No description available.

Exposure to combustion emissions poses a threat to human health due to the complex mixture of toxic compounds. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are one group of compounds found within this mixture, and have known carcinogenic and mutagenic properties. Rates of exposure to PAHs depend on a wide range of variables including, but not limited to, demographic, geographical location, dietary habits, smoking habits, and occupation. Understanding magnitude of exposure to these compounds in various groups is imperative to highlight at-risk populations and provide appropriate exposure reduction recommendations. Here, urinary biomarkers are used as a non-invasive, convenient way to assess an individual’s exposure to combustion emissions. Urinary measurements of metabolites of individual PAHs as well as compounds indicative of a physiological condition resulting from combustion emission exposure are used to infer exposure. Pairing urinary data with information from questionnaires collecting data on possible sources of combustion by-product exposure was used to determine situations of high exposures. This thesis investigated the influence of demographic, lifestyle, and occupational factors on urinary levels of PAH metabolites and/or urinary mutagenicity. More specifically, statistical methods were used to analyze population data compiled for the Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS). Smoking, age, and sex were identified as the variables most predictive of urinary PAH metabolite concentrations in Canadians. Together with the other demographic and lifestyle variables examined, 24-50% of the variation in the various PAH metabolites was explained. Furthermore, the results obtained illustrated that utilizing PAH metabolites other than the traditionally used 1-hydroxypyrene may be more suitable for certain exposure scenarios (e.g., fluorene metabolites for tobacco smoke exposure). Occupational exposures to combustion emission were investigated in firefighters as they experience above average risk of cancer, thus paired with their obvious involvement with combustion, are an ideal population to apply the use of urinary biomarkers to assess PAH and combustion exposure. The effect of participating in fire suppression activities (i.e., firefighting) on urinary levels of selected PAH metabolites and organic mutagens was examined. Levels of external PAH exposures were assessed using personal air monitoring and surface wipes of skin. Significant increases in urinary PAH metabolites and mutagenicity were seen after fire suppression events. Empirical relationships between urinary PAH metabolites and duration of fire event and skin concentrations of PAHs suggested that dermal contamination during live fire events is a major route of exposure. Overall, the results from both studies identified factors that may affect an individual’s concentrations of urinary biomarkers of combustion emission exposure. This may be used to identify at-risk populations and/or determine effective exposure reduction techniques to these hazardous compounds.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major cause of illness in dogs, and it is commonly caused by glomerular diseases that result in proteinuria and a progressive decline in renal function. Despite the importance of glomerular lesions, tubulointerstitial fibrosis identified by histologic evaluation of renal biopsies correlates best with renal function. However, performing a renal biopsy is invasive. Most current non-invasive tests for renal function lack adequate sensitivity and specificity for renal disease. Proteinuria can be both a sensitive and specific marker for renal damage. However, its evaluation in veterinary medicine beyond determination of the magnitude of proteinuria (e.g., urine protein:creatinine ratio (UPC)) is limited. Therefore, in this report, further evaluation of the UPC was performed to aid in the monitoring of renal disease progression and response to treatment. In addition, qualitative evaluation of proteinuria was performed in dogs with progressive CKD in order to identify better non-invasive markers for tubulointerstitial injury. The day-to-day variability of the UPC was determined utilizing data obtained from female dogs that are carriers for X-linked hereditary nephropathy (XLHN). Despite an unchanging magnitude of proteinuria in these dogs, substantial variation in their UPC was observed. Using these results, guidelines were suggested to help assess whether disease progression or treatment leads to a significant change in UPC. Qualitative characterization of proteinuria in dogs with CKD was performed using urine from male dogs affected with XLHN, and results were correlated with clinical and histologic findings concerning renal function and damage. The two discovery proteomic techniques utilized (chromatographic chip array and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis) revealed several proteins that have not previously been implicated as markers for canine CKD, providing a basis for future studies. Specific assays for urinary biomarkers of renal injury were used to serially evaluate renal function in these dogs. All proteins evaluated proved to be sensitive markers for renal damage. However, only retinol binding protein provided clear evidence for renal disease progression. These results will provide the foundation for future studies aimed at monitoring urinary biomarkers in dogs with CKD, which will ultimately help veterinarians better diagnose and monitor proteinuric renal disease.

