Post-transplant Lymphoproliferative Disorder: A Single-Center Experience.

Background: Post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) is the second most common neoplasia after adult kidney transplantation (KT).

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 8 adult patients who underwent KT in our center, diagnosed with PTLD between 2001 and 2014.

Results: Six patients were men.

Renal Transplantation in HIV-Infected Patients: The First Portuguese Review.

Introduction: With the introduction of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART), prognosis of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection has been improved and kidney transplantation (KT) in HIV-positive patients became possible.

Methods: We reviewed the demographic, clinical, laboratory, and therapeutic data of all the HIV-infected patients who underwent KT between 2009 (first KT in Portugal in a HIV-infected patient) and May 2014. Case accrual was through all Portuguese KT centers where a KT in an HIV-infected patient was performed.

Moojenactivase, a novel pro-coagulant PIIId metalloprotease isolated from Bothrops moojeni snake venom, activates coagulation factors II and X and induces tissue factor up-regulation in leukocytes.

Coagulopathies following snakebite are triggered by pro-coagulant venom toxins, in which metalloproteases play a major role in envenomation-induced coagulation disorders by acting on coagulation cascade, platelet function and fibrinolysis. Considering this relevance, here we describe the isolation and biochemical characterization of moojenactivase (MooA), a metalloprotease from Bothrops moojeni snake venom, and investigate its involvement in hemostasis in vitro. MooA is a glycoprotein of 85,746.

A tripeptide isolated from Bothrops atrox venom has neuroprotective and neurotrophic effects on a cellular model of Parkinson's disease.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder; however, there is no treatment able to prevent the loss of dopaminergic neurons or its consequences. Trophic factors such as NGF and BDNF has positive effects on different disorders of the brain, including neurodegeneration. Additionally, studies have suggested the use of venom peptides as a therapeutic strategy for neurological disorders.

Anti-troponin I antibodies in renal transplant patients.

Objective: To characterize the prevalence and clinical correlates of anti-troponin I antibodies in renal transplant patients.

Methods: A group of 48 consecutive renal transplant patients under immunosuppressive therapy were studied. Anti-troponin I antibodies were measured and clinical data were retrieved.

[TEVAR: a strategy for the diversity of thoracic aorta disease. Series of cases and national prospect].

Objective: To assess endovascular treatment of thoracic aorta diseases in a national centre of angiology and vascular surgery. To quantify the national registry of TEVAR's.

Material And Methods: This unicentric and retrospective study included patients submitted to TEVAR until the end of 2012.

Environmental, economic and social impact of aviation biofuel production in Brazil.

The Brazilian aviation industry is currently developing biofuel technologies that can maintain the operational and energy demands of the sector, while reducing the dependence on fossil fuels (mainly kerosene) and greenhouse gas emissions. The aim of the current research was to identify the major environmental, economic and social impacts arising from the production of aviation biofuels in Brazil. Despite the great potential of these fuels, there is a significant need for improved routes of production and specifically for lower production costs of these materials.

[Pelvic congestion syndrome - A clinical report].

Pelvic congestion syndrome is a common disorder that occurs mainly in young multiparous women. It is characterized by a variable combination of chronic (up to 6 months) not cyclical pain, dyspareunia, dysmenorrhea, urinary symptoms and constipation, that may be associated to perineal and lower limbs varicose veins, with pelvic origin. We report the clinical case of a 26 year-old female, G0P0, with lower limbs varicose veins.

[Early type I Endoleak after Endovascular Management of an Aorto-esophageal Fistula].

Objective: Presentation of a clinical case of an aorto-esophageal fistula secondary to thoracic aorta pseudoaneurysm, complicated by early type Ia endoleak after endovascular repair.

Clinical Case: A 64 years old male patient, with a history of arterial hypertension, smoking, alcohol abuse and ischemic heart disease with previous coronary revascularization was observed because of chest pain and abundant hematemesis, with Angio-CT revealing a 77mm pseudoaneurysm of the descending thoracic aorta, close to the left subclavian artery, with mass effect on the esophagus and trachea and signs of fistulization. He was proposed to endovascular repair with sealing in zone 2 of the aortic arch after building a left carotid-subclavian bypass.

Metformin reduces the Walker-256 tumor development in obese-MSG rats via AMPK and FOXO3a.

Aims: Studies have associated obesity with a wide variety of cancers. Metformin, an anti-diabetic drug, has recently received attention as a potentially useful therapeutic agent for treating cancer. Therefore, the objective of this study was to analyze the mechanisms involved in the increase in tumor development and the reduction of it by metformin in obesity using an experimental breast tumor model.

Phospholipase A2 isolated from the venom of Crotalus durissus terrificus inactivates dengue virus and other enveloped viruses by disrupting the viral envelope.

The Flaviviridae family includes several virus pathogens associated with human diseases worldwide. Within this family, Dengue virus is the most serious threat to public health, especially in tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world. Currently, there are no vaccines or specific antiviral drugs against Dengue virus or against most of the viruses of this family.

Discovering implicit associations in a case of encapsulating peritoneal sclerosis complicated by severe mineral imbalance.

We describe the case of a 42-year-old woman who developed encapsulating peritoneal sclerosis (EPS) after 7 years on peritoneal dialysis, with clinical relief by enterolysis associated to treatment with tamoxifen, corticosteroids and parenteral nutrition in haemodialysis. During the next 7 months, she was also conservatively stabilised for mild hyperparathyroidism until she was admitted with calciphylaxis, associated with massive extraosseous calcification. Despite parathyroidectomy and sodium thiosulfate treatment, which resulted in a successful resolution of calciphylaxis, she died 1 year later due to a gross calcified peritoneum.

