BackgroundThe aim of this study was to compare histomorphometric changes and the results of immunohistochemical tests for VCAM, ICAM-1, CD4 and CD8 in normal placentas from HIV-seropositive pregnant women.MethodsSamples of normal placentas were divided into 2 groups: healthy HIV-seronegative pregnant women (control group = C = 60) and HIV-seropositive women (experimental group = E = 57). Conventional histological sections were submitted to morphometric analysis and evaluated in terms of the immunohistochemical expression of ICAM-1, VCAM, CD4 and CD8.ResultsThe villi in group E were smaller than those in group C. The median for the CD8+ T cell count was higher in group E than in group C (p = 0.03). Immunohistochemical expression of ICAM-1 was observed in 57% of the cases in group E, compared with 21% of those in group C (p = 0.001). There was no difference in VCAM expression or CD4+ cell counts between groups and no correlation between the data for antiretroviral therapy and morphometric or immunohistochemical data.ConclusionsThe morphometric data showed that placentas of HIV-seropositive pregnant women tend to have smaller villi than those of seronegative women. In addition, immunohistochemical testing for infectious agents helped to identify cases that were positive for microorganisms (6/112) that routine pathological examination had failed to detect. The anti-p24 antibody had a limited ability to detect HIV viral protein in this study (2/57). Correlation of immunohistochemical expression of CD8+ T cells and ICAM-1 with the presence of HIV in the placenta revealed that those expressions can act as biomarkers of inflammatory changes. There was no correlation between the data for antiretroviral therapy and morphometric or immunohistochemical data.

Infections of the respiratory system are responsible for the majority of hospitalizations and deaths in pediatric patients in developing countries. We selected 177 necropsies of pediatric patients who died as a result of serious respiratory infections. The histopathological findings and epidemiological data were reviewed, and lung tissue samples were separated for immunohistochemistry testing. Conventional immunohistochemistry techniques were used to detect viral antigens in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FF-PE) lung tissue samples using a pool of monoclonal antibodies against respiratory viruses (respiratory syncytial virus, influenza A and B, adenovirus, and parainfluenza 1, 2, and 3 viruses) as primary antibodies. The histopathological findings were classified into bronchopneumonia (BCP) and interstitial pneumonitis (IP) patterns. The immunohistochemistry results were compared with histopathological patterns and epidemiological data. Positive results for viruses were found in 34% and 62.5% of the BCP and IP cases, respectively. Males and infants below 1 year of age were more frequent in the group that had positive results for viruses. Acute enteritis was the main cause of hospitalization and sepsis the most frequent cause of death in this group. A clear seasonal distribution was observed, with the majority of cases occurring in the 2nd and 3rd trimesters (autumn and winter) of each year in the period studied. Immunohistochemistry is an affordable and easy-to-perform method for viral-antigen detection in FF-PE tissue samples. Although BCP is a classic histopathological pattern found in bacterial infections, it is possible that children with serious respiratory infections had concomitant viral and bacterial infections, regardless of their previous immunologic state.

InTRODUÇÃOA peritonite se caracteriza por ser processo inflamatório comum principalmente nas operações abdominais de urgência/emergência. Esta inflamação pode variar de gravidade dependendo de vários fatores, tais como tempo de evolução e resposta individual de cada organismo. A peritonite secundária à doenças inflamatórias complicadas de órgões intra-abdominais, tais como apendicite ou diverticulite agudas, são as mais freqüentes 5 . Sepse é a manifestação clínica da existência de um foco infeccioso que promove o desencadeamento da resposta inflamatória sistêmica. A síndrome da resposta inflamatória sistêmica (SRIS) é fenômeno inflamatório caracterizado pela presença de dois ou mais dos seguintes itens: a) temperatura > 38ºC ou < 36ºC; b) freqüência cardíaca > 90 bpm; c) freqüência respiratória > 20 rpm ABCDDV/521Rocha SL, Souza GRMR, Abujamra KB, Ostrowski MAB, Souza MCMR. Gasometria arterial e inflamação pulmonar de ratos com diferentes tempos de sepse abdominal. ABCD Arq Bras Cir Dig 2007;20(1):28-33. RESUMO -Racional -Sepse é a principal causa de morbi-mortalidade nas vítimas de trauma e em pacientes cirúrgico e apesar de toda tecnologia e terapêutica disponível não há diminuição nestas estatísticas. Objetivos -Avaliar as repercussões ácido-básicas e o grau de injúria pulmonar decorrentes de sepse abdominal em ratos após seis e 24 horas de peritonite fecal através da ligadura e punção do ceco. Métodos -Foram utilizados 40 ratos Wistar, machos, adultos. A amostra foi dividida aleatoriamente em quatro grupos: grupo A (sham/6 h -n=5) submetidos à laparotomia mediana infra-umbilical sem nenhuma outra intervenção; grupo B (sham/24h -n=5) submetidos à laparotomia mediana infra-umbilical sem nenhuma outra intervenção; grupo C (LPC/6 h -n=15) submetidos à ligadura e punção do ceco e grupo D (LPC/24h -n=15) submetidos à ligadura e punção do ceco. Após seis ou 24 horas, conforme o grupo em estudo, os animais foram novamente anestesiados e submetidos as seguintes análises: observação clínica de sinais de sepse, laparotomia através do mesmo acesso anterior e realização de cultura do líquido peritoneal e punção cardíaca para obtenção de amostra sangüínea suficiente para gasometria arterial, hematócrito e leucometria. Procedeu-se eutanásia e os pulmões retirados para análise de edema pulmonar e o infiltrado inflamatório. Resultados -Ocorreram quatro óbitos no grupo D. Verificou-se, em todos os grupos, a presença de acidose mista. Comparando os grupos experimento 6h versus controle 6h foram encontradas duas variáveis significativas -HCO3 (p=0,0015) e BE (p=0,0015) -, demonstrando acidose metabólica mais grave no grupo experimento. Nos grupos controle também se confirmou acidose mista, devido às alterações das variáveis HCO3 (p=0,0079), PO2 (p=0,0079) e SO2 (p=0,0079). A correlação entre o grau de comprometimento pulmonar e o estado metabólico confirma a existência de resposta inflamatória sistêmica evidenciada por aumento de neutrófilos e hemorragia alveolar difusa nos pulmões do rato séptico. Conclusão -O modelo de LPC f...