Incarcerated Ink: A Case of Mycobacterium chelonae.

A 30-year-old African American male presented with pain and swelling of the right foot one month after receiving a tattoo on this foot in prison. During his admission for presumed cellulitis, he developed a rash on his contralateral (left) leg, which had been tattooed 10 months prior. A biopsy of the contralateral (left) leg showed acute, chronic, and granulomatous inflammation with a differential diagnosis including infection. His overall condition and both legs worsened, prompting biopsy and tissue culture of the right ankle and foot. Pathology of the right foot showed a granulomatous reaction. Culture grew Mycobacterium chelonae. This case highlights the importance of considering infectious etiologies for rashes appearing within tattoos and represents the importance of a full investigation to obtain the correct diagnosis.

Effects of comprehensive medication review on opioid overuse among medicare beneficiaries.

Objectives: This study examined the effects of the comprehensive medication review of Medicare medication therapy management programs on opioid overuse among Medicare beneficiaries. Methods: This retrospective study analyzed Medicare data from 2016 to 2017. The intervention group included Medicare beneficiaries who newly received comprehensive medication review in 2017; the control group referred to patients who met the general eligible criteria for the medication therapy management program but did not enroll in 2016 or 2017. Propensity score matching was performed to increase characteristic compatibility between the intervention and control groups. Three measures of opioid overuse were analyzed: use of opioids at a high dosage, use of opioids from multiple providers, and concurrent use of opioids and benzodiazepines. The effects of comprehensive medication review on opioid overuse were analyzed with a multivariate logistic regression with an interaction term between the receipt of comprehensive medication review and the year 2017. Key Findings: The proportion of concurrent use of opioids and benzodiazepines declined at a greater rate among the recipients (2.21%) than non-recipients (1.55%) of the comprehensive medication review. In the adjusted analysis, the odds ratio of no concurrent use of opioids and benzodiazepines was 5% higher (1.05; 95% confidence interval = 1.02-1.09) among recipients than non-recipients. These significant findings were not found for the other two measures of opioid overuse. Conclusions: Comprehensive medication review is associated with reduced concurrent use of opioids and benzodiazepines among Medicare beneficiaries. Such service should be incorporated into the current approaches for addressing the opioid epidemic.

Subclinical Hypothyroidism is Not Associated with Femoral Osteoporosis in Individuals Aged 50 Years or Older.

BACKGROUND: Thyroid dysfunction and osteoporosis are conditions strongly associated with aging, and the prevalence of both conditions is expected to increase in the coming decades. Thyroid hormones regulate bone metabolism, and the role of subclinical hypothyroidism on bone mineral density (BMD) is still controversial. Hence, this study aims to assess the association of subclinical hypothyroidism with femoral osteopenia and osteoporosis in individuals aged 50 years or older. METHODOLOGY: This retrospective cohort study was carried out with 864 outpatients having at least one result for TSH levels before the first record of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). The primary endpoints were osteopenia (-2.5 standard deviation (SD)

Serum levels of interleukin-2 differ between prostate cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia / Níveis séricos de interleucina-2 diferem entre câncer de próstata e hiperplasia benigna da próstata

ABSTRACT Objective Investigation onthe systemic inflammatory profile ofpatients affected by prostate cancer (PCa) or prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) may contribute to characterize the pathological profile as well as enable identification of markers and promote alternatives for appropriate, less invasive treatments. Methods This research compared serum levels of 10 classic inflammatory mediators among patients aged 50 years or older affected by PCa or BPH. For this, clinical, biochemical, metabolic, anthropometric and inflammatory aspects of each patient was considered. Results From the statistical analysis, a weakpositive correlation (r = 0.16) between IL-2 with serum total PSA values was found. In addition, median serum IL-2 values were three times higher in patients with PCa compared to BPH patients. Conclusion By interpretation of current literature, we hypothesize that the activity of infiltratedtype M1 macrophages and activated cytotoxic cells in the neoplasm milieu might explain this increase of IL-2 as part of anendogenous anti-neoplastic response.