No description available.

Obesity is a public health concern and cardiometabolic consequences are severe when obesity develops during youth and continues into adulthood. Treatment prior to adulthood confers health benefits, but adolescent obesity rates have continually increased, reaching 20.6% in 2013-2014. Quality and quantity of dietary intake contribute to the development of obesity, but limitations of self-reported dietary intake are evident in overweight or obese adolescents, who frequently misreport nutrients of concern. Added sugar, sodium, and protein intake may indicate diet quality in this population. The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines recommend decreasing consumption of added sugars, sodium, and processed protein due to their known contributions to overweight and obesity. Objective dietary intake assessment measures are necessary for investigating the association between dietary intake and health outcomes. Added sugar, sodium, and protein intake could be assessed objectively with a panel of urinary biomarkers. Prior research indicates the potential of these urinary biomarkers to reflect dietary intake, but to date, no controlled feeding study has been conducted in adolescents. Using a controlled feeding design, the current study aims to evaluate the validity of urinary sucrose, fructose, sodium, and nitrogen as objective indicators of dietary intake. It is hypothesized that urinary sucrose and fructose will reflect dietary added sugar intake, while urinary sodium and nitrogen will correspond to dietary sodium and protein intake, respectively, in a healthy adolescent population. These biomarkers, if valid, could be used in clinical and epidemiological research to improve understanding of the associations between dietary intake and health outcomes. / Master of Science

Introdução: Em torno de 30 a 50% dos pacientes críticos desenvolvem insuficiência renal aguda (IRA), sendo que sua progressão leva à necessidade de terapia renal substitutiva (TRS). Dentre os sobreviventes, em torno de 15 a 23% possuem a necessidade de diálise após alta. A ocorrência da insuficiência renal aguda tem sido associada à futura progressão para doença renal crônica. É possível que marcadores tubulares estejam alterados após a recuperação da IRA, antecipando o desenvolvimento de doença renal crônica. Objetivos: Comparar a β2 Microglobulina, as enzimas urinárias N-acetil- β-D-glucosaminidase, lactato desidrogenase e fosfatase alcalina, as frações de excreção de magnésio, fósforo, potássio e ácido úrico e o gradiente transtubular de potássio, bem como a presença de microalbuminúria e proteinúria entre pacientes normais sem qualquer história prévia de dano ou qualquer tipo de disfunção renal, com pacientes sobreviventes de IRA severa com necessidade de hemodiálise que recuperaram função renal de forma a avaliar se existem diferenças entre os 2 grupos. Métodos: Foram incluídos pacientes que apresentaram insuficiência renal aguda com necessidade de hemodiálise internados no centro de terapia intensiva (CTI) do Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre e que receberam alta nos períodos de 2007 a 2010, sem apresentar as seguintes co-morbidades: insuficiência renal crônica, hepatopatia crônica, pacientes HIV positivo, transplantados, doença vascular severa, diabetes com complicações crônicas e rim único funcionante e que apresentavam função renal normal definida por taxa de filtração glomerular > 60 mL/min/1.73m2 calculada pela equação CKD-EPI. Os mesmos foram comparados com voluntários sadios pareados por sexo e idade (+/- 4 anos). Para avaliação das frações de excreção e do gradiente transtubular de potássio foram feitas análises excluindo o uso de medicamentos diuréticos, inibidores da ECA e bloqueadores dos receptores de angiotensina. Resultados: A fração de excreção de magnésio encontrou-se aumentada no grupo com IRA prévia seguida por um menor gradiente transtubular de potássio bem como lactato desidrogenase elevada. O grupo com IRA prévia apresentou proteinúria e microalbuminúria e embora sem significância estatística (P=0,052) uma maior fração de excreção de fósforo. Conclusão: Mesmo com taxa de filtração glomerular normal comparável, os sujeitos do grupo com ira prévia apresentaram sugestivas alterações em nível tubular refletidas por maior fração de excreção de magnésio, elevada lactato desidrogenase