Publications by authors named "Claudia B Assuncao"

Background: Sporotrichosis, a cosmopolitan mycosis caused by dimorphic fungi of the Sporothrix complex, affects humans and animals. This study aimed to develop new molecular markers for Sporothrix genome detection in biological samples using PCR.

Methods: A specific region of DNA sequences from the Sporothrix genus, publicly available in GenBank, was chosen for primer design.

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In eukaryotes, phosphorylation of the α-subunit of eIF2 is a mechanism to adjust cellular gene expression profiles in response to specific signals. The eIF2α kinases are a group of serine-threonine kinases that perform important functions in response to infection, proteotoxicity, and nutrient scavenging. The conserved nature of eIF2α kinases among fungi makes them potential evolutionary markers, which may contribute to deeper understanding of taxonomy and evolution.

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Onychomycosis is a fungal infection of the nail plate or nail bed that leads to the gradual destruction of the nail. The main difficulties in the treatment of onychomycosis refer to the duration of treatments and their side effects. Thus, it becomes relevant to look for new therapeutic alternatives in the treatment of such common diseases that are efficient without causing the undesirable side effects on the patient's body.

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This paper presents a case of disseminated sporotrichosis in a 13-year-old female, originating from a rural area in Minas Gerais state, Brazil. The patient was hospitalized in Santa Casa hospital of Belo Horizonte, with hyporexia, prostration, fever and disseminated ulcerative lesions, besides anemia, leucopenia and sepsis of probable cutaneous focus. The patient was admitted without proven immunosuppression.

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Paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) is a chronic mycosis caused by the saprobic and dimorphic species Paracoccidioides brasiliensis and P. lutzii. This disease is prevalent in Latin American countries.

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Background: Subcutaneous phaeohyphomycosis is an infection caused by melanized fungi and is increasingly reported among immunosuppressive patients. The most commonly cited etiologic agent is Exophiala jeanselmei, followed by Alternaria spp. We present a case of subcutaneous phaeohyphomycosis in a 48-yearold woman, with a history of lepromatous leprosy, using corticosteroid in immunosuppressive doses due to a type 2 repetitive reaction leprosy outbreak.

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In this study, we report four cases of Histoplasma capsulatum infection in eight biologists who made an expedition to determine the prevalence of this fungus in a cave localized in the northwest of Minas Gerais state, Brazil. This case report demonstrates the importance of evaluating the H. capsulatum presence in Brazilian caves before opening to public visitations.

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We describe the history of a 24-year-old immunocompetent man with an expansive lesion in the brainstem that, after many misdiagnoses, was found to be caused by a Candida albicans abscess. One year after surgery and 3 months of fluconazole treatment, the patient was asymptomatic and all image and laboratory tests were normal.

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