RICARDO RODRIGUES GIORGI
Projetos de Pesquisa
Unidades Organizacionais
Instituto Central, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina
LIM/31 - Laboratório de Genética e Hematologia Molecular, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina
LIM/31 - Laboratório de Genética e Hematologia Molecular, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina
12 resultados
Resultados de Busca
Agora exibindo 1 - 10 de 12
- Differential expression of genes encoding proteins of the HGF/MET system in insulinomas(2015) MURAT, Cahue de Bernardis; ROSA, Paula Waki Lopes da; FORTES, Maria Angela Henriques Zanella; CORREA, Luciana; MACHADO, Marcel Cerqueira Cesar; NOVAK, Estela Maria; SIQUEIRA, Sheila Aparecida Coelho; PEREIRA, Maria Adelaide Albergaria; CORREA-GIANNELLA, Maria Lucia; GIANNELLA-NETO, Daniel; GIORGI, Ricardo RodriguesBackground: Insulinomas are the most common functional pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors, whereas histopathological features do not predict their biological behaviour. In an attempt to better understand the molecular processes involved in the tumorigenesis of islet beta cells, the present study evaluated the expression of genes belonging to the hepatocyte growth factor and its receptor (HGF/MET) system, namely, MET, HGF; HGFAC and ST14 (encode HGF activator and matriptase, respectively, two serine proteases that catalyze conversion of pro-HGF to active HGF); and SPINT1 and SPINT2 (encode serine peptidase inhibitors Kunitz type 1 and type 2, respectively, two inhibitors of HGF activator and of matriptase). Methods: Quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction was employed to assess RNA expression of the target genes in 24 sporadic insulinomas: 15 grade 1 (G1), six grade 2 (G2) and three hepatic metastases. Somatic mutations of MET gene were searched by direct sequencing of exons 2, 10, 14, 16, 17 and 19. Results: Overexpression of MET was observed in the three hepatic metastases concomitantly with upregulation of the genes encoding HGF and matriptase and downregulation of SPINT1. A positive correlation was observed between MET RNA expression and Ki-67 proliferation index while a negative correlation was detected between SPINT1 expression and the mitotic index. No somatic mutations were found in MET gene. Conclusion: The final effect of the increased expression of HGF, its activator (matriptase) and its specific receptor (MET) together with a decreased expression of one potent inhibitor of matriptase (SPINT1) is probably a contribution to tumoral progression and metastatization in insulinomas.
- Hyperinsulinism/hyperammonemia (HI/HA) syndrome due to a mutation in the glutamate dehydrogenase gene(2012) CORREA-GIANNELLA, Maria Lucia; FREIRE, Daniel Soares; CAVALEIRO, Ana Mercedes; FORTES, Maria Angela Zanella; GIORGI, Ricardo Rodrigues; PEREIRA, Maria Adelaide AlbergariaThe hyperinsulinism/hyperammonemia (HI/HA) syndrome is a rare autosomal dominant disease manifested by hypoglycemic symptoms triggered by fasting or high-protein meals, and by elevated serum ammonia. HI/HA is the second most common cause of hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia of infancy, and it is caused by activating mutations in GLUD1, the gene that encodes mitochondrial enzyme glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH). Biochemical evaluation, as well as direct sequencing of exons and exon-intron boundary regions of the GLUD1 gene, were performed in a 6-year old female patient presenting fasting hypoglycemia and hyperammonemia. The patient was found to be heterozygous for one de novo missense mutation (c.1491A>G; p.Il497Met) previously reported in a Japanese patient. Treatment with diazoxide 100 mg/day promoted complete resolution of the hypoglycemic episodes.
- Apoptosis through Bcl-2/Bax and Cleaved Caspase Up-Regulation in Melanoma Treated by Boron Neutron Capture Therapy(2013) FAIAO-FLORES, Fernanda; COELHO, Paulo Rogerio Pinto; ARRUDA-NETO, Joao Dias Toledo; MARIA-ENGLER, Silvya Stuchi; TIAGO, Manoela; CAPELOZZI, Vera Luiza; GIORGI, Ricardo Rodrigues; MARIA, Durvanei AugustoBoron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is a binary treatment involving selective accumulation of boron carriers in a tumor followed by irradiation with a thermal or epithermal neutron beam. The neutron capture reaction with a boron-10 nucleus yields high linear energy transfer (LET) particles, alpha and Li-7, with a range of 5 to 9 mu m. These particles can only travel very short distances and release their damaging energy directly into the cells containing the boron compound. We aimed to evaluate proliferation, apoptosis and extracellular matrix (ECM) modifications of B16F10 melanoma and normal human melanocytes after BNCT. The amounts of soluble collagen and Hsp47, indicating collagen synthesis in the ECM, as well as the cellular markers of apoptosis, were investigated. BNCT decreased proliferation, altered the ECM by decreasing collagen synthesis and induced apoptosis by regulating Bcl-2/Bax in melanoma. Additionally, BNCT also increased the levels of TNF receptor and the cleaved caspases 3, 7, 8 and 9 in melanoma. These results suggest that multiple pathways related to cell death and cell cycle arrest are involved in the treatment of melanoma by BNCT.
