Exposição a contaminantes ambientais durante a gestação e seus efeitos sobre a saúde fetal: uma revisão de literatura

Human exposure to environmental contaminants is omnipresent. A great concern about individuals who live near hazardous waste sites is the potential risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes, especially birth defects. Additionally, with the exception of mercury, lead and PCBs, there is not clear evidence of the teratogenicity caused by other environmental contaminants due to methodological difficulties. Unlike animal experiments, people are rarely exposed to a single hazardous contaminant. However, most of the information documenting adverse reproductive health effects from environmental contaminants originated from studies focused on exposure to single chemicals, and there is little information available on how two or more contaminants affect human pregnancies. This paper reviews the methodological approaches used to access the adverse outcomes of pregnancies exposed to environmentalcontaminants and its major results.A exposição humana a contaminantes ambientais é onipresente. Uma grande preocupação em relação à população que vive perto de fontes poluentes é o risco potencial de efeitos adversos para as gestações, especialmente defeitos congênitos. Excetuando-se o mercúrio, o chumbo e os bifenis pliclorinados (PCBs), não há uma evidência clara de teratogenicidade causada por outros contaminantes ambientais, possivelmente devido a dificuldades metodológicas. Contrariamente ao que ocorre em experimentos com animais de laboratório, as pessoas são raramente expostas a um único contaminante potencialmente perigoso. Porém, a maioria das informações que documentam efeitos adversos secundários à contaminação ambiental na saúde reprodutiva são oriundas de exposição a somente um agente e há pouca informação disponível sobre de que maneira dois ou mais contaminantes ambientais podem afetar a  gestação. Este artigo revisará as abordagens metodológicas utilizadas para  se dispor de um acesso aos resultados adversos decorrentes da exposição aos poluentes e seus principais resultados

Avaliação de teratógenos potenciais na população brasileira: a experiência do Sistema Nacional de Informação sobre Agentes Teratogênicos em Porto Alegre (SIAT)

The National System of Information about Teratogenic Agents (SIAT) was set up in Porto Alegre, Southern Brazil, in 1990, with the purpose of providing doctors and the general public with rapid and updated information about the reproductive risks related to exposure  to teratogenic agents. SIAT, which was the first service of this kind to operate in Latin America, is also an important source of data for prospective investigations about teratogenicity in humans. In this paper we report the experience of this service during its first eleven years and its possible contributions. The introduction in the following years of similar services in other Brazilian cities (Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Salvador) and the operation of all four services within an integrated and coordinated national network enhance the potential of this service regarding health care and research.O Sistema Nacional de Informações sobre Agentes Teratogênicos (SIAT) foi implantado em Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, em 1990, com a proposta de fornecer a médicos e à população em geral informações rápidas e atualizadas sobre os riscos reprodutivos relacionados à exposição a agentes teratogênicos. O SIAT, que foi o primeiro serviço deste tipo a operar na América Latina também é uma importante fonte de dados para investigações prospectivas sobre teratogenicidade em humanos. Neste artigo nós relatamos a experiência deste serviço nos seus primeiros 11 anos de funcionamento e suas possíveis contribuições. A introdução em anos posteriores de outros três serviços similares em outras três capitais brasileiras (Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo e Salvador), faz com que a integração destes quatro serviços dentro de uma rede nacional coordenada aumente o potencial do SIAT tanto no que diz respeito a cuidados de saúde como à pesquisa.&nbsp

Inheritance analysis and identification of SNP markers associated with ZYMV resistance in Cucurbita pepo

