Nebulized enriched heparin improves respiratory parameters in patients with COVID-19: a phase I/II randomized and triple-blind clinical trial.

To evaluate the safety and the potential antiviral treatment of inhaled enriched heparin in patients with COVID-19. The specific objectives were to investigate the anticoagulation profile, antiviral and anti-inflammatory effects, and respiratory evolution of inhaled enriched heparin. We conducted a randomized, triple-blind, placebo-controlled Phase I/II clinical trial in hospitalized adults with COVID-19 receiving inhalation of enriched heparin or saline (placebo) every 4 h for 7 days.

HLA-DRB1 Polymorphisms and Rheumatologic Manifestations in Chronic Hepatitis C.

Background/aims: Hepatitis C has been associated with rheumatologic manifestations (HCV-related RM). Clinically, HCV-related RM may be indistinguishable from the symptoms that occur in diffuse connective tissue diseases (DCTD-related RM), making the differential diagnosis difficult. Host genetic factors, such as the Human Leukocyte Antigens (HLA) polymorphisms were associated with HCV infection, however, there are no studies that discriminate between HCVrelated RM and DCTD-related RM.

Nebulized enriched heparin to treat no critical patients with Sars-Cov-2: Triple-blind clinical trial.

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a viral respiratory disease that spreads rapidly, reaching pandemic status, causing the collapse of numerous health systems, and a strong economic and social impact. The treatment so far has not been well established and there are several clinical trials testing known drugs that have antiviral activity, due to the urgency that the global situation imposes. Drugs with specific mechanisms of action can take years to be discovered, while vaccines may also take a long time to be widely distributed while new virus variants emerge.

A New Method for Next-Generation Sequencing of the Full Hepatitis B Virus Genome from A Clinical Specimen: Impact for Virus Genotyping.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is an enveloped virus that induces chronic liver disease. HBV has been classified into eight genotypes (A-H) according to its genome sequence by using Sanger sequencing or reverse hybridization. Sanger sequencing is often restricted to analyzing the S gene and is inaccurate for detecting minority genetic variants, whereas reverse hybridization detects only known mutations.

New LncRNAs in Chronic Hepatitis C progression: from fibrosis to hepatocellular carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third leading cause of cancer-related death in the world, and about 80% of the cases are associated with hepatitis B or C. Genetic and epigenetic alterations are accumulated over decades of chronic injury and may affect the functioning of tumor suppressor genes and protooncogenes. Studies have evidenced the role of Long non-coding RNAs (LncRNA) with oncogenic or tumor suppressor activities, suggesting a great potential in the treatment, diagnosis or indicator of prognosis in cancer.

Human platelet antigen-3 polymorphism as a risk factor for rheumatological manifestations in hepatitis C.

Introduction: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is involved in the pathogenesis of autoimmune and rheumatic disorders. Although the human platelet antigens (HPA) polymorphism are associated with HCV persistence, they have not been investigated in rheumatological manifestations (RM). This study focused on verifying associations between allele and genotype HPA and RM in patients with chronic hepatitis C.

Influence of the HIV GWG variant in the HIV infection progression in mono and HCV coinfected patients.

The HIV subtype B is the most frequent in Brazil. The HIV subtype B' codes the amino acids glicine-tryptophan-glicine (GWG) instead of glicine-proline-glicine on the tip of gp120 V3 loop. This variant was associated to a slower HIV progression in mono-infected patients; however, there is no information in coinfected patients.

HPA-1a/1b could be considered a molecular predictor of poor prognosis in chronic hepatitis C.

Introduction: HPA polymorphism has been associated with HCV presence and fibrosis progression in chronic hepatitis C. However, it is unknown if there is an association between HPA-1 polymorphism and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate HPA-1 polymorphism in the presence of HCC.

HIV Reverse Transcriptase and Protease Genes Variability Can Be a Biomarker Associated with HIV and Hepatitis B or C Coinfection.

Variability of the HIV reverse transcriptase (RT) and protease (PR) genes has been used as indicators of drug resistance and as a mean to evaluate phylogenetic relationships among circulating virus. However, these studies have been carried in HIV mono-infected populations. The goal of this study was to evaluate, for the first time, the HIV PR and RT sequences from HIV/HBV and HIV/HCV co-infected patients.

Hypermethylation of Gene in Meningioma in Elderly Males.

Background/aim: Breast cancer 1, early onset (BRCA1) gene is expressed in the cells of the breast and other tissues, where it plays a role in cell-cycle regulation, transcription, repair of DNA double-stranded breaks, ubiquitination, transcriptional regulation as well as other functions, such as cell response regulation to mitogenic signals triggered by estrogens. Considering that meningioma shows greater tumor growth during pregnancy, can express estrogen receptors and proliferate in response to estrogenic stimulation, the hypothesis that this type of tumor may share molecular mechanisms that involve exposure to estrogen should be investigated. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the BRCA1 gene methylation profile in meningioma.

The intricate interplay between MSI and polymorphisms of DNA repair enzymes in gastric cancer H.pylori associated.

Gastric cancer is the fourth most common type of cancer worldwide. Helicobacter pylori is a well-established risk factor and may cause injuries to genomic integrity through an inefficient DNA repair. This study aimed to examine the influence of polymorphisms in DNA repair enzymes using markers for microsatellite instability (MSI).

Platelet-derived growth factor A mRNA in platelets is associated with the degree of hepatic fibrosis in chronic hepatitis C.

Introduction:: Transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGFB1) and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) are the main cytokines related to hepatic fibrogenesis.

Methods:: RNA isolated from the platelets and hepatic tissue of 43 HCV carriers was used for quantitative polymerase chain reaction to determine TGFB1, PDGFA, and PDGFB RNA expression.

