The effects of various therapies on vulvovaginal atrophy and quality of life in gynecological cancer patients: a systematic review.

Purpose: Tumors affecting the female genital tract and their treatments have the potential to induce adverse modifications in vaginal health and impact personal aspects of patient's lives. Vulvovaginal atrophy is one of the morphological changes observed in individuals with a history of gynecological cancer, influenced both by the biological environment of tumors and the main therapeutic modalities employed. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to identify approaches to treat vulvovaginal atrophy while assessing the impact on the emotional and sexual health of women diagnosed with gynecological cancers.

The Influence of IL-11 on Cardiac Fibrosis in Experimental Models: A Systematic Review.

Fibrosis is one of the main factors that impair the function of many organs. In the heart, fibrosis leads to contractile dysfunction and arrhythmias, which are important in the development of heart failure. Interleukin (IL)-11 is regulated in various heart diseases and has recently been reported to be an important cytokine in fibrosis in this organ.

Membranous nephropathy.

Membranous nephropathy is a glomerulopathy, which main affected target is the podocyte, and has consequences on the glomerular basement membrane. It is more common in adults, especially over 50 years of age. The clinical presentation is nephrotic syndrome, but many cases can evolve with asymptomatic non-nephrotic proteinuria.

In situ assessment of Mindin as a biomarker of podocyte lesions in diabetic nephropathy.

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is the leading cause of chronic kidney disease and end-stage renal failure worldwide. Several mechanisms are involved in the pathogenesis of this disease, which culminate in morphological changes such as podocyte injury. Despite the complex diagnosis and pathogenesis, limited attempts have been made to establish new biomarkers for DN.

Chikungunya virus as a trigger for different renal disorders: an exploratory study.

Introduction: Chikungunya virus was detected in cases of acute chikungunya fever in renal tissue. However, chikungunya virus-related kidney injury still lacks characterization, and it is unknown whether the kidneys are reservoirs for the virus. We sought to detect histopathological changes and viral antigens in renal tissue, and to evaluate kidney injury markers in different phases of chikungunya fever.

The Colombian Strain of Induces a Proinflammatory Profile, Neuronal Death, and Collagen Deposition in the Intestine of C57BL/6 Mice Both during the Acute and Early Chronic Phase.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the histopathological changes caused by infection with the Colombian strain of in the acute and chronic experimental phases. C57Bl/6 mice were infected with 1000 trypomastigote forms of the Colombian strain of . After 30 days (acute phase) and 90 days (early chronic phase) of infection, the animals were euthanized, and the colon was collected and divided into two parts: proximal and distal.

Biomarkers and Their Possible Functions in the Intestinal Microenvironment of Chagasic Megacolon: An Overview of the (Neuro)inflammatory Process.

The association between inflammatory processes and intestinal neuronal destruction during the progression of Chagasic megacolon is well established. However, many other components play essential roles, both in the long-term progression and control of the clinical status of patients infected with . Components such as neuronal subpopulations, enteric glial cells, mast cells and their proteases, and homeostasis-related proteins from several organic systems (serotonin and galectins) are differentially involved in the progression of Chagasic megacolon.

Renal Manifestations of Fabry Disease: A Narrative Review.

Purpose Of Review: In this narrative review, we describe general aspects, histological alterations, treatment, and implications of Fabry disease (FD) nephropathy. This information should be used to guide physicians and patients in a shared decision-making process.

Source Of Information: Original peer-reviewed articles, review articles, and opinion pieces were identified from PubMed and Google Scholar databases.

In situ evaluation of podocytes in patients with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis and minimal change disease.

Podocyte injury in focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) and minimal change disease (MCD) results from the imbalance between adaptive responses that maintain homeostasis and cellular dysfunction that can culminate in cell death. Therefore, an in situ analysis was performed to detect morphological changes related to cell death and autophagy in renal biopsies from adult patients with podocytopathies. Forty-nine renal biopsies from patients with FSGS (n = 22) and MCD (n = 27) were selected.

