Childhood severe asthma: relationship among asthma control scores, FeNO, spirometry and impulse oscillometry.

INTRODUCTION: The evaluation of the asthmatic patient is usually based on clinical and functional parameters that do not necessarily evidence the degree of airway inflammation. The aim of this study was to analyze whether clinical scores (CS) correlate with spirometry (S), impulse oscillometry (IO) and FeNO, in severe asthmatic children. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A multicentric, prospective, cross-sectional study was conducted over a 12-month period. All SA patients (6-18 years old) followed-up in the Pulmonology Department were recruited. CS, FeNO measurements, IO and S were consecutively performed on the same day. Asthma control was ascertained using ACT and GINAq. A cut-off value of ≥ 25 parts per billion (ppb) was used to define airway inflammation. RESULTS: Eighty-one patients were included. ACT: 75% (n 61) were controlled; GINAq: 44.5% (n 36) were controlled; 39.5% (n 32) were partly controlled, and 16% (n 13) were uncontrolled. FeNO had a median value of 24 ppb (IQR 14-41); FeNO ≥ 25 ppb was observed in 49% of patients (n 39). ROC AUC for FeNO vs. ACT was 0.71 (95%CI 0.57-0.86), PPV 0.47, NPV 0.87, SE 0.61, SP 0.80; FeNO vs. GINAq was ROC AUC 0.69 (95%CI 0.54-0.85), PPV 0.34, NPV 0.91, SE 0.62, SP 0.77; Youden cut-off FeNO > 39 ppb for both CS. CONCLUSION: In severe asthmatic children, current symptoms control as evidenced by ACT and GINA correlates with low FeNO values. Clinical scores showed good correlation with airway inflammation.

Iota-carrageenan and xylitol inhibit SARS-CoV-2 in Vero cell culture.

Last year observed a global pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2) infection affecting millions of individuals worldwide. There is an urgent unmet need to provide an easily producible and affordable medicine to prevent transmission and provide early treatment for this disease. Since the nasal cavity and the rhinopharynx are the sites of initial replication of SARS-CoV-2, a nasal spray may be an effective option to target SARS-CoV-2 infection. In this study, we tested the antiviral action of three candidate nasal spray formulations against SARS-CoV-2 in vitro. We determined that iota-carrageenan in concentrations as low as 6 µg/mL inhibits SARS-CoV-2 in vitro. The concentrations of iota-carrageenan with activity against SARS-CoV-2 in vitro may be easily achieved through the application of nasal sprays as commonly used in several countries. Recently a double-blind, placebo-controlled study showed that iota-carrageenan in isotonic sodium chloride reduces ca. five times the risk of infection by SARS-CoV-2 in health care personnel. Further, xylitol at a concentration of 50 mg/mL (ca. 329 mM) was found to exert some antiviral action, though this preliminary finding needs further confirmation.

Efficacy of a Nasal Spray Containing Iota-Carrageenan in the Postexposure Prophylaxis of COVID-19 in Hospital Personnel Dedicated to Patients Care with COVID-19 Disease.

BACKGROUND: Iota-Carrageenan (I-C) is a sulfate polysaccharide synthesized by red algae, with demonstrated antiviral activity and clinical efficacy as nasal spray in the treatment of common cold. In vitro, I-C inhibits SARS-CoV-2 infection in cell culture. RESEARCH QUESTION: Can a nasal spray with Iota-Carrageenan be useful in the prophylaxis of COVID-19 in health care workers managing patients with COVID-19 disease? STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: This is a pilot pragmatic multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study assessing the use of a nasal spray containing I-C in the prophylaxis of COVID-19 in hospital personnel dedicated to care of COVID-19 patients. Clinically healthy physicians, nurses, kinesiologists and other health care providers managing patients hospitalized for COVID-19 were assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive four daily doses of I-C spray or placebo for 21 days. The primary end point was clinical COVID-19, as confirmed by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction testing, over a period of 21 days. The trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04521322). RESULTS: A total of 394 individuals were randomly assigned to receive I-C or placebo. Both treatment groups had similar baseline characteristics. The incidence of COVID-19 differs significantly between subjects receiving the nasal spray with I-C (2 of 196 [1.0%]) and those receiving placebo (10 of 198 [5.0%]). Relative risk reduction: 79.8% (95% CI 5.3 to 95.4; p=0.03). Absolute risk reduction: 4% (95% CI 0.6 to 7.4). INTERPRETATION: In this pilot study a nasal spray with I-C showed significant efficacy in preventing COVID-19 in health care workers managing patients with COVID-19 disease. CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION: NCT04521322.

Development of a Carrier-Free Dry Powder Ofloxacin Formulation With Enhanced Aerosolization Properties.

Tuberculosis (TB) is a serious infectious disease that affects more than new 10 million patients each year. Many of these cases are resistant to first-line drugs so second-line ones, like fluoroquinolones, need to be incorporated into the therapeutic. Ofloxacin (OF) is a fluoroquinolone which demonstrates high antibiotic activity against the bacteria that causes TB (M. tuberculosis). In this work, ionic complexes, composed by hyaluronic acid (HA) and OF, with different neutralization degrees, were prepared and processed by spray drying (SD) to obtain powders for inhalatory administration. Combining a formulation with high neutralization degree, high SD atomization air flowrate and the use of a high-performance collection cyclone, very good process yields were obtained. Carrier-free formulations with a loading of 0.39-0.46 gOF/gpowder showed excellent emitted, fine particle, and respirable fractions for capsule loadings of 25 and 100 mg. The ionic complexes demonstrated higher mucoadhesion than pure OF and HA. The best formulation did not affect CALU-3 cell viability up to a dose 6.5 times higher than the MIC90 reported to treat multi-drug resistant TB.

