Expression and purification of Z protein from Junín virus.

Arenaviridae comprises 23 recognized virus species with a bipartite ssRNA genome and an ambisense coding strategy. The virions are enveloped and include nonequimolar amounts of each genomic RNA species, designated L and S, coding for four ORFs (N, GPC, L, and Z). The arenavirus Junín (JUNV) is the etiological agent of Argentine Hemorrhagic Fever, an acute disease with high mortality rate. It has been proposed that Z is the functional counterpart of the matrix proteins found in other negative-stranded enveloped RNA viruses. Here we report the optimized expression of a synthetic gene of Z protein, using three expression systems (two bacterial and a baculoviral one). One of these recombinant proteins was used to generate antibodies. A bioinformatic analysis was made where Z was subdivided into three domains. The data presented contributes methodologies for Z recombinant production and provides the basis for the development of new experiments to test its function.

[Analysis of the selection process for new drugs in a tertiary hospital 2004-2007]. / Análisis del proceso de selección de nuevos medicamentos en un hospital terciario. Años 2004-07.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to describe the structure of the CFyT, the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee, and a tertiary hospital's selection process for new drugs. MATERIAL AND METHODS: All annals of the P&TC and the New Drug Incorporation Guides (GINF) to incorporate new drugs received at Hospital Virgen del Rocío between 2004 and 2007 were reviewed. We carried out a descriptive study which collected variables having to do with the drug (drug type, type of register, route of administration and legal category), the petitioner (responsible division, professional category and request type) and the result of the evaluation (final decision, elapsed time between the request and the decision). RESULTS: Of the 72 requested drugs, 45 (62.5%) were approved: six as equivalent treatments, 36 (80%) with specific recommendations, and three (4.2%) with no restrictions. Twelve drugs (81.1%) were not included due to insufficient evidence of their effectiveness compared with the current treatment. The most frequently-requested drug type was the antineoplastics, most commonly requested by Oncology and Haematology divisions. We highlight the fact that many of the petitioners included clinical trials (97.2%) and data referring to costs (84.7%). CONCLUSIONS: There is a high level of compliance with the GINF guide in our centre, which guarantees that the P&TC's final decision is based on scientific evidence.

The articles.ELM resource: simplifying access to protein linear motif literature by annotation, text-mining and classification.

Modern biology produces data at a staggering rate. Yet, much of these biological data is still isolated in the text, figures, tables and supplementary materials of articles. As a result, biological information created at great expense is significantly underutilised. The protein motif biology field does not have sufficient resources to curate the corpus of motif-related literature and, to date, only a fraction of the available articles have been curated. In this study, we develop a set of tools and a web resource, 'articles.ELM', to rapidly identify the motif literature articles pertinent to a researcher's interest. At the core of the resource is a manually curated set of about 8000 motif-related articles. These articles are automatically annotated with a range of relevant biological data allowing in-depth search functionality. Machine-learning article classification is used to group articles based on their similarity to manually curated motif classes in the Eukaryotic Linear Motif resource. Articles can also be manually classified within the resource. The 'articles.ELM' resource permits the rapid and accurate discovery of relevant motif articles thereby improving the visibility of motif literature and simplifying the recovery of valuable biological insights sequestered within scientific articles. Consequently, this web resource removes a critical bottleneck in scientific productivity for the motif biology field. Database URL: http://slim.icr.ac.uk/articles/.

Preoperative progressive pneumoperitoneum and botulinum toxin type A in patients with large incisional hernia.

PURPOSE: Combination of preoperative progressive pneumoperitoneum (PPP) and botulinum toxin type A (BT) has not been previously reported in the management of large incisional hernia (LIH). METHODS: Observational study of 45 consecutive patients with LIH between June 2010 and July 2014. The diameters of the hernia sac, the volumes of the incisional hernia (VIH) and the abdominal cavity (VAC), and the VIH/VAC ratio were measured before and after PPP and BT using abdominal CT scan data. We indicated the combination of both techniques when the volume of the incisional hernia (VIH)/volume of the abdominal cavity (VAC) ratio was >20%. RESULTS: The median insufflated volume of air for PPP was 8.600 ± 3.200 cc (4.500-13.250), over a period of 14.3 ± 1.3 days (13-16). BT administration time was 40.2 ± 3.3 days (37-44). We obtained an average value of reduction of 14% of the VIH/VAC ratio after PPP and BT (p < 0.05). Complications associated with PPP were 15.5%, and with surgical technique, 26.6%. No complications occurred during the BT administration. Reconstructive technique was anterior CST and primary fascial closure was achieved in all patients. Median follow-up was 40.5 ± 19 months (12-60) and we reported 2 cases of hernia recurrence (4.4%). CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative combination of PPP and BT is feasible and a useful tool in the surgical management of LIH, although at the cost of some specific complications.

[Gingival hyperplasia associated with amlodipine]. / Hiperplasia gingival asociada a amlodipino.

Drug-induced gingival hyperplasia is a well documented unwanted side effect within the literature. It has been associated with the use of three different types of pharmaceutical agents, including phenytoin, cyclosporine and calcium channel blocking agents. Amlodipine belongs to the dihydropyridine-derived calcium blocking agents that may cause the side effect of drug-induced gingival hyperplasia. In the present study the possible pathogenic mechanisms, clinical and histologic presentation and therapeutic indications of amlodipine-induced gingival hyperplasia are discussed.

[Adverse reaction to cefonicid analogous to serum sickness]. / Reacción adversa al cefonicid análoga a la enfermedad del suero.

