Lipidomics signature in post-COVID patient sera and its influence on the prolonged inflammatory response.

BACKGROUND: The ongoing issues with post-COVID conditions (PCC), where symptoms persist long after the initial infection, highlight the need for research into blood lipid changes in these patients. While most studies focus on the acute phase of COVID-19, there's a significant lack of information on the lipidomic changes that occur in the later stages of the disease. Addressing this knowledge gap is critical for understanding the long-term effects of COVID-19 and could be key to developing personalized treatments for those suffering from PCC. METHODS: We employed untargeted lipidomics to analyze plasma samples from 147 PCC patients, assessing nearly 400 polar lipids. Data mining (DM) and machine learning (ML) tools were utilized to decode the results and ascertain significant lipidomic patterns. RESULTS: The study uncovered substantial changes in various lipid subclasses, presenting a detailed profile of the polar lipid fraction in PCC patients. These alterations correlated with ongoing inflammation and immune response. Notably, there were elevated levels of lysophosphatidylglycerols (LPGs) and phosphatidylethanolamines (PEs), and reduced levels of lysophosphatidylcholines (LPCs), suggesting these as potential lipid biomarkers for PCC. The lipidomic signatures indicated specific anionic lipid changes, implicating antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) in inflammation. Associations between particular medications and symptoms were also suggested. Classification models, such as multinomial regression (MR) and random forest (RF), successfully differentiated between symptomatic and asymptomatic PCC groups using lipidomic profiles. CONCLUSIONS: The study's groundbreaking discovery of specific lipidomic disruptions in PCC patients marks a significant stride in the quest to comprehend and combat this condition. The identified lipid biomarkers not only pave the way for novel diagnostic tools but also hold the promise to tailor individualized therapeutic strategies, potentially revolutionizing the clinical approach to managing PCC and improving patient care.

Prevalence of liver disease in patients with Streptococcus bovis bacteraemia.

BACKGROUND: The relationship between Streptococcus bovis bacteraemia and gastrointestinal disease (mainly colon cancer) is well known. Patients with advanced liver disease are prone to bacteraemia. Less attention has been paid to the association between liver disease and Streptococcus bovis bacteraemia in the literature. AIMS: To evaluate the prevalence of liver disease in patients with S. bovis bacteraemia. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty-two episodes of S. bovis bacteraemia in 20 adults (13 males and seven females, with a median age of 61 years, range 32-94 years) were detected in a single hospital over a 7-year period. Ten of them had endocarditis. Patients' clinical records were reviewed, with special focus on underlying liver and gastrointestinal disease. RESULTS: Eleven patients (55%) had a chronic liver disease. Nine of them were cirrhotics. Ten patients had a history of chronic alcohol abuse, and four patients had hepatitis C virus antibodies (associated with alcohol abuse in three cases). Large bowel disease was present in six out of 13 evaluable patients (adenocarcinoma in three cases). Patients with liver disease were younger than patients without it. Mortality related to S. bovis bacteraemia was particularly high among patients with advanced liver disease (Child-Pugh state C). Bacteraemia recurred two times in one alcoholic cirrhotic, who was diagnosed as having a Dukes-B colon cancer 4.5 years after the first episode of S. bovis bacteraemia. CONCLUSIONS: In our area, S. bovis bacteraemia is frequently associated with chronic liver disease. Liver disease may be a predisposing factor for S. bovis bacteraemia.

[Upper digestive tract findings in elderly patients with iron-deficiency anemia. A comparison between users and non-users of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs]. / Patología digestiva alta en pacientes de edad avanzada con anemia ferropénica: comparación entre usuarios y no usuarios de anti-inflamatorios no esteroideos.

