Ana Paula Santos do Carmo (original) (raw)

Papers by Ana Paula Santos do Carmo

Research paper thumbnail of Importance of vacAs1 gene in gastric cancer patients infected with cagA-negative Helicobacter pylori

Apmis, Mar 24, 2011

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a well-established etiological factor in gastric carcinogenesi... more Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a well-established etiological factor in gastric carcinogenesis (1–3). Although the cagA gene is a common virulence factor of H. pylori, with around 65% of cases of gastric cancer (GC) associated with strains carrying the cagA gene, about 25% of cases of GC are related to cagA-negative strains of H. pylori (4, 5). Therefore, other virulence factors of H. pylori, such as the vacA s1 allele, could explain the association of bacterial infection with GC (6, 7). In previous studies, the genes cagE and virB11, located on the right and left portion of the pathogenic cagPAI island, respectively, were shown to be involved as much as the cagA gene (8–10). Another potential virulence factor of H. pylori is the flaA gene, which is important for the success of bacterial colonization of the gastric mucosa (8). Therefore, we investigated the relevance of the genes cagE, virB11, flaA and vacA. A total of 106 tissue samples were obtained from patients with gastric cancer after gastrectomy. The samples of patients with gastric carcinoma were obtained from two hospitals in Fortaleza, Ceara State, Brazil, along with a signed consent form. DNA was extracted from the tumors (11) and H. pylori infection was detected by amplification of the ureaseC gene as well the above-mentioned genes by PCR of specific fragments. The amplified products were electrophoresed in a 6% polyacrylamide gel and a 1% agarose gel. All statistical analyses were conducted using Epi Info (v. 3.5.1) and SPSS 17.0 version statistical software program (SPSS, Chicago, IL, USA) using the chi-squared and Fisher’s exact tests. Differences were deemed significant when p < 0.05. Helicobacter pylori was positive in 93.4% of cases (99 ⁄106), among which 33.3% (33 ⁄99) were cagA()). These cases were compared with those cagA(+) (66.7%; 66 ⁄99), considering the main clinical and epidemiologic aspects. Both GC cagA()) and cagA(+) cases were more common in men and in patients older than 50 years, while cagA()) cases tended to include more patients <50 years old (p = 0.07). The cagA()) strains were significantly (p = 0.02) more frequent than cagA(+) in the gastric body; on the other hand, cagA(+) were predominantly located in the antrum, which is in accordance with the literature (6). There was no predominance of any histological type (p = 0.307) data shown in Table 1. With respect to the presence of the H. pylori genes studied, in cagA()) tumors, the s1m1 allelic combination of vacA was more frequent (54.4%; 18 ⁄33), where s1 was present in 81.8% (27 ⁄33) of the samples, followed by the gene virB11 (45.4%; 15 ⁄33) (Table 2). When the bacterial genotype was considered, the combination virB11(+) and cagE(+) was found in 33% (11 ⁄33) and the combination cagE(+), virB11(+) and vacA s1m1 in 27.3% (9 ⁄33). Table 2. Distribution of cases of gastric cancer Helicobacter pylori cagA()) according to the tumor location and other genes of pathogenicH. pylori Cardia Noncardia cagA()) p

Research paper thumbnail of Association of genetic polymorphisms of IL1β -511 C>T, IL1RN VNTR 86 bp, IL6 -174 G>C, IL10 -819 C>T and TNFα -308 G>A, involved in symptomatic patients with dengue in Brazil

