Contributing to the management of viral infections through simple immunosensing of the arachidonic acid serum level.

A trendsetting direct competitive-based biosensing tool has been developed and implemented for the determination of the polyunsaturated fatty acid arachidonic acid (ARA), a highly significant biological regulator with decisive roles in viral infections. The designed methodology involves a competitive reaction between the target endogenous ARA and a biotin-ARA competitor for the recognition sites of anti-ARA antibodies covalently attached to the surface of carboxylic acid-coated magnetic microbeads (HOOC-MµBs), followed by the enzymatic label of the biotin-ARA residues with streptavidin-horseradish peroxidase (Strep-HRP) conjugate. The resulting bioconjugates were magnetically trapped onto the sensing surface of disposable screen-printed carbon transducers (SPCEs) to monitor the extent of the biorecognition reaction through amperometry. The operational functioning of the exhaustively optimized and characterized immunosensing bioplatform was highly convenient for the quantitative determination of ARA in serum samples from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2-) and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)-infected individuals in a rapid, affordable, trustful, and sensitive manner.

Metabolomics and triple-negative breast cancer: A systematic review.

Triple-negative breast cancer stands out as the most aggressive subtype of breast malignancy and is characterized by an unfavourable prognosis. Objective: This systematic review summarizes the insights gleaned from metabolomic analyses of individuals afflicted with this cancer variant. The overarching goal was to delineate the molecular alterations associated with triple-negative breast cancer, pinpointing potential therapeutic targets and novel biomarkers. Methods: We systematically searched for evidence using the PubMed database and followed the PRISMA and STARLITE guidelines. The search parameters were delimited to articles published within the last 13 years. Results: From an initial pool of 148 scrutinized articles, 17 studies involving 1686 participants were deemed eligible for inclusion. The current body of research shows a paucity of studies, and the available evidence presents conflicting outcomes. Notwithstanding, Pathway Enrichment Analysis identified the urea and glucose-alanine cycles as the most affected metabolic pathways, followed by arginine, proline, and aspartate metabolism. Conclusion: Future investigations need to focus on elucidating which of those metabolites and/or pathways might be reliable candidates for novel therapeutic interventions or reliable biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis of this subtype of breast cancer.

Retrospective Analysis of Clostridioides difficile Infection Rates and Outcomes in Hospitalized Patients during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Unicenter Study in Reus, Spain.

Background:Clostridioides difficile infections (CDI) vary in severity from mild diarrhea to life-threatening conditions like pseudomembranous colitis or toxic megacolon, often leading to sepsis and death. The COVID-19 pandemic prompted changes in healthcare practices, potentially affecting CDI incidence, though reported data are inconclusive. We studied factors influencing CDI incidence and outcomes at a university hospital throughout the COVID-19 pandemic years. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study on all adult hospitalized CDI cases from 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2022 in Hospital Universitari de Sant Joan in Reus. We collected demographic information, comorbid conditions, and concurrent infections. Results: While overall CDI and COVID-19 rates decreased in 2022, a notable increase in CDI infections was observed among oncological patients and those undergoing some aggressive treatments, such as colonoscopies or gastroscopies. The prevalence of comorbidities remained unmodified, and there were declines in prior gastrointestinal surgeries and proton pump inhibitor prescriptions. Factors associated with patient fatality or prolonged hospitalization included older age, cancer, chronic kidney disease, higher Charlson and McCabe indices, elevated C-reactive protein, and low albumin concentrations. Conclusions: Our study shows the evolving landscape of CDI during the COVID-19 pandemic and emphasizes the impact of delayed diagnoses and treatments exacerbated by telemedicine adoption. Identified risk factors for CDI-related mortality or prolonged hospital stays underscore the importance of targeted interventions in high-risk populations.

Serum Levels of Arachidonic Acid, Interleukin-6, and C-Reactive Protein as Potential Indicators of Pulmonary Viral Infections: Comparative Analysis of Influenza A, Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection, and COVID-19.

