Exploring fungal diversity in Antarctic wildlife: isolation and molecular identification of culturable fungi from penguins and pinnipeds.

AIMS: To survey the diversity of fungal species that may be cultured from Antarctic penguins and pinnipeds, and to test the in vitro susceptibility to triazole drugs of any medically important Aspergillus spp. isolates. METHODS: During an expedition to Argentinean Antarctic research stations at Potter Peninsula (South Shetland Islands) and Primavera Cape (Antarctic Peninsula) in February 2019, samples (n = 212) were collected from fur seals (Arctocephalus gazella), elephant seals (Mirounga leonine), leopard seals (Hydrurga leptonyx), Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii) and crabeater seals (Lobodon carcinophaga) and gentoo penguins (Pygoscelis papua). Oral, nasal and rectal swabs and skin/hair brushings were collected from pinnipeds, and skin/feather brushings, cloacal swabs and moulted feathers from penguins. Samples were cultured on Sabouraud dextrose agar and/or potato dextrose agar plates and fungal isolates identified by morphological criteria followed by PCR amplification and DNA sequencing. Antifungal susceptibility of Aspergillus spp. isolates to triazoles was tested. RESULTS: Fungi from 21 genera were isolated from 121/212 (57.1%) samples obtained from pinnipeds and penguins. Among pinnipeds from Potter Peninsula (fur seals and elephant seals), the most frequent fungal species were Debaryomyces hansenii and Rhodotorula mucilaginosa, isolated from the oral, nasal and/or rectal mucosa, and Antarctomyces psychrotrophicus isolated from the skin/hair of all sampled individuals. Among pinnipeds from Primavera Cape (leopard seals, Weddell seals and crabeater seals), the most frequent fungal species were Naganishia adeliensis and Cryptococcus neoformans var. uniguttulatus, isolated from the nasal/oral mucosa of 4/33 (15.2%) and 5/33 (12.1%) animals, respectively. The most frequently isolated fungal species from gentoo penguins (Potter Peninsula), were Pseudogymnoascus pannorum and A. pyschrotrophicus, which both were isolated from skin/feathers of 7/15 (46.7%) birds, and Thelebolus microsporus, isolated from the cloacal mucosa and skin/feathers of 5/15 (33.3%) and 2/15 (13.3%) birds, respectively. Fungi that are potentially pathogenic to both humans and animals (Aspergillus fumigatus, Asp. flavus, Asp. versicolor, Candida parapsilosis and Microsporum canis) were isolated from 4/38 (10.5%), 1/38 (2.6%), 2/38 (5.3%), 4/38 (10.5%) and 2/38 (5.3%) sampled pinnipeds, respectively. Only non-azole-resistant isolates of Asp. fumigatus and Asp. flavus were identified. CONCLUSIONS: The fungal biodiversity in Antarctic pinnipeds and gentoo penguins was explored using standard mycological culture followed by PCR and DNA sequencing. The frequency of fungal carriage varied among animal species, sample type and location. This study constitutes an epidemiologic approach to monitoring of these marine animals for emerging fungal pathogens.

Studies toward the comprehension of fungal-macroalgae interaction in cold marine regions from a biotechnological perspective.

In marine ecosystems, macroalgae are the habitat for several microorganisms, fungi being among them. In the Antarctic benthic coastal ecosystem, macroalgae play a key role in organic matter cycling. In this study, 13 different macroalgae from Potter Cove and surrounding areas were sampled and 48 fungal isolates were obtained from six species, four Rhodophyta Ballia callitricha, Gigartina skottsbergii, Neuroglossum delesseriae and Palmaria decipiens, and two Phaeophyceae: Adenocystis utricularis and Ascoseira mirabilis. Fungal isolates mostly belonged to the Ascomycota phylum (Antarctomyces, Cadophora, Cladosporium, Penicillium, Phialocephala, and Pseudogymnoascus) and only one to the phylum Mucoromycota. Two of the isolates could not be identified to genus level, implying that Antarctica is a source of probable novel fungal taxa with enormous bioprospecting and biotechnological potential. 73% of the fungal isolates were moderate eurypsychrophilic (they grew at 5-25 °C), 12.5% were eurypsychrophilic and grew in the whole range, 12.5% of the isolates were narrow eurypsychrophilic (growth at 15-25 °C), and Mucoromycota AUe4 was classified as stenopsychrophilic as it grew at 5-15 °C. Organic extracts of seven macroalgae from which no fungal growth was obtained (three red algae Georgiella confluens, Gymnogongrus turquetii, Plocamium cartlagineum, and four brown algae Desmarestia anceps, D. Antarctica, Desmarestia menziesii, Himantothallus grandifolius) were tested against representative fungi of the genera isolated in this work. All extracts presented fungal inhibition, those from Plocamium cartilagineum and G. turquetii showed the best results, and for most of these macroalgae, this represents the first report of antifungal activity and constitute a promising source of compounds for future evaluation.