Inflammation Research, Jul 19, 2016

Objective In this study, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) of interleukin (IL) 1b-511C[T, IL1... more Objective In this study, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) of interleukin (IL) 1b-511C[T, IL1RN VNTR 86 bp, IL6-174G[C, IL10-819C[T and TNFa-308G[A were analyzed by PCR-RFLP with symptoms of dengue with the clinical features. Subjects 196 individuals admitted to the São José Infectious Diseases Hospital with suspected dengue infection. Dengue was confirmed in 111 of the patients. The control group consisted of 85 other individuals confirmed without dengue. Results It was demonstrated that the presence the T allele of IL1b (P \ 0.05) was associated with susceptibility to developing the disease. Other results also suggested that the polymorphism in the combinations IL6 9 IL1b (C and T alleles, respectively), IL1b (T allele) 9 IL1RN (*2/*2 genotype), IL6 (C allele) 9 TNFa (A allele), IL10 (C/T genotype) 9 TNFa (A/A genotype) (P \ 0.01, P = 0.01, P \ 0.05 and P = 0.03, respectively) were associated with predisposition to developing the disease and its symptoms. Conclusions In summary, the findings of this study in a Brazilian population point out the importance of studies of combinations of polymorphisms in the development of dengue, which can increase the risk of dengue infection and its severity.

Research paper thumbnail of Contribution of genetic polymorphisms of interleukins IL1B-511 C/T, IL1RN VNTR, IL6-174 G/C, and IL8-251 A/T in gastric lesions: gender and Helicobacter pylori genes matter

Archives of Microbiology

Stomach pathologies develop in a complex interaction between the host's genetic background an... more Stomach pathologies develop in a complex interaction between the host's genetic background and H. pylori virulent genes. Thus, our study aimed to compare active chronic gastritis (ACG), and intestinal metaplasia (IM) with inactive chronic gastritis (ICG), according to interleukin polymorphisms of IL6-174 G/C, IL8-251 A/T, IL1β-511 C/T, and IL1RN VNTR taking into account patient gender and H. pylori genotypes. Interleukin polymorphisms were determined by RFLP-PCR and H. pylori genotype by PCR. IL6-174 GC and IL8-251 T allele showed a protective effect in women against ACG development and, conversely, IL8-251 polymorphism showed a risk for men. More virulent H. pylori strains were associated with the IL8-251 T allele and IL1β-511 T allele in the AGC, and the vacA m1 allele and cagE gene from H. pylori was associated with the IM. Analysis of the progression of gastric lesions must take into account host variability genetic associated with genes H. pylori due to the relation between the virulent H. pylori genes and more severe gastric lesions, besides the relevance to the gender to IL6-174 and IL8-251 polymorphisms.

Research paper thumbnail of Association of genetic polymorphisms of IL1β -511 C>T, IL1RN VNTR 86 bp, IL6 -174 G>C, IL10 -819 C>T and TNFα -308 G>A, involved in symptomatic patients with dengue in Brazil

Inflammation Research, 2016

Objective In this study, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) of interleukin (IL) 1b-511C[T, IL1... more Objective In this study, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) of interleukin (IL) 1b-511C[T, IL1RN VNTR 86 bp, IL6-174G[C, IL10-819C[T and TNFa-308G[A were analyzed by PCR-RFLP with symptoms of dengue with the clinical features. Subjects 196 individuals admitted to the São José Infectious Diseases Hospital with suspected dengue infection. Dengue was confirmed in 111 of the patients. The control group consisted of 85 other individuals confirmed without dengue. Results It was demonstrated that the presence the T allele of IL1b (P \ 0.05) was associated with susceptibility to developing the disease. Other results also suggested that the polymorphism in the combinations IL6 9 IL1b (C and T alleles, respectively), IL1b (T allele) 9 IL1RN (*2/*2 genotype), IL6 (C allele) 9 TNFa (A allele), IL10 (C/T genotype) 9 TNFa (A/A genotype) (P \ 0.01, P = 0.01, P \ 0.05 and P = 0.03, respectively) were associated with predisposition to developing the disease and its symptoms. Conclusions In summary, the findings of this study in a Brazilian population point out the importance of studies of combinations of polymorphisms in the development of dengue, which can increase the risk of dengue infection and its severity.

