[West Nile Infection and Kidney Disease: Description of Two Clinical Cases in Peritoneal Dialysis Patients].

The West Nile Virus (WNV), an RNA arbovirus, has been transmitted by wild birds and conveyed by ticks and mosquitoes, with wide diffusion all over the world; it is not transmitted from human to human. It can give clinical symptoms only in a minority of infected subjects such as fever, headache, muscle tiredness, visual disturbances, drowsiness, convulsions and muscle paralysis; in the most serious cases even potentially fatal encephalitis. In the literature there are few reports on WNV infection in patients with kidney diseases: here we report our experience on two patients on peritoneal dialysis infected by WNV with a revision of the literature.

Dimerization, host-parasite communication and expression studies of an Echinococcus granulosus 2DBD nuclear receptor.

Nuclear receptors (NRs) are ligand-modulated transcription factors that regulate various biological processes, such as metabolism, development and reproduction. Although NRs with two DNA-binding domains (2DBD) were identified in Schistosoma mansoni (Platyhelminth, Trematoda) more than fifteen years ago, these proteins have been poorly studied. 2DBD-NRs could become attractive therapeutic targets to combat parasitic diseases such as cystic echinococcosis since this type of protein is absent in vertebrate hosts. Cystic echinococcosis is a worldwide zoonosis caused by the larval stage of the parasitic platyhelminth Echinococcus granulosus (Cestoda) that generates an important public health problem and a significant economic loss. Recently, our research group identified four 2DBD-NRs in E. granulosus, named Eg2DBDα, Eg2DBDα.1 (an isoform of Eg2DBDα), Eg2DBDß, and Eg2DBDγ. This work demonstrated that Eg2DBDα.1 forms homodimers through the E and F regions, whereas its interaction with EgRXRßa could not be detected. In addition, the stimulation of Eg2DBDα.1 homodimerization by intermediate host serum was shown, suggesting that at least one lipophilic molecule from bovine serum could bind to Eg2DBDα.1. Finally, Eg2DBDs expression studies in the protoscolex larval stage were performed, indicating that Eg2dbdγ is not expressed, whereas Eg2dbdα has the highest expression level followed by Eg2dbdß and Eg2dbdα.1 in decreased order. Overall, these findings provide new insights into the mechanism of action of Eg2DBDα.1 and its potential role in host-parasite communication.

Nicked tRNAs are stable reservoirs of tRNA halves in cells and biofluids.

Nonvesicular extracellular RNAs (nv-exRNAs) constitute the majority of the extracellular RNAome, but little is known about their stability, function, and potential use as disease biomarkers. Herein, we measured the stability of several naked RNAs when incubated in human serum, urine, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). We identified extracellularly produced tRNA-derived small RNAs (tDRs) with half-lives of several hours in CSF. Contrary to widespread assumptions, these intrinsically stable small RNAs are full-length tRNAs containing broken phosphodiester bonds (i.e., nicked tRNAs). Standard molecular biology protocols, including phenol-based RNA extraction and heat, induce the artifactual denaturation of nicked tRNAs and the consequent in vitro production of tDRs. Broken bonds are roadblocks for reverse transcriptases, preventing amplification and/or sequencing of nicked tRNAs in their native state. To solve this, we performed enzymatic repair of nicked tRNAs purified under native conditions, harnessing the intrinsic activity of phage and bacterial tRNA repair systems. Enzymatic repair regenerated an RNase R-resistant tRNA-sized band in northern blot and enabled RT-PCR amplification of full-length tRNAs. We also separated nicked tRNAs from tDRs by chromatographic methods under native conditions, identifying nicked tRNAs inside stressed cells and in vesicle-depleted human biofluids. Dissociation of nicked tRNAs produces single-stranded tDRs that can be spontaneously taken up by human epithelial cells, positioning stable nv-exRNAs as potentially relevant players in intercellular communication pathways.

Teaching during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Sharing Results and Data Obtained from the Ames Test.

We present a resource for instructors that contains results and data sets from the Ames test. Our aim is to share the results we have collected in previous semesters with other instructors, so they will be able to "conduct" the Ames test without the need to set foot in a laboratory classroom. Instructors will be able to use our online resource to perform the test remotely, as a supplement to their laboratory classroom, or even under hybrid circumstances. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic brought many changes, including the way we, as instructors, were able to carry out our educational curricula, since access to laboratory classrooms was not always possible. While COVID-19 restrictions are still in place, and thus access to laboratory classrooms is limited or null, instructors can use our online resource, without the need to set foot in a laboratory classroom. When COVID-19 restrictions are lifted and access to laboratory classrooms is permitted, instructors can follow the procedures we describe and compare their results with ours, which appear in Results and Discussion, or use our data sets as take-home assignments for their students. In addition to its use in detecting the potential mutagenicity of different samples, we have found the Ames test to be extremely useful for developing problem-solving skills by means of exercises like the ones included in this resource. Furthermore, the potential of this test as a starting point for problem-based learning is remarkable. Some suggestions for its use in active learning settings are provided.

