Differential Protein Expression of Taenia crassiceps ORF Strain in the Murine Cysticercosis Model Using Resistant (C57BL/6) Mice.

A cysticercosis model of Taenia crassiceps ORF strain in susceptible BALB/c mice revealed a Th2 response after 4 weeks, allowing for the growth of the parasite, whereas resistant C57BL/6 mice developed a sustained Th1 response, limiting parasitic growth. However, little is known about how cysticerci respond to an immunological environment in resistant mice. Here, we show that the Th1 response, during infection in resistant C57BL/6 mice, lasted up to 8 weeks and kept parasitemia low. Proteomics analysis of parasites during this Th1 environment showed an average of 128 expressed proteins; we chose 15 proteins whose differential expression varied between 70 and 100%. A total of 11 proteins were identified that formed a group whose expression increased at 4 weeks and decreased at 8 weeks, and another group with proteins whose expression was high at 2 weeks and decreased at 8 weeks. These identified proteins participate in tissue repair, immunoregulation and parasite establishment. This suggests that T. crassiceps cysticerci in mice resistant under the Th1 environment express proteins that control damage and help to establish a parasite in the host. These proteins could be targets for drugs or vaccine development.

A phase II, single-center, double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled trial to explore the efficacy and safety of intravenous melatonin in surgical patients with severe sepsis admitted to the intensive care unit.

To determine whether IV melatonin therapy improves redox status and inflammatory responses in surgical patients with severe sepsis, a unicenter, phase II double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial was carried out. The study included patients with severe sepsis marked by infectious systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), associated with organ dysfunction, hypoperfusion or hypotension requiring surgical intervention. IV melatonin at a daily dose of 60 mg, which was dissolved in 500 ml of 5% dextrose serum, was continuously administered to the patients for over 30 min starting on the day of the diagnoses during a 5-day period. A total of 14 patients received a placebo treatment and 15 melatonin doses. Redox status decreased in melatonin-treated patients during the 5 days of treatment as compared to the placebo-treated patients. Procalcitonin performed better in the melatonin group, whose neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio was also significantly reduced, resulting in an improved evolution of the disease. Moreover, hospital stays decreased by 19.60% from 26.64 days for the placebo group to 21.42 days for the melatonin group. The placebo group recorded five mortalities, as compared to three for the melatonin group. IV melatonin administration improved the course of the disease in surgical patients with severe sepsis, with no side effects. Additional studies with higher doses of melatonin and a long duration of therapy need to be carried out to assess its clinical use.

Protein expression profile of Taenia crassiceps cysticerci related to Th1- and Th2-type responses in the mouse cysticercosis model.

The intraperitoneal cysticercosis model with the Taenia crassiceps ORF strain in female BALB/cAnN mice has been widely used to study the immune response in cysticercosis. During early infection (2 weeks), the host develops a non-permissive Th1 response, whereas during late infection (8 weeks), molecules from the cysticerci induce a Th2 response that is permissive to parasite growth. The modulation of the Th2 response is induced by molecules excreted/secreted by the larval stage of the parasite. However, there is limited information regarding the response of cysticerci to the mouse immunological environment during infection. The proteomic profiles in T. crassiceps ORF cysticerci when faced with the mouse Th1 and Th2 responses were analyzed through two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2DE), and the differential expression of proteins was evaluated. Thirteen proteins, whose differential expression varied between 70% and 100%, were selected randomly. Protein identification by MALDI-TOF MS and BLAST showed that the proteins were related to folding, signaling, enzymatic activities, cell-movement regulation, cell-cell interactions, motility, carbohydrate metabolism, detoxification, and redox regulation processes. Notably, some of the proteins can act as antigenic-protective molecules and elicit a weak Th1 response; however, most are involved in the avoidance of the immune system, which leads to a Th2 response, or apoptosis. The findings indicate the process by which T. crassiceps cysticerci responds based on the host environment and provides novel insights into the mechanism by which this facilitates its establishment and persistence in the mouse. Furthermore, these proteins could be used as targets for drug and vaccine development.

