The clinical impact of MTHFR polymorphism on the vascular complications of sickle cell disease

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is one of the most common inherited diseases in the world and the patients present notorious clinical heterogeneity. It is known that patients with SCD present activation of the blood coagulation and fibrinolytic systems, especially during vaso-occlusive crises, but also during the steady state of the disease. We determined if the presence of the factor V gene G1691A mutation (factor V Leiden), the prothrombin gene G20210A variant, and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T polymorphism may be risk factors for vascular complications in individuals with SCD. We studied 53 patients with SCD (60% being women), 29 with SS (sickle cell anemia; 28 years, range: 13-52 years) and 24 with SC (sickle-hemoglobin C disease; 38.5 years, range: 17-72 years) hemoglobinopathy. Factor V Leiden, MTHFR C677T polymorphism, and prothrombin G20210A variant were identified by PCR followed by further digestion of the PCR product with specific endonucleases. The following vascular complications were recorded: stroke, retinopathy, acute thoracic syndrome, and X-ray-documented avascular necrosis. Only one patient was heterozygous for factor V Leiden (1.8%) and there was no prothrombin G20210A variant. MTHFR 677TT polymorphism was detected in 1 patient (1.8%) and the heterozygous form 677TC was observed in 18 patients (34%, 9 with SS and 9 with SC disease), a prevalence similar to that reported by others. No association was detected between the presence of the MTHFR 677T allele and other genetic modulation factors, such as alpha-thalassemia, ß-globin gene haplotype and fetal hemoglobin. The presence of the MTHFR 677T allele was associated with the occurrence of vascular complications in SCD, although this association was not significant when each complication was considered separately. In conclusion, MTHFR C677T polymorphism might be a risk factor for vascular complications in SCD.Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Paulista de Medicina Disciplina de Hematologia e HemoterapiaUNIFESP, Paulista de Medicina Disciplina de Hematologia e HemoterapiaSciEL

Bioactive compounds, antioxidant activity, and minerals in flours prepared with tropical fruit peels

This study is aimed at performing the determination of bioactive compounds, antioxidant activity, and the identification of the minerals in the flours produced with the tropical fruit peels of mango, papaya, melon, and pineapple. The results showed that the papaya peel flour has the highest amount of ascorbic acid and lycopene when compared with the other studied flours. The mango peel flour has a high content of total extractable polyphenols and a high antioxidant activity. Regarding the mineral content, the by-product of melon stood out with 523.24±26.12 mg/100 g of potassium, 104.15±3.52 mg/100 g of calcium and 6.62±0.30 mg/100 g of iron. The flours prepared with mango, papaya, melon, and pineapple peels are potential sources of bioactive compounds and minerals, also presenting good antioxidant activity, being, therefore, recommended to be used in food products to improve the nutritional quality of the product

Fungos micorrízicos nativos e Glomus clarun no rendimento de trevo vesiculoso cultivado em condições naturais e modificadas pela calagem e aplicação de fósforo Glomus clarun and native mycorrhizal fungi on yield of Trifolium spp. cultivated under natural and modified soil contitions with addition by phosphorus and liming

Em experimento desenvolvido na casa de vegetação na UFSM-RS, avaliou-se o efeito da introdução de fungos micorrizicos arbusculares (fMA) Glomus clarum e nativos no rendimento de massa seca (MS) e absorção de P pelo trevo vesiculoso (Trifolium spp.) e verificou-se a compatibilidade entre a espécie introduzida e os fMA nativos ocorrentes no solo estudado. Os tratamentos/oram constituídos defatorial 4x2x2 com quatro níveis de fMA: G. clarum, fungos nativos, mistura de ambas as populações e controle sem inoculação de fMA: com dois valores de pH: 4,4 e 5,4 e com dois níveis de fósforo disponível (Mehlich l): 6 e ISmg/kg de solo. A introdução de G. clarum isoladamente ou em conjunto com fMA nativos, na condição de pH 4,4, e em baixa disponibilidade de P, aumentou o rendimento de MS e absorção de P. Em disponibilidade intermediária de P (l5mg/kg de solo) e pH 5,4 não ocorreu diferença entre os tratamentos inoculados com fMA, mas destes ocorreu diferença para o tratamento sem inoculação, evidenciando a dependência do trevo pela micorrizaçâo. Tratamentos inoculados com G. clarum apresentaram maiores rendimentos de MS, absorção de P, colonização micorrizica e esporulação, mostrando que a introdução dessa espécie pode ser viável quando espécies nativas não são eficientes para a cultura ou tornam-se ineficientes quando a fertilidade do solo é modificada por aplicação de P e/ou calagem.<br>The experiment v/as conducted under greenhouse condition at the University of Santa Maria, RS, Brazil. The objectives were to evaluate the introduction of arbuscular mycorrhizalfúngi (AMF) Glomus clarum and natives fungi on the phosphorus uptake and dry matter (DM) production from Trifolium spp. and Io verify lhe compatibilily between introduced specie and lhe nativo AMF occurence in lhe studied soil. The treatments was constituled of 4x2x2 factorial withfour AMF leveis: G. clarum, AMf native, mixture of both populations of AMF andcontrai which was without inocutation of AMF: twopH leveis: 4.4 and 5.4 and two phosphorus leveis by Mehlich I extractor: 6 and l5mg/kg of soil. It was noticed that when G. clarum was introduced isolately or with native AMF with pH of 4.4 and low P availability increased DM production and P accumulation. At medium P availability (15mg/kg of soil) and pH 5.4 there were no diferences between inoculated treatments with AMF but from ones there was observed diferences on the contrai. These differences were due to the mycorrhizal dependence on Trifolium. Inoculated treatments with G. clarum showed higher DM production, Puptake, mycorrhizal colonization and number of spores. It can be concluded that the introduction of G. clariim can be viable when the nativo species are not efficient for the crop or become unefficient when the natural soilferlilily is modified by addition of phosphorus or liming