Placental Morphologic Similarities Between ZIKV-Positive and HIV-Positive Pregnant Women.

Zika virus (ZIKV) caused global concern due to Brazil's unexpected epidemic, and it was associated with congenital microcephaly and other gestational intercurrences. The study aimed to analyze the placenta morphometric changes of ZIKV-infected pregnant women (ZIKV group; n = 23) compared to placentas of HIV-infected (HIV group; n = 24) and healthy pregnant women (N-control group; n = 22). It also analyzed the relationship between the morphometric results and pathological alterations on conventional microscopy, gestational trimester of infection, and presence of the congenital Zika syndrome (CZS). There was a significant increase in area (p = 0.0172), as well as a higher number of knots (p = 0.0027), sprouts (p < 0.0001), and CD163 +Hofbauer cells (HCs) (p < 0.0001) in the ZIKV group compared to the N-control group, suggesting that villous dysmaturity and HCs hyperplasia could be associated with ZIKV infections. The HIV group had a higher area (p < 0.0001), perimeter (p = 0.0001), sprouts (p < 0.0001), and CD163 + HCs (p < 0.0001) compared to the N-control group, demonstrating that the morphometric abnormalities found in the ZIKV and HIV group are probably similar. However, when ZIKV and HIV groups are compared, it was observed a higher number of sprouts (p = 0.0066) and CD163+ HCs (p < 0.0001) in the first one, suggesting that placental ZIKV congenital changes could be more pronounced.

Lung Neutrophilic Recruitment and IL-8/IL-17A Tissue Expression in COVID-19.

The new SARS-CoV-2 virus differs from the pandemic Influenza A virus H1N1 subtype (H1N1pmd09) how it induces a pro-inflammatory response in infected patients. This study aims to evaluate the involvement of SNPs and tissue expression of IL-17A and the neutrophils recruitment in post-mortem lung samples from patients who died of severe forms of COVID-19 comparing to those who died by H1N1pdm09. Twenty lung samples from patients SARS-CoV-2 infected (COVID-19 group) and 10 lung samples from adults who died from a severe respiratory H1N1pdm09 infection (H1N1 group) were tested. The tissue expression of IL-8/IL-17A was identified by immunohistochemistry, and hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stain slides were used for neutrophil scoring. DNA was extracted from paraffin blocks, and genotyping was done in real time-PCR for two IL17A target polymorphisms. Tissue expression increasing of IL-8/IL-17A and a higher number of neutrophils were identified in samples from the H1N1 group compared to the COVID-19 group. The distribution of genotype frequencies in the IL17A gene was not statistically significant between groups. However, the G allele (GG and GA) of rs3819025 was correlated with higher tissue expression of IL-17A in the COVID-19 group. SARS-CoV-2 virus evokes an exacerbated response of the host's immune system but differs from that observed in the H1N1pdm09 infection since the IL-8/IL-17A tissue expression, and lung neutrophilic recruitment may be decreased. In SNP rs3819025 (G/A), the G allele may be considered a risk allele in the patients who died for COVID-19.

Absence of right common carotid artery in a patient with common origin of the innominate artery and left common carotid artery.

A 50-year-old woman was referred to the noninvasive vascular laboratory for carotid artery evaluation because of a bruit in the neck. Color Doppler ultrasound examination demonstrated absence of the right common carotid artery and parallel internal and external carotid arteries originating at the brachiocephalic trunk. Computed tomography angiography further described anomalous anatomy, demonstrating a common origin of the innominate artery and left common carotid artery. Knowledge of such unusual anatomy may become valuable in future evaluation or treatment of this patient.