Collagen type IV-related nephropathies in Portugal: pathogenic COL4A5 mutations and clinical characterization of 22 families.

Alport syndrome (AS) is caused by pathogenic mutations in the genes encoding α3, α4 or α5 chains of collagen IV (COL4A3/COL4A4/COL4A5), resulting in hematuria, chronic renal failure (CRF), sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) and ocular abnormalities. Mutations in the X-linked COL4A5 gene have been identified in 85% of the families (XLAS). In this study, 22 of 60 probands (37%) of unrelated Portuguese families, with clinical diagnosis of AS and no evidence of autosomal inheritance, had pathogenic COL4A5 mutations detected by Sanger sequencing and/or multiplex-ligation probe amplification, of which 12 (57%) are novel.

Collagen type IV-related nephropathies in Portugal: pathogenic COL4A3 and COL4A4 mutations and clinical characterization of 25 families.

Pathogenic mutations in genes COL4A3/COL4A4 are responsible for autosomal Alport syndrome (AS) and thin basement membrane nephropathy (TBMN). We used Sanger sequencing to analyze all exons and splice site regions of COL4A3/COL4A4, in 40 unrelated Portuguese probands with clinical suspicion of AS/TBMN. To assess genotype-phenotype correlations, we compared clinically relevant phenotypes/outcomes between homozygous/compound heterozygous and apparently heterozygous patients.

Bacteremia due to Campylobacter in renal transplantation: a case report and review of literature.

Campylobacter species are the leading cause of acute bacterial diarrhea in industrialized countries. However, bacteremia is detected in <1% of patients with Campylobacter enteritis and is most likely to occur in patients who are immunocompromised or of older age. To our knowledge, only 2 cases of Campylobacter jejuni bacteremia have been reported in renal transplant recipients (RTRs).

Mitochondrial apoptosis-inducing factor is involved in doxorubicin-induced toxicity on H9c2 cardiomyoblasts.

The cardiotoxicity induced by the anti-cancer doxorubicin involves increased oxidative stress, disruption of calcium homeostasis and activation of cardiomyocyte death. Nevertheless, antioxidants and caspase inhibitors often show little efficacy in preventing cell death. We hypothesize that a caspase-independent cell death mechanism with the release of the apoptosis-inducing factor from mitochondria is involved in doxorubicin toxicity.

[The use of Onyx in the embolization of extracranial vascular malformations: efficacy and safety].

Objective: Presentation of Onyx outcomes in the embolization of extracranial vascular malformations, regarding the clinical efficacy and safety.

Material And Methods: A 29 years old female patient, with a vascular malformation of the right upper thigh complicated with skin ulcer, healed in 2011, referred for light pain and tension at the site of the lesion. Physical examination revealed a scar of a previous ulcer, extensive venous collateral network and tenuous expandability of the malformation.

[Independent factors related to limb salvage and survival in distal angioplasty for critical ischemia].

Introduction: Infragenicular multisegmentar atherosclerotic disease is prevalent in diabetic and chronic renal failure (CRF) patients and associated with critical ischemia ulcera related. Distal angioplasty revascularization is an option allowing wound healing and improvement of life quality. Objectives Identification and impact determination of independent factors related to limb salvage and mortality in patients submitted to distal angioplasty.

Renal transplantation in human immunodeficiency virus-positive patients: a report of four cases.

Introduction: Renal transplantation (RT) in patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has significantly improved under the advent of combined antiretroviral therapy (cART). The authors describe their experience in RT in patients with HIV from September 2010 to June 2013.

Cases Report: Four patients underwent transplantation (3 with HIV-1 and 1 with HIV-2), three patients were male, and one was black.

Acute renal failure as a form of presentation of sarcoidosis in a young adult: a case report.

Introduction: Sarcoidosis is a systemic granulomatous disease. Renal involvement is a rare initial presentation of this disease. Few articles on renal involvement as an initial presentation of sarcoidosis have been published in the literature.

Heterologous expression and biochemical and functional characterization of a recombinant alpha-type myotoxin inhibitor from Bothrops alternatus snake.

Venomous and non-venomous snakes possess phospholipase A2 (PLA2) inhibitory proteins (PLIs) in their blood serum. This study shows the expression and biochemical and functional characterization of a recombinant alpha inhibitor from Bothrops alternatus snake, named rBaltMIP. Its expression was performed in Pichia pastoris heterologous system, resulting in an active recombinant protein.

Galatrox is a C-type lectin in Bothrops atrox snake venom that selectively binds LacNAc-terminated glycans and can induce acute inflammation.

Previous studies indicate that snake venom contains glycan-binding proteins (GBPs), although the binding specificity and biological activities of many of these GBPs is unclear. Here we report our studies on the glycan binding specificity and activities of galatrox, a Bothrops atrox snake venom-derived GBP. Glycan microarray analysis indicates that galatrox binds most strongly to glycans expressing N-acetyllactosamine (LacNAc), with a significant preference for Galβ1-4GlcNAcβ over Galβ1-3GlcNAcβ compounds.

Snake venom L-amino acid oxidases: an overview on their antitumor effects.

The L-amino acid oxidases (LAAOs) constitute a major component of snake venoms and have been widely studied due to their widespread presence and various effects, such as apoptosis induction, cytotoxicity, induction and/or inhibition of platelet aggregation, hemorrhage, hemolysis, edema, as well as antimicrobial, antiparasitic and anti-HIV activities. The isolated and characterized snake venom LAAOs have become important research targets due to their potential biotechnological applications in pursuit for new drugs of interest in the scientific and medical fields. The current study discusses the antitumor effects of snake venom LAAOs described in the literature to date, highlighting the mechanisms of apoptosis induction proposed for this class of proteins.