Nitrogen recovery from pig slurry by struvite precipitation using a low-cost magnesium oxide.

Ammonia nitrogen management is a recurrent problem in intensive livestock areas. Struvite precipitation stands as a mature technology to recover ammonia nitrogen and prevent associated environmental problems. However, the feasibility of struvite technology to recover ammonia nitrogen from pig manure is limited by the reagents cost. This research aimed to optimise the formulation of a stabilizing agent (SA) synthesised using an industrial low-grade MgO by-product (LG-MgO) and phosphoric acid for efficient TAN recovery via struvite precipitation. Experimental results showed that the H3PO4/LG-MgO ratio controls the magnesium phosphate mineral phase of the SA (bobierrite and/or newberyite). Newberyite-rich SA showed the highest TAN removal efficiency from pig manure (66-73%) compared to the SA formed by a mixture of newberyite and bobierrite (51-59%) and by bobierrite (26%). Particle size reduction of LG-MgO did not improve the SA's TAN removal efficiency, although XRD patterns showed that the precipitates from the TAN removal experiments contained some unreacted newberyite. The economic analysis showed that the higher reactivity of the SA formulated using higher H3PO4/LG-MgO ratios compensated reagent costs. The SA synthesised with a H3PO4/LG-MgO ratio of 0.98 showed the most economical treatment cost, which was estimated at 7.5 € per kg of ammonia nitrogen from pig manure. Finally, the optimum SA was successfully synthesised in a 200-L pilot plant, with a TAN removal capacity only 10% lower than the one synthesised at lab-scale.

Patients receiving a high burden of antibiotics in the community in Spain: a cross-sectional study.

Some patients in the community receive a high burden of antibiotics. We aimed at describing the characteristics of these patients, antibiotics used, and conditions for which they received antibiotics. We carried out a cross-sectional study. Setting: Thirty Health Primary Care Areas from 12 regions in Spain, covering 5,960,191 inhabitants. Patients having at least 30 packages of antibacterials for systemic use dispensed in 2017 were considered. Main outcome measures: Prevalence of antibiotic use, conditions for which antibiotics were prescribed, clinical characteristics of patients, comorbidities, concomitant treatments, and microbiological isolates. Patient's average age was 70 years; 52% were men; 60% smokers/ex-smokers; 54% obese. Overall, 93% of patients had, at least, one chronic condition, and four comorbidities on average. Most common comorbidities were cardiovascular and/or hypertension (67%), respiratory diseases (62%), neurological/mental conditions (32%), diabetes (23%), and urological diseases (21%); 29% were immunosuppressed, 10% were dead at the time of data collection. Patients received three antibiotic treatments per year, mainly fluoroquinolones (28%), macrolides (21%), penicillins (19%), or cephalosporins (12%). Most frequently treated conditions were lower respiratory tract (infections or prophylaxis) (48%), urinary (27%), and skin/soft tissue infections (11%). Thirty-five percent have been guided by a microbiological diagnosis, being Pseudomonas aeruginosa (30%) and Escherichia coli (16%) the most frequent isolates. In conclusion, high antibiotic consumers in the community were basically elder, with multimorbidity and polymedication. They frequently received broad-spectrum antibiotics for long periods of time. The approach to infections in high consumers should be differentiated from healthy patients receiving antibiotics occasionally.

Association between adiposity levels and cognitive impairment in the Chilean older adult population.