Acute respiratory tract infections, including influenza A (FluA), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection, and COVID-19, can aggravate to levels requiring hospitalization, increasing morbidity and mortality. Identifying biomarkers for an accurate diagnosis and prognosis of these infections is a clinical need. We performed a cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the changes in circulating levels of arachidonic acid, interleukin 6 (IL-6), and C-reactive protein (CRP) in patients with FluA, RSV, or COVID-19, and to analyze the potential of these parameters as diagnosis or prognosis biomarkers. We analyzed serum samples from 172 FluA, 80 RSV, and 217 COVID-19 patients, and 104 healthy volunteers. Individuals with lung viral diseases showed reduced arachidonic acid concentrations compared to healthy people, with these differences being most pronounced in the order COVID-19 > RSV > FluA. Conversely, IL-6 and CRP levels were elevated across diseases, with IL-6 emerging as the most promising diagnostic biomarker, with areas under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristics plot higher than 0.85 and surpassing arachidonic acid and CRP. Moreover, IL-6 displayed notable efficacy in distinguishing between FluA patients who survived and those who did not (AUC = 0.80). These findings may provide useful tools for diagnosing and monitoring the severity of acute viral respiratory tract infections, ultimately improving patient outcomes.

Metabolic adaptations in severe obesity: Insights from circulating oxylipins before and after weight loss.

BACKGROUND: The relationship between lipid mediators and severe obesity remains unclear. Our study investigates the impact of severe obesity on plasma concentrations of oxylipins and fatty acids and explores the consequences of weight loss. METHODS: In the clinical trial identifier NCT05554224 study, 116 patients with severe obesity and 63 overweight/obese healthy controls matched for age and sex (≈2:1) provided plasma. To assess the effect of surgically induced weight loss, we requested paired plasma samples from 44 patients undergoing laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy one year after the procedure. Oxylipins were measured using ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography coupled to a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer via semi-targeted lipidomics. Cytokines and markers of interorgan crosstalk were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. RESULTS: We observed significantly elevated levels of circulating fatty acids and oxylipins in patients with severe obesity compared to their metabolically healthier overweight/obese counterparts. Our findings indicated that sex and liver disease were not confounding factors, but we observed weak correlations in plasma with circulating adipokines, suggesting the influence of adipose tissue. Importantly, while weight loss restored the balance in circulating fatty acids, it did not fully normalize the oxylipin profile. Before surgery, oxylipins derived from lipoxygenase activity, such as 12-HETE, 11-HDoHE, 14-HDoHE, and 12-HEPE, were predominant. However, one year following laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy, we observed a complex shift in the oxylipin profile, favoring species from the cyclooxygenase pathway, particularly proinflammatory prostanoids like TXB2, PGE2, PGD2, and 12-HHTrE. This transformation appears to be linked to a reduction in adiposity, underscoring the role of lipid turnover in the development of metabolic disorders associated with severe obesity. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the reduction in fatty acid levels associated with weight loss, the oxylipin profile shifts towards a predominance of more proinflammatory species. These observations underscore the significance of seeking mechanistic approaches to address severe obesity and emphasize the importance of closely monitoring the metabolic adaptations after weight loss.

Serum Arylesterase, Paraoxonase, and Lactonase Activities and Paraoxonase-1 Concentrations in Morbidly Obese Patients and Their Relationship with Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis.

Paraoxonase-1 (PON1) is an antioxidant enzyme associated with high-density lipoproteins (HDL). Reduced serum PON1 activity is found in diseases marked by oxidative stress and inflammation, but its role in obesity remains unclear. This study investigated PON1 activities and concentrations in morbidly obese individuals and explored the impacts of the genetic polymorphism PON1 rs662 and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease on enzymatic properties. We recruited 1349 morbidly obese patients undergoing bariatric surgery and 823 non-obese volunteers. PON1-related variables, including arylesterase, paraoxonase, and lactonase activities and PON1 concentrations, were examined. Our results showed that morbidly obese individuals exhibited higher PON1 concentrations but lower enzymatic activities than non-obese individuals. We observed inverse associations of arylesterase and paraoxonase activities with waist circumference (rho = -0.24, p < 0.001, and rho = -0.30, p < 0.001, respectively) and body mass index (rho = -0.15, p = 0.001, and rho = -0.23, p < 0.001), as well as direct associations of arylesterase, paraoxonase, and lactonase activities with HDL cholesterol (rho = 0.11, p = 0.005, rho = 0.20, p < 0.001, and rho = 0.20, p < 0.001). No significant differences were observed regarding metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, dyslipidemia, rs662 polymorphism allele frequencies, or the diagnosis of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. Nevertheless, correlations were found between certain PON1-related variables, steatosis, and ballooning. In conclusion, changes in PON1-related variables in morbidly obese patients are dependent on the disease itself and HDL levels. The relationships between these variables and specific liver histological changes raise intriguing questions for consideration in future studies.