Clinicopathological and molecular approaches to the diagnosis of oral lesions in Mpox: Case report.

Mpox virus infection (MPXV) has recently been recognized as a public health emergency by the World Health Organization. While several studies have described the clinical characteristics of MPXV-oral lesions, there remains a dearth of information regarding the histological and ultrastructural oral findings. A 24-year-old HIV-positive man presented with a shallow ulcer, covered by a fibrinoid membrane, and surrounded by an erythematous halo in the hard and soft palate. The clinical appearance of the lesion raised suspicion of a viral infection; thus, the diagnosis was based on histological and electronic microscopy findings and confirmed by RT-PCR testing in the skin specimen. This case report aims to offer comprehensive insights into the clinical, histopathological, and ultrastructural features of oral lesions caused by MPXV in an individual with HIV. This report provides valuable information about the characteristics of MPXV infection in the oral mucosa, particularly in people living with HIV.

Characteristics and treatment of Brazilian pulp and paper mill effluents: a review.

Pulp and paper industries are very important for developing the Brazilian economy. During production processes, many effluents are generated with high polluting potential. The objective of this study is to conduct an extensive literature review on the characteristics of effluents and treatment forms adopted by Brazilian mills in this industrial sector. Most consulted studies address raw (without treatment) and secondary (after biological treatment) effluents, considering their main characteristics like pH, chemical and biochemical oxygen demands (COD and BOD, respectively), color, solids, organochlorines, toxicity, estrogenic activity, and phenols. Raw effluents differ considerably in composition, depending on the type of paper produced, the pulping process employed, and other steps, like pulp bleaching. Raw effluent characteristics indicate that this effluent cannot be directly disposed of into water bodies, because it does not comply with federal and state disposal standards. Secondary effluents normally comply with Brazilian legislations, although some studies have reported COD and total phenol concentrations higher than disposal standards, suggesting that additional treatments are necessary. Treated effluent reuse was verified in some Brazilian mills, while its disposal in eucalyptus plantations has been considered a promising alternative for irrigation purposes.

Gene identification by cDNA arrays in HPV-positive cervical cancer.

BACKGROUND: One of the most frequent malignancies in women worldwide is carcinoma of the uterine cervix. High-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is considered the most important etiological factor of uterine cervical cancer. Our aim was to identify novel cellular genes that could potentially act as predictive molecular markers for human cervical cancer by means of cDNA arrays. METHODS: We used cDNA arrays to examine the expression profiles of six cell lines derived from human cervical cancer, three HPV+ tumor samples and three normal (HPV-) epithelium tissues. Data normalization was performed and the top overexpressed genes were obtained. Hierarchical cluster was performed and, to validate some of the differentially expressed genes between normal and carcinogenic samples, semi-quantitative RT-PCR, in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry were performed in tissue samples. RESULTS: Four genes were demonstrated to be consistently overexpressed in invasive cervical cancer biopsies; three novel genes not previously related to cervical cancer: MMP10, Lamc2 and Claudin 1. Moreover, overexpression of IL6 and VEGF was corroborated. CONCLUSIONS: The identification of characteristic molecular changes in cervical cells by carcinogenesis and HPV infection can lead to a better understanding of cervical cancer. cDNA arrays are beginning to provide new possible molecular markers for prognosis and diagnosis. This technology could eventually help to elucidate the biological differences of the particular mechanisms associated with each different HPV-type infection and those with a poor prognosis.