Background: Few studies have addressed small airway (SA) histopathological changes and their possible role in the remodeling process in idiopathic interstitial pneumonias. Objectives: To study morphological, morphometrical and immunohistochemical features of SA in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (usual interstitial pneumonia, UIP) and nonspecific interstitial pneumonia (NSIP). Methods: We analyzed SA pathology in lung biopsies from 29 patients with UIP and 8 with NSIP. Biopsies were compared with lung tissue from 13 patients with constrictive bronchiolitis (CB) as positive controls and 10 normal autopsied control lungs. We semi-quantitatively analyzed SA structure, inflammation, architectural features and the bronchiolar epithelial immunohistochemical expression of TGF-β, MMP-2, 7, 9, and their tissue inhibitors (TIMP-1, 2). Results: Compared to controls, patients with UIP, NSIP and CB presented increased bronchiolar inflammation, peribronchiolar inflammation and fibrosis and decreased luminal areas. UIP patients had thicker walls due to an increase in most airway compartments. NSIP patients presented increased epithelial areas, whereas patients with CB had larger inner wall areas. All of the groups studied presented increased bronchiolar expression of MMP-7 and MMP-9, compared to the controls. Conclusion: We conclude that SAs are pathologically altered and may take part in the lung-remodeling process in idiopathic interstitial pneumonias.

BackgroundThe human papillomavirus (HPV) prevalence in males has been reported to be between 3.6% and 84%, depending specially on the socioeconomic status. HPV infection has been related as a risk factor for penile cancer. This is a rare tumor, and other risk factors include lack of personal hygiene and men who have not undergone circumcision. Penile cancer is less than 1% of cancers in men in the United States, however, is much more common in some parts of Asia, Africa, and South America, where it accounts for up to 10% of cancers in men. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of HPV-DNA in penile cancers in São Luís, Brazil and to correlate the virus presence to histopathological factors.MethodsTumor paraffin samples of 76 patients with penile carcinoma were tested in order to establish the prevalence and distribution of genotypic HPV using PCR/Nested and automated sequencing. To evaluate the association between HPV types and other clinical and morphological variables, a nonparametric ANOVA was performed using a Kruskal Wallis test, and statistical significance was determined to a value of p < 0.05.ResultsThe average age of patients at the time of diagnosis was 66 years ± 17.10. Regarding location, 65.79% of the tumors were located in the glans, and the most common types were vegetative (34.21%) and squamous (98.68%). Most of the lesions ranged in size from 2.1 to 5.0 cm, presenting Jackson I stage and Broders II degree. It was observed that 32 patients had at least one invaded and/or infiltrated structure. Lymph node involvement was observed in 19.76% of the patients, and 21.05% showed an inflammatory process. In the molecular evaluation, HPV infection was observed in 63.15% of the lesions, and the most common type was HPV 16.ConclusionsFrom the statistical analysis, it can be verified that the variables were not associated with infection by the HPV virus. Although penile cancer can result from various risk factors that act in synergy, an HPV virus infection is important for the development of such neoplasm.

Introduction: Rhinosporidiosis is a chronic infection of the mucous membrane and is caused by Rhinosporidium seeberi, an aquatic mesomycetozoan. The mode of infection is probably transepithelial penetration. The large number of rivers and lakes and the strong presence of riparian populations in the State of Maranhão are strong predisposing factors for rhinosporidiosis. Methods:A 5-year retrospective study was conducted in a tertiary medical center situated in Maranhão, Northeast Brazil. Twenty-fi ve Maranhense patients diagnosed with rhinosporidiosis were analyzed. Results: Most of the patients were children, adolescents and young adults (age range: 7-24 years, mean age: 14 years). The majority of the participants were male (84%), brown (76%), and students (92%). All lesions involved the entire nasal cavity and presented with a vascular polypoid mass. All patients were treated by surgical excision of the lesions. Conclusions: Rhinosporidiosis affects younger age groups, especially students from the countryside and the outskirts of urban areas. This study will aid and guide physicians in diagnosing and treating this infection in endemic areas.

Brucelose é uma patologia também conhecida como: febre do Mediterrâneo, febre de Malta e febre ondulante, considerada a maior zoonose do mundo 7 . É causada por um coco-bacilo Gram- . O envolvimento vertebral é o mais difícil de se diagnosticar e tratar devido ao longo período de latência da infecção. A rotina clínica e laboratorial pode não ser suficiente para diagnosticar a patologia, uma vez que a lombalgia pode fazer parte do curso natural da doença 6 12 13 . O diagnóstico de brucelose vertebral é feito baseado em características clínicas, laboratoriais e achados radiológicos 13 20 .

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