Continuous assessment in medical education: Exploring students' views on the progress test.

The Progress Test (PT) is a valuable tool for the continuous assessment of medical students' learning. This quantitative, cross-sectional study aimed to understand the perceptions of 908 medical students (702 from a private and 206 from a public institution) in São Paulo, Brazil, regarding the design and implementation of PT. Analysis included descriptive statistics, Spearman's correlation, Pearson's Chi-square test, and Fisher's exact test.

Methylation status of , and is associated with cardiovascular events in familial hypercholesterolemia.

Methylation of , and CpG sites was assessed in patients with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH). DNA methylation of was analyzed by pyrosequencing in 131 FH patients and 23 normolipidemic (NL) subjects. , and methylation was similar between FH patients positive (MD) and negative (non-MD) for pathogenic variants in FH-related genes.

Identification of pathogenic variants in the Brazilian cohort with Familial hypercholesterolemia using exon-targeted gene sequencing.

Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is a monogenic disease characterized by high plasma low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) levels and increased risk of premature atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Mutations in FH-related genes account for 40% of FH cases worldwide. In this study, we aimed to assess the pathogenic variants in FH-related genes in the Brazilian FH cohort FHBGEP using exon-targeted gene sequencing (ETGS) strategy.

GENES EXPRESSION AND SERUM BIOMARKERS FOR DIAGNOSIS OF HEPATOCELLULAR CARCINOMA, CIRRHOSIS AND HEPATITIS C.

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common type of liver cancer. Risk factors for HCC include hepatitis C (HCV) and B (HBV) virus infection, alcoholic cirrhosis and genetic alterations that can affect several cellular pathways.

Objective: This study purposed to analyze the gene and serum protein expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), angiogenesis, alpha fetoprotein, cystatin B (CSTB), β-catenin and glypican-3 (GPC3) in groups with HCC, cirrhosis or HCV and controls, and their relation with clinical staging in the HCC and cirrhosis groups, as well its sensitivity and specificity values.

Investigating VEGF. miR-145-3p, and miR-101-3p Expression in Patients with Cholangiocarcinoma.

Introduction: Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is the second most common type of primary liver cancer. Several factors, such as epigenetic changes in promoter genes, gene expression, and microRNAs (miR), can contribute to genomic instability in cancer. This study aimed at evaluating the expression of VEGF, miRs 145-3p, and 101-3p in patients with CCA and their potential as biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis of CCA.

Evaluation of doxorubicin in three-dimensional culture of breast cancer cells and the response in PI3K/AKT/PTEN signaling pathways: a pilot study.

Breast cancer (BC) has a high mortality rate, which is attributed to the absence of effective treatment markers. Doxorubicin (DOX) was evaluated by molecular docking in cultured BC spheroids and its association with genes involved in the PI3K/AKT/PTEN signaling pathway. Spheroids were obtained from a primary BC.

Oxidative stress biomarkers in treatment-responsive and treatment-resistant schizophrenia patients.

Introduction: Schizophrenia is a complex psychiatric disorder that affects approximately twenty million people worldwide. Various factors have been associated with the physiopathology of this disease such as oxidative stress, which is an imbalance between pro-oxidant and antioxidant molecules.

Objective: This study evaluated the association between biomarkers of oxidative stress and response to pharmacological treatment among patients with schizophrenia in the context of their clinical information, demographic data, and lifestyle.

Differential Expression of MMP2 and TIMP2 in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells After Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass.

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) and their endogenous inhibitor, the tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMP), are expressed in many different cell types and play an important role in physiologic and pathological degradation of extracellular matrix (ECM). Starting from these observations and considering the activation state of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in obesity, we investigated the gene expression of metalloproteinases before and after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYBG). The study was performed in the Ribeirão Preto Medical School University Hospital.

Genomics, epigenomics and pharmacogenomics of familial hypercholesterolemia (FHBGEP): A study protocol.

Background: Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is a genetic disease that affects millions of people worldwide.

Objectives: The study protocol FHBGEP was design to investigate the main genomic, epigenomic, and pharmacogenomic factors associated with FH and polygenic hypercholesterolemia (PH).

Methods: FH patients will be enrolled at six research centers in Brazil.

Mammalian target of rapamycin complex 2 signaling in obese women changes after bariatric surgery.

Objectives: After bariatric surgery, modifications to signaling pathway networks including those of the metabolic regulator called mammalian or mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) may lead to molecular alterations related to energy source availability, systemic nutrients, and catabolic and anabolic cellular processes. This study aimed to identify gene expression changes with regard to the mTOR complex 2 subunit signaling pathway in obese patients before and after bariatric surgery.