e um menor gradiente transtubular de potássio, microalbuminúria e proteinúria que refletem um possível dano renal. Estes achados levam à hipótese de que sujeitos com prévia IRA severa com necessidade de terapia de renal substitutiva, apresentam uma possível sequela relativa à IRA prévia ou uma predisposição para insuficiência renal crônica. / Background: About 30 to 50% of the critically ill patients develop acute renal failure (ARF) and the progression leads to the need of renal replacement therapy. Between the survivors 15 to 23% has the need of dialysis after discharge. The severity of the ARF is a robust predictor for the development of a future chronic kidney disease. The occurrence of acute renal failure has been associated with future progression of chronic kidney disease. Objective: Compare β2-microglobulin, the urinary enzymes N-acetyl-β- D-glucosaminidase, lactate dehydrogenase, alkaline phosphatase fractional excretion of magnesium, phosphorous, potassium and uric acid transtubular potassium gradient, including the presence of microalbuminuria and proteinuria between subjects with normal renal function without any previous history of acute renal injury or any kind of renal dysfunction with survivors of severe ARF with the needed of hemodialysis that recovered renal function in order to evaluate if there are differences between the 2 groups. Methods: It was enrolled patients that presented acute renal failure with the need of hemodialysis hospitalized on intensive care unit (ICU) and discharged on the period of 2007 to 2010 at Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, without the following co-morbidities chronic renal failure, chronic hepatopathy, positive HIV, transplants, severe vascular disease, diabetes with chronic complications and single functioning kidney that presented normal renal function defined as glomerular filtration rate (GFR) > 60 mL/min/1.73m2 calculated by CKD EPI formula The subjects were compared with healthy volunteers and paired by sex and age (+/- 4 years). To evaluate fractional excretions and transtubular potassium gradient, analyses were made excluding subjects that were taken diuretic medication, ACE inhibitors and angiotensin block receptors. Results: The fractional excretion of magnesium was finding increased on the previous ARF group followed by a lower transtubular potassium gradient and elevated lactate dehydrogenase. The previous ARF group showed proteinuria and microalbuminuria and although without statistical significance (p=0.052) an elevated phosphorous excretion. Conclusion: Although normal glomerular filtration rate, the subjects with previous ARF, showed suggested tubular alterations reflected by a higher fractional excretion of magnesium, elevated lactate dehydrogenase and a lower transtubular potassium gradient, microalbuminuria and proteinuria that reflects a possible renal damage. Those findings lead to the hypothesis that subjects with previous severe ARF with the need of renal replacement therapy present a possible sequel related to previous ARF or a predisposition to chronic kidney disease.

Introdução: Em torno de 30 a 50% dos pacientes críticos desenvolvem insuficiência renal aguda (IRA), sendo que sua progressão leva à necessidade de terapia renal substitutiva (TRS). Dentre os sobreviventes, em torno de 15 a 23% possuem a necessidade de diálise após alta. A ocorrência da insuficiência renal aguda tem sido associada à futura progressão para doença renal crônica. É possível que marcadores tubulares estejam alterados após a recuperação da IRA, antecipando o desenvolvimento de doença renal crônica. Objetivos: Comparar a β2 Microglobulina, as enzimas urinárias N-acetil- β-D-glucosaminidase, lactato desidrogenase e fosfatase alcalina, as frações de excreção de magnésio, fósforo, potássio e ácido úrico e o gradiente transtubular de potássio, bem como a presença de microalbuminúria e proteinúria entre pacientes normais sem qualquer história prévia de dano ou qualquer tipo de disfunção renal, com pacientes sobreviventes de IRA severa com necessidade de hemodiálise que recuperaram função renal de forma a avaliar se existem diferenças entre os 2 grupos. Métodos: Foram incluídos pacientes que apresentaram insuficiência renal aguda com necessidade de hemodiálise internados no centro de terapia intensiva (CTI) do Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre e que receberam alta nos períodos de 2007 a 2010, sem apresentar as seguintes co-morbidades: insuficiência renal crônica, hepatopatia crônica, pacientes HIV positivo, transplantados, doença vascular severa, diabetes com complicações crônicas e rim único funcionante e que apresentavam função renal normal definida por taxa de filtração glomerular > 60 mL/min/1.73m2 calculada pela equação CKD-EPI. Os mesmos foram comparados com voluntários sadios pareados por sexo e idade (+/- 4 anos). Para avaliação das frações de excreção e do gradiente transtubular de potássio foram feitas análises excluindo o uso de medicamentos diuréticos, inibidores da ECA e bloqueadores dos receptores de angiotensina. Resultados: A fração de excreção de magnésio encontrou-se aumentada no grupo com IRA prévia seguida por um menor gradiente transtubular de potássio bem como lactato desidrogenase elevada. O grupo com IRA prévia apresentou proteinúria e microalbuminúria e embora sem significância estatística (P=0,052) uma maior fração de excreção de fósforo. Conclusão: Mesmo com taxa de filtração glomerular normal comparável, os sujeitos do grupo com ira prévia apresentaram sugestivas alterações em nível tubular refletidas por maior fração de excreção de magnésio, elevada lactato desidrogenase e um menor gradiente transtubular de potássio, microalbuminúria e proteinúria que refletem um possível dano renal. Estes achados levam à hipótese de que sujeitos com prévia IRA severa com necessidade de terapia de renal substitutiva, apresentam uma possível sequela relativa à IRA prévia ou uma predisposição para insuficiência renal crônica. / Background: About 30 to 50% of the critically ill patients develop acute renal failure (ARF) and the progression leads to the need of renal replacement therapy. Between the survivors 15 to 23% has the need of dialysis after discharge. The severity of the ARF is a robust predictor for the development of a future chronic kidney disease. The occurrence of acute renal failure has been associated with future progression of chronic kidney disease. Objective: Compare β2-microglobulin, the urinary enzymes N-acetyl-β- D-glucosaminidase, lactate dehydrogenase, alkaline phosphatase fractional excretion of magnesium, phosphorous, potassium and uric acid transtubular potassium gradient, including the presence of microalbuminuria and proteinuria between subjects with normal renal function without any previous history of acute renal injury or any kind of renal dysfunction with survivors of severe ARF with the needed of hemodialysis that recovered renal function in order to evaluate if there are differences between the 2 groups. Methods: It was enrolled patients that presented acute renal failure with the need of hemodialysis hospitalized on intensive care unit (ICU) and discharged on the period of 2007 to 2010 at Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, without the following co-morbidities chronic renal failure, chronic hepatopathy, positive HIV, transplants, severe vascular disease, diabetes with chronic complications and single functioning kidney that presented normal renal function defined as glomerular filtration rate (GFR) > 60 mL/min/1.73m2 calculated by CKD EPI formula The subjects were compared with healthy volunteers and paired by sex and age (+/- 4 years). To evaluate fractional excretions and transtubular potassium gradient, analyses were made excluding subjects that were taken diuretic medication, ACE inhibitors and angiotensin block receptors. Results: The fractional excretion of magnesium was finding increased on the previous ARF group followed by a lower transtubular potassium gradient and elevated lactate dehydrogenase. The previous ARF group showed proteinuria and microalbuminuria and although without statistical significance (p=0.052) an elevated phosphorous excretion. Conclusion: Although normal glomerular filtration rate, the subjects with previous ARF, showed suggested tubular alterations reflected by a higher fractional excretion of magnesium, elevated lactate dehydrogenase and a lower transtubular potassium gradient, microalbuminuria and proteinuria that reflects a possible renal damage. Those findings lead to the hypothesis that subjects with previous severe ARF with the need of renal replacement therapy present a possible sequel related to previous ARF or a predisposition to chronic kidney disease.

