The effect of a mindfulness-based therapy on different biomarkers among patients with inflammatory bowel disease: a randomised controlled trial.

Mindfulness-based interventions have shown some efficacy in decreasing stress levels and improving quality of life. However, so far, only a few studies have studied this type of intervention among patients with inflammatory bowel disease and none of them have studied their effects on inflammatory biomarkers. This current study was a two-armed, single-centre, randomised (2:1 ratio) controlled trial used to evaluate the effects of a mindfulness-based intervention (n = 37) compared to standard medical therapy (n = 20) in patients with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis. The mindfulness intervention blended four internet-based therapy modules with four face-to-face support sessions. The outcomes we assessed were faecal calprotectin (primary outcome), C-reactive protein, and cortisol levels measured in hair samples at several timepoints. The between-group analysis highlighted significant decreases in faecal calprotectin and in C-reactive protein levels in the mindfulness-based intervention group compared to the standard medical therapy group at the six-month follow-up (faecal calprotectin: -367, [95% CI: -705, -29], P = 0.03; C-reactive protein: -2.82, [95% CI: -5.70, 0.08], P = 0.05), with moderate to large effect sizes (faecal calprotectin: ηp2 = 0.085; C-reactive protein: ηp2 = 0.066). We concluded that mindfulness-based therapy administered as part of standard clinical practice effectively improves inflammatory biomarkers in patients diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease.

Bone quality in young adults with intellectual disability involved in adapted competitive football.

The objective of this study was to analyse bone quality parameters of football players with intellectual disability (ID) participating in adapted competitive football. Sixty-seven male football players with ID were studied: 22 with Down syndrome (DS) and 45 without DS. The average age was 26 years (range: 16 ̶ 50 years). A group of 25 age-matched sedentary individuals with ID (11 DS and 14 non-DS) and another group of 20 healthy participants of the same age group not involved in competitive football were comparatively analysed. There were no differences in the bone quality parameters when the healthy sedentary individuals were compared with both the sedentary and the football players with ID. However, the speed of sound (SOS), T-score, and estimated bone mineral density (BMD) were of higher values in the football players with ID than in the sedentary ID group (p < 0.05). On comparing the football players with non-DS ID with the sedentary non-DS individuals, significant differences were noted in SOS (p < 0.01), T-scores (p < 0.01), and estimated BMD (p < 0.01). Four of the 45 non-DS (8.9%) and none of the football players with DS had T-scores less than -1.5. Two of the 14 sedentary non-DS participants (14.3%) had T-scores indicating osteoporosis. In summary, the ID population actively involved in football showed higher values of bone mass parameters than their sedentary ID and healthy peers. The participants with non-DS ID showed a higher prevalence of osteoporosis than the football players with DS. Participation in sports seems to prevent bone loss in individuals with ID.

Evaluación de la efectividad de abiraterona en el tratamiento del cáncer de próstata metastásico / Evaluation of the effectiveness of abiraterone in treatment of metastatic prostate cáncer

Objetivo: estudiar el perfil de efectividad y seguridad de abiraterona en la práctica clínica, en pacientes con cáncer de próstata metastásico hormonoresistente. Métodos: se diseñó un estudio descriptivo retrospectivo de los pacientes diagnosticados con cáncer de próstata metastásico que recibieron tratamiento con abiraterona durante los mese de febrero 2012 a abril 2013. Las variables estudiadas fueron sexo, edad, escala del Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG), tratamiento previo con docetaxel, antígeno prostático especifico (PSA) y supervivencia libre de progresión. La información se obtuvo de las historias clínicas, el programa de prescripción Savac® y el programa de validación farmacéutica Farmis‒Oncofarm®. Resultados: los 24 pacientes incluidos contaban una mediana de edad de 70 años. El estado funcional fue ECOG<2 en el 58,3 por ciento y ECOG≥2 en el 41,7 por ciento de los pacientes. El PSA disminuyó un 50 por ciento o más de su valor basal en el 52 por ciento de los pacientes. En cuanto a la supervivencia libre de progresión la mediana fue de 166 días (5,5 meses). En los pacientes con un ECOG≤2 la mediana fue de 231 días (7,7 meses) mientras que para los pacientes con ECOG˃2 fue de 106 días (3,5 meses). Abiraterona presentó pocas reacciones adversas por lo que resulta un fármaco seguro, a pesar de presentar algunas reacciones de suma importancia. Conclusiones: los resultados obtenidos en nuestra práctica clínica difieren con los obtenidos en los estudios pivotales. Se observan mayor supervivencia libre de progresión en los pacientes con un ECOG≤1 y en los que nunca habían recibido quimioterapia previa(AU)

Objectives: to study the efficacy and safety profile of abiraterone in clinical practice to treat patients with hormone-resistant metastatic prostate cancer. Methods: retrospective and descriptive study of patients who were diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer and were treated with abiraterone since February 2012 to April 2013. The studied variables were gender, age, level of Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) scale, prior treatment with docetaxel, prostate specific antigen (PSA), progression-free survival (PFS). Data sources included medical records, the Savac® prescription and the Farmis-Oncofarm® pharmaceutical validation programs. Results: twenty-four patients were included, with average age of 70 years. The ECOG performance status was less than 2 in 58,3 percent of patients whereas 41,7 percent of the patients showed ECOG equal to 2 or higher. The PSA decreased by 50 percent or more its basal value in 52 percent of the patients. As regards to PFS, the median was 166 days (5,5 months) in progression-free survival. In patients with ECOG≤2, the median PFS was 231 days (7,7 months), whereas for patients with ECOG˃2,it was 106 days (3,5 months). Abiraterone has fewer side effects, so it may be considered a safe drug, although some are significant. Conclusions: the results obtained in our clinical practice differ from the ones obtained in the pivotal trials . Increased progression-free survival was observed in patients with an ECOG≤1 or less, and in those who had never received prior chemotherapy(AU)

Identification of proteins in excretory/secretory extracts of Echinostoma friedi (Trematoda) from chronic and acute infections.

In the present study, we describe the investigation of Echinostoma friedi excretory/secretory products using a proteomic approach combined with the use of heterologous antibodies. We have identified 18 protein spots corresponding to ten proteins, including cytoskeletal proteins like actin, tropomyosin, and paramyosin; glycolytic enzymes like enolase, glyceraldehyde 3P dehydrogenase, and aldolase; detoxifying enzymes like GSTs; and stress proteins like heat shock protein (Hsp) 70. Among these proteins, both actin and, to a lesser extent, Hsp70, exhibited differential expression patterns between chronic and acute infections in the Echinostoma-rodent model, suggesting that these proteins may play a role in the survival within the host.

Identification of enolase as a plasminogen-binding protein in excretory-secretory products of Fasciola hepatica.

We have followed a combined proteomic approach to identify proteins of Fasciola hepatica that could be involved in host-parasite interactions. Using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, far Western immunoblot and mass spectrometry analyses, we have identified the enolase enzyme, present in the excretory/secretory materials of F. hepatica, as a human plasminogen-binding protein. This enzyme has an apparent molecular weight of 47 kDa with pI ranging from 6.2 to 7.2. These results suggest that enolase could act as a plasminogen receptor.