Microscopic Colitis and Celiac Disease: Sharing More than a Diagnostic Overlap.

Microscopic colitis (MC) is an emergent group of chronic inflammatory diseases of the colon, and celiac disease (CD) is a chronic gluten-induced immune-mediated enteropathy affecting the small bowel. We performed a narrative review to provide an overview regarding the relationship between both disorders, analyzing the most recent studies published at the epidemiological, clinical and pathophysiological levels. In fact, MC and CD are concomitantly prevalent in approximately 6% of the cases, mainly in the subset of refractory patients. Thus, physicians should screen refractory patients with CD against MC and vice versa. Both disorders share more than a simple epidemiological association, being multifactorial diseases involving innate and adaptive immune responses to known or unknown luminal factors based on a rather common genetic ground. Moreover, autoimmunity is a shared characteristic between the patients with MC and those with CD, with autoimmunity in the latter being quite well-established. Furthermore, CD and MC share some common clinical symptoms and risk factors and overlap with other gastrointestinal diseases, but some differences exist between both disorders. More studies are therefore needed to better understand the complex mechanisms involving the common pathogenetic ground contributing to the CD and MC epidemiological association.

Solvent and Temperature Dependencies of the Rates of Thermal Cis-to-Trans Isomerization of Tetra-(ortho)substituted 4-Aminoazobenzenes Containing 2,6-Dimethoxy Groups.

The kinetics of thermal cis-to-trans isomerization of two tetra-(ortho)substituted 4-aminoazobenzene derivatives containing 2,6-dimethoxy groups in the 4-aminobenzene ring and either 2',6'-dimethyl (1) or 2',6'-dichloro groups in another ring was studied in 16 and 9 solvents, respectively, at room temperature. In addition, the kinetics of isomerization of 1 was studied at variable temperatures in 6 solvents. The solvent effects were analyzed in terms of multiparameter correlations using the Kamlet-Taft, Catalan, and Laurence scales. The temperature dependencies were analyzed in terms of the isokinetic relationship by using Exner's method. The correlation analysis was also extended to several previously reported systems, including isomerization of unsubstituted 4-aminoazobenzene and push-pull 4-NR2-4'-NO2 azobenzenes. It was established that for all 4-aminoazobenzenes in contrast to push-pull azobenzenes, the increase in solvent dipolarity does not affect or even inhibit isomerization rates; however, the increase in solvent acidity induces large rate accelerations. The isokinetic relationship holds only in aprotic solvents, while in alcohols and water, the temperature dependencies do not pass through the common point at T = Tiso, indicating different mechanisms operating in protic and aprotic solvents. The acceleration effect by protic solvents does not represent a type of general acid catalysis as follows from the small solvent isotope effect kH/kD = 1.26 in water. It is suggested that protic solvents induce a change in the reaction mechanism supposedly from inversion to rotation by hydrogen bonding stabilization of the negative charge developed on the azo group in a resonance structure involving a 4-amino group.

The Applications of Artificial Intelligence for Assessing Fall Risk: Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: Falls and their consequences are a serious public health problem worldwide. Each year, 37.3 million falls requiring medical attention occur. Therefore, the analysis of fall risk is of great importance for prevention. Artificial intelligence (AI) represents an innovative tool for creating predictive statistical models of fall risk through data analysis. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this review was to analyze the available evidence on the applications of AI in the analysis of data related to postural control and fall risk. METHODS: A literature search was conducted in 6 databases with the following inclusion criteria: the articles had to be published within the last 5 years (from 2018 to 2024), they had to apply some method of AI, AI analyses had to be applied to data from samples consisting of humans, and the analyzed sample had to consist of individuals with independent walking with or without the assistance of external orthopedic devices. RESULTS: We obtained a total of 3858 articles, of which 22 were finally selected. Data extraction for subsequent analysis varied in the different studies: 82% (18/22) of them extracted data through tests or functional assessments, and the remaining 18% (4/22) of them extracted through existing medical records. Different AI techniques were used throughout the articles. All the research included in the review obtained accuracy values of >70% in the predictive models obtained through AI. CONCLUSIONS: The use of AI proves to be a valuable tool for creating predictive models of fall risk. The use of this tool could have a significant socioeconomic impact as it enables the development of low-cost predictive models with a high level of accuracy. TRIAL REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42023443277; https://tinyurl.com/4sb72ssv.

Psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the Health of Nation Outcome Scales for schizophrenia patients.

Accessible Summary What is known on the subject? Functioning is one of the most affected areas in schizophrenia. Social, occupational and personal domains are affected, and these deficits are responsible for a major part of the disability associated with the disorder. There are several instruments to measure functioning, but the HoNOS provides a wide assessment of impairment in 12 areas of functioning. What does the paper add to existing knowledge? The Spanish version of the HoNOS shows good properties in terms of reliability and validity for use in schizophrenia patients. Although some authors divide the scale according to proposed underlying dimensions, in schizophrenia this division may not be appropriate. What are the implications for practice? A reliable and easy-to-use measure of impairment in different areas of functioning is useful for optimizing the treatment and rehabilitation of patients with schizophrenia. ABSTRACT: INTRODUCTION: The HoNOS scale was designed for the assessment of psychosocial impairment in various domains. While it is widely used in psychiatric settings, it has not been validated in Spanish for use in patients with schizophrenia. AIM: To examine the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the HoNOS scale in a sample of schizophrenia patients. METHOD: A total of 194 individuals aged 18 to 65 with schizophrenia spectrum diagnoses were evaluated using the HoNOS. Illness severity and level of functioning were also assessed. RESULTS: The HoNOS showed moderate internal consistency, good inter-observer reliability and good test-retest reliability. Factor analysis revealed an internal structure consisting of four factors, with item distribution differing from the theoretical dimensions proposed for the original scale. DISCUSSION: The Spanish version of the HoNOS scale is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing psychosocial impairment in individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. However, further research is needed to determine its internal structure more accurately. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: The HoNOS scale provides researchers and clinicians with a valid measure of impairment in twelve different domains, which can facilitate and guide the treatment of schizophrenia patients.

Resistencia a los inhibidores de la integrasa en niños con el virus de la inmunodeficiencia humana por transmisión vertical: primeros casos en Uruguay / Resistance to integrase inhibitors in children with vertically-transmitted human immunodeficiency virus: First cases in Uruguay

La resistencia a los antirretrovirales (ARV) es un problema de salud pública. Con el uso de inhibidores de la integrasa (INSTI) en pediatría, también comienzan a aparecer resistencias. El objetivo de esta comunicación es describir 3 casos con resistencia a los INSTI. Se describen 3 pacientes pediátricos con transmisión vertical del virus de la inmunodeficiencia humana (VIH). Iniciaron ARV de lactantes y preescolares, con mala adherencia al tratamiento, cursaron con diferentes planes secundarios a comorbilidades asociadas y fallas virológicas por resistencia. Los 3 casos clínicos describen la rápida aparición de resistencia frente a la falla virológica y el compromiso de los INSTI. La adherencia debe ser supervisada para detectar precozmente el aumento de la viremia. La falla virológica en un paciente tratado con raltegravir obliga a un rápido cambio de esquema ARV, ya que continuar utilizándolo podría favorecer nuevas mutaciones y resistencia a los INSTI de segunda generación.

Antiretroviral (ARV) drug resistance is a public health issue. Resistance has also been observed in the case of integrase strand transfer inhibitors (INSTIs) used in pediatrics. The objective of this article is to describe 3 cases of INSTI resistance. These are the cases of 3 children with vertically-transmitted human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). They were started on ARVs as infants and preschoolers, with poor treatment adherence, and had different management plans due to associated comorbidities and virological failure due to resistance. In the 3 cases, resistance developed rapidly as a result of virological failure and INSTI involvement. Treatment adherence should be monitored so that any increase in viremia can be detected early. Virological failure in a patient treated with raltegravir forces to a rapid change in ARV therapy because its continued use may favor new mutations and resistance to second-generation INSTIs.

Resistance to integrase inhibitors in children with vertically-transmitted human immunodeficiency virus: First cases in Uruguay. / Resistencia a los inhibidores de la integrasa en niños con el virus de la inmunodeficiencia humana por transmisión vertical: primeros casos en Uruguay.

