Vitamin D in Colombian patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and its correlation with disease activity.

INTRODUCTION: Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) frequently present low levels of vitamin D. However, studies that have evaluated its association with disease activity have generated contradictory results. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out on patients diagnosed with SLE in two hospitals in Manizales, Colombia. Disease activity was evaluated by the SLE disease activity index 2000 (SLEDAI-2K) and serum concentration of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) was measured by chemiluminescence. The correlation analysis was accomplished with the Spearman correlation coefficient. RESULTS: The study included 51 patients. The median SLEDAI-2K score was 8 points. The mean serum level of 25(OH)D was 24.5 ng/ml. Of the participants, 37.3% had vitamin D insufficiency and 35.3% had deficiency. An inverse correlation was found between the levels of the 25(OH)D and the SLEDAI-2K score (r = -0.578, p < 0.001), being greater in late-onset lupus, with absence of polyautoimmunity and in patients using glucocorticoids. CONCLUSIONS: Low levels of vitamin D are frequent in SLE, presenting an inverse correlation with the disease activity. This is influenced by the use of glucocorticoids, the presence of late-onset lupus and the absence of polyautoimmunity.

Bordetellas, más que solo pertussis: Genética, genómica, evolución y nuevos patógenos para la especie humana / Bordetella genus, more than only pertussis: Genetics, genomics, evolution and new human pathógens

La Bordetella pertussis es un reconocido patógeno gram negativo relacionado con enfermedad respiratoria aguda en la especie humana. Cada día hay un mayor reporte de cuadros infecciosos producidos por otras bacterias del género Bordetella. Los modelos teóricos actuales y la evidencia científica en relación con la evolución de las distintas bacterias del género, han abierto nuevas posibilidades de comprensión para descifrar los paradigmas en especiación bacteriana, así como los factores genéticos y genómicos involucrados en tal proceso. El objetivo de este artículo es explorar la genética, la genómica y los hallazgos en filogénesis del género Bordetella y difundir el conocimiento actual en relación con el papel nosológico para la salud humana de los nuevos patógenos del grupo...

Bordetella pertussis is a well known Gram-negative organism that causes acute respiratory disease in humans. There is a trend of an increase in reported cases of infections caused by other bacteria of the Bordetella genus. Current theoretical models and scientific evidence related to the evolution of the various species of this genus have open new possibilities of understanding to solve the paradigms of bacterial speciation, as well as, the genetic and genomic factors involved in such process. The main objective of this article is to explore Bordetella genus genetics, genomics and phylogenetic findings and extend current knowledge on the role of the new strains of this group as human pathogens...

Mecanismos de modulación de la respuesta inmune por Chlamydia trachomatis asociados a infertilidad / Immune response modulation mechanisms induced by Chlamydia trachomatis associated with infertility

Introducción: la infertilidad, problema clínico y social que afecta del 13 al 15% de las parejas en el mundo, es causada, entre otros, por la enfermedad pélvica inflamatoria ocasionada por varios agentes infecciosos entre los cuales se destaca la Chlamydia trachomatis. Este agente infeccioso posee mecanismos moleculares con los cuales modula la respuesta inmune del huésped y produce cambios en la célula infectada para permitir su supervivencia, ocasionando que la respuesta del sistema inmunológico se establezca en forma crónica, con la consecuente inflamación permanente y con ello secuelas como cicatrices y obstrucción de la trompa de Falopio. El objetivo de esta revisión es ofrecer una actualización de conocimiento en inmunobiología de la infección por Chlamydia trachomatis y su relación con la infertilidad.Materiales y métodos: se realizó una revisión de la literatura en diferentes bases de datos: PubMed/ Medline, Science Direct, Ovid, desde enero del año 1995 a enero del 2012, incluyendo artículos de revisión y estudios clínicos.Resultados: en la actualidad se sostiene que la inmunomodulación que caracteriza la infección por Chlamydia trachomatis, los mediadores inflamatorios implicados en la respuesta inmune, y la posible aunque poco estudiada susceptibilidad genética del huésped, se relacionan estrechamente con la génesis de la infertilidad por factor tubárico.Conclusión: la infertilidad causada por Chlamydia trachomatis tiene su origen en la respuesta inmunológica del huésped y en la modulación por parte de este agente infeccioso, lo que lleva a inflamación crónica, cicatrización y obstrucción de la trompa de Falopio.

Introduction: Infertility is a clinical and social problem affecting 13% to 15% of couples around the world. One of its causes is the pelvic inflammatory disease, induced by several infectious agents, Chlamydia trachomatis standing out amongst them. This infectious agent has molecular mechanisms modulating the host immune response and producing changes in the infected cell to allow it to survive, casing a chronic immunological system response, with consequent permanent inflammation and sequelae such as cicatrices and obstruction of the fallopian tubes. This review was aimed at updating knowledge regarding the immune-biology of infection caused by Chlamydia trachomatis and its relationship with infertility. Materials and methods: A literature review was made using PubMed/MEDLINE, Science Direct and Ovid databases from January 1995 to January 2012, including review articles and clinical studies. Results: It is currently held that immunomodulation characterizing infection caused by Chlamydia trachomatis, the inflammatory mediators implicated in the immune response and possible (though little studied) host genetic susceptibility are closely related to the genesis of tubal infertility.Conclusion: Infertility caused by Chlamydia trachomatis has its origin in a host’s immunological response and this infections agent’s modulation leading to chronic inflammation, healing and obstruction of the fallopian tubes.