Displacers improve the selectivity of phosphopeptide enrichment by metal oxide affinity chromatography / Uso de desplazadores para mejorar la selectividad de los fosfopéptidos enriquecidos por cromatografía de afinidad con óxidos de metales

Abstract: Background: A key process in cell regulation is protein phosphorylation, which is catalyzed by protein kinases and phosphatases. However, phosphoproteomics studies are difficult because of the complexity of protein phosphorylation and the number of phosphorylation sites. Methods: We describe an efficient approach analyzing phosphopeptides in single, separated protein by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. In this method, a titanium oxide (TiO2)-packed NuTip is used as a phosphopeptide trap, together with displacers as lactic acid in the loading buffer to increase the efficiency of the interaction between TiO2 and phosphorylated peptides. Results: The results were obtained from the comparison of mass spectra of proteolytic peptides of proteins with a matrix-assisted laser desorption-ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) instrument. Conclusions: This method has been applied to identifying phosphoproteins involved in the symbiosis Rhizobium etli-Phaseolus vulgaris.

Resumen: Introducción: Un proceso clave en la regulación celular es la fosforilación de proteínas, que se lleva a cabo por cinasas y fosfatasas. Sin embargo, los estudios de fosfoproteómica son difíciles debido a la complejidad de la fosforilación proteica y el número de sitios de fosforilación. Métodos: En el presente trabajo se describe una eficiente estrategia metodológica para analizar fosfopéptidos de proteínas separadas mediante electroforesis bidimensional. En este método, una columna con microesferas de dióxido de titanio (TiO2/NuTip) se utilizó para atrapar los fosfopéptidos en la superficie del TiO2 previamente empacado en una punta. El uso de desplazadores en el buffer de carga, como el ácido láctico, mejoró significativamente la selectividad. Resultados: Los resultados se obtuvieron mediante la comparación de los espectros de masas de péptidos proteolíticos de proteínas analizados utilizando un instrumento de desorción/ionización láser asistida por matriz-tiempo de vuelo (MALDI-TOF). Conclusiones: Este método se ha aplicado para la identificación de fosfoproteínas involucradas en la simbiosis del Rhizobium etli con Phaseolus vulgaris.

Displacers improve the selectivity of phosphopeptide enrichment by metal oxide affinity chromatography.

BACKGROUND: A key process in cell regulation is protein phosphorylation, which is catalyzed by protein kinases and phosphatases. However, phosphoproteomics studies are difficult because of the complexity of protein phosphorylation and the number of phosphorylation sites. METHODS: We describe an efficient approach analyzing phosphopeptides in single, separated protein by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. In this method, a titanium oxide (TiO2)-packed NuTip is used as a phosphopeptide trap, together with displacers as lactic acid in the loading buffer to increase the efficiency of the interaction between TiO2 and phosphorylated peptides. RESULTS: The results were obtained from the comparison of mass spectra of proteolytic peptides of proteins with a matrix-assisted laser desorption-ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) instrument. CONCLUSIONS: This method has been applied to identifying phosphoproteins involved in the symbiosis Rhizobium etli-Phaseolus vulgaris.

Transcriptomic analysis of the process of biofilm formation in Rhizobium etli CFN42.

Organisms belonging to the genus Rhizobium colonize leguminous plant roots and establish a mutually beneficial symbiosis. Biofilms are structured ecosystems in which microbes are embedded in a matrix of extracellular polymeric substances, and their development is a multistep process. The biofilm formation processes of R. etli CFN42 were analyzed at an early (24-h incubation) and mature stage (72 h), comparing cells in the biofilm with cells remaining in the planktonic stage. A genome-wide microarray analysis identified 498 differentially regulated genes, implying that expression of ~8.3 % of the total R. etli gene content was altered during biofilm formation. In biofilms-attached cells, genes encoding proteins with diverse functions were overexpressed including genes involved in membrane synthesis, transport and chemotaxis, repression of flagellin synthesis, as well as surface components (particularly exopolysaccharides and lipopolysaccharides), in combination with the presence of activators or stimulators of N-acyl-homoserine lactone synthesis This suggests that R. etli is able to sense surrounding environmental conditions and accordingly regulate the transition from planktonic and biofilm growth. In contrast, planktonic cells differentially expressed genes associated with transport, motility (flagellar and twitching) and inhibition of exopolysaccharide synthesis. To our knowledge, this is the first report of nodulation and nitrogen assimilation-related genes being involved in biofilm formation in R. etli. These results contribute to the understanding of the physiological changes involved in biofilm formation by bacteria.

