Humpback whale calls detected in tropical ocean basin between known Mexico and Hawaii breeding assemblies.

Humpback whales migrate in winter from northern feeding grounds to geographically separate breeding assemblies in near-shore waters of Mexico and Hawaii. Currently assessed as distinct populations warranting separate management, their shared song composition and interchange of photo-identified whales question this paradigm. To investigate a potential connection an autonomous Wave Glider performed a 6965.5 km, 100-day (round trip) acoustic survey from Hawaii toward Mexico circa 20° N, from January 15 to April 25, 2018. The 2272 h of recordings included humpback whale calls to approximately midway from Hawaii to Mexico. Explanations include an undocumented migration route, offshore assembly, or mid-season travel between assemblies.

Behavioural and molecular endophenotypes in psychotic disorders reveal heritable abnormalities in glutamatergic neurotransmission.

Psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia are biologically complex and carry huge population morbidity due to their prevalence, persistence and associated disability. Defined by features such as delusions and hallucinations, they involve cognitive dysfunction and neurotransmitter dysregulations that appear mostly to involve the dopaminergic and glutamatergic systems. A number of genetic and environmental factors are associated with these disorders but it has been difficult to identify the biological pathways underlying the principal symptoms. The endophenotype concept of stable, heritable traits that form a mechanistic link between genes and an overt expression of the disorder has potential to reduce the complexity of psychiatric phenotypes. In this study, we used a genetically sensitive design with individuals with a first episode of psychosis, their non-affected first-degree relatives and non-related healthy controls. Metabolomic analysis was combined with neurocognitive assessment to identify multilevel endophenotypic patterns: one concerned reaction times during the performance of cognitive and emotional tests that have previously been associated with the glutamate neurotransmission system, the other involved metabolites involved directly and indirectly in the co-activation of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor, a major receptor of the glutamate system. These cognitive and metabolic endophenotypes may comprise a single construct, such that genetically mediated dysfunction in the glutamate system may be responsible for delays in response to cognitive and emotional functions in psychotic disorders. This focus on glutamatergic neurotransmission should guide drug discovery and experimental medicine programmes in schizophrenia and related disorders.

[Renal scleroderma crisis. Role of scleroderma vasculopathy in the induction of cutaneous and visceral fibrosis in 2 cases]. / Crisis de esclerodermia renal. Rol de la vasculopatía esclerodérmica en la inducción de fibrosis cutáneo-visceral en dos casos.

Although fibrosis and vasculopathy coexist in most patients with progressive systemic sclerosis, it is not clear if these events are the result of an unique etiologic factor or if one is consequence of the other. We report two cases of progressive systemic sclerosis that evolved to a renal scleroderma crisis. A 36 years old female presented with a Sjögren syndrome and painful subcutaneous nodules whose biopsy showed perivascular lymphocytic infiltration, perivascular thickening and normal skin. The ESR was 100 mm/h. She developed an hypertensive crisis and progressive renal failure, followed by a rapidly evolving progressive systemic sclerosis. The patient died in the course of this crisis. A 32 years old female with a progressive systemic sclerosis refractory to D-penicillamine treatment, receiving cyclosporin, presented a renal scleroderma crisis, that was successfully treated, with complete recovery of renal function. We highlight the different evolution of these cases, probably due to an early diagnosis and a better experience in the management of this condition.

[Severe Henoch-Schonlein purpura in a patient with multiple myeloma]. / Púrpura de Schönlein-Henoch grave en un paciente con mieloma múltiple.

