Microbiota associated with chronic osteomyelitis of the jaws

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

Polymorphisms and Haplotypes in the Interleukin-4 Gene are Associated With Chronic Periodontitis in a Brazilian Population

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

Human Platelet Antigen Genotype Is Associated With Progression of Fibrosis in Chronic Hepatitis C

Although progression of fibrosis in the chronic hepatitis C depends on environmental, viral, and host factors, genetic polymorphisms have been associated recently with this progression, including the expression of integrins, adhesion proteins. Some integrins expressed on the platelet membrane show polymorphic antigenic determinants called human platelet antigens (HPA), where the major ones are HPA-1, -3, -5. The association between HCV infection and HPA-5b has been demonstrated. Similarly, the HPA profile could determine if HPA is related to progression of fibrosis. The goal of this study was to evaluate the association between the frequencies of HPA-1, -3, and -5 and degree of fibrosis in HCV-infected patients. Genomic DNA from 143 HCV-infected patients was used as the source for HPA genotyping by PCR-SSP or PCR-RFLP. Progression of fibrosis was evaluated using the METAVIR scoring system, and the patients were grouped according to degree of fibrosis into G1 (n = 81, with F1, portal fibrosis without septa or F2, few septa) and G2 (n = 62, with F3, numerous septa, or F4, cirrhosis). Statistical analysis was performed using the proportional odds model. The genotypic frequency of HPA-1a/1b was significantly higher in the patients in G2. To evaluate the influence of the time of infection to the development of fibrosis and its effect on the genetic factor HPA-1, 96 patients from 143 studied were evaluated considering the time of HCV infection, and these results suggest that the HPA-1a/1b genotype promotes the development of fibrosis in HCV infection with time. J. Med. Virol. 84: 56-60, 2012. (C) 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

IL-1ra anti-inflammatory cytokine polymorphism is associated with risk of gastric cancer and chronic gastritis in a Brazilian population, but the TNF-beta pro-inflammatory cytokine is not

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Liver HLA-G expression is associated with multiple clinical and histopathological forms of chronic hepatitis B virus infection

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Is chronic hypoxemia in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease associated with more marked nutritional deficiency?: A study of the fat-free mass evaluated by anthropometry and bioelectrical impedance methods

In order to determine wheter blood gases abnormalities, specially hypoxemia, are associated with more marked changes in fat-free mass in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (CPOD), nutritional assessment was performed on 16 normoxemic (PaO 2 > 55 mm Hg) and 16 hypoxemic (PaO 2 < 55 mm Hg) COPD patients in stable clinical condition. Body weight was expressed as percentage of the ideal body weight. Fat-free mass was estimated by anthropometry (FFM-Anthr) and by bioelectrical impedance (FFM- BI). Handgrip-strength was assessed as a measure of peripheral skeletal muscle strength. Patients were age-matched and presented similar degree of airway obstruction. Malnutrition, defined as body weight less than 90% of the ideal, was observed in 19% of the normoxemic patients and in 25% of the hypoxemic patients (p>0,05). FFM values in hypoxemic patients, estimated by both methods, were not different from those observed in normoxemic patients. No significant difference was observed on handgrip values between the two groups. No correlation was found between nutritional indices and pulmonary function and gases exchange parameters. FFM correlated positively with values of peripheral muscle function in normoxemic and hypoxemic patients. These data add further evidence to the hypothesis that hypoxemia is not a primary cause of the nutritional deficiency observed in COPD patients.

Gene expression changes associated with myocarditis and fibrosis in hearts of mice with chronic chagasic cardiomyopathy

Chronic chagasic cardiomyopathy is a leading cause of heart failure in Latin American countries. About 30% of Trypanosoma cruzi-infected individuals develop this severe symptomatic form of the disease, characterized by intense inflammatory response accompanied by fibrosis in the heart.We performed an extensive microarray analysis of hearts from a mouse model of this disease and identified significant alterations in expression of ~12% of the sampled genes. Extensive up-regulations were associated with immune-inflammatory responses (chemokines, adhesion molecules, cathepsins, and major histocompatibility complex molecules) and fibrosis (extracellular matrix components, lysyl oxidase, and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1). Our results indicate potentially relevant factors involved in the pathogenesis of the disease that may provide newtherapeutic targets in chronic Chagas disease. © 2010 by the Infectious Diseases Society of America.

Variation in the CXCR1 gene (IL8RA) is not associated with susceptibility to chronic periodontitis

Background: The chemokine receptor 1 CXCR-1 (or IL8R-alpha) is a specific receptor for the interleukin 8 (IL-8), which is chemoattractant for neutrophils and has an important role in the inflammatory response. The polymorphism rs2234671 at position Ex2+860G > C of the CXCR1 gene causes a conservative amino acid substitution (S276T). This single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) seemed to be functional as it was associated with decreased lung cancer risk. Previous studies of our group found association of haplotypes in the IL8 and in the CXCR2 genes with the multifactorial disease chronic periodontitis. In this study we investigated the polymorphism rs2234671 in 395 Brazilian subjects with and without chronic periodontitis. Findings. Similar distribution of the allelic and genotypic frequencies were observed between the groups (p > 0.05). Conclusions: The polymorphism rs2234671 in the CXCR1 gene was not associated with the susceptibility to chronic periodontitis in the studied Brazilian population. © 2011 Scarel-Caminaga et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

Interleukin 4 haplotypes of susceptibility to chronic periodontitis are associated with IL-4 protein levels but not with clinical outcomes of periodontal therapy

Different IL4 haplotypes were associated to susceptibility to/or protection against chronic periodontitis (CP). The aim of this study was to investigate if individuals carrying different haplotypes would present differences in clinical periodontal parameters and in the IL-4 levels at baseline, 45 and 90 days after non-surgical periodontal therapy. 62 patients were subdivided: genetically protected without CP (PH), genetically protected with CP (PCP), genetically susceptible with CP (SCP), genetically susceptible without CP (healthy) (SH). Clinical examination and gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) collection were performed for all patients, and IL-4 levels were measured by ELISA. At baseline, higher values for plaque index (PI, p = 0.013), gingival index (GI, p = 0.005) were observed for the SCP group in comparison to the PCP group but not after the completion of periodontal therapy. 45 and 90 days after the non-surgical therapy, PCP demonstrated significantly higher IL-4 levels than the SCP (p = 0.000002). Correlation analysis showed different results between clinical parameters and IL-4 production or GCF volume for groups with different genetic loads. The IL4 gene which was previously associated with susceptibility to CP was related with differences in the IL-4 protein levels in the GCF. However, independent of genetic carriage, individuals responded similarly to this therapy. © 2013 American Society for Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics.

Periodontopathogens levels and clinical response to periodontal therapy in individuals with the interleukin-4 haplotype associated with susceptibility to chronic periodontitis

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

Are metabolic syndrome and its components associated with 5-year mortality in chronic obstructive pupmonary disease patients?

The aim of this study was to evaluate the risk of mortality according to the presence of metabolic syndrome in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients who were followed for 5 years. We did not establish the influence of metabolic syndrome on mortality rate. However, an increase of 100 mg of triglycerides was associated with a 39% increase in the probability of death in the period of the study (hazard ratio 1.39, 95% confidence interval 1.06-1.83).

Antibody-targeted horseradish peroxidase associated with indole-3-acetic acid induces apoptosis in vitro in hematological malignancies

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

Clinical and microbiological effects of photodynamic therapy associated with nonsurgical periodontal treatment. A 6-month follow-up

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

Factors Associated with Fluoride Concentrations in Whole and Parotid Ductal Saliva

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