE RESULTS: All Candida species analyzed formed biofilms on abiotic surfaces. Yet, increased biofilm formation was displayed for C. tropicalis in comparison with the other two species. E. oleracea Mart. extract was shown to inhibit biofilm formation at all concentrations used when compared to no treatment (p < 0.05). SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY: In the current study, the extract of E. oleracea Mart. demonstrated antifungal activity against Candida albicans, C. parapsilosis, and C. tropicalis biofilms, regardless of the dose utilized. These results are important to evaluate a natural product as antifungal for Candida species.

Assuntos

Candida , Euterpe , Antifúngicos/farmacologia , Candida albicans , Biofilmes , Candida parapsilosis , Testes de Sensibilidade Microbiana , Extratos Vegetais/farmacologia , Candida tropicalis

RESUMO

BACKGROUND: Cervical cancer is the fourth most common type of cancer affecting women globally. In Brazil, it is the third most frequent type of cancer in women and HPV is present in approximately 90% of cases. Evidence suggests that variants of HPV 16 can interfere biologically and etiologically during the development of cervical cancer. METHODS: Cervix tumor fragments were collected, their DNA was extracted, and nested PCR was used to detect HPV. Positive samples were sequenced to determine the viral genotype. To characterize the HPV 16 strains, positive samples PCR was used to amplify the LCR and E6 regions of the HPV 16 virus. RESULTS: Data from 120 patients with cervical cancer were analyzed. Most women were between 41 and 54 years of age, had schooling until primary school, a family income between 1 and 2 times the minimum wage and were married/in a consensual union. There was no statistically significant association between HPV or socio-demographic variables and risk factors for cervical cancer (P <  0.05). HPV was present in 88 women (73%). The most prevalent types were HPV 16 (53.4%), HPV 18 (13.8%), HPV 35 (6.9%) and HPV 45 (5.7%). Of the 47 HPV 16 positive cases, variant A (49%) was present in 23 samples, followed by variant D in 20 cases (43%), and variants B and C in 2 cases each (4%). The most prevalent histological type of HPV 16 tumors was squamous cell carcinoma, followed by adenocarcinoma. There was a statistically significant association between HPV 16 variants and the tumors' histological types (P <  0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Knowledge of HPV 16 variants will provide data on their influence on the pathological and oncogenic aspects of cervical lesions.

Assuntos

DNA Viral/genética , Papillomavirus Humano 16/genética , Papillomavirus Humano 16/isolamento & purificação , Papillomaviridae/genética , Infecções por Papillomavirus/virologia , Neoplasias do Colo do Útero/virologia , Adulto , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Brasil/epidemiologia , Feminino , Variação Genética , Papillomavirus Humano 16/classificação , Humanos , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Papillomaviridae/classificação , Papillomaviridae/isolamento & purificação , Infecções por Papillomavirus/epidemiologia , Infecções por Papillomavirus/patologia , Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase , Estudos Prospectivos , Neoplasias do Colo do Útero/epidemiologia , Neoplasias do Colo do Útero/patologia

RESUMO

BACKGROUND: The human papillomavirus (HPV) prevalence in males has been reported to be between 3.6% and 84%, depending specially on the socioeconomic status. HPV infection has been related as a risk factor for penile cancer. This is a rare tumor, and other risk factors include lack of personal hygiene and men who have not undergone circumcision. Penile cancer is less than 1% of cancers in men in the United States, however, is much more common in some parts of Asia, Africa, and South America, where it accounts for up to 10% of cancers in men. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of HPV-DNA in penile cancers in São Luís, Brazil and to correlate the virus presence to histopathological factors. METHODS: Tumor paraffin samples of 76 patients with penile carcinoma were tested in order to establish the prevalence and distribution of genotypic HPV using PCR/Nested and automated sequencing. To evaluate the association between HPV types and other clinical and morphological variables, a nonparametric ANOVA was performed using a Kruskal Wallis test, and statistical significance was determined to a value of p < 0.05. RESULTS: The average age of patients at the time of diagnosis was 66 years ± 17.10. Regarding location, 65.79% of the tumors were located in the glans, and the most common types were vegetative (34.21%) and squamous (98.68%). Most of the lesions ranged in size from 2.1 to 5.0 cm, presenting Jackson I stage and Broders II degree. It was observed that 32 patients had at least one invaded and/or infiltrated structure. Lymph node involvement was observed in 19.76% of the patients, and 21.05% showed an inflammatory process. In the molecular evaluation, HPV infection was observed in 63.15% of the lesions, and the most common type was HPV 16. CONCLUSIONS: From the statistical analysis, it can be verified that the variables were not associated with infection by the HPV virus. Although penile cancer can result from various risk factors that act in synergy, an HPV virus infection is important for the development of such neoplasm.

Assuntos

Papillomaviridae/genética , Infecções por Papillomavirus/epidemiologia , Neoplasias Penianas/epidemiologia , Neoplasias Penianas/virologia , Adulto , Distribuição por Idade , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Análise de Variância , Brasil/epidemiologia , Estudos de Coortes , Comorbidade , Genótipo , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Papillomaviridae/isolamento & purificação , Infecções por Papillomavirus/diagnóstico , Neoplasias Penianas/patologia , Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase , Prevalência , Estudos Retrospectivos , Medição de Risco

RESUMO

BACKGROUND: Gaucher disease is an inborn, autosomal recessive error of the metabolism which belongs to the group of lysosomal storage disorders. OBJECTIVE: This work reports on the treatment of Gaucher disease in several members of the same family from the countryside of Maranhão. METHODS: This was an observational, retrospective and prospective, descriptive case study about the efficacy of enzyme replacement therapy. RESULTS: The results showed that women were more affected (80% of patients) by the disease, age at diagnosis ranged from 24 to 33 years, the predominant ethnicity was mulatto (80%) and all cases were classified as type 1. The diagnosis of these patients was performed by measuring the levels of glucocerebrosidase and chitotriosidase enzymes and confirmed by genotyping. All patients suffering from Gaucher disease had low glucocerebrosidase levels. Before replacement therapy, hepatosplenomegaly was the most common clinical manifestation (100%) and osteopenia was seen in 80% of the cases. Regarding hematological manifestations, anemia and leukopenia were found in 40% of patients at diagnosis; however the hemoglobin and leukocyte levels were normalized after four years of therapy. Thrombocytopenia, observed in 20% of cases, was normalized after the second year of treatment. CONCLUSION: In these cases, despite gaps in the treatment as the family resides in the rural region of the state, the patients with Gaucher disease showed satisfactory therapeutic response over time.