BACKGROUND: Iron-deficiency anemia is common in the elderly. Chronic upper gastrointestinal bleeding is its most frequent cause. The use of non-steroidal antinflammatory drugs (NSAID) is common in older people. Gastrointestinal complications of NSAID may be also more frequent among the elderly. AIMS: The study was aimed to evaluate if a history of regular NSAID use in elderly patients with iron-deficiency anemia is associated to characteristic findings on esophagogastroduodenoscopy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 91 patients (40% of males and 60% females) older than 65 years (mean age 77 years, range 65-90 years) entered the study. All of them had been admitted to our Hospital for study of iron-deficiency anemia. Thirty-eight patients were regular users of NSAID. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy was performed in all patients. RESULTS: The prevalences of peptic ulcer, erosive gastritis/duodenitis, and esophagitis were similar in NSAID users and non-users (13 vs 11%, 18 vs 15%, and 26 vs 26%, respectively). A trend to a higher prevalence of gastric adenocarcinoma was observed the group of NSAID non-users (8% vs 23%, p = 0.05). Esophagogastroduodenoscopy was entirely normal in 39% of NSAID users and 34% of NSAID non-users. CONCLUSIONS: Upper gastrointestinal lesions in elderly patients with iron-deficiency anemia are similar in NSAID users and non-users, with the exception of gastric adenocarcinoma which can be more common in NSAID non-users.

[Late-onset Wilsons disease]. / Enfermedad de Wilson de manifestación tardía.

A 58-year old male with a past history of psychiatric disorders was studied for a persistent serum transaminase increase. Low serum ceruloplasmin level (lower than 3 mg/dL), increased urinary copper excretion, and increased liver tissue copper concentration (1050 mcg/g dry weight) confirmed the diagnosis of Wilsons disease. Slit lamp examination did not show Kayser-Fleischer rings. D-penicilamin therapy was followed by serum transaminase normalization. Similar late-onset cases of Wilsons disease are exceptional, but confirm the clinical heterogeneity of the disease.

Increased serum IgE in alcoholics: relationship with Th1/Th2 cytokine production by stimulated blood mononuclear cells.

BACKGROUND: Increased serum immunoglobulin (Ig) E values are frequently found in alcoholics. Cytokines produced by T-helper-2 (Th2) lymphocytes are required for IgE synthesis. Chronic alcoholism is associated with altered cytokine balance. This study analyzed the relationship between Th1 and Th2 cytokine production by stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and serum IgE levels, both in atopic and nonatopic alcoholics. METHODS: Twenty-five patients admitted to the hospital with alcohol withdrawal syndrome were included in the study. Five were classified as atopic and 20 as nonatopic by means of skin-prick tests. Interleukin-4 (IL-4), IL-10, IL-12, IL-13, and interferon gamma were measured in the supernatants of 48-hr cultures of PBMCs stimulated with phytohemagglutinin. Total serum IgE was measured by chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay. Results were compared with those of 15 healthy controls (seven atopics and eight nonatopics). RESULTS: Total serum IgE concentrations were higher in alcoholics than in controls, in both atopic and nonatopic subjects. The ratio of IL-4 to interferon gamma production by phytohemagglutinin-stimulated PBMCs (as an approach to Th2/Th1 balance) was significantly lower in alcoholics than in healthy controls, both in the atopic and in the nonatopic group. No difference was observed regarding IL-10, IL-12, and IL-13 production between alcoholics and controls. No correlation was demonstrated between cytokine production and total serum IgE levels in any group. CONCLUSIONS: Increased total serum IgE is observed in alcoholics together with a paradoxically low ratio of Th2 to Th1 cytokine production by phytohemagglutinin-stimulated PBMCs. These findings are independent of the atopic status of patients.

Influence of alcohol consumption on serum immunoglobulin E levels in atopic and nonatopic adults.

BACKGROUND: Total and specific serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) are routinely used as diagnostic tools in allergy clinics. Several studies have demonstrated an increase of total serum IgE concentrations in alcoholics, but the possible influence of lower quantities of ethanol intake on serum IgE values has not been fully evaluated. This study was aimed at analyzing the influence of alcohol intake on both total and specific serum IgE concentrations in patients studied in an allergy clinic. METHODS: A total of 460 patients were included in the study. According to skin-prick tests to common aeroallergens, 325 were classified as atopics and 135 as nonatopics. Most atopic patients (253; 78%) were allergic to mites. Alcohol consumption was recorded as the number of standard (10-g) drinking units regularly consumed per week. Two hundred subjects (43%) were abstainers, and 260 (57%) were regular consumers of a median of 30 g of alcohol per week. Total serum IgE was measured in all patients by latex-enhanced nephelometry. Serum-specific IgE was assayed by fluoroenzymeimmunoassay. RESULTS: Total serum IgE increased along with ethanol consumption. On multivariate analysis, regular alcohol consumption greater than 70 g per week was associated with increased total serum IgE levels, even when adjusting for age, sex, atopy, and smoking. Among house-dust mite-allergic patients, specific serum IgE values against the house dust mite Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus were higher in regular alcohol consumers than in abstainers. This difference was not observed among patients allergic to grass pollen (Lolium perenne). CONCLUSIONS: Alcohol consumption, even in moderate quantities, is associated with increased total and specific IgE concentrations in subjects studied in an allergy clinic. Alcohol intake should be taken into account in epidemiological studies of total serum IgE levels.

