Breast cancer is a neoplastic condition with a high morbidity and mortality amongst women worldwide. Recent data linking bovine leukemia virus (BLV) with breast cancer has been contested already. Our study investigated the presence of BLV genome in healthy (n = 72) and cancerous (n = 72) paraffin-embedded samples of breast tissues from women in south Brazil. BLV DNA was found most frequently (30.5%) in breast cancer tissue than in healthy breast (13.9%) (Odds ratio = 2.73; confidence interval = 1.18–6.29; p = 0.027). In contrast, antibodies to BLV were found in a very small percentage of healthy blood donors. There was no association between BLV DNA and other tumor prognostic biological markers such as hormonal receptors, HER2 oncoprotein, proliferation index, metastasis in sentinels lymph nodes, and tumor grade and size. Our findings suggest that BLV should be considered a potential predisposing factor to breast cancer in women.

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). Palavras-Chave► neuroparacoccidioidomicose ► paracoccidioidomicose ► abscesso fúngico ResumoA paracoccidioidomicose é uma micose sistêmica, endêmica na América Latina, causada pelo fungo Paracoccidioides brasiliensis. O Brasil é o país com maior número de casos. A afecção do sistema nervoso central (SNC), condição potencialmente fatal, ocorre em torno de 12% dos casos. Identificam-se as seguintes formas de apresentação: meníngea, mais rara; meningoencefálica; e pseudotumoral, mais frequente. Os exames de imagem são fundamentais no auxilio diagnóstico, porém a identificação histológica do fungo é necessária para confirmação. O quadro clínico depende da localização no neuroeixo. Apresentamos o caso de um homem, trabalhador rural, com formações expansivas no SNC, compatíveis com paracoccidioidomicose. AbstractParacoccidioidomycosis is a systemic mycosis, endemic in Latin America, caused by the fungus Paracoccidioides brasiliensis. Brazil is the country with the highest number of cases. The affection of the central nervous system (CNS), a potentially fatal condition, occurs in 12% of cases. The following forms of presentation are identified: meningeal, unusual, meningoencephalitis and pseudotumoral the latter two being more frequent. Imaging tests are essential in diagnostic, but the histological identification of the fungus is required for confirmation of the pathology. The clinical picture depends on neuraxial location. We present a case report of a male rural worker, with expansive lesions in the CNS, compatible with paracoccidioidomycosis.

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Abdominal angiostrongyliasis (AA) is caused by Angiostrongylus costaricensis, which inhabits mesenteric arteries. There is no drug treatment for AA, and since intestinal infarction due to thrombi is one of the main complications of the disease, the use of anticoagulants may be a treatment option. Thus, we aimed to assess the effect of high doses of enoxaparin on the prevention of ischaemic intestinal lesions and on the survival of mice infected with A. costaricensis. Twenty-four mice were infected with L3 of A. costaricensis and divided equally into two groups: Group 1, control treated with placebo, and Group 2, treated daily with enoxaparin (2.5 mg/kg) for 50 days. All mice were subjected to necropsy and histological analysis. The results from gross and microscopic assessments showed no variation in the prevalence of lesions between the groups. An analysis was also performed among survivors and non-survivors, showing that animals that died often presented lesions, such as granulation tissue in the serosa, and intestinal infarction and adhesion. The mortality rate did not vary between the enoxaparin-treated and control groups. Thus, we showed that high doses of enoxaparin have no protective effect against AA, as the survival rates and lesions of mice did not vary between the treated and control groups. Considering that the use of prophylactic doses was also shown to be ineffective in a previous study, we do not recommend the use of enoxaparin for AA treatment.