Research paper thumbnail of Association of Polymorphisms inIL1β-511C>T,IL1RN86 bp VNTR, andIL6-174G>C Genes with Clinical Dengue Signs and Symptoms in Brazilian Dengue Patients

Viral Immunology, 2016

Dengue is an important infectious disease that has high morbidity and mortality rates in most tro... more Dengue is an important infectious disease that has high morbidity and mortality rates in most tropical and subtropical areas of the world. The diversity of the clinical manifestations involved in the outcome of dengue virus infection is affected by the relationship between serotype/genotype of the virus, host immune status, host genetic background, and environmental factors. Polymorphisms in interleukin (IL) genes have been associated with risk of developing symptomatic dengue. This study aimed to determine the association of the single-nucleotide polymorphisms of IL1β -511C&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;T, IL1RN 86 bp VNTR, and IL6 -174G&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;C genes with the clinical features of 198 individuals admitted to the São José Infectious Diseases Hospital with suspected dengue infection. Dengue was confirmed in 118 of the patients. The control group consisted of 80 other individuals who had symptoms similar to dengue, but negative for that. A higher frequency of increased hematocrit (p = 0.009), leukopenia (p = 0.000007), neutropenia (p = 0.0004), lymphocytosis (p = 0.00001), monocytosis (p = 0.004), atypical lymphocytes (p = 0.03), and thrombocytopenia (p = 0.0000009) was observed in the dengue patients. Among the polymorphisms studied, only IL1β (-511C&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;T) was associated with dizziness, (p = 0.01), suggesting that IL1β may be related to hypotensive episodes and increased vascular permeability. These results pointed out the importance of the IL1β (-511C&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;T) polymorphism in the development of clinical symptoms of dengue symptomology.

Research paper thumbnail of Presence of the Genes <i>cag</i>A, <i>cag</i>E, <i>vir</i>B11 and Allelic Variation of <i>vac</i>A of <i>Helicobacter pylori</i> Are Associated with the Activity of Gastritis

Open Journal of Gastroenterology, 2014

Non-atrophic active chronic gastritis (ACG) is characterized by the presence of H. pylori in the ... more Non-atrophic active chronic gastritis (ACG) is characterized by the presence of H. pylori in the gastric epithelium, known to be one of the first steps that precede progression to gastric adenocarcinoma. Inactive chronic gastritis (ICG) suggests that the patient has H. pylori gastritis, but this diagnosis is rarely made in routine histopathology. Clinical manifestations associated with H. pylori infection are potentially due to differences in virulence between strains; however, it is unclear if the progression of ACG to ICG depends on the H. pylori strain. The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of the virulence factors of H. pylori found in patients with ACG and ICG, and its influence on the development of ICG. A significant association was observed between H. pylori detection by histological examination and the activity of gastritis (p < 0.01). Long-term use of proton pump inhibitors (PPI) (>1 year) was reported by 28.6% of the ACG group and 42.5% of the ICG, while no evidence of association between long-term use of PPI and decreased inflammation was found in the patients studied. The genes cagA, cagE and virB11 were statistically associated with ACG (p = 0.01, p < 0.001 and p = 0.002, respectively). In the vacAs1 allele groups, ACG was associated with the most virulent group (p = 0.0015), while ICG was associated with the less virulent group (p < 0.001). The rate of co-infection was significantly higher in ICG than in ACG cases (p = 0.02). In conclusion, this study points to the role of virulent strains of H. pylori in the non-resolution of gastritis.