RESUMO Objetivo A investigação do perfil inflamatório sistêmico de pacientes acometidos por câncer de próstata (CaP) ou hiperplasia prostática (HPB) pode contribuir para caracterizar o perfil patológico, bem como possibilitar a identificação de marcadores e promover alternativas de tratamentos adequados e menos invasivos. Métodos Esta pesquisa comparou os níveis séricos de 10 mediadores inflamatórios clássicos em pacientes com 50 anos ou mais afetados por CaP ou HPB. Para tanto, foram considerados os aspectos clínicos, bioquímicos, metabólicos, antropométricos e inflamatórios de cada paciente. Resultados A partir da análise estatística, foi encontrada umacorrelação positiva fraca (r = 0,16) entre IL-2 com os valores de PSA total sé o. Além disso, os valores medianos de IL-2 no soro foram três vezes maiores em pacientes com CaP em comparação com pacientes com HPB. Conclusão Pela interpretação da literatura atual, hipotetizamos que a atividade de macrófagos do tipo M1 infiltrados e células citotóxicas ativadas no meio da neoplasia pode explicar esse aumento de IL-2 como parte de uma resposta antineoplásica endógena.

Spectroscopic and Photophysical Investigation of Model Dipyrroles Common to Bilins: Exploring Natural Design for Steering Torsion to Divergent Functions.

Biliproteins are a unique class of photosynthetic proteins in their diverse, and at times, divergent biophysical function. The two contexts of photosynthetic light harvesting and photoreception demonstrate characteristically opposite criteria for success, with light harvesting demanding structurally-rigid chromophores which minimize excitation quenching, and photoreception requiring structural flexibility to enable conformational isomerization. The functional plasticity borne out in these two biological contexts is a consequence of the structural plasticity of the pigments utilized by biliproteins-linear tetrapyrroles, or bilins. In this work, the intrinsic flexibility of the bilin framework is investigated in a bottom-up fashion by reducing the active nuclear degrees of freedom through model dipyrrole subunits of the bilin core and terminus free of external protein interactions. Steady-state spectroscopy was carried out on the dipyrrole (DPY) and dipyrrinone (DPN) subunits free in solution to characterize their intrinsic spectroscopic properties including absorption strengths and nonradiative activity. Transient absorption (TA) spectroscopy was utilized to determine the mechanism and kinetics of nonradiative decay of the dipyrrole subunits, revealing dynamics dominated by rapid internal conversion with some Z→E isomerization observable in DPY. Computational analysis of the ground state conformational landscapes indicates enhanced complexity in the asymmetric terminal subunit, and the prediction was confirmed by heterogeneity of species and kinetics observed in TA. Taken together, the large oscillator strengths (f ∼ 0.6) of the dipyrrolic derivatives and chemically-efficient spectral tunability seen through the ∼100 nm difference in absorption spectra, validate Nature's "selection" of multi-pyrrole pigments for light capture applications. However, the rapid deactivation of the excited state via their natural torsional activity when free in solution would limit their effective biological function. Comparison with phytochrome and phycocyanin 645 crystal structures reveals binding motifs within the in vivo bilin environment that help to facilitate or inhibit specific inter-pyrrole twisting vital for protein operation.

Beneficial Roles of Cellulose Patch-Mediated Cell Therapy in Myocardial Infarction: A Preclinical Study.