Introdução: Em torno de 30 a 50% dos pacientes críticos desenvolvem insuficiência renal aguda (IRA), sendo que sua progressão leva à necessidade de terapia renal substitutiva (TRS). Dentre os sobreviventes, em torno de 15 a 23% possuem a necessidade de diálise após alta. A ocorrência da insuficiência renal aguda tem sido associada à futura progressão para doença renal crônica. É possível que marcadores tubulares estejam alterados após a recuperação da IRA, antecipando o desenvolvimento de doença renal crônica. Objetivos: Comparar a β2 Microglobulina, as enzimas urinárias N-acetil- β-D-glucosaminidase, lactato desidrogenase e fosfatase alcalina, as frações de excreção de magnésio, fósforo, potássio e ácido úrico e o gradiente transtubular de potássio, bem como a presença de microalbuminúria e proteinúria entre pacientes normais sem qualquer história prévia de dano ou qualquer tipo de disfunção renal, com pacientes sobreviventes de IRA severa com necessidade de hemodiálise que recuperaram função renal de forma a avaliar se existem diferenças entre os 2 grupos. Métodos: Foram incluídos pacientes que apresentaram insuficiência renal aguda com necessidade de hemodiálise internados no centro de terapia intensiva (CTI) do Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre e que receberam alta nos períodos de 2007 a 2010, sem apresentar as seguintes co-morbidades: insuficiência renal crônica, hepatopatia crônica, pacientes HIV positivo, transplantados, doença vascular severa, diabetes com complicações crônicas e rim único funcionante e que apresentavam função renal normal definida por taxa de filtração glomerular > 60 mL/min/1.73m2 calculada pela equação CKD-EPI. Os mesmos foram comparados com voluntários sadios pareados por sexo e idade (+/- 4 anos). Para avaliação das frações de excreção e do gradiente transtubular de potássio foram feitas análises excluindo o uso de medicamentos diuréticos, inibidores da ECA e bloqueadores dos receptores de angiotensina. Resultados: A fração de excreção de magnésio encontrou-se aumentada no grupo com IRA prévia seguida por um menor gradiente transtubular de potássio bem como lactato desidrogenase elevada. O grupo com IRA prévia apresentou proteinúria e microalbuminúria e embora sem significância estatística (P=0,052) uma maior fração de excreção de fósforo. Conclusão: Mesmo com taxa de filtração glomerular normal comparável, os sujeitos do grupo com ira prévia apresentaram sugestivas alterações em nível tubular refletidas por maior fração de excreção de magnésio, elevada lactato desidrogenase e um menor gradiente transtubular de potássio, microalbuminúria e proteinúria que refletem um possível dano renal. Estes achados levam à hipótese de que sujeitos com prévia IRA severa com necessidade de terapia de renal substitutiva, apresentam uma possível sequela relativa à IRA prévia ou uma predisposição para insuficiência renal crônica. / Background: About 30 to 50% of the critically ill patients develop acute renal failure (ARF) and the progression leads to the need of renal replacement therapy. Between the survivors 15 to 23% has the need of dialysis after discharge. The severity of the ARF is a robust predictor for the development of a future chronic kidney disease. The occurrence of acute renal failure has been associated with future progression of chronic kidney disease. Objective: Compare β2-microglobulin, the urinary enzymes N-acetyl-β- D-glucosaminidase, lactate dehydrogenase, alkaline phosphatase fractional excretion of magnesium, phosphorous, potassium and uric acid transtubular potassium gradient, including the presence of microalbuminuria and proteinuria between subjects with normal renal function without any previous history of acute renal injury or any kind of renal dysfunction with survivors of severe ARF with the needed of hemodialysis that recovered renal function in order to evaluate if there are differences between the 2 groups. Methods: It was enrolled patients that presented acute renal failure with the need of hemodialysis hospitalized on intensive care unit (ICU) and discharged on the period of 2007 to 2010 at Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, without the following co-morbidities chronic renal failure, chronic hepatopathy, positive HIV, transplants, severe vascular disease, diabetes with chronic complications and single functioning kidney that presented normal renal function defined as glomerular filtration rate (GFR) > 60 mL/min/1.73m2 calculated by CKD EPI formula The subjects were compared with healthy volunteers and paired by sex and age (+/- 4 years). To evaluate fractional excretions and transtubular potassium gradient, analyses were made excluding subjects that were taken diuretic medication, ACE inhibitors and angiotensin block receptors. Results: The fractional excretion of magnesium was finding increased on the previous ARF group followed by a lower transtubular potassium gradient and elevated lactate dehydrogenase. The previous ARF group showed proteinuria and microalbuminuria and although without statistical significance (p=0.052) an elevated phosphorous excretion. Conclusion: Although normal glomerular filtration rate, the subjects with previous ARF, showed suggested tubular alterations reflected by a higher fractional excretion of magnesium, elevated lactate dehydrogenase and a lower transtubular potassium gradient, microalbuminuria and proteinuria that reflects a possible renal damage. Those findings lead to the hypothesis that subjects with previous severe ARF with the need of renal replacement therapy present a possible sequel related to previous ARF or a predisposition to chronic kidney disease.

