RESUMO
Osteoarthritis (OA) is a pathology of great impact worldwide. Its physiopathology is not completely known, and it is usually diagnosed by imaging techniques performed at advanced stages of the disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate early serum metabolome changes and identify the main metabolites involved in an inflammatory OA animal model. This study was performed on thirty rats. OA was induced in all animals by intra-articular injection of monoiodoacetate into the knee joint. Blood samples were taken from all animals and analyzed by mass spectrometry before OA induction and 28, 56, and 84 days following induction. Histological evaluation confirmed OA in all samples. The results of this study allow the identification of several changes in 18 metabolites over time, including organic acids, benzenoids, heterocyclic compounds, and lipids after 28 days, organic acids after 56 days, and lipid classes after 84 days. We conclude that OA induces serological changes in the serum metabolome, which could serve as potential biomarkers. However, it was not possible to establish a relationship between the identified metabolites and the time at which the samples were taken. Therefore, these findings should be confirmed in future OA studies.
Assuntos
Metabolômica , Osteoartrite , Ratos , Animais , Metabolômica/métodos , Osteoartrite/metabolismo , Metaboloma , Espectrometria de Massas , Articulação do Joelho/patologiaAssuntos
Anticorpos Monoclonais Humanizados , Carcinoma de Células Escamosas , Neoplasias Cutâneas , Humanos , Neoplasias Cutâneas/tratamento farmacológico , Carcinoma de Células Escamosas/tratamento farmacológico , Estudos Retrospectivos , Anticorpos Monoclonais Humanizados/uso terapêutico , Anticorpos Monoclonais Humanizados/efeitos adversos , Espanha , Masculino , Feminino , Idoso , Antineoplásicos Imunológicos/uso terapêutico , Antineoplásicos Imunológicos/efeitos adversos , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Resultado do TratamentoAssuntos
Infecções por HIV/prevenção & controle , Profilaxia Pré-Exposição/métodos , Diagnóstico Tardio/estatística & dados numéricos , Notificação de Doenças/estatística & dados numéricos , Feminino , Infecções por HIV/diagnóstico , Infecções por HIV/epidemiologia , Humanos , Masculino , Atenção Primária à Saúde , Trabalho Sexual , Parceiros Sexuais , Infecções Sexualmente Transmissíveis/diagnóstico , Espanha/epidemiologia , Pessoas TransgêneroRESUMO
OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to investigate the acceptability of rapid HIV testing among general practitioners in Spain and to identify perceived barriers and needs in order to implement rapid testing in primary care settings. METHODS: An anonymous questionnaire was distributed online to all members of the two largest Spanish scientific medical societies for family and community medicine. The study took place between 15th June and 31st October 2010. RESULTS: Completed questionnaires were returned by 1308 participants. The majority (90.8%) of respondents were General Practitioners (GP). Among all respondents, 70.4% were aware of the existence of rapid tests for the diagnosis of HIV but they did not know how to use them. Nearly 80% of participants would be willing to offer rapid HIV testing in their practices and 74.7% would be confident of the results obtained by these tests. The barriers most commonly identified by respondents were a lack of time and a need for training, both in the use of rapid tests (44.3% and 56.4%, respectively) and required pre- and post-test counselling (59.2% and 34.5%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: This study reveals a high level of acceptance and willingness on the part of GPs to offer rapid HIV testing in their practices. Nevertheless, the implementation of rapid HIV testing in primary care will not be possible without moving from comprehensive pre-test counselling towards brief pre-test information and improving training in the use of rapid tests.
