Psoriasis Severity, Health-Related Quality of Life, Work Productivity, and Activity Impairments Among Patients With Moderate to Severe Psoriasis Receiving Systemic Treatment: Real-World Data From Clinical Practice in Spain. / [Artículo traducido] Gravedad de la psoriasis, calidad de vida relacionada con la salud, productividad laboral y deterioro de la actividad en pacientes con psoriasis moderada a grave que reciben tratamiento sistémico: datos de la vida real de la práctica clínica en España.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The treatment of psoriasis should not only focus on skin affectations but also weigh the parameters for health-related quality of life (HRQoL), thereby tackling the concept of cumulative life course impairment (CLCI) and treating the patient from a holistic perspective. The CRYSTAL study aimed to characterize psoriasis with real-word data from Spanish clinical practice in patients with moderate to severe disease who received continuous systemic treatment for at least 24 weeks by using the absolute Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) score and its correlation to HRQoL. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This was a non-interventional, cross-sectional study conducted in 30 centers in Spain, with 301 patients between the ages of 18 and 75 years. The study collected data regarding current treatment and absolute PASI and their relationship to HRQoL using the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), to activity impairment using the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment (WPAI) questionnaire, and to treatment satisfaction. RESULTS: The mean (SD) age was 50.5 (12.5) years, with a duration of disease of 14 (14.1) years. The mean (SD) absolute PASI reported was 2.3 (3.5), with 28.7% of patients presenting with PASI from >1 to ≤3 and 22.6% with PASI>3. Higher PASI scores were associated with higher DLQI (p<0.001) and WPAI scores and lower levels of treatment satisfaction (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate that achieving lower absolute PASI values may correlate not only with better HRQoL but also with better work productivity and treatment satisfaction.

Psoriasis Severity, Health-Related Quality of Life, Work Productivity, and Activity Impairments Among Patients With Moderate to Severe Psoriasis Receiving Systemic Treatment: Real-World Data From Clinical Practice in Spain.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The treatment of psoriasis should not only focus on skin affectations but also weigh the parameters for health-related quality of life (HRQoL), thereby tackling the concept of cumulative life course impairment (CLCI) and treating the patient from a holistic perspective. The CRYSTAL study aimed to characterize psoriasis with real-word data from Spanish clinical practice in patients with moderate to severe disease who received continuous systemic treatment for at least 24 weeks by using the absolute Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) score and its correlation to HRQoL. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This was a non-interventional, cross-sectional study conducted in 30 centers in Spain, with 301 patients between the ages of 18 and 75 years. The study collected data regarding current treatment and absolute PASI and their relationship to HRQoL using the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), to activity impairment using the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment (WPAI) questionnaire, and to treatment satisfaction. RESULTS: The mean (SD) age was 50.5 (12.5) years, with a duration of disease of 14 (14.1) years. The mean (SD) absolute PASI reported was 2.3 (3.5), with 28.7% of patients presenting with PASI from >1 to ≤3 and 22.6% with PASI>3. Higher PASI scores were associated with higher DLQI (p<0.001) and WPAI scores and lower levels of treatment satisfaction (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate that achieving lower absolute PASI values may correlate not only with better HRQoL but also with better work productivity and treatment satisfaction.

An exacerbated metabolism and mitochondrial reactive oxygen species contribute to mitochondrial alterations and apoptosis in CD4 T cells during the acute phase of Trypanosoma cruzi infection.

