The influence of different infectious agents and their association with human papillomavirus (HPV) in cervical carcinogenesis have not been completely elucidated. This study describes the association between cytological changes in cervical epithelium and the detection of the most relevant aetiological agents of sexually transmitted diseases. Samples collected from 169 patients were evaluated by conventional cytology followed by molecular analysis to detect HPV DNA, Chlamydia trachomatis, herpes simplex virus 1 and 2,Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Mycoplasma genitalium, Trichomonas vaginalis, andTreponema pallidum, besides genotyping for most common high-risk HPV. An association between cytological lesions and different behavioural habits such as smoking and sedentariness was observed. Intraepithelial lesions were also associated with HPV and C. trachomatis detection. An association was also found between both simple and multiple genotype infection and cytological changes. The investigation of HPV and C. trachomatisproved its importance and may be considered in the future for including in screening programs, since these factors are linked to the early diagnosis of patients with precursor lesions of cervical cancer.

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Cervical cancer is the third most frequent cancer in women worldwide. Adenine nucleotide signaling is modulated by the ectonucleotidases that act in sequence, forming an enzymatic cascade. Considering the relationship between the purinergic signaling and cancer, we studied the E-NTPDases, ecto-5'-nucleotidase, and E-NPPs in human cervical cancer cell lines and keratinocytes. We evaluated the expression profiles of these enzymes using RT-PCR and quantitative real-time PCR analysis. The activities of these enzymes were examined using ATP, ADP, AMP, and p-nitrophenyl-5'-thymidine monophosphate (p-Nph-5'-TMP) as substrate, in a colorimetric assay. The extracellular adenine nucleotide hydrolysis was estimated by HPLC analysis. The hydrolysis of all substrates exhibited a linear pattern and these activities were cation-dependent. An interesting difference in the degradation rate was observed between cervical cancer cell lines SiHa, HeLa, and C33A and normal imortalized keratinocytes, HaCaT cells. The mRNA of ecto-5'-nucleotidase, E-NTPDases 5 and 6 were detectable in all cell lines, and the dominant gene expressed was the Entpd 5 enzyme, in SiHa cell line (HPV16 positive). In accordance with this result, a higher hydrolysis activity for UDP and GDP nucleotides was observed in the supernatant of the SiHa cells. Both normal and cancer cells presented activity and mRNAs of members of the NPP family. Considering that these enzymes exert an important catalytic activity, controlling purinergic nucleotide concentrations in tumors, the presence of ectonucleotidases in cervical cancer cells can be important to regulate the levels of extracellular adenine nucleotides, limiting their effects.

ResumoAtividades de educação em saúde incentivam a prevenção, a detecção

The objective of this study was to identify the frequency of coinfection by human papillomavirus (HPV) and Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) in cervical lesions and relate it with immunohistochemical expression of p16INK4a and Ki67, both oncogenicity markers. A cross-sectional study with 86 women from primary care units in southern Brazil was conducted. Cervical swabs were collected for HPV-DNA and CT-DNA detection, through the polymerase chain reaction technique (PCR). The immunohistochemical analysis was performed on biopsy cervical tissue material to identify the expression of p16INK4a and Ki67 cell cycle markers. About 83 % were positive for HPV-DNA and 19% had coinfection with CT-DNA. Among coinfected women, 56% expressed p16INK4a. There was a statistically significant association between the histological grade of the lesion and Ki67 expression. All high-grade lesions, 50% of low-grade lesions and 31% of negative biopsies expressed Ki67 (p = 0.004). A total of 37% of coinfected women expressed both markers. In conclusion, although more than half of the coinfected patients have expressed p16INK4a and more than one third have expressed both markers, these results suggest no association between those variables. However, other studies involving larger samples are necessary to corroborate such findings.

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Objetivo: Verificar a presença de micoses superficiais e cutâneas na comunidade e desenvolver ações preventivas para o combate das mesmas proporcionando melhor qualidade de vida na população. Material e Métodos: Tendo em vista a prevalência relativamente alta das infecções fúngicas, foram atendidos pacientes encaminhados para o diagnóstico micológico e aplicado a eles medidas preventivas de orientação verbal sobre o que é uma micose, como ocorre o contágio, suas recidivas entre outras e também a entrega de um manual explicativo com essas mesmas orientações. Todos os procedimentos foram realizados pelo acadêmico bolsista o qual participou ativamente em todas as etapas de execução do projeto, tanto na atividade prática quanto no desenvolvimento e aplicação de ações preventivas. Resultados: Durante os anos de 2013 e 2014, foram atendidos 179 pacientes e colhidas 199 amostras clínicas nos diversos sítios anatômicos. Após o diagnóstico micológico, o paciente foi encaminhado para a Unidade Básica de Saúde (UBS) para receber o tratamento. Os fungos com maior prevalência foram a levedura Candida spp e os dermatófitos Trichophyton rubrum igualmente com 24,9% seguido do Trichophyton mentagrophytes com 22,4% dos isolados. Conclusão: Os resultados dos fungos isolados no diagnóstico micológico possibilitaram confirmar a presença de micoses superficiais e cutâneas na comunidade envolvida reforçando a necessidade de desenvolver ações preventivas que possam diminuir a prevalência das mesmas. DESCRITORES: Prevalência. Diagnóstico. Infecções Fúngicas. Prevenção.

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