ABSTRACT Objective: Abnormalities involving the TGFB1 gene and its receptors are common in several types of cancer and often related to tumor progression. We investigated the role of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in the susceptibility to cancer, their impact on its features, as well as the role of mRNA expression of these genes in thyroid malignancy. Materials and methods: We genotyped TGFB1, TGFBR1, and TGFBR2 SNPs in 157 papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) patients and 200 healthy controls. Further, we investigated RNA samples of 47 PTC and 80 benign nodules, searching for differential mRNA expression. Results: SNPs rs1800472 and rs1800469 were associated with characteristics of PTC aggressiveness. Effect predictor software analysis of nonsynonymous SNP rs1800472 indicated increasing protein stability and post-translational changes. TGFB1 mRNA expression was upregulated in PTC and downregulated in benign samples, differentiating malignant from benign nodules (p<0.0001); PTC from goiter (p<0.0001); and PTC from FA (p<0.0001). TGFBR1 mRNA expression was upregulated in goiter and PTC, but downregulated in FA, distinguishing PTC from goiter (p=0.0049); PTC from FA (p<0.0001); and goiter from FA (p=0.0267). On the other hand, TGFBR2 was downregulated in all histological types analyzed and was not able to differentiate thyroid nodules. Conclusion: TGFB1 polymorphism rs1800472 may confer greater activity to TGF-β1 in the tumor microenvironment, favoring PTC aggressiveness. Evaluation of TGFB1 and TGFBR1 mRNA levels may be useful to identify malignancy in thyroid nodules.

O acometimento por endometriose do retroperitônio é infrequente. Será dada importância aos achados da ressonância magnética que permitiram a suspeita diagnóstica de lesão periureteral em uma paciente em uso de tamoxifeno e que se apresentou com dor lombar esquerda e hidronefrose. Os achados histopatológicos obtidos por intermédio de biópsia percutânea orientada por tomografia computadorizada permitiram o diagnóstico de endometriose periureteral.

The involvement of the retroperitoneum by endometriosis occurs only sporadically. In the present report, emphasis will be given to the magnetic resonance imaging findings which raised the diagnostic suspicion of periureteral lesion in a patient undergoing tamoxifen therapy, presenting with left upper quadrant pain and hydronephrosis. Histopathological findings obtained by means of computed tomography-guided percutaneous biopsy revealed the diagnosis of periureteral endometriosis.

OBJETIVO: Avaliar a resposta inflamatória em coróide, retina e vítreo nos olhos de coelhos submetidos à crioterapia seguida de injeção intravítrea de triancinolona acetonida e comparar com os olhos de coelhos que foram submetidos à crioterapia seguida de injeção intravítrea de solução salina. MÉTODOS: Trata-se de um estudo prospectivo caso-controle. Foram realizados procedimentos cirúrgicos em 11 coelhos albinos, sendo excluídos os animais que não completaram o pós-operatório ou apresentaram complicações intra ou pós-operatórias. Todos os coelhos foram submetidos à peritomia temporal superior e aplicação de crioterapia transescleral em ambos os olhos. No final de cada procedimento, os animais receberam injeção intravítrea de triancinolona acetonida em um olho e de solução salina no olho contralateral. Após 7 dias de pós-operatório, os animais foram sacrificados e tiveram seus olhos enucleados. O humor vítreo desses olhos foi aspirado, e realizou-se a confecção de cortes histológicos dos globos oculares. Foi feita a contagem das células inflamatórias desses materiais em microscópio óptico. RESULTADOS: Foram analisados cortes histológicos dos olhos de 9 coelhos. Foram encontradas células inflamatórias apenas na coróide em todos os olhos. Não houve diferença estatisticamente significante no número de células inflamatórias entre os dois grupos estudados, independente do tipo celular analisado. CONCLUSÃO: O artigo em questão não demonstrou influência da triancinolona acetonida intravítrea na resposta inflamatória à crioterapia em coelhos. São necessários estudos com amostras maiores para confirmar a tendência deste trabalho.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the inflammatory response in the choroid, retina and vitreous in rabbit eyes underwent cryotherapy followed by intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide and to compare with those underwent cryotherapy followed by intravitreal injection of saline solution. METHODS: This is a prospective case-control study. Surgical procedures were performed in eleven rabbits. Two animals were excluded because they did not complete the postoperative period or had intraoperative or postoperative complications. All rabbits underwent superior temporal peritomy and transscleralcryotherapy in both eyes. After cryotherapy, animals received intravitreal injection of triamcinolone acetonide in one eye and saline solution in the fellow eye. Animals were sacrificed seven days after the procedure and their eyes were enucleated. Histological sections of eyeballs were prepared and the vitreous humor was aspirated. The count of inflammatory cells was performed by light microscopy. RESULTS: Histological sections of both eyes of nine rabbits were analyzed. Inflammatory cells were found only in the choroid. There was no statistically significant difference in the number of inflammatory cells between the two groups, regardless of cell type analyzed. CONCLUSION: This study showed no statistically significant difference between the use or absence of intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide in the inflammatory response to cryotherapy in rabbit eyes. Studies with larger samples are needed to confirm the trend of this paper.