The expression and modulation of CEACAM1 and tumor cell transformation

BACKGROUND: In this review, we focus our discussion on one class of carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecules, Carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecules 1 (CEACAM1). This has been observed in several malignant transformations to be subjected to complex mechanisms of modulation and dysregulation. AIMS: Restoration of CEACAM1 expression in tumor cell lines often abolishes their oncogenicity in vivo, and therefore, this adhesion molecule has been regarded as a tumor suppressor. In contrast, de novo expression of CEACAM1 is found with the progression of malignancy and metastatic spread in a large array of cancer tissues which include melanoma, Non Small cell Lung carcinoma (NSCLC) as well as bladder, prostate, thyroid, breast, colon and gastric carcinomas. DISCUSSION: We report and discuss the most significant findings confirming at immunohistochemical and clinical level the correlation between poor prognosis and expression of CEACAM1 on the cell surface of tumors

Estudo e realização de uma fonte chaveada com modulação por valor extremo de corrente

Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro Tecnológico. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Engenharia Elétrica

Sleep actigraphic patterns and cognitive status

none9noWe performed an actigraphic assessment of sleep characteristics in healthy subjects and patients with cognitive impairment. Thirty subjects were included and classified into controls (10 subjects), mild cognitive impairment (10 patients) and mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease (10 patients). Sleep quality was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Participants had a 7-day actigraphic record. Sleep parameters collected were time in bed, total sleep time, sleep efficiency, sleep latency, wakefulness after sleep onset, number of awakenings, and mean motor activity. Significant differences between mild cognitive impairment and controls patients were found for sleep latency (p = 0.05); Alzheimer's disease patients had significantly worse scores for Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (p = 0.01), time in bed (p = 0.001), total sleep time (p = 0.04), sleep latency, sleep efficiency, motor activity (p = 0.0001) and wakefulness after sleep onset (p = 0.001) compared to controls. When comparing Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment, differences were significant for sleep latency (p = 0.01), wakefulness after sleep onset (p = 0.004), sleep efficiency, number of awakenings and motor activity (p = 0.0001). In addition to showing a high prevalence of sleep alterations in subjects with cognitive impairment, our data suggest that they are evident from the earliest stages of cognitive decline. Further studies are needed to assess whether early correction of sleep alterations can positively influence the evolution of cognitive impairment. The opportunity to provide clinically meaningful information with a simple assessment of sleep characteristics based on actigraphy suggests that wider use of the approach in patients with cognitive decline should be considered.openBuratti, Laura; Camilletti, Roberta; Pulcini, Alessandra; Rocchi, Chiara; Viticchi, Giovanna; Falsetti, Lorenzo; Baldinelli, Sara; Fiori, Chiara; Silvestrini, MauroBuratti, Laura; Camilletti, Roberta; Pulcini, Alessandra; Rocchi, Chiara; Viticchi, Giovanna; Falsetti, Lorenzo; Baldinelli, Sara; Fiori, Chiara; Silvestrini, Maur

Identification of <i>Trichomonas vaginalis</i> alpha-actinin as the most common immunogen recognized by sera of women exposed to the parasite

A study on presence of antibodies to Trichomonis vaginalis in serum was done on a group of 500 pregnant, asymptomatic Angolan women. A serologic screening, done by ELISA, revealed that 41% of the women had IgG and IgM against the parasite. Analysis of sera by immunoblotting revealed that 94.4% of sera with anti-T. vaginalis IgG class antibodies were reactive against a common immunogenic protein of 115 kDa. The common immunogen was identified as the protozoan α-actinin. All sera recognizing the 115-kDa antigen were reactive against both native and recombinant T. vaginalis α-actinin and nonreactive against human α-actinin. The findings presented in this work offer a new tool for epidemiologic studies and open new perspectives for vaccination

Análise da Utilização do Cartão BNDES nas Regiões Brasileiras no Período 2004-2014

