Student Number : 0318625T - MSc dissertation - School of Molecular and Cell Biology - Faculty of Science / Genetic variation in haptoglobin, a plasma protein, has been reported to be associated with susceptibility to and the rate of HIV/AIDS progression. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of haptoglobin polymorphism on HIV/AIDS in black South Africans. Polymorphism in the coding region of the haptoglobin gene was detected by direct DNA and allele-specific amplification. Polymorphism in the coding region of the gene was detected by amplification of DNA and by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of plasma protein. A statistically significant association was observed between allele -61C and resistance to HIV infection. The Hp0 phenotype, in which no haptoglobin protein is detected, was associated with HIV status and some promoter genotypes. Since in our study population there were a few samples with usable clinical data , further investigations need to be done to confirm the association of the -61C allele and the Hp0 phenotype with the risk of HIV infection.

Die vorliegende Untersuchung hatte zur Zielsetzung, bei Kühen die Unterschiede zwischen hypokalzämischen und normokalzämischen Festliegern zu analysieren. Es sollte geklärt werden, welche klinischen und labordiagnostischen Veränderungen, außer der Kalzium- (Ca) Konzentration, dem normokalzämische Festliegen zugrunde liegen. Des Weiteren wurden die TNF-α-, Haptoglobin- (Hp-) und TEAC-Konzentrationen in Beziehung zum Festliegen, den Mineralstoffkonzentrationen sowie hinsichtlich diagnostischer Information geprüft. Außerdem wurden die Festlieger mit Nachgeburtsverhaltung (Ret. sec.) und die Kühe mit Exitus letalis labordiagnostisch genauer analysiert.

Não consta resumo na publicação. / Abstract not available.

Orientador: Haroldo Wilson Moreira / Banca: Evandro José Cesarino / Banca: Luiz Carlos de Mattos / Resumo: A haptoglobina é uma glicoproteína plasmática sintetizada principalmente pelo fígado com atividade antioxidante e imunomodulatória. Sua principal função é a formação de um complexo estável com a hemoglobina livre, prevenindo a excreção de ferro pelos rins e danos causados pelo efeito oxidativo do mesmo. O polimorfismo desta proteína é caracterizado por três genótipos principais: Hp1 / Hp1, Hp2 / Hp1 e Hp2 / Hp2, sendo que estes apresentam subtipos na dependência das recombinações entre os alelos Hp1F, Hp1S, Hp2FS, Hp2SF, Hp2FF e Hp2SS. Apesar de contraditório, vários autores tentam correlacionar esses tipos e subtipos com doenças, na tentativa de responsabilizar algum deles como facilitador ou conferir resistência quanto às mesmas. Os objetivos deste estudo foram verificar as freqüências desse polimorfismo, suas freqüências alélicas e possíveis correlações em portadores e não portadores de doença arterial coronariana, bem como em doadores de sangue, pertencentes a uma parcela da população paulista. Dessa forma foram analisados 125 pacientes com DAC, 69 com ausência de DAC e 124 doadores de sangue. O material genético foi extraído, amplificado e após restrição enzimática com Dra I permitiu identificar os tipos e subtipos da haptoglobina. Os resultados permitiram concluir que essa caracterização pela técnica aplicada mostrou ser rápida e de fácil realização. Os portadores de DAC e os doadores de sangue evidenciaram maior freqüência do Hp2 / Hp2 e aqueles com ausência de DAC do genótipo heterozigoto, não sendo observada diferenças estatísticas significativas entre eles. Essa mesma observação era verificada quando estratificávamos os grupos quanto aos sexos. A freqüência alélica do Hp2 se mostrou maior que o Hp1 para os três grupos analisados. A distribuição dos subtipos da haptoglobina revelou que o prevalente...(Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: Haptoglobin is a glycoprotein synthesized by liver with antioxidant and immunomodulatory properties. Its main function is the formation of a stable complex with free hemoglobin, preventing iron loss and damage caused by oxidative effects. The polymorphism of this protein is characterized by three main genotypes: Hp1 / Hp1, Hp2 / Hp1 e Hp2 / Hp2, and these have subtypes in dependence of the recombination among the alleles Hp1F, Hp1S, Hp2FS, Hp2SF, Hp2FF e Hp2SS. Despite contradictory, the authors try to associated types and subtypes with diseases, attempt to hold responsible for someone or to permit resistance to them. The purposes of our study were to find the frequencies of this polymorphism, their allelic frequencies and possible associations in patients with coronary artery disease and patients without coronary artery disease, as well as in blood donors, from one fraction of Brazilian population. We have analyzed 125 patients with CAD, 69 patients without CAD and 124 blood donors. Genomic DNA was extracted, amplified and after enzyme restriction with Dra I we could identify types and subtypes of haptoglobin. With the results we conclude that this applied technique is fast and it's easy to carry out. Patients with CAD and blood donors evidenced higher frequencies for Hp2 / Hp2 and patients without CAD from heterozygous genotypes, weren't observed significant statistical differences among them. The same observation was verified when we stratified the groups regarding genders. The allelic frequency of Hp2 was shown higher than Hp1 for the three groups analyzed. The distribution of haptoglobin subtypes revealed that the prevalent for all groups were represented by Hp2FS / Hp2FS, followed by Hp2FS / Hp1F in patients with CAD and without CAD and Hp2FF / Hp2FF in blood donors. The third in expression was represented by Hp1S / Hp1S in patients with CAD, Hp2FS / Hp1S in patients without...(Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre

Não consta resumo na publicação. / Abstract not available.

No description available.

Predicting the prognosis of patients with prostate cancer is a clinically important problem. Previous studies have indicated that the expression of haptoglobin-related protein epitopes in samples of breast cancer in early stages was associated with earlier relapses and higher risk for tumor recurrence. Oncogenic antigen 519 (OA-519) is the new marker designation for molecules expressing haptoglobin-related protein epitopes. The objective of this immunohistochemical study was to examine OA-519 expression in prostate cancer samples and its relationship to the established prognostic indicators of tumor grade, tumor volume, and clinical stage. Forty-two consecutive tissue samples of prostate adenocarcinoma were examined using an affinity- purified anti-OA-519 antibody. Twenty specimens (48%) tested positive, whereas 22 (52%) tested negative. No staining was observed in normal or hyperplastic prostate tissue. Staining occurred in 6 of 9 (67%) grade III, 14 of 23 (61%) grade II, and in none of 10 (0%) grade I cases (I vs. II and/or III: Fisher exact test, P < 0.006). Twenty-three of the 42 samples were transurethral resection specimens with cancer; 11 (48%) of these tested positive. The mean percentage of tissue chips with tumor, a measure of tumor volume, was significantly higher in the positive group (57%) than in the negative group (15%) (P = 0.004). The proportion of positively stained cases increased with advancing clinical stage, with 25% of Stage A cases expressing OA-519, and 46%, 67%, and 64% of Stages B, C, and D, respectively, expressing OA-519. OA-519 expression correlates with higher tumor grades, larger tumors, and possibly with advanced stage, and thus, it is potentially of prognostic value in prostate cancer.

No description available.

Die vorliegende Untersuchung hatte zur Zielsetzung, bei Kühen die Unterschiede zwischen hypokalzämischen und normokalzämischen Festliegern zu analysieren. Es sollte geklärt werden, welche klinischen und labordiagnostischen Veränderungen, außer der Kalzium- (Ca) Konzentration, dem normokalzämische Festliegen zugrunde liegen. Des Weiteren wurden die TNF-α-, Haptoglobin- (Hp-) und TEAC-Konzentrationen in Beziehung zum Festliegen, den Mineralstoffkonzentrationen sowie hinsichtlich diagnostischer Information geprüft. Außerdem wurden die Festlieger mit Nachgeburtsverhaltung (Ret. sec.) und die Kühe mit Exitus letalis labordiagnostisch genauer analysiert.