[EN] Cucurbit crops are economically important worldwide. One of the most serious threats to cucurbit production is Zucchini yellow mosaic virus (ZYMV). Several resistant accessions were identified in Cucurbita moschata and their resistance was introgressed into Cucurbita pepo. However, the mode of inheritance of ZYMV resistance in C. pepo presents a great challenge to attempts at introgressing resistance into elite germplasm. The main goal of this work was to analyze the inheritance of ZYMV resistance and to identify markers associated with genes conferring resistance. An Illumina GoldenGate assay allowed us to assess polymorphism among nine squash genotypes and to discover six polymorphic single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) between two near-isogenic lines, "True French" (susceptible to ZYMV) and Accession 381e (resistant to ZYMV). Two F-2 and three BC1 populations obtained from crossing the ZYMV-resistant Accession 381e with two susceptible ones, the zucchini True French and the cocozelle "San Pasquale," were assayed for ZYMV resistance. Molecular analysis revealed an approximately 90% association between SNP1 and resistance, which was confirmed using High Resolution Melt (HRM) and a CAPS marker. Co-segregation up to 72% in populations segregating for resistance was observed for two other SNP markers that could be potentially linked to genes involved in resistance expression. A functional prediction of proteins involved in the resistance response was performed on genome scaffolds containing the three SNPs of interest. Indeed, 16 full-length pathogen recognition genes (PRGs) were identified around the three SNP markers. In particular, we discovered that two nucleotide-binding site leucine-rich repeat (NBS-LRR) protein-encoding genes were located near the SNP1 marker. The investigation of ZYMV resistance in squash populations and the genomic analysis performed in this work could be useful for better directing the introgression of disease resistance into elite C. pepo germplasm.This work was supported by the Ministry of University and Research (GenHORT project).Capuozzo, C.; Formisano, G.; Iovieno, P.; Andolfo, G.; Tomassoli, L.; Barbella, M.; Picó Sirvent, MB.... (2017). Inheritance analysis and identification of SNP markers associated with ZYMV resistance in Cucurbita pepo. Molecular Breeding. 37(8). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11032-017-0698-5S378Addinsoft (2007) XLSTAT, Analyse de données et statistique avec MS Excel. Addinsoft, NYAndolfo G, Ercolano MR (2015) Plant innate immunity multicomponent model. Front Plant Sci 6:987Andolfo G, Sanseverino W, Rombauts S et al (2013) Overview of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) candidate pathogen recognition genes reveals important Solanum R locus dynamics. 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The first transcriptome of Italian wall lizard, a new tool to infer about the Island Syndrome

Some insular lizards show a high degree of differentiation from their conspecific mainland populations, like Licosa island lizards, which are described as affected by Reversed Island Syndrome (RIS). In previous works, we demonstrated that some traits of RIS, as melanization, depend on a differential expression of gene encoding melanocortin receptors. To better understand the basis of syndrome, and providing raw data for future investigations, we generate the first de novo transcriptome of the Italian wall lizard. Comparing mainland and island transcriptomes, we link differences in life-traits to differential gene expression. Our results, taking together testis and brain sequences, generated 275,310 and 269,885 transcripts, 18,434 and 21,606 proteins in Gene Ontology annotation, for mainland and island respectively. Variant calling analysis identified about the same number of SNPs in island and mainland population. Instead, through a differential gene expression analysis we found some putative genes involved in syndrome more expressed in insular samples like Major Histocompatibility Complex class I, Immunoglobulins, Melanocortin 4 receptor, Neuropeptide Y and Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen

Disease-specific and general health-related quality of life in newly diagnosed prostate cancer patients: The Pros-IT CNR study

Background: The National Research Council (CNR) prostate cancer monitoring project in Italy (Pros-IT CNR) is an observational, prospective, ongoing, multicentre study aiming to monitor a sample of Italian males diagnosed as new cases of prostate cancer. The present study aims to present data on the quality of life at time prostate cancer is diagnosed. Methods: One thousand seven hundred five patients were enrolled. Quality of life is evaluated at the time cancer was diagnosed and at subsequent assessments via the Italian version of the University of California Los Angeles-Prostate Cancer Index (UCLA-PCI) and the Short Form Health Survey (SF-12). Results: At diagnosis, lower scores on the physical component of the SF-12 were associated to older ages, obesity and the presence of 3+ moderate/severe comorbidities. Lower scores on the mental component were associated to younger ages, the presence of 3+ moderate/severe comorbidities and a T-score higher than one. Urinary and bowel functions according to UCLA-PCI were generally good. Almost 5% of the sample reported using at least one safety pad daily to control urinary loss; less than 3% reported moderate/severe problems attributable to bowel functions, and sexual function was a moderate/severe problem for 26.7%. Diabetes, 3+ moderate/severe comorbidities, T2 or T3-T4 categories and a Gleason score of eight or more were significantly associated with lower sexual function scores at diagnosis. Conclusions: Data collected by the Pros-IT CNR study have clarified the baseline status of newly diagnosed prostate cancer patients. A comprehensive assessment of quality of life will allow to objectively evaluate outcomes of different profile of care