Renal expression of cytokines and chemokines in diabetic nephropathy.

Background: Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is the leading cause of end-stage renal disease worldwide. Inflammatory mediators have been implicated in the pathogenesis of DN, thus considered an inflammatory disease. However, further studies are required to assess the renal damage caused by the action of these molecules.

Analysis of serum inflammatory mediators in type 2 diabetic patients and their influence on renal function.

Aim: To evaluate the serum concentrations of inflammatory mediators in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) with or without renal alteration (RA) function.

Methods: Serum samples from 76 patients with T2DM and 24 healthy individuals were selected. Patients with T2DM were divided into two groups according to eGFR (> or < 60mL/min/1.

Cardiac Chagas Disease: MMPs, TIMPs, Galectins, and TGF- as Tissue Remodelling Players.

A century after the discovery of Chagas disease, studies are still needed to establish the complex pathophysiology of this disease. However, it is known that several proteins and molecules are related to the establishment of this disease, its evolution, and the appearance of its different clinical forms. Metalloproteinases and their tissue inhibitors, galectins, and TGF- are involved in the process of infection and consequently the development of myocarditis, tissue remodeling, and fibrosis upon infection with .

Evaluation of the Diagnostic Potential of uPAR as a Biomarker in Renal Biopsies of Patients with FSGS.

Minimal change disease (MCD) and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) are primary glomerulopathies leading to proteinuria, known as podocytopathies, which share syndromic and morphological similarities. Morphological similarity occurs in cases of FSGS in which the sclerotic lesion was not sampled in renal biopsy, due to the focal nature of the disease. Differentiating these entities is very important, especially in cases of suspected FSGS but with sclerotic lesion not sampled, as they are diseases that apparently have different pathogenic mechanisms and prognosis.

Melatonin treatment in fetal and neonatal diseases.

This literature review aims to address the main scientific findings on oxidative stress activity in different gestational disorders, as well as the function and application of melatonin in the treatment of fetal and neonatal changes. Oxidative stress has been associated with the etiopathogenesis of recurrent miscarriages, preeclampsia, intrauterine growth restriction, and stillbirth. Both, the exacerbated consumption of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase, and the increased synthesis of reactive oxygen species, such as superoxide, peroxynitrite, and hydrogen peroxide, induce phospholipid peroxidation and endothelial dysfunction, impaired invasion and death of trophoblast cells, impaired decidualization, and remodeling of maternal spiral arteries.

Is arterial calcification in children and adolescents with end-stage renal disease a rare finding?

Aim: To investigate if calcification and intimal media thickness (IMT) of arteries are present in children and adolescents with end-stage renal disease and to describe the risk factors associated with these alterations.

Methods: In an observational, cross-sectional prospective study, 68 patients were evaluated at the time of renal transplantation. A fragment of the inferior epigastric artery was removed during surgery for histopathological analysis to verify the presence or not of arterial calcification.

Angiogenic and antiangiogenic factors in preeclampsia.

Background: Pre-eclampsia is a multifactorial hypertensive disorder that is triggered by placental insufficiency and that accounts for up to 15% of maternal deaths. In normal pregnancies, this process depends on the balance between the expression of angiogenic factors and antiangiogenic factors, which are responsible for remodeling the spiral arteries, as well as for neoangiogenesis and fetal development.

Purpose: The aim of this review is to discuss the main scientific findings regarding the role of angiogenic and antiangiogenic factors in the etiopathogenesis of preeclampsia.

Ultrastructural deposits appearing as "zebra bodies" in renal biopsy: Fabry disease?- comparative case reports.

Background: Fabry Disease (FD) is a genetic disorder caused by alpha-galactosidase A deficiency. Certain drugs, such as hydroxychloroquine, can produce renal deposits that mimic morphological findings seen in FD, characterizing a type of drug-induced renal phospholipidosis.

Case Presentation: Case 1: A 28-year-old female patient with systemic lupus erythematosus who had been using hydroxychloroquine for 14 months presented subnephrotic proteinuria.

