Frequency of class I anti-HLA alloantibodies in patients infected by HIV-1

O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a presença de aloanticorpos anti-HLA classe I em pacientes infectados pelo HIV-1 e relacioná-la aos diferentes cursos clínicos da doença. Amostras de sangue de 145 indivíduos HIV positivo foram coletadas em tubos com EDTA. A infecção pelo HIV-1 foi confirmada por teste ELISA e a presença de aloanticorpos anti-HLA classe I determinada em seguida. A evolução clínica foi definida como rápida (<1 ano entre diagnóstico e morte), moderada (1-3 anos) ou lenta (>3 anos). A presença de aloanticorpos anti-HLA classe I foi menor em indivíduos saudáveis em relação aos infectados pelo HIV-1 (4,2% contra 32,4%). Porém, a distribuição destes aloanticorpos entre os indivíduos infectados foi igual, independente da evolução clínica. Deste modo, a presença de aloanticorpos anti-HLA classe I não é um fator determinante na piora clínica do paciente.

Amplificação gênica alelo-específica na caracterização das hemoglobinas S, C e D e as interações entre elas e talassemias beta

INTRODUÇÃO: As hemoglobinopatias resultam de alterações hereditárias, sendo prevalentes em muitas regiões do mundo, mas atingem a população brasileira de forma significativa. Elas são decorrentes de alterações em genes estruturais responsáveis pelo aparecimento das hemoglobinas variantes e/ou em genes reguladores, resultando nas talassemias. A identificação dessas patologias tem sido rotineiramente realizada por procedimentos eletroforéticos, contudo nossa experiência laboratorial evidencia que as mesmas nem sempre apresentam resoluções suficientes para a correta caracterização da mutação. CASUÍSTICAS E MÉTODOS: O propósito deste trabalho foi estabelecer uma metodologia válida para a caracterização das hemoglobinas S, C e D em homozigose ou heterozigose, e suas possíveis interações, baseada na amplificação gênica alelo-específica (PCR-AE) com a utilização de primers sense, antisense e primers que se acoplam na posição do alelo mutante e na respectiva posição do alelo normal. RESULTADOS E DISCUSSÃO: Os resultados evidenciaram a validade dessa metodologia na caracterização das mutações, sendo esse procedimento de fácil realização, reprodutível e possível de ser aplicado em um significativo número de amostras.

Infecção por Helicobacter pylori e câncer gástrico: freqüência de cepas patogênicas cagA e vacA em pacientes com câncer gástrico

INTRODUÇÃO: Apesar da alta freqüência de infecção por Helicobacter pylori na população, somente uma minoria de indivíduos desenvolve câncer gástrico. É provável que a colonização da mucosa por cepas patogênicas, levando a maior agressão e inflamação da mucosa seja um dos elos da cadeia de eventos da oncogênese gástrica. OBJETIVOS: Investigar a freqüência de cepas patogênicas cagA e vacA do H. pylori em pacientes com câncer gástrico. MATERIAL E MÉTODOS: Foram estudados retrospectivamente 42 pacientes com câncer gástrico. A infecção por H. pylori foi avaliada por exame histológico e pelo PCR para identificação dos genótipos cagA e vacA em amostras de material fixado em formalina e incluído em parafina. RESULTADOS: A análise histológica permitiu a visualização direta do H. pylori em 85,7% dos casos, e o método de PCR para o gene urease C demonstrou a presença de DNA da bactéria em 95% dos casos. O gene cagA foi detectado em amostras de 23 pacientes (54,7%) com câncer gástrico. O alelo s1 do gene vacA foi identificado em amostras de 24 pacientes (57,1%) e o alelo m1, em amostras de 26 pacientes (61,9%). Os alelos s1 e m1 foram identificados simultaneamente em 24 pacientes (57,1%). O alelo s2 foi identificado em amostras de quatro pacientes (9,5%), e o alelo m2, em amostras de três pacientes (7,1%). A freqüência de infecção pelo Helicobacter pylori foi similar em ambos os tipos histológicos de câncer gástrico (intestinal e difuso). CONCLUSÕES: Os resultados confirmam a relevância dos genótipos patogênicos cagA e vacA do H. pylori para lesões orgânicas significativas tais como o câncer gástrico, sugerindo a participação dessa bactéria na cadeia de eventos da oncogênese gástrica.

