Expressão imuno-histoquímica do estrógeno e da progesterona em lesões bucais da paracoccidioidomicose

Abstract

Paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) is an infection caused by fungi of the genus Paracoccidioides. The chronic form is the most common and affects mainly the lungs, but can spread to other organs producing secondary lesions. It constitutes a public health disease with high economic impact by compromising the health of workers during their most productive lifespan, and may even lead to their death. PCM is marked by a strong predilection for males and this difference occurs as a result of the 17 β-estradiol inhibitory effect on mycelium turns into the pathogenic form of the yeast. The objectives of the present study were to evaluate the immunostaining of estrogen receptors alpha (ER1) and progesterone receptor (PR) in oral lesions of chronic PCM and correlate with the amount of fungi and CD163 expression in men and women. Third-two fragments of oral mucous membrane biopsy of patients diagnosed with PCM were included in the study. The specimens were obtained from the Laboratory of Oral Pathology of Unifal-MG and were subjected to immunohistochemical analysis by markers ER1, PR, Pb and CD163. The results were tabulated and the statistical analysis was performed using the nonparametric tests Spearman correlation coefficient and the Mann-Whitney Test, with a significance level of 5%. The ER1 was found only in women. A significant positive correlation was observed between estrogen and amount of fungi (r = 0.6844, p = 0.0034). Regarding PR was expressed in both genders, but showed no correlation with the amount the fungi (p = 0.8343). Moreover, there was no difference between genders considering oral fungal cell number and CD163 immunostaining (p = 0.8802 and p = 0.9699, respectively). The results indicated that the ER1 may be more expressed in women and that the expression of this hormone is positively correlated with the amount of fungi. The PR was expressed in both genders and showed no correlation with the ER1 and the amount of fungi. The CD163 showed no correlation with any of the immunomarkers.