Chagas disease caused by Trypanosoma cruzi parasite is an endemic infection in America. It is well known that T. cruzi causes a strong immunosuppression during the acute phase of infection. However, it is not clear whether T. cruzi infection is related to metabolic alterations in CD4 T cells that prevent downstream effector function. Here, we evaluated the CD4 T cell metabolic and mitochondrial profiles from non-infected (NI), acute phase (AP) and chronic phase (CP) T. cruzi infected mice. CD4 T cells from all groups showed increased glucose uptake after stimulation. Moreover, the bioenergetic analysis revealed a rise in glycolysis and a higher oxidative metabolism in CD4 T cells from the AP. These cells showed increased proton leak and uncoupling protein 3 (UCP3) expression that correlated with mitochondrial ROS (mROS) accumulation, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) depolarization and expression of PD-1. In addition, CD4 T cells with mitochondrial alteration displayed an activated phenotype, and were less functional and more prone to apoptosis. In contrast, mitochondrial alterations were not observed during in vivo activation of CD4 T cells in a model of OVA-immunization. The Mn-superoxide dismutase (SOD2) expression, which is involved in mROS detoxification, was increased during the AP and CP of infection. Remarkably, the apoptosis observed in CD4 T cells with MMP depolarization was prevented by incubation with N-acetyl cysteine (NAC). Thus, our results showed that infection triggered an exacerbated metabolism together with mROS production in CD4 T cells from the AP of infection. However, antioxidant availability may not be sufficient to avoid mitochondrial alterations rendering these cells more susceptible to apoptosis. Our investigation is the first to demonstrate an association between a disturbed metabolism and an impaired CD4 T cell response during T. cruzi infection.

Mechatronic resectoscope emulator for a surgery simulation training system of the prostate.

In this work is presented the development of a mechatronic interface for a surgery simulation system for training Transurethral Resection of the Prostate (TURP). The interface emulates a real resectosope and allows to perform the most important movements of the surgical tool during a TURP. The interface is able to work in conjunction with a virtual reality software with a deformable tissue model of the prostate, in order to simulate tissue resection and deformation. The current prototype has five degrees of freedom, which are enough to have a realistic simulation of the surgery movements. The results show that the interface is suitable for a real time surgery simulation training system of the prostate without force feedback.

Immunocytochemical localization of allergenic proteins in Parietaria judaica L. (Urticaceae) pollen grains.

Inhalation of pollen grains and fungal spores leads to allergenic rhinitis and type I asthma mediated by IgE. The etiology of these conditions is due to the presence of substances that can induce anaphylactic processes in susceptible subjects. A combination of transmission electron microscopy with immunocytochemical methods was used to localize allergenic proteins in Parietaria judaica L. (Urticaceae) pollen grains. Germination of pollen grains was induced in vitro for 10 and 30 min to activate proteins in the intine and in material exuded from the pollen grains that are related to pollen-stigma recognition; these activated proteins would be the ones that react with the antibodies. The activation time, labeling intensity and specificity of the antigens depended on whether IgG (rabbit) or IgE (allergenic patient) was used. Abundant, non-specific labeling was observed with rabbit IgG. The labeling observed with human IgE was located more specifically in the intine (oncus) at random points near the apertures. The immunolocalization of allergenic proteins in the intine indicates the presence of proteins related to activation of the pollen grains. This fact confirms the function attributed to the intine in the processes of pollen tube formation and fertilization, and also the possible mechanism that is activated in the pollen grains when these reach the mucosa of sensitive subjects. In the case of P. judaica, the existence of a thickening of the intine below the apertures (oncus) and the release of its contents in an explosive fashion seem to be the main causes of their strong allergenic activity.

The thymosin beta 4 gene is strongly activated in neural tissues during early postimplantation mouse development.

We studied the temporal and spatial distribution of the mRNA encoding for thymosin beta 4 (T beta 4), a small acidic actin-sequestering peptide, during the early postimplantation mouse development. Analysis of total embryo RNA demonstrated a strong activation of T beta 4 gene after gastrulation and coincident with neurulation. In situ hybridization showed that T beta 4 mRNA was strongly expressed in the central nervous system and peripheral ganglia, paralleling the gradient of neuronal differentiation. An intense signal was also observed in intraventricular macrophages and blood vessels. The role of T beta 4 in mammalian neuroembryogenesis is discussed.

The hazimicins, a new class of antibiotics. Taxonomy, fermentation, isolation, characterization and biological properties.

The hazimicins, a new class of broad spectrum antibiotics with at least 2 active components (5 and 6), were isolated from the fermentation of Micromonospora echinospora var challisensis SCC 1411. The complex was separated from the broth by a solvent extraction procedure, and the individual components were separated by column chromatography. The two primary active components are isomers, with unique structures shown to be di-tyrosine analogs containing two isonitrile groups. The antibiotic has in vitro activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, and in vitro activity against yeasts and dermatophytes.