The work aims to analyze aspects of the destination of the values contracted from the BNDES card. It is intended to verify the sectoral bias of the operations contracted via BNDES card per unit of the Federation (UF), as well as to analyze the distribution of these resources in the UFs compared to that of the population and other economic variables. Applying the locational quotient (QL), for the year 2004, the states with the largest number of sectors (five or more) with QL> 1 in the southeastern region were São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro Minas Gerais. In the South, Rio Grande do Sul, in the Northeast Bahia. In the Midwest, the Federal District and Mato Grosso. For 2014, in the southeast, the state of São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo. In the South, Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina. In the Northeast, Alagoas, Sergipe, Bahia, Ceará, Paraíba, Pernambuco and Rio Grande do Norte. In the Midwest, the Federal District, Goiás, Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul. To the North, Acre, Amapá, Amazonas, Pará and Tocantins. There was, through the Lorenz Curve, a change in the use of the card, which in 2004 was concentrated in the South and Southeast regions, which together with the Midwest, had specialization in sectors, in which all the federative units of these regions also featured. In 2014, all regions showed specialization in a given activity in all their federal units, in addition to the decrease in the representativeness of the Southeast in the use of the card, with the Northeast gaining a larger share in the total value of operations.El trabajo tiene como objetivo analizar aspectos del destino de los valores contratados de la tarjeta BNDES. Se pretende verificar el sesgo sectorial de las operaciones contratadas vía tarjeta BNDES por unidad de la Federación (UF), así como analizar la distribución de estos recursos en las UF en comparación con la de la población y otras variables económicas. Aplicando el cociente de ubicación (CV), para el año 2004, los estados con mayor número de sectores (cinco o más) con CV> 1 en la región sureste fueron São Paulo, Río de Janeiro Minas Gerais. En el sur, Rio Grande do Sul, en el noreste de Bahía. En el Medio Oeste, el Distrito Federal y Mato Grosso. Para 2014, en el sureste, el estado de São Paulo, Río de Janeiro, Minas Gerais y Espírito Santo. En el sur, Rio Grande do Sul y Santa Catarina. En el Nordeste, Alagoas, Sergipe, Bahia, Ceará, Paraíba, Pernambuco y Rio Grande do Norte. En el Medio Oeste, el Distrito Federal, Goiás, Mato Grosso y Mato Grosso do Sul. Al Norte, Acre, Amapá, Amazonas, Pará y Tocantins. Hubo, a través de la Curva de Lorenz, un cambio en el uso de la tarjeta, que en 2004 se concentró en las regiones Sur y Sudeste, que junto con el Medio Oeste, tenían especialización en sectores, en los que todas las unidades federativas de estas regiones también presentado. En 2014, todas las regiones mostraron especialización en una determinada actividad en todas sus unidades federales, además de la disminución en la representatividad del Sudeste en el uso de la tarjeta, con el Nordeste ganando una mayor participación en el valor total de las operaciones.O trabalho objetiva analisar aspectos da destinação dos valores contratados do cartão BNDES. Intenta-se verificar o viés setorial das operações contratadas via cartão BNDES por unidade da Federação (UF), bem como analisar a distribuição desses recursos nas UFs comparativamente à da população e de outras variáveis econômicas. Aplicando-se o quociente locacional (QL), para o ano de 2004, os estados com o maior número de setores (cinco ou mais) com QL>1 na região sudeste foram São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro Minas Gerais. No Sul, o Rio Grande do Sul, no Nordeste a Bahia. No Centro Oeste, o Distrito Federal e o Mato Grosso. Para o ano de 2014, no sudeste o estado de São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais e o Espírito Santo. No Sul, Rio Grande do Sul e Santa Catarina. No Nordeste, Alagoas, Sergipe, Bahia, Ceará, Paraíba, Pernambuco e o Rio Grande do Norte. No Centro Oeste, o Distrito Federal, Goiás, Mato Grosso e Mato Grosso do Sul. Para o Norte, Acre, Amapá, Amazonas, Pará e Tocantins. Verificou-se, por intermédio da Curva de Lorenz, uma alteração do quadro de utilização do cartão, que em 2004 se concentrava nas regiões Sul e Sudeste, que juntamente com o Centro-Oeste, apresentaram especialização em setores, no qual todas as unidades federativas dessas regiões também apresentaram. Em 2014, todas as regiões apresentam especialização de determinada atividade em todas as suas unidades federativas, além da diminuição da representatividade do Sudeste na utilização do cartão, com o Nordeste ganhando uma fatia maior no valor total das operações

The human antibody fragment DIATHIS1 specific for CEACAM1 enhances natural killer cell cytotoxicity against melanoma cell lines in vitro

