Effects of Helicobacter pylori Infection on the Expressions of Bax and Bcl-2 in Patients with Chronic Gastritis and Gastric Cancer

The aim of the present study is to evaluate the influence of Helicobacter pylori on Bax and Bcl-2 mRNA and protein levels in patients with chronic gastritis and gastric cancer. The study included 217 patients, of which 26 were uninfected; 127 had chronic gastritis and were H. pylori-positive, and 64 had gastric cancer. Bacterial genotypes were evaluated by PCR, and the expression values were determined by quantitative real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry. Our data showed that the up-regulationary effects of H. pylori infection on the proapoptotic gene, Bax, were stronger than its induction of Bcl-2; this effect may increase apoptosis in patients with chronic gastritis. In patients with gastric cancer, the up-regulation of the anti-apoptotic gene, Bcl-2, counteracted the pro-apoptotic effects of Bax, leading to a deregulation of apoptosis-associated gene expression, favoring cell proliferation. Thus, the disturbance in Bax and Bcl-2 balance, induced by H. pylori, might be important in gastric cancer development.Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP

Relationship among oxidative DNA damage, gastric mucosal density and the relevance of cagA, vacA and iceA genotypes of Helicobacter pylori

The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship among oxidative DNA damage, density of Helicobacter pylori and the relevance of cagA, vacA and iceA genotypes of H. pylori. Gastric epithelial cells were isolated from 24 uninfected patients, 42 H. pylori infected patients with gastritis, and 61 patients with gastric cancer. Oxidative DNA damage was analyzed by the Comet assay, the density of H. pylori was measured by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and allelic variants of cagA, vacA and iceA were identified using the PCR. Infected patients by Helicobacter pylori cagA(+), vacAs1 m1 and iceA1 genotype showed higher levels of oxidative DNA damage than infected patients with H. pylori cagA(-), vacAs2 m2 and iceA2 genotypes and uninfected patients. Density of H. pylori did not influence oxidative DNA damage. Our results indicate that H. pylori genotype is more relevant than density for oxidative DNA damage

Gestão de processos, indicadores analíticos e impactos sobre o desempenho competitivo em grandes e médias empresas brasileiras dos setores da indústria e de serviços Process management, analytical indicators, and impacts on competitive performance at large and midsized brazilian companies in the industry and services sectors

Este artigo compila os principais achados de uma pesquisa cujo objetivo foi o de investigar a natureza dos relacionamentos entre os construtos de orientação para processos de negócio (business process orientation - BPO), indicadores analíticos e desempenho competitivo de uma amostra de 368 empresas brasileiras, de grande e médio portes, atuantes em diferentes setores da indústria e de operações de serviços no âmbito da economia brasileira. Por meio de um survey, a pesquisa envolveu o teste de hipóteses e uso de técnicas de estatística bivariada e multivariada. Foram realizados testes para se mensurar a consistência interna das escalas do instrumento de pesquisa, bem como para se avaliar a composição estrutural do modelo, por meio da modelagem de equações estruturais. As escalas e o modelo foram validados. Os resultados apontam a importância estratégica dos fatores de BPO e de indicadores analíticos como preditores do desempenho competitivo das empresas. Por meio da equação estrutural do modelo, esses fatores preditores foram capazes de explicar 66,3% das variações do desempenho das empresas da amostra, sendo igualmente significativos os efeitos diretos (coeficientes de caminho) verificados entre os construtos da BPO, indicadores analíticos e desempenho.<br>This article compiles the main findings of a study that aimed to investigate the nature of the relationships between business process orientation (BPO) constructs, analytical indicators, and competitive performance from a sample of 368 large and midsized Brazilian companies that are present in different sectors of industry and services operations within the Brazilian economy. By means of a survey, this research involved the use of hypothesis testing and bivariate and multivariate statistical techniques. Tests were carried out to measure the internal consistency of the research tool scales as well as to assess the model structure using structural equation modeling. Both the scales and the model were validated. The results show the strategic importance of BPO factors and analytical indicators as predictors of competitive performance of companies. Through the structural equation model, these predictive factors explained 66.3% of the variation in performance of the companies in the sample, and the direct effects (path coefficients) found among BPO constructs, analytical indicators, and performance were also significant