Determination of Cry toxin activity and identification of an aminopeptidase N receptor-like gene in Asymmathetes vulcanorum (Coleoptera: Curculionidae).

An emergent pest is the weevil Asymmathetes vulcanorum, an insect that attacks Colombian potato areas. Here, some Cry proteins from the entomopathogenic bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis were evaluated as biological control strategy. It was found that Cry1B protoxin caused a mortality of 40% with a dose of 8000 ng/cm(2). Also in this research, it was identified a full length cDNA of an aminopeptidase N, a possible Cry protein receptor located in the insect midgut. This is the first report about B. thuringiensis as an alternative method for control of A. vulcanorum in Colombia.

Activity of Bacillus thuringiensis hybrid protein against a lepidopteran and a coleopteran pest.

The use of Cry proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis are an important strategy for biological control. Recently it has been demonstrated that Cry hybrid proteins (by domain swapping) resulted in improved toxicities in comparison with parental proteins. Here, an SN1917 hybrid toxin was constructed and tested against Colombian pest insects Tecia solanivora (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), a severe potato pest, and Hypothenemus hampei (Coleoptera: Scolytidae), which attacks coffee crops. The SN1917 protoxin had a concentration causing 50% mortality (LC(50)) of 392 ng cm(-2), and SN1917 toxin showed an LC(50) of 201 ng cm(-2) against T. solanivora first instar larvae. The two parental toxins (Cry1B and Cry1I) used to make this new hybrid protein caused a mortality of 60% and 52%, respectively. Unfortunately, H. hampei first instar larvae proved to be resistant to the toxin. We conclude that SN1917 is an option for biological control and resistance management of T. solanivora. Implications for H. hampei are discussed.

Genetic variability of Spodoptera frugiperda Smith (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) populations from Latin America is associated with variations in susceptibility to Bacillus thuringiensis cry toxins.

Bacillus thuringiensis strains isolated from Latin American soil samples that showed toxicity against three Spodoptera frugiperda populations from different geographical areas (Mexico, Colombia, and Brazil) were characterized on the basis of their insecticidal activity, crystal morphology, sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of parasporal crystals, plasmid profiles, and cry gene content. We found that the different S. frugiperda populations display different susceptibilities to the selected B. thuringiensis strains and also to pure preparations of Cry1B, Cry1C, and Cry1D toxins. Binding assays performed with pure toxin demonstrated that the differences in the toxin binding capacities of these insect populations correlated with the observed differences in susceptibility to the three Cry toxins analyzed. Finally, the genetic variability of the three insect populations was analyzed by random amplification of polymorphic DNA-PCR, which showed significant genetic diversity among the three S. frugiperda populations analyzed. The data presented here show that the genetic variability of S. frugiperda populations should be carefully considered in the development of insect pest control strategies, including the deployment of genetically modified maize in different geographical regions.

Bacillus thuringiensis delta-endotoxin Cry1Ac domain III enhances activity against Heliothis virescens in some, but not all Cry1-Cry1Ac hybrids.

We investigated the role of domain III of Bacillus thuringiensis delta-endotoxin Cry1Ac in determining toxicity against Heliothis virescens. Hybrid toxins, containing domain III of Cry1Ac with domains I and II of Cry1Ba, Cry1Ca, Cry1Da, Cry1Ea, and Cry1Fb, respectively, were created. In this way Cry1Ca, Cry1Fb, and to a lesser extent Cry1Ba were made considerably more toxic.

Nefropatía lúpica. Correlación clínico-patológica y respuesta al tratamiento con pulsos de ciclofosfamida

Con el objeto de conocer el comportamiento clínico de los diferentes tipos de glomerulopatía lúpica en nuestro medio se hizo un análisis retrospectivo de las historias clínicas de 64 pacientes con diagnóstico clínico e histológico seguidos en el servicio de reumatología del HUSVP de Medellin. Para evaluar la experiencia local con el uso de CFM en la forma de pulsos se seleccionaron 20 pacientes con un mínimo de nueve pulsos y se hizo análisis de los parámetros de función renal, antes de la terapia y al final del período de seguimiento; se hizo además un diseño retrospectivo de casos y controles en el cual estos pacientes fueron comparados con 20 pacientes seguidos antes de 1986 (sin pulsos de CFM). Los resultados muestran predominio de las formas proliferativas (63.1 por ciento) con un comportamiento agresivo. En el grupo tratado con pulsos de CFM, hubo mejoría a estabilización de las pruebas de función renal. Se observó una disminución de la incidencia de IRCT (30 por ciento vs 5 por ciento) y retardo en su presentación.