Thyroid hormone deficiency alters extracellular matrix protein expression in rat brain.

The effects of thyroid hormone (T3) deficiency on extracellular matrix protein expression were analyzed in newborn rat brain. In hypothyroid animals, a marked increase in the expression of 62 kDa protein was observed in cerebral hemispheres and midbrain, while the 51.6 kDa protein was increased in cerebral hemispheres and decreased in midbrain and the 44.5 kDa protein was down regulated in both structures. On the basis of molecular weights, these proteins may be the proteoglycans cerebroglycan, glypican and N-Syndecan, respectively. In addition, hypothyroidism reduced fibronectin expression in midbrain (-59,7%), but not in cerebral hemispheres. T3 deficiency affects differently the expression of proteins in different brain regions. This may be involved in brain impairment caused by hypothyroidism.

Alterations in proteins of bone marrow extracellular matrix in undernourished mice.

The objective of the present study was to determine the effect of protein malnutrition on the glycoprotein content of bone marrow extracellular matrix (ECM). Two-month-old male Swiss mice were submitted to protein malnutrition with a low-protein diet containing 4% casein as compared to 20% casein in the control diet. When the experimental group had attained a 20% loss of their original body weight, we extracted the ECM proteins from bone marrow with PBS buffer, and analyzed ECM samples by SDS-PAGE (7.5%) and ECL Western blotting. Quantitative differences were observed between control and experimental groups. Bone marrow ECM from undernourished mice had greater amounts of extractable fibronectin (1.6-fold increase) and laminin (4.8-fold increase) when compared to the control group. These results suggest an association between fluctuations in the composition of the hematopoietic microenvironment and altered hematopoiesis observed in undernourished mice.

Some hematimetric findings in human Giardia lamblia infection.

Up to now few reports about haematological alterations induced by Giardia lamblia infection have been described. Because there are questions on this matter still not answered, we carried out a study to evaluate some erythrometric and leucometric parameters in a sample that consisted of 55 patients exclusively infected with G. lamblia and of 55 sex and age matched parasite-free individuals. The haematological parameters evaluated were: mean corpuscular volume (MCV), hemoglobin concentration, and relative and absolute number of eosinophils and lymphocytes. No significant differences in the mean values of MCV, hemoglobin levels and absolute relative lymphocyte numbers between the two groups could be detected. When the giardiasis and control groups were separated by pediatric (0-18 years old) and adult (older than 18 years) classes, a very significant difference in both relative and absolute number of eosinophils in the adult class was observed. With respect of the pediatric class, no differences, either in relative and absolute number of eosinophils, could be observed. Our findings suggest that, during G. lamblia infection, some kind of parasite allergen(s) could be secreted and be responsible for the increasing of eosinophil counts in peripheral blood of adults.

In vitro inhibitory effects of imatinib mesylate on stromal cells and hematopoietic progenitors from bone marrow.

Imatinib mesylate (IM) is used to treat chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) because it selectively inhibits tyrosine kinase, which is a hallmark of CML oncogenesis. Recent studies have shown that IM inhibits the growth of several non-malignant hematopoietic and fibroblast cells from bone marrow (BM). The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of IM on stromal and hematopoietic progenitor cells, specifically in the colony-forming units of granulocyte/macrophage (CFU-GM), using BM cultures from 108 1.5- to 2-month-old healthy Swiss mice. The results showed that low concentrations of IM (1.25 µM) reduced the growth of CFU-GM in clonogenic assays. In culture assays with stromal cells, fibroblast proliferation and α-SMA expression by immunocytochemistry analysis were also reduced in a concentration-dependent manner, with a survival rate of approximately 50% with a dose of 2.5 µM. Cell viability and morphology were analyzed using MTT and staining with acrydine orange/ethidium bromide. Most cells were found to be viable after treatment with 5 µM IM, although there was gradual growth inhibition of fibroblastic cells while the number of round cells (macrophage-like cells) increased. At higher concentrations (15 µM), the majority of cells were apoptotic and cell growth ceased completely. Oil red staining revealed the presence of adipocytes only in untreated cells (control). Cell cycle analysis of stromal cells by flow cytometry showed a blockade at the G0/G1 phases in groups treated with 5-15 µM. These results suggest that IM differentially inhibits the survival of different types of BM cells since toxic effects were achieved.