A Multiple Myeloma (MM), IgG-lambda stage III-A was diagnosed in a 41-year-old-man. After VAD cycles IgG decreased from 7.5 to 2.4 g/dL. were mobilized with cyclophosphamide and 10 micrograms/Kg G-CSF. Three days after the collection of peripheral stem cell, the patient had fever, nausea, vomiting, liquid stools, shoulder and knee arthralgia and dehydration. Upper GI endoscopy showed esophageal candidiasis and ulcerative necrotic lesions both in stomach and duodenum; the biopsy confirmed necrosis. Simultaneously, the appearance of purpura with maculopapular lesions of diverse sizes appeared in the feet progressing to the limbs and trunk. Hematuria and proteinuria were also observed. Skin biopsy showed leukocytoclastic vasculitis. Renal biopsy showed focal and segmental glomerulonephritis. Serum ANCA, cryoglobulins, anti-HCV and RF were negative, and serum monoclonal IgG was 1290 mg/dL. Daily treatment with i.v. methylprednisolone pulses for 3 days improved skin lesions and digestive involvement. Macroscopic hematuria and proteinuria improved after two months of steroid treatment.

Dose-dependent responses to macrophage-targeted glucocerebrosidase in a child with Gaucher disease.

Long-term studies of a child with Gaucher disease indicated that the response to treatment with macrophage-targeted glucocerebrosidase (glucosylceramidase) is dose dependent, and that the hematologic response precedes the skeletal response.

[Glomerular lesions and renal transplant]. / Lesiones glomerulares y trasplante renal.

Organ transplantation represents a revolutionary advance of Medicine in the XXth Century. However, a significant problem of renal transplantation is the development of silent glomerular lesions in the kidney from live related donor. The longterm outcome of these organs as well as that of the remaining kidney in the donor are uncertain. Most lesions correspond to mesangial deposits of IgA, a process with known familial incidence. A careful selection of donor is indicated for transplantation of patients with familial forms of nephropathy. Also, renal biopsy of the potential donor may be a necessary step for timely diagnosis of this serious problem.

A review of trends in alcohol and cannabis use among young people.

This review identifies recent trend studies in alcohol and cannabis use among young people in an attempt to define increases over time, demographic subgroups where changes have taken place, possible future trends and areas where there is a lack of current information. Trend studies on alcohol use are described for eight countries: Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Mexico, Norway, Sweden and the United States of America. Only four countries: Australia, Canada, Norway and the United States of America had trend studies of cannabis use. Rates of alcohol use are reported to have reached a peak and per capita alcohol consumption to have stabilized or decreased in many Western countries since 1975-1976. Rates of cannabis use are reported to have increased remarkably from the late 1960s to the late 1970s although the hazards of cannabis use are becoming more widely recognized.

Estudios en sindrome de anemia megaloblastica con proteinuria (Imerslund).Intento de una explicacion patogenica. / Megaloblastic anemia syndrome with proteinnuria (Imerslund). Attempt of a pathogenic explanation

Se describe un paciente con sindrome de Imerslund cuya evolucion ha sido seguida durante 13 anos. Se analiza en forma especial la funcion y morfologia renal, esta ultima con microscopia de luz y electronica: a partir de los resultados obtenidos se plantea una hipotesis que explique tanto la falta de absorcion especifica de Vitamina B12 a nivel intestinal como la alteracion renal que se determina la proteinuria

Distribution of HLA antigens in a Mexican--American population and a comparison with two similar populations from different geographical locales.

The frequencies of 32 HLA antigens of the A and B series were determined in a previously unstudied population of Mexican-Americans in South Texas. The phenotype and gene frequencies for this group are presented and are contrasted with those determined in studies of Mexican/Mexican--American populations from two different locales. The statistically significant differences observed emphasize the need for indigenous controls when evaluating racially heterogeneous populations for disease-associated HLA antigens.

A study of HLA antigens in adults with acute rheumatic fever.

By use of a microlymphocytotoxic assay to detect 32 HLA antigens of the A and B series, we examined 49 Mexican-American adults with acute rheumatic fever and contrasted the findings with 100 ethnically identical controls. Eighty-nine percent of the total possible antigens were identified. Strong associations between HLA antigens from either locus and acute rheumatic fever were not detected. These findings serve to emphasize the importance of nongenetic factors in the pathogenesis of acute rheumatic fever and help clarify the role of HLA antigens in rheumatic diseases.