Comentario acerca de "Resultados de aflibercept en régimen "tratar y extender" en degeneración macular asociada a la edad: efecto en neovascularización coroidea típica y proliferación angiomatosa retiniana" / Comment on "One-year outcomes of the treat-and-extend approach with aflibercept in age-related macular degeneration: Effects on typical choroidal neovascularization and retinal angiomatous proliferation"

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Strongyloidiasis in Latin American immigrants: a pilot study.

The United States of America (USA) has the largest international population of any nation in the world. Immigrants from Latin American countries, where intestinal parasites are endemic, comprise more than half of this population. This study aims to determine the prevalence of strongyloidiasis, a potentially deadly parasitic infection, in foreign-born individuals. We conducted a cross-sectional study in Washington, DC, to determine the seroprevalence of Strongyloides stercoralis infection using an NIE-ELISA IgG antibody assay. Multi-parallel quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was performed in stool samples of NIE-ELISA-positive patients to investigate possible polyparasitism. The NIE-ELISA assay detected an S. stercoralis prevalence of 4.2% in a group of 119 volunteers. Combining NIE-ELISA and qPCR detected a parasite prevalence of 5.0%. Our results underscore the relevance of systematic testing for gastrointestinal parasites in individuals from endemic regions. It also makes a case for a survey in the USA to identify immigrants' risk for strongyloidiasis and other gastrointestinal parasitic infections.

Role of insulin in Cr(VI)-mediated genotoxicity in Neurospora crassa.

AIMS: Chromium (III) is an insulinomimetic agent whose biological and/or environmental availability is frequently in the form of Cr(VI), which is known to be toxic. Wall-less mutant of Neurospora crassa (FGSC stock no. 4761) is known to possess insulin receptor in its cell membrane and hence is a good model for Cr toxicity studies. This study explores the toxicity of Cr(VI) and the possible consequences on simultaneous exposure to insulin in N. crassa. METHODS AND RESULTS: Comet assay of N. crassa cells treated with 100 µmol l⁻¹ Cr(VI) showed up to 50% reduction in comet tail lengths when incubated simultaneously with 0.4 U insulin. Fluorescence measurement in Cr(VI)-treated cells using DCFH-DA showed six- to eightfold increase in free radical generation, which was reduced to fourfold by 0.4 U insulin. Annexin-V/PI Flow cytometry analysis indicated necrotic cell death up to 28.7 ± 3.6% and 68.6 ± 2.5% on Cr(VI) exposure at concentrations 100 and 500 µmol l⁻¹ which was reduced by 68.3 ± 3.2% and 48.9 ± 3.6%, respectively, upon addition of insulin. CONCLUSION: Insulin-mediated protection from DNA damage by Cr(VI) is because of scavenging of free radicals liberated during exposure to Cr(VI). SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Overall, Cr(VI) toxicity depends upon available insulin, indicating that Cr(VI) toxicity may be a serious issue in insulin-deficient individuals with diabetes.