Assuntos
Atitude do Pessoal de Saúde , Medicina Geral/métodos , Clínicos Gerais/psicologia , Infecções por HIV/diagnóstico , Adulto , Aconselhamento/educação , Diagnóstico Precoce , Feminino , Clínicos Gerais/educação , Conhecimentos, Atitudes e Prática em Saúde , Humanos , Conhecimento , Masculino , Atenção Primária à Saúde , Espanha/epidemiologia , Inquéritos e QuestionáriosRESUMO
This study investigated the acceptability of rapid HIV testing among general practitioners (GP) and aimed to identify perceived barriers and needs in order to implement rapid testing in primary care settings. An anonymous questionnaire was distributed online to all members of the two largest Spanish scientific medical societies for family and community medicine. The study took place between 15 June 2012 and 31 October 2010. Completed questionnaires were returned by 1308 participants. The majority (90.8%) of respondents were GP. Among all respondents, 70.4% were aware of the existence of rapid tests for the diagnosis of HIV but they did not know how to use them. Nearly 80% of participants would be willing to offer rapid HIV testing in their practices and 74.7% would be confident of the result obtained by these tests. The barriers most commonly identified by respondents were a lack of time and a need for training, both in the use of rapid tests (44.3% and 56.4%, respectively) and required pre- and post-test counselling (59.2% and 34.5%, respectively). This study reveals a high level of acceptance and willingness on the part of GPs to offer rapid HIV testing in their practices. Nevertheless, the implementation of rapid HIV testing in primary care will not be possible without moving from comprehensive pre-test counselling towards brief pre-test information and improving training in the use of rapid tests.
Assuntos
Medicina Geral/métodos , Clínicos Gerais/psicologia , Infecções por HIV/diagnóstico , Testes Diagnósticos de Rotina , Diagnóstico Precoce , Soropositividade para HIV , Conhecimentos, Atitudes e Prática em Saúde , Humanos , Atenção Primária à Saúde , Espanha , Inquéritos e QuestionáriosRESUMO
We describe the use of antisense morpholino oligonucleotides (AMOs) to restore normal splicing caused by intronic molecular defects identified in methylmalonic acidemia (MMA) and propionic acidemia (PA). The three new point mutations described in deep intronic regions increase the splicing scores of pseudoexons or generate consensus binding motifs for splicing factors, such as SRp40, which favor the intronic inclusions in MUT (r.1957ins76), PCCA (r.1284ins84), or PCCB (r.654ins72) messenger RNAs (mRNAs). Experimental confirmation that these changes are pathogenic and cause the activation of the pseudoexons was obtained by use of minigenes. AMOs were targeted to the 5? or 3? cryptic splice sites to block access of the splicing machinery to the pseudoexonic regions in the pre-mRNA. Using this antisense therapeutics, we have obtained correctly spliced mRNA that was effectively translated, and propionyl coenzyme A (CoA) carboxylase (PCC) or methylmalonylCoA mutase (MCM) activities were rescued in patients' fibroblasts. The effect of AMOs was sequence and dose dependent. In the affected patient with MUT mutation, close to 100% of MCM activity, measured by incorporation of (14)C-propionate, was obtained after 48 h, and correctly spliced MUT mRNA was still detected 15 d after treatment. In the PCCA-mutated and PCCB-mutated cell lines, 100% of PCC activity was measured after 72 h of AMO delivery, and the presence of biotinylated PCCA protein was detected by western blot in treated PCCA-deficient cells. Our results demonstrate that the aberrant inclusions of the intronic sequences are disease-causing mutations in these patients. These findings provide a new therapeutic strategy in these genetic disorders, potentially applicable to a large number of cases with deep intronic changes that, at the moment, remain undetected by standard mutation-detection techniques.
Assuntos
Variação Genética/genética , Íntrons/genética , Metilmalonil-CoA Descarboxilase/genética , Metilmalonil-CoA Mutase/genética , Oligodesoxirribonucleotídeos Antissenso/uso terapêutico , Acidemia Propiônica/terapia , Splicing de RNA/genética , Erros Inatos do Metabolismo dos Aminoácidos/enzimologia , Erros Inatos do Metabolismo dos Aminoácidos/genética , Erros Inatos do Metabolismo dos Aminoácidos/terapia , Células Cultivadas , Fibroblastos/citologia , Fibroblastos/enzimologia , Humanos , Morfolinas , Mutação/genética , Propionatos/metabolismo , Acidemia Propiônica/enzimologia , Acidemia Propiônica/genética , Precursores de RNA/genéticaRESUMO
Cytoskeletons provide valuable information on the composition and organization of the cell's contractile machinery, and in many cases these cell models retain the ability to contract. To quantitate contraction rates, we developed a novel stopped-flow assay permitting simultaneous analysis of thousands of Dictyostelium cytoskeletons within milliseconds of mixing with Mg-ATP. Cytoskeletons were placed in one syringe of the stopped flow apparatus and the appropriate buffer was placed in the second syringe. Mixing with Mg-ATP caused an immediate increase in the absorbance at 310 nm. Rapid fixation of the cytoskeletons during the reaction confirmed that this change in absorbance was highly correlated with contraction of the cytoskeletons. This spectroscopic change was used to measure the effects of temperature, pH, ionic strength, and nucleotides on contraction rate. Treatment with high salt and ATP removed most of the myosin, some actin, and small amounts of minor proteins. These extracted cytoskeletons lost the ability to contract, but after the addition of purified Dictyostelium myosin they regained full function. In contrast, rabbit skeletal muscle myosin was unable to restore contractility, even though it bound to the extracted cytoskeletons. Cytoskeletons prepared from a myosin-null mutant did not contract. Upon the addition of purified ameba myosin, however, they became contractile. These results suggest that filamentous Dictyostelium myosin II is essential for contraction, and that the actin cytoskeleton and associated proteins retain their functional organization in the absence of myosin.
