Inflammatory profile in cervical cancer: influence of purinergic signaling and possible therapeutic targets.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Cervical cancer is the fourth most prevalent type of cancer in the world. The tumor microenvironment of this disease is associated with the production of several cytokines, pro and anti-inflammatory, and with the purinergic signaling system so that changes in these components are observed throughout the pathological process. The aim of this review is to understand the pathophysiology of cervical cancer based on immunological processes and purinergic signaling pathways, in addition to suggesting possibilities of therapeutic targets. MATERIALS AND METHODS: To make up this review, studies covering topics of cervical cancer, inflammation and purinergic system were selected from the Pubmed. RESULTS: The main pro-inflammatory cytokines involved are IL-17, IL-1ß, IL-6, and IL-18, and among the anti-inflammatory ones, IL-10 and TGF-ß stand out. As new therapeutic targets, P2X7 and A2A receptors have been suggested, since blocking P2X7 would lead to reduced release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, and blocking A2A would increase activation of cytotoxic T lymphocytes in the context of tumor combat. The association between the immune system and the purinergic system, already known in other types of disease, also presents possibilities for a better understanding of biomolecular processes and therapeutic possibilities in the context of cervical cancer.

Principais implicações terapêuticas à qualidade de vida de pacientes com câncer de colo uterino: uma revisão narrativa / Therapeutic implications to the quality of life of cervical cancer's patients: a narrative review

O câncer de colo uterino é o quarto tipo mais incidente e fatal entre as mulheres no Brasil e no mundo, o que representa mundialmente em torno de 600 mil novos casos e mais de 300 mil mortes a cada ano. Assim como o diagnóstico, o tratamento da doença pode impactar de forma significativa a qualidade de vida dessas pacientes. A aplicação de questionários que avaliem os diferentes aspectos da qualidade de vida das mulheres afetadas por esse câncer é uma ferramenta relevante, pois auxilia na compreensão e identificação dos principais danos relacionados ao tratamento. Este trabalho visa analisar a literatura atual que investiga e relata os principais efeitos à qualidade de vida de mulheres com câncer de colo uterino associados a diferentes modalidades terapêuticas e, desse modo, contribuir nas escolhas de tratamento e manejo clínico que resultem em menores impactos à qualidade de vida dessas mulheres.(AU)

Cervical cancer is the fourth most incident and fatal cancer type among women in Brazil and worldwide. This data represents around 600 thousand new cases worldwide each year and more than 300 thousand lives lost. Both diagnosis and treatment can significantly impact the quality of life of cervical cancer patients. The application of questionnaires that assess the different aspects of the quality of life of women affected by this cancer is a relevant tool, as it helps to understand and identify the main damages related to the treatment. This article aims to analyze the current literature that reports the main effects on the quality of life of women with cervical cancer associated with different therapeutic modalities. In this way, the review could assist in the treatment choices that imply less impact on the quality of life of these women.(AU)

Triple negative breast cancer originating from a cystic lesion

Malignant neoplasm diagnosed after radiological evaluation of a simple breast cyst is rare. This report described the case of a young patient with an initial simple cystic lesion, whom, in 18-month follow-up examinations, showed a change in the imaging pattern of the cyst, and underwent biopsy, where a triple negative carcinoma was identified. In addition, the diagnosis occurred during pregnancy, which makes the present report even rarer.

Possible role of purinergic signaling in COVID-19.

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19), caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection, accounts for more than 2.4 million deaths worldwide, making it the main public health problem in 2020. Purinergic signaling is involved in the pathophysiology of several viral infections which makes the purinergic system a potential target of investigation in COVID-19. During viral infections, the ATP release initiates a cascade that activates purinergic receptors. This receptor activation enhances the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines and performs the chemotaxis of macrophages and neutrophils, generating an association between the immune and the purinergic systems. This review was designed to cover the possible functions of purinergic signaling in COVID-19, focusing on the possible role of purinergic receptors such as P2X7 which contributes to cytokine storm and inflammasome NLRP3 activation and P2Y1 that activates the blood coagulation pathway. The possible role of ectonucleotidases, such as CD39 and CD73, which have the function of dephosphorylating ATP in an immunosuppressive component, adenosine, are also covered in detail. Moreover, therapeutic combination or association possibilities targeting purinergic system components are also suggested as a possible useful tool to be tested in future researches, aiming to unveil a novel option to treat COVID-19 patients.

Purinergic signaling and tumor microenvironment in cervical Cancer.

Cervical cancer is the fourth most common type of cancer incidence in the world female population, and it has become a public health problem worldwide. Several factors are involved in this type of cancer, including intrinsic factors related to the inflammatory process, such as extracellular nucleotides and adenosine-components of the purinergic system. The present review focuses on the role of the purinergic system in cervical cancer, especially regarding the interaction of extracellular nucleotides with their respective receptors expressed in the tumor microenvironment of cervical cancer and their role in the host immune response. The high concentrations of extracellular nucleotides in the tumor microenvironment of cervical cancer interfere in the regulation, proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis of cancer cells of the uterine cervix through different P1 and P2 receptor subtypes. Such diverse cellular processes that are mediated by adenosine triphosphate and adenosine across the tumor microenvironment and that also have effects on host immune defense will be reviewed here in detail.