<p style="text-align: justify; ">Glavni cilj ovog rada je bio da se razviju i optimizuju objektivni i merljivi&nbsp;indikatori biolo&scaron;kih rizika po bezbednost mesa trupova, kao i da se &ndash; na osnovu&nbsp;kvalitativne ocene rizika - objektivno sagledaju i uporede performanse glavnih strategija&nbsp;za upravljanje tim rizicima na klanicama za goveda i svinje.<br />Ispitan je potencijal haptoglobina goveda i svinja, podeljenih u grupe na osnovu&nbsp;njihove pred-istorije ili nalaza tokom inspekcije mesa, kao indikatora za njihovu rizičnu&nbsp;kategorizaciju pre klanja u pogledu prisustva patolo&scaron;kih lezija. Svaka životinja je bila&nbsp;podvrgnuta aktuelnoj zvaničnoj inspekciji mesa i određen je nivo haptoglobina u krvnom&nbsp;serumu. I u svinja i u goveda, srednje vrednosti koncentracije haptoglobina su bile&nbsp;značajno vi&scaron;e u grupama kod kojih su detektovane abnormalnosti u odnosu na grupe ovih&nbsp;životinja bez nađenih promena, ali takva korelacija nije utvrđena na nivou individualne<br />životinje. Studija je ukazala da određivanje srednjeg nivoa haptoglobina u grupa životinja&nbsp;namenjenih klanju može da služi kao dodatni, objektivni indikator op&scaron;te prihvatljivosti&nbsp;zdravstvenog statusa i/ili farme porekla životinja, u okviru analize informacija iz lanca&nbsp;hrane kao dela premortalne inspekcije. Ovo je važno zbog dono&scaron;enja odluke o&nbsp;sprovođenju pojednostavljene ili detaljnije postmortalne inspekcije određenih životinja ili&nbsp;grupa životinja na klanicama.&nbsp;U pogledu indikatora rizika od mikrobiolo&scaron;ke kontaminacije obrađenih goveđih&nbsp;trupova, ispitana je mogućnost kori&scaron;ćenja numeričke ocene vizuelne čistoće goveda pre&nbsp;klanja. Vizuelno je ocenjena čistoća kože goveda (na skali od 1 do 4), a zatim su na&nbsp;obrađenim trupovima određeni nivoi generičke mikrobiote i prisustvo Escherichia coli&nbsp;O157. Utvrđena je globalna korelacija između vizuelne čistoće kože i nivoa generičke&nbsp;mikrobiote na obrađenim trupovima, ali su se ti nivoi značajno razlikovali samo između&nbsp;trupova vrlo prljavih goveda (kategorija 4) i svih drugih manje prljavih ili čistih&nbsp;(kategorije 1, 2 i 3). U pogledu vizuelne čistoće goveda i prisustva Escherichia coli O157&nbsp;na obrađenim trupovima, jasna korelacija nije utvrđena. Potvrđena je opravdanost&nbsp;kori&scaron;ćenja sistema vizuelne ocene čistoće goveda i korisnost ove ocene kao jednog od&nbsp;indikatora nivoa rizika od mikrobiolo&scaron;ke kontaminacije obrađenih trupova u pogledu&nbsp;generičke mikrobiote.&nbsp;Takođe, ispitana je mogućnost kori&scaron;ćenja kvantitativnog odnosa između nivoa&nbsp;ulazne (na koži) i finalne (na obrađenim trupovima) mikrobiolo&scaron;ke kontaminacije kao&nbsp;potencijalnog indikatora za rizičnu kategorizaciju goveđih i svinjskih klanica u pogledu&nbsp;njihovih performansi u redukciji rizika od mikrobiolo&scaron;ke kontaminacije mesa. Na&nbsp;kožama i trupovima goveda i svinja su određeni nivoi generičke mikrobiote i prisustvo&nbsp;najznačajnijih patogena u lancu goveđeg (Escherichia coli O157) i svinjskog mesa&nbsp;(Salmonella). Rezultati su pokazali da je odnos statusa kože i obrađenog trupa u pogledu&nbsp;nivoa generičke mikrobiote precizniji i pouzdaniji u diferencijaciji performansi procesne&nbsp;higijene klanica, u poređenju sa zvaničnim aktuelnim kriterijumima procesne higijene&nbsp;navedenim u legislativi Evropske Unije. S druge strane, rezultati su ukazali da kori&scaron;ćenje&nbsp;prevalencije patogena kao parametra u karakterizaciji procesne higijene klanica nije&nbsp;korisno.&nbsp;Pored toga, upoređeni su potencijalni doprinosi glavnih dana&scaron;njih strategija u&nbsp;upravljanju biolo&scaron;kim rizicima za bezbednost mesa na klanicama za goveda i svinje -&nbsp;aktuelne inspekcije mesa i procesne higijene klanice - ukupnom osiguranju biolo&scaron;ke&nbsp;bezbednosti mesa. Kvalitativno su ocenjeni rizici po zdravlje ljudi od alimentarnih&nbsp;hazarda povezanih sa goveđim ili svinjskim mesom, koje je moguće kontrolisati jednom&nbsp;od ove dve strategije na klanicama. Poređenjem nivoa ocenjenih rizika, utvrđeno je da&nbsp;adekvatna procesna higijena danas značajno vi&scaron;e doprinosi ukupnoj biolo&scaron;koj&nbsp;bezbednosti mesa trupova goveda i svinja u odnosu na aktuelnu inspekciju mesa. Ipak, u&nbsp;globalnom sistemu bezbednosti mesa, obe navedene strategije moraju da imaju specifičnu&nbsp;ulogu, shodno oceni rizika od hazarda koje kontroli&scaron;u.&nbsp;Svekupno, ova studija je pružila naučnu osnovu za dalje unapređenje savremenog,&nbsp;longitudinalnog i integrisanog sistema biolo&scaron;ke bezbednosti goveđeg i svinjskog mesa,&nbsp;kao i za kori&scaron;ćenje nekih novih indikatora biolo&scaron;kih rizika u tom sistemu. Istovremeno,&nbsp;ukazala je i na potrebu i smer za dalja/dublja istraživanja za optimizaciju i&nbsp;implementacije tog modernog sistema i predloženih indikatora rizika u praksi.