- Antitumoural activity of Brazilian red propolis fraction enriched with xanthochymol and formononetin: An in vitro and in vivo study(2014) NOVAK, Estela Maria; SILVA, Martha Silveira e Costa; MARCUCCI, Maria Cristina; SAWAYA, Alexandra Christine Helena Frankland; LOPEZ, Begona Gimenez-Cassina; FORTES, Maria Angela Henriques Zanella; GIORGI, Ricardo Rodrigues; MARUMO, Kamila Tamie; RODRIGUES, Rosangela Felipe; MARIA, Durvanei AugustoIn this study, ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and tandem mass spectrometry of selected ions were used to characterise the ethanolic extract of a sample of Brazilian red propolis (EEBRP) and an active fraction (BRP-IV) containing xanthochymol and formononetin. The antiproliferative effect of BRP-IV was assayed using melanoma tumour xenografts in mice and HL-60, K562, RPMI8226, B16F10 cell lines. This fraction inhibited growth of tumour cell lines with IC50 values of 20.5 +/- 2.4 to 32.6 +/- 2.6 mu g/mL while EEBRP induced cytotoxic effect with IC50 values of 29.7 +/- 1.5 to 42.1 +/- 8.7 mu g/mL. BRP-IV also inhibited the proliferation of B16F10 cells by blocking cell cycle progression in the G2/M phase and inducing apoptosis. Administration of 10 mg/kg/day BRP-IV suppressed the growth of B16F0 tumour xenografts in C57BL/6 mice with less general toxicity than control groups. Taken together, these results indicate that BRP-IV can be considered a promising anticancer drug for the treatment of human cancers.
- HOXB7 mRNA is overexpressed in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas and its knockdown induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis(2013) CHILE, Thais; FORTES, Maria Angela Henriques Zanella; CORREA-GIANNELLA, Maria Lucia Cardillo; BRENTANI, Helena Paula; MARIA, Durvanei Augusto; PUGA, Renato David; PAULA, Vanessa de Jesus R. de; KUBRUSLY, Marcia Saldanha; NOVAK, Estela Maria; BACCHELLA, Telesforo; GIORGI, Ricardo RodriguesBackground: Human homeobox genes encode nuclear proteins that act as transcription factors involved in the control of differentiation and proliferation. Currently, the role of these genes in development and tumor progression has been extensively studied. Recently, increased expression of HOXB7 homeobox gene (HOXB7) in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDAC) was shown to correlate with an invasive phenotype, lymph node metastasis and worse survival outcomes, but no influence on cell proliferation or viability was detected. In the present study, the effects arising from the knockdown of HOXB7 in PDAC cell lines was investigated. Methods: Real time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) (Taqman) was employed to assess HOXB7 mRNA expression in 29 PDAC, 6 metastatic tissues, 24 peritumoral tissues and two PDAC cell lines. siRNA was used to knockdown HOXB7 mRNA in the cell lines and its consequences on apoptosis rate and cell proliferation were measured by flow cytometry and MTT assay respectively. Results: Overexpression of HOXB7 mRNA was observed in the tumoral tissues and in the cell lines MIA PaCa-2 and Capan-1. HOXB7 knockdown elicited (1) an increase in the expression of the pro-apoptotic proteins BAX and BAD in both cell lines; (2) a decrease in the expression of the anti-apoptotic protein BCL-2 and in cyclin D1 and an increase in the number of apoptotic cells in the MIA PaCa-2 cell line; (3) accumulation of cell in sub-G1 phase in both cell lines; (4) the modulation of several biological processes, especially in MIA PaCa-2, such as proteasomal ubiquit-independent catabolic process and cell cycle. Conclusion: The present study confirms the overexpression of HOXB7 mRNA expression in PDAC and demonstrates that decreasing its protein level by siRNA could significantly increase apoptosis and modulate several biological processes. HOXB7 might be a promising target for future therapies.
