White Dot Syndromes: Report of Three Cases.

Introduction: The term white dot syndromes has been used to refer conditions that differ in their morphology and prognosis. We report three cases of different pathologies encompassed within the white dot syndromes. Case Presentations: Case 1: A 26-year-old female presented with scotoma in her right eye. Fundus examination revealed multiple white dots that demonstrated early hyperfluorescence with late staining on FA. OCT showed discontinuities in inner segment-outer segment junction associated with columnar-shaped outer retinal hyperreflective bands. AF revealed multiple hyperautofluorescent dots around the posterior pole, compatible with multiple evanescent white dot syndrome. The symptoms improved without treatment. Case 2: A 16-year-old male presented with retinal lesions compatible with punctate inner choroidopathy in his right eye. OCT showed lesion in the outer retinal layer. FAF revealed parafoveal hypoautofluorescent dots with early hyperfluorescence and late staining on FFA. After oral corticotherapy, they progress to atrophic scars. Case 3: A 65-year-old male presented with scotoma and decreased vision in his right eye. OCT showed hyperreflectivity in the outer layer that progresses to a large atrophic plaque with foveal affectation. FAF demonstrated hyperautofluorescent placoid lesion occupying macular area, compatible with acute posterior multifocal placoid pigment epitheliopathy. Retinal lesions improved with systemic corticosteroids. Conclusion: The FAF pattern helps know the distribution of the lesions. It represents a noninvasive method that has been shown to be useful in the diagnosis and monitoring of white dot syndromes.

Bacillus thuringiensis Cyt Proteins as Enablers of Activity of Cry and Tpp Toxins against Aedes albopictus.

Aedes albopictus is a species of mosquito, originally from Southeast Asia, that belongs to the Culicidae family and the Dipteran insect order. The distribution of this vector has rapidly changed over the past decade, making most of the temperate territories in the world vulnerable to important human vector-borne diseases such as dengue, yellow fever, zika or chikungunya. Bacillus thuringiensis var. israeliensis (Bti)-based insecticides represent a realistic alternative to the most common synthetic insecticides for the control of mosquito larvae. However, several studies have revealed emerging resistances to the major Bti Crystal proteins such as Cry4Aa, Cry4Ba and Cry11Aa, making the finding of new toxins necessary to diminish the exposure to the same toxicity factors overtime. Here, we characterized the individual activity of Cyt1Aa, Cry4Aa, Cry4Ba and Cry11Aa against A. albopictus and found a new protein, Cyt1A-like, that increases the activity of Cry11Aa more than 20-fold. Additionally, we demonstrated that Cyt1A-like facilitates the activity three new Bti toxins: Cry53-like, Cry56A-like and Tpp36-like. All in all, these results provide alternatives to the currently available Bti products for the control of mosquito populations and position Cyt proteins as enablers of activity for otherwise non-active crystal proteins.

Ingesta de flúor a través del consumo de agua de abastecimiento público en la cohorte INMA-Gipuzkoa / Fluoride intake through consumption of water from municipal network in the INMA-Gipuzkoa cohort

Objetivo: Estimar la ingesta de flúor en mujeres embarazadas y sus hijos/as de la cohorte INMA-Gipuzkoa a través del consumo de agua de la red municipal y comparar estas ingestas con los valores recomendados. En Euskadi, la fluoración del agua de consumo es obligatoria en abastecimientos de más de 30.000 habitantes. Método: Se han incluido 575 mujeres embarazadas (reclutamiento en 2006-2008) y 424 niños/as de 4 años (seguimiento en 2010-2012). Las concentraciones de fluoruros en el agua se obtuvieron del sistema de información de aguas de consumo de Euskadi (EKUIS). Los hábitos de consumo de agua y las variables socioeconómicas se obtuvieron mediante cuestionario. Resultados: El 74,9% de las mujeres y el 87,7% de los/las niños/as consumían agua de red municipal. En agua fluorada, el valor medio de fluoruro fue de 0,805mg/l (desviación estándar [DE]: 0,194) durante el periodo de reclutamiento, y de 0,843mg/l (DE: 0,080) durante el seguimiento de los/las niños/as. La ingesta media de flúor y el percentil 95 en las zonas fluoradas fueron de 0,015 y 0,026mg/kg al día en las mujeres y de 0,033 y 0,059mg/kg al día en los/las niños/as. Considerando solo el flúor aportado por el agua, el 8,71% de los/las niños/as residentes en zonas con fluoración superaban la ingesta de 0,05mg/kg al día recomendada por la European Food Safety Authority. Conclusión: Los resultados obtenidos muestran que las ingestas de flúor a través del agua de consumo pueden superar lo recomendado en población infantil, y propician futuros estudios que aporten evidencias que puedan ayudar en las políticas de fluoración de las aguas de consumo público

Objective: To estimate fluoride intake through consumption of water from the municipal network in pregnant women and their children from the INMA-Gipuzkoa cohort and to compare these intakes with recommended levels. In Euskadi (Spain), fluoridation of drinking water is compulsory in water supplies for more than 30,000 inhabitants. Method: 575 pregnant women (recruitment, 2006-2008) and 424 4-year-old children (follow-up, 2010-2012) have been included. Fluoride levels in drinking water were obtained from the water consumption information system of the Basque Country (EKUIS). Water consumption habits and socioeconomic variables were obtained by questionnaire. Results: 74.9% and 87.7% of women and children consumed water from the municipal network. Average fluoride levels in fluoridated water were 0.805 (SD: 0.194) mg/L during baseline recruitment and 0.843 (SD: 0.080) mg/L during follow up, at 4 years old of the children. Average and 95th percentile of fluoride intake were 0.015 and 0.026mg/kg per day in women and 0.033 and 0.059mg/kg per day in children. Considering only fluoride provided by drinking water, 8.71% of children living in fluoridated areas exceeded intake level recommended by the European Food Safety Authority, consisting in 0.05mg/kg per day. Conclusion: The results show that ingested levels of fluoride through consumption of municipal water can exceed the recommended levels in children and encourages further studies that will help in fluoridation policies of drinking water in the future

[Fluoride intake through consumption of water from municipal network in the INMA-Gipuzkoa cohort]. / Ingesta de flúor a través del consumo de agua de abastecimiento público en la cohorte INMA-Gipuzkoa.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate fluoride intake through consumption of water from the municipal network in pregnant women and their children from the INMA-Gipuzkoa cohort and to compare these intakes with recommended levels. In Euskadi (Spain), fluoridation of drinking water is compulsory in water supplies for more than 30,000 inhabitants. METHOD: 575 pregnant women (recruitment, 2006-2008) and 424 4-year-old children (follow-up, 2010-2012) have been included. Fluoride levels in drinking water were obtained from the water consumption information system of the Basque Country (EKUIS). Water consumption habits and socioeconomic variables were obtained by questionnaire. RESULTS: 74.9% and 87.7% of women and children consumed water from the municipal network. Average fluoride levels in fluoridated water were 0.805 (SD: 0.194) mg/L during baseline recruitment and 0.843 (SD: 0.080) mg/L during follow up, at 4 years old of the children. Average and 95th percentile of fluoride intake were 0.015 and 0.026mg/kg per day in women and 0.033 and 0.059mg/kg per day in children. Considering only fluoride provided by drinking water, 8.71% of children living in fluoridated areas exceeded intake level recommended by the European Food Safety Authority, consisting in 0.05mg/kg per day. CONCLUSION: The results show that ingested levels of fluoride through consumption of municipal water can exceed the recommended levels in children and encourages further studies that will help in fluoridation policies of drinking water in the future.