The effect of CpG-ODN on antigen presenting cells of the foal

Background: Cytosine-phosphate-guanosine oligodeoxynucleotide (CpG-ODN) has been used successfully to induce immune responses against viral and intracellular organisms in mammals. The main objective of this study was to test the effect of CpG-ODN on antigen presenting cells of young foals. Methods: Peripheral blood monocytes of foals (n = 7) were isolated in the first day of life and monthly thereafter up to 3 months of life. Adult horse (n = 7) monocytes were isolated and tested once for comparison. Isolated monocytes were stimulated with IL-4 and GM-CSF (to obtain dendritic cells, DC) or not stimulated (to obtain macrophages). Macrophages and DCs were stimulated for 14-16 hours with either CpG-ODN, LPS or not stimulated. The stimulated and non-stimulated cells were tested for cell surface markers (CD86 and MHC class II) using flow cytometry, mRNA expression of cytokines (IL-12, IFNα, IL-10) and TLR-9 using real time quantitative RT-PCR, and for the activation of the transcription factor NF-κB p65 using a chemiluminescence assay. Results: The median fluorescence of the MHC class II molecule in non-stimulated foal macrophages and DCs at birth were 12.5 times and 11.2 times inferior, respectively, than adult horse cells (p = 0.009). That difference subsided at 3 months of life (p = 0.3). The expression of the CD86 co-stimulatory molecule was comparable in adult horse and foal macrophages and DCs, independent of treatment. CpG-ODN stimulation induced IL-12p40 (53 times) and IFNα (23 times) mRNA expression in CpG-ODN-treated adult horse DCs (p = 0.078), but not macrophages, in comparison to non-stimulated cells. In contrast, foal APCs did not respond to CpG-ODN stimulation with increased cytokine mRNA expression up to 3 months of age. TLR-9 mRNA expression and NF-kB activation (NF-kB p65) in foal DCs and macrophages were comparable (p > 0.05) to adult horse cells. Conclusion: CpG-ODN treatment did not induce specific maturation and cytokine expression in foal macrophages and DCs. Nevertheless, adult horse DCs, but not macrophages, increased their expression of IL-12 and IFNα cytokines upon CpG-ODN stimulation. Importantly, foals presented an age-dependent limitation in the expression of MHC class II in macrophages and DCs, independent of treatment. © 2007 Flaminio et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

Morphologic changes and the expression of alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone and melanocortin-1 receptor in melasma lesions: A comparative study

Melasma is a common acquired symmetrical hypermelanosis characterized by irregular light- to dark-brown macules on sun-exposed skin areas. The literature shows few studies on its physiopathogeny. However, changes in α-melanocyte stimulating hormone (α-MSH) secretion and melanocortin-1 receptor (MC1-R) expression may play a role to trigger this condition. Biopsies were taken from both melasma skin and adjacent perilesional normal skin of 44 patients. The biopsies were submitted for hematoxylin and eosin and Fontana-Masson staining and immunohistochemistry with Melan-A, α-MSH, and MC1-R, and processed for transmission electron microscopy. In some cases, they were submitted to MC1-R gene expression analysis by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Increased lymphohistiocytic infiltrate and solar elastosis, higher epidermal melanin were observed in melasma skin. Electron microscopy revealed a greater number of mature melanosomes in keratinocytes and melanocytes, and more prominent cytoplasmic organelles in melasma skin. There was no difference in melanocyte number between areas. However, melanocytes were larger and more dendritic in melasma skin. Immunohistochemistry with α-MSH and MC1-R showed significant labeling in melasmic epidermis but MC1-R messenger ribonucleic acid (RNAm) did not show significant quantitative difference between melasma and normal skin. © 2010 by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

