Effect of plasma-nitrided titanium surfaces on the differentiation of pre-osteoblastic cells.

A titanium surface nitrided by plasma contains nitrogen ions that guarantee resistance to corrosion and biocompatibility. Despite this, no descriptions concerning the influence of the expression of cell adhesion proteins and their influence on osteogenic cell differentiation are available. Thus, the present study aimed to assess the response of murine pre-osteoblastic cells (MC3T3-E1) cultured on nitrided titanium surfaces. Pre-osteoblastic cells were grown on polished titanium discs, used as controls, and on previously characterized plasma-nitrided titanium discs. Cells from both groups were submitted to the MTT cell viability test. The expressions of α5, α2, and ß1 integrin were assessed by flow cytometry and immunofluorescence, while osteocalcin expression was assessed by flow cytometry. The nitrided surface presented higher α2 and ß1 integrin expressions, as well as osteocalcin expression, when compared to the polished surface, with no alterations in cell viability. These findings seem to suggest that the plasma nitriding treatment produces a titanium surface with the potential for effective in vitro osseointegration.

First proposed panels on acute leukemia for four-color immunophenotyping by flow cytometry from the Brazilian group of flow cytometry-GBCFLUX.

Multiparameter flow cytometry is a highly sensitive, fast, and specific diagnostic technology with a wide range of applicability in hematology. Although well-established eight-color immunophenotyping panels are already available, most Brazilian clinical laboratories are equipped with four-color flow cytometer facilities. Based on this fact, the Brazilian Group of Flow Cytometry (Grupo Brasileiro de Citometria de Fluxo, GBCFLUX) for standardization of clinical flow cytometry has proposed an antibody panel designed to allow precise diagnosis and characterization of acute leukemia (AL) within resource-restricted areas. Morphological analysis of bone marrow smears, together with the screening panel, is mandatory for the primary identification of AL. The disease-oriented panels proposed here are divided into three levels of recommendations (mandatory, recommendable, and optional) in order to provide an accurate final diagnosis, as well as allow some degree of flexibility based on available local resources and patient-specific needs. The proposed panels will be subsequently validated in an interlaboratory study to evaluate its effectiveness on the diagnosis and classification of AL. (Assoc editor comm. 2).

"First proposed panels on acute leukemia for four-color immunophenotyping by flow cytometry from the Brazilian Group of Flow Cytometry - GBCFLUX"

Multiparameter flow cytometry (MFC) is a highly sensitive, fast and specific diagnostic technology with a wide range of applicability in hematology. Although well-established eight-color immunophenotyping panels are already available, most Brazilian clinical laboratories are equipped with four-color flow cytometer facilities. Based on this fact, the Brazilian Group of Flow Cytometry (Grupo Brasileiro de Citometria de Fluxo, GBCFLUX) for standardization of clinical flow cytometry has proposed an antibody panel designed to allow precise diagnosis and characterization of acute leukemia (AL) within resource-restricted areas. Morphological analysis of bone marrow smears, together with the screening panel, is mandatory for the primary identification of AL. The disease-oriented panels proposed here are divided into three levels of recommendations (mandatory, recommendable and optional) in order to provide an accurate final diagnosis, as well as allow some degree of flexibility based on available local resources and patient-specific needs. The proposed panels will be subsequently validated in an inter-laboratory study to evaluate its effectiveness on the diagnosis and classification of AL. © 2014 Clinical Cytometry Society.

Avaliação dos métodos de detecção das alterações do gene e proteína P53 nas neoplasias linfóides / Evaluation of detection methods of alterations of the P53 gene and protein in lymphoid neoplasms

A proteína p53 desempenha um papel central na resposta celular que inclui a parada do ciclo celular permitindo o reparo do dano no DNA, ou indução da morte celular. A perda da função dessa proteína pode levar à proliferação celular desordenada, aumento da sobrevida da célula e resistência às drogas quimioterápicas. O gene supressor de tumor p53 é alterado em diversas neoplasias, entre as quais se incluem as neoplasias hematológicas. Estas alterações são, em sua maioria, mutações que levam à perda da capacidade da proteína p53 de regular a transcrição de diversos genes envolvidos em importantes processos da célula. Ao contrário da proteína selvagem, cuja degradação ocorre rapidamente depois da síntese, as formas mutadas da proteína têm a meia vida aumentada e se acumulam dentro da célula possibilitando a detecção por imunohistoquímica. As mutações do gene p53 ocorrem com uma freqüência em torno de 12.5 por cento nas neoplasias hematológicas, no entanto, em alguns tipos de linfomas não Hodgkin (LNH), particularmente, nos linfomas de Burkitt, freqüências superiores têm sido observadas. A maior parte das mutações do gene p53 são mutações do tipo missense e ocasionam perda da função e estabilização da proteína. Entretanto, alta expressão da proteína selvagem também tem sido detectada por imunohistoquímica, o que indica uma discrepância entre mutações do gene e detecção da proteína. O objetivo deste trabalho é realizar uma revisão dos métodos usados para identificar as alterações do gene e da proteína p53 com ênfase nas neoplasias linfóides, visando determinar o seu envolvimento nessas neoplasias.