Assuntos
Citoesqueleto/fisiologia , Dictyostelium/fisiologia , Miosinas/fisiologia , Trifosfato de Adenosina/metabolismo , Trifosfato de Adenosina/farmacologia , Cinética , Miosinas/isolamento & purificação , Fatores de TempoRESUMO
BACKGROUND: The programmed death (PD-1) inhibitor pembrolizumab has been recently approved for the treatment of advanced melanoma. We evaluated the clinical activity of pembrolizumab in melanoma patients treated under the Spanish Expanded Access Program. METHODS: Advanced melanoma patients who failed to previous treatment lines were treated with pembrolizumab 2 mg/kg every three weeks. Patients with brain metastases were not excluded if they were asymptomatic. Data were retrospectively collected from 21 centers in the Spanish Melanoma Group. RESULTS: Sixty-seven advanced melanoma patients were analyzed. Most patients were stage M1c (73.1%), had high LDH levels (55.2%) and had ECOG PS 1 or higher (59.7%). For cutaneous melanoma patients, median overall survival was 14.0 months; the 18-month overall survival rate was 47.1%. Overall response rate was 27%, including three patients with complete responses (6.5%). Median response duration was not reached, with 83.3% of responses ongoing (3.5 m+ to 20.4 m+). From ten patients included with brain metastases, four (40%) had an objective response, two (20%) of them achieved a complete response. Significant prognostic factors for overall survival were LDH level, ECOG PS and objective response. There were no serious adverse events. CONCLUSION: Although this was a heavily pretreated cohort, pembrolizumab activity at the approved dose and schedule was confirmed in the clinical setting with long-term responders, also including patients with brain metastases.
Assuntos
Anticorpos Monoclonais Humanizados/uso terapêutico , Antineoplásicos/uso terapêutico , Melanoma/tratamento farmacológico , Adulto , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Intervalo Livre de Doença , Feminino , Humanos , Estimativa de Kaplan-Meier , Masculino , Melanoma/mortalidade , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Modelos de Riscos Proporcionais , Estudos Retrospectivos , Terapia de Salvação/métodos , Espanha , Resultado do TratamentoAssuntos
Anestesiologia/organização & administração , COVID-19/epidemiologia , Pesquisas sobre Atenção à Saúde/estatística & dados numéricos , Pandemias , SARS-CoV-2 , Anestesiologistas/organização & administração , Anestesiologia/estatística & dados numéricos , Conversão de Leitos/estatística & dados numéricos , COVID-19/terapia , Análise Custo-Benefício , Cuidados Críticos/estatística & dados numéricos , Número de Leitos em Hospital/estatística & dados numéricos , Humanos , Unidades de Terapia Intensiva , Admissão e Escalonamento de Pessoal , Espanha/epidemiologiaRESUMO
No disponible
Assuntos
Humanos , Pesquisas sobre Atenção à Saúde , Infecções por Coronavirus/epidemiologia , Pneumonia Viral/epidemiologia , Pandemias , Necessidades e Demandas de Serviços de Saúde , Necessidades e Demandas de Serviços de Saúde/estatística & dados numéricos , Cuidados Críticos/estatística & dados numéricos , Serviço Hospitalar de Anestesia/provisão & distribuição , EspanhaRESUMO
No disponible
Assuntos
Humanos , Masculino , Feminino , Serviços Preventivos de Saúde , Atenção Primária à Saúde , Infecções por HIV/prevenção & controle , Profilaxia Pré-Exposição/métodosRESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To compare the clinical and laboratory features of visceral leishmaniasis (kala-azar) in HIV-infected and non-infected subjects, and to determine the presence of Leishmania amastigotes in circulating leukocytes using peripheral blood smears. PATIENTS: Twenty-eight HIV-infected and six HIV-negative adult patients diagnosed as having kala-azar presenting at one institution over a 7-year period. METHODS: Retrospective review of clinical charts and re-examination of peripheral blood smears. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in the clinical presentation and laboratory features of HIV-positive and HIV-negative patients. However, Leishmania amastigotes were observed in circulating leukocytes in eight out of the 17 available peripheral blood smears (15 from HIV-infected patients). All eight individuals presenting with Leishmania in peripheral blood leukocytes were HIV-positive. CONCLUSIONS: Direct visualization of Leishmania amastigotes in leukocytes on peripheral blood smears enabled the diagnosis of kala-azar in a high proportion [eight out of 15 (53%)] of our HIV-infected patients.
