A imunomarcação positiva para c-kit está associada com a presença de células análogas às intersticiais de Cajal no músculo ciliar?

PURPOSE: Interstitial cells of Cajal were identified in the gastrointestinal tract of several species, with close relation to the enteric nervous system. Since it was recognized that interstitial cells of Cajal express the gene product of c-kit, we performed immunohistochemistry for c-kit protein in ciliary muscle specimens of monkeys' eyes. METHODS: Eight eyes from four adult male new world monkeys (Cebus apella) were studied. After blocking endogenous peroxidase activity and nonspecific protein binding, 1:100 dilution of mouse monoclonal antibody against c-kit human oncoprotein was applied to tissues. Antigen-antibody reaction was visualized using the avidin-biotinylated horseradish peroxidase complex in each slide. RESULTS: We observed some groups of fusiform c-kit expressing cells located amongst muscle bundles of the ciliary muscle. Other pigment cells and mast cells were also observed. CONCLUSION: C-kit expressing cells observed in the ciliary muscle of Cebus apella, showed no similarity to melanocytes or mast cells and they could be associated with their gastrointestinal interstitial cells of Cajal counterpart.OBJETIVO: As células intersticiais de Cajal estão presentes no trato gastrintestinal de diversas espécies animais, em íntima relação com o sistema nervoso entérico. Uma vez que as células intersticiais de Cajal expressam o produto do gene c-kit, realizou-se um ensaio imuno-histoquímico a fim de se verificar a marcação da proteína c-kit no músculo ciliar de amostras de olhos de macacos. MÉTODOS: Oito olhos de quatro macacos do novo mundo (Cebus apella) foram estudados. Após bloqueio da peroxidase endógena e de ligação protéica não específica, os tecidos receberam aplicação de anticorpos de camundongos antioncoproteína c-kit humana (1:100). A reação antígeno-anticorpo foi verificada através da aplicação do complexo avidina-biotinilada-peroxidase em cada lâmina. RESULTADOS: Foram observados grupos de células que expressam c-kit, localizadas entre as fibras do músculo ciliar. Mastócitos e outras células pigmentadas também foram observadas. CONCLUSÃO: Algumas células que expressam c-kit, observadas no músculo ciliar de Cebus apella, não mostraram similaridade com mastócitos ou melanócitos e podem ser classificadas como análogas das células intersticiais de Cajal gastrintestinais.Coordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior (CAPES)FAPES

Episódios reacionais da hanseníase podem ser exacerbados por infecções orais?

INTRODUCTION: This study evaluated whether leprosy reactions could be associated with oral infection. METHODS: Leprosy patients (n = 38) with (Group I) and without (Group II) oral infections were selected. Reactions were identified from the clinical and histopathological features associated with serum C-reactive protein (CRP) and10kDa interferon-gamma-induced protein (IP-10) levels, determined before and after elimination of the foci of infection. RESULTS: Group I presented more reactions than group II did, and improvement of the reactions after dental treatment. Serum CRP and IP-10 did not differ before and after the dental treatment, but differed between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: Oral infection could be an exacerbating factor in leprosy reactions.INTRODUÇÃO: Este estudo avaliou se as reações hansênicas podem estar associadas a infecções orais. MÉTODOS: Pacientes com hanseníase (n=38) com (Grupo I) e sem (Grupo II) infecções orais foram selecionados. As reações foram identificadas pelas características clínicas, histopatológicas, associadas a proteína-C-reativa (PCR) e proteína indutora de interferon-gamma de 10kDa (IP-10) séricos determinados antes e após a eliminação dos focos de infecção. RESULTADOS: Grupo I apresentou mais reações que o grupo II, e melhora das reações após o tratamento odontológico. PCR e IP-10 séricos não diferiram antes e após o tratamento odontológico, entretanto diferiram entre os grupos. CONCLUSÕES: As infecções orais podem ser exacerbadores das reações hansênicas.(CNPq) National Council for Scientific and Technological DevelopmentSão Paulo State Foundation against Leprosy(FAEPA) USP - Teaching, Research and Assistance Support Foundation of HCFMR

