Presence of papillomavirus sequences in condylomatous lesions of the mamillae and in invasive carcinoma of the breast

BACKGROUND: Viruses including Epstein–Barr virus (EBV), a human equivalent of murine mammary tumour virus (MMTV) and human papillomavirus (HPV) have been implicated in the aetiology of human breast cancer. We report the presence of HPV DNA sequences in areolar tissue and tumour tissue samples from female patients with breast carcinoma. The presence of virus in the areolar–nipple complex suggests to us a potential pathogenic mechanism. METHODS: Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was undertaken to amplify HPV types in areolar and tumour tissue from breast cancer cases. In situ hybridisation supported the PCR findings and localised the virus in nipple, areolar and tumour tissue. RESULTS: Papillomavirus DNA was present in 25 of 29 samples of breast carcinoma and in 20 of 29 samples from the corresponding mamilla. The most prevalent type in both carcinomas and nipples was HPV 11, followed by HPV 6. Other types detected were HPV 16, 23, 27 and 57 (nipples and carcinomas), HPV 20, 21, 32, 37, 38, 66 and GA3-1 (nipples only) and HPV 3, 15, 24, 87 and DL473 (carcinomas only). Multiple types were demonstrated in seven carcinomas and ten nipple samples. CONCLUSIONS: The data demonstrate the occurrence of HPV in nipple and areolar tissues in patients with breast carcinoma. The authors postulate a retrograde ductular pattern of viral spread that may have pathogenic significance

Expression, purification and immunological characterization of the transforming protein E7, from cervical cancer-associated human papillomavirus type 16

E7 is the major oncogenic protein produced in cervical cancer-associated human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV16). This protein was expressed in Escherichia coli as a glutathione-S-transferase (GST) fusion protein. E7-enriched inclusion bodies were collected from bacterial lysates, were solubilized in 10 m urea, and the protein was purified using anion exchange column chromatography. After removal of endotoxin with serial Triton X-114 extractions, material of high purity (about 90%) was obtained, which is suitable for use in a human clinical trial. This material was immunogenic, and when used as a vaccine, protected mice against challenge with an HPV16 E7 DNA transfected tumour cell line. Based on this observation, the E7GST fusion protein is currently being used in a human clinical trial of a vaccine against HPV16-induced cervical cancer. This fusion protein could be cleaved with thrombin to remove the GST fusion part and further purified by preparative SDS gel electrophoresis to obtain free E7 with > 98% purity

Comportamento comunicativo de indivíduos com diagnóstico de esquizofrenia

Objetivo descrever o comportamento comunicativo de indivíduos com diagnóstico de esquizofrenia em processo de reabilitação psicossocial. Métodos estudo descritivo-exploratório, com amostra por conveniência de recorte transversal. Participaram 50 indivíduos com diagnóstico de esquizofrenia, de ambos os sexos, com faixa etária entre 19 e 75 anos, usuários de um Núcleo de Saúde Mental de uma cidade do interior do estado de São Paulo, Brasil. Foi realizado levantamento nos prontuários para obter dados pessoais e o subtipo da esquizofrenia. Para avaliar o comportamento comunicativo utilizou-se a Bateria Montreal de Avaliação da Comunicação (Bateria MAC), constituída por 14 tarefas que avaliam os aspectos discursivo, pragmático inferencial, léxico-semântico e prosódico da linguagem. Resultados os indivíduos, em sua maioria, eram do sexo masculino, com baixa escolaridade, praticantes do catolicismo e com esquizofrenia do subtipo paranoide. A avaliação pela Bateria MAC apontou alterações em todas as tarefas avaliadas e a maioria dos participantes respondeu que é consciente da dificuldade comunicativa. As maiores alterações ocorreram nas tarefas de evocação lexical com critério semântico, atos de fala indiretos, discurso conversacional e discurso narrativo, e, as menores alterações, ocorreram nos componentes prosódicos no nível de compreensão, destacando-se que, o nível da produção nos aspectos linguísticos e emocionais da prosódia, também apresentou alteração considerável. Conclusão todas as tarefas avaliadas apresentaram alterações. Os aspectos mais prejudicados foram o discurso e a pragmática, que não devem ser relacionados somente aos aspectos linguísticos, mas também às características de alteração do pensamento e da cognição, ao embotamento afetivo e questões sociais desse transtorno

Corrigendum: Mutations in SNORD118 cause the cerebral microangiopathy leukoencephalopathy with calcifications and cysts

Although ribosomes are ubiquitous and essential for life, recent data indicate that monogenic causes of ribosomal dysfunction can confer a remarkable degree of specificity in terms of human disease phenotype. Box C/D small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) are evolutionarily conserved non-protein-coding RNAs involved in ribosome biogenesis. Here we show that biallelic mutations in the gene SNORD118, encoding the box C/D snoRNA U8, cause the cerebral microangiopathy leukoencephalopathy with calcifications and cysts (LCC), presenting at any age from early childhood to late adulthood. These mutations affect U8 expression, processing and protein binding and thus implicate U8 as essential in cerebral vascular homeostasis.status: publishe

Corrigendum: Mutations in SNORD118 cause the cerebral microangiopathy leukoencephalopathy with calcifications and cysts

Correction to: Mutations in SNORD118 cause the cerebral microangiopathy leukoencephalopathy with calcifications and cysts (vol 48, pg 1185, 2016