A modified and efficient Knoevenagel condensation procedure was developed to synthesize the title compounds using β-alanine and acetic acid as catalysts, showing good to excellent yields. We used lawsone with suitable aliphatic aldehydes including isobutyraldehyde, 3-methyl-butyraldehyde, 2-ethylbutyraldehyde, phenylacetaldehyde, 2-phenyl-propionaldehyde, among others. These compounds were submitted to cytotoxic screening against three tumor cell lines presenting good to excellent cytotoxic profiles.

Dentre as doenças cardiovasculares, a trombose venosa (TV) destaca-se pela associação entre fatores de riscos adquiridos e fatores genéticos. A resistência hereditária à proteína C ativada tem sido identificada como a principal causa dos casos de trombose venosa, sendo frequentemente associada à mutação fator V Leiden (G1694A). Em indivíduos homozigotos, o risco de trombose venosa é 50 a 100 vezes maior que em pacientes homozigotos normais, enquanto em pacientes heterozigotos o risco é de 5 a 10 vezes. Baseado na necessidade de avaliação e acompanhamento de pacientes com casos de trombose venosa e prevenção de seus respectivos familiares, foi desenvolvido um método simples de discriminação alélica do fator V da coagulação utilizando PCR em tempo real. Foram selecionados 67 pacientes com histórico de TV e 51 indivíduos sem histórico de TV. Primeiramente, a discriminação alélica do fator V foi realizada através de PCR convencional seguida de digestão enzimática (Mnl). Posteriormente, o diagnóstico foi realizado por PCR em tempo real. Ambos os métodos foram baseados no polimorfismo G1691A, sendo no segundo utilizado fluoróforos VIC e FAM para marcar os nucleotídeos G e A, respectivamente. A técnica de PCR-RFLP foi utilizada para diagnosticar 95 indivíduos homozigotos normais, 21 heterozigotos e 2 homozigotos FVL. Utilizando PCR em tempo real foram obtidos os mesmos resultados. A máxima similaridade entre os resultados obtidos por PCR em tempo real e PCR-RFLP indicou precisão significativa do novo método de discriminação e visualização alélica do fator V.

Among cardiovascular diseases, venous thrombosis is important due to the association between acquired and genetic risks factors. Hereditary resistance to activated protein C has been identified as the main cause of venous thrombosis, and is frequently associated to the factor V Leiden mutation (G1694A). In homozygotic individuals, the risk of venous thrombosis is 50 to 100 times higher that in normal patients, while in heterozygotic patients the risk is 5 to 10 times higher. Based on the need of evaluation and follow up of patients with venous thrombosis and prevention in their respective families, a simple method of allelic discrimination of coagulation V factor was developed using real time PCR. Sixty-seven patients with a history of venous thrombosis and 51 individuals without venous thrombosis were selected for this study. First, identification of the factor V allele was achieved through conventional PCR followed by enzymatic digestion (Mnl). Subsequently, diagnosis was attained by real time PCR. Both the methods investigated the G1691A polymorphism using VIC and FAM fluorophores to mark nucleotides G and A, respectively. By PCR-RFLP, 95 individuals were diagnosed as normal homozygotes, 21 as heterozygotes and 2 as homozygotic factor V Leiden individuals. The same results were obtained using real time PCR. Maximum similarity between the results of real time PCR and PCR-RFLP indicates high precision of the new method for allelic identification and visualization of factor V Leiden.

Most cases of a predisposition to venous thrombosis are caused by resistance to activated protein C, associated in 95% of cases with the Factor V Leiden allele (FVL or R506Q). Several recent studies report a further increased risk of thrombosis by an association between the AB alleles of the ABO blood group and Factor V Leiden. The present study investigated this association with deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in individuals treated at the Hemocentro de Pernambuco in northeastern Brazil. A case-control comparison showed a significant risk of thrombosis in the presence of Factor V Leiden (OR = 10.1), which was approximately doubled when the AB alleles of the ABO blood group were present as well (OR = 22.3). These results confirm that the increased risk of deep vein thrombosis in the combined presence of AB alleles and Factor V Leiden is also applicable to the Brazilian population suggesting that ABO blood group typing should be routinely added to FVL in studies involving thrombosis.

As tromboses são eventos de etiopatogênese multifatorial resultantes da interação de fatores genéticos e ambientais, constituindo na atualidade uma das causas mais comuns de morbimortalidade. Uma mutação de ponto no fator V da coagulação, o fator V Leiden (FVL), constitui o defeito genético mais comum associado com trombofilia. No Brasil, o estudo deste fator de risco é relativamente recente e se dispõe de poucos dados na literatura especializada. Este trabalho teve como objetivo determinar a freqüência da mutação do fator V Leiden em 292 indivíduos sob investigação de trombofilia no Hemocentro de Pernambuco. A técnica molecular utilizada foi a RE/PCR (Enzima de Restrição/Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase), usando primers específicos e a enzima MnlI. A freqüência do FVL encontrada foi de 13,3%, sendo 36 heterozigotos e 3 homozigotos. A presença da mutação foi semelhante em indivíduos com idade tanto inferior quanto superior a 45 anos. Os resultados da pesquisa mostraram que a freqüência do FVL na população estudada é semelhante à descrita na literatura científica para indivíduos selecionados com tromboembolismo e confirmam a importância do estudo molecular nas diferentes faixas etárias.

Thrombosis is a multifactorial disease involving genetic and environmental factors and constitutes one of the most common causes of morbimortality. A point mutation in coagulation factor V - factor V Leiden (FVL), constitutes the most prevalent genetic defect associated with thrombophilias. The study of this risk factor is relatively recent in Brazil and only a few reports have been published to date. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of FVL in 292 individuals being investigated for thrombophilia at the Pernambuco State Blood Center. The molecular biology technique used was RE/PCR (Restriction Enzyme / Polymerase Chain Reaction), using specific primers and the MnlI enzyme. The frequency of FVL was 13.3% including 36 heterozygous and 3 homozygous individuals. The presence of the mutation was similar among individuals under and over 45 years old. Our findings are similar to results published for selected patients who suffered from thromboembolism and they confirm the importance of molecular testing at different ages.