Ovarian cancer (OC) has the highest mortality among gynecological cancers. The high mortality is associated with the lack of an accurate screening tool to detect disease in early stage. As a result the majority of OCs are diagnosed in late stage. Further, the molecular events responsible for malignant transformation in the ovary remain poorly understood. Consequently, delineating key molecular players driving OC could help elucidate potential diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic targets. Receptor for hyaluronan-mediated motility (RHAMM) belongs to a group of hyaladherins, which share a common ability to bind to hyaluronan (HA). Intracellularly, RHAMM is involved in microtubule spindle assembly contributing to cell cycle progression. On the cell surface, loosely tethered RHAMM forms a complex with cluster differentiation 44 and HA to activate cell signaling pathways that promote cellular migration, invasion and proliferation. Since RHAMM is overexpressed in a number of cancer types and it is often associated with an aggressive cancer phenotype, I sought to determine if RHAMM similarly contributes to OC. I found that RHAMM is overexpressed in clinical specimens of OC by immuno-histochemistry and although both primary and metastatic OCs stain equally for RHAMM, RHAMM staining was most intense among clinically aggressive OC histologic subtypes. Further, using an in vitro model system, I was able to show that OC cells express and secrete RHAMM. Abrogation of RHAMM using silencing RNA technology inhibited OC cell migration and invasion suggesting that RHAMM may contribute, at least in part, to the metastatic propensity of OC. Since RHAMM lacks an export signal peptide sequence and has not been reported to employ alternate mechanisms for extracellular secretion, I utilized computational analyses to predict post-translational glycosylation events as a novel mode for RHAMM secretion. N- glycosylation inhibitors abrogated RHAMM secretion by OC cells in vitro validating my prediction and identify a novel and potentially unconventional mode for RHAMM secretion. Lastly, since RHAMM is secreted by OC cells, I sought to determine whether RHAMM could be detected in bodily fluids. In a pilot study, I found that urinary levels of RHAMM are elevated in OC patients as measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbant assays. Decreased urinary RHAMM levels noted following cytoreductive surgery support OC as the source of elevated urinary RHAMM levels. Finally, while obesity was associated with high urinary RHAMM levels in OC patients, combined measurements of urinary RHAMM and serum CA125 improved prediction of OC. Taken together, the studies described herein suggest that RHAMM contributes to OC and that further studies are warranted to further elucidate the clinical role of RHAMM in OC.

Background: There is need for judicious use of immunosuppression in patients with active lupus nephritis (LN), however this is guided by renal biopsy which is invasive and not freely available in most centres. Novel urinary biomarkers such as monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and tumour necrosis factor-like weak inducer of apoptosis (TWEAK) are secreted in the kidney and may be useful for predicting histological class, monitoring flares and assessing response to therapy. We assessed the utility of urinary MCP-1 (uMCP-1) and TWEAK (uTWEAK) in predicting renal histological findings, disease flares and treatment response 6 months following initiation of treatment for LN in newly biopsied patients. Methods: We recruited consenting patients with active LN confirmed on kidney biopsy. Relevant baseline demographic, biochemical and histological information was collected from the patients. ELISA methods were used to assess uMCP-1 and uTWEAK at baseline and at 6 months after completion of induction therapy. Results: There were 14 females and 6 male patients with a mean age of 29.8 ± 10.7 years, 60% were of mixed ancestry, 70% had proliferative LN. There was no association between uMCP-1 and uTWEAK and histological features (LN class, activity index, chronicity index and interstitial fibrosis). At 6 months, 6 patients were lost to follow-up and of the remaining 14, 12 (85%) attained remission (partial remission (n = 7) or complete remission (n = 5)). Both biomarkers were elevated in patients with active disease and significantly declined amongst those attaining remission, p = 0.018 and p = 0.015 respectively. However, for those not attaining remission, no association was found for both biomarkers (p >0.05). Conclusion: Our study did not show correlation between uMCP-1 and uTWEAK with histological features of LN. However, both biomarkers were elevated in patients with active disease and correlated with the remission status at the end of induction phase of treatment.