Although both obesity and ageing are risk factors for cognitive impairment, there is no evidence in Chile on how obesity levels are associated with cognitive function. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the association between adiposity levels and cognitive impairment in older Chilean adults. This cross-sectional study includes 1384 participants, over 60 years of age, from the Chilean National Health Survey 2009-2010. Cognitive impairment was evaluated using the Mini-Mental State Examination. BMI and waist circumference (WC) were used as measures of adiposity. Compared with people with a normal BMI, the odds of cognitive impairment were higher in participants who were underweight (OR 4·44; 95 % CI 2·43, 6·45; P < 0·0001), overweight (OR 1·86; 95 % CI 1·06, 2·66; P = 0·031) and obese (OR 2·26; 95 % CI 1·31, 3·21; P = 0·003). The associations were robust after adjustment for confounding variables. Similar results were observed for WC. Low and high levels of adiposity are associated with an increased likelihood of cognitive impairment in older adults in Chile.

[Patient safety in psychiatric hospitalization - What incidents are reported and managed?] / Qué se notifica y gestiona en seguridad del paciente en hospitalización psiquiátrica.

INTRODUCTION: Reporting and management systems monitoring patient safety incidents (PSIs) facilitate the understanding of mechanisms of action and allow work on improvement activities to minimise their occurrence. In our country, little is known about the adverse effects of healthcare during psychiatric hospitalisation (PH). The aim of this study is to determine the occurrence and characteristics of the PSIs, as well as the improvement actions resulting from them, in the PH services being offered at the Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Deu (an institution specialized in mental healthcare). MATERIAL AND METHOD: An observational, descriptive, and cross-sectional study was conducted, covering the period 2013-2016. Analysis was made of the PSIs reported in the following areas of PH: acute and sub-acute (ASA), and medium and long-term stay (MLS). The following variables were identified: number, type and level of harm resulting from the PSIs, professional category of the person declaring the PSI, method of analysis used to investigate the PSI, and improvement actions generated by those PSIs that required either root-cause analysis or audit reports. The chi-squared test was used for statistical purposes when comparing percentages. RESULTS: A total of 2,940 PSIs were reported. The frequency in ASA was significantly higher (7.1 per 1,000 stays) than in MLS (5.3). Almost all (97.6%) of the incidents were related to falls, aggressive and/or disturbed behaviour, mind-altering drugs, self-harm, medication, dangerous objects, and patients escaping. PSIs recording moderate or severe harm were similar in the 2 different areas (16.5% in ASA vs. 14.2% in MLS). A small percentage (1.02%) of the PSIs resulted in root cause analysis or audit reporting, due to their severity, and from those incidents, 56 improvement actions were generated. CONCLUSIONS: PH demonstrates its own characteristics with regard to the type of PSIs and differs from general hospitalisation. Reporting of PSIs is higher in ASA than in MLS, although the level of harm experienced by the patients is similar. There is a clear understanding of reporting in PH, demonstrated by the steady increase in the numbers declared and also highlights the high level of awareness of the nursing staff.

Improvement in clinical outcomes and replacement factor VIII use in patients with haemophilia A after factor VIII pharmacokinetic-guided prophylaxis based on Bayesian models with myPKFiT®.

OBJECTIVES: Patients with severe haemophilia A (HA) receive factor VIII (FVIII) replacement therapy as prophylaxis. myPKFiT® is an online medical application that allows authorized users to simulate dosing regimens with patient pharmacokinetic (PK) profiles based on only 2 blood samples. Our aim was to assess the impact of using this medical device in routine practice in terms of FVIII consumption and clinical outcomes. METHODS: Thirty-six patients with severe HA on prophylaxis with Advate® were recruited in 3 centres in Spain. Annual bleeding rate (ABR), annual joint bleeding rate (AJBR) and annual FVIII consumption before and after adjustment were obtained using the patient's clinical history (12 months before) and prospectively recorded data (12 months after), respectively. Adjustment was based on PK parameters provided by myPKFiT® , joint status and relative risk associated with physical activity and bleeding phenotype. RESULTS: ABR and AJBR were significantly reduced after adjustment in the overall sample (-2.2 ± 1.3, P = .018 and -1.9 ± 1.2, P = .012, respectively) and in patients aged >15 years (-2.6 ± 1.4, P = .011 and -2.0 ± 1.2, P = .005, respectively). Adjustment had an effect on the individual FVIII consumption of most patients: annual amount was reduced in 18 cases and increased in 14. There was no significant effect on the mean amount (198 784 ± 110 387) compared to that used the year prior to myPKFiT® -adjusted prophylaxis (199 466 ± 103 670; P = .737). DISCUSSION: Our results suggest that PK-guided prophylaxis using myPKFiT® improved clinical outcomes and optimized FVIII consumption in the study population. This personalized approach may reduce bleeding rates without significantly increasing the overall cost of FVIII therapy.