- BLM germline and somatic PKMYT1 and AHCY mutations: Genetic variations beyond MYCN and prognosis in neuroblastoma(2016) NOVAK, E. M.; HALLEY, N. S.; GIMENEZ, T. M.; RANGEL-SANTOS, A.; AZAMBUJA, A. M. P.; BRUMATTI, M.; PEREIRA, P. L.; VINCE, C. S. C.; GIORGI, R. R.; BENDITE, I.; CRISTOFANI, L. M.; ODONE-FILHO, V.Neuroblastoma (NB) is the most common extra cranial solid tumor of childhood and often lethal in childhood. Clinical and biologic characteristics that are independently prognostic of outcome in NB are currently used for risk stratification to optimally the therapy. It includes age at diagnosis, International Neuroblastoma Staging System tumor histopathology and MYCN amplification. However, even in patients with theoretically good prognosis, such as localized tumor and non amplified MYCN, either disease progress or recurrence may occur. Potential genetic determinants of this unfavorable behavior are not yet fully clarified. The presence of elevated expression of AHCY, PKMYT1, and BLM has accompanied poor prognosis MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma patients. Considering the potential implication of these genes on the clinical management of NB, we hypothesize that the identification-of genetic variations may have significant impact during development of the recurrent or progressive disease. Using targeted DNA sequencing, we analyzed the mutation profiles of the genes PKMYT1, AHCY, and BLM in tumor samples of five patients with MYCN amplified and 15 MYCN non-amplified NB. In our study, BLM germline variants were detected in two patients with MYCN-non-amplified neuroblastoma. Our data allow us to hypothesize that, regardless of MYCN status, these mutations partially abolish BLM protein activity by impairing its ATPase and helicase activities. BLM mutations are also clinically relevant because BLM plays an important role in DNA damage repair and the maintenance of genomic integrity. We also found a novel variant in our cohort, PKMYT1 mutation localized in the C-terminal domain with effect unknown on NB. We hypothesize that this variant may affect the catalytic activity of PKMYT1 in NB, specifically when CDK1 is complexed to cyclins. The prognostic value of this mutation must be further investigated. Another mutation identified was a nonsynonymous variant in AHCY. This variant may be related to the slow progression of the disease, even in more aggressive cases. It affects the maintenance of the catalytic capacity of AHCY, leading to the consequent functional effects observed in the NB patients studied. In conclusion, our hypothesis may provide that mutations in BLM, AHCY and PKMYT1 genes found in children with MYCN-amplified or MYCN-non amplified neuroblastomas, may be associated with the prognosis of the disease.
- Mutation and genomic amplification of the PIK3CA proto-oncogene in pituitary adenomas(2012) MURAT, C. B.; BRAGA, P. B. S.; FORTES, M. A. H. Z.; BRONSTEIN, M. D.; CORREA-GIANNELLA, M. L. C.; GIORGI, R. R.The tumorigenesis of pituitary adenomas is poorly understood. Mutations of the PIK3CA proto-oncogene, which encodes the p110-alpha catalytic subunit of PI3K, have been reported in various types of human cancers regarding the role of the gene in cell proliferation and survival through activation of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Only one Chinese study described somatic mutations and amplification of the PIK3CA gene in a large series of pituitary adenomas. The aim of the present study was to determine genetic alterations of PIK3CA in a second series that consisted of 33 pituitary adenomas of different subtypes diagnosed by immunohistochemistry: 6 adrenocorticotropic hormone-secreting microadenomas, 5 growth hormone-secreting macroadenomas, 7 prolactin-secreting macroadenomas, and 15 nonfunctioning macroadenomas. Direct sequencing of exons 9 and 20 assessed by qPCR was employed to investigate the presence of mutations and genomic amplification defined as a copy number >= 4. Previously identified PIK3CA mutations (exon 20) were detected in four cases (12.1%). Interestingly, the Chinese study reported mutations only in invasive tumors, while we found a PIK3CA mutation in one noninvasive corticotroph microadenoma. PIK3CA amplification was observed in 21.2% (7/33) of the cases. This study demonstrates the presence of somatic mutations and amplifications of the PIK3CA gene in a second series of pituitary adenomas, corroborating the previously described involvement of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in the tumorigenic process of this gland.
- Real-world Imatinib Mesylate Treatment in Patients with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia: The Importance of Molecular Monitoring and the Early Molecular Response(2023) FERREIRA, Amanda Pifano Soares; SEGURO, Fernanda Salles; ABDO, Andre Ramires Neder; SANTOS, Fernanda Maria; MACIEL, Felipe Vieira Rodrigues; NARDINELLI, Luciana; GIORGI, Ricardo Rodrigues; RUIZ, Antonio Roberto Lancha; FERREIRA, Milton Pifano Soares; REGO, Eduardo Magalhaes; ROCHA, Vanderson; BENDIT, IsraelIntroduction Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a clonal myeloproliferative disorder characterized by the Philadelphia (Ph) chromosome. After the introduction of imatinib mesylate (IM) in 2000, the natural history of the disease changed. Data on the treatment of CML with IM are from randomized clinical trials. Establishing whether these results can be reproduced or if caution is needed when extrapolating data to the general population with CML is essential. Objectives To evaluate the molecular response (MR) in patients with chronic-phase CML (CML-CP) not included in clinical studies and correlate them with the responses obtained in clinical trials. Methods Between January 2007 and January 2017, 227 patients newly diagnosed with CML-CP treated with IM as first-line treatment were included. This study is an observational, retrospective, and single-center study. Results At a median follow-up time of 7.3 years, 60.3% of the 227 patients who started IM were still on IM. Early molecular response (EMR) at 3 and 6 months was achieved by 74.2% and 65%, respectively. The median time to a MMR was nine months. The MR4.0 and MR4.5 were 67.2% and 51.1%, respectively. The overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and event-free survival (EFS) of the patients who exclusively used IM were 91%, 91%, and 85.1%, respectively. Conclusion The results presented are similar to those described in prospective and randomized trials, demonstrating that the outcomes are reproducible in the real world. EMR at 3 and 6 months reflects better long-term responses, including higher rates of deeper molecular responses. Considering treatment costs, the absence of literature evidence of an impact on overall survival demonstrated by first-line second-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), and the global OS of 85.8%, imatinib mesylate (IM) is still an excellent therapeutic option.
