OBJECTIVE:The aim of this study is to investigate the presence of human papillomavirus DNA and genotypes in breast cancer and normal breast tissue samples obtained from women from the northeast region of Brazil.METHOD:One hundred three breast cancer samples and 95 normal breast samples, as the non-malignant controls, were studied. DNA extraction was verified by human beta-globin gene amplification, and polymerase chain reaction was conducted based on HPV L1-specific consensus primers MY09/MY11 and GP5+/GP6+, followed by nested multiplex polymerase chain reaction with type-specific primers for the E6/E7 consensus region.RESULTS:Human papillomavirus DNA was detected in 51 (49.5%) breast carcinoma samples and 15 (15.8%) normal breast samples (p<0.0001). Human papillomavirus genotypes 6 and 11 were identified in 15.2% of all samples.CONCLUSIONS:The high frequency of human papillomavirus infection in breast cancer samples indicates a potential role of this virus in breast carcinogenesis in the studied participants.

In Fortaleza, the capital of Ceara State, Brazil, the detection rate of tuberculosis (TB) in 2018 was 65.5/100,000 inhabitants with a cure rate of 59.1%, which is higher than the country average. This study investigated the risk factors associated with drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) and identified the drug-resistance phenotype and resistance-conferring mutations. The geographic distribution of DR-TB in Fortaleza, Brazil, was also determined. From March 2017 to February 2018, 41 DR-TB isolates and 69 drug-susceptible pulmonary TB isolates were obtained from patients seen at a referral hospital in Fortaleza, Brazil. Samples were subjected to phenotypic and genetic analysis of resistance; the spatial distribution of the participants was also analyzed. Primary resistance was high (50.9%) among participants. The following risk factors for DR were identified: being female (p = 0.03), having diabetes (p < 0.01), history of previous TB disease (p < 0.01), and the number of intra-domiciliary contacts (p < 0.01). Analysis by multiplex allele-specific polymerase chain reaction detected mutations in the genes katG (65.8%), rpoB (43.9%), inhA promoter (14.6%), and gyrA (9.8%). Sequencing identified mutations in the the genes katG (75.6%), inhA promoter (19.5%), rpoB (85.4%), and gyrA (100%). There was no mutation in the rrs gene. Spatial analysis showed DR-TB isolates distributed in areas of low socioeconomic status in the city of Fortaleza. Our results emphasized the importance of detecting resistance to TB drugs. The resistance found in the gene gyrA is of concern due to the high number of pre-extensive DR-TB cases in Fortaleza.

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Introdução: A COVID-19 surgiu em Wuhan na China em dezembro de 2019, logo alcançou o nível de pandemia causando milhares de mortes no mundo. Se apresenta em sua maioria casos gripais leves, entretanto pode evoluir para uma síndrome respiratória grave que é responsável pelas hospitalizações e óbitos. Objetivo: Descrever o perfil epidemiológico e espacial dos casos confirmados de Síndrome Gripal (SG) por COVID-19 no estado do Pará. Método: Estudo descritivo e ecológico, referente aos casos de COVID-19 notificados no E-SUS VE. A partir das variáveis do perfil epidemiológico, distribuição espacial e tendência temporal da doença. Resultados: A distribuição espacial mostrou que a concentração dos casos localiza-se nos municípios do Sul do estado. Nas viariáveis do perfil: sexo feminino (53,16%), faixa etária (61,14%) 30 e 59 anos, doenças cardíacas crônicas representou (41,99%), diabetes (31,22%) e (16,30%) doenças respiratórias crônicas Profissionais da saúde infectados (8%). Características clínicas: febre (71,99%),tosse (64,57%) e dor de garganta (46,78%). Critério de confirmação: teste rápido- anticorpo (84.39%), teste rápido antígeno (7.61%) e RT-PCR (7.48%). Na tendência temporal da doença evidenciou-se o pico de casos na 20º semana epidemiológica. Conclusão: A maioria mulheres, doenças cardíacas e diabetes mais evidentes, confirmados a maioria por teste rápido e sintomatologia clássica da SG. Observou-se o achatamento da curva após a 21º semana, possivelmente, por conta da intervenção lockdown. Entretanto mostrou-se a alta de casos na data de 07/07/2020 em diversas regiões, especificamente em municípios da região sul do estado.

As the host’s first line of defense against pathogens, Toll-like receptors (TLRs), such as the TLR3, are genes encoding transmembrane receptors of the same name. Depending on their expression, TLRs cause a pro- or anti-inflammatory response. The purpose of the article was to determine whether there is an association between the Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) rs3775291 Single Nucleotide Polymorphism—SNP and susceptibility to infections. This review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 guidelines and was registered in PROSPERO under the code CRD42023429533. A systematic search for relevant studies was performed using PubMed, Scopus, SciELO, Google Scholar, and Science Direct by the MeSH descriptors and the Boolean Operator “AND”: “Infections”; “TLR3”; “SNP”, between January 2005 and July 2022. Summary odds ratios (ORs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated for genotypic comparison assuming a dominant genetic model (CT + TT vs. CC). A meta-analysis of 18 studies consisting of 3118 cases and 4368 controls found a significant association for risk between the presence of the TLR3 SNP rs3775291 and infections as part of the general analysis (OR = 1.16, 95% CI = 1.04–1.28, p = 0.004). In the subgroups of continents, the SNP had a protective role in Europe for 1044 cases and 1471 controls (OR = 0.83, 95% CI = 0.70–0.99, p = 0.04); however, the Asian (for 1588 patients and 2306 controls) and American (for 486 patients and 591 controls) continents had an increase in infectious risk (OR = 1.37, 95% CI = 1.19–1.58, p < 0.001; OR = 1.42, 95% CI = 1.08–1.86, and p = 0.01, respectively). Heterogeneity between studies was detected (I2 = 58%) but was explained in meta-regression by the subgroup of continents itself and publication bias was not evident. The results of the meta-analysis suggest a significant association between the TLR3 rs3775291 polymorphism and susceptibility to infections. Thus, when analyzing subgroups, the Asian and American continents showed that this SNP confers a higher risk against infections in a dominant genotypic model. Therefore, more studies are necessary to fully elucidate the role of TLR3 rs3775291 in infections.