Antiretroviral (ARV) drug resistance is a public health issue. Resistance has also been observed in the case of integrase strand transfer inhibitors (INSTIs) used in pediatrics. The objective of this article is to describe 3 cases of INSTI resistance. These are the cases of 3 children with vertically-transmitted human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). They were started on ARVs as infants and preschoolers, with poor treatment adherence, and had different management plans due to associated comorbidities and virological failure due to resistance. In the 3 cases, resistance developed rapidly as a result of virological failure and INSTI involvement. Treatment adherence should be monitored so that any increase in viremia can be detected early. Virological failure in a patient treated with raltegravir forces to a rapid change in ARV therapy because its continued use may favor new mutations and resistance to second-generation INSTIs.

La resistencia a los antirretrovirales (ARV) es un problema de salud pública. Con el uso de inhibidores de la integrasa (INSTI) en pediatría, también comienzan a aparecer resistencias. El objetivo de esta comunicación es describir 3 casos con resistencia a los INSTI. Se describen 3 pacientes pediátricos con transmisión vertical del virus de la inmunodeficiencia humana (VIH). Iniciaron ARV de lactantes y preescolares, con mala adherencia al tratamiento, cursaron con diferentes planes secundarios a comorbilidades asociadas y fallas virológicas por resistencia. Los 3 casos clínicos describen la rápida aparición de resistencia frente a la falla virológica y el compromiso de los INSTI. La adherencia debe ser supervisada para detectar precozmente el aumento de la viremia. La falla virológica en un paciente tratado con raltegravir obliga a un rápido cambio de esquema ARV, ya que continuar utilizándolo podría favorecer nuevas mutaciones y resistencia a los INSTI de segunda generación.

Proposal for a physiotherapy assessment form for the evaluation of women patients with uro-gynecological disorders: A Delphi study.

BACKGROUND: The correct selection of treatment techniques and methods in physiotherapy depends directly on a well-structured anamnesis, examination and assessment. Within urogynecological and obstetric physiotherapy there is no standardized and protocolized assessment that allows to follow established steps. For all this, the main objective of this study was to identify the assessment items that should be included in the a physiotherapeutic uro-gynecological assessment. METHODS: Delphi study through a group of experts. Prior to this, a systematic search was carried out, accompanied by a review of grey literature, to obtain the possible items to be included in the forms. Subsequently, a Delphi study with two consecutive rounds of questionnaires was developed. A total of 6 expert physiotherapists participated in the study. RESULTS: The initial questionnaire had 97 items and after two rounds one item was eliminated to obtain a total of 96 items in the final questionnaire. CONCLUSIONS: The experts agreed on most of the choices and finally obtained a standardized and protocolized assessment in uro-gynecological physiotherapy. Furthermore, this proposal should be considered by other professionals involved in the process of evaluation and treatment of pelvi-perineal alterations.

Increased gut permeability and bacterial translocation are associated with fibromyalgia and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome: implications for disease-related biomarker discovery.

Background: There is growing evidence of the significance of gastrointestinal complaints in the impairment of the intestinal mucosal barrier function and inflammation in fibromyalgia (FM) and in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). However, data on intestinal permeability and gut barrier dysfunction in FM and ME/CFS are still limited with conflicting results. This study aimed to assess circulating biomarkers potentially related to intestinal barrier dysfunction and bacterial translocation and their association with self-reported symptoms in these conditions. Methods: A pilot multicenter, cross-sectional cohort study with consecutive enrolment of 22 patients with FM, 30 with ME/CFS and 26 matched healthy controls. Plasma levels of anti-beta-lactoglobulin antibodies (IgG anti-ß-LGB), zonulin-1 (ZO-1), lipopolysaccharides (LPS), soluble CD14 (sCD14) and interleukin-1-beta (IL-1ß) were assayed using ELISA. Demographic and clinical characteristics of the participants were recorded using validated self-reported outcome measures. The diagnostic accuracy of each biomarker was assessed using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Results: FM patients had significantly higher levels of anti-ß-LGB, ZO-1, LPS, and sCD14 than healthy controls (all P < 0.0001). In ME/CFS patients, levels of anti-ß-LGB, ZO-1, LPS, and sCD14 were significantly higher than controls, but lower than in FM (all P < 0.01), while there was no significant difference in IL-1ß level. In the FM and ME/CFS cohorts, both anti-ß-LGB and ZO-1 correlated significantly with LPS and sCD14 (P < 0.001 for both). In the FM group, both anti-ß-LGB and ZO-1 were correlated significantly with physical and mental health components on the SF-36 scale (P < 0.05); whereas IL-1ß negatively correlated with the COMPASS-31 score (P < 0.05). In the ME/CFS cohort, ZO-1 was positively correlated with the COMPASS-31 score (P < 0.05). The ROC curve analysis indicated a strong ability of anti-ß-LGB, ZO-1, LPS and sCD14 to predictively distinguish between FM and ME/CFS from healthy controls (P < 0.0001). Conclusion: Biomarkers of intestinal barrier function and inflammation were associated with autonomic dysfunction assessed by COMPASS-31 scores in FM and ME/CFS respectively. Anti-ß-LGB antibodies, ZO-1, LPS, and sCD14 may be putative predictors of intestinal barrier dysfunction in these cohorts. Further studies are needed to assess whether these findings are causal and can therefore be applied in clinical practice.