A Regulatory miRNA-mRNA Network Is Associated with Tissue Repair Induced by Mesenchymal Stromal Cells in Acute Kidney Injury.

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) orchestrate tissue repair by releasing cell-derived microvesicles (MVs), which, presumably by small RNA species, modulate global gene expression. The knowledge of miRNA/mRNA signatures linked to a reparative status may elucidate some of the molecular events associated with MSC protection. Here, we used a model of cisplatin-induced kidney injury (acute kidney injury) to assess how MSCs or MVs could restore tissue function.

Influence of the Expression of Inflammatory Markers on Kidney after Fetal Programming in an Experimental Model of Renal Failure.

To evaluate the expression of inflammatory markers in experimental renal failure after fetal programming. The offspring aged two and five months were divided into four groups: CC (control dams, control offspring); DC (diabetic dams, control offspring); CFA (control dams, folic acid offspring, 250 mg/Kg); and DFA (diabetic dams, folic acid offspring). Gene expression of inflammatory markers MCP-1, IL-1, NOS3, TGF-, TNF-, and VEGF was evaluated by RT-PCR.

An overview of maternal and fetal short and long-term impact of physical activity during pregnancy.

Purpose: To explore information available in the literature about the possible benefits resulting from physical activity (PA) in non-risky pregnant women, repercussion on maternal organism, fetal development, and on long-term offspring health.

Methods: Critical narrative review using online databases.

Results: Through critical discussion of studies focused on PA practiced during pregnancy, it was observed that some of the outcomes investigated on both mother and offspring showed conflicting findings.

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition in pediatric nephropathies.

Introduction: Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a process in which epithelial cells may express mesenchymal cell markers with subsequent change in their functions, and it may be part of the etiopathogenesis of kidney disease.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the immunexpression of some EMT inducers and markers in frequent nephropathies in pediatric patients.

Methods: 59 patients aged 2-18 years old were selected and divided into 6 groups of frequent nephropathies in children and adolescents, as well as one control group.

Diagnosis of congenital and infantile nephrotic syndromes in renal biopsies in Minas Gerais, Brazil: Six case reports.

Congenital or infantile nephrotic syndromes (CNS/INS) correspond to a heterogeneous group of rare diseases in which glomerular renal dysfunction and proteinuria are prominent. The aim of this study is to present six cases of possible CNS/INS with diagnoses based on clinical findings and especially histological, ultrastructural, and immunohistochemical characteristics of renal biopsies. Four cases are presented with diffuse mesangial sclerosis, one of them possibly part of Denys-Drash syndrome and two cases with CNS probably of the Finnish type in patients between 3 months old and 13 years old.

Targeted Screening of Fabry Disease in Male Hemodialysis Patients in Brazil Highlights Importance of Family Screening.

Introduction: Fabry disease (FD) is a lysosomal storage disorder caused by enzyme α galactosidase A (α-Gal A) deficiency due to mutations in the galactosidase alpha (GLA) gene. It leads to damage several organs, such as the kidneys, due to progressive accumulation of glycosphingolipids.

Objective: To estimate the prevalence of FD among male hemodialysis (HD) patients in a northern state of Brazil.

Morphometric evaluation of the aortic root in stillborns.

Objective: To describe the dimensions and amount of collagen in the aortic root of autopsied fetuses at different gestational ages.

Material And Methods: 40 samples of aortic roots were selected from autopsied fetuses with gestational ages ranging between 20 and 40 weeks. The thickness and the area of the aortic wall were analyzed on slides stained with Hematoxylin and Eosin, and the collagen was quantified on slides stained with Picrosirius, by using an image analyzing system.

Contribution of glomerular morphometry to the diagnosis of pediatric nephropathies.

Only a few studies describe histopathological changes in renal biopsies performed in pediatric patients. This study was conducted to identify an association between morphometric data in renal biopsies and renal function of these patients. Fifty-nine individuals with ages between 2 and 18 years old were selected, who were divided into six groups consisting of frequent nephropathies in children and adolescents and one control group.