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.

Clinical presentation of tuberculoid leprosy in an epidermodysplasia verruciformis patient

Epidermodysplasia verruciformis (EV) is triggered by a variety of mechanisms that at least partly include genetic background. We present a Brazilian man with a 30-year history of flat, wart-like lesions with clinical, histopathological, and evolutive aspects consistent with papillomavirus (HPV)-associated EV. Histological analysis of the wart lesions showed epidermis with hyperkeratosis, regular acanthosis, hypergranulosis, and cells with abundant basophilic cytoplasm. Moreover, a perivascular lymphocytic infiltrate was found in the superficial dermis, consistent with a viral wart. Type-2-HPV DNA was detected in various fragments of skin-wart lesions using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Two years after the EV diagnosis, the patient presented with an anesthetic well-demarcated, erythematous and mildly scaly plaque on his right forearm. A histopathological analysis of this lesion demonstrated the presence of a compact tuberculoid granuloma. Ziehl-Neelsen staining demonstrated the presence of rare acid-fast bacilli and confirmed the tuberculoid leprosy diagnosis. The patient's Mitsuda Intradermal Reaction was positive. To elucidate the possible mechanism involved in this case of EV, we genotyped the HLA genes of this patient. DQB genotyping showed the polymorphic HLA alleles DQB1*0301 and 0501. The patient was treated with a paucibacillary multidrug therapy scheme, and the disease was cured in six months. This report describes an EV patient with an M. leprae infection, confirming that tuberculoid leprosy patients possess a relatively specific and efficient cell-mediated immunity against the bacillus and, therefore, localized forms of the disease. Moreover, we show the possible involvement of the polymorphic HLA alleles DQB1*0301 and 0501 in EV induction mechanisms.

Correlation of reactivity with structural factors in a series of Fe(II) substituted cobalt ferrites

A series of powdered cobalt ferrites, CoxFe3-xO4 with 0.66 <= x< 1.00 containing different amounts of Fe-II, were synthesized by a mild procedure, and their Fe and Co site occupancies and structural characteristics were explored using X-ray anomalous scattering and the Rietveld refinement method. The dissolution kinetics, measured in 0.1 M oxalic acid aqueous solution at 70 degrees C, indicate in all cases the operation of a contracting volume rate law. The specific rates increased with the Fell content following approximately a second-order polynomial expression. This result suggests that the transfer of Fe-III controls the dissolution rate, and that the leaching of a first layer of ions Co-II and Fe-II leaves exposed a surface enriched in slower dissolving octahedral Fe-III ions. Within this model, inner vicinal lattice Fe-II accelerates the rate of Fe-III transfer via internal electron hopping. A chain mechanism, involving successive electron transfers, fits the data very well. (C) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Preparation of Fe-Cr-P-Co amorphous alloys by electrodeposition

The effects of bath composition and electroplating conditions on structure, morphology, and composition of amorphous Fe-Cr-P-Co deposits on AISI 1020 steel substrate, priorly plated with a thin Cu deposit, were investigated. The increase of charge density activates the inclusion of Cr in the deposit. However, above specific values of the charge density, which depend on the deposition current density, the Cr content in the deposit decreases. This Cr content decreasing is probably due to the significant hydrogen evolution with the increasing of deposition cur-rent and charge density. The effect of charge density on the content of Fe and Co is not clear. However, there is a tendency of increasing of Fe content and decreasing of Co content with the raising of current density. The Co is more easily deposited than the P, and its presence results in a more intense inhibition effect on the Cr deposition than the inhibition effect caused by P presence. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis showed that Co increasing in the Fe-Cr-P-Co alloys analyzed does not promote the susceptibility to microcracks, which led to a good quality deposit. The passive film of the Fe-Cr-P-Co alloy shows a high ability formation and high protective capacity, and the results obtained by current density of corrosion, j(cor), show that the deposit with addition of Co, Fe31Cr11P28Co30, presents a higher corrosion resistance than the deposit with addition of Ni, Fe54Cr21P20Ni5. (C) 2004 Published by Elsevier B.V.