Research paper thumbnail of Importance of vacAs1 gene in gastric cancer patients infected with cagA-negative Helicobacter pylori

APMIS, 2011

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a well-established etiological factor in gastric carcinogenesi... more Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a well-established etiological factor in gastric carcinogenesis (1–3). Although the cagA gene is a common virulence factor of H. pylori, with around 65% of cases of gastric cancer (GC) associated with strains carrying the cagA gene, about 25% of cases of GC are related to cagA-negative strains of H. pylori (4, 5). Therefore, other virulence factors of H. pylori, such as the vacA s1 allele, could explain the association of bacterial infection with GC (6, 7). In previous studies, the genes cagE and virB11, located on the right and left portion of the pathogenic cagPAI island, respectively, were shown to be involved as much as the cagA gene (8–10). Another potential virulence factor of H. pylori is the flaA gene, which is important for the success of bacterial colonization of the gastric mucosa (8). Therefore, we investigated the relevance of the genes cagE, virB11, flaA and vacA. A total of 106 tissue samples were obtained from patients with gastric cancer after gastrectomy. The samples of patients with gastric carcinoma were obtained from two hospitals in Fortaleza, Ceara State, Brazil, along with a signed consent form. DNA was extracted from the tumors (11) and H. pylori infection was detected by amplification of the ureaseC gene as well the above-mentioned genes by PCR of specific fragments. The amplified products were electrophoresed in a 6% polyacrylamide gel and a 1% agarose gel. All statistical analyses were conducted using Epi Info (v. 3.5.1) and SPSS 17.0 version statistical software program (SPSS, Chicago, IL, USA) using the chi-squared and Fisher’s exact tests. Differences were deemed significant when p < 0.05. Helicobacter pylori was positive in 93.4% of cases (99 ⁄106), among which 33.3% (33 ⁄99) were cagA()). These cases were compared with those cagA(+) (66.7%; 66 ⁄99), considering the main clinical and epidemiologic aspects. Both GC cagA()) and cagA(+) cases were more common in men and in patients older than 50 years, while cagA()) cases tended to include more patients <50 years old (p = 0.07). The cagA()) strains were significantly (p = 0.02) more frequent than cagA(+) in the gastric body; on the other hand, cagA(+) were predominantly located in the antrum, which is in accordance with the literature (6). There was no predominance of any histological type (p = 0.307) data shown in Table 1. With respect to the presence of the H. pylori genes studied, in cagA()) tumors, the s1m1 allelic combination of vacA was more frequent (54.4%; 18 ⁄33), where s1 was present in 81.8% (27 ⁄33) of the samples, followed by the gene virB11 (45.4%; 15 ⁄33) (Table 2). When the bacterial genotype was considered, the combination virB11(+) and cagE(+) was found in 33% (11 ⁄33) and the combination cagE(+), virB11(+) and vacA s1m1 in 27.3% (9 ⁄33). Table 2. Distribution of cases of gastric cancer Helicobacter pylori cagA()) according to the tumor location and other genes of pathogenicH. pylori Cardia Noncardia cagA()) p

Research paper thumbnail of Estudo da influência dos polimorfismos genéticos das citocinas IL-8, IL-17 e TGF beta e dos receptores DC-SIGN e CTLA-4 na susceptibilidade à infecção por dengue

A dengue e a arbovirose mais comum que afeta o homem, representa um grave problema de saude publi... more A dengue e a arbovirose mais comum que afeta o homem, representa um grave problema de saude publica principalmente em regioes tropicais e subtropicais. A infeccao conduz a uma variedade de sinais e sintomas da doenca, e pode variar de uma infeccao assintomatica a formas graves, sendo a doenca associada a uma exacerbacao da resposta inflamatoria, a qual parece ter relacao com componente genetico do hospedeiro. Assim, polimorfismos em genes da resposta inflamatoria sao interessantes alvos para estudo da susceptibilidade a infeccao por DENV. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a influencia dos polimorfismos dos genes das citocinas IL8 (-251 A/T), IL17 (7488 A/G), TGFβ (-509 C/T) e receptores CTLA-4 (+49 A/G) e DC-SIGN (-336 A/G) na susceptibilidade a infeccao por DENV em 196 pacientes com sinais e sintomas de dengue, atendidos em tres hospitais de Fortaleza-Ceara. A confirmacao de dengue foi realizada por sorologia para deteccao de anticorpo IgM, pesquisa de antigeno NS1, isolamento vi...