The inner world of overactive monitoring: neural markers of interoception in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

BACKGROUND: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) patients typically overmonitor their own behavior, as shown by symptoms of excessive doubt and checking. Although this is well established for the patients' relationship with external stimuli in the environment, no study has explored their monitoring of internal body signals, a process known to be affected in anxiety-related syndromes. Here, we explored this issue through a cardiac interoception task that measures sensing of heartbeats. Our aim was to explore key behavioral and electrophysiological aspects of internal-cue monitoring in OCD, while examining their potential distinctiveness in this condition. METHOD: We administered a heartbeat detection (HBD) task (with related interoceptive confidence and awareness measures) to three matched groups (OCD patients, panic disorder patients, healthy controls) and recorded ongoing modulations of two task-relevant electrophysiological markers: the heart evoked potential (HEP) and the motor potential (MP). RESULTS: Behaviorally, OCD patients outperformed controls and panic patients in the HBD task. Moreover, they exhibited greater amplitude modulation of both the HEP and the MP during cardiac interoception. However, they evinced poorer confidence and awareness of their interoceptive skills. CONCLUSIONS: Convergent behavioral and electrophysiological data showed that overactive monitoring in OCD extends to the sensing of internal bodily signals. Moreover, this pattern discriminated OCD from panic patients, suggesting a condition-distinctive alteration. Our results highlight the potential of exploring interoceptive processes in the OCD spectrum to better characterize the population's cognitive profile. Finally, these findings may lay new bridges between somatic theories of emotion and cognitive models of OCD.

Effects of dietary almond- and olive oil-based docosahexaenoic acid- and vitamin E-enriched beverage supplementation on athletic performance and oxidative stress markers.

Functional beverages based on almonds and olive oil and enriched with α-tocopherol and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) could be useful in modulating oxidative stress and enhancing physical performance in sportsmen. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effects of supplementation with functional beverages on physical performance, plasma and erythrocyte fatty acids' and polyphenol handling, oxidative and nitrative damage, and antioxidant and mitochondrial gene expression in young and senior athletes. Athletes performed maximal exercise tests before and after one month of dietary supplementation and blood samples were taken immediately before and one hour after each test. The beverages did not alter performance parameters during maximal exercise. Supplementation increased polyunsaturated and reduced saturated plasma fatty acids while increasing the DHA erythrocyte content; it maintained basal plasma and blood polyphenol levels, but increased the blood cell polyphenol concentration in senior athletes. Supplementation protects against oxidative damage although it enhances nitrative damage in young athletes. The beverages enhance the gene expression of antioxidant enzymes in peripheral blood mononuclear cells after exercise in young athletes.

Effects of dietary Docosahexaenoic, training and acute exercise on lipid mediators.