Methods: The experimental group included 13 obese women who were examined before (preoperative) and 6 mo after (postoperative) Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery.

Oxidative stress in patients with refractory temporal lobe epilepsy and mesial temporal sclerosis: Possible association with major depressive disorder?

Objective: The objective was to evaluate the genetic and biochemical profiles associated with oxidative stress (OS) in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy with mesial temporal sclerosis (TLE-MTS) and a healthy control group, and also to verify the possible existence of association between OS markers and psychiatric disorders (PD) in group with TLE-MTS.

Methods: Forty-six patients with refractory TLE-MTS and 112 healthy controls were included. Psychiatric evaluation occurred through Diagnostical and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) criteria.

Influence of Apolipoprotein E on the Lipid Profile and Postprandial Triglyceride Levels in Brazilian Postmenopausal Women With Artery Disease.

This study confirms the association of risk factors for coronary artery disease (CAD) and the apoE polymorphisms, specifically related to the allele, with coronary disease in postmenopausal women. Significantly altered values of the lipid profile were found in patients when compared with controls, independent of the presence of the allele. However, the controls showed higher high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels and reduced triglyceride (TG) levels, differing significantly from patients.

Changes in Global Transcriptional Profiling of Women Following Obesity Surgery Bypass.

Background: Differential gene expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) is poorly characterized. Markers of these processes may provide a deeper understanding of the mechanisms that underlie these events. The main goal of this study was to identify changes in PBMC gene expression in women with obesity before and 6 months after RYGB-induced weight loss.

Variants in the interleukin 8 gene and the response to inhaled bronchodilators in cystic fibrosis.

Objective: Interleukin 8 protein promotes inflammatory responses, even in airways. The presence of interleukin 8 gene variants causes altered inflammatory responses and possibly varied responses to inhaled bronchodilators. Thus, this study analyzed the interleukin 8 variants (rs4073, rs2227306, and rs2227307) and their association with the response to inhaled bronchodilators in cystic fibrosis patients.

Comparison of gene expression profile between blood cells and white adipose tissue of patients with obesity.

Introduction: Gene expression analyses from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and white adipose tissue are conflicting. It seems that results from single tissue are not enough to explain how changes affect humans as a complex biological system.

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare, from obesity subjects, PBMC and white adipose tissue gene expression that regulates adipogenesis (perilipin 1 [PLIN1], adrenoreceptor beta 3 [ADRB3] and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor [PPARG2]) and the energy metabolism (uncoupling protein UCP1, UCP2 and UCP3) process.

VEGF Polymorphisms Related to Higher Serum Levels of Protein Identify Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary neoplasia of the liver. Major risk factors for hepatocellular carcinoma include chronic liver diseases, carcinogenic agents, and genetic alterations as well as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) involved in angiogenesis process. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of (C936T and A1154G) with HCC and cirrhosis, in addition to serum levels of VEGF, clinical profile, lifestyle habits, and comorbidities.

IL8 gene as modifier of cystic fibrosis: unraveling the factors which influence clinical variability.

The severity of cystic fibrosis (CF) is associated with classes of mutations in the CFTR gene (cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator), physical environment and modifier genes interaction. The IL8 gene (interleukin 8), according to its respective polymorphisms, influences inflammatory responses. This study analyzed IL8 gene polymorphisms (rs4073, rs2227306 and rs2227307), by means of PCR/RFLP, and their association with pulmonary function markers and clinical severity scores in 186 patients with CF, considering the CFTR genotype.

Influence of VEGF-C936T genetic variant on age-related macular degeneration.

Purpose: To evaluate the association between the VEGF-C936T polymorphism and serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels, lifestyle, and demographic parameters in patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Methods: A total of 183 individuals were enrolled in the present study, including 88 patients with AMD receiving clinical and pharmacological treatment (study group, SG) and 95 individuals without AMD as controls (control group, CG). The presence of the VEGF-C936T polymorphism and serum VEGF levels were determined using polymerase chain reaction/restriction fragment length polymorphism and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, respectively.

Angiotensin-converting enzyme insertion/deletion polymorphism, 24-h blood pressure profile and left ventricular hypertrophy in hypertensive individuals: a cross-sectional study.

Background: The absence of nocturnal blood pressure dipping (ND) identified by 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) correlates with a worse cardiovascular prognosis. The renin-angiotensin system influences blood pressure levels and the occurrence of target organ damage (TOD). Thus, the aim of this study was to correlate the angiotensin-converting enzyme gene (ACE) insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism with the 24-h blood pressure profile and TOD in hypertensive individuals.