Abstract INTRODUCTION: The present study evaluated the epidemiology of cryptococcal meningitis and TNFα gene polymorphisms in patients at a reference hospital in northern Brazil. METHODS: Samples from 25 patients infected with Cryptococcus spp. were collected to confirm the infection and to analyze the TNFα gene polymorphisms. RESULTS: Cryptococcus neoformans was detected as the predominant etiological agent (100%) in HIV-positive patients. No genetic polymorphic changes were found. CONCLUSIONS: No correlation was observed between the analyzed TNFα polymorphisms and cryptococcal meningitis.

INTRODUÇÃO: As síndromes linfoproliferativas formam um grupo heterogêneo de neoplasias malignas com diferentes comportamentos clínicos, fatores patológicos e características epidemiológicas e podem ter seu diagnóstico geral com base na morfologia das células linfoides observadas no sangue periférico. OBJETIVO: Testar a factibilidade diagnóstica do método de imunofenotipagem por citometria de fluxo para síndromes linfoproliferativas a partir da definição de um painel mínimo de anticorpos. MATERIAL E MÉTODOS: Participaram 47 pacientes para diagnóstico diferencial dos subtipos de síndromes linfoproliferativas por citometria de fluxo, no período de julho de 2008 a julho de 2010, atendidos na Fundação HEMOPA. RESULTADOS: A mediana de idade dos pacientes foi de 68 anos, não houve diferença estatística entre os sexos e o subtipo de síndromes linfoproliferativas mais frequente foi a leucemia linfoide crônica/linfoma linfocítico de pequenas células B. CONCLUSÃO: O método de imunofenotipagem por citometria de fluxo, ao lado da morfologia, de amostras de sangue periférico mostrou-se uma metodologia auxiliar, segura, rápida, factível e não invasiva para o diagnóstico de síndromes linfoproliferativas crônicas a partir do painel de anticorpos sugerido.

INTRODUCTION: Lymphoproliferative syndromes comprise a heterogeneous group of malignant neoplasias with different clinical behaviors, pathological factors and epidemiological characteristics, whose diagnosis may be based on lymphoid cell morphology observed in peripheral blood. OBJECTIVE: To test the diagnostic feasibility of immunophenotyping by flow cytometry for lymphoproliferative syndromes through the definition of minimal antibody panel. MATERIAL AND METHODS: During the period of July 2008 to July 2010, 47 patients from HEMOPA blood center participated in this study for differential diagnosis of lymphoproliferative syndromes subtypes by flow cytometry. RESULTS: The mean age was 68 years old. There was no statistical difference between genders, and the most frequent subtype of lymphoproliferative syndromes was chronic lymphoid leukemia/small B-cell lymphocytic lymphoma. CONCLUSION: Based on the antibody panel recommended in this investigation, the immunophenotyping method by flow cytometry associated with morphological characterization of peripheral blood samples is a reliable, rapid, feasible, and non-invasive procedure for the diagnosis of chronic lymphoproliferative syndromes.