Genetic and modifying factors that determine the risk of brain tumors

Some modifying factors may determine the risk of brain tumors. Until now, it could not be attempted to identify people at risk and also to improve significantly disease progression. Current therapy consists of surgical resection, followed by radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Despite of these treatments, the prognosis for patients is poor. In this review, we highlight general aspects concerning genetic alterations in brain tumors, namely astrocytomas, glioblastomas, oligodendrogliomas, medulloblastomas and ependymomas. The influence of these genetic alterations in patients' prognosis is discussed. Mutagen sensivity is associated with cancer risk. The convincing studies that linked DNA damages and DNA repair alterations with brain tumors are also described. Another important modifying factor is immunity. General immune response against cancer, tumor microenvironment and immune response, mechanisms of tumor escape, CNS tumor immunology, immune defects that impair anti-tumor systemic immunity in brain tumor patients and local immunosuppressive factors within CNS are also reviewed. New hope to treatment perspectives, as dendritic-cell-based vaccines is summarized too. Concluding, it seems well established that there is association between brain tumor risk and mutagen sensivity, which is highly heritable. Primary brain tumors cause depression in systemic host immunity; local immunosuppressive factors and immunological characteristics of tumor cells may explain the poor prognosis and DNA damages responses can alert immune system. However, it is necessary to clarify if individuals with both constitutional defects in immune functions and genetic instability have higher risk of developing brain tumors. Cytogenetic prospective studies and gene copy number variations analysis also must be performed in peripheral lymphocytes from brain tumor patients. © 2011 Bentham Science Publishers Ltd.

Análise dos parâmetros morfométricos da bacia do Rio Preto, Serra do Espinhaço (Minas Gerais, Brasil)

The Rio Preto Hydrographic Basin (RPHB) is located in the North-central portion of the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, 30 km ENE of the city of Diamantina. The sources of the stream of that name are found in the Rio Preto State Park, which has an area of 10,755 hectares. The total area, perimeter, extension, and axial length of the RPHB, as well as other morphometric characteristics, with emphasis on shape indexes, were obtained with the help of the ArcGis 9.2 program. The cartographic data were taken from digitalized topographic charts in a scale of 1:100,000 of the Brazilian Geographical Institute (IBGE). The measured drainage area is of 389.3 km2 and the perimeter is 136.9 km. Due to structural influence, the shape of the RPHB is irrgular and elongated, with drainage developed in a dendritic and parallel pattern. Those characteristics were checked by means of the compaxity coefficient and the shape factor. The first one was estimated in 1.94, what implies that the basin is not subject to fast flooding in years with normal precipitation. The high degree of fluvial downcutting of the basin is confirmed by the fact that it is a 5th order basin, it presents a significant branching rate and a medium drainage density.

Antitumor properties of Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharides and terpenoids

Ganoderma lucidum is an edible medicinal mushroom with immunomodulatory and antitumor properties, which are mainly attributed to polysaccharides and triterpenes that can be isolated from mycelia, fruiting bodies and spores. G. lucidum has been us d in a powdered form, as a medicinal beverage and a nutraceutical food (usually dried). In the present review we report some historical facts and the experimental evidence that polysaccharides and triterpenes obtained from this mushroom present potential antitumor activity. Direct effects on tumor cells include induction of apoptosis and interference in the cell cycle, whereas indirect effects are based on the modulation of immune response, usually impaired by cancer cells. Data indicate that G. lucidum can be used as a complementary tool for treatment of cancer patients. © by São Paulo State University.

Aparecimento de psoríase durante o tratamento das doenças inflamatórias intestinais com infliximabe: A terapia biológica deve ser suspensa?

Context - Several paradoxical cases of infliximab-induced or-exacerbated psoriatic lesions have been described in the recent years. There is disagreement regarding the need to discontinue infliximab in order to achieve the resolution of these adverse cutaneous reactions specifically in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients. Objective - To systematically review the literature to collect information on IBD patients that showed this adverse cutaneous reaction, focusing mainly on the therapeutic approach. Methods - A systematic literature review was performed utilizing Medline, Embase, SciELO and Lilacs databases. Published studies were identified, reviewed and the data were extracted. Results - Thirty-four studies (69 IBD patients) met inclusion criteria for review. There was inconsistency in reporting of some clinical and therapeutic aspects. Most patients included had Crohn's disease (89.86%), was female (47.83%), had an average age of 27.11 years, and no reported history of psoriasis (84.05%). The patients developed primarily plaque-type psoriasis (40.58%). There was complete remission of psoriatic lesions in 86.96% of IBD patients, existing differences in the therapeutic approaches; cessation of infliximab therapy led to resolution in 47.83% of cases and 43.48% of patients were able to continue infliximab therapy. Conclusion - As increasing numbers of IBD patients with psoriasis induced or exacerbated by infliximab, physicians should be aware of its clinical manifestations so that appropriate diagnosis and treatment are properly established. The decision whether to continue or discontinue infliximab should be individualized.