From tin oxalate to (Fe, Co, Nb)-doped SnO(2): Sintering behavior, microstructural and electrical features

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

Specific components found in circulating immune complexes (CIC) in paracoccidioidomycosis

Circulating immune complexes (CIC) from 15 paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) patient sera and from 20 healthy control sera were analysed. After CIC precipitation, solubilization and acid treatment, only a little reactivity to P. brasiliensis antigens was found in the free antibodies from PCM-CIC. This result has suggested that there were antibodies with a high affinity bound to fungus components. Dissociated CIC were fractionated in a column of Sephacryl S300 and the fractions that probably contained antigens were pooled and applied to an affinity column, prepared with mouse anti-gp43 monoclonal antibody. Using ECL-Western blotting assay two polypeptide with apparent mass of 43 and 62 kDa were found.

Electrodeposition of amorphous Fe-Cr-P-Ni-C alloys. Morphological and structural characteristics

The effect of bath composition and electroplating conditions on structure, morphology and composition of amorphous Fe-Cr-P-Ni-C deposits on Cu substrate was investigated. The deposition efficiency of Fe-Ni-P-C alloy increased significantly with the addition of formic acid, but decreased with the addition of Cr to the plating bath. The increase of charge density activates the inclusion of Cr in the deposit. However, above a specific value of charge density, which depends on deposition current density, the Cr content in the deposit decreases. SEM analysis showed that the increase of Ni, Cr or charge deposition promotes susceptibility to microcracking.

Nurse-patient communication while performing home dialysis: The patients' perceptions

This study aimed at describing patients' perception of their communication with nurses when performing home dialysis. Data were collected from interviews guided by the question: What is communication like, between you and nurses, during home dialysis treatment? Results show participants' perception of treatment during home peritoneal dialysis [Continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD)]; relationship with nurses and family and the effects of treatment on one's existence. Patients can be self-caring and they learn to value the autonomy in their own care. However, some are unable to assume the responsibility for self-care. It was discovered that the connotation of inspection that some participants attributed to the nurse's visits, led to an alienation from the education process in the CAPD education. Findings suggest that effective communication and the development of the relationship of a working partnership with patients is crucial. Improvement in the nurses' communication, aiming at adapting it to the characteristics, limitations and specific needs of each patient, is significant for achieving better outcomes. © 2010 European Dialysis and Transplant Nurses Association/European Renal Care Association.

The evaluation of an instrument for pediatric oncology patient classification

The objectives of this study were to assess the interrater reproducibility of the instrument to classify pediatric patients with cancer; verify the adequacy of the patient classification instrument for pediatric patients with cancer; and make a proposal for changing the instrument, thus allowing for the necessary adjustments for pediatric oncology patients. A total of 34 pediatric inpatients of a Cancer Hospital were evaluated by the teams of physicians, nurses and nursing technicians. The Kappa coefficient was used to rate the agreement between the scores, which revealed a moderate to high value in the objective classifications, and a low value in the subjective. In conclusion, the instrument is reliable and reproducible, however, it is suggested that to classify pediatric oncology patients, some items should be complemented in order to reach an outcome that is more compatible with the reality of this specific population.

Quantification of Biological Tissue and Construction of Patient Equivalent Phantom (Skull and Chest) for Infants (1-5 years old)

Our main purpose in this study was to quantify biological tissue in computed tomography (CT) examinations with the aim of developing a skull and a chest patient equivalent phantom (PEP), both specific to infants, aged between 1 and 5 years old. This type of phantom is widely used in the development of optimization procedures for radiographic techniques, especially in computed radiography (CR) systems. In order to classify and quantify the biological tissue, we used a computational algorithm developed in Matlab (R). The algorithm performed a histogram of each CT slice followed by a Gaussian fitting of each tissue type. The algorithm determined the mean thickness for the biological tissues (bone, soft, fat, and lung) and also converted them into the corresponding thicknesses of the simulator material (aluminum, PMMA, and air). We retrospectively analyzed 148 CT examinations of infant patients, 56 for skull exams and 92 were for chest. The results provided sufficient data to construct a phantom to simulate the infant chest and skull in the posterior anterior or anterior posterior (PA/AP) view. Both patient equivalent phantoms developed in this study can be used to assess physical variables such as noise power spectrum (NPS) and signal to noise ratio (SNR) or perform dosimetric control specific to pediatric protocols.