Several lines of evidence show that de novo expression of carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecule 1 (CEACAM1) is strongly associated with reduced disease-free survival of patients affected by metastatic melanoma. Previously published investigations report that homophilic interactions between CEACAM1 expressed on natural killer (NK) cells and tumors inhibit the NK cell-mediated killing independently of major histocompatibility complex class I recognition. This biological property can be physiologically relevant in metastatic melanoma because of the increased CEACAM1 expression observed on NK cells from some patients. Moreover, this inhibitory mechanism in many cases might hinder the efficacy of immunotherapeutic treatments of CEACAM1 malignancies because of tumor evasion by activated effector cells. In the present study, we designed an in vitro experimental model showing that the human single-chain variable fragment (scFv) DIATHIS1 specific for CEACAM1 is able to enhance the lytic machinery of NK cells against CEACAM1 melanoma cells. The coincubation of the scFv DIATHIS1 with CEACAM1 melanoma cells and NK-92 cell line significantly increases the cell-mediated cytotoxicity. Moreover, pretreatment of melanoma cells with scFv DIATHIS1 promotes the activation and the degranulation capacity of in vitro-expanded NK cells from healthy donors. It is interesting to note that the melanoma cell line MelC and the primary melanoma cells STA that respond better to DIATHIS1 treatment, express higher relative levels of CEACAM1-3L and CEACAM1-3S splice variants isoforms compared with Mel501 cells that are less responsive to DIATHIS1-induced NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity. Taken together, our results suggest that the fully human antibody fragment DIATHIS1 originated by biopanning approach from a phage antibody library may represent a relevant biotechnological platform to design and develop completely human antimelanoma therapeutics of biological origin

A Survey on the milk fatty acid composition of forty dairy sheep flocks in Sardinia

A survey was carried out to monitor milk fatty acid (FA) composition during two years (2003 and 2004) on forty dairy sheep flocks, fed pasture based rations, in 5 macro pedoclimatic areas of Sardinia, featured by different i) soil type, (granitic, G; basaltic, B and alluvial, A) ii) average annual rainfall (low, L, 500-600 mm/year; high, H, 600-800 mm/year). Milk FA profile was strongly influenced by year. In particular milk linolenic acid (LN), CLA (conjugated linoeic acid) and PUFA (polyunsaturated fatty acids) levels increased (by 25, 30 and 14%, respectively, P&lt;0.01) whereas the atherogenicity index (AI) decreased (by 8%, P&lt;0.01) in all areas in 2004 as compared with 2003. Pedoclimatic area affected milk fatty acid composition (P&lt;0.01). In both years milk from AL farms showed the highest levels of LN, CLA and PUFA. AI was lower in BH and GH in year 2003 and in BH, AH and GL in 2004

COVID-19 And Breast Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology Method: What Should We Change?

Air-dried slide preparation for fine needle aspiration cytology procedures, is currently considered unsafe because of the risk of infectious aerosols of Coronavirus 19. This study compares the safety and accuracy of two different protocols, one with and one without air-dried slides

Retrospective study testing next generation sequencing of selected cancer-associated genes in resected prostate cancer

PURPOSE: Prostate cancer (PCa) has a highly heterogeneous outcome. Beyond Gleason Score, Prostate Serum Antigen and tumor stage, nowadays there are no biological prognostic factors to discriminate between indolent and aggressive tumors. The most common known genomic alterations are the TMPRSS-ETS translocation and mutations in the PI3K, MAPK pathways and in p53, RB and c-MYC genes. The aim of this retrospective study was to identify by next generation sequencing the most frequent genetic variations (GVs) in localized and locally advanced PCa underwent prostatectomy and to investigate their correlation with clinical-pathological variables and disease progression. RESULTS: Identified non-synonymous GVs included TP53 p.P72R (78% of tumors), two CSFR1 SNPs, rs2066934 and rs2066933 (70%), KDR p.Q472H (67%), KIT p.M541L (28%), PIK3CA p.I391M (19%), MET p.V378I (10%) and FGFR3 p.F384L/p.F386L (8%). TP53 p.P72R, MET p.V378I and CSFR1 SNPs were significantly associated with the HI risk group, TP53 and MET variations with T≥T2c. FGFR3 p.F384L/p.F386L was correlated with T≤T2b. MET p.V378I mutation, detected in 20% of HI risk patients, was associated with early biochemical recurrence. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Nucleic acids were obtained from tissue samples of 30 high (HI) and 30 low-intermediate (LM) risk patients, according to D'Amico criteria. Genomic DNA was explored with the Ion_AmpliSeq_Cancer_Hotspot_Panel_v.2 including 50 cancer-associated genes. GVs with allelic frequency (AF) ≥10%, affecting protein function or previously associated with cancer, were correlated with clinical-pathological variables. CONCLUSION: Our results confirm a complex mutational profile in PCa, supporting the involvement of TP53, MET, FGFR3, CSF1R GVs in tumor progression and aggressiveness