Granuloma anular perfurante simulando tubercúlide pápulo-necrótica

A case is reported of a patient presenting lymph node tuberculosis and cutaneous lesions resembling papulonecrotic tuberculid, but histologically compatible with perforating granuloma annulare and which responded satisfactorily to antituberculous therapy. This is probably one of the first reports of the association of perforating granuloma annulare and tuberculosis, and it is important therefore to highlight the relevance of this disorder in the differential diagnosis of papulonecrotic tuberculid and to raise the hypothesis that this entity should also be considered to be a variant of tuberculid.Os autores relatam o caso de uma paciente com tuberculose ganglionar e lesões cutâneas clinicamente sugestivas de tubercúlide pápulo-necrótica, porém com histopatologia compatível com granuloma anular perfurante, e que apresentaram melhora após tratamento para a tuberculose. Trata-se, possivelmente, de um dos primeiros relatos da associação de granuloma anular perfurante com tuberculose, salientando a importância desta entidade no diagnóstico diferencial da tubercúlide pápulo-necrótica e levantando a possibilidade da mesma ser considerada, também, uma variante de tubercúlide.Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Department of DermatologyUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Department of Dermatology and PathologyUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Department of PathologyUNIFESP, Department of DermatologyUNIFESP, Department of Dermatology and PathologyUNIFESP, Department of PathologySciEL

Treatment of canine multicentric lymphoma through vascular access port vs. peripheral venous catheter

Background: Vascular access port (VAP) was developed for the administration of chemotherapeutic agents, minimizing local drug reactions and complications associated with migration of peripheral venous catheter (PVC) in humans. The device is widely used in human oncology and has gained importance in veterinary oncology, especially in long treatment regimens, as in the case of canine lymphoma. VAP favors therapy and the animals life quality. The aim of this study was to describe the use of VAP in dogs, comparing to PVC access, during canine lymphoma chemotherapeutic treatment. Materials, Methods & Results: Eleven dogs with multicentric lymphoma which required chemotherapy were selected for the study. The dogs were randomly allocated to two groups with five and six animals, and each group received the chemotherapy protocol through the PVC (n= 5) or VAP (n= 6). For the sake of standardization, assessments were made whenever the dogs received vincristine sulfate, despite the use of the infusion system in all sessions of the Madison- Wisconsin protocol. A VAP was implanted into the right external jugular vein of six dogs under inhalational anesthesia, using the Seldinger technique. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) levels and handling time during chemotherapy sessions were compared in both groups in three time periods during the procedures: 10 min after arrival to each chemotherapy (P1); immediately after placement of the PVC or puncture of the VAP reservoir (P2); and at the end of chemotherapy (P3). The arithmetic mean of five consecutive assessments was used in each time period. In the chemotherapy sessions, the mean of SBP variation decreased statistically significant in the VAP group compared to PVC group. SBP decreased from P1 to P2 and from P1 to P3 in all sessions (S1, S2, and S3) in the VAP group, and increased in the PVC group. The handling time of VAP group was 110.6 ± 8.4 s, compared to 219.2 ± 24.7 s (mean ± standard error) in the PVC group, showing statisti¬cally significant difference (P < 0.001). VAP surgical implantation time averaged 37 min, decreasing gradually from the first (55 min) to the last patient (21 min). Discussion: SBP levels suggest that the VAP group was calmer from the beginning to the end of the sessions, showed lower SBP levels, and required shorter handling time than did the PVC group. Blood pressure is one of the most objec¬tive ways to assess welfare or stress in dogs. When dog feels threatened or scared, its body automatically enters a state of emergency and, among several changes, blood pressure increases. VAP surgical implantation in dogs have easy learning, as previously described, proven by implantation time progressive reduction. The Seldinger technique is the method of choice for catheter implantation in humans. Dissection of the jugular vein is an alternative, however, the technique with a single incision and venipuncture is less invasive than its modifications. The jugular vein was used because is the site of choice for central accesses in veterinary practice, with a shorter path to the right atrium and smaller rates of catheter mis¬placement, reducing the risk of pneumothorax, venous thrombosis, and pinch-off syndrome. VAP surgical implantation in dogs have easy learning, proven by the implantation time progressive reduction. The study confirmed that VAP promoted animal welfare, shortened chemotherapy sessions, and caused less discomfort to dogs treated for multicentric lymphoma, as indicated by the reduction in SBP, when compared to the PVC group

