Paraoxonases (PON) 1, 2, and 3 Polymorphisms and PON-1 Activities in Patients with Sickle Cell Disease.

(1) Background: Oxidative stress, chronic inflammation, vasoocclusion, and free iron are all features present in sickle cell disease. Paraoxonases (PON) are a family (PON-1, PON-2, PON-3) of antioxidant enzymes with anti-inflammatory action. Here, for the first time, we described PON-1 activities and PON-1, PON-2, PON-3 polymorphisms in patients with sickle cell disease, homozygous for HbSS, compared with healthy controls.

Outside-in, inside-out: Proteomic analysis of endothelial stress mediated by 7-ketocholesterol.

Oxysterols are cholesterol oxidation products formed through enzymatic or autoxidation mechanisms. 7-ketocholeterol (7KC) is one of most abundant oxysterols found in atherosclerotic lesions. Its role in atherosclerosis pathogenesis has been broadly studied in a variety of models.

Hepcidin: Homeostasis and Diseases Related to Iron Metabolism.

Iron is an essential metal for cell survival that is regulated by the peptide hormone hepcidin. However, its influence on certain diseases is directly related to iron metabolism or secondary to underlying diseases. Genetic alterations influence the serum hepcidin concentration, which can lead to an iron overload in tissues, as observed in haemochromatosis, in which serum hepcidin or defective hepcidin synthesis is observed.

Impact of antiretroviral therapy on lipid metabolism of human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients: Old and new drugs.

For human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients, the 1990s were marked by the introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) representing a new perspective of life for these patients. The use of HAART was shown to effectively suppress the replication of HIV-1 and dramatically reduce mortality and morbidity, which led to a better and longer quality of life for HIV-1-infected patients. Apart from the substantial benefits that result from the use of various HAART regimens, laboratory and clinical experience has shown that HAART can induce severe and considerable adverse effects related to metabolic complications of lipid metabolism, characterized by signs of lipodystrophy, insulin resistance, central adiposity, dyslipidemia, increased risk of cardiovascular disease and even an increased risk of atherosclerosis.

Plasmodium falciparum in the southeastern Atlantic forest: a challenge to the bromeliad-malaria paradigm?

Background: Recently an unexpectedly high prevalence of Plasmodium falciparum was found in asymptomatic blood donors living in the southeastern Brazilian Atlantic forest. The bromeliad-malaria paradigm assumes that transmission of Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium malariae involves species of the subgenus Kerteszia of Anopheles and only a few cases of P. vivax malaria are reported annually in this region.

Finding connections in the unexpected detection of Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum DNA in asymptomatic blood donors: a fact in the Atlantic Forest.

A recent paper in Malaria Journal reported the observation of unexpected prevalence rates of healthy individuals carrying Plasmodium falciparum (5.14%) or Plasmodium vivax (2.26%) DNA among blood donors from the main transfusion centre in the metropolitan São Paulo, a non-endemic area for malaria.

Detection of Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax subclinical infection in non-endemic region: implications for blood transfusion and malaria epidemiology.

Background: In Brazil, malaria is endemic in the Amazon River basin and non-endemic in the extra-Amazon region, which includes areas of São Paulo state. In this state, a number of autochthonous cases of malaria occur annually, and the prevalence of subclinical infection is unknown. Asymptomatic infections may remain undetected, maintaining transmission of the pathogen, including by blood transfusion.

Human paraoxonase-1 activity is related to the number of CD4+ T-cells and is restored by antiretroviral therapy in HIV-1-infected individuals.

Background: Paraoxonase-1 (PON1) activity is suggested to be altered in individuals infected with human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1). We investigated PON1 activity in individuals receiving different regimens of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART).

Methods: PON1 activity was evaluated in 91 HIV-1 seronegative and 624 HIV-1 infected individuals (115 were not undergoing therapy (ART-naïve), and 509 were receiving HAART).