BACKGROUND: Eicosanoids mediate initiation and resolution of inflammation. Our aim was evaluating the effects of training, exercise and docosahexaenoic (DHA) supplementation on plasma eicosanoids levels and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) eicosanoids production. METHODS: Fifteen male footballers were distributed to placebo and experimental groups. Experimental group consumed DHA-enriched beverage (1.16 g DHA/day) for 8 weeks, placebo group consumed a placebo beverage. Blood samples were taken before and after the nutritional intervention in basal conditions and 2 h after acute exercise. RESULTS: Training increased basal Prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) plasma levels and PBMCs cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) protein levels in both groups, but COX-1 protein levels only in the experimental group. Acute exercise increased plasma PGE2 and PBMCs active NFκß levels. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated PBMCs increases eicosanoids production (PGE1, PGE2, RvD1) in both groups and increased LPS-stimulated PBMCs active NFκß. DHA supplementation increased COX-2 levels but decreased LPS-stimulated PBMCs PGE1 and PGE2 production. Neither DHA supplementation nor acute exercise altered the expression of NFκß, COX-2, 15-LOX2, 5-LOX, or IL-1ß genes in PBMCs. CONCLUSIONS: The increase of PGE1 plasma levels after training promoted systemic anti-inflammatory and vasodilator environment. Exercise and DHA supplementation acted synergistically by increasing plasma PGE2 with anti-inflammatory effects. Exercise primed PBMCs to enhance PGE1, PGE2 and RvD1 production in response to LPS. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The project was registered at ClinicalTrial.gov (NCT02177383).

Early prophylaxis in children with severe haemophilia A: clinical and ultrasound imaging outcomes.

AIM: This observational study was undertaken with the aim to describe the characteristics and evaluate the outcomes of prophylactic treatment in children with severe haemophilia A (HA) treated at our centre. METHODS: Twenty-five patients aged 4-19 years with severe HA, no history of inhibitors and treated with at least two infusions of factor VIII (FVIII) per week were studied. Prophylactic doses and annual joint bleeding rate (AJBR) were retrospectively evaluated over the last 5 years. Current joint status was assessed using the Haemophilia Joint Health Score (HJHS) (136 joints of 23 patients) and the Haemophilia Early Arthropathy Detection with Ultrasound (HEAD-US) procedure (124 joints of 21 patients). RESULTS: Median AJBR was 0.2 and median prophylaxis dose 65.4 IU-1  kg-1  week-1 . Median total HJHS was 0 (range 0-13) and total HEAD-US 1 (0-8). At the joint level, 85.3% of joints were normal on HJHS and 79.0% on US. The ankle was the joint most commonly affected, considering bleeding and ultrasound results. Correlation was found between HEAD-US scores and bleeding scores but not between HEAD-US and HJHS scores. HJHS and HEAD-US scores were concordant in 91/124 (73.4%) joints (86 joints normal and five abnormal). Ultrasound detected minimal changes in 19.6% of joints with normal physical function, whereas 12.2% of joints considered normal on ultrasound showed changes at HJHS. CONCLUSION: A well-preserved joint status was found in our cohort. High-resolution US detected a higher percentage of abnormalities than the physical evaluation, but the clinical implications of these findings still need to be ascertained.

Does the Pulsatile Preservation Machine Have Any Impact in the Discard Rate of Kidneys From Older Donors After Brain Death?

BACKGROUND: Donors after brain death (DBD) older than 60 years have become 46.8% of our current activity, with higher risk of renal discard rate (RDR). Assessment of kidney suitability requires complementary strategies: macroscopic evaluation, kidney biopsy score (KBS), and renal hemodynamic evaluation with the Pulsatile Perfusion Machine (PPM). METHODS: Descriptive, cross-sectional, comparative study of kidneys procured and RDR, comparing 3 time periods: 2000 to June 2004, when only KBS were used; July 2004 to 2008 (introduction of PPM and learning period); and 2009 to 2013 (experienced use of PPM). Transplantation criteria were KBS <3 and PPM renal resistance <0.4 mm Hg/mL/min and arterial renal flow >70 mL/min. RESULTS: Between 2000 and 2013, a 59.2% reduction in DBD kidneys was observed. However, older kidneys had an increase from 33.5% to 46.8%. The RDR had increased, comparing the first to the third period from 25.4% to 38.3%. However, the RDR was lower when kidneys were evaluated with PPM than those evaluated only with KBS and preserved in cold storage (CS) (21.4% versus 43.7%). There was a significant difference in cold ischemia time, because CS kidney was grafted before PPM. During the third period, more kidneys with KBS ≥4 were assigned to PPM. CONCLUSIONS: Notwithstanding the decrease in DBD-procured kidneys and the increase in older kidneys during last period, the use of PPM allowed low DR compared with CS. A bias in the results of PPM could be generated when kidneys with higher KBS were excluded from PPM. The use of KBS only to decide acceptance could preclude the use of an additional tool to evaluate suitability.

