Matrix metalloproteinase gene polymorphisms and susceptibility to systemic sclerosis

The major pathological hallmark of the systemic sclerosis (SSc) is skin and internal organ fibrosis, which results from normal tissue architecture alterations and extracellular matrix (ECM) protein deposition. ECM components are degraded by matrix metalloproteinases (MMP). Promoter region polymorphisms in MMP genes may influence gene expression, resulting in an imbalance between ECM protein production and degradation. Here, we analyzed MMP1 -1607 1G/2G (rs1799750), MMP3 -1171 5A/6A (rs3025058), and MMP9 -1562 C/T (rs3918242) polymorphisms in relation to susceptibility to SSc and its clinical features. The patient group included 98 individuals with longstanding or recently diagnosed disease, meeting the American College of Rheumatology or LeRoy and Medsger criteria for SSc; the control group included 100 healthy blood donors. All participants were of European descent. Genotyping was performed by polymerase chain reaction followed by restriction digestion. Genotype and allele frequencies of MMP polymorphisms were similar between the two groups. In secondary analyses, significantly higher frequency of 1G/2G genotype from MMP1 polymorphism was observed for patients testing positive for antinuclear autoantibodies (P = 0.007), while 1G/1G genotype was associated with interstitial lung disease development (P = 0.018). The 6A/6A genotype from MMP3 polymorphism was absent in patients with calcinosis (P = 0.011), while the MMP3 5A/5A genotype correlated with the presence of anti-topoisomerase I antibodies (P = 0.009) and reduced diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (P = 0.024). These results suggest that MMP polymorphisms are not associated with SSc susceptibility, although MMP1 and MMP3 variants are associated with specific SSc clinical and laboratory features

PREVALÊNCIA DE MUTAÇÕES ASSOCIADAS AO DESENVOLVIMENTO DE RESISTÊNCIA À LAMIVUDINA EM PACIENTES COM HEPATITE B CRÔNICA DO MUNICÍPIO DE BENTO GONÇALVES, RS.

A infecção pelo vírus da hepatite B (HBV) é um problema de saúde pública mundial. O tratamento com lamivudinaem portadores crônicos do HBV está frequentemente associado a altas taxas de resistência viral, relacionadas a mutações nomotivo YMDD do gene da transcriptase reversa. O objetivo do presente estudo foi investigar a prevalência de mutações nomotivo YMDD em pacientes com hepatite B crônica do município de Bento Gonçalves, RS. Um estudo transversal foi realizadoentre julho e dezembro de 2010 incluindo 102 pacientes. O DNA viral foi sequenciado em amostras de 21 portadoresativos do HBV. Foi observada a presença de um HBV mutante portando a variação YMDD (rtM204I) acompanhadada substituição rtL180M. Outras mutações (rtA181V e rtQ215S) foram verificadas em dois pacientes

HBV epidemiology and genetic diversity in an area of high prevalence of hepatitis B in southern Brazil

Background: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major public health problem in Brazil. HBV endemicity is usually moderate to low according to geographic regions, and high prevalence of this virus has been reported in people of some specific Brazilian counties, including those with a strong influence of Italian colonization in southern Brazil. Analysis of HBV diversity and identification of the main risk factors to HBV infection are necessary to understand hepatitis B epidemiology in these high prevalence regions in southern Brazil. Objective: To investigate epidemiological characteristics and HBV genotypes and subgenotypes circulating in a specific city with high HBV prevalence. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed with 102 HBV chronically infected individuals, recruited in reference outpatient clinics for viral hepatitis in a city of high HBV prevalence (Bento Gonc¸alves) in Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil between July and December 2010. Socio-demographic, clinical and behavior-related variables were collected in a structured questionnaire. HBV serological markers (HBsAg, anti-HBc), viral load, genotypes/subgenotypes and drug resistance were evaluated and comparatively analyzed among all patients. Results: The HBV infected subjects had a mean age of 44.9 (±12.2) years, with 86 patients (84.3%) reporting to have a family history of HBV infection, 51 (50.0%) to share personal objects, and were predominantly of Italian descendants (61; 64.9%). There was a predominance of genotype D (49/54; 90.7%), but genotype A was also detected (5/54; 9.3%). Subgenotypes D1 (1; 4.7%), D2 (3; 14.3%), and D3 (17; 81.0%) were identified. LAM-resistant mutation (rtM204I) and ADV-resistant mutations (rtA181V) were detected in only one patient each

Educomunicação, Transformação Social e Desenvolvimento Sustentável

Esta publicação apresenta os principais trabalhos dos GTs do II Congresso Internacional de Comunicação e Educação nos temas Transformação social, com os artigos que abordam principalmente Educomunicação e/ou Mídia-Educação, no contexto de políticas de diversidade, inclusão e equidade; e, em Desenvolvimento Sustentável os artigos que abordam os avanços da relação comunicação/educação no contexto da educação ambiental e desenvolvimento sustentável