Results:: The mRNA expression of PDGFA in platelets was significantly lower in the group with advanced fibrosis than in the group with early-stage fibrosis.

Human platelets antigens influence the viral load of platelets after the interaction of the platelets with HCV and HIV in vitro.

Introduction: In this study, we evaluated hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) - platelet interactions in vitro as well as human platelets antigen (HPA) polymorphisms.

Methods: Platelets were obtained from 100 healthy HPA-genotyped volunteer donors and incubated with HIV or HCV. The viral load after in vitro exposure was detected.

Influence of cytokine and cytokine receptor gene polymorphisms on the degree of liver damage in patients with chronic hepatitis C.

Hepatic fibrosis may be the result of repetitive injury to hepatocytes caused by HCV infection and the immune response to it. Cytokines regulate the inflammatory response to injury and modulate hepatic fibrogenesis. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) located in cytokine genes may influence the cytokine expression and secretion that may contribute to hepatic fibrogenesis in HCV infection.

The absence of the human platelet antigen polymorphism effect on fibrosis progression in human immunodeficiency virus-1/hepatitis C virus coinfected patients.

Introduction: Hepatic fibrosis progression in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infections has been associated with viral and host factors, including genetic polymorphisms. Human platelet antigen polymorphisms are associated with the rapid development of fibrosis in HCV-monoinfected patients. This study aimed to determine whether such an association exists in human immunodeficiency virus-1/hepatitis C virus-coinfected patients.

Platelets can be a biological compartment for the Hepatitis C Virus.

Although HCV has hepatic tropism, the presence of the virus in extra-hepatic compartments has been well documented. Platelets have been described as carriers of the virus in the circulation and may be a natural reservoir for the virus. However, few studies have been performed to evaluate the levels of HCV RNA in plasma and platelets are equal or differ in some way.

Human Platelet Polymorphism can be a genetic marker associated with HIV/HCV coinfection.

To evaluate the associations of HPA polymorphisms -1, -3, and -5 with HIV/HCV coinfection were included in this study 60 HIV/HCV-coinfected patients from the Sao Paulo State health service centers. Data reported by Verdichio-Moraes et al. (2009: J.

Coexistence of HIV-1 variants with dipeptidic insertion in the reverse transcriptase gene.

The aim of this communication was to describe the detection of the coexistence of HIV-1 variant with dipeptide insertion between codons 69 and 70 of reverse transcriptase. These variants were isolated from a 16-year-old male patient, undergoing treatment in the city of Marilia, SP, Southeastern Brazil. After confirmation of treatment failure, resistance to antiretroviral drugs testing was performed and two variants with the insertions of the aminoacids Ser-Gly/Ser-Ala at codon 69 of reverse transcriptase were detected, besides the T69S mutation.

CDKN2A promoter hypermethylation in astrocytomas is associated with age and sex.

CDKN2A promoter hypermethylation has been widely related to many cancers. In astrocytomas, although CDKN2A (p16(INK4A) protein) is often inactivated, there are still some controversial issues regarding the mechanism by which this alteration occurs. Thus, we analyzed a series of astrocytomas to assess the association between CDKN2A expression and methylation of grade I-IV tumors (WHO) and clinicopathological parameters.

In vitro detection of hepatitis C virus in platelets from uninfected individuals exposed to the virus.

Introduction: Despite hepatocytes being the target cells of hepatitis C virus (HCV), viral ribonucleic acid RNA has been detected in other cells, including platelets, which have been described as carriers of the virus in the circulation of infected patients. Platelets do not express cluster differentiation 81 CD81, the main receptor for the virus in hepatocytes, although this receptor protein has been found in megakaryocytes. Still, it is not clear if HCV interacts with platelets directly or if this interaction is a consequence of its association with megakaryocytes.

Variability and resistance mutations in the hepatitis C virus NS3 protease in patients not treated with protease inhibitors.

The goal of treatment of chronic hepatitis C is to achieve a sustained virological response, which is defined as exhibiting undetectable hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA levels in serum following therapy for at least six months. However, the current treatment is only effective in 50% of patients infected with HCV genotype 1, the most prevalent genotype in Brazil. Inhibitors of the serine protease non-structural protein 3 (NS3) have therefore been developed to improve the responses of HCV-infected patients.

Epstein-Barr virus-associated gastric carcinoma in Brazil: comparison between in situ hybridization and polymerase chain reaction detection.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) has been associated with 10% of gastric carcinomas. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of EBV in gastric carcinomas in Brazil assessed by in situ hybridization (ISH) and PCR, which would contribute to the characterization of the clinical and pathological aspects of EBV-associated gastric carcinomas. One hundred and ninety-two gastric carcinoma cases were collected at hospitals in two Brazilian states.

Human platelet antigen genotype is associated with progression of fibrosis in chronic hepatitis C.

Although progression of fibrosis in the chronic hepatitis C depends on environmental, viral, and host factors, genetic polymorphisms have been associated recently with this progression, including the expression of integrins, adhesion proteins. Some integrins expressed on the platelet membrane show polymorphic antigenic determinants called human platelet antigens (HPA), where the major ones are HPA-1, -3, -5. The association between HCV infection and HPA-5b has been demonstrated.

KIR genes and their human leukocyte antigen ligands in the progression to cirrhosis in patients with chronic hepatitis C.

Natural killer (NK) cells play pivotal roles in immune responses against infection with viruses, such as hepatitis C virus (HCV), and killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) are related to the activation and inhibition of NK cells. The aim of this study was to investigate the possibility that KIR genes and their human leukocyte antigen (HLA) ligands influence progression to cirrhosis in patients infected with genotype 1 of HCV. A total of 145 Brazilian patients with confirmed chronic hepatitis C grouped from F0 to F4 according to fibrosis progression to cirrhosis were evaluated.