On Hepatitis C Virus Evolution: The Interaction between Virus and Host towards Treatment Outcome

Background:Hepatitis C is a disease spread throughout the world. Hepatitis C virus (HCV), the etiological agent of this disease, is a single-stranded positive RNA virus. Its genome encodes a single precursor protein that yields ten proteins after processing. NS5A, one of the non-structural viral proteins, is most associated with interferon-based therapy response, the approved treatment for hepatitis C in Brazil. HCV has a high mutation rate and therefore high variability, which may be important for evading the immune system and response to therapy. The aim of this study was to analyze the evolution of NS5A quasispecies before, during, and after treatment in patients infected with HCV genotype 3a who presented different therapy responses.Methods:Viral RNA was extracted, cDNA was synthesized, the NS5A region was amplified and cloned, and 15 clones from each time-point were sequenced. The sequences were analyzed for evolutionary history, genetic diversity and selection.Results:This analysis shows that the viral population that persists after treatment for most non-responder patients is present in before-treatment samples, suggesting it is adapted to evade treatment. In contrast, the population found in before treatment samples from most end-of-treatment responder patients either are selected out or appears in low frequency after relapse, therefore changing the population structure. The exceptions illustrate the uniqueness of the evolutionary process, and therefore the treatment resistance process, in each patient.Conclusion:Although evolutionary behavior throughout treatment showed that each patient presented different population dynamics unrelated to therapy outcome, it seems that the viral population from non-responders that resists the treatment already had strains that could evade therapy before it started. © 2013 Bittar et al.

Temporal polyethism and life expectancy of workers in the eusocial wasp polistes canadensis canadensis Linnaeus (Hymenoptera: Vespidae)

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Immunohistochemical investigation of the angiogenic proteins VEGF, HIF-1α and CD34 in invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast

The expression of prognostic markers in cancer has become important in diagnostic routine and research. A high mitotic rate compromises the individual cell access to oxygen and nutrients, due to reduced blood supply. Cells undertake adaptive measures such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), expressed under the control of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α). CD34 is an endothelial marker which can show the presence and distribution of blood vessels. This study evaluated the presence and relative expression of VEGF, HIF-1α and CD34 using immunohistochemistry of 60 breast tumors and double staining, correlating the findings with clinical and pathological variables. High VEGF expression was correlated with low cell proliferation, lymph node-negative, smaller tumor size and patients not receiving hormone therapy. High HIF-1α expression predominated in younger (<50-year) patients, subjected to neo-adjuvant therapy and in p53-negative tumors. Absence of metastasis, radiotherapy or hormone treatment, and estrogen receptor (ER)-positive tumors showed high CD34 immunoreactivity. We suggest that the angiogenic factors VEGF, HIF-1α and CD34 are important in breast cancer progression and their abundance in breast tumors has prognostic and predictive value. Crown Copyright © 2013.

Endaural access to remove the projectile from a firearm

Background: Surgical approaches to temporomandibular region have been the subject of numerous controversies in the literature. Pre-auricular approaches have been used with the observance of high success rate, and during surgery history, various modifications of this approach were conducted in order to reduce irreversible sequelae. Thus, given the relevance of the study, this article proposes to alert the professionals that carry out these surgical approaches in relation to the anatomical structures involved and to describe and emphasise the benefits of endaural approach. Case report: A Caucasian male patient, victim of a firearm injury, sustained a wound on the right pre-auricular region, and at the time of assessment, he complained of pain, mouth opening difficulty and dysphagia. On physical examination, there was oedema and ecchymosis in the right periorbital region. In the radiological examination, a foreign body compatible with a firearm projectile was observed in the right pre-auricular region, being in accordance with the information collected. The endaural incision and divulsion by plans was then made until the projectile. Discussion: For proper exposure of the region, several studies were designed to evaluate the patterns of branching and anastomosis of the facial nerve. As for the best cosmetic result with the different pre-auricular approaches, the endaural approach was described as an approach that offers great cosmetic results because the incision design guides the surgeon in the wound closure and causes a decrease in the tension of flap, unlike that observed by some authors. © 2012 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.

Five-year follow-up of modified implant-supported overdenture in an iliac crest autograft failure: Clinical report

The treatment of extensive pathologic lesions in the jaw, most of the time, can generate rehabilitation problems to the patient. The solid ameloblastoma is a locally invasive odontogenic tumor with a high recurrence rate. Its treatment is aggressive and accomplished through resection with safety margin. The criterion standard for reconstruction is autogenous bone, but it can provide a high degree of resorption, causing inconvenience to the patient because of lack of rehabilitative option. This study aimed to describe a patient with ameloblastoma treated through resection and reconstruction with autogenous bone graft, in which, after an extensive resorption of the graft was made, a modified bar was applied to support a prosthetic implant overdenture. Copyright © 2013 by Mutaz B. Habal, MD.

A decoding method of an n length binary BCH code through (n + 1)n length binary cyclic code

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

Crescimento e avaliação nutricional de leguminosas arbóreas potenciais para ecossistemas agroflorestais num solo de cerrado

Pós-graduação em Agronomia (Agricultura) - FCA

Efeitos do canto de anúncio e do tamanho corporal no espaçamento entre machos em agregações de Dendropsophus nanus (Anura, Hylidae)

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

O papel dos municípios na segurança pública: relações entre CONSEG e administração municipal (1985-2008)

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

Irradiação e refrigeração na conservação de bananas prata e nanica climatizadas

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Avaliação nutricional inicial e evolutiva de pacientes com injúria renal aguda

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Comparação entre posiçao prona e posiçao supina, associadas à ventilação oscilatória de alta frequência, em modelo experimental de lesão pulmonar aguda

Pós-graduação em Fisiopatologia em Clínica Médica - FMB

Evolução de pacientes clínicos e cirúrgicos com injúria renal aguda

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Efeito do óxido nítrico inalatório associado à ventilação mecânica protetora na lesão pulmonar aguda induzida experimentalmente

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

Avaliação da interleucinas 8 e 12, do CA 15-3 e DNA livre circulante como marcadores prognósticos no soro sanguíneo de cadelas com neoplasia mamária

Pós-graduação em Genética - IBILCE