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We found a weak correlation between the surgeon's macroscopic diagnosis and the pathologic findings. However, the differences did not have meaningful clinical implications. Further studies are required to evaluate the clinical meaning of these results.

AimsBrazil is nowadays one of the epicentres of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic and new therapies are needed to face it. In the context of specific immune response against the virus, a correlation between Major Histocompatibility Complex Class I (MHC-I) and the severity of the disease in patients with COVID-19 has been suggested. Aiming at better understanding the biology of the infection and the immune response against the virus in the Brazilian population, we analysed SARS-CoV-2 protein S peptides in order to identify epitopes able to elicit an immune response mediated by the most frequent MHC-I alleles using in silico methods.MethodsOur analyses consisted in searching for the most frequent Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA)-A, HLA-B and HLA-C alleles in the Brazilian population, excluding the genetic isolates; then, we performed: molecular modelling for unsolved structures, MHC-I binding affinity and antigenicity prediction, peptide docking and molecular dynamics of the best fitted MHC-I/protein S complexes.ResultsWe identified 24 immunogenic epitopes in the SARS-CoV-2 protein S that could interact with 17 different MHC-I alleles (namely, HLA-A*01:01; HLA-A*02:01; HLA-A*11:01; HLA-A*24:02; HLA-A*68:01; HLA-A*23:01; HLA-A*26:01; HLA-A*30:02; HLA-A*31:01; HLA-B*07:02; HLA-B*51:01; HLA-B*35:01; HLA-B*44:02; HLA-B*35:03; HLA-C*05:01; HLA-C*07:01 and HLA-C*15:02) in the Brazilian population.ConclusionsBeing aware of the intrinsic limitations of in silico analysis (mainly the differences between the real and the Protein Data Bank (PDB) structure; and accuracy of the methods for simulate proteasome cleavage), we identified 24 epitopes able to interact with 17 MHC-I more frequent alleles in the Brazilian population that could be useful for the development of strategic methods for vaccines against SARS-CoV-2.

The pregnancy rate of women on dialysis is still very low when compared to that of the remaining population. However, recent years have seen an increase in the success rates of these pregnancies. Among the main precautions that must be taken with pregnant women on dialysis are the maintenance of low levels of pre-dialysis urea, the adequacy of the tension profile, the control of anemia and care to avoid infections, nutritional deficits, changes in phosphorus-calcium metabolism and electrolytic fluctuations. It is also necessary to strictly monitor fetal growth and development. Pregnant women on dialysis have a higher probability of maternal and fetal complications; thus the importance of a multidisciplinary approach among nephrologists, obstetricians and pediatricians. The main objective of this study was to review the literature evidence available on pregnancy on dialysis, on the basic principles of the pathophysiology of pregnant women and their particularities in kidney disease. We will address available treatment options, benefits and risks, anticipating possible future challenges. At the end, we will present a clinical case to illustrate the topic.