MMP-8 in Periodontal Sites of Postpartum and without-Any-Pregnancy Women.

The hypothesis that physiological changes in women can affect periodontal tissues is the subject of this study, and inflammatory markers such as matrix metalloproteinase-8 can measure susceptibility to inflammation. The study aimed to analyze MMP-8 levels in periodontal sites of postpartum women and women without a history of pregnancy, comparing health parameters and periodontal disease. This is a case-control study with 40 participants, 20 cases (women in the postpartum period) and 20 controls (women without any pregnancy), who underwent clinical periodontal examination and the collection of crevicular gingival fluid. The ELISA test was used to detect MMP-8 levels. Postpartum women had worse periodontal parameters, such as bleeding index on probing, number of sites with CAL ≥ 3, and fewer teeth present. In the group of women without a history of pregnancy, a significantly lower MMP-8 level was observed in healthy sites and a higher one was observed in periodontal pockets (p < 0.01). In contrast, in postpartum women, MMP-8 levels were elevated in both healthy sites and periodontal pockets (p > 0.01). The MMP-8 levels in gingival fluid appear to be related to periodontal clinical parameters and may be a possible marker of enzymatic changes involved in periodontal tissue destruction in postpartum women.

Prevalence of airborne fungi in Brazil and correlations with respiratory diseases and fungal infections. / Prevalência de fungos anemófilos no Brasil e a correlação com doenças respiratórias e infecções fúngicas.

Airborne fungi are dispersed through the air. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of airborne fungi in Brazil and understand the relationship between fungal growth and respiratory diseases and infections. We conducted an integrative literature review of studies conducted in Brazil based on searches of the PubMed, MEDLINE-BIREME, SciELO, and LILACS databases for full-text articles published between 2000 and 2022. The searches returned 147 studies, of which only 25 met the inclusion criteria. The most prevalent genera of airborne fungi in Brazil are Aspergillus, Penicillium, Cladosporium, Curvularia, and Fusarium. The studies were conducted in the states of Maranhão, Ceará, Piauí, Sergipe, Mato Grosso, Pernambuco, Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, and Minas Gerais. The findings also show the relationship between fungi and meteorological factors and seasonality, the sensitivity of atopic individuals to fungi, and the main nosocomial mycoses reported in the literature. This work demonstrates the importance of maintaining good microbiological air quality to prevent potential airborne diseases.

Fungos anemófilos se dispersam na natureza através do ar atmosférico. O presente estudo objetivou caracterizar a prevalência da microbiota fúngica anemófila no Brasil e correlacionar o crescimento fúngico com doenças respiratórias e quadros infecciosos. Este trabalho é uma revisão integrativa de literatura construída a partir da busca nas bases de dados PubMed, BIREME, SciELO e LILACS, com inclusão de trabalhos brasileiros publicados entre 2000 e 2022, em língua portuguesa ou inglesa com texto online integral. O universo do estudo foi constituído por 147 publicações, das quais 25 compuseram a amostra por atenderem aos critérios de inclusão. Os gêneros de fungos aerotransportados mais prevalentes no Brasil são: Aspergillus sp., Penicillium sp., Cladosporium sp., Curvularia sp. e Fusarium sp. Os locais de origem dos estudos incluem Maranhão, Ceará, Piauí, Sergipe, Mato Grosso, Pernambuco, Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Minas Gerais. Além disso, foi possível determinar a relação dos fungos com parâmetros meteorológicos e sazonalidade, a sensibilização de indivíduos atópicos aos fungos e as principais micoses nosocomiais relatadas na literatura. Assim, o trabalho destaca a importância da manutenção da qualidade microbiológica do ar com vistas a se prevenir possíveis doenças transmitidas pelo ar.

Anti-Candida albicans Activity of Ononin and Other Secondary Metabolites from Platonia Insignis MART.