Comparação de suínos convencionais e SPF (specific pathogen free)

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

Mycetoma caused by Nocardia brasiliensis in an immunocompetent patient

Dendritic cells play a central role in the regulation of immunological reactivity. The existence of functionally specialized populations of dendritic cells in the skin is a consequence of qualitatively different attacks on our organism. slanDCs are human inflammatory dendritic cells that are characterized by the specific expression of the carbohydrate 6-sulfo LacNAc (slan). After phenotypic maturation, slanDCs are capable of producing very high amounts of proinflammatory mediators such as IL-12, TNF-, IL-1 and IL-23. Recent data describe a potential role of slanDCs in a number of different diseases like psoriasis, lupus erythematosus, and tumors, thus opening up new areas of research on their respective pathogenesis. Furthermore, a slanDC-specific targeting system has been developed as a basis for direct therapeutic manipulation. Future challenges of slanDC research include deepening our understanding of the significance of slanDCs in the regulation of adaptive and innate immune responses, as well as translating this knowledge into therapeutic options.

Adsorção-fotodegradação do herbicida paraquate em água pela argila Na-Bentonita e por novos materiais TiO2-Bentonita, TiO2/ZnOBentonita, Al/Fe-Bentonita e Al/Fe.Cu-Bentonita

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

The impact of pretransplant donor-specific antibodies on graft outcome in renal transplantation: a six-year follow-up study

OBJECTIVE: The significance of pretransplant, donor-specific antibodies on long-term patient outcomes is a subject of debate. This study evaluated the impact and the presence or absence of donor-specific antibodies after kidney transplantation on short-and long-term graft outcomes. METHODS: We analyzed the frequency and dynamics of pretransplant donor-specific antibodies following renal transplantation from a randomized trial that was conducted from 2002 to 2004 and correlated these findings with patient outcomes through 2009. Transplants were performed against a complement-dependent T-and B-negative crossmatch. Pre- and posttransplant sera were available from 94 of the 118 patients (80%). Antibodies were detected using a solid-phase (Luminex (R)), single-bead assay, and all tests were performed simultaneously. RESULTS: Sixteen patients exhibited pretransplant donor-specific antibodies, but only 3 of these patients (19%) developed antibody-mediated rejection and 2 of them experienced early graft losses. Excluding these 2 losses, 6 of 14 patients exhibited donor-specific antibodies at the final follow-up exam, whereas 8 of these patients (57%) exhibited complete clearance of the donor-specific antibodies. Five other patients developed "de novo'' posttransplant donor-specific antibodies. Death-censored graft survival was similar in patients with pretransplant donor-specific and non-donor-specific antibodies after a mean follow-up period of 70 months. CONCLUSION: Pretransplant donor-specific antibodies with a negative complement-dependent cytotoxicity crossmatch are associated with a risk for the development of antibody-mediated rejection, although survival rates are similar when patients transpose the first months after receiving the graft. Our data also suggest that early posttransplant donor-specific antibody monitoring should increase knowledge of antibody dynamics and their impact on long-term graft outcome.

Low mechanical ventilation times and reintubation rates associated with a specific weaning protocol in an intensive care unit setting: a retrospective study

OBJECTIVES: A number of complications exist with invasive mechanical ventilation and with the use of and withdrawal from prolonged ventilator support. The use of protocols that enable the systematic identification of patients eligible for an interruption in mechanical ventilation can significantly reduce the number of complications. This study describes the application of a weaning protocol and its results. METHODS: Patients who required invasive mechanical ventilation for more than 24 hours were included and assessed daily to identify individuals who were ready to begin the weaning process. RESULTS: We studied 252 patients with a median mechanical ventilation time of 3.7 days (interquartile range of 1 to 23 days), a rapid shallow breathing index value of 48 (median), a maximum inspiratory pressure of 40 cmH2O, and a maximum expiratory pressure of 40 cm H2O (median). Of these 252 patients, 32 (12.7%) had to be reintubated, which represented weaning failure. Noninvasive ventilation was used postextubation in 170 (73%) patients, and 15% of these patients were reintubated, which also represented weaning failure. The mortality rate of the 252 patients studied was 8.73% (22), and there was no significant difference in the age, gender, mechanical ventilation time, and maximum inspiratory pressure between the survivors and nonsurvivors. CONCLUSIONS: The use of a specific weaning protocol resulted in a lower mechanical ventilation time and an acceptable reintubation rate. This protocol can be used as a comparative index in hospitals to improve the weaning system, its monitoring and the informative reporting of patient outcomes and may represent a future tool and source of quality markers for patient care.