HLA-G 14 bp Ins/Del (rs66554220) Variant Is Not Associated with Breast Cancer in Women from Western Mexico.

HLA-G is a physiology and pathologic immunomodulator detrimentally related to cancer. Its gene is heavily transcriptionally and post-transcriptionally regulated by variants located in regulator regions like 3'UTR, being the most studied Ins/Del of 14-bp (rs66554220), which is known to influence the effects of endogen cell factors; nevertheless, the reports are discrepant and controversial. Herein, the relationship of the 14-bp Ins/Del variant (rs66554220) with breast cancer (BC) and its clinical characteristics were analyzed in 182 women with non-familial BC and 221 disease-free women as a reference group. Both groups from western Mexico and sex-age-matched (sm-RG). The rs66554220 variant was amplified by SSP-PCR and the fragments were visualized in polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The variant rs66554220 was not associated with BC in our population. However, we suggest the Ins allele as a possible risk factor for developing BC at clinical stage IV (OR = 3.05, 95% CI = 1.16-7.96, p = 0.01); nevertheless, given the small stratified sample size (n = 11, statistical power = 41%), this is inconclusive. In conclusion, the 14-bp Ins/Del (rs66554220) variant of HLA-G is not associated with BC in the Mexican population, but might be related to advanced breast tumors. Further studies are required.

TGF-beta receptor-mediated albumin uptake into astrocytes is involved in neocortical epileptogenesis.

It has long been recognized that insults to the cerebral cortex, such as trauma, ischaemia or infections, may result in the development of epilepsy, one of the most common neurological disorders. Human and animal studies have suggested that perturbations in neurovascular integrity and breakdown of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) lead to neuronal hypersynchronization and epileptiform activity, but the mechanisms underlying these processes are not known. In this study, we reveal a novel mechanism for epileptogenesis in the injured brain. We used focal neocortical, long-lasting BBB disruption or direct exposure to serum albumin in rats (51 and 13 animals, respectively, and 26 controls) as well as albumin exposure in brain slices in vitro. Most treated slices (72%, n = 189) displayed hypersynchronous propagating epileptiform field potentials when examined 5-49 days after treatment, but only 14% (n = 71) of control slices showed similar responses. We demonstrate that direct brain exposure to serum albumin is associated with albumin uptake into astrocytes, which is mediated by transforming growth factor beta receptors (TGF-betaRs). This uptake is followed by down regulation of inward-rectifying potassium (Kir 4.1) channels in astrocytes, resulting in reduced buffering of extracellular potassium. This, in turn, leads to activity-dependent increased accumulation of extracellular potassium, resulting in facilitated N-methyl-d-aspartate-receptor-mediated neuronal hyperexcitability and eventually epileptiform activity. Blocking TGF-betaR in vivo reduces the likelihood of epileptogenesis in albumin-exposed brains to 29.3% (n = 41 slices, P < 0.05). We propose that the above-described cascade of events following common brain insults leads to brain dysfunction and eventually epilepsy and suggest TGF-betaRs as a possible therapeutic target.

Geohelmintosis intestinales en el hombre y animales domésticos de sectores ribereños de la cuenca del río Valdivia Chile / Intestinal geohelminthosis in man and domestic animals in riverside sectors of Valdivia river basin, Chile

In march - october 1987 were analyzed 1295 coprological specimens in a sample of the human population who lives in riverside localities in the Valdivia river basin, Chile. A 23,6 for percent of examined persons presented infection by one or more helminth species. The prevalence of infection by ascaris lumbricoides, trichuris trichiura and trichostrongylidae gen. sp were 15,5; 12,7 and 0,2 for percent, respectively. The prevalence of human ascariosis and trichuriosis were greater in pre-school and school children. The sex of the host and prevalence of geohelminthosis did not show any relationship. Prevalences of ascariosis and trichuriosis were higher in persons from houses no sanitary fecal and water disposal. Over 35 for percent and 20,7 for percent of family groups showed infection by A. lumbricoides and T. trichiura, respectively in over 40 for percent of the members of each group. Fecal samples from domestic mammals revealed the following prevalences rates helminth infections: in dogs 19,0 and 15,2 for percent for toxocara canis and uncinaria stenocephala respectively, in cats 65,1 for percent for toxocara cati, and in pigs 25,4 and 3,2 for percent for ascaris suum and trichuris suis respectively. Some of these species are clearly demostrated agents of zoonoses

Epidemiología de la difilobotriasis en la cuenca del río Valdivia, Chile / Epidemiology of diphyllobothriasis in the Valdivia River basin, Chile

Foram examinadas 1.295 pessoas de seis localidades situadas às margens da bacia do rio Valdivia (Chile), encontrando-se uma prevalência de infecçäo por Diphyllobothrium igual a 1,2% em Rinihue e Las Huellas. Em cäes a prevalência foi de 5,3% e 9,8% em Rinihue e Malihue, respectivamente, näo tendo sido observada infecçäo em gatos nem porcos. Os parasitas obtidos apòs tratamento foram identificados como Diphyllobothrium latum. A infecçäo humana por Diphyllobothrium latum nas áreas afetadas foi produzida pela ingestäo de peixes defumados ou cozidos insuficientemente. A pesquisa realizada em 1.450 peixes pertencentes a 4 espécies introduzidas e 11 autoctones capturadas na bacia do rio Valdivia mostrou a existência de plerocercoides de Diphyllobothrium latum e/ou D. dendriticum nas espécies introduzidas Salmo gairdneri e S. trutta além de outras autoctones. A prevalência ou intensidade média das infecçöes nos peixes bem como o grau de agregaçäo das subpopulaçöes variaram nos diferentes locais estudados. Na bacia do rio Valdivia, alguns peixes atuaram como hospedeiros intermediários e outros como paratênicos das espécies de Diphyllobothrium encontradas. Como medidas de controle nos pontos de difilobotríase nas áreas estudadas sugere-se a melhoria das condiçöes de saneamento básico, educaçäo sanitária e tratamento das pessoas infectadas .