Analysis of skin microbiota alteration in patients after chemotherapy treatment/Análise da alteração da microbiota epidermal de pacientes após tratamento quimioterápico

The human body is inhabited by millions of micro-organisms, which play an auxiliary role in the digestion and absorption of nutrients, as well as in the immune protection of the host. The human skin contains an immense number of micro-organisms, which vary with the local interferences and appear different according to the area where they inhabit. However, such micro-organisms are in constant modification due to some disturbances. Knowing that chemotherapy is a very aggressive treatment for human cells and based on other related researches, the work in question is an evaluation of the changes caused by the epidermal microbiota in cancer patients after the chemotherapy treatment. The methods consisted in the collection of samples by sterile swab rubbed in the patients' skin pre- and post-chemotherapy treatment, and in the analysis of the samples, which were sown in three culture media with different properties. Subsequently, the main bacteria that grew in the medium were isolated and identified by means of Gram staining and biochemical tests. Some qualitative changes were found at the species level; however, we detected the preservation of the micro-organisms Staphylococcus epidermidis, the main colonizers of the skin and that present beneficial role for the host. Therefore, the results are positive when evaluated from a collaboration point of view to improve patients' quality of life. A more complete analysis of the microbiota is now required through molecular techniques, so that quantitative results can be verified

O desempenho da imunoterapia na redução de células tumorais: uma revisão integrativa / The performance of immunotherapy in reducing tumor cells: an integrative review

Ainda que já tenha sido estudada a sua causa e os mecanismos interferentes em seu desenvolvimento, o câncer contempla um alto índice de mortalidade, fato indicativo de que não há muitas expectativas de sobrevida para os indivíduos em quadros terminais. Muitos são os tratamentos, sendo os mais eficazes a retirada dos possíveis tumores por via cirúrgica e o uso de quimioterápicos, medicamentos estes que provocam até mesmo uma série de sintomas, pelos fortes efeitos colaterais. Sendo assim, esse trabalho se justifica pela importância de correlacionar as terapias convencionais contra o câncer e a imunoterapia, terapia esta que está em constante evolução nas ciências médicas, e objetiva demonstrar, através de formas alternativas e complementares, a ação da imunoterapia frente à regressão tumoral. Estes dados surgiram a partir de um levantamento bibliográfico acerca do desenvolvimento do câncer e dos métodos terapêuticos existentes. Foi realizada uma revisão integrativa da literatura analisando-se artigos de 2001 a 2021, visando apontar os questionamentos e elucidar os trabalhos feitos com a temática do câncer e da imunoterapia. Foram discorridos artigos provindos de plataformas científicas incluindo aspectos direcionados ao estudo do câncer e de seus efeitos, aos componentes imunológicos e ao emprego da imunoterapia na regressão tumoral. Este estudo procura esclarecer alguns métodos terapêuticos já existentes e, comparar os resultados provenientes destes com o possível fortalecimento do sistema imunológico frente ao câncer nas técnicas imunoterápicas. Este assunto pode contribuir, consideravelmente, para o debate de opiniões a respeito dos benefícios e malefícios da técnica, como também para o avanço da medicina e da pesquisa

Identificação e análise de resistência à oxacilina de bactérias residentes da microbiota nasal de indivíduos hospitalizados e não hospitalizados no Município de Varginha – MG/ Identification and oxacillin resistance analysis of isolated bacteria from nasal microbiota of hospitalized and non-hospitalized individuals from the City of Varginha-MG

Increasing rates of antibiotic-resistant microbial infections, both in hospitals and in society, have raised considerable concern for the health community, as these infectious diseases continue to be the leading cause of mortality worldwide. The nasal microbiota is an important reservoir of pathogenic bacteria. Resident microorganisms of the nasal microbiota have shown high rates of mutagenicity and antimicrobial resistance. This study aimed to identify which bacteria are present in the nasal cavity of people in the community and their susceptibility profile to the antibiotics discussed above, and finally to make a comparison between the data obtained in the community and the data obtained from individuals hospitalized in previous research. This purpose was achieved from the analysis of samples of nasal material from students of the University Center of Southern Minas - UNIS / MG. The samples were collected by sterile swab and subsequently analyzed in the microbiology laboratory of the same institution. Finally, oxacillin susceptibility testing was performed using the Mueller Hinton Agar Disc Diffusion technique following the standardization of the Clinical & Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI). A higher number of oxacillin-resistant bacteria was found in hospitalized subjects. However, although in smaller numbers, resistant bacteria were found in the individuals of society, reflecting the need for an incentive to develop new drugs and especially methods that slow down the increase of resistance and contribute to the awareness about the proper use of antibiotics

The Omicron Lineages BA.1 and BA.2 (<i>Betacoronavirus</i> SARS-CoV-2) Have Repeatedly Entered Brazil through a Single Dispersal Hub

Brazil currently ranks second in absolute deaths by COVID-19, even though most of its population has completed the vaccination protocol. With the introduction of Omicron in late 2021, the number of COVID-19 cases soared once again in the country. We investigated in this work how lineages BA.1 and BA.2 entered and spread in the country by sequencing 2173 new SARS-CoV-2 genomes collected between October 2021 and April 2022 and analyzing them in addition to more than 18,000 publicly available sequences with phylodynamic methods. We registered that Omicron was present in Brazil as early as 16 November 2021 and by January 2022 was already more than 99% of samples. More importantly, we detected that Omicron has been mostly imported through the state of São Paulo, which in turn dispersed the lineages to other states and regions of Brazil. This knowledge can be used to implement more efficient non-pharmaceutical interventions against the introduction of new SARS-CoV variants focused on surveillance of airports and ground transportation