Influence of acute alcohol intake and alcohol withdrawal on circulating levels of IL-6, IL-8, IL-10 and IL-12.

Cytokine balance alterations are responsible for some of the systemic and hepatic manifestations of alcoholism. The present study was aimed to evaluate the influence of both acute alcohol abstinence (in alcoholics) and acute alcohol intake (in healthy subjects) on serum IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and IL-12 levels. Serum cytokine concentrations were determined on admission and after a median of 6 days of ethanol abstinence in 29 patients with alcohol withdrawal syndrome. The same determinations were made in five healthy volunteers at baseline and after 36 h of a single 60 g-dose alcohol intake. Increased serum levels of IL-6, IL-10 and, to a lesser extent IL-8, declined in the few days after alcohol abstinence in patients with alcohol withdrawal syndrome. Serum IL-8 values increased after alcohol intake in healthy subjects. Rapid variation of serum cytokine levels along with alcohol intake or abstinence should be taken into account in cytokine studies in alcohol abusers.

Patología digestiva alta en pacientes de edad avanzada con anemia ferropénica: comparación entre usuarios y no usuarios de anti-inflamatorios no esteroideos / Upper digestive tract findings in elderly patients with iron-deficiency anemia. a comparison between users and non-users of non-steroidal anti-inflamma tory drugs

Antecedentes: La anemia ferropénica es frecuente en el anciano, y su causa más frecuente es el sangrado gastrointestinal crónico. En los ancianos es muy común el uso de anti-inflamatorios no esteroideos (AINEs). Las complicaciones gastrointestinales del uso de AINES son más frecuentes en los sujetos de edad avanzada. Objetivos: El estudio fue dirigido a analizar si el uso habitual de AINEs en pacientes ancianos con anemia ferropénica se asocia a mayor prevalencia de determinadas lesiones en la endoscopia digestiva alta.Materiales y métodos: Se incluyeron 91 pacientes (40 por ciento varones y 60 por ciento mujeres) mayores de 65 años (edad media 77 años, rango 65-90 años). Todos habían sido ingresados en el hospital por anemia ferropénica. Un total de 38 pacientes eran usuarios habituales de AINES. Se realizó endoscopia digestiva alta en todos los casos.Resultados: Las prevalencias de úlcera péptica, gastritis o duodenitis erosiva y esofagitis fueron similares en usuarios y no usuarios de AINEs (13 vs 11 por ciento, 18 vs 15 por ciento, y 26 vs 26 por ciento, respectivamente). La proporción de pacientes con adenocarcinoma gástrico fue mayor en el grupo de no usuarios de AINEs (8 por ciento vs 23 por ciento, p=0.05). La endoscopia digestiva alta fue enteramente normal en 39 por ciento de los usuarios de AINEs y en el 34 por ciento de los no usuarios.Conclusiones: Las lesiones en el tramo alto del aparato digestivo en pacientes de edad avanzada con anemia ferropénica son similares en usuarios y no usuarios de AINEa, con la excepción del adenocarcinoma gástrico, que puede ser más común en los no usuarios de AINEs. (AU)

Enfermedad de Wilson de manifestación tardía / Late-onset Wilson's disease

Un varón de 58 años con antecedente de trastornos psiquiátricos fue estudiado por elevación persistente de transaminasas. Se estableció el diagnóstico de enfermedad de Wilson en base a una ceruloplasmina sérica baja (menor de 3 mg/dL), una excreción urinaria de cobre aumentada y una concentración hepática de cobre aumentada (1050 mcg por gramo de tejido seco). No se observó anillo de Kayser-Fleischer en el estudio con lámpara de hendidura. Fue tratado con D-penicilamina, con normalización progresiva de las transaminasas. Los casos similares de enfermedad de Wilson de manifestación tardía son excepcionales, pero confirman la heterogeneidad clínica de la enfermedad. (AU)