Immunohistochemical features of multifocal melanoacanthoma in the hard palate: A case report

Background: Melanoacanthoma (MA) has been described in the oral mucosa as a solitary lesion or, occasionally, as multiple lesions. MA mainly affects dark skinned patients and grows rapidly, showing a plane or slightly raised appearance and a brown to black color. The differential diagnosis includes oral nevi, amalgam tattoos, and melanomas. We report here the case of a 58-year-old black woman who presented multiple pigmented lesions on the hard palate. Case presentation. Based on the differential diagnosis of melanoma, a punch biopsy (4 mm in diameter) was performed. The material was fixed in 10% formalin, embedded in paraffin, and stained with hematoxylin-eosin or submitted to immunohistochemical analysis. Immunohistochemistry using antibodies against protein S-100, melan-A, HMB-45, MCM-2, MCM-5, Ki-67 and geminin was performed. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed strong cytoplasmic immunoreactivity of dendritic melanocytes for proteinS-100, HMB-45 and melan-A.Positive staining for proliferative markers (MCM-2, MCM-5, Ki-67) was only observed in basal and suprabasal epithelial cells, confirming the reactive etiology of the lesion. The diagnosis was oral Melanoacanthoma (MA). Conclusion: The patient has been followed up for 30 months and shows no clinical alterations. MA should be included in the differential diagnosis of pigmented lesions of the oral cavity. © 2013 das Chagas e Silva de Carvalho et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

Four new species of Adenocalymma (Bignoniaceae) and a key to the species from southeastern Brazil

Four new species of Adenocalymma (Bignoniaceae, Bignonieae) from southeastern Brazil are described and illustrated: A. aurantiacum, characterized by dark orange and infundibuliform corolla; A. cinereum, characterized by shrubby habit, greyish inflorescence, infundibuliform corolla, and exserted stamens; A. gibbosum, characterized by gibbous and orange corolla and an inflorescence with dendritic trichomes; and A. sessile, characterized by sessile leaves and gibbous corolla. A discussion on the relationships of the new taxa and a key to all 29 species of Adenocalymma reported from southeastern Brazil are provided. © 2013 The Authors. Nordic Journal of Botany © 2013 Nordic Society Oikos.

Immunomodulatory effects of low dose chemotherapy and perspectives of its combination with immunotherapy

Given that cancer is one of the main causes of death worldwide, many efforts have been directed toward discovering new treatments and approaches to cure or control this group of diseases. Chemotherapy is the main treatment for cancer; however, a conventional schedule based on maximum tolerated dose (MTD) shows several side effects and frequently allows the development of drug resistance. On the other side, low dose chemotherapy involves antiangiogenic and immunomodulatory processes that help host to fight against tumor cells, with lower grade of side effects. In this review, we present evidence that metronomic chemotherapy, based on the frequent administration of low or intermediate doses of chemotherapeutics, can be better than or as efficient as MTD. Finally, we present some data indicating that noncytotoxic concentrations of antineoplastic agents are able to both up-regulate the immune system and increase the susceptibility of tumor cells to cytotoxic T lymphocytes. Taken together, data from the literature provides us with sufficient evidence that low concentrations of selected chemotherapeutic agents, rather than conventional high doses, should be evaluated in combination with immunotherapy. Copyright © 2012 UICC.

Estudo eletroquímico da liga de Co-Pd obtidos por eletrodeposição

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Papel de prostaglandinas e leucotrienos sobre as funçoes das células dendrícas em resposta ao Paracoccidioides brasiliensis

Pós-graduação em Patologia - FMB

Avaliação do potencial profilático de células dendríticas transfectadas com RNA fúngico em modelo experimental de esporotricose sistêmica

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

Influência da infecção por yersinia pseudotuberculosis sobre o comportamento de macrófagos e células dendríticas

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

Estudo do comportamento mecânico e microestrutural de um aço maraging após soldagem a laser e tratamentos térmicos

Pós-graduação em Engenharia Mecânica - FEG

Relação entre o infiltrado inflamatório e as células dendríticas na resposta imune aos carcinomas do tipo simples em mama de cadelas

Pós-graduação em Medicina Veterinária - FCAV