Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2-Positive Duodenal Adenocarcinoma: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Duodenal adenocarcinoma is a rare malignancy and carries a poor prognosis. The role of adjuvant therapy and the optimal chemotherapy regimen remain largely unclear. Treatment with trastuzumab results in prolonged survival in gastroesophageal cancer if human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) is overexpressed or amplified in tumor cells. However, unlike gastric adenocarcinomas, duodenal cancers seem to rarely harbor HER2 amplification or overexpression. We report the case of a patient with HER2-positive stage III duodenal adenocarcinoma who has received adjuvant chemotherapy including trastuzumab

Bacterial community composition in the salivary glands of triatomines (Hemiptera: Reduviidae).

BACKGROUND:Chagas disease is caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi and is transmitted through triatomines (Hemiptera: Reduviidae). In the last year, many studies of triatomine gut microbiota have outlined its potential role in modulating vector competence. However, little is known about the microbiota present in the salivary glands of triatomines. Bacterial composition of salivary glands in selected triatomine species was investigated, as well as environmental influences on the acquisition of bacterial communities. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS:The diversity of the bacterial communities of 30 pairs of salivary glands of triatomines was studied by sequencing of the V1- V3 variable region of the 16S rRNA using the MiSeq platform (Illumina), and bacteria isolated from skin of three vertebrate hosts were identified based on 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis (targeting the V3-V5 region). In a comparative analysis of microbiota in the salivary glands of triatomine species, operational taxonomic units belonging to Arsenophonous appeared as dominant in Triatoma spp (74% of the total 16S coverage), while these units belonging to unclassified Enterobacteriaceae were dominant in the Rhodnius spp (57% of the total 16S coverage). Some intraspecific changes in the composition of the triatomine microbiota were observed, suggesting that some bacteria may have been acquired from the environment. CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE:Our study revealed the presence of a low-diversity microbiota associated to the salivary glands of the evaluated triatomines. The predominant bacteria genera are associated with triatomine genera and the bacteria can be acquired in the environment in which the insects reside. Further studies are necessary to determine the influence of bacterial communities on vector competence

Preclinical Studies Evaluating Subacute Toxicity and Therapeutic Efficacy of LQB-118 in Experimental Visceral Leishmaniasis

Submitted by Sandra Infurna ([email protected]) on 2017-02-09T14:30:16Z No. of bitstreams: 1 edesio_cunhajr_etal_IOC_2016.pdf: 2057722 bytes, checksum: b905a7232a9bd50caaeeaa9c5415f825 (MD5)Approved for entry into archive by Sandra Infurna ([email protected]) on 2017-02-09T14:45:46Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 edesio_cunhajr_etal_IOC_2016.pdf: 2057722 bytes, checksum: b905a7232a9bd50caaeeaa9c5415f825 (MD5)Made available in DSpace on 2017-02-09T14:45:46Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 edesio_cunhajr_etal_IOC_2016.pdf: 2057722 bytes, checksum: b905a7232a9bd50caaeeaa9c5415f825 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Laboratório de Bioquímica de Tripanosomatídeos. Rio de Janeiro, RJ. Brasil.Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. Laboratório Imunol. Aplicada e Bioq. de Proteínas e Prod. Naturais. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Laboratório de Bioquímica de Tripanosomatídeos. Rio de Janeiro, RJ. Brasil.Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. Laboratório Imunol. Aplicada e Bioq. de Proteínas e Prod. Naturais. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. Departamento de Patologia e Laboratórios. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. Laboratório Imunol. Aplicada e Bioq. de Proteínas e Prod. Naturais. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro. Laboratório de Química. Macaé, RJ, Brasil.Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro. Instituto de Pesquisas de Produtos Naturais. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. Laboratório Imunol. Aplicada e Bioq. de Proteínas e Prod. Naturais. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Laboratório de Bioquímica de Tripanosomatídeos. Rio de Janeiro, RJ. Brasil.Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is the most severe form of leishmaniasis and is the second major cause of death by parasites, after malaria. The arsenal of drugs against leishmaniasis is small, and each has a disadvantage in terms of toxicity, efficacy, price, or treatment regimen. Our group has focused on studying new drug candidates as alternatives to current treatments. The pterocarpanquinone LQB-118 was designed and synthesized based on molecular hybridization, and it exhibited antiprotozoal and anti-leukemic cell line activities. Our previous work demonstrated that LQB-118 was an effective treatment for experimental cutaneous leishmaniasis. In this study, we observed that treatment with 10 mg/kg of body weight/day LQB-118 orally inhibited the development of hepatosplenomegaly with a 99% reduction in parasite load. An in vivo toxicological analysis showed no change in the clinical, biochemical, or hematological parameters. Histologically, all of the analyzed organs were normal, with the exception of the liver, where focal points of necrosis with leukocytic infiltration were observed at treatment doses 5 times higher than the therapeutic dose; however, these changes were not accompanied by an increase in transaminases. Our findings indicate that LQB-118 is effective at treating different clinical forms of leishmaniasis and presents no relevant signs of toxicity at therapeutic doses; thus, this framework is demonstrated suitable for developing promising drug candidates for the oral treatment of leishmaniasis