Allelic Frequencies of HPA-1 to 5 Human Platelet Antigens in Patients Infected With Hepatitis C Virus

Studies have suggested that hepatitis C virus (HCV) may infect not only hepatocytes but may also be carried by platelets. Platelets express more than 20 polymorphic antigenic determinants on their surface, which are called human platelet antigens (HPA), To determine the allele frequency of the HPA-1 to -5 in patients infected with HCV, blood samples were collected from 257 blood donors for the control group and from 191 patients infected with HCV. DNA was isolated and amplified for genes HPA-1 to -4 using PCR Sequence Specific Primers (PCR-SSP) and HPA-5 using PCR-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). The allelic and genotypic frequency of HPA-5a in patients infected with HCV was found to be significantly lower(P < 0.05) than in the controls, and HPA-5b from patients infected with HCV was significantly higher (P < 0.05) than in controls. The increase in HPA5b allelic frequency in HCV infection may indicate a possible association between HCV infection and HPAs. J. Med. Virol. 81:757-759, 2009. (C) 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

TNF-308G > A Single Nucleotide Polymorphism Is Associated With Leprosy Among Brazilians: A Genetic Epidemiology Assessment, Meta-Analysis, and Functional Study

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Genetic, epidemiological and biological analysis of interleukin-10 promoter single-nucleotide polymorphisms suggests a definitive role for-819C/T in leprosy susceptibility

Leprosy is a complex infectious disease influenced by genetic and environmental factors. The genetic contributing factors are considered heterogeneous and several genes have been consistently associated with susceptibility like PARK2, tumor necrosis factor (TNF), lymphotoxin-alpha (LTA) and vitamin-D receptor (VDR). Here, we combined a case-control study (374 patients and 380 controls), with meta-analysis (5 studies; 2702 individuals) and biological study to test the epidemiological and physiological relevance of the interleukin-10 (IL-10) genetic markers in leprosy. We observed that the -819T allele is associated with leprosy susceptibility either in the case-control or in the meta-analysis studies. Haplotypes combining promoter single-nucleotide polymorphisms also implicated a haplotype carrying the -819T allele in leprosy susceptibility (odds ratio (OR) = 1.40; P = 0.01). Finally, we tested IL-10 production in peripheral blood mononuclear cells stimulated with Mycobacterium leprae antigens and found that -819T carriers produced lower levels of IL-10 when compared with noncarriers. Taken together, these data suggest that low levels of IL-10 during the disease outcome can drive patients to a chronic and unprotective response that culminates with leprosy.

Microallelotyping defines novel regions of loss of heterozygosity in uterine leiomyomas

Uterine leiomyomas are extremely common, benign, smooth muscle tumors that represent a significant public health problem. Although there have been few molecular studies of uterine leiomyomas, most of them have reported a very low frequency of loss of heterozygosity (LOH) in different regions of the genome. The detection of LOH has been used to identify genomic regions that harbor tumor suppressor genes and to characterize different tumor types. We have used a set of 15 microsatellite polymorphism markers to examine the frequency of allele loss in a panel of 64 human uterine leiomyomas matched to normal DNAs. The markers were chosen from regions involved in losses identified by comparative genomic hybridization in a subset of uterine leiomyomas described in a previous report. DNA from tumors and normal tissue was amplified by the polymerase chain reaction and subsequently analyzed using an ABI Prism 377 DNA automated sequencer. The frequency of LOH observed was low, except for the markers D15S87 (15q26.3), D7S493 (7p15.3), and D7S517 (7p22.2). No changes in microsatellite size were detected in our samples. These results provide useful clues for identifying putative tumor suppressor genes associated with a subset of uterine leiomyomas. (C) 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Genotyping of AR and PSA polymorphisms in a patient with Klinefelter syndrome, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and adenocarcinoma of the prostate