Avaliação de teratógenos potenciais na população brasileira: a experiência do Sistema Nacional de Informação sobre Agentes Teratogênicos em Porto Alegre (SIAT)

The National System of Information about Teratogenic Agents (SIAT) was set up in Porto Alegre, Southern Brazil, in 1990, with the purpose of providing doctors and the general public with rapid and updated information about the reproductive risks related to exposure  to teratogenic agents. SIAT, which was the first service of this kind to operate in Latin America, is also an important source of data for prospective investigations about teratogenicity in humans. In this paper we report the experience of this service during its first eleven years and its possible contributions. The introduction in the following years of similar services in other Brazilian cities (Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Salvador) and the operation of all four services within an integrated and coordinated national network enhance the potential of this service regarding health care and research.O Sistema Nacional de Informações sobre Agentes Teratogênicos (SIAT) foi implantado em Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, em 1990, com a proposta de fornecer a médicos e à população em geral informações rápidas e atualizadas sobre os riscos reprodutivos relacionados à exposição a agentes teratogênicos. O SIAT, que foi o primeiro serviço deste tipo a operar na América Latina também é uma importante fonte de dados para investigações prospectivas sobre teratogenicidade em humanos. Neste artigo nós relatamos a experiência deste serviço nos seus primeiros 11 anos de funcionamento e suas possíveis contribuições. A introdução em anos posteriores de outros três serviços similares em outras três capitais brasileiras (Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo e Salvador), faz com que a integração destes quatro serviços dentro de uma rede nacional coordenada aumente o potencial do SIAT tanto no que diz respeito a cuidados de saúde como à pesquisa.&nbsp

Exposição a contaminantes ambientais durante a gestação e seus efeitos sobre a saúde fetal: uma revisão de literatura

Human exposure to environmental contaminants is omnipresent. A great concern about individuals who live near hazardous waste sites is the potential risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes, especially birth defects. Additionally, with the exception of mercury, lead and PCBs, there is not clear evidence of the teratogenicity caused by other environmental contaminants due to methodological difficulties. Unlike animal experiments, people are rarely exposed to a single hazardous contaminant. However, most of the information documenting adverse reproductive health effects from environmental contaminants originated from studies focused on exposure to single chemicals, and there is little information available on how two or more contaminants affect human pregnancies. This paper reviews the methodological approaches used to access the adverse outcomes of pregnancies exposed to environmentalcontaminants and its major results.A exposição humana a contaminantes ambientais é onipresente. Uma grande preocupação em relação à população que vive perto de fontes poluentes é o risco potencial de efeitos adversos para as gestações, especialmente defeitos congênitos. Excetuando-se o mercúrio, o chumbo e os bifenis pliclorinados (PCBs), não há uma evidência clara de teratogenicidade causada por outros contaminantes ambientais, possivelmente devido a dificuldades metodológicas. Contrariamente ao que ocorre em experimentos com animais de laboratório, as pessoas são raramente expostas a um único contaminante potencialmente perigoso. Porém, a maioria das informações que documentam efeitos adversos secundários à contaminação ambiental na saúde reprodutiva são oriundas de exposição a somente um agente e há pouca informação disponível sobre de que maneira dois ou mais contaminantes ambientais podem afetar a  gestação. Este artigo revisará as abordagens metodológicas utilizadas para  se dispor de um acesso aos resultados adversos decorrentes da exposição aos poluentes e seus principais resultados