Candida albicans is a human pathogen that is part of the healthy microbiome. However, it is often associated with opportunistic fungal infections. The treatment of these infections is challenging because prolonged exposure to antifungal drugs can culminate in fungal resistance during therapy, and there is a limited number of available drugs. Therefore, this study investigated the antifungal activity of ononin by in silico and in vitro assays, and in Tenebrio molitor as an alternative in vivo model of infection caused by C. albicans. Ononin is an isoflavone glycoside derived from formononetin that has various biological activities. According in silico evaluation, ononin showed the best electron affinity in molecular docking with CaCYP51, with a binding free energy of -10.89 kcal/mol, superior to that of the antifungal drugs fluconazole and posaconazole. The ononin + CaCYP51 complex formed hydrogen bonds with Tyr132, Ser378, Phe380, and Met508, as well as hydrophobic connections with Tyr118, Leu121, Phe126, Leu131, Ile304, and Leu309, and interactions with the heme group. Ononin exerted anti-Candida albicans activity, with MIC between 3.9 and 7.8 µg/mL, and inhibited young and mature biofilms, with a reduction in cell density and metabolic activity of 50 to 80%. The compound was not cytotoxic to sheep red blood cells at concentrations up to 1000 µg/mL. Larvae of the mealworm T. molitor were used as an alternative in vivo model of C. albicans infection. Ononin was able to prolong larval survival at concentrations of 0.5, 1, and 5 mg/kg, and was not toxic up to a concentration of 20 mg/kg. Moreover, ononin reduced the fungal charge in treated animals. In conclusion, our results suggest that ononin has anti-Candida albicans activity and is a potential candidate for the development of new therapeutic alternatives.

Prevalência de fungos anemófilos no Brasil e a correlação com doenças respiratórias e infecções fúngicas / Prevalence of airborne fungi in Brazil and correlations with respiratory diseases and fungal infections

Resumo Fungos anemófilos se dispersam na natureza através do ar atmosférico. O presente estudo objetivou caracterizar a prevalência da microbiota fúngica anemófila no Brasil e correlacionar o crescimento fúngico com doenças respiratórias e quadros infecciosos. Este trabalho é uma revisão integrativa de literatura construída a partir da busca nas bases de dados PubMed, BIREME, SciELO e LILACS, com inclusão de trabalhos brasileiros publicados entre 2000 e 2022, em língua portuguesa ou inglesa com texto online integral. O universo do estudo foi constituído por 147 publicações, das quais 25 compuseram a amostra por atenderem aos critérios de inclusão. Os gêneros de fungos aerotransportados mais prevalentes no Brasil são: Aspergillus sp., Penicillium sp., Cladosporium sp., Curvularia sp. e Fusarium sp. Os locais de origem dos estudos incluem Maranhão, Ceará, Piauí, Sergipe, Mato Grosso, Pernambuco, Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Minas Gerais. Além disso, foi possível determinar a relação dos fungos com parâmetros meteorológicos e sazonalidade, a sensibilização de indivíduos atópicos aos fungos e as principais micoses nosocomiais relatadas na literatura. Assim, o trabalho destaca a importância da manutenção da qualidade microbiológica do ar com vistas a se prevenir possíveis doenças transmitidas pelo ar.

Abstract Airborne fungi are dispersed through the air. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of airborne fungi in Brazil and understand the relationship between fungal growth and respiratory diseases and infections. We conducted an integrative literature review of studies conducted in Brazil based on searches of the PubMed, MEDLINE-BIREME, SciELO, and LILACS databases for full-text articles published between 2000 and 2022. The searches returned 147 studies, of which only 25 met the inclusion criteria. The most prevalent genera of airborne fungi in Brazil are Aspergillus, Penicillium, Cladosporium, Curvularia, and Fusarium. The studies were conducted in the states of Maranhão, Ceará, Piauí, Sergipe, Mato Grosso, Pernambuco, Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, and Minas Gerais. The findings also show the relationship between fungi and meteorological factors and seasonality, the sensitivity of atopic individuals to fungi, and the main nosocomial mycoses reported in the literature. This work demonstrates the importance of maintaining good microbiological air quality to prevent potential airborne diseases.