- TGF-beta(1) expression in wound healing is acutely affected by experimental malnutrition and early enteral feeding(2014) ALVES, Claudia Cristina; TORRINHAS, Raquel Susana; GIORGI, Ricardo; BRENTANI, Maria Mitzi; LOGULLO, Angela Flavia; WAITZBERG, Dan LinetzkyMalnutrition is associated with the delay or failure of healing. We assessed the effect of experimental malnutrition and early enteral feeding with standard diet or diet supplemented with arginine and antioxidants on the levels of mRNA encoding growth factors in acute, open wound healing. Standardised cutaneous dorsal wounds and gastrostomies for enteral feeding were created in malnourished (M, n = 27) and eutrophic control (E, n = 30) Lewis male adult rats. Both M and E rats received isocaloric and isonitrogenous regimens with oral chow and saline (C), standard (S) or supplemented (A) enteral diets. On post-trauma day 7, mRNA levels of growth factor genes were analysed in wound granulation tissue by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). M(C) rats had significantly lower transforming growth factor (TGF-(1)) mRNA levels than E(C) rats (258 +/- 083 versus 353 +/- 057, P < 001) and in comparison with M(S) and M(A) rats (466 +/- 249 and 461 +/- 211, respectively; P < 005). VEGF and KGF-7 mRNA levels were lower in M(A) rats than in E(A) rats (074 +/- 016 versus 125 +/- 066; and 107 +/- 045 versus 179 +/- 089, respectively; P 004), but did not differ from levels in E(C) and M(C) animals. In experimental open acute wound healing, previous malnutrition decreased local mRNA levels of TGF-(1) genes, which was minimised by early enteral feeding with standard or supplemented diets.
- Expression of CRABP1, GRP, and RERG mRNA in clinically non-functioning and functioning pituitary adenomas(2011) CHILE, T.; CORREA-GIANNELLA, M. L.; FORTES, M. A. H. Z.; BRONSTEIN, M. D.; CUNHA-NETO, M. B.; GIANNELLA-NETO, D.; GIORGI, R. R.Background: Pituitary tumors account for approximately 10-15% of intracranial neoplasms. Aim: Using the cDNA microarray method, we have previously compared expression under two distinct conditions: a pool of 4 clinically non-functioning pituitary adenomas (NFPA) and a spinal cord metastasis of a non-functioning pituitary carcinoma, in order to gain biological insights into genomic changes of pituitary neoplasias. In the present study, we further investigated the mRNA expression of 3 selected genes previously described as being involved in other neoplasias based on a series of 60 pituitary adenomas: CRABP1 (cellular retinoic acid binding protein 1), GRP (gastrin-releasing peptide), and RERG (Ras-related, estrogen-regulated, growth inhibitor). Material and methods: The expression of CRABP1, GRP, and RERG was determined by quantitative RT-PCR. Results: A significantly higher content of CRABP1 mRNA was observed in NFPA compared to functioning adenomas, and PRL-secreting adenomas showed a lower expression of this gene compared to normal pituitary. A lower expression of GRP mRNA was detected in NFPA compared to normal pituitary and also to functioning adenomas. RERG mRNA was overexpressed in NFPA in comparison to functioning adenomas and to normal pituitary. Among the functioning adenomas, only the ACTH-secreting adenomas presented a higher expression of RERG mRNA compared to normal pituitary. Conclusions: The findings of differential expression of CRABP1 in prolactinomas and of RERG in NFPA compared to normal pituitary suggests that retinoic acid and estrogen receptor, respectively, could be involved in the tumorigenesis of these adenomas subtypes. Additional studies are required to further confirm this hypothesis. (J. Endocrinol. Invest. 34: e214-e218, 2011) (C) 2011, Editrice Kurtis