Decoding the internesting movements of marine turtles using a fine-scale behavioral state approach

IntroductionAn understanding of animal behavior is critical to determine their ecological role and to inform conservation efforts. However, observing hidden behaviors can be challenging, especially for animals that spend most of their time underwater. Animal-borne devices are valuable tools to estimate hidden behavioral states.MethodsWe investigated the fine-scale behavior of internesting hawksbill turtles using the mixed-membership method for movement (M4) which integrated dive variables with spatial components and estimated latent behavioral states.ResultsFive latent behavioral states were identified: 1) pre-nesting, 2) transit, 3) quiescence, and 4) area restricted search within and 5) near the residence of turtles. The last three states associated with a residency period, showed lower activity levels. Notably, when compared to other behaviors the pre-nesting exhibited shallower and remarkably long dives of up to 292 minutes. We noted high fidelity to residence core areas and nesting beaches, within and between nesting seasons, with residence areas decreasing within a season.DiscussionThe latent behaviors identified provide the most detailed breakdown of turtle movement behaviors during the internesting period to date, providing valuable insights into their ecology and behavior. This information can inform marine turtle conservation and management efforts since utilization distributions of individual behavioral states can be used to determine spatially-explicit susceptibility of turtles to various threats based on their behavior. The analyses of utilization distribution revealed a minimal overlap with existing marine protected areas (0.4%), and we show how a new proposal would expand protection to 30%. In short, this study provides valuable guidance for conservation and management of internesting marine turtles at a fine spatiotemporal resolution and can be used to enhance national action plans for endangered species, including the expansion of existing Marine Protected Areas. By flexibly incorporating biologically informative parameters, this approach can be used to study behavior outside of the hawksbill breeding season or even beyond this species

Leprosy reactions: coinfections as a possible risk factor

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine the frequency of coinfections in leprosy patients and whether there is a relationship between the presence of coinfections and the development of leprosy reactional episodes. METHOD: A cross-sectional study based on an analysis of the medical records of the patients who were treated at the Leprosy Clinics of the Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, was conducted from 2000 to 2010. Information was recorded regarding the age, sex, clinical status, WHO classification, treatment, presence of reactions and coinfections. Focal and systemic infections were diagnosed based on the history, physical examination, and laboratory tests. Multinomial logistic regression was used to evaluate the associations between the leprosy reactions and the patients' gender, age, WHO classification and coinfections. RESULTS: Two hundred twenty-five patients were studied. Most of these patients were males (155/225 = 68.8%) of an average age of 49.31±15.92 years, and the most prevalent clinical manifestation was the multibacillary (MB) form (n = 146), followed by the paucibacillary (PB) form (n = 79). Erythema nodosum leprosum (ENL) was more prevalent (78/122 = 63.9%) than the reversal reaction (RR) (44/122 = 36.1%), especially in the MB patients (OR 5.07; CI 2.86-8.99; p<0.0001) who exhibited coinfections (OR 2.26; CI 1.56-3.27; p,<0.0001). Eighty-eight (88/225 = 39.1%) patients exhibited coinfections. Oral coinfections were the most prevalent (40/88 = 45.5%), followed by urinary tract infections (17/88 = 19.3%), sinusopathy (6/88 = 6.8%), hepatitis C (6/88 = 6.8%), and hepatitis B (6/88 = 6.8%). CONCLUSIONS: Coinfections may be involved in the development and maintenance of leprosy reactions