Low-density Lipoprotein Cholesterol And Radiotherapy-induced Carotid Atherosclerosis In Subjects With Head And Neck Cancer

Background: Radiotherapy (RT) is a risk factor for accelerated carotid artery atherosclerotic disease in subjects with head and neck cancer. However, the risk factors of RT-induced carotid artery remodeling are not established. This study aimed to investigate the effects of RT on carotid and popliteal arteries in subjects with head and neck cancer and to evaluate the relationship between baseline clinical and laboratory features and the progression of RT-induced atherosclerosis.Findings: Eleven men (age = 57.9 ± 6.2years) with head and neck cancer who underwent cervical bilateral irradiation were prospectively examined by clinical and laboratory analysis and by carotid and popliteal ultrasound before and after treatment (mean interval between the end of RT and the post-RT assessment = 181 ± 47 days). No studied subject used hypocholesterolemic medications. Significant increases in carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) (0.95 ± 0.08 vs. 0.87 ± 0.05 mm; p 3.0.CO;2-X, 626923Pereira Lima, M.N., Biolo, A., Foppa, M., da Rosa, P.R., Rohde, L.E., Clausell, N., A prospective, comparative study on the early effects of local and remote radiation therapy on carotid intima-media thickness and vascular cellular adhesion molecule-1 in patients with head and neck and prostate tumors (2011) Radiother Oncol, 101, pp. 449-453. , 10.1016/j.radonc.2010.03.026, 20435360Kalábová, H., Melichar, B., Ungermann, L., Doležal, J., Krčmová, L., Kašparová, M., Plíšek, J., Solichová, D., Intima-media thickness, myocardial perfusion and laboratory risk factors of atherosclerosis in patients with breast cancer treated with anthracycline-based chemotherapy (2011) Med Oncol, 28, pp. 1281-1287. , 10.1007/s12032-010-9593-1, 20567943Muzaffar, K., Collins, S.L., Labropoulos, N., Baker, W.H., A prospective study of the effects of irradiation on the carotid artery (2000) Laryngoscope, 110, pp. 1811-1814. , 10.1097/00005537-200011000-00007, 11081590Faruolo, M., Fiorentino, A., Gallucci, G., Lapadula, L., Fusco, V., Intimal-medial thickness and carotid arteries lumen in irradiated patients for head and neck cancer: preliminary data of an observational study (2013) Clin Transl Oncol, 15, pp. 861-864. , 10.1007/s12094-013-1023-3, 23463595Ferreira-Sae, M.C., Cipolli, J.A., Cornélio, M.E., Matos-Souza, J.R., Fernandes, M.N., Schreiber, R., Costa, F.O., Nadruz, W., Sodium intake is associated with carotid artery structure alterations and plasma matrix metalloproteinase-9 upregulation in hypertensive adults (2011) J Nutr, 141, pp. 877-882. , 10.3945/jn.110.135921, 21430243Gemignani, T., Azevedo, R.C., Higa, C.M., Coelho, O.R., Matos-Souza, J.R., Nadruz, W., Increased popliteal circumferential wall tension induced by orthostatic body posture is associated with local atherosclerotic plaques (2012) Atherosclerosis, 224, pp. 118-122. , 10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2012.06.069, 2281862

Bioinformatics analysis of circulating miRNAs related to cancer following spinal cord injury

Patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) have an increased risk of developing esophageal, bladder and hematologic malignancies compared with the normal population. In the present study, we aimed to identify, through in silico analysis, miRNAs and their target genes related to the three most frequent types of cancer in individuals with SCI. In a previous study, we reported a pattern of expression of miRNAs in 17 sedentary SCI males compared with 22 healthy able-bodied males by TaqMan OpenArray. This list of miRNAs deregulated in SCI patients was uploaded to miRWALK2.0 to predict the target genes and pathways of selected miRNAs. We used Cytoscape software to construct the network displaying the miRNAs and their gene targets. Among the down-regulated miRNAs in SCI, 21, 19 and 20 miRNAs were potentially associated with hematological, bladder and esophageal cancer, respectively, and three target genes (TP53, CCND1 and KRAS) were common to all three types of cancer. The three up-regulated miRNAs were potentially targeted by 18, 15 and 10 genes associated with all three types of cancer. Our current bioinformatics analysis suggests the potential influence of several miRNAs on the development of cancer in SCI. In general, these data may provide novel information regarding potential molecular mechanisms involved in the development of cancer among individuals with SCI. Further studies aiming at understanding how miRNAs contribute to the development of the major cancers that affect patients after SCI may help elucidate the role of these molecules in the pathophysiology of the disease.39CAPES - Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal e Nível SuperiorFAPESP – Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa Do Estado De São PauloSem informação2017/23563-