Assuntos
Infecções Oportunistas Relacionadas com a AIDS/diagnóstico , Infecções por HIV/complicações , Leishmaniose Visceral/complicações , Leishmaniose Visceral/diagnóstico , Infecções Oportunistas Relacionadas com a AIDS/parasitologia , Adulto , Animais , Feminino , Humanos , Leishmania donovani/isolamento & purificação , Leishmaniose Visceral/parasitologia , Leucócitos/parasitologia , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-IdadeRESUMO
Cell wall regeneration of individual Candida albicans yeast and mycelial protoplasts was studied with confocal and electron microscopy using polyclonal antibodies and lectins. Quantitative measurements of the fluorescence emitted by individual protoplasts during the process of regeneration indicate that chitin is the first polymer to be laid down, whereas beta (1,3)- and beta (1,6)glucan are incorporated at a later stage. Mannoproteins were found on the surface of fresh protoplasts and those newly synthesized were then deposited with time. During the first steps of wall regeneration, the proteins that interacted covalently with chitin or glucan were different, but the same species were found linked to each polymer in yeast and mycelial regenerating forms. The aggregates formed by regenerating protoplasts were shown to be due to the chitin and mannoprotein network initially laid.
Assuntos
Candida albicans/fisiologia , Protoplastos/fisiologia , Western Blotting , Candida albicans/química , Candida albicans/citologia , Divisão Celular , Parede Celular/química , Parede Celular/fisiologia , Esqueleto da Parede Celular , Quitina/análise , Eletroforese em Gel de Poliacrilamida , Técnica Indireta de Fluorescência para Anticorpo , Proteínas Fúngicas/imunologia , Glucanos , Glicoproteínas de Membrana , Microscopia Eletrônica , Fatores de TempoRESUMO
Urea or hot sodium dodecyl sulphate extracted a significant amount of the same proteins from the matrix of the cell wall of the yeast form and mycelial cells of Candida albicans. Gel filtration analysis of the urea-extracted proteins revealed that they occurred in the form of large complexes which were unaffected by up to 8 M urea. Among them, proteins en route to becoming covalently associated within the wall scaffold were identified by their reaction with specific antibodies. When urea was removed by dialysis, some of these proteins specifically reassociated into large aggregates which bound strongly with ConA, whereas others remained soluble in smaller associated products. The ability of some of these proteins to bind to the insoluble wall polysaccharides was also assessed. No self-assembling proteins were able to bind to glucans and/or chitin. Specificity of the binding to polysaccharides made of beta-bound glucosyl or N-acetylglucosaminyl residues was determined by the competitive effect of several disaccharides. Whereas laminaribiose and diacetylchitobiose were strong inhibitors of protein binding to both glucan and chitin, lactose, maltose and sucrose were ineffective.