Acute kidney injury, a common and severe complication in hospitalized patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.

INTRODUCTION: Acute respiratory failure (ARF) is the main clinical sign of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19), but little is known about the outcome of acute kidney injury (AKI) associated with ARF. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study on clinical features of adult patients hospitalized with COVID-19 between March 1st and April 30th, 2020 in the district of Piacenza (Italy). RESULTS: Among 1894 hospitalized patients, 1701 affected by COVID-19 underwent at least two serum creatinine evaluations. According to KDIGO definitions, 233 of 1,701 patients (13.7%) developed AKI: 159, 34, and 40 had stage 1, 2 and 3 AKI, respectively. Patients with AKI were older (mean age 73.5 ± 14 years, range 24-95) than those without AKI (72 ± 14 years, range 20-102). In-hospital mortality was high in COVID patients (567/1701 patients, 33%), which almost doubled among AKI patients (132/233 patients, 57%), compared with those without AKI (p < 0.01). Risk factors for AKI included older age, male gender, diabetes and need for ventilation. Fourteen patients with stage 3 AKI underwent renal replacement therapy (RRT). CONCLUSIONS: Hospitalized COVID-19 patients with AKI associated with ARF have poor chances of survival. Diagnosing and preventing the progression of renal damage is fundamental in order to delay initiating RRT, especially when resources are limited.

What can a home hemodialysis program offer to patients in a nursing home setting? A case series and feasibility analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Over the last decades, the number of elderly patients on dialysis has rapidly grown on account of increased life expectancy, improved care and reduced mortality rate. Therefore, cooperation between geriatricians and nephrologists has become mandatory for co-managing kidney disease in these patients. Based on renewed interest in home hemodialysis (HHD), elderly patients may benefit from not being transported from their home for therapy. METHODS: Here, we report our experience with HHD involving three elderly patients who were followed-up over a 15-months period in a nursing home. FINDINGS: Our experience demonstrates that hospitalization abruptly dropped from 40 days to zero days, the need for erythropoietin stimulating agents (ESAs) diminished, transportation-related costs for home treatments decreased, and quality of life (QoL) improved. This was confirmed by a questionnaire administered to our patients at the start and again after 6 months of HHD which evaluated the Physical Health Component Score (PCS) and the Mental Health Component Score (MCS). DISCUSSION: Home hemodialysis may represent an important way to improve social, mental, and physical recovery, while also eliminating the cost of transportation and the discomfort of abandoning their "homes" and daily habits. Home hemodialysis is an effective alternative to in-center HD or peritoneal dialysis (PD) that should be offered to elderly patients when a home caregiver is not available, nonetheless, nursing assistance is required. Moreover, HHD allows patients to stay at home, thereby avoiding several weekly trips to the dialysis center, and may be useful in reducing infections, especially in times of the COVID-19 pandemic, as demonstrated by our experience.

Análisis Mediante Espectrofotometría UV/Vis de Diferentes Productos Terminados Homeopáticos de Nux Vomica 6CH, 7CH y 30CH, Comercializados en Tres Farmacias en Bogotá, Colombia / Analysis by Spectrophotometry UV / Vis of Different Products Homeopathic Finished Nux Vomica 6CH, 7CH and 30CH, Marketed in Three Pharmacies in Bogota Colombia

El aumento de la frecuencia de uso de los medicamentos homeopáticos en la población en general implica que la calidad en la elaboración de los mismos debe indagarse para evitar situaciones adversas en la población que los consume. En Colombia existen procesos legales para obtener el permiso de producción y venta; sin embargo, en éstos no hay verificación del producto terminado contrastándolo con un control. Los medicamentos homeopáticos se elaboran mediante ultradiluciones de sustancias que actúan basados en el principio similia similibus curantur. La Nux vomica es un medicamento homeopático de uso frecuente, dado su carácter de policresto para diferentes patologías, y por lo tanto es importante tener un control de calidad de dicho medicamento. En este estudio se realizaron mediciones de la concentración de Nux vomica 6CH, 7CH y 30CH comprada en diferentes farmacias (FAR) y vendida como producto terminado, comparándolos con un medicamento elaborado por las autoras de este trabajo, utilizando para ello la espectrofotometría UV/Vis, no encontrándose diferencias estadísticamente significativas entre ellos después de aplicar energía cinética. (AU)

The increasing use of homeopathic medicines in the general population implies that the quality in the preparation of those should be investigated to avoid adverse situations in the people who consumes them. In Colombia, there are legal processes to obtain the production and sale license, however, there is no verification of the finished product against a control. Homeopathic medicines are made by ultradilutions of substances that act based on the Similia similibus curentur principle. The Nux vomica is a homeopathic medicine of frequent use, given its character of policresto, for different pathologies and therefore it's important to have a quality control of that medication. In this study, measurements were made of Nux vomica 6CH, 7CH and 30CH concentration purchased in different pharmacies (FAR) and sold as a finished product, comparing them with a drug elaborated by the authors using UV/Vis spectrophotometry. No statistically significant differences were found between them. after applying kinetic energy. (AU)