We report a case of a male who was treated with cephonicid because of a surgical complication. Serum-sickness like symptoms were diagnosed two weeks later. Medical references are discussed.

[Off-label approval of drug use in a tertiary hospital]. / Autorización de usos de medicamentos fuera de indicación en un hospital de tercer nivel.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee (PTC) evaluates the requests for off-label uses with an abbreviated report format. The aim of this study is to perform a descriptive analysis of this activity and to study the rate of approvals. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A descriptive study was performed on the PTC reports in a tertiary hospital between September 2009 and April 2011. The type of drug by treatment group and by type of dispensing, indication and requesting department was analysed. The final decision adopted was studied as the primary outcome, and the percentage of requests approved according to the characteristics of the drug evaluated, indication requested, alternatives used, evidence and cost, as secondary outcomes. RESULTS: A total of 51 applications were analysed, of which 60.8% were drugs for hospital use and 54.9% cytostatic. The most requested indications were the onco-haematological (43.2%) and autoimmune (35.3%). Haematology was the department that made most requests (11 requests with 72.7% approved), Oncology and Paediatrics (both with 10 requests, with 50% approved). Almost two-thirds (60.8%) of the requests were approved. Of those that were not approved, 11 had not used up the therapeutic alternatives, and 8 had no evidence. Just under half (47.1%) of the drugs requested had a cost/patient between 10,000-100,000 euros,of which 58.3% were approved (cost per course of treatment if it had a defined period, or cost of treatment per year for chronic treatment). CONCLUSION: There is an increase in the activity of the PTC that is growing over the years. Most applications focus on drugs for hospital use and cytostatic drugs by Onco-haematology. There is a high rate of approval by the PTC, and high variability in the percentage of approval depending on the department and the evidence of use. The difference between approved and unapproved requests followed a logic of cost-effectiveness.

[Adverse reactions to drugs reported by the primary care physicians of Andalusia. Analysis of underreporting]. / Reacciones adversas a medicamentos notificadas por los médicos de atención primaria de Andalucía. Análisis de la infranotificación.

OBJECTIVE: To discover the sort of adverse reactions to medication (ARM) notified by Primary Care doctors and identify the under-notification of those cases having special clinical-epidemiological interest. DESIGN: Retrospective study in which 2,597 ARM corresponding to 1,467 Yellow Cards (YC) were analysed. These were notified by Primary Care doctors to the Centro Andaluz de Farmacovigilancia (Andalusian Drug-watch centre) during the period from 1/6/90 to 31/12/92. To assess the seriousness of the ARM, their terminological classification and imputability, the criteria used in the WHO's international "Yellow Card" programme of spontaneous notification were followed. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: 77.2% of all notifications were from Primary Care, of which 7.4% were of special interest due to their serious or novel character. However an undernotification of serious and well-known ARM was detected, such as digestive haemorrhages (1.07/10(6) inhibitants per year), anaphylactic shock (0.34/10(6) inhab/year), agranulocytosis (0.23/10(6) inhab/year) and aplastic anaemia (0.05/10(6) inhab/year), among others. CONCLUSIONS: Most of the main under-notified ARM are generated in the community but treated in hospital Casualty departments. Therefore it would be useful to develop specific Drug-watch programmes in the hospitals themselves.

[User knowledge and attitude in relation to drug use for pain, fever or inflammation]. / Conocimientos y actitud de los usuarios en relación al empleo de medicamentos para el dolor, la fiebre o la inflamación.

OBJECTIVE: To find how users identified non-steroidal analgesic/antipyretic/anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) and their adverse reactions, as well as where the prescriptions were obtained and where users inquired when in doubt. DESIGN: An observation study carried out by means of a structured questionnaire administered to 174 residents in our basic health area. SETTING: Cerro del Aguila Basic Health Area in Sevilla. PARTICIPANTS: The 174 residents, chosen at random, by quotas corresponding to the Census' demographic characteristics. People under 15 were excluded. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: 32.2% had no spontaneous memory of having taken any NSAID: 86.8% did not remember any possible adverse reaction to medication. Only 49.3% of the NSAID declared were prescribed by a doctor. 17.8% took NSAID daily and 5.7% took more than one medicine containing NSAID every day. CONCLUSIONS: In our health area, health education, both to identify NSAID as a pharmacological group and any possible adverse reactions, needs to be strengthened.

[The knowledge and attitude of consumers in relation to the use of NSAIDs. An intervention study]. / Conocimientos y actitud de los usuarios en relación al empleo de AINE. Estudio de intervención.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate knowledge in the general population about the rational use of non-steroidal analgesic-antithermal-anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and whether an informative intervention could improve their knowledge. DESIGN: An intervention study with a control group. The subjects were polled before and after intervention, which consisted in the passive distribution of informative leaflets on NSAIDs to the experimental group. The replies of the subjects of both groups were compared. SETTING: "Cerro del Aguila" (experimental group) and "Polígono Norte" (control) health districts in Sevilla. PARTICIPANTS: 348 inhabitants (174 from each district), selected for age and sex in line with the proportions on the Municipal Roll, with people under 15 excluded. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: About 30% did not spontaneously remember any NSAID. Almost 90% did not spontaneously remember any medical reaction. Self-medication and/or consumption on the advice of non-qualified people were as common as medical prescription. CONCLUSIONS: Passive distribution of leaflets was useless as a way of improving users' knowledge of NSAIDs. The intervention needs to be actively carried out by the doctor, with consistency over time and back-up from other health educationalists.