Biological scaffolds have become an attractive approach for repairing the infarcted myocardium and have been shown to facilitate constructive remodeling in injured tissues. This study aimed to investigate the possible utilization of bacterial cellulose (BC) membrane patches containing cocultured cells to limit myocardial postinfarction pathology. Myocardial infarction (MI) was induced by ligating the left anterior descending coronary artery in 45 Wistar rats, and patches with or without cells were attached to the hearts. After one week, the animals underwent echocardiography to assess for ejection fraction and left ventricular end-diastolic and end-systolic volumes. Following patch formation, the cocultured cells retained viability of >90% over 14 days in culture. The patch was applied to the myocardial surface of the infarcted area after staying 14 days in culture. Interestingly, the BC membrane without cellular treatment showed higher preservation of cardiac dimensions; however, we did not observe improvement in the left ventricular ejection fraction of this group compared to coculture-treated membranes. Our results demonstrated an important role for BC in supporting cells known to produce cardioprotective soluble factors and may thus provide effective future therapeutic outcomes for patients suffering from ischemic heart disease.

Evidence for a contribution of the APOE (but not the ACE) gene to the sleep profile of non-demented elderly adults.

This study aims to investigate alleles of the human apolipoprotein E (APOE) and of the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) genes as risk factors for poor quality of sleep in elderly individuals with no major cognitive decline. This cross-sectional, analytical study was conducted with 163 participants aged 75 years in average and 85% female. Sociodemographic, anthropometric and clinical data were gathered, and sleep quality was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the Epworth scale, with patient followed for years prior to these evaluations to rule out onset of major mental disorders. Genotyping of classic polymorphic sites for the ApoE (rs429358 and rs7412) and the ACE (rs4646994) genes used peripheral DNA. A total of 63% of the subjects reported poor quality of sleep assessed by the PSQI whereas 54 (33%) reported daytime sleepiness through the Epworth scale. A significant correlation was observed between APOE and PSQI, with a greater frequency of the poor nighttime sleep quality phenotype among ε2 carriers, whereas no correlation was found among any of the sleep scores and the ACE genotypes. Thus, we suggest a correlation between APOE alleles and scale-assessed sleep quality scores in older adults, with no implications for ACE alleles, in a context devoid of cognitive impairment.

Eosinophil granule major basic protein 1 deposition in eosinophilic esophagitis correlates with symptoms independent of eosinophil counts.

In patients with eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), symptoms often do not correlate with peak eosinophil counts (PEC) determined on histopathological examination of biopsy specimens. This may be because eosinophils degranulate during active disease and lose their morphological identity as intact cells and, therefore, are not enumerated on microscopic examination. Eosinophil granule proteins that are released into tissues with degranulation, including major basic protein 1 (eMBP1), likely contribute to disease pathogenesis and, therefore, may correlate with symptoms better than PEC. We sought to determine whether symptoms in patients with EoE more closely relate to eosinophil granule protein deposition than to eosinophil enumeration, especially in patients with fewer than 15 eosinophils per high power field (HPF). Esophageal biopsy specimens from 34 patients diagnosed with EoE were obtained for histopathological examination and for evaluation of eMBP1 staining by indirect immunofluorescence. PEC by histopathology were compared to extracellular eMBP1 grades by immunostaining. PEC and eMBP1 grades also were analyzed for their relationship to symptoms and clinical course. Biopsy specimens from 19 of the 34 patients had fewer than 15 PEC on histopathological examination, and the other 15 patients had 15 or greater PEC. Positive eMBP1 immunostaining was found in all symptomatic patients. EoE symptoms were related to eMBP1 immunostaining grades (p = 0.0001), but not PEC (P = 0.14). Eosinophil granule protein deposition, specifically eMBP1, is increased in esophageal biopsy specimens from symptomatic patients with EoE and may be a marker of disease activity, including patients with EoE who have 'resolved' disease.

Interplay between circulating nitric oxide and interleukin-17 in elderly outpatients with non-inflammatory conditions.