</p> / <p> The main aim of this work was to develop and optimize objective and measurable<br /> indicators of biological risks for the safety of carcass meat, and to - based on qualitative<br /> risk assessment - identify and objectively compare performances of the main risk<br /> management strategies in cattle and pig abattoirs.<br /> The potential of haptoglobin as an indicator of animal pre-slaughter risk<br /> classification regarding the presence of pathological lesions was investigated in cattle and<br /> pigs which were divided into groups, based on their pre-history or meat inspection<br /> findings. Each animal was subjected to the current official meat inspection and blood<br /> serum haptoglobin level determination. In both cattle and pigs, the mean haptoglobin<br /> concentrations were significantly higher in groups with abnormalities than in those<br /> without, but such a correlation was not been established at the level of individual animals.<br /> The study indicated that the mean haptoglobin level in groups of animals intended for<br /> slaughter can be used as an additional, objective indicator of general health status of<br /> animals and/or appropriateness of farm of their origin, when analysing the food chain<br /> information as a part of the ante-mortem inspection. This is important in deciding<br /> whether to perform simplified or detailed post-mortem inspection of certain animals or<br /> groups of animals at abattoirs.<br /> The numerical assessment of cattle cleanliness before slaughter was evaluated as a<br /> risk indicator of dressed beef carcasses&rsquo; microbial contamination. Cattle hide cleanliness<br /> was visually assessed (on a scale of 1 to 4) and levels of generic microbiota and<br /> occurrence of Escherichia coli O157 on dressed carcass were determined. A global<br /> correlation was found between the visual hide cleanliness and generic microbiota levels<br /> on dressed carcasses, but these levels significantly differed only between very dirty cattle<br /> (category 4) and all other less dirty or clean cattle (categories 1, 2 and 3). Regarding the<br /> visual cattle cleanliness and the presence of Escherichia coli O157 on dressed carcasses,<br /> a clear relationship was not determined. The validity of cattle cleanliness visual<br /> assessment system and usefulness of this as an indicator of risk of generic microbiota<br /> contamination of dressed carcasses was confirmed.<br /> Also, the quantitative relationship between the levels of incoming (hide/skin) and<br /> final (dressed carcasses) microbiological contamination was evaluated as an indicator for<br /> risk categorization of cattle and pig abattoirs in terms of their performances in reducing<br /> the risk of microbiological contamination of meat. Levels of generic microbiota and<br /> occurrence of the major pathogens in beef (Escherichia coli O157) and pork chain<br /> (Salmonella) were determined on hides/skins and dressed carcasses. The results showed<br /> that the ratio between generic microbiota levels on dressed carcasses and hides/skins is<br /> more precise and more reliable in the differentiation of process hygiene performances of<br /> abattoirs, compared to the official current process hygiene criteria laid down in the<br /> European Union legislation. On the other hand, the results indicated that the prevalence<br /> of pathogens is not useful as a parameter in the characterization of abattoir process<br /> hygiene.<br /> Additionally, potential contributions of the main current strategies in biological<br /> meat safety risk management in cattle and pig abattoirs - the current meat inspection and<br /> abattoir process hygiene - in ensuring the overall biological safety of meat were<br /> compared. Human health biological foodborne risks associated with beef or pork that can<br /> be controlled by one of the two strategies at abattoirs were qualitatively assessed.<br /> Comparing the levels of assessed risks, it was concluded that adequate process hygiene<br /> currently contributes significantly more to the overall biological safety of beef and pork<br /> VIII<br /> carcasses than current meat inspection. However, in the global meat safety assurance<br /> system, both of these strategies must have a specific role, according to the risk<br /> assessment of hazards which they individually control.<br /> Overall, this study has provided a scientific basis for the further development of<br /> contemporary, longitudinal and integrated risk management system for biological safety<br /> of beef and pork, as well as the use of some new indicators of biological risk in such a<br /> system. At the same time, it has indicated the needs and directions for further and more<br /> intensive research to optimize and implement that modern system and the proposed risk<br /> indicators in practice.</p>