Análise do transcriptoma das glândulas venenosas do escorpião Tityus stigmurus

In Brazil, accidents with scorpions are considered of medical importance, not only by the high incidence, but also for the potentiality of the venom from some species in determining severe clinical conditions. Tityus stigmurus is a widely distributed scorpion species in Northeastern Brazil and known to cause severe human envenomations, inducing pain, hyposthesia, edema, erythema, paresthesia, headaches and vomiting. The present study uses a transcriptomic approach to characterize the molecular repertoire from the non-stimulated venom gland of Tityus stigmurus scorpion. A cDNA library was constructed and 540 clones were sequenced and grouped into 37 clusters, with more than one EST (expressed sequence tag) and 116 singlets. Forty-one percent of ESTs belong to recognized toxin-coding sequences, with antimicrobial toxins (AMP-like) the most abundant transcripts, followed by alfa KTx- like, beta KTx-like, beta NaTx-like and alfa NaTx-like. Our analysis indicated that 34% include other possible venom molecules , whose transcripts correspond to anionic peptides, hypothetical secreted peptides, metalloproteinases, cystein-rich peptides and lectins. Fifteen percent of ESTs are similar to cellular transcripts. Sequences without good matches corresponded to 11%. This investigation provides the first global view of cDNAs from Tityus stigmurus. This approach enables characterization of a large number of venom gland component molecules, which belong either to known or atypical types of venom peptides and proteins from the Buthidae family

Candidíase vulvovaginal: sintomatologia, fatores de risco e colonização anal concomitante

Post-menarche patients with clinical signs of vulvovaginitis were analyzed in this study, whose aims were the following: identify the frequency of C. albicans and non C. albicans species and negative results, correlate the vaginal culture for yeast with risk factors and symptomatology; compare positive and negative results for yeast in the vaginal and anal cultures; compare the positive results for C. albicans with other results found in the vaginal and anal cultures; and compare concomitant positivity for C. albicans and non C. albicans in the vaginal and anal cultures. Sample selection occurred between May, 2003 and May, 2005, and included 99 patients from Natal, Brazil. The laboratory methods used consisted of CHROMagar Candida culture medium, thermotolerance test at 42-45°C and hypertonic NaCL, in addition to the classic methods of carbohydrate assimilation and fermentation. We used absolute numbers, percentages, means of central tendency, chi-squared test (χ2) with Yates correction, Fisher s exact test and odds ratio for statistical analysis. The most frequent species was C. albicans in 69% of the cases. The positivity for Candida spp showed an association with the use of tight-fitting intimate clothing and/or synthetics, allergic diseases and the occurrence of itching, leukorrhea and erythema. Anal colonization increased the likelihood of vaginal contamination by 2.8 and 4.9 times, respectively, for Candida spp and C. albicans. When compared to the other species, C. albicans-positive anal colonization increased by 3.7 times the likelihood of vaginal positivity. These data suggest likely vaginal contamination originating in the anus

Ajudando os inimigos: espécies nativas facilitam a invasão do semiárido brasileiro por árvores exóticas

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior

Prevention of oral lesions in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common form of cancer in children and is responsible for severe stomatologic complications. Treatment consists of four phases of chemotherapy, the main side effect of methotrexate, the drug most used during the intensification phase, is oral mucositis. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical aspects of the oral mucosa of children with ALL and to determine the effect of 0.12% chlorhexidine gluconate on the prevention of stomatologic complications in these patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Thirty-three children treated for ALL ranging in age from 2 to 15 years, without distinction of gender or race, were submitted to visual examination, digital palpation of the oral mucosa and cytologic examination of the buccal mucosa, and divided into two groups: group I consisted of 23 children using an oral solution of 0.12% chlorhexidine gluconate twice a day, and group II consisted of 10 children who did not receive this solution. All children received daily oral hygiene care guided by the dentist throughout treatment. RESULTS: Mucositis was observed in six children of group I and eight of group II, and was characterized by erythema, edema and ulcers. Uniform cytologic findings were obtained for the two groups, with a clear predominance of cells of the intermediate layer in all smears, in addition to a perinuclear halo in 18% of the smears. CONCLUSION: The present results suggest that systematic preventive treatment with 0.12% chlorhexidine gluconate and oral hygiene care reduce the occurrence of oral complications in children with ALL undergoing antineoplastic chemotherapy.

Prevention of oral lesions in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common form of cancer in children and is responsible for severe stomatologic complications. Treatment consists of four phases of chemotherapy, the main side effect of methotrexate, the drug most used during the intensification phase, is oral mucositis. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical aspects of the oral mucosa of children with ALL and to determine the effect of 0.12% chlorhexidine gluconate on the prevention of stomatologic complications in these patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Thirty-three children treated for ALL ranging in age from 2 to 15 years, without distinction of gender or race, were submitted to visual examination, digital palpation of the oral mucosa and cytologic examination of the buccal mucosa, and divided into two groups: group I consisted of 23 children using an oral solution of 0.12% chlorhexidine gluconate twice a day, and group II consisted of 10 children who did not receive this solution. All children received daily oral hygiene care guided by the dentist throughout treatment. RESULTS: Mucositis was observed in six children of group I and eight of group II, and was characterized by erythema, edema and ulcers. Uniform cytologic findings were obtained for the two groups, with a clear predominance of cells of the intermediate layer in all smears, in addition to a perinuclear halo in 18% of the smears. CONCLUSION: The present results suggest that systematic preventive treatment with 0.12% chlorhexidine gluconate and oral hygiene care reduce the occurrence of oral complications in children with ALL undergoing antineoplastic chemotherapy.

Análise do transcriptoma das glândulas venenosas do escorpião Tityus stigmurus

In Brazil, accidents with scorpions are considered of medical importance, not only by the high incidence, but also for the potentiality of the venom from some species in determining severe clinical conditions. Tityus stigmurus is a widely distributed scorpion species in Northeastern Brazil and known to cause severe human envenomations, inducing pain, hyposthesia, edema, erythema, paresthesia, headaches and vomiting. The present study uses a transcriptomic approach to characterize the molecular repertoire from the non-stimulated venom gland of Tityus stigmurus scorpion. A cDNA library was constructed and 540 clones were sequenced and grouped into 37 clusters, with more than one EST (expressed sequence tag) and 116 singlets. Forty-one percent of ESTs belong to recognized toxin-coding sequences, with antimicrobial toxins (AMP-like) the most abundant transcripts, followed by alfa KTx- like, beta KTx-like, beta NaTx-like and alfa NaTx-like. Our analysis indicated that 34% include other possible venom molecules , whose transcripts correspond to anionic peptides, hypothetical secreted peptides, metalloproteinases, cystein-rich peptides and lectins. Fifteen percent of ESTs are similar to cellular transcripts. Sequences without good matches corresponded to 11%. This investigation provides the first global view of cDNAs from Tityus stigmurus. This approach enables characterization of a large number of venom gland component molecules, which belong either to known or atypical types of venom peptides and proteins from the Buthidae family