Nitric oxide (NOx) availability in biological systems is associated with either favorable or unfavorable outcomes. In this sense, several studies bring about evidence that unbalanced NOx production may be underlying to the pathophysiology of vascular disorders. Our study investigated the possible association of clinical, biochemical and inflammatory variables with total circulating levels of NOx in elderly patients devoid of major inflammatory conditions. Clinical (demographics, lifestyle, anthropometry, pressoric traits) and biochemical characteristics (lipemic, glycemic and hormonal profiles) were assessed from 168 geriatrics outpatients eligible for primary care for age-related disorders. Furthermore, circulating levels of 10 inflammatory mediators and of NOx were measured. Correlation tests analyzed categorical or continuous traits according to serum NOx and found no association between NOx and any of the clinical or laboratory data but a negative correlation between plasma NOx concentrations and levels of the immune mediator IL17a (r = -0.236; P = 0.004). Evidence for a correlation between circulating NOx and IL17 is already present in the literature, mostly from studies conducted under inflammatory conditions. Our hypothesis is that such negative correlation can be attributed to an endogenous homeostatic system that IL17 production by the constitutively produced NOx from the vascular endothelium.

RNA sequencing confirms similarities between PPI-responsive oesophageal eosinophilia and eosinophilic oesophagitis.

BACKGROUND: Although current American guidelines distinguish proton pump inhibitor-responsive oesophageal eosinophilia (PPI-REE) from eosinophilic oesophagitis (EoE), these entities are broadly similar. While two microarray studies showed that they have similar transcriptomes, more extensive RNA sequencing studies have not been done previously. AIM: To determine whether RNA sequencing identifies genetic markers distinguishing PPI-REE from EoE. METHODS: We retrospectively examined 13 PPI-REE and 14 EoE biopsies, matched for tissue eosinophil content, and 14 normal controls. Patients and controls were not PPI-treated at the time of biopsy. We did RNA sequencing on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue, with differential expression confirmation by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR). We validated the use of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded vs RNAlater-preserved tissue, and compared our formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded EoE results to a prior EoE study. RESULTS: By RNA sequencing, no genes were differentially expressed between the EoE and PPI-REE groups at the false discovery rate (FDR) ≤0.01 level. Compared to normal controls, 1996 genes were differentially expressed in the PPI-REE group and 1306 genes in the EoE group. By less stringent criteria, only MAPK8IP2 was differentially expressed between PPI-REE and EoE (FDR = 0.029, 2.2-fold less in EoE than in PPI-REE), with similar results by PCR. KCNJ2, which was differentially expressed in a prior study, was similar in the EoE and PPI-REE groups by both RNA sequencing and real-time PCR. CONCLUSION: Eosinophilic oesophagitis and PPI-REE have comparable transcriptomes, confirming that they are part of the same disease continuum.

Serum Klotho (but not haplotypes) associate with the post-myocardial infarction status of older adults

OBJECTIVES: The number of deaths from vascular diseases is incredibly high worldwide, and reliable markers for major events are still needed. The current cross-sectional study investigated the association of Klotho haplotypes and Klotho serum levels with classic risk factors and a clinical history of vascular events. METHODS: Clinical, anthropometric, biochemical and nutritional assessments were conducted with 168 older adults, complemented by genotyping (rs9536314 and rs9527025) and the detection of serum Klotho (ELISA). RESULTS: Klotho levels and haplotypes did not associate with most classic risk factors for vascular events, including markers such as C-reactive protein and homocysteine. A positive association was only found between Klotho levels and the previous occurrence of a myocardial infarction by both correlational (p=0.006) and variance analyses (p<0.001), and these associations were independent of the context. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that serum Klotho is higher in individuals with a clinical history of myocardial infarction but not with a history of coronary artery disease or stroke. None of the Klotho haplotypes were associated with the variables investigated herein.

Physicochemical and in vitro biocompatibility of films combining reconstituted bacterial cellulose with arabinogalactan and xyloglucan.