It has been hypothesized that the AR (androgen receptor) gene binds the two PSA (prostate-specific antigen) alleles with differing affinities and may differentially influence prostate cancer risk. In this article, we report a case of adenocarcinoma of the prostate in a 56-year-old man with Klinefelter syndrome (47,XXY) and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, as well as the AR and PSA genotype. AR and PSA gene polymorphisms were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction-based methods using DNA from peripheral white blood cells and the prostate cancer. We determined the methylation status of the AR gene on the X chromosome. The patient presents with the AG genotype for the ARE-I (androgen response element) region of the PSA gene. We detect the presence of two short AR alleles with 19 and 11CAG repeats each. Unmethylated alleles were demonstrated for both. The shorter allele was inactive in more than 60% of total DNA in both control blood and prostate cancer cells. The presence of short AR alleles and the G allele of the PSA gene may contribute to the development of prostate cancer in a 47,XXY patient. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

PSA and androgen-related gene (AR, CYP17, and CYP19) polymorphisms and the risk of adenocarcinoma at prostate biopsy

The aim of the present study was to examine the impact of polymorphisms in prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and androgen-related genes (AR, CYP17, and CYP19) on prostate cancer (PCa) risk in selected high-risk patients who underwent prostate biopsy. Blood samples and prostate tissues were obtained for DNA analysis. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the 50-untranslated regions (UTRs) of the PSA (substitution A > G at position -158) and CYP17 (substitution T > C at 50-UTR) genes were detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-restriction fragment length polymorphism assays. The CAG and TTTA repeats in the AR and CYP19 genes, respectively, were genotyped by PCR-based GeneScan analysis. Patients with the GG genotype of the PSA gene had a higher risk of PCa than those with the AG or AA genotype (OR = 3.79, p = 0.00138). The AA genotype was associated with lower PSA levels (6.44 +/- 1.64 ng/mL) compared with genotypes having at least one G allele (10.44 +/- 10.06 ng/mL) (p = 0.0687, 95% CI - 0.3146 to 8.315, unpaired t-test). The multivariate analysis confirmed the association between PSA levels and PSA genotypes (AA vs. AG+GG; chi(2) = 0.0482) and CYP19 (short alleles homozygous vs. at least one long allele; chi(2) = 0.0110) genotypes. Genetic instability at the AR locus leading to somatic mosaicism was detected in one PCa patient by comparing the length of AR CAG repeats in matched peripheral blood and prostate biopsy cores. Taken together, these findings suggest that the PSA genotype should be a clinically relevant biomarker to predict the PCa risk.

Toxicogenomic activity of gemcitabine in two TP53-mutated bladder cancer cell lines: special focus on cell cycle-related genes

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

HLA-G polymorphism and transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder in a Brazilian population

The morphologic appearance and clinical behavior of the human urinary bladder papillary transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) probably result from a complex interaction between carcinogenic insults and host resistance during the patient's life. While the main recognized risk factors are of environmental origin (e.g. smoking), relatively little information exists about the susceptibility to TCC development. The human leukocyte antigen G (HLA-G) molecule plays an important role in immune response regulation and has been implicated in the inhibition of the cytolytic function of natural killer and cytotoxic T cells. Several lines of evidence indicate that HLA-G polymorphisms influence the expression level and production of different HLA-G isoforms. The aim of this study was to explore a possible influence of the HLA-G polymorphism on the susceptibility to urinary bladder TCC development and progression in smokers and nonsmokers Brazilian subjects. The HLA-G locus was found to be associated with susceptibility to TCC development and progression. The G*0104 allelic group (specially the G*010404 allele) and the G*0103 allele were associated with a tobacco-dependent influence on TCC development. The G*0104 group was associated with progression to high-grade tumors, irrespective of smoking habit, while the G*0103 allele was associated to high-grade tumor only in smoking patients. Our results are an evidence that the HLA-G locus itself, or as part of an extended haplotype encompassing this chromosome region (particularly the HLA-A given the high linkage disequilibrium observed between them in this data series), may be associated with TCC susceptibility and tumor progression, suggesting a tobacco-dependent influence of these polymorphisms.