Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a member of the Papillomaviridae family. The prevalence of HPV genotypes may vary according to the region and the population studied. Quilombo communities are ethnic and racial groups with difficult access to health services compared to the general population in Brazil. The aim of this study was to identify specific HPV types correlating with sociodemographic/behavioral characteristics and cervical smear cytological abnormalities in Quilombola women. This cross-sectional study included 395 Quilombola women users of the Unified Health System of the Municipalities of Maranhão for the screening of cervical cancer. The samples were analyzed for the presence of cytological abnormalities by conventional methods and tested for 37 HPV genotypes using polymerase chain reaction with primers PGMY09/11 followed by reverse line blot hybridization performed with the Linear Array HPV Genotyping Test kit by Roche Molecular System®. The association between HPV types and cytological diagnosis was investigated according to the different age groups. HPV infection was detected in 12.6% (50/395) of the women. Infections by high-risk HPV types were more frequent. Genotypes 68 (26.0%); 58 and 52 (20.0%); 31 (10.0%) and 62 (8.0%) were the most prevalent. The highest prevalence (42.0%) of HPV infection occurred in women diagnosed with high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion. There was a statistically significant association between HPV infection and the detection of cytological abnormalities in all age groups except in women over 60 years. There was a statistically significant association between the municipality of origin and the number of partners with HPV infection. It is important to incorporate new cervical cancer screening techniques incorporating the cervical-vaginal cytology. For further studies, it is necessary to determine the level of knowledge of Quilombola population on health-related issues including HPV infection and cervical cancer. This will contribute to the continuous improvement of healthcare coverage among the population and enhance the implementation of cancer care in the state of Maranhão.

Euterpe oleracea Mart., a plant from the Amazon region, is commonly known as açaí or juçara; it has high nutritional value and elevated levels of lipids, proteins, and minerals. Açaí is an abundant and much consumed fruit by the Amazon local population, and studies have demonstrated that it is rich in phytochemicals with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer activities. Therefore, the aim of this study was to test this plant for anticancer activity in different human malignant cell lines.

Euterpe oleracea Mart. (açai) is a native palm from the Amazon region. There are various chemical constituents of açai with bioactive properties. This study aimed to evaluate the chemical composition and cytotoxic effects of açai seed extract on breast cancer cell line (MCF-7). Global Natural Products Social Molecular Networking (GNPS) was applied to identify chemical compounds present in açai seed extract. LC-MS/MS and molecular networking were employed to detect the phenolic compounds of açai. The antioxidant activity of açai seed extract was measured by DPPH assay. MCF-7 breast cancer cell line viability was evaluated by MTT assay. Cell death was evaluated by flow cytometry and time-lapse microscopy. Autophagy was evaluated by orange acridin immunofluorescence assay. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) production was evaluated by DAF assay. From the molecular networking, fifteen compounds were identified, mainly phenolic compounds. The açai seed extract showed cytotoxic effects against MCF-7, induced morphologic changes in the cell line by autophagy and increased the ROS production pathway. The present study suggests that açai seed extract has a high cytotoxic capacity and may induce autophagy by increasing ROS production in breast cancer. Apart from its antioxidant activity, flavonoids with high radical scavenging activity present in açai also generated NO (nitric oxide), contributing to its cytotoxic effect and autophagy induction.

The 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. Tumor 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. The 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. From 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.

Objective. To verify the association between HPV infection and the presence of coinfections (Chlamydia trachomatis, Trichomonas vaginalis, and Neisseria gonorrhoeae) in women in the state of Maranhão. Methods. HPV-DNA detection was performed by the nested PCR, using the primers PGMY09/11 and GP + 5/GP + 6. For the identification of sexually transmitted agents, conventional PCR was performed using the following primers: KL1/KL2 (Chlamydia trachomatis), TVA5/TVA6 (Trichomonas vaginalis), and HO1/HO3 (Neisseria gonorrhoeae). DNA-HPV positive samples were subjected to automated sequencing for genotyping. Results. Among the 353 women evaluated, 204 (57.8%) had HPV-DNA, of which 140 (68.6%) exhibited HPV/STIs, while 64 (31.4%) had the only HPV. T. vaginalis infection showed a positive association with HPV ( ). Women without cervical lesions were predominant (327/92.6%); however, the largest number of lesions was reported in women who had HPV/coinfections (18/8.8%). Multiple regression analysis showed that both HPV only and the concomitant presence of HPV/STI were able to indicate the occurrence of epithelial lesions (R = 0.164; R2 = 0.027). Conclusion. The findings suggest that the presence of T. vaginalis can contribute to HPV infection, and HPV/IST association may influence the development of cervical intraepithelial lesions that are precursors of cervical cancer.

Background/Objectives: Antifungal resistance to azoles, coupled with the increasing prevalence of Candida albicans infections, represents a significant public health challenge and has driven the search for new natural compounds that can act as alternatives or adjuvants to the current antifungals. Ellagic acid (EA) has demonstrated antifungal activity; however, its effects are not fully understood. In this study, we investigated the in vitro anti-Candida activity of EA and its ability to potentiate the effects of fluconazole (FLZ) on C. albicans. Methods: The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) of EA was determined by broth microdilution and its interaction with FLZ was assessed using a checkerboard assay. Additionally, we examined the effects of EA on yeast-to-hypha transition, inhibition of biofilm formation, time–kill kinetics, hemolytic activity, and cytotoxicity in HeLa ATCC^® CCL-2™ cells. Results: EA exhibited MIC values ranging from 250 to 2000 µg/mL and showed synergistic and additive interactions with FLZ, resulting in a marked reduction in the MIC values of FLZ (up to 32-fold) and EA (up to 16-fold). In the time–kill assay, the most effective combinations were 4× EA MIC, 2× EA MIC, and FIC EA + FLZ, which showed fungicidal activity. Furthermore, EA did not show hemolytic activity and demonstrated low and dose-dependent cytotoxicity in HeLa cells, with no cytotoxic effects observed in combination with FLZ. EA and the synergistic combination of EA and FLZ interfered with both the yeast-to-hypha transition process in C. albicans cells and biofilm formation. In addition to its antifungal efficacy, EA demonstrated a favorable safety profile at the concentrations used. Conclusions: This study presents promising results regarding the potential use of EA in combination with FLZ for the treatment of C. albicans infections.