In vitro inhibitory effects of imatinib mesylate on stromal cells and hematopoietic progenitors from bone marrow

Imatinib mesylate (IM) is used to treat chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) because it selectively inhibits tyrosine kinase, which is a hallmark of CML oncogenesis. Recent studies have shown that IM inhibits the growth of several non-malignant hematopoietic and fibroblast cells from bone marrow (BM). The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of IM on stromal and hematopoietic progenitor cells, specifically in the colony-forming units of granulocyte/macrophage (CFU-GM), using BM cultures from 108 1.5- to 2-month-old healthy Swiss mice. The results showed that low concentrations of IM (1.25 µM) reduced the growth of CFU-GM in clonogenic assays. In culture assays with stromal cells, fibroblast proliferation and α-SMA expression by immunocytochemistry analysis were also reduced in a concentration-dependent manner, with a survival rate of approximately 50% with a dose of 2.5 µM. Cell viability and morphology were analyzed using MTT and staining with acrydine orange/ethidium bromide. Most cells were found to be viable after treatment with 5 µM IM, although there was gradual growth inhibition of fibroblastic cells while the number of round cells (macrophage-like cells) increased. At higher concentrations (15 µM), the majority of cells were apoptotic and cell growth ceased completely. Oil red staining revealed the presence of adipocytes only in untreated cells (control). Cell cycle analysis of stromal cells by flow cytometry showed a blockade at the G0/G1 phases in groups treated with 5-15 µM. These results suggest that IM differentially inhibits the survival of different types of BM cells since toxic effects were achieved.

Alterations in proteins of bone marrow extracellular matrix in undernourished mice

The objective of the present study was to determine the effect of protein malnutrition on the glycoprotein content of bone marrow extracellular matrix (ECM). Two-month-old male Swiss mice were submitted to protein malnutrition with a low-protein diet containing 4 percent casein as compared to 20 percent casein in the control diet. When the experimental group had attained a 20 percent loss of their original body weight, we extracted the ECM proteins from bone marrow with PBS buffer, and analyzed ECM samples by SDS-PAGE (7.5 percent) and ECL Western blotting. Quantitative differences were observed between control and experimental groups. Bone marrow ECM from undernourished mice had greater amounts of extractable fibronectin (1.6-fold increase) and laminin (4.8-fold increase) when compared to the control group. These results suggest an association between fluctuations in the composition of the hematopoietic microenvironment and altered hematopoiesis observed in undernourished mice

Exame do líquido pleural nos laboratórios do estado de Santa Catarina / Pleural liquid examination in the state of Santa Catarina

O objetivo deste trabalho foi realizar um levantamento, em relaçäo ao perfil metodológico do exame do líquido pleural no Estado de Santa Catarina, já que existem numerosos métodos para o estudo do líquido pleural. Para avaliar a metodologia aplicada nos laboratórios do Estado, foram enviados questionários para os laboratórios das maiores cidades, quanto as análises citológicas, bioquímicas e microbiológicas da amostra de líquido pleural näo há uma homogeneidade nos protocolos entre os laboratórios para a maioria das análises. Isso se deve provavelmente a uma adaptaçäo da rotina de acordo com as condiçöes do serviço e do paciente atendido

Avaliaçao dos niveis de hemoglobina e ferritina serica em escolares infectados por parasitas intestinais em Campinas, Sao Paulo / Evaluation of the hemoglobin and seric ferritin levels among students infected by intestinal parasits in Campinas-Sao Paulo

Em 109 escolares de 8 a 12 anos de idade provenientes de zona periferica da cidade de Campinas-SP,encontrou-se uma prevalencia de parasitos intestinais de 42,2%, a media de concentraçao da hemoglobina sanguinea foi de 13,57g/dl 0,98 e concentraçao serica de ferritina de 43,67 ng/ml 21,34. No estudocomparativo entre a populaçao infectada e nao infectada por parasitas intestinais nao houve diferenças estaristicamente significativas para dosagem de hemoglobina e ferritina serica.

HPV - Relato de um caso clínico / HPV - a case report

Relato de caso de paciente de 16 anos de idade, com diagnóstico de infecçäo cérvico vaginal por Papilomavírus Humano (HPV), sugerido inicialmente através de citologia oncótica pela presença evidente de coilócitos, critério patognomônico para HPV e posteriormente comprovado por Captura Híbrida a presença de HPV de alto potencial oncogênico. Realizou-se também colposcopia, onde se observaram lesöes em colo e vulva características do mesmo agente, contudo o estudo histopatológico demonstrou alteraçöes displásicas, sem entretanto caracterizar presença de qualquer agente específico