Research paper thumbnail of Importance of vacAs1 gene in gastric cancer patients infected with cagA-negative Helicobacter pylori

Apmis, Mar 24, 2011

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a well-established etiological factor in gastric carcinogenesi... more Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a well-established etiological factor in gastric carcinogenesis (1–3). Although the cagA gene is a common virulence factor of H. pylori, with around 65% of cases of gastric cancer (GC) associated with strains carrying the cagA gene, about 25% of cases of GC are related to cagA-negative strains of H. pylori (4, 5). Therefore, other virulence factors of H. pylori, such as the vacA s1 allele, could explain the association of bacterial infection with GC (6, 7). In previous studies, the genes cagE and virB11, located on the right and left portion of the pathogenic cagPAI island, respectively, were shown to be involved as much as the cagA gene (8–10). Another potential virulence factor of H. pylori is the flaA gene, which is important for the success of bacterial colonization of the gastric mucosa (8). Therefore, we investigated the relevance of the genes cagE, virB11, flaA and vacA. A total of 106 tissue samples were obtained from patients with gastric cancer after gastrectomy. The samples of patients with gastric carcinoma were obtained from two hospitals in Fortaleza, Ceara State, Brazil, along with a signed consent form. DNA was extracted from the tumors (11) and H. pylori infection was detected by amplification of the ureaseC gene as well the above-mentioned genes by PCR of specific fragments. The amplified products were electrophoresed in a 6% polyacrylamide gel and a 1% agarose gel. All statistical analyses were conducted using Epi Info (v. 3.5.1) and SPSS 17.0 version statistical software program (SPSS, Chicago, IL, USA) using the chi-squared and Fisher’s exact tests. Differences were deemed significant when p < 0.05. Helicobacter pylori was positive in 93.4% of cases (99 ⁄106), among which 33.3% (33 ⁄99) were cagA()). These cases were compared with those cagA(+) (66.7%; 66 ⁄99), considering the main clinical and epidemiologic aspects. Both GC cagA()) and cagA(+) cases were more common in men and in patients older than 50 years, while cagA()) cases tended to include more patients <50 years old (p = 0.07). The cagA()) strains were significantly (p = 0.02) more frequent than cagA(+) in the gastric body; on the other hand, cagA(+) were predominantly located in the antrum, which is in accordance with the literature (6). There was no predominance of any histological type (p = 0.307) data shown in Table 1. With respect to the presence of the H. pylori genes studied, in cagA()) tumors, the s1m1 allelic combination of vacA was more frequent (54.4%; 18 ⁄33), where s1 was present in 81.8% (27 ⁄33) of the samples, followed by the gene virB11 (45.4%; 15 ⁄33) (Table 2). When the bacterial genotype was considered, the combination virB11(+) and cagE(+) was found in 33% (11 ⁄33) and the combination cagE(+), virB11(+) and vacA s1m1 in 27.3% (9 ⁄33). Table 2. Distribution of cases of gastric cancer Helicobacter pylori cagA()) according to the tumor location and other genes of pathogenicH. pylori Cardia Noncardia cagA()) p

Research paper thumbnail of Association of genetic polymorphisms of IL1β -511 C>T, IL1RN VNTR 86 bp, IL6 -174 G>C, IL10 -819 C>T and TNFα -308 G>A, involved in symptomatic patients with dengue in Brazil