Reconstituted cellulose films were generated using residual bacterial cellulose membranes mechanically defibrillated (RBC fibrils) recycled following wound dressing production via a dry-cast process. Arabinogalactan (AG) extracted from Pereskia aculeata leaves and/or a xyloglucan (GHXG) from Guibourtia hymenifolia seeds were incorporating into the RBC at various compositions, and new films were created using the same process. Biocomposite properties were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy, contact angle (CA), and X-ray diffraction measurements. The attachment and proliferation of murine L929 fibroblasts on RBC and RBC/Hydrocolloids (HD) were also evaluated. RBC films with 20-30% GHXG replacement improved film stability and the inclusion of HD increased microfiber aggregation and reduced porous regions. Changes in the hydrophilic characteristics were also observed and owing to the adhesion effect the inclusion of HD on RBC led to a statistically significant effect of the mechanical properties of films. The RBC/AG films supported L929 adhesion similar to that observed for commercial bacterial cellulose, indicating their potential use for biomedical applications.

Serum Klotho (but not haplotypes) associate with the post-myocardial infarction status of older adults.

OBJECTIVES:: The number of deaths from vascular diseases is incredibly high worldwide, and reliable markers for major events are still needed. The current cross-sectional study investigated the association of Klotho haplotypes and Klotho serum levels with classic risk factors and a clinical history of vascular events. METHODS:: Clinical, anthropometric, biochemical and nutritional assessments were conducted with 168 older adults, complemented by genotyping (rs9536314 and rs9527025) and the detection of serum Klotho (ELISA). RESULTS:: Klotho levels and haplotypes did not associate with most classic risk factors for vascular events, including markers such as C-reactive protein and homocysteine. A positive association was only found between Klotho levels and the previous occurrence of a myocardial infarction by both correlational (p=0.006) and variance analyses (p<0.001), and these associations were independent of the context. CONCLUSION:: Our results suggest that serum Klotho is higher in individuals with a clinical history of myocardial infarction but not with a history of coronary artery disease or stroke. None of the Klotho haplotypes were associated with the variables investigated herein.

Endoscopic appearance and location dictate diagnostic yield of biopsies in eosinophilic oesophagitis.

BACKGROUND: Acknowledging that eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is a disease with variable involvement throughout the oesophagus, studies have suggested a minimum of five biopsies to diagnose EoE. Although it is accepted that furrows and exudates appear to represent areas of inflammation, no research to date has looked specifically at EoE endoscopic findings to see if eosinophilic infiltrate correlates with specific endoscopic findings. AIM: To evaluate the distribution of eosinophils in EoE and determine whether endoscopic appearances predict the degree of eosinophilia at various locations of the oesophagus. METHODS: We performed a prospective cross sectional study of EoE (treated and untreated) patients to study the distribution of eosinophils according to endoscopic findings. The oesophagus of 10 EoE patients were biopsied up to 32 times in a circumferential manner. The mucosal changes were documented at the site of each biopsy. Histological determination of eosinophil counts and related histopathology of the oesophagus were then correlated with endoscopic findings. Similar biopsy assessments were made in treated (resolved) EoE patients (n = 6) to determine the permanence of specific endoscopic appearances. RESULTS: A total of 16 patients were biopsied (10 EoE, 6 treated EoE). A total of 432 biopsies were obtained in all with 294 biopsies from 10 EoE subjects. Eosinophil density was increased distally in the majority of EoE patients. Biopsies performed in areas of exudates and furrows demonstrated higher eosinophil counts. Lines and normal-appearing oesophagi in EoE subjects were not commonly associated with elevated eosinophil counts (>15 eos/HPF). Rings alone without associated furrows or plaques did not demonstrate elevated eosinophil counts and were seen in resolved EoE (Rx-EoE) as well as in active EoE patients. CONCLUSIONS: Eosinophilic esophagitis remains a variable disease with some patients manifesting extensive disease throughout the oesophagus. Characteristics of furrows and exudates found during endoscopy are associated with higher peak eosinophil counts, requiring fewer biopsies to make a diagnosis. Lines and otherwise normal appearances of the oesophagus suggest a milder mucosal eosinophilia, requiring substantial biopsies to adequately identify fields with diagnostic eosinophil counts.

