http://repositorio.ufc.br/handle/riufc/389 2026-06-18T02:46:05Z http://repositorio.ufc.br/handle/riufc/86802 Título: Avaliação do potencial tripanocida in vitro da curcumina e de sua associação com o benznidazol frente à cepa y de Trypanosoma cruzi Autor(es): Abreu, Karina Gatti de Abstract: Chagas disease (CD), caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, is an infectious disease that requires new treatments approaches to mitigate its progression. Curcumin, the main active compound of Curcuma longa L., has been investigated for its therapeutic potential in parasitic diseases. Therefore, the present study evaluated the in vitro trypanocidal activity of isolated curcumin and its combination with benznidazole (BZN) against the Y strain of T. Cruzi, as well as analyzed in silico its action on essential metabolic pathways of the parasite. The cytotoxicity of curcumin and BZN was tested in LLC-MK2 cells, with 50% cytotoxic concentration (CC50) values of 178.2 ± 0.27 μM and 537.8 ± 57.8 μM, respectively. Curcumin exhibited significant inhibitory activity at all parasite stages: epimastigotes (IC50/72 h of 34.45 ± 4.73 μM), trypomastigotes (LC50 of 72.36 ± 2.057 μM), and amastigotes (reduction in infected cells at 31.25 μM and 62.5 μM). BZN alone also showed an inhibitory effect, but at higher concentrations than those observed with isolated curcumin. The Curcumin-BZN combination demonstrated synergy, with high selectivity against the parasite and low cytotoxicity in host cells. The combined effect of Curcumin and BZN resulted in a significant reduction in cell viability in epimastigote and trypomastigote forms. Furthermore, the combination exhibited greater selectivity toward the parasite compared to the isolated compounds. Molecular docking analyses identified curcumin binding sites in key parasite enzymes, such as trypanothione reductase, glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (TcGAPDH), and cruzipain, suggesting potential inhibitory effects and/or conformational changes in enzyme structure. Thus, it is concluded that curcumin, either alone or in combination with BZN, emerges as promising candidate for the treatment of CD, standing out for its efficacy and selectivity against T. cruzi. Tipo: Dissertação 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z http://repositorio.ufc.br/handle/riufc/86785 Título: Esclerose sistêmica em população de baixa renda: perfil clínico, epidemiológico e funcional em região de baixa latitude Autor(es): Alcantara, Vitória Myria Moura Arruda Abstract: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a rare autoimmune disease characterized by vasculopathy, inflammation, and progressive fibrosis of the skin and internal organs, with heterogeneous clinical presentations and outcomes influenced by socioeconomic factors. This study aimed to describe the clinical, sociodemographic, and epidemiological profile of patients with SSc, as well as to analyze associations with clinical outcomes and functional capacity. This is an observational, descriptive, cross-sectional study with retrospective components, conducted at the Rheumatology Outpatient Clinic of the Walter Cantídio University Hospital in Fortaleza, Brazil. A total of 90 patients diagnosed with SSc were included after providing informed consent. Data were organized in electronic spreadsheets and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics according to variable distribution, with categorical variables expressed as absolute and relative frequencies. The study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee (CAAE: 77968023.7.0000.5054). The sample was predominantly female (92%) and self-reported as mixed-race (91.1%), with a mean age of 51.7±12.7 years. A higher frequency of the diffuse cutaneous subtype (55.5%) was observed, in contrast to the literature, which typically reports predominance of the limited form. Regarding social determinants, 30.1% had income below one minimum wage and 26.7% had low educational level. In terms of functional capacity, 60.7% of patients had mild impairment, approximately one-third had moderate impairment, and a small proportion had severe impairment, reflecting disease heterogeneity. Clinical manifestations included cutaneous involvement (skin thickening 90%), gastrointestinal involvement (gastroesophageal reflux 77.8%), and interstitial lung disease (65.4%). Raynaud’s phenomenon was observed in 75.6% of patients, a lower frequency than reported in other cohorts. Lower educational level was associated with higher inflammatory activity and higher modified Rodnan skin score, while lower income showed a tendency toward longer time to diagnosis. Systemic sclerosis in this cohort presented a more severe profile, with predominance of the diffuse subtype and high frequency of pulmonary involvement. The lower prevalence of Raynaud’s phenomenon and the inversion in subtype distribution compared to the literature suggest possible regional clinical particularities. Socioeconomic factors showed a potential impact on disease progression, particularly regarding inflammatory profile and diagnostic delay, highlighting the need for a multidisciplinary approach and strategies that integrate clinical and social aspects to promote early diagnosis and greater equity in care. Tipo: Dissertação 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z http://repositorio.ufc.br/handle/riufc/86780 Título: Características clínicas e socioeconômicas de pacientes com psoríase e artrite psoriásica em uma população de baixa renda Autor(es): Montenegro, Mariana Lima Abstract: Psoriasis (PsO) is a chronic inflammatory disease affecting the integumentary system and may also involve the joints, characterizing psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Inflammatory mediators associated with obesity and metabolic