Effects of total dietary polyphenols on plasma nitric oxide and blood pressure in a high cardiovascular risk cohort. The PREDIMED randomized trial.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Hypertension is one of the main cardiovascular risk factors in the elderly. The aims of this work were to evaluate if a one-year intervention with two Mediterranean diets (Med-diet) could decrease blood pressure (BP) due to a high polyphenol consumption, and if the decrease in BP was mediated by plasma nitric oxide (NO) production. METHODS AND RESULTS: An intervention substudy of 200 participants at high cardiovascular risk was carried out within the PREDIMED trial. They were randomly assigned to a low-fat control diet or to two Med-diets, one supplemented with extra virgin olive oil (Med-EVOO) and the other with nuts (Med-nuts). Anthropometrics and clinical parameters were measured at baseline and after one year of intervention, as well as BP, plasma NO and total polyphenol excretion (TPE) in urine samples. Systolic and diastolic BP decreased significantly after a one-year dietary intervention with Med-EVOO and Med-nuts. These changes were associated with a significant increase in TPE and plasma NO. Additionally, a significant positive correlation was observed between changes in urinary TPE, a biomarker of TP intake, and in plasma NO (Beta = 4.84; 95% CI: 0.57-9.10). CONCLUSIONS: TPE in spot urine sample was positively correlated with plasma NO in Med-diets supplemented with either EVOO or nuts. The statistically significant increases in plasma NO were associated with a reduction in systolic and diastolic BP levels, adding to the growing evidence that polyphenols might protect the cardiovascular system by improving the endothelial function and enhancing endothelial synthesis of NO.

Docosahexaenoic acid supplementation promotes erythrocyte antioxidant defense and reduces protein nitrosative damage in male athletes.

The aim of this study was to determine the influence of long-term docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) dietary supplementation on the erythrocyte fatty acid profile and oxidative balance in soccer players after training and acute exercise. Fifteen volunteer male athletes (age 20.0 ± 0.5 years) were randomly assigned to a placebo group that consumed an almond-based beverage (n = 6), or to an experimental group that consumed the same beverage enriched with DHA (n = 9) for 8 weeks. Blood samples were taken in resting conditions at the beginning and after 8 weeks of nutritional intervention and training in resting and in post-exercise conditions. Oxidative damage markers (malonyldialdehyde, carbonyl and nitrotyrosine indexes) and the activity and protein level of antioxidant enzymes (catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione reductase and peroxidase) were assessed. The results showed that training increased antioxidant enzyme activities in erythrocytes. The experimental beverage increased DHA from 34.0 ± 3.6 to 43.0 ± 3.6 nmol/10(9) erythrocytes. DHA supplementation increased the catalytic activity of superoxide dismutase from 1.48 ± 0.40 to 10.5 ± 0.35 pkat/10(9) erythrocytes, and brought about a reduction in peroxidative damage induced by training or exercise. In conclusion, dietary supplementation with DHA changed the erythrocyte membrane composition, provided antioxidant defense and reduced protein peroxidative damage in the red blood cells of professional athletes after an 8-week training season and acute exercise.

Docosahexanoic acid diet supplementation attenuates the peripheral mononuclear cell inflammatory response to exercise following LPS activation.

Exercise induces changes in circulating pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines. The aim was to investigate the effect of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) diet supplementation on the plasma cytokine levels and on the peripheral mononuclear (PBMCs) cells cytokine production after a training season or an acute bout of exercise. Fifteen male soccer players were randomly assigned to a placebo or an experimental group. The experimental group consumed an almond-based beverage enriched with DHA, whereas the placebo group consumed the same beverage without DHA. Three blood samples were taken: in basal conditions at the beginning of the nutritional intervention and after eight weeks of training season in basal and post-exercise conditions. The DHA content increased in erythrocytes after 8weeks of training and supplementation. Neither diet supplementation with DHA nor training season altered the basal plasma cytokines and growth factors. Only acute exercise significantly increased plasma IL6 in experimental and placebo groups. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) activation induced the inflammatory response in PBMCs, with a significant production rate of TNFα, IL6 and IL8 mainly after acute exercise. DHA supplementation significantly reduced the rate of TNFα and IL6 production by stimulated PBMCs. Acute exercise increased the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) protein levels in PBMCs, although the increase was only statistically significant in the placebo group. In conclusion, a training season does not induce significant changes in the circulating cytokine profile in well-trained soccer players. Exercise increases the PBMCs cell capabilities to produce cytokines after TLR4 stimulation with LPS and this rate of cytokine production is attenuated by diet DHA supplementation.

Chromosome 16 abnormalities in embryos and in sperm from a male with a fragile site at 16q22.1.

Two fragile sites, FRA16B and FRA16C, are located in the chromosome band 16q22.1. Neither of them is associated with any specific clinical condition. We report the development and outcome of a clinically applied PGD cycle in a couple who had difficulty in achieving pregnancy. The woman was a carrier of a balanced reciprocal translocation, t(11;22)(q23;q11.2), and the man presented high expression of the fragile site 16q22.1 (FRA16B/C) in peripheral blood lymphocytes. Gains and losses of chromosome 16 fragments were detected in sperm and embryos. To our knowledge, this is the first documented case suggesting a link between FRA16B/C and chromosome 16 abnormalities in embryos and sperm from a carrier.

Comparison of the prevalence and distribution of human papillomavirus infection and cervical lesions between urban and native habitants of an Amazonian region of Peru.

We made a study of the prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) and cervix lesions in an Amazonian Bora native population (Bn) and compared it with the prevalence in an urban population in Iquitos (Iq). We also examined the distribution of HPV types among abnormal cervical smears in the Iq population. Swabs and cytologies were collected from 472 females. DNA consensus PCR, followed by direct sequencing, were used to determinate the HPV types in the swabs. Cytologies were classified based on the lesion grade. HPV prevalence was 43.9% in Iq and 35.4% in Bn. Cervix lesion prevalence was 20.0% in Iq and 0.3% in Bn. The frequency of high-risk HPV types among HPV+ females was 71.9% in Iq and 56.3% in Bn. The frequencies of low-risk and undetermined risk HPV types were 19.3/6.3% (Iq/ Bn) and 12.3/37.5% (Iq/Bn), respectively. In lesIq (women seeking cytological services with a previous cervix lesion diagnosis) the prevalence of HPV, was 72.9%. The incidence of carcinoma and high-grade squamous intraepithelial cervix lesions in lesIq were 31.2 and 18.8%, respectively. The Bn population had a lower incidence of high-risk HPV and cervix lesions. The high-risk strain HPV16 was significantly more frequent in Iq compared with Bn. lesIq high-risk HPVs were more frequent in high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions and carcinoma. High-risk HPV16 prevalence was significantly higher than the prevalence of the other high-risk HPVs, especially in the high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions and carcinoma.

Bosentan inhibits cigarette smoke-induced endothelin receptor expression in pulmonary arteries.

The endothelin (ET) system contributes to lung vascular tension and remodelling in smokers and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. This study examined the effect of cigarette smoke (CS) on ET receptor A (ET(A)) and B (ET(B)) expression in human pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (HPASMCs) and human small intrapulmonary arteries, as well as their functional consequences. CS extract (CSE) increased ET(A) and ET(B) expression in HPASMCs and small intrapulmonary arteries, which was attenuated by bosentan, the ET(A) antagonist BQ123 and the ET(B) antagonist BQ788, and by blocking ET-1 with a monoclonal antibody against ET-1, suggesting a feed-forward mechanism mediated by ET-1 release. ET receptor (ETR) antagonism attenuated the CSE-induced HPASMC proliferation. Furthermore, CSE exposure increased the acute ET-1-induced small intrapulmonary artery contraction, which was attenuated by bosentan, BQ123 and BQ788. Pulmonary arteries from smokers and COPD patients showed a higher expression of ET(A) and ET(B) than those of nonsmoker patients. These results show a novel mechanism by which ETR blockade attenuates CS-induced ETR overexpression and, subsequently, small intrapulmonary artery tension. These data may be of potential value to explain therapeutic effects of bosentan in some forms of disproportionate pulmonary hypertension in COPD patients.