RESUMO Introdução: Muitas doenças cerebrovasculares relacionam-se com processos inflamatórios, portanto, a influência de vários polimorfismos em doenças tem sido estudada para melhorar o conhecimento sobre os mecanismos fisiológicos do sistema nervoso. Objetivo: Identificar a associação entre um polimorfismo na posição -308 do gene TNFA e o desenvolvimento de acidente vascular encefálico hemorrágico (AVEH) ou aneurisma em pacientes de uma base hospitalar do Distrito Federal, Brasil. Métodos: Foram coletados os prontuários e as informações clínicas de pacientes com AVEH ou aneurisma. A caracterização dos grupos caso foi confirmada por tomografia computadorizada (TC) ou ressonância nuclear magnética (RNM). Os genótipos do gene TNFA foram determinados por técnica do polimorfismo de comprimento dos fragmentos de restrição do produto obtido pela reação em cadeia da polimerase (PCR). Resultados: O genótipo AG parece diminuir a ocorrência de AVEH ou aneurisma em indivíduos entre 45 e 63 anos. Nosso estudo foi o primeiro a investigar essa associação em uma amostra brasileira, embora um relatório anterior tenha mostrado efeito semelhante com o acidente vascular encefálico isquêmico em uma população chinesa. Conclusão: O genótipo TNFA -308 AG está associado à diminuição do risco de aneurisma ou AVEH em uma população da capital do Brasil, Distrito Federal.

ABSTRACT Introduction: Many cerebrovascular diseases display a relation with inflammatory processes. Furthermore, the influence of several polymorphisms has been studied to improve the knowledge of physiological mechanisms of the nervous system. Objectives: The aim of this study was to identify if there was an association between a polymorphism in -308 position of the TNFA gene and the development of hemorrhagic stroke or aneurysm in Distrito Federal, Brazil. Methods: We collected the clinical information and the medical records from hemorrhagic stroke or aneurysm patients. The occurrence of stroke or aneurysm was confirmed by computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance image (MRI). The TNFA genotypes were determined by polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism. Results: The AG genotype appears to decrease the occurrence of hemorrhagic stroke or aneurysm in people between 45-63 years. Our study was the first to investigate this association in a Brazilian sample, although a previous report showed a similar effect with ischemic stroke in a Chinese population. Conclusion: The TNFA -308 AG genotype is associated with a decreased risk of aneurysm or hemorrhagic stroke in a population from the capital of Brazil, Distrito Federal.

OBJECTIVES: The number of deaths from vascular diseases is incredibly high worldwide, and reliable markers for major events are still needed. The current cross-sectional study investigated the association of Klotho haplotypes and Klotho serum levels with classic risk factors and a clinical history of vascular events. METHODS: Clinical, anthropometric, biochemical and nutritional assessments were conducted with 168 older adults, complemented by genotyping (rs9536314 and rs9527025) and the detection of serum Klotho (ELISA). RESULTS: Klotho levels and haplotypes did not associate with most classic risk factors for vascular events, including markers such as C-reactive protein and homocysteine. A positive association was only found between Klotho levels and the previous occurrence of a myocardial infarction by both correlational (p=0.006) and variance analyses (p<0.001), and these associations were independent of the context. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that serum Klotho is higher in individuals with a clinical history of myocardial infarction but not with a history of coronary artery disease or stroke. None of the Klotho haplotypes were associated with the variables investigated herein.

This work describes the development and functional testing of two episomes for stable transfection of Trypanosoma cruzi. pHygD contained the 5'- and 3'- flanking regions of the gene encoding the cathepsin B-like protease of T. cruzi as functional trans-splicing and polyadenylation signals for the hygR ORF. Evidence is presented to support extrachromosomal maintenance and organization as tandem repeats in transfected parasites. pPac was derived from pHygD by replacement of the entire hygR ORF with a purR coding region. The ability to modify pHygD and the availability of the complete DNA sequence make these plasmids useful tools for the genetic manipulation of T. cruzi.