syndrome, such as cytokines and adipokines, have been implicated in the pathogenesis of PsO and PsA. Environmental and socioeconomic factors also influence both conditions; however, there are few studies involving low-income, non-predominantly White populations outside the Northern Hemisphere. We described the clinical profile of PsO and PsA in a low-income population, evaluating the impact of socioeconomic and environmental factors, including low latitude. Patients with PsO and PsA (CASPAR criteria), seen between January 2023 and January 2025, were examined, and medical records were reviewed to exclude other causes of arthritis and comorbidities. We recorded body mass index (BMI), serum C-reactive protein (CRP), Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI), Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI), Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score (ASDAS-CRP), Disease Activity in Psoriatic Arthritis (DAPSA), Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ-DI), use of disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), and Short Form-36 (SF-36) scores, as well as monthly family income and educational level. A total of 303 patients were included (149 with PsO and 154 with PsA), with a median age of 53 years (IQR: 38–61), of whom 188 (62.05%) were female. Plaque psoriasis (133; 89.26%) and polyarticular involvement (91; 59.09%) predominated. Most participants (192; 63.37%) reported a monthly income ≤ 1 minimum wage. The median BMI was 28.20 kg/m2 (IQR: 24.91–32.42), similar between PsO and PsA groups. Median CRP levels were 0.30 mg/dL (IQR: 0.20–0.70) in PsO and 0.84 mg/dL (IQR: 0.3–2.0) in PsA. The median PASI was 2.20 (IQR: 0.58–4.25) in PsO and 1.00 (IQR: 0–2.80) in PsA. Overall, disease activity was low, with ASDAS-CRP 2.20 (IQR: 1.00–2.90), BASDAI 3.50 (IQR: 0.75–5.30), and DAPSA 12.75 (IQR: 2.92–23.88). Quality of life, assessed by SF-36, was worse in PsA compared to PsO. Women with PsO had worse HAQ-DI scores than men (p = 0.005). Patients with lower income showed worse performance in the domains of physical functioning (p = 0.020), role physical (p = 0.028), and social functioning (p = 0.045). Most patients were receiving biologic therapies, with 111 (72.08%) in the PsA group and 93 (62.42%) in the PsO group. Despite low income and educational levels, with 116 (38.28%) having fewer than 8 years of schooling and only 70 (23.1%) having higher education, we observed low disease activity in both PsO and PsA. Women, despite more frequent use of DMARDs, had worse quality of life scores and greater symptom burden. This is the first description of a low-income, low-education population living at low latitude with PsO and PsA. These findings are noteworthy, as they suggest a better prognosis than that observed in populations with higher income and education levels living at higher latitudes. Tipo: Dissertação 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z http://repositorio.ufc.br/handle/riufc/86722 Título: Avaliação in vitro dos efeitos leishmanicida e imunomoduladores contra Leishmania infantum de lectinas isoladas de algas marinhas do litoral cearense Autor(es): Mesquita, Amanda de Menezes Abstract: Leishmaniasis, an infectious parasitic disease caused by protozoa of the genus Leishmania, is transmitted through the bite of infected female sandflies and primarily affects the mononuclear phagocytic system. Among its forms, visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is the most severe due to its high lethality. In Brazil, the drugs used for VL treatment include pentavalent antimonials and amphotericin B, which are associated with high toxicity and the emergence of resistant strains. Therefore, the search for new therapeutic agents is of great importance. This study aimed to investigate the immunomodulatory and leishmanicidal effects in vitro of lectins extracted from the red marine alga Solieria filiformis (Kützing) P.W. Gabrielson and the green alga Caulerpa cupressoides var. lycopodium against Leishmania infantum. After extraction and isolation of the lectins, cytotoxicity was evaluated in J774 macrophages. Subsequently, the leishmanicidal effect against the amastigote form of the parasite was assessed (24 and 48 hours post-infection) using concentrations of 5, 10, 25, 50, and 100 µg/mL. To understand the leishmanicidal mechanism of action, levels of nitric oxide (NO) and the pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12, and TNF-α were measured. The study also investigated the leishmanicidal effect of Solieria filiformis and Caulerpa cupressoides on promastigote forms. These proteins demonstrated significant leishmanicidal activity, reducing promastigote survival at different concentrations. LSf showed greater efficacy, with a reduction of up to 75.60% at 48 hours, while LCc achieved 55.68%. Regarding the leishmanicidal effect of LSf and LCc on amastigote forms in macrophages infected with L. infantum, LSf reduced the parasitic load more effectively than the positive control (GLU) at 24 and 48 hours, particularly at 100 μg/mL. NO production increased with LSf, especially at higher concentrations, while LCc induced a less pronounced increase in NO. As for cytokines, LSf elevated IL-12 and TNF-α only at specific concentrations and time points, whereas LCc significantly increased IL-10, indicating an anti-inflammatory effect. Both proteins induced IL-6 production in infected macrophages, with a more pronounced effect at 50 and 100 μg/mL. The data from this study suggest a promising immunomodulatory effect of lectins from red and green marine algae on L. infantum-infected macrophages, although further studies are needed to better elucidate the mechanisms of action of these compounds against this parasite.. Tipo: Dissertação 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z