A idade é fator de risco de desnutrição em idosos institucionalizados? / Age is a risk factor of malnutrition in institutionalized elderly?

O estudo teve como objetivo avaliar se a idade pode ser um fator de risco de desnutrição em idosos independentes de uma Instituição de Longa Permanência na cidade de Sobradinho (DF). Os dados foram coletados em 24 idosos independentes e separaram-se dois grupos: um com idades entre 60 e 79, e o outro com idades acima de 80 anos. Utilizou-se a Mini-Avaliação Nutricional (MAN), composta por 18 itens divididos em: triagem (ingesta alimentar, peso, índice de massa corporal (IMC), mobilidade, problemas neurológicos) e avaliação global (uso de medicações, existência de lesões de pele, tipos de refeição e qualidade, perimetria do braço e panturrilha). O critério de exclusão foi o de ser dependente ou acamado. Como resultados, encontraram-se os seguintes dados: 2 idosos (16,7%) acima de 80 anos e 3 idosos (25%) com idades entre 60 e 79 anos com risco de desnutrição; 10 (83,3%) acima de 80 anos e 9 (75%) com idade entre 60 e 79 anos sem risco. Conclusões: Por meio destes resultados, foi possível verificar que a idade avançada não é fator de risco para o desenvolvimento de desnutrição em idosos institucionalizados.

The study aimed to assess if age may be a risk factor of malnutrition in the elderly independent of a long-stay institution in the city of Sobradinho (DF). The data were collected from 24 independent elderly and separated two groups, one aged 60 and 79 and the other aged above 80 years. We used the Nutrition Mini Assessment (NMA), consisting of 18 items divided into: screening (food intake, weight, body mass index (BMI), mobility, neurological problems) and overall evaluation (use of medications, presence of skin injuries, meal types and quality, arm circumference and calf). The exclusion criterion was to be dependent or bedridden. As a result, the following data were found: 2 seniors (16.7%) over 80 years and three elderly (25%) aged 60 to 79 years at risk of malnutrition; 10 (83.3%) over 80 years and 9 (75%) aged between 60 and 79 years without risk. Conclusions: Using the results obtained from the data analyzed, it found that old age is not a risk factor for developing malnutrition in institutionalized elderly.

Tailored antihypertensive drug therapy prescribed to older women attenuates circulating levels of interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α.

OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that antihypertensive drug therapy produces anti-inflammatory effects in clinical practice, this study investigated circulating levels of selected proinflammatory mediators (interleukin-6 [IL-6], tumor necrosis factor-alpha [TNF-α], and interferon-γ [INF-γ]) in response to multivariate drug directions for blood pressure (BP) control. METHODS: Prospective study involving 110 hypertensive, community-dwelling older women with different metabolic disorders. A short-term BP-lowering drug therapy was conducted according to current Brazilian guidelines on hypertension, and basal cytokine levels were measured before and after intervention. RESULTS: Interventions were found to represent current hypertension-management practices in Brazil and corresponded to a significant reduction in systolic and diastolic BP levels in a whole-group analysis, as well as when users and nonusers of the most common therapeutic classes were considered separately. Considering all patients, mean IL-6 and TNF-α levels showed a significant decrease in circulating concentrations (P<0.01) at the endpoint compared with baseline, whereas the mean INF-γ level was not significantly different from baseline values. In separate analyses, only users of antagonists of the renin-angiotensin system and users of diuretics exhibited the same significant treatment-induced reduction in serum IL-6 and TNF-α observed in the whole group. CONCLUSION: Our data demonstrates that a clinically guided antihypertensive treatment is effective in reversing the low-grade proinflammatory state of serum cytokines found in postmenopausal women and support extracardiac benefits from diuretics and renin-angiotensin system antagonists.

Nanometric organisation in blends of gellan/xyloglucan hydrogels.