Estereotipos de género sexistas. Un estudio en jóvenes universitarios cubanos de medicina / Sexist gender stereotypes. A study in Cuban medicine students

Introducción: la inequidad entre hombres y mujeres se perpetúa mediante la reproducción automatizada y generacional de los estereotipos de género, los cuales aparecen arraigados en la subjetividad social y se expresan en la vida cotidiana bajo múltiples formas. El presente estudio se enmarca en los esfuerzos actuales por potenciar un mundo en el que prevalezca la equidad de género por encima de actitudes y comportamientos machistas de carácter ancestral. Objetivo: caracterizar los estereotipos asociados a los roles de género en los ámbitos doméstico, profesional-académico, y de pareja, en una muestra de estudiantes universitarios cubanos de ciencias médicas. Material y método: el estudio parte del método materialista dialéctico apoyado en métodos teóricos como el histórico-lógico y el sistémico-estructural, el cual permitió analizar desde la multidimensionalidad, los modelos de masculinidad y feminidad como sistemas interrelacionados y socialmente impuestos. Asimismo, se emplearon métodos empíricos como la encuesta, la entrevista, el grupo de discusión y la composición; además de la estadística descriptiva. Resultados: el análisis realizado demostró que los estereotipos de género matizan y predisponen las concepciones e ideas de las relaciones intergenéricas en las personas, incluidos los estudiantes de ciencias médicas, los cuales evidencian actitudes sexistas asociadas a sus diversas esferas de actuación y desempeño: familia, vida académica y profesional, relación de pareja. Conclusiones: el estudio llevado a cabo demuestra que los estereotipos de género en las tres dimensiones planteadas, aunque se han ido flexibilizando con el tiempo, continúan arraigados en el imaginario de los jóvenes, legitimando desigualdades históricas y construyendo modelos asimétricos de género centrados en actitudes sexistas de masculinidad y feminidad heredados de la tradición.

Introduction: inequity among men and women in perpetuated by automatized and generational reproduction of gender stereotypes, which appear enrooted in social subjectivity and are expressed in daily life by multiple ways. The present study is framed in the current efforts for potentiating a world in which gender equity prevails among machista attitudes and behaviors of ancestral character. Objective: to characterize the stereotypes associated to gender roles in the house, professional and academic, and partnership ambits in a sample of Cuban university students of Medical Sciences. Material and method: the study starts from the dialectical-materialistic method supported in theoretical methods such as the logic-historic and the structural-systemic, which permitted to analyze, from multiple dimensions, the masculinity and femininity models as interrelated and socially opposed systems. Also, empirical methods were used, such as the survey, the interview and, the discussion groups and composition, and descriptive statistics. Results: the analysis carried out showed that gender stereotypes affect and predispose the conceptions and ideas of the inter-gender relationships in people, including medical students, who showed sexist attitudes associated to their diverse spheres of performance: family, professional and academic life, engagement. Conclusions: the study carried out shows that gender steriotypes, in the three stated dimesnions, although have been flexibilized over the time, are still srootedn in the youth imagineries, legitimizing historial inequlities and construction asymetric gender models and patterns centered in sexist attitudes of masculinity and femininity traditionally heritaged.

Estereotipos de género sexistas: un estudio en jóvenes universitarios cubanos de medicina / Sexist gender stereotypes. A study in Cuban medicine students

La inequidad entre hombres y mujeres se perpetúa mediante la reproducción automatizada y generacional de los estereotipos de género, los cuales aparecen arraigados en la subjetividad social y se expresan en la vida cotidiana bajo múltiples formas. El presente estudio se enmarca en los esfuerzos actuales por potenciar un mundo en el que prevalezca la equidad de género por encima de actitudes y comportamientos machistas de carácter ancestral.Caracterizar los estereotipos asociados a los roles de género en los ámbitos doméstico, profesional-académico, y de pareja, en una muestra de estudiantes universitarios cubanos de ciencias médicas.El estudio parte del método materialista dialéctico apoyado en métodos teóricos como el histórico-lógico y el sistémico-estructural, el cual permitió analizar desde la multidimensionalidad, los modelos de masculinidad y feminidad como sistemas interrelacionados y socialmente impuestos. Asimismo, se emplearon métodos empíricos como la encuesta, la entrevista, el grupo de discusión y la composición; además de la estadística descriptiva.El análisis realizado demostró que los estereotipos de género matizan y predisponen las concepciones e ideas de las relaciones intergenéricas en las personas, incluidos los estudiantes de ciencias médicas, los cuales evidencian actitudes sexistas asociadas a sus diversas esferas de actuación y desempeño: familia, vida académica y profesional, relación de pareja.El estudio llevado a cabo demuestra que los estereotipos de género en las tres dimensiones planteadas, aunque se han ido flexibilizando con