Evidence for dying-back axonal degeneration in age-associated skeletal muscle decline.

INTRODUCTION: Age-associated muscle strength decline is a major contributing factor to increased late-life functional decline and comorbidity, and is strongly associated with early mortality. Although all parts of the neuromuscular system seem to be affected by aging, dying-back of motor axons likely plays a major role. METHODS: We compared the degeneration in ventral roots and neuromuscular junction denervation in young and aged mice and correlated the findings with strength and electrophysiological measures. RESULTS: With normal aging, there is little decline in motor axon numbers in the ventral roots, but the neuromuscular junctions show marked partial denervation that is associated with increased jitter on stimulated single fiber electromyography and a decrease in muscle strength. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that dying-back axonal degeneration may be partially responsible for the electrophysiological and strength changes observed with aging. Muscle Nerve 55: 894-901, 2017.

[The most common rheumatic diseases in patients with autoimmune liver disease in the Hospital Arzobispo Loayza from 2008-2013, Lima, Peru]. / Enfermedades reumatológicas más frecuentes en pacientes con enfermedad hepática autoinmune en el Hospital Nacional Arzobispo Loayza entre el 2008 al 2013, Lima, Perú

OBJECTIVE: To identify the most common autoimmune rheumatic diseases in patients with autoimmune liver disease in the Hospital Arzobispo Loayza (HAL) from 2008 -2013. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a transversal and descriptive study, we analyzed 125 medical records, only 86 patients fulfill the diagnostic criteria for autoimmune liver disease, of whom 46 had diagnosis of autoimmune hepatitis(AIH), 39 primary biliary cirrhosis(PBC) and just 1 primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC). In our study group we looked for the clinical and laboratory characteristics most common and the frequency of cases in the HAL. RESULTS: Of the 46 patients with AIH, 16 (34.78%) were diagnosed with autoimmune rheumatic disease concurrence. Of these, 7 (15.22%) patients had Sjogren ́s Disease (SD), 6 (13.04%) had systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and 3 (6.52%) had rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We found 39 patients with PBC, 18 (46.15%) had other associated extrahepatic autoimmune disease, of whom 12 (30.77%) had SD, 3 (7.69%) SLE and 3 (7.69%) RA. One patient had the diagnosis of PSC, a sixty year old woman that had no concurrence with rheumatic disease. CONCLUSIONS: In our study was found that SD is the most common rheumatic disease in patients with AIH and PBC, followed by SLE and RA, with autoimmune liver disease with rheumatic symptoms and vice versa.

Aislamiento y caracterización de bacterias productoras de biopolimeros a partir de efluentes industriales / Isolated and characterization of biopolymer producing bacteria from industrial effluents

RESUMEN Se realizó una caracterización físico-química de los efluentes procedentes de industrias del sector educación, metalmecánico, lácteos y confitería de la ciudad de Manizales, Caldas; posteriormente se obtuvieron aislamientos, en medios diferenciales suplementados, de bacterias con potencial para la producción de biopolímeros a los cuales se les aplicó pruebas para la caracterización morfológica, bioquímica y molecular. Los parámetros físico químicos obtenidos de los efluentes industriales demuestran diferencias entre ellos, ya que cada industria genera diferentes residuos aportando una determinada contaminación al efluente, se obtuvieron 73 aislamientos productores de exopolisacáridos (EPS) y 101 productores de polihidroxialcanoatos (PHA), con características morfológicas y bioquímicas variables. El estudio muestra que los efluentes industriales son una gran fuente de bacterias de interés para la producción de diversos polímeros microbianos; principalmente aquellos que producen polímeros tipo biopoliésteres intracelulares como PHA, debido a su variabilidad físico-química y nutricional permitiendo que los microorganismos se adapten a diversas características medioambientales y de composición.

