Evaluation of Immunological Parameters in Pregnant Women: Low Levels of B and NK Cells.

Objective:  To describe the immunological and hematological reference intervals of low-risk pregnant women.

Methods:  A cross-sectional retrospective database analysis of a basic and translational study analyzing the hematological evaluation blood counts and immunophenotyping of TCD3 + , TCD4 + , TCD8 + , B, and natural killer (NK) cells of the peripheral blood in 79 low-risk pregnant women and of 30 control women from the state of Pernambuco, Brazil, was performed.

Results:  No significant differences were detected between the hematological profiles of the 2 and 3 trimesters.

Influence of IL-6, IL-8, and TGF-β1 gene polymorphisms on the risk of human papillomavirus-infection in women from Pernambuco, Brazil.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infections are strongly associated with the development of cervical intraepithelial neoplasias and invasive cervical cancer. Polymorphisms in cytokine-encoding genes and behavioural cofactors could play an important role in protecting an individual against viral infections and cancer. Here, we investigated whether IL-6 -174 G>C, IL-8 +396 G>T, and TGF-β1 +869 G>C and +915 G>C polymorphisms were associated with susceptibility to HPV infection in women from north-east (Pernambuco) Brazil.

CCR2 and CCR5 genes polymorphisms in women with cervical lesions from Pernambuco, Northeast Region of Brazil: a case-control study.

Polymorphisms in chemokine receptors play an important role in the progression of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) to cervical cancer (CC). Our study examined the association of CCR2-64I (rs1799864) andCCR5-Δ32 (rs333) polymorphisms with susceptibility to develop cervical lesion (CIN and CC) in a Brazilian population. The genotyping of 139 women with cervical lesions and 151 women without cervical lesions for the CCR2-64I and CCR5-Δ32 polymorphisms were performed using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism.

[Prevalence of HPV-induced lesions in the anal canal among women with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 2 and 3: cross-sectional study].

Purpose: To determine the prevalence of HPV-induced lesions in the anal canal of women with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) grade 2/3.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out from December 2008 to June 2009, in Pernambuco, northeastern Brazil. Only women with grade 2/3 CIN were included, and those who could not undergo anoscopy during their first visit were excluded.

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) alpha and interleukin (IL) 18 genes polymorphisms are correlated with susceptibility to HPV infection in patients with and without cervical intraepithelial lesion.

Background: The Human Papillomavirus (HPV) predisposes 500 000 women to cervical cancer. Host genetic background may facilitate virus persistence in the uterine cervix. Polymorphisms in regulatory and coding regions of cytokine genes have been associated with susceptibility to some human diseases.

Quantifying mRNA and microRNA with qPCR in cervical carcinogenesis: a validation of reference genes to ensure accurate data.

A number of recent studies have catalogued global gene expression patterns in a panel of normal, tumoral cervical tissues so that potential biomarkers can be identified. The qPCR has been one of the most widely used technologies for detecting these potential biomarkers. However, few studies have investigated a correct strategy for the normalization of data in qPCR assays for cervical tissues.

[Prevalence of human papillomavirus genotypes: comparison between three detection methods in patients of Pernambuco, Brazil].

Purpose: to compare three methods for the detection of HPV infection and to determine the prevalence of the genotypes found.

Methods: a total of 120 cervical scrape samples from patients with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia were analyzed by the conventional polymerase chain reaction using the MY09/11 and GP05+/06+ primers, and by the Nested polymerase chain reaction. The samples were subjected to DNA amplification with the GH20 and PC04 primers (β-globin) to verify DNA quality and also by polymerase chain reaction and Nested polymerase chain reaction.

Agreement between methods for diagnosing HPV-induced anal lesions in women with cervical neoplasia.

Objective: To evaluate agreement between 3 methods for screening anal intraepithelial lesions: anal cytology, anoscopy and human papillomavirus (HPV) detection by PCR.

Study Design: This prospective, cross-sectional study screened 324 women with cervical neoplasia for anal neoplasia. Agreement between methods was calculated using the κ coefficient.