BackgroundAcute lymphoblastic leukemia is the most common malignant cancer in childhood. The signs and symptoms of childhood cancer are difficult to recognize, as it is not the first diagnosis to be considered for nonspecific complaints, leading to potential uncertainty in diagnosis. The aim of this study was to perform proteomic analysis of serum from pediatric patients with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) to identify candidate biomarker proteins, for use in early diagnosis and evaluation of treatment.MethodsSerum samples were obtained from ten patients at the time of diagnosis (B-ALL group) and after induction therapy (AIT group). Sera from healthy children were used as controls (Control group). The samples were subjected to immunodepletion, affinity chromatography with α-d-galactose-binding lectin (from Artocarpus incisa seeds) immobilized on a SepharoseTM 4B gel, concentration, and digestion for subsequent analysis with nano-UPLC tandem nano-ESI-MSE. The program ExpressionE was used to quantify differences in protein expression between groups.ResultsA total of 96 proteins were identified. Leucine-rich alpha-2-glycoprotein 1 (LRG1), Clusterin (CLU), thrombin (F2), heparin cofactor II (SERPIND1), alpha-2-macroglobulin (A2M), alpha-2-antiplasmin (SERPINF2), Alpha-1 antitrypsin (SERPINA1), Complement factor B (CFB) and Complement C3 (C3) were identified as candidate biomarkers for early diagnosis of B-ALL, as they were upregulated in the B-ALL group relative to the control and AIT groups. Expression levels of the candidate biomarkers did not differ significantly between the AIT and control groups, providing further evidence that the candidate biomarkers are present only in the disease state, as all patients achieved complete remission after treatment.ConclusionA panel of protein biomarker candidates has been developed for pre-diagnosis of B-ALL and also provided information that would indicate a favorable response to treatment after induction therapy.

Airbone fungi are considered important causes of allergic rhinitis and allergic asthma. The knowledge of these fungi in a city or region is important for the ecological diagnosis and specific treatment of allergic manifestations induced by inhalation of fungal allergens. The airborne fungi of Fortaleza, State of Ceará, Brazil, were studied during a one year period. Five hundred and twenty Petri dishes with Sabouraud dextrose agar medium were exposed at ten different locations in the city. The dishes exposed yielded one thousand and five hundred and twenty one colonies of twenty four genera. The most predominants were: Aspergillus (44.7%), Penicillium (13.3%), Curvularia (9.8%), Cladosporium (6.8%), Mycelia sterilia (6.0%), Fusarium (3.5%), Rhizopus (3.1%), Drechslera (2.6%), Alternaria (2.4%) and Absidia (2.2%). The results shown that Aspergillus, Penicillium, Mycelia sterilia, Fusarium and Alternaria were found during all months in the year. Absidia was more frequent during the dry season. Anemophilous fungi and the high concentration of spores in the air are important because may result in an increased number of people with allergic respiratory disease.

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A contracepção de emergência é um método utilizado para prevenir a gravidez após a relação sexual desprotegida. O fácil acesso a esse método, sem nenhuma orientação, levanta preocupações em relação ao seu uso, principalmente no que diz respeito a uma possível substituição de um método contraceptivo regular por este, bem como pelo seu uso, em sua maioria, pelos adolescentes, e por generalização do uso repetitivo. Este estudo propôs avaliar o nível de conhecimento das mulheres usuárias, ou que tinham intenção de uso, do contraceptivo de emergência conhecido como ‘pílula do dia seguinte’, permitindo um melhor acompanhamento da sua utilização, e disponibilização de dados farmacoepidemiológicos úteis para promoção do uso racional desse medicamento. Mulheres usuárias, ou que tinham intenção de uso, da pílula foram convidadas a participar da pesquisa sobre uso de contraceptivo de emergência. Foi aplicado um questionário e os dados foram incluídos em um programa estatístico específico. No total, foram realizadas 74 entrevistas, sendo 54 em um Serviço de Atendimento Farmacêutico, por telefone, ao cliente/consumidor, de uma rede de farmácias comunitárias, e 20 entrevistas aplicadas para clientes, no momento da dispensação do contraceptivo, em uma das filiais dessa Rede. A maioria das entrevistadas pretendia fazer uso ou utilizar contraceptivo de emergência sem orientação/prescrição médica. Estas relataram que obtiveram informações sobre esse medicamento através de amigos, familiares e da mídia (televisão, internet). A maioria informou ter utilizado o contraceptivo de emergência uma ou duas vezes. Um dos principais motivos para justificar a utilização da pílula do dia seguinte foi o sexo desprotegido. Nossos achados alertam para que se tenha uma maior preocupação em relação à possibilidade de uso indevido desse medicamento, e seu fácil acesso nas farmácias comunitárias. Palavras- chave: 1. Contraceptivo de emergência 2. Farmácia comunitária 3. Serviço de Atendimento farmacêutico

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are diseases that occur when blood-producing cells in the bone marrow are damaged; such damage can affect one or more types of blood cells. Common types of MDS are refractory anemia with ring sideroblasts and refractory anemia with excess blasts (MDS-RS and MDS-EB, respectively). This work analyzed the proteomics of the medullary plasma of 10 patients with MDS-RS and MDS-EB compared to healthy control people. Overexpressed proteins that may be potential candidates for biological markers for the evaluation, study, and diagnosis of these diseases have been identified. These samples were subjected to immunodepleting, concentrated, and digested for further analysis by mass spectrometry. The ratios between selected groups and healthy people were calculated. Seven overexpressed proteins in both syndromes were identified as potential biomarker candidates: vitronectin (VTN), (2) fibrinogen (FGA), (3) pregnancy zone protein (PZP), (4) kininogen (KNG1), (5) immunoglobulin lambda chain (IGLL1), (6) complement factor C4b, and (7) hemopexin (HPX). A modified affinity chromatographic column with lectin frutalin (FTL) was used for non-depleted samples. Immunoglobulin M (IgM) was expressed in the samples from both syndromes. Surprisingly, IgM from patients with syndromes was over retained on the frutalin (FTL) column when compared with the control group. We further hypothesized that over retention of this protein by the FTL is due to the presence of α-galactosidic residues in the IgM of MDS-RS and MDS-EB patients. Differential recognition of proteins on non-depleted samples from the use of FTL appears to be a powerful tool for proteomic analysis.