Manifestações clínicas e análise histopatológica pulmonar relacionadas a diferentes doenças em pacientes com tromboembolismo pulmonar fatal – um estudo em autópsias

Introdução: Tromboembolismo pulmonar (TEP) é uma das mais graves complicações dentre pacientes hospitalizados e permanece subdiagnosticado. Ainda hoje, sua fisiopatologia não está completamente elucidada. Objetivos: Correlacionar comorbidades, neoplasias, cirurgias e achados histológicos às manifestações clínicas associadas ao TEP. Métodos: Entre 2001 a 2008, foram revisadas 291 autópsias de pacientes cuja causa de morte foi TEP. Os seguintes dados foram obtidos: idade, sexo, manifestações clínicas, achados histológicos e principais doenças de base/comorbidades, neoplasias e cirurgias da última internação. Os achados histológicos foram categorizados em: dano alveolar difuso (DAD), edema agudo de pulmão (EAP), hemorragia intra-alveolar (HIA) e pneumonia intersticial linfo-plasmocítica (PILP). Odds ratios foram obtidas por regressão logística e foram consideradassignificativas quando p < 0,05. Resultados: A mediana de idade foi 64 anos. Cerca de 64% dos pacientes apresentava doenças cardiovasculares.O achado pulmonar mais prevalente foi EAP. Apenas 13% dos casos apresentaram suspeita clínica. Insuficiência respiratória esteve associada a EAP, HIA e DAD; assim como instabilidade hemodinâmica a HIA e DAD. Conclusões:Foram encontradas importantes associações entre achados clínicos e histológicos em pacientes com TEP. A compreensão dos mecanismos fisiopatológicos envolvidos com cada doença associada a TEP pode auxiliar no diagnóstico e no tratamento da doença.Introduction: Pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) is one of the most fatal complications among hospitalized patients and remains undiagnosed. Its physiopathology and its epidemiology aren’t widely known in literature. Objectives: To correlate underlying diseases, different cancers and surgeries to histological findings and in-vivo manifestations associated to fatal PTE from autopsy reports. Methods: From 2,001 to 2,008, were reviewed 291 autopsies of patients whose cause of death was PTE. The following data were obtained: age, sex, clinical in-vivo manifestations, post-mortem pathological patterns and main associated underlying diseases, cancers and surgeries performed in last hospitalization. The pulmonary histopathological changes were categorized in: diffuse alveolar damage (DAD), pulmonary edema (PE), alveolar hemorrhage (AH) and lympho/plasmacytic interstitial pneumonia (LPIP). Odds ratios of positive relations were obtained by logistic regression and were considered significative when p < 0.05. Results: The median age was 64 years. 64% of patients presented cardiovascular illness associated to PTE. The most prevalent pulmonary finding was PE. Only 13% of cases had clinical suspect. Acute respiratory failure was positively related to PE, AH and DAD; as well hemodynamic instability to AH and DAD. Conclusions: We found important relations between clinical data and histological findings of fatal PTE patients. The understanding of pulmonary physiopathological mechanism involved with each PTE-associated disease can improve diagnosis in order to offer prompt treatment and reduce mortality

Niobium and niobium-iron coatings on API 5LX 70 steel applied with HVOF

The present study aimed to create and characterize niobium and niobium-iron60% coatings applied to steel API 5L X70 using the hypersonic thermal spray process (HVOF). The morphologies of the coatings were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and profilometry, while the coatings’ hardnesses was evaluated using the Vickers hardness test. The coatings’ corrosion resistance was evaluated by monitoring their open circuit potential and potentiodynamic polarization and performing electrochemical impedance spectroscopy in a 0.05 M NaCl solution. The results showed that the niobium-iron coating contained minor porosity regions, while such defects occurred over large regions of the niobium coating. In terms of corrosion resistance, the coatings obtained in this work promoted a reduction in the substrate’s corrosion rate, but the presence of discontinuities such as porosity compromised the barrier effects of these coatings

Os sistemas agroflorestais como alternativa de sustentabilidade em ecossistemas de várzea no Amazonas.