Mixtures of gellan gum (GL) and a xyloglucan (XGJ) extracted from Hymenaea courbaril seeds were prepared in a solution of 0.15 mol L(-1) NaCl. Rheology measurements revealed that 2.4 g L(-1) pure GL formed a brittle hydrogel, and GL-XGJ blends showed improved pseudoplastic character with higher XGJ contents. SAXS analyses showed that the Rg dimensions ranged from 1.3 to 4.9 nm, with larger values occurring as the amount of XGJ increased, and diffusion tests indicated that better diffusion of methylene blue dye was obtained in the network with a higher XGJ content. AFM topographic images of the films deposited onto mica revealed fewer heterogeneous surfaces with increased XGJ contents. The water contact angle revealed more hydrophobic character on all of the films, and the wettability decreased with increasing amounts of XGJ. Therefore, the demonstrated benefit of using XGJ blends is the production of a soft material with improved interface properties.

Idosos com Síndrome de Down: como está sua condição social na sociedade? / Elderly with down’s syndrome: How is your social conditions in society?

Este trabalho pontua o envelhecimento dos indivíduos com Síndrome de Down, discute como estas pessoas se encontram na velhice em relação a direitos como cidadãos, trata sobre o papel da família e da sociedade e, também, aborda sua qualidade de vida na fase senil. Desta forma, este trabalho almeja articular estes conceitos em busca de uma visão mais clara do contexto destas pessoas na comunidade na expectativa de que, a partir daí, a sociedade e governo possam refletir, se posicionar e agir diante desta situação de exclusão social.

This work points out the aging of individuals with Down Syndrome; discusses how these people are in old age in relation to rights as citizens, comes to about the role of family and society and also approaches quality of life in senile stage. Thus, this paper aims to articulate these concepts in search of a clearer picture of the context in their communities in the hope that, thereafter, the society and government can reflect, to position and act on this situation of social.

Cytokine gene polymorphisms and Alzheimer's disease in Brazil.

BACKGROUND: Single-nucleotide polymorphisms in genes encoding immunological mediators can affect the biological activity of these molecules by regulating transcription, translation, or secretion, modulating the genetic risk of inflammatory damage in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Nonetheless, the Brazilian contingent is highly admixed, and few association trials performed herein with AD patients have considered genetic ancestry estimates as co-variables when investigating markers for this complex trait. METHODS: We analyzed polymorphisms in 10 inflammatory genes and compared the genotype distribution across outpatients with late-onset AD and noncognitively impaired subjects from Midwest Brazil under a strict criterion, and controlling for ancestry heritage and ApoE genotype. RESULTS: Our findings show an almost 40% lower chance of AD (p = 0.004) among homozygotes of the IL10 -1082A allele (rs1800896). Dichotomization to ApoE and mean ancestry levels did not affect protection, except among those with greater European or minor African heritage. CONCLUSION: The IL10 locus seems to affect the onset of AD in a context sensitive to the genetic ancestry of Brazilian older adults.

Property evaluations of dry-cast reconstituted bacterial cellulose/tamarind xyloglucan biocomposites.

We describe the mechanical defibrillation of bacterial cellulose (BC) followed by the dry-cast generation of reconstituted BC films (RBC). Xyloglucan (XGT), extracted from tamarind seeds, was incorporated into the defibrillated cellulose at various compositions, and new films were created using the same process. Microscopy and contact angle analyses of films revealed an increase in the microfibre adhesion, a reduced polydispersity in the diameters of the microfibrils and increased hydrophobic behaviour as a function of %XGT. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed changes to the crystallographic planes of the RBC and the biocomposite films with preferential orientation along the (110) plane. Compared with BC, RBC/XGT biocomposite with 10% XGT exhibited improvement in its thermal properties and in Young's modulus. These results indicated a reorganisation of the microfibres with mechanical treatment, which when combined with hydrocolloids, can create cellulose-based materials that could be applied as scaffolding for tissue engineering and drug release.