Assuntos
Candida albicans/metabolismo , Quitina/metabolismo , Proteínas Fúngicas/metabolismo , Glucanos/metabolismo , Anticorpos Antifúngicos/química , Ligação Competitiva , Western Blotting , Candida albicans/química , Candida albicans/ultraestrutura , Parede Celular/química , Parede Celular/ultraestrutura , Cromatografia em Gel , Concanavalina A/química , Eletroforese em Gel de Poliacrilamida , Proteínas de Membrana/metabolismo , Microscopia Eletrônica , Microscopia de Fluorescência , Ligação Proteica/fisiologia , Dodecilsulfato de Sódio/química , Solubilidade , Ureia/químicaRESUMO
From January 1984 to October 1990, 140 of 392 (35.7%) patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) were found to have had tuberculosis. One hundred and sixteen were intravenous drug abusers and 16 were homosexual men. Fever, cough, weight loss and generalised lymphadenopathy were common features of their illness. Tuberculin skin tests were negative in 74% and 55% had intraabdominal lymphadenopathy. The chest radiographs showed hilar lymphadenopathy and lower lobe interstitial or alveolar infiltrates, but rarely cavitation. Forty-one of our patients had pulmonary tuberculosis, 38 had extra pulmonary and in 61 it was disseminated. In 80 cases tuberculosis was the presenting feature of AIDS. Tuberculosis usually responded well to chemotherapy.
Assuntos
Síndrome da Imunodeficiência Adquirida/complicações , Tuberculose/complicações , Síndrome da Imunodeficiência Adquirida/diagnóstico , Síndrome da Imunodeficiência Adquirida/tratamento farmacológico , Síndrome da Imunodeficiência Adquirida/epidemiologia , Quimioterapia Combinada , Etambutol/uso terapêutico , Feminino , Humanos , Incidência , Isoniazida/uso terapêutico , Masculino , Estudos Prospectivos , Pirazinamida/uso terapêutico , Estudos Retrospectivos , Rifampina/uso terapêutico , Fatores de Risco , Espanha/epidemiologia , Estreptomicina/uso terapêutico , Abuso de Substâncias por Via Intravenosa/complicações , Tuberculose/diagnóstico , Tuberculose/tratamento farmacológico , Tuberculose/epidemiologia , Tuberculose Pulmonar/complicações , Tuberculose Pulmonar/diagnóstico , Tuberculose Pulmonar/tratamento farmacológico , Tuberculose Pulmonar/epidemiologiaRESUMO
We interviewed 219 patients with a questionnaire to evaluate the prevalence of insomnia, and to assess whether benzodiazepine therapy was correctly indicated. Insomnia was present in 86 patients (39%), being initial in more than one half. Thirty-two of the patients with insomnia were receiving benzodiazepines (37%), 24 of whom (75%) had been treated for more than one year. The drug was incorrectly indicated in 18 (56%), in most cases because it was inappropriate for the type of the patient's insomnia. In six of these patients (33%), incorrect indication was related with self-medication. The benzodiazepine was incorrectly indicated in all the patients with diurnal oversedation. We emphasize the frequency of incorrect indications of these drugs, and we insist on the need that general practitioners have of a better knowledge of the pharmacokinetics of each drug, which is the basis for a correct indication.
Assuntos
Ansiolíticos/uso terapêutico , Distúrbios do Início e da Manutenção do Sono/tratamento farmacológico , Adulto , Idoso , Ansiolíticos/efeitos adversos , Benzodiazepinas , Contraindicações , Uso de Medicamentos/estatística & dados numéricos , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Distúrbios do Início e da Manutenção do Sono/epidemiologia , Espanha/epidemiologia , Inquéritos e QuestionáriosRESUMO
A clinical case of a male with lupus lesion localized in scalp associated to a bilateral cavitated pulmonary tuberculosis which was non symptomatic. The cutaneous symptoms of tuberculosis is reviewed because the rareness of this presentation.
Assuntos
Lúpus Vulgar/etiologia , Tuberculose Pulmonar/complicações , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-IdadeRESUMO
We report 15 cases of visceral leishmaniasis in adults, diagnosed by visualization of the parasite in 14 of them and in one case, based on clinic, serology and good response to treatment. Thirteen patients developed an acute clinical state and two patients, a subacute-chronic state. All of them had fever, half of them, a constitutional syndrome and 12, visceromegaly. Fifteen had anemia, 13, leukopenia and 10, thrombopenia. Serology was positive in 75% of cases. All patients were treated with meglumine antimoniate. No adverse effects were observed and in 14 patients, the treatment was successful. There were no recurrences. A patient died due to septic shock by Pneumococcus with DCI.