Inflammation Research, Jul 19, 2016

Objective In this study, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) of interleukin (IL) 1b-511C[T, IL1... more Objective In this study, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) of interleukin (IL) 1b-511C[T, IL1RN VNTR 86 bp, IL6-174G[C, IL10-819C[T and TNFa-308G[A were analyzed by PCR-RFLP with symptoms of dengue with the clinical features. Subjects 196 individuals admitted to the São José Infectious Diseases Hospital with suspected dengue infection. Dengue was confirmed in 111 of the patients. The control group consisted of 85 other individuals confirmed without dengue. Results It was demonstrated that the presence the T allele of IL1b (P \ 0.05) was associated with susceptibility to developing the disease. Other results also suggested that the polymorphism in the combinations IL6 9 IL1b (C and T alleles, respectively), IL1b (T allele) 9 IL1RN (*2/*2 genotype), IL6 (C allele) 9 TNFa (A allele), IL10 (C/T genotype) 9 TNFa (A/A genotype) (P \ 0.01, P = 0.01, P \ 0.05 and P = 0.03, respectively) were associated with predisposition to developing the disease and its symptoms. Conclusions In summary, the findings of this study in a Brazilian population point out the importance of studies of combinations of polymorphisms in the development of dengue, which can increase the risk of dengue infection and its severity.

Research paper thumbnail of Contribution of genetic polymorphisms of interleukins IL1B-511 C/T, IL1RN VNTR, IL6-174 G/C, and IL8-251 A/T in gastric lesions: gender and Helicobacter pylori genes matter

Archives of Microbiology

Stomach pathologies develop in a complex interaction between the host's genetic background an... more Stomach pathologies develop in a complex interaction between the host's genetic background and H. pylori virulent genes. Thus, our study aimed to compare active chronic gastritis (ACG), and intestinal metaplasia (IM) with inactive chronic gastritis (ICG), according to interleukin polymorphisms of IL6-174 G/C, IL8-251 A/T, IL1β-511 C/T, and IL1RN VNTR taking into account patient gender and H. pylori genotypes. Interleukin polymorphisms were determined by RFLP-PCR and H. pylori genotype by PCR. IL6-174 GC and IL8-251 T allele showed a protective effect in women against ACG development and, conversely, IL8-251 polymorphism showed a risk for men. More virulent H. pylori strains were associated with the IL8-251 T allele and IL1β-511 T allele in the AGC, and the vacA m1 allele and cagE gene from H. pylori was associated with the IM. Analysis of the progression of gastric lesions must take into account host variability genetic associated with genes H. pylori due to the relation between the virulent H. pylori genes and more severe gastric lesions, besides the relevance to the gender to IL6-174 and IL8-251 polymorphisms.

Research paper thumbnail of Association of genetic polymorphisms of IL1β -511 C>T, IL1RN VNTR 86 bp, IL6 -174 G>C, IL10 -819 C>T and TNFα -308 G>A, involved in symptomatic patients with dengue in Brazil

Inflammation Research, 2016

Objective In this study, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) of interleukin (IL) 1b-511C[T, IL1... more Objective In this study, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) of interleukin (IL) 1b-511C[T, IL1RN VNTR 86 bp, IL6-174G[C, IL10-819C[T and TNFa-308G[A were analyzed by PCR-RFLP with symptoms of dengue with the clinical features. Subjects 196 individuals admitted to the São José Infectious Diseases Hospital with suspected dengue infection. Dengue was confirmed in 111 of the patients. The control group consisted of 85 other individuals confirmed without dengue. Results It was demonstrated that the presence the T allele of IL1b (P \ 0.05) was associated with susceptibility to developing the disease. Other results also suggested that the polymorphism in the combinations IL6 9 IL1b (C and T alleles, respectively), IL1b (T allele) 9 IL1RN (*2/*2 genotype), IL6 (C allele) 9 TNFa (A allele), IL10 (C/T genotype) 9 TNFa (A/A genotype) (P \ 0.01, P = 0.01, P \ 0.05 and P = 0.03, respectively) were associated with predisposition to developing the disease and its symptoms. Conclusions In summary, the findings of this study in a Brazilian population point out the importance of studies of combinations of polymorphisms in the development of dengue, which can increase the risk of dengue infection and its severity.

