Angélica Alves Lima

Apolipoprotein E polymorphism in Brazilian dyslipidemic individuals: Ouro Preto study

The influence of apolipoprotein E alleles and genotypes on plasma lipid levels was determined in 185 individuals of mixed ethnicity living in Ouro Preto, Brazil. DNA was obtained from blood samples and the genotypes were determined by an RFLP-PCR procedure. The *3 allele was the most frequent (72%), followed by *4 (20%) and *2 (8%); *4 frequency was higher and *2 frequency was lower in the dyslipidemic group than in the normal control group. The *2 carriers presented lower LDL and total cholesterol levels compared to the *3 and *4 carriers. All six expected genotypes were observed in the individuals genotyped: E2/2 (2.1%), E4/4 (2.7%), E2/4 (3.7%), E2/3 (8.0%), E3/3 (53.3%), E3/4 (29.9%); no difference in genotype frequencies was found between the normal and dyslipidemic groups. Compared with *2, the presence of *3 increases more than two times the risk for dyslipidemia (OR = 2.31; P = 0.025; 95% CI = 1.06-5.06) and the presence of *4 increases it three times (OR = 3.31; P = 0.006; 95% CI = 1.36-8.04). The only significant effect of genotype was an increased risk for dyslipidemia in the *4 genotype carriers (E3/4 + E4/4) compared with the *2 genotype carriers (E2/2 + E2/3) with OR = 3.69 (95% CI = 1.25-10.88). The present study indicates that in the Ouro Preto admixed population the presence of APOE *2 can confer a protective effect, whereas the presence of APOE *4 implies an enhanced risk for dyslipidemia.

Effect of Substrate and pH on the Activity of Proteases from Fusarium oxysporum var. lini

The results obtained in this work suggest that both the pH (through selective inhibition) and the carbon source (through repression and acidification or alkalinization of the medium) may play an important role in the distribution of extracellular proteases in Fusarium oxysporum var. lini.

Morphometric evaluation and nonclassical criteria for the diagnosis of HPV infection and cytological atypia in cervical samples

Herein, we evaluated cervical samples from normal tissue or HPV‐infected tissue, to determine if the relative nuclear/cytoplasmic ratio (NA/CA) and the presence of nonclassical cytological criteria are a novel cytological criterion for the diagnosis of HPV. Significantly, larger NA/CA ratios were found for the HPV−ATYPIA+ and HPV+ATYPIA+ groups compared with HPV−ATYPIA− group, regardless of collection method. For the samples collected with a spatula, only three samples from the HPV−ATIPIA− group showed four or more nonclassical parameters (i.e., were positive), while a larger number of the samples in the HPV−ATYPIA+, HPV+ATYPIA−, and HPV+ATYPIA+ groups were positive (13, 4, and 13 samples, respectively). Among those collected with a brush, no sample showed four or more nonclassical criteria in the HPV−ATYPIA− group, while a number of samples were positive in the HPV−ATYPIA+, HPV+ATYPIA−, and HPV+ATYPIA+ groups (4, 3, and 4 samples, respectively). HPV infection was associated with significant morphometrical changes; no increase in the NA/CA ratio was found in the HPV+ATYPIA‐ samples, compared with the HPV−ATIPIA− samples collected with either a spatula or a brush. In conclusion, by including nonclassical cytological criteria into the patient diagnosis, we were able to reduce the number of false negative and false positive HPV diagnoses made using conventional cytology alone. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2013;41:785–792.

SIMVASTATIN ASSAY AND DISSOLUTION STUDIES BY FEASIBLE RP-HPLC IN TABLETS

Commonly used HPLC acetonitrile solvent has been through a worldwide shortage with a cost increase in 2008 and 2009. In order to get around this situation, a method by RP-HPLC employing methanol and aqueous acid mobile phase was developed and validated to evaluate simvastatin. The quality control assay and dissolution studies of this lipid-lowering drug were performed in diluents methanol and 0.01 M phosphate buffer with 0.5% SDS, pH 7, respectively. Dissolution test aliquots did not go through sample treatment, as described in USP SIM tablets monograph by ultraviolet spectrophotometry. The proposed method is fast, simple, feasible and robust.

SP003 Effect of plasma status of folate on HPV infection and progression to cervical cancer

Persistent infection by human papillomavirus (HPV) is associated with cervical carcinogenesis. However, only the presence of HPV is insufficient for complete malignant transformation. Cofactors, such as prolonged use of oral contraceptives, multiparity, early onset of sexual activity, multiple partners, smoking, other sexually transmitted infections and nutritional factors, as low levels of folate, may be required for progression of viral infection to cancer. The role of micronutrients in malignant transformation of cervical tissue is controversial.