Os sistemas agroflorestais (SAFs) representam uma alternativa agroecológica de produção, sob regime sustentável, para os agricultores familiares na várzea dos Rios Solimões/Amazonas, principalmente no que se refere ao manejo florestal, à diversidade de produtos e à geração de renda. Diante disso, o objetivo deste trabalho foi compreender as diferentes formas de apropriação e de manejo dos recursos naturais através dos SAFs, nos subsistemas roça, sítio e lagos, como componente para a sustentabilidade dos agricultores familiares da localidade Costa da Terra Nova, município do Careiro da Várzea, Amazonas. O método empregado foi o Estudo de Caso com aplicação de questionários, entrevistas e observação participante. A produção familiar na Costa da Terra Nova é representada pelos SAFs, constituído pelos os subsistemas: roça quintal e lago, que proporcionam produtos tanto para subsistência quanto para comercialização local, e estabelecendo a agricultura como fundamental atividade na localidade. O principal produto para comercialização é obtido das hortaliças cultivadas na época da vazante no subsistema roça nas comunidades São Francisco e Nossa Senhora da Conceição; e do extrativismo pesqueiro no subsistema lago, na época da cheia, principalmente na comunidade São José. A criação de animal se dá no subsistema sítio e é apenas para subsistência, sendo as aves e os suínos os principais animais domésticos criados nas três comunidades. Portanto os SAFs tradicionais, constituídos pelos subsistemas, roça, sitio e lago, são responsáveis pela sustentabilidade socioeconômica da localidade pesquisada, servindo, como alternativa agrícola melhor adaptada às condições locais das áreas de várzea na Amazônia

The C242T polymorphism of the p22-phox gene (CYBA) is associated with higher left ventricular mass in Brazilian hypertensive patients

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Reactive oxygen species have been implicated in the physiopathogenesis of hypertensive end-organ damage. This study investigated the impact of the C242T polymorphism of the p22-phox gene (CYBA) on left ventricular structure in Brazilian hypertensive subjects.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We cross-sectionally evaluated 561 patients from 2 independent centers [Campinas (n = 441) and Vitória (n = 120)] by clinical history, physical examination, anthropometry, analysis of metabolic and echocardiography parameters as well as p22-phox C242T polymorphism genotyping. In addition, NADPH-oxidase activity was quantified in peripheral mononuclear cells from a subgroup of Campinas sample.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Genotype frequencies in both samples were consistent with the Hardy- Weinberg equilibrium. Subjects with the T allele presented higher left ventricular mass/height^2.7than those carrying the CC genotype in Campinas (76.8 ± 1.6 vs 70.9 ± 1.4 g/m^2.7; p = 0.009), and in Vitória (45.6 ± 1.9 vs 39.9 ± 1.4 g/m^2.7; p = 0.023) samples. These results were confirmed by stepwise regression analyses adjusted for age, gender, blood pressure, metabolic variables and use of anti-hypertensive medications. In addition, increased NADPH-oxidase activity was detected in peripheral mononuclear cells from T allele carriers compared with CC genotype carriers (p = 0.03).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The T allele of the p22-phox C242T polymorphism is associated with higher left ventricular mass/height^2.7and increased NADPH-oxidase activity in Brazilian hypertensive patients. These data suggest that genetic variation within NADPH-oxidase components may modulate left ventricular remodeling in subjects with systemic hypertension.</p

Performance of CMS muon reconstruction in pp collision events at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV

The performance of muon reconstruction, identification, and triggering in CMS has been studied using 40 inverse picobarns of data collected in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV at the LHC in 2010. A few benchmark sets of selection criteria covering a wide range of physics analysis needs have been examined. For all considered selections, the efficiency to reconstruct and identify a muon with a transverse momentum pT larger than a few GeV is above 95% over the whole region of pseudorapidity covered by the CMS muon system, abs(eta) < 2.4, while the probability to misidentify a hadron as a muon is well below 1%. The efficiency to trigger on single muons with pT above a few GeV is higher than 90% over the full eta range, and typically substantially better. The overall momentum scale is measured to a precision of 0.2% with muons from Z decays. The transverse momentum resolution varies from 1% to 6% depending on pseudorapidity for muons with pT below 100 GeV and, using cosmic rays, it is shown to be better than 10% in the central region up to pT = 1 TeV. Observed distributions of all quantities are well reproduced by the Monte Carlo simulation.Comment: Replaced with published version. Added journal reference and DO