Genome-wide multi-trait analysis of irritable bowel syndrome and related mental conditions identifies 38 new independent variants.

BACKGROUND: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a chronic disorder of gut-brain interaction frequently accompanied by mental conditions, including depression and anxiety. Despite showing substantial heritability and being partly determined by a genetic component, the genetic underpinnings explaining the high rates of comorbidity remain largely unclear and there are no conclusive data on the temporal relationship between them. Exploring the overlapping genetic architecture between IBS and mental conditions may help to identify novel genetic loci and biological mechanisms underlying IBS and causal relationships between them. METHODS: We quantified the genetic overlap between IBS, neuroticism, depression and anxiety, conducted a multi-trait genome-wide association study (GWAS) considering these traits and investigated causal relationships between them by using the largest GWAS to date. RESULTS: IBS showed to be a highly polygenic disorder with extensive genetic sharing with mental conditions. Multi-trait analysis of IBS and neuroticism, depression and anxiety identified 42 genome-wide significant variants for IBS, of which 38 are novel. Fine-mapping risk loci highlighted 289 genes enriched in genes upregulated during early embryonic brain development and gene-sets related with psychiatric, digestive and autoimmune disorders. IBS-associated genes were enriched for target genes of anti-inflammatory and antirheumatic drugs, anesthetics and opioid dependence pharmacological treatment. Mendelian-randomization analysis accounting for correlated pleiotropy identified bidirectional causal effects between IBS and neuroticism and depression and causal effects of the genetic liability of IBS on anxiety. CONCLUSIONS: These findings provide evidence of the polygenic architecture of IBS, identify novel genome-wide significant variants for IBS and extend previous knowledge on the genetic overlap and relationship between gastrointestinal and mental disorders.

Acute Stress Regulates Sex-Related Molecular Responses in the Human Jejunal Mucosa: Implications for Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a prevalent gastrointestinal disorder linked to intestinal barrier dysfunction and life stress. We have previously reported that female sex per se determines an increased susceptibility to intestinal barrier dysfunction after cold pain stress (CPS). We aimed to identify sex-related molecular differences in response to CPS in healthy subjects to understand the origin of sex bias predominance in IBS. In 13 healthy males and 21 females, two consecutive jejunal biopsies were obtained using Watson's capsule, at baseline, and ninety minutes after CPS. Total mucosal RNA and protein were isolated from jejunal biopsies. Expression of genes related to epithelial barrier (CLDN1, CLDN2, OCLN, ZO-1, and ZO-3), mast cell (MC) activation (TPSAB1, SERPINA1), and the glucocorticoid receptor (NR3C1) were analyzed using RT-qPCR. NR3C1, ZO-1 and OCLN protein expression were evaluated through immunohistochemistry and western blot, and mucosal inflammation through MC, lymphocyte, and eosinophil numbering. Autonomic, hormonal, and psychological responses to CPS were monitored. We found an increase in jejunal MCs, a reduced CLDN1 and OCLN expression, and an increased CLDN2 and SERPINA1 expression 90 min after CPS. We also found a significant decrease in ZO-1, OCLN, and NR3C1 gene expression, and a decrease in OCLN protein expression only in females, when compared to males. CPS induced a significant increase in blood pressure, plasma cortisol and ACTH, and subjective stress perception in all participants. Specific and independent sex-related molecular responses in epithelial barrier regulation are unraveled by acute stress in the jejunum of healthy subjects and may partially explain female predominance in IBS.