Research paper thumbnail of Association of Polymorphisms inIL1β-511C>T,IL1RN86 bp VNTR, andIL6-174G>C Genes with Clinical Dengue Signs and Symptoms in Brazilian Dengue Patients

Viral Immunology, 2016

Dengue is an important infectious disease that has high morbidity and mortality rates in most tro... more Dengue is an important infectious disease that has high morbidity and mortality rates in most tropical and subtropical areas of the world. The diversity of the clinical manifestations involved in the outcome of dengue virus infection is affected by the relationship between serotype/genotype of the virus, host immune status, host genetic background, and environmental factors. Polymorphisms in interleukin (IL) genes have been associated with risk of developing symptomatic dengue. This study aimed to determine the association of the single-nucleotide polymorphisms of IL1β -511C&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;T, IL1RN 86 bp VNTR, and IL6 -174G&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;C genes with the clinical features of 198 individuals admitted to the São José Infectious Diseases Hospital with suspected dengue infection. Dengue was confirmed in 118 of the patients. The control group consisted of 80 other individuals who had symptoms similar to dengue, but negative for that. A higher frequency of increased hematocrit (p = 0.009), leukopenia (p = 0.000007), neutropenia (p = 0.0004), lymphocytosis (p = 0.00001), monocytosis (p = 0.004), atypical lymphocytes (p = 0.03), and thrombocytopenia (p = 0.0000009) was observed in the dengue patients. Among the polymorphisms studied, only IL1β (-511C&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;T) was associated with dizziness, (p = 0.01), suggesting that IL1β may be related to hypotensive episodes and increased vascular permeability. These results pointed out the importance of the IL1β (-511C&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;T) polymorphism in the development of clinical symptoms of dengue symptomology.

Research paper thumbnail of Presence of the Genes <i>cag</i>A, <i>cag</i>E, <i>vir</i>B11 and Allelic Variation of <i>vac</i>A of <i>Helicobacter pylori</i> Are Associated with the Activity of Gastritis

Open Journal of Gastroenterology, 2014

Non-atrophic active chronic gastritis (ACG) is characterized by the presence of H. pylori in the ... more Non-atrophic active chronic gastritis (ACG) is characterized by the presence of H. pylori in the gastric epithelium, known to be one of the first steps that precede progression to gastric adenocarcinoma. Inactive chronic gastritis (ICG) suggests that the patient has H. pylori gastritis, but this diagnosis is rarely made in routine histopathology. Clinical manifestations associated with H. pylori infection are potentially due to differences in virulence between strains; however, it is unclear if the progression of ACG to ICG depends on the H. pylori strain. The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of the virulence factors of H. pylori found in patients with ACG and ICG, and its influence on the development of ICG. A significant association was observed between H. pylori detection by histological examination and the activity of gastritis (p < 0.01). Long-term use of proton pump inhibitors (PPI) (>1 year) was reported by 28.6% of the ACG group and 42.5% of the ICG, while no evidence of association between long-term use of PPI and decreased inflammation was found in the patients studied. The genes cagA, cagE and virB11 were statistically associated with ACG (p = 0.01, p < 0.001 and p = 0.002, respectively). In the vacAs1 allele groups, ACG was associated with the most virulent group (p = 0.0015), while ICG was associated with the less virulent group (p < 0.001). The rate of co-infection was significantly higher in ICG than in ACG cases (p = 0.02). In conclusion, this study points to the role of virulent strains of H. pylori in the non-resolution of gastritis.

