Interspecific interaction network of mites associated with mango trees.

Direct and indirect ecological interactions, environmental factors, and the phenology of host plants can shape the way mites interact. These relationships interfere with species occurrence and consequently alter the structure and stability of the intraplant community. As predatory mites act as regulators of herbivorous mites, we hypothesized that these mites may occupy a central position in a network of interactions among mite species associated with mango trees, and the occurrence of these species is mediated by environmental variables and the phenological stage of the host plant. We evaluated the global structure of the interaction network of mites associated with individual Mangifera indica plants and analyzed the interspecific relationships of the species using an undirected Bayesian network approach. Additionally, we observed a correlation between mite population density and plant phenological stage. Environmental variables, such as average monthly temperature, monthly precipitation, and average monthly relative humidity at different sampling date were used in the correlation analysis. The modularity at the mite-plant network level showed a low specialization index H2 = 0.073 (generalist) and high robustness (R = 0.93). Network analysis revealed that Amblyseius largoensis, Bdella ueckermanni, Parapronematus acaciae, and Tuckerella ornata occupied central positions in the assembly of mites occurring on mango trees. Environmental variables, average monthly temperature, and monthly precipitation were correlated with the occurrence of Brachytydeus formosa, Cisaberoptus kenyae, Oligonychus punicae, T. ornata, and Vilaia pamithus. We also observed a correlation between the plant phenological stage and population densities of Neoseiulus houstoni, O. punicae, P. acaciae, and V. pamithus.

Angiotensin-converting enzyme gene (ACE) polymorphisms are associated with dysregulation of biochemical parameters in hypertensive patients.

INTRODUCTION: The genetic component, including genes and their variants, plays a significant role in the pathophysiology of arterial hypertension (AH). Thus, clinical, epidemiological and genetic studies have been carried out to improve the understanding of disease mechanisms, improve diagnostic quality and contribute to prevention. OBJECTIVE: To determine the association of risk factors, biochemical parameters and different ACE gene polymorphisms with AH. METHOD: The case-control study was carried out in the population of Ouro Preto, Brazil. The subjects answered a questionnaire containing clinical and sociodemographic data. The ACE gene polymorphisms rs4291, rs4363 and rs4335 were evaluated by real time-polymerase chain reaction (real-time PCR) in 310 people (155 hypertensive and 155 normotensive patients), in addition to biochemical parameters. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to identify factors associated with AH. Analysis of continuous variables was performed using the Kruskal-Wallis test to assess significance between groups and Dunn's post-test for multiple comparisons. RESULTS: The results showed that AH was associated with age, education, smoking, obesity and high levels of triglycerides, sodium, glucose and uric acid. Regarding the biochemical parameters, in hypertensive patients, the rs4363 and rs4335 polymorphisms were associated with high levels of triglycerides, urea and glucose; the rs4291 polymorphism was associated with elevated urea and glucose levels. No association was detected between SNPs and HA. CONCLUSION: AH was associated with socioeconomic status, lifestyle habits and biochemical parameters. ACE polymorphisms may have influenced the levels of triglycerides, urea and glucose in hypertensive patients.

Autologous bone marrow-derived mononuclear cell therapy in three patients with severe asthma.

BACKGROUND: Despite recent advances in understanding its pathophysiology and development of novel therapies, asthma remains a serious public health issue worldwide. Combination therapy with inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting ß2-adrenoceptor agonists results in disease control for many patients, but those who exhibit severe asthma are often unresponsive to conventional treatment, experiencing worse quality of life, frequent exacerbations, and increasing healthcare costs. Bone marrow-derived mononuclear cell (BMMC) transplantation has been shown to reduce airway inflammation and remodeling and improve lung function in experimental models of allergic asthma. METHODS: This is a case series of three patients who presented severe asthma, unresponsive to conventional therapy and omalizumab. They received a single intravenous dose of autologous BMMCs (2 × 107) and were periodically evaluated for 1 year after the procedure. Endpoint assessments included physical examination, quality of life questionnaires, imaging (computed tomography, single-photon emission computed tomography, and ventilation/perfusion scan), lung function tests, and a 6-min walk test. RESULTS: All patients completed the follow-up protocol. No serious adverse events attributable to BMMC transplantation were observed during or after the procedure. Lung function remained stable throughout. A slight increase in ventilation of the right lung was observed on day 120 after BMMC transplantation in one patient. All three patients reported improvement in quality of life in the early post-procedure course. CONCLUSIONS: This paper described for the first time the effects of BMMC therapy in patients with severe asthma, providing a basis for subsequent trials to assess the efficacy of this therapy.