BACKGROUND: Since the colonization of Brazil in 1500, systemic, institutional, and relational racism has produced inequalities for its black and indigenous people. This legacy perpetuates white supremacy and intensifies social inequalities. PURPOSE: This Opinion Piece aims to raise reflexivity on racism in Brazil and its impacts on the occupations of black people within the context of occupational apartheid. KEY ISSUES: We start exploring social justice and occupational justice concepts to map a methodological path for the theoretically informed discussion. Then, we discuss the concept of collective occupations as a possibility for intervention in the face of racial inequalities and introduce some occupational therapy practices to exemplify strategies to tackle the identified challenges. IMPLICATIONS: We conclude by showing that the field of ethnic-racial relations is still only minimally explored in Brazilian occupational therapy. We also point out some possibilities for further studies in the area.

Introdução: A literatura indica uma correlação entre estrogênio elevado no soro e sintomas nasais ou alterações inflamatórias na mucosa nasal. Os receptores de estrogênio tendem a ser controlados por retroalimentação negativa, para evitar um estímulo nocivo sobre as diversas funções corporais em períodos de hiperestrogenismo. Propomos uma hipótese em que os mecanismos que regulam a expressão de receptores de estradiol na mucosa nasal estão ausentes em alguns pacientes, e a sua concentração permanece estável mesmo em períodos de elevada concentração sérica hormonal, o que pode conduzir a sintomas locais na mucosa nasal. Desenho do estudo: Estudo prospectivo experimental. Objetivo: Determinar se altos níveis de estrogênio induzem à redução no número de receptores de estrogênio na mucosa nasal. Material e método: Trinta cobaias foram submetidas à biópsia da concha nasal, recebendo 0,5 ml de cipionato de estradiol por via intraperitoneal por trinta dias consecutivos. Em seguida foram obtidas amostras da concha nasal contralateral. As análises imuno-histoquímicas dos receptores de estrógeno foram realizadas antes e depois da hormonioterapia. Resultados: O grupo pós-tratamento mostrou uma redução da expressão dos receptores (p = 5,2726-5). Conclusão: Redução na expressão do receptor de estrogênio nasal foi encontrada após trinta dias de administração de estradiol.

Introduction: Some clinical trials revealed a correlation between increased serum estrogen and nasal symptoms or inflammatory changes in nasal mucosa. Estrogen receptors tend to be controlled by a negative feedback, to avoid a deleterious stimulus over several body functions while in hyperestrogenic periods. This study proposes a hypothesis where mechanisms regulating expression of estradiol receptors in nasal mucosa are absent in some patients, and their concentration remains steady even in periods of high serum hormonal concentration, potentially leading to local estrogenic symptoms in nasal mucosa. Study design: This was an experimental prospective study. Aim: To determine whether estrogen levels induce the reduction of the number of estrogen receptors in the nasal mucosa. Methods: In the present study, 30 adult male guinea pigs were subjected to a biopsy of the middle nasal turbinate and received 0.5 mL of estradiol cypionate intraperitoneally for 30 consecutive days. Afterwards, samples from contralateral middle turbinate were obtained. Immunohistochemical analysis of estrogen receptors were performed pre- and post-treatment. Results: The post-treatment group showed reduction of receptor expression when compared to the pre-treatment group. (p = 5.2726-5). Conclusion: A reduction in the expression of the nasal estrogen receptor was observed after 30 days of estradiol administration.