Soroprevalence for Hepatitis C virus is reported as 2.12% in Northern Brazil, with about 50% of the patients exhibiting a sustained virological response (SVR). Aiming to associate polymorphisms in Killer Cell Immunoglobulin-like Receptors (KIR) with chronic hepatitis C and therapy responses we investigated 125 chronic patients and 345 controls. Additionally, 48 ancestry markers were genotyped to control for population stratification. The frequency of the KIR2DL2 and KIR2DL2+HLA-C Asp80 gene and ligand was higher in chronic infected patients than in controls (p < 0.0009, OR = 3.4; p = 0.001, OR = 3.45). In fact, KIR2DL3 is a weaker inhibitor of NK activity than KIR2DL2, which could explain the association of KIR2DL2 with chronic infection. Moreover, KIR2DS2 and KIR2DS2+HLA-C Asp80 (p < 0.0001, OR = 2.51; p = 0.0084, OR = 2.62) and KIR2DS3 (p < 0.0001; OR = 2.57) were associated with chronic infection, independently from KIR2DL2. No differences in ancestry composition were observed between control and patients, even with respect to therapy response groups. The allelic profile KIR2DL2/KIR2DS2/KIR2DS3 was associated with the chronic hepatitis C (p < 0.0001; OR = 3). Furthermore, the patients also showed a higher mean number of activating genes and a lower frequency of the homozygous AA profile, which is likely secondary to the association with non-AA and/or activating genes. In addition, the KIR2DS5 allele was associated with SVR (p = 0.0261; OR = 0.184).The ancestry analysis of samples ruled out any effects of population substructuring and did not evidence interethnic differences in therapy response, as suggested in previous studies.

A utilização de malhas fotoconversoras para o cultivo de algumas espécies ornamentais e olerícolas tornou-se comum. Diante da grande influência que a radiação solar exerce sobre os vegetais, esta pesquisa foi realizada com o objetivo de avaliar o efeito da intensidade e da qualidade espectral da luz transmitida pelas malhas fotoconversoras (Chromatinet®) em relação a aspectos fisiológicos de crescimento (teor, rendimento e composição química) do óleo essencial de Melissa officinalis L. Em delineamento inteiramente casualizado, foram dispostos quatro tratamentos e cinco repetições, sendo cada parcela composta de quatro vasos (uma planta por vaso). Os tratamentos foram caracterizados por plantas de melissa cultivadas a pleno sol, em malha preta (50%), em malha Chromatinet® vermelha (50%) e em Chromatinet® azul (50%). As características avaliadas consistiram em: fitomassa seca de folhas, caules, parte aérea, raízes e total; razão raiz/parte aérea; área foliar total; razão de área foliar; razão de peso foliar; área foliar específica; teor, rendimento e composição química do óleo essencial. A utilização de malhas no cultivo de melissa favoreceu o crescimento, independentemente da cor, em relação ao cultivo a pleno sol. Sob a malha vermelha houve menores teor e rendimento óleo essencial, porém apresentou o maior teor de citral.

The use of color shading nets for cultivation of some ornamentals and vegetables has become common. Thus, observing the great influence of the solar radiation on the plant physiology, the objective of this research was to evaluate the the quantity and quality effects of spectral light transmitted through color shading nets (Chromatinet®) in Melissa officinalis L., including physiological aspects as:growth ,content and chemistry composition. Four treatments and five replications were disposed in a completely randomized design, being each experimental unit composed by four pots (one plant per pot). The treatments were lemon balm's plants cultivated under full sunshine, black shading net (50%), red shading net (50%) and blue shading net (50%). The characteristics evaluated were: plant's height; dry phytomass of leaves, stems, aerial part, roots and total; root/aerial part ratio; total leaf area; leaf area ratio; leaf weight ratio; specific leaf area; content, yield and composition of the essential oil. The utilization of nets favored the growth organs dry phytomass yield, independently of the color, in comparison with total sun light. Plants under red shading had lower content of essential oil and yield, but they showed the higher content of citral.