Physicochemical changes in the hull of corn grains during their alkaline cooking.

The alkaline cooking of corn in a solution of Ca(OH)2 to produce corn-based foods is oriented to make corn proteins available, to incorporate Ca to the cooked grains, and also to remove the corn hull. This process (nixtamalization) is known in Mexico and Guatemala from prehispanic times; however, the effect of the alkaline cooking on the corn hull remains poorly documented. In this work, the physicochemical changes that take place in the corn hull during its cooking in a saturated solution of Ca(OH)2 were studied using infrared, X-ray diffraction, 13C cross-polarization/magic-angle spinning (CP/MAS) NMR, confocal imaging microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and thermogravimetry techniques. The main effect of this treatment on the hull is the removal of hemicelluloses and lignin, increasing the hull permeability and, as a consequence, facilitating the entry of the alkaline solution into the corn kernel. No significant changes were observed in the cellulose fiber network, which remains as native cellulose I, with a crystalline index, according to 13C CP/MAS NMR spectra, of 0.60. The alkaline treatment does not allow the cellulose fibers to swell and their regeneration in the form of cellulose(II). It seems any attempt to make use of the Ca binding capacity of the hull to increase the Ca availability in nixtamalized corn-based foods requires a separated treatment for the hull and kernel. On alkaline cooking, the hull hemicellulose fraction dissolves, losing its ability to bind Ca as a way to incorporate this element into foods elaborated from nixtamalized corn.

Estrechez relativa de las vías aéreas en niños con broncoespasmo inducido por el ejercicio / Relative narrowness of the airways in children with exercise-induced bronchospasm

Introducción. Recientemente se describió que la relación entre el calibre de las vías aéreas y el parénquima pulmonar se refleja en la relación FEF25-75/ CVF de la espirometría. Se ha observado una asociación entre la disminución del cociente FEF25 menos 75/CVF y la hiperreactividad bronquial ante metacolina. La hiperreactividad bronquial inducida por el ejercicio suele ocurrir en el asma. Nuestro objetivo fue evaluar si existía relación entre el cociente FEF25 menos 75/CVF y el bronco espasmo inducido por ejercicio (BEIE) en una población de niños asmáticos. Población, material y métodos. Se recuperaron las pruebas de ejercicio realizadas entre los años 1998 a 2000 a niños de entre 7 y 14 años con asma bronquial, sin tratamiento preventivo y con espirometría basal normal. La prueba de ejercicio se realizó mediante carrera libre durante 6 minutos, con espirometría basal y a los 10 y 20 minutos de finalizada la carrera. Se consideró BEIE a una caída mayor al 15 por ciento en el VEF1. El total de las pruebas se dividió en dos grupos: BEIE positivo y BEIE negativo. Se calculó en ambos el cociente FEF25 menos 75/CVF en las espirometrías basales. Se compararon los valores basales de CVF, VEF1, VEF1/CVF, FEF25 menos 75, y FEF25 menos 75/CVF. Resultados. Se incluyeron en el estudio 74 pruebas; 20 presentaban BEIE positivo, y 54, BEIE negativo. Los valores de CVF, VEF1, VEF1/CVF y FEF25 menos 75 no presentaban diferencias significativas. El cociente FEF25 menos 75/CVF fue de 0,77 más menos 0,24 en el grupo BEIE positivo, y de 0,91 más menos 0,28 en el grupo BEIE negativo (p < 0,05)

Características de la gestación, del parto y recién nacido en la ciudad de Huaraz, 2001-2005 / Characteristics of pregnancy delivery and newborn children in the city of Huaraz 2001-2005

Se realizó un estudio descriptivo de la población materna de la ciudad de Huaraz, ubicada a 3,052 m.s.n.m, en la sierra central, en el departamento de Ancash. Objetivo: conocer las características sociodemográficas de la gestante, y las condiciones asociadas al embarazo, parto y recién nacido. Materiales y métodos: estudio retrospectivo y descriptivo basado en la información de historias clínicas de gestantes atendidas en el hospital Víctor Ramos Guardia, de la ciudad de Huaraz durante los años 2001 al 2005. La muestra incluye 10,354 partos ocurridos entre las 28 y 42 semanas de gestación. Resultados: el nivel de hemoglobina fue de 12,84 gr/dl ( más menos 1,36). De acuerdo a los parámetros señalados por el MINSA para ciudades a diferentes altura, la prevalencia de anemia fue del 49,67 por ciento. Del total de madres atendidas, el 42 por ciento fueron primíparas, 48 por ciento multigestas, observándose un bajo porcentaje de gran multiparidad. En cuanto al control prenatal, un 77 por ciento de pacientes refirieron haber tenido más de 4 controles para el actual embarazo. En relación a los antecedentes obstétricos, el 17 por ciento refieren haber tenido por lo menos un aborto, 6,5 por ciento tener una cesárea previa. Entre las complicaciones del embarazo más frecuente se observó una incidencia de 5,25 por ciento para preeclampsia, 31,41 por ciento de infecciones urinarias y 1,96 por ciento de embarazos gemelares. El peso del recién nacido fue de 3051,74g (más menos 550). La edad gestacional promedio, de acuerdo a la fecha de última regla (FUR) fue 38,2 más menos 2,0 semanas. Se observa una incidencia de pre-términos de 9 por ciento y pequeños para la edad gestacional de 16,6 por ciento. Conclusión: las caracteristicas de la gestación, del parto y del recién nacido en Huaraz son más parecidas a las observadas en los Andes centrales que en los Andes del Sur.