Publications by authors named "Roberta Dos Santos Souza"

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a neglected tropical disease that is potentially fatal when untreated. Current diagnostic methods have limitations that contribute to ongoing transmission and poor prognosis. Thus, new tests are needed to provide quick, accurate diagnoses and evaluate clinical progression and treatment efficacy.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: MicroRNAs are involved in gene regulation in several common liver diseases and may play an essential role in activating hepatic stellate cells. The role of these post-transcriptional regulators in schistosomiasis needs to be further studied in populations from endemic areas for a better understanding of the disease, the development of new therapeutic approaches, and the use of biomarkers for the prognosis of schistosomiasis.

Areas Covered: We performed a systematic review to describe the main human microRNAs identified in non-experimental studies associated with aggravation of the disease in people infected with () and ().

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Sickle cell anemia (SCA) is a genetic disease with great clinical heterogeneity and few viable strategies for treatment; hydroxyurea (HU) is the only widely used drug. Thus, the study of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and the gene expression of MMPs 1, 2, 9, 7 and TIMPs 1 and 2, which are involved in the regulation of extracellular matrix, inflammation, and neuropathies, may provide further insights into the pathophysiology of the disease and elucidate biomarkers and molecules as potential therapeutic targets for patients with SCA.

Methods And Results: We evaluated 251 young individuals with SCA from northeastern Brazil.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

In HIV-infected patients, antiretroviral therapy (ART) is associated to adipose tissue redistribution known as lipodystrophy (LD). This study aimed at verifying the association between the polymorphism of the gene (rs1799750) (1G/2G) and the serum levels of matrix metalloproteinase 1 (MMP-1) with LD and its subtypes in people living with HIV on ART. This is a cross-secional study.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The aim of this study was to perform a systematic review to identify data reported in the literature concerning the association of APOC3 (rs2854116), ESR2 (rs3020450), HFE (rs1799945), MMP1 (rs1799750) and PPARG (rs1801282) polymorphisms with lipodystrophy in people living with HIV (PLWHIV) on antirretroviral therapy. The research was conducted in six databases and the studies were selected in two steps. First, a search was undertaken in the following electronic databases: PubMed, Science Direct, Medline, World Wide Science, Directory of Open Access Journals, Scielo, Lilacs and Medcarib.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF