Emotional memory bias in binge drinking women.

BACKGROUND: Heightened emotionality and overrepresentation of memories are typical features of adolescence. Binge drinking (BD) during emerging adulthood has been linked to cognitive difficulties such as deficits in episodic memory. Despite that impairments in emotional functioning have been associated with the development of alcohol use disorders, particularly in females, the emotional sphere has been relatively unexplored in BDs. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine the effects of BD in emotional episodic memory from a gender perspective. METHODS: One hundred and eighty (96 females) university students were followed during two years (18-20 years old) and their alcohol use was recorded. In the last assessment, participants completed an emotional list-learning task. Generalized linear mixed models were applied separately for males and females, in accordance with sex differences in the development of emotion circuitry. RESULTS: In females, BD was associated with an emotional memory bias in favour of negative information and lower recall of positive and neutral words. In addition, females BDs showed more false alarms for negative distractors. Whereas in males, no alcohol-related effects were found. CONCLUSIONS: Female BDs present a negative memory bias, poor learning and delayed episodic recall linked to the interference of negative content, which suggests difficulties in disengaging attention to salient negative stimuli and a reduction of inhibitory capacities. This might result in greater vulnerability to alcohol-related emotional disturbances among women. Further research is needed to understand the role of emotional regulation in the escalation of alcohol abuse from a gender perspective.

The Galician Beverage Picture Set (GBPS): A standardized database of alcohol and non-alcohol images.

BACKGROUND: The available picture sets in alcohol research are scarce and display a number of limitations, including poor picture quality, limited number of stimuli and absence of non-alcohol and/or real-life images. In the present study, we developed the Galician Beverage Picture Set (GBPS), a database of high-quality alcohol and non-alcohol pictures embedded in real-life scenarios. METHODS: A total of 201 college students (∼59% females) were assessed by the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, ∼54% being characterized as no/low drinkers (N/LDs) and ∼46% as risky drinkers (RDs). The GBPS included six types of beverages: beer, wine, liquor (alcoholic drinks); water, juice, milk (non-alcoholic drinks). Additionally, two subcategories were considered: orientation (landscape, portrait) and number of people (0, 1, ≥2 people). Participants rated the images for valence, arousal and visual complexity. Objective measures of brightness and color and recognition rates were also assessed. Internal consistency was estimated using Cronbach's alpha coefficient. RESULTS: There was a high degree of internal consistency within each category (alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks) for valence, arousal and visual complexity scores. A mixed-model ANOVA revealed that RDs rated alcohol pictures as more pleasant and arousing than N/LDs. Conversely, N/LDs displayed greater valence and arousal ratings than RDs for non-alcohol pictures. CONCLUSIONS: The GBPS provides normative data on affective (valence/arousal), perceptual (visual complexity) and physical (brightness/color) values for a large number of images that may be useful for alcohol-related research. Differences in subjective assessments between N/LDs and RDs support the picture set's suitability for studies in young drinkers.

Working memory over a six-year period in young binge drinkers.

Adolescence and early adulthood are periods of particular vulnerability to the neurotoxic effects of alcohol. Young people with alcohol-use disorders display deficits in working memory (WM). This function is supported by the prefrontal cortex, a late-maturing brain region. However, little is known about the progression of cognitive dysfunctions associated with a binge-drinking (BD) pattern of alcohol consumption among non-clinical adolescents. The objective of this study was to analyze the relationship between BD trajectory and WM in university students. An initial sample of 155 male and female first-year university students was followed prospectively over 6 years. The participants were classified as stable non-BDs, stable BDs, and ex-BDs, according to the third item of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). WM was assessed using the Self-Ordered Pointing Task. Generalized linear mixed models were applied. The results showed that stable BDs committed more total perseverative errors and showed a lower WM span in the difficult blocks than stable non-BDs. Difficulties in WM span showed some improvement, whereas perseveration errors remained constant throughout the follow-ups in the stable BDs. There were no significant differences between ex-BDs and non-BDs. In conclusion, stable BD is associated with WM deficits, particularly perseverations and low WM span in demanding trials, when compensatory mechanisms may no longer be successful. The partial improvement in WM span may support the notion of a neuromaturational delay, whereas the temporal stability of perseveration deficits may reflect either neurotoxic effects of alcohol or premorbid characteristics. Abandoning the BD pattern of alcohol consumption may lead to partial recovery.

[Soluble transferrin receptor and erythropoietin in chronic disease anemia with or without iron deficiency]. / Receptor soluble de transferrina y eritropoyetina en la anemia de los procesos crónicos con y sin deficiencia de hierro.

The regulation of transferrin receptor (RTF) is related to intracellular iron stores and with the soluble receptor is present in plasma. It has already been demonstrated that in iron deficiency anemia (IDA), receptor expression increases when iron stores decrease. In anemia of chronic diseases (ACD) it is difficult to establish the real iron status because of the influence exerted by inflammatory or infectious diseases on iron metabolism. We studied 30 healthy normal subjects and 42 anemic patients (hemoglobin less than 120 g/L) affected with ACD divided into two groups with and without iron deficiency, in order to establish the diagnostic value of measuring the soluble transferrin receptor (sRTF). We correlated erythropoietin (EPO) (as an erythropoietic stimulating factor) with the decreased hemoglobin values observed in both groups. The results were analysed with an ANOVA statistic test of one way analysis of variance, and there were no significant differences in sRTF values between the ACD groups with or without iron deficiency. The ratio log EPO vs hemoglobin showed a remarkably significant inverse correlation in both groups. We can conclude that sRTF levels are within the normal reference values in these patients and are not related to organic iron. Consequently, sRTF cannot be considered a good parameter for making a diagnosis of iron deficiency in chronic diseases.

Receptor soluble de transferrina y eritropoyetina en la anemia de los procesos crónicos con y sin deficiencia de hierro. / [Soluble transferrin receptor and erythropoietin in chronic disease anemia with or without iron deficiency]

The regulation of transferrin receptor (RTF) is related to intracellular iron stores and with the soluble receptor is present in plasma. It has already been demonstrated that in iron deficiency anemia (IDA), receptor expression increases when iron stores decrease. In anemia of chronic diseases (ACD) it is difficult to establish the real iron status because of the influence exerted by inflammatory or infectious diseases on iron metabolism. We studied 30 healthy normal subjects and 42 anemic patients (hemoglobin less than 120 g/L) affected with ACD divided into two groups with and without iron deficiency, in order to establish the diagnostic value of measuring the soluble transferrin receptor (sRTF). We correlated erythropoietin (EPO) (as an erythropoietic stimulating factor) with the decreased hemoglobin values observed in both groups. The results were analysed with an ANOVA statistic test of one way analysis of variance, and there were no significant differences in sRTF values between the ACD groups with or without iron deficiency. The ratio log EPO vs hemoglobin showed a remarkably significant inverse correlation in both groups. We can conclude that sRTF levels are within the normal reference values in these patients and are not related to organic iron. Consequently, sRTF cannot be considered a good parameter for making a diagnosis of iron deficiency in chronic diseases.

[Immunocytochemistry techniques for the diagnosis of hematologic neoplasms]. / Aplicación de técnicas inmunocitoquímicas para el diagnóstico de neoplasias hematólogicas.

We studied 22 patients with hematological neoplasias which included: 12 patients with a diagnosis of Acute Myeloblastic Leukemia (AML) following the morphology and cytochemistry criteria established by FAB (French, American and British Committee), a Myeloblastic Leukemia secondary to MDS (Myelodysplastic Syndromes) and a biphenotypic acute leukemia where we established the relationship between the traditional peroxidase reaction with the anti-MPO by APAAP. We also carried out the nonspecific esterase reaction and determined the immunologic phenotype by FACS technology. The same procedure was used for the cellular analysis of the light chains kappa (kappa) and lambda (lambda) in 3 cases of hairy cell leukemia, one lymphoma and 4 cases of plasma cell neoplasia and reactive plasma cell disease. We conclude that immunocytochemical reactions must be used when morphology and traditional cytochemical reactions need to be confirmed in order to establish a correct diagnosis and this is specially important for B and T lymphomas. Their prognostic value is restricted and the results are useful as a complement to morphology, cytochemistry and immunological determinations.

[Red cell distribution width (RDW): its use in the characterization of microcytic and hypochromic anemias]. / Indice de distribución de glóbulos rojos (RDW): su aplicación en la caracterización de anemias microcíticas e hipocrómicas.

With the widespread use of cell counters we have now acquired new red cell indices complementary of the old ones, like the HDW and RDW (Red Cell Distribution Width) which detect the heterogeneity of red cell size and anisocytosis in the blood smear. We studied 90 patients with the following results. 1) in the control group of healthy volunteers (n = 50) RDW results were (mean +/- ES) 13.90 +/- 0.10% and MCV (mean +/- ES) 90 +/- 5 fl; 2) the iron deficiency patients (IDA) (n = 20) gave a MCV of (mean +/- ES) 68.60 +/- 1.77 fl., and RDW (mean +/- ES) 20.20 +/- 1.21%; 3) the beta-thalassemic patients (n = 20) had an MCV of (mean +/- ES) 66.45 +/- 1.95 fl, and RDW (mean +/- ES) 17.08 +/- 0.40%. We compared the results of MCV between IDA and thalassemics and against the control group with the following results: control vs IDA and control vs thalassemic with significant differences with p < 0.01, and no significant difference when we compared IDA vs thalassemics. Then we compared the results of RDW between IDA and thalassemics and against the control group with the following results: control vs IDA and control vs thalassemic with significant differences with p < 0.001 and with significant differences when we compared IDA vs thalassemics p < 0.001. The statistical results were obtained with the one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The results show that RDW is a more sensitive indicator than MCV to establish the possible origin of microcytic hypochromic anemias and that both should be used together in early diagnosis.

Aplicación de técnicas inmunocitoquímicas para el diagnóstico de neoplasias hematólogicas. / [Immunocytochemistry techniques for the diagnosis of hematologic neoplasms]

We studied 22 patients with hematological neoplasias which included: 12 patients with a diagnosis of Acute Myeloblastic Leukemia (AML) following the morphology and cytochemistry criteria established by FAB (French, American and British Committee), a Myeloblastic Leukemia secondary to MDS (Myelodysplastic Syndromes) and a biphenotypic acute leukemia where we established the relationship between the traditional peroxidase reaction with the anti-MPO by APAAP. We also carried out the nonspecific esterase reaction and determined the immunologic phenotype by FACS technology. The same procedure was used for the cellular analysis of the light chains kappa (kappa) and lambda (lambda) in 3 cases of hairy cell leukemia, one lymphoma and 4 cases of plasma cell neoplasia and reactive plasma cell disease. We conclude that immunocytochemical reactions must be used when morphology and traditional cytochemical reactions need to be confirmed in order to establish a correct diagnosis and this is specially important for B and T lymphomas. Their prognostic value is restricted and the results are useful as a complement to morphology, cytochemistry and immunological determinations.

Indice de distribución de glóbulos rojos (RDW): su aplicación en la caracterización de anemias microcíticas e hipocrómicas. / [Red cell distribution width (RDW): its use in the characterization of microcytic and hypochromic anemias]

With the widespread use of cell counters we have now acquired new red cell indices complementary of the old ones, like the HDW and RDW (Red Cell Distribution Width) which detect the heterogeneity of red cell size and anisocytosis in the blood smear. We studied 90 patients with the following results. 1) in the control group of healthy volunteers (n = 50) RDW results were (mean +/- ES) 13.90 +/- 0.10

and MCV (mean +/- ES) 90 +/- 5 fl; 2) the iron deficiency patients (IDA) (n = 20) gave a MCV of (mean +/- ES) 68.60 +/- 1.77 fl., and RDW (mean +/- ES) 20.20 +/- 1.21

; 3) the beta-thalassemic patients (n = 20) had an MCV of (mean +/- ES) 66.45 +/- 1.95 fl, and RDW (mean +/- ES) 17.08 +/- 0.40

. We compared the results of MCV between IDA and thalassemics and against the control group with the following results: control vs IDA and control vs thalassemic with significant differences with p < 0.01, and no significant difference when we compared IDA vs thalassemics. Then we compared the results of RDW between IDA and thalassemics and against the control group with the following results: control vs IDA and control vs thalassemic with significant differences with p < 0.001 and with significant differences when we compared IDA vs thalassemics p < 0.001. The statistical results were obtained with the one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The results show that RDW is a more sensitive indicator than MCV to establish the possible origin of microcytic hypochromic anemias and that both should be used together in early diagnosis.

Ferritina eritrocitaria: medición y aplicación diagnóstica / Red cell ferritin: measurement and diagnostic applications

El objeto de este estudio fue determinar la ferritina eritrocitaria (FER) por enzimoinmunoensayo como una medida directa de los depósitos de hierro intracelular presente en los eritroblastos de la médula ósea. Su uso está indicado en diferencias o en sobrecargas de hierro. Se estudiaron 40 pacientes divididos en tres grupos: 1) un grupo control (n = 16) donde se obtuvieron los siguientes valores de FER: (X ñ ES) = 24 ñ 2,5 ag/cel; 2) un grupo de pacientes ferropénicos (n = 13) con resultados de FER: (X ñ ES) = 5 ñ 0,31 ag/cel y 3) pacientes ß-talasémicos: (n = 11) donde la FER fue de (X ñ ES) = 118 ñ 11,6 ag/cel. Los resultados obtenidos mediante el test de análisis de la varianza de una vía (ANOVA) mostraron una diferencia estadísticamente significativa en los dos grupos estudiados, con respecto al grupo control. La medida de FER presenta la ventaja de ser una determinación cuantitativa que puede ser realizada en sangre periférica y no se modifica en aquellos casos en los cuales la presencia de procesos inflamatorios, infecciosos o neoplásicos, falsean los resultados de la ferritina sérica (Fs), que pueden mostrar valores altos no relacionados con la cantidad de hierro de depósito. Se concluye que a pesar de su especificidad y sus ventajas diagnósticas, el valor de la FER tiene una aplicación limitada, dad en parte por la preparación de la muestra y la complejidad del método usado para medirla

Ferritina eritrocitaria: medición y aplicación diagnóstica / Red cell ferritin: measurement and diagnostic applications

El objeto de este estudio fue determinar la ferritina eritrocitaria (FER) por enzimoinmunoensayo como una medida directa de los depósitos de hierro intracelular presente en los eritroblastos de la médula ósea. Su uso está indicado en diferencias o en sobrecargas de hierro. Se estudiaron 40 pacientes divididos en tres grupos: 1) un grupo control (n = 16) donde se obtuvieron los siguientes valores de FER: (X ñ ES) = 24 ñ 2,5 ag/cel; 2) un grupo de pacientes ferropénicos (n = 13) con resultados de FER: (X ñ ES) = 5 ñ 0,31 ag/cel y 3) pacientes ß-talasémicos: (n = 11) donde la FER fue de (X ñ ES) = 118 ñ 11,6 ag/cel. Los resultados obtenidos mediante el test de análisis de la varianza de una vía (ANOVA) mostraron una diferencia estadísticamente significativa en los dos grupos estudiados, con respecto al grupo control. La medida de FER presenta la ventaja de ser una determinación cuantitativa que puede ser realizada en sangre periférica y no se modifica en aquellos casos en los cuales la presencia de procesos inflamatorios, infecciosos o neoplásicos, falsean los resultados de la ferritina sérica (Fs), que pueden mostrar valores altos no relacionados con la cantidad de hierro de depósito. Se concluye que a pesar de su especificidad y sus ventajas diagnósticas, el valor de la FER tiene una aplicación limitada, dad en parte por la preparación de la muestra y la complejidad del método usado para medirla (AU)

[Vitamin E as protective agent against hemolysis in leprosy patients under dapsone treatment]. / Vitamina E como agente protector de hemólisis en pacientes de lepra tratados con dapsona.

Dapsone (4,4'diaminodiphenyl-sulphone) commonly used in the treatment of patients who suffer from leprosy, is a strongly oxidative drug, producing damage to the red cell membrane. This study investigated whether Vitamin E would have a protective effect on the red cell membrane from oxidant damage caused by Dapsone in patients with leprosy. We have studied 16 patients for 4 months, divided into two groups. Group 1 (n = 7) dapsone (DDS): 100 mg/day; Group 2 (n = 9) dapsone: 100 mg/day in addition with Vitamin E: 800 U/day. We did not include patients with low levels of Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase (G-6-PD) because of their sensibility to this drug. At the beginning of the treatment we determined the level of G-6-PD. All patients showed a normocytic normochromic anemia with a decrease in Haptoglobine levels (below 5 mg/dl). Statistical analyses showed that reticulocyte counts did not present significant differences between groups all through evolution. As for methemoglobin (Hi) we observed in Group 1 an increase between the first and the fourth month, which was not seen in group 2. Statistical analyses of the results suggest that oral Vitamin E confers partial protective effect and does not correct the hemolysis parameters produced by Dapsone treatment except for Hi levels which were more sensitive to the oxidant damage.