ABSTRACT A physical-chemical characterization of effluents from industries in the education, metal-mechanic, dairy and confectionery sectors of the city of Manizales, Caldas; Later isolates were obtained, in differential media supplemented, from bacteria with potential for the production of biopolymers to which they were applied tests for morphological, biochemical and molecular characterization. The physical chemical parameters obtained from the industrial effluents show a difference between them, since each industry generates different waste contributing a certain contamination to the effluent, 73 isolates producing exopolysaccharides (EPS) and 101 producers of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) were obtained, with morphological characteristics and variable biochemistry. The study shows that industrial effluents are a great source of bacteria of interest for the production of various microbial polymers; mainly those that produce polymers like intracellular biopolyesters such as PHA, due to their physical-chemical and nutritional variability allowing the microorganisms to adapt to diverse environmental and compositional characteristics.

Enfermedades reumatológicas más frecuentes en pacientes con enfermedad hepática autoinmune en el Hospital Nacional Arzobispo Loayza entre el 2008 al 2013, Lima, Perú / The most common rheumatic diseases in patients with autoimmune liver disease in the Hospital Arzobispo Loayza from 2008 -2013, Lima, Peru

Identificar las enfermedades reumatológicas autoinmunes más frecuentes en pacientes con enfermedad hepática autoinmune en el Hospital Arzobispo Loayza (HAL) desde el 2008 - 2013. Materiales y métodos: Este estudio es descriptivo, retrospectivo y transversal donde se analizaron 125 historias clínicas, del servicio de Gastroenterología del Hospital Arzobispo Loayza (HAL), Lima, Perú. Solo 86 pacientes cumplían con los criterios diagnósticos de Enfermedad hepática autoinmune, de los cuales 46 tenían diagnóstico de hepatitis autoinmune (HAI), 39 cirrosis biliar primaria (CBP) y solo 1 Colangitis esclerosante primaria (CEP). Se buscó las características clínicas y de laboratorios más frecuentes en nuestro grupo de estudio y la frecuencia de casos en el HAL. Resultados: De los 46 pacientes con HAI, 16 (34,78%) tuvieron diagnóstico de enfermedad reumatológica autoinmune concomitante. De estos, 7 (15,22%) pacientes fueron diagnosticados con enfermedad de Sjogren (ES), 6 (13,04%) con Lupus eritematoso sistémico (LES) y 3 (6,52%) con Artritis Reumatoide (AR). Se encontró 39 pacientes con CBP, 18 (46,15%) presentaron una enfermedad reumatológica, de los cuales 12 (30,77%) tuvieron ES, 3 (7,69%) LES y 3 (7,69%) AR. Se halló 1 paciente con diagnóstico de CEP, mujer de 60 años la cual no tenía enfermedad reumática concurrente. Conclusiones: Nuestro estudio muestra que la ES es la enfermedad reumática más común en pacientes con HAI y CBP, seguido de LES y AR, esto nos lleva a buscar estas patologías en pacientes con enfermedad hepática autoinmune con sintomatología reumatológica y viceversa...

To identify the most common autoimmune rheumatic diseases in patients with autoimmune liver disease in the Hospital Arzobispo Loayza (HAL) from 2008 -2013. Materials and methods: This is a transversal and descriptive study, we analyzed 125 medical records, only 86 patients fulfill the diagnostic criteria for autoimmune liver disease, of whom 46 had diagnosis of autoimmune hepatitis(AIH), 39 primary biliary cirrhosis(PBC) and just 1 primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC). In our study group we looked for the clinical and laboratory characteristics most common and the frequency of cases in the HAL. Results: Of the 46 patients with AIH, 16 (34.78%) were diagnosed with autoimmune rheumatic disease concurrence. Of these, 7 (15.22%) patients had Sjogren´s Disease (SD), 6 (13.04%) had systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and 3 (6.52%) had rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We found 39 patients with PBC, 18 (46.15%) had other associated extrahepatic autoimmune disease, of whom 12 (30.77%) had SD, 3 (7.69%) SLE and 3 (7.69%) RA. One patient had the diagnosis of PSC, a sixty year old woman that had no concurrence with rheumatic disease. Conclusions: In our study was found that SD is the most common rheumatic disease in patients with AIH and PBC, followed by SLE and RA, this leads us to look for these diseases in patients with autoimmune liver disease with rheumatic symptoms and vice versa...