Research paper thumbnail of Importance of vacAs1 gene in gastric cancer patients infected with cagA-negative Helicobacter pylori

APMIS, 2011

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a well-established etiological factor in gastric carcinogenesi... more Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a well-established etiological factor in gastric carcinogenesis (1–3). Although the cagA gene is a common virulence factor of H. pylori, with around 65% of cases of gastric cancer (GC) associated with strains carrying the cagA gene, about 25% of cases of GC are related to cagA-negative strains of H. pylori (4, 5). Therefore, other virulence factors of H. pylori, such as the vacA s1 allele, could explain the association of bacterial infection with GC (6, 7). In previous studies, the genes cagE and virB11, located on the right and left portion of the pathogenic cagPAI island, respectively, were shown to be involved as much as the cagA gene (8–10). Another potential virulence factor of H. pylori is the flaA gene, which is important for the success of bacterial colonization of the gastric mucosa (8). Therefore, we investigated the relevance of the genes cagE, virB11, flaA and vacA. A total of 106 tissue samples were obtained from patients with gastric cancer after gastrectomy. The samples of patients with gastric carcinoma were obtained from two hospitals in Fortaleza, Ceara State, Brazil, along with a signed consent form. DNA was extracted from the tumors (11) and H. pylori infection was detected by amplification of the ureaseC gene as well the above-mentioned genes by PCR of specific fragments. The amplified products were electrophoresed in a 6% polyacrylamide gel and a 1% agarose gel. All statistical analyses were conducted using Epi Info (v. 3.5.1) and SPSS 17.0 version statistical software program (SPSS, Chicago, IL, USA) using the chi-squared and Fisher’s exact tests. Differences were deemed significant when p < 0.05. Helicobacter pylori was positive in 93.4% of cases (99 ⁄106), among which 33.3% (33 ⁄99) were cagA()). These cases were compared with those cagA(+) (66.7%; 66 ⁄99), considering the main clinical and epidemiologic aspects. Both GC cagA()) and cagA(+) cases were more common in men and in patients older than 50 years, while cagA()) cases tended to include more patients <50 years old (p = 0.07). The cagA()) strains were significantly (p = 0.02) more frequent than cagA(+) in the gastric body; on the other hand, cagA(+) were predominantly located in the antrum, which is in accordance with the literature (6). There was no predominance of any histological type (p = 0.307) data shown in Table 1. With respect to the presence of the H. pylori genes studied, in cagA()) tumors, the s1m1 allelic combination of vacA was more frequent (54.4%; 18 ⁄33), where s1 was present in 81.8% (27 ⁄33) of the samples, followed by the gene virB11 (45.4%; 15 ⁄33) (Table 2). When the bacterial genotype was considered, the combination virB11(+) and cagE(+) was found in 33% (11 ⁄33) and the combination cagE(+), virB11(+) and vacA s1m1 in 27.3% (9 ⁄33). Table 2. Distribution of cases of gastric cancer Helicobacter pylori cagA()) according to the tumor location and other genes of pathogenicH. pylori Cardia Noncardia cagA()) p

Research paper thumbnail of Estudo da influência dos polimorfismos genéticos das citocinas IL-8, IL-17 e TGF beta e dos receptores DC-SIGN e CTLA-4 na susceptibilidade à infecção por dengue

A dengue e a arbovirose mais comum que afeta o homem, representa um grave problema de saude publi... more A dengue e a arbovirose mais comum que afeta o homem, representa um grave problema de saude publica principalmente em regioes tropicais e subtropicais. A infeccao conduz a uma variedade de sinais e sintomas da doenca, e pode variar de uma infeccao assintomatica a formas graves, sendo a doenca associada a uma exacerbacao da resposta inflamatoria, a qual parece ter relacao com componente genetico do hospedeiro. Assim, polimorfismos em genes da resposta inflamatoria sao interessantes alvos para estudo da susceptibilidade a infeccao por DENV. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a influencia dos polimorfismos dos genes das citocinas IL8 (-251 A/T), IL17 (7488 A/G), TGFβ (-509 C/T) e receptores CTLA-4 (+49 A/G) e DC-SIGN (-336 A/G) na susceptibilidade a infeccao por DENV em 196 pacientes com sinais e sintomas de dengue, atendidos em tres hospitais de Fortaleza-Ceara. A confirmacao de dengue foi realizada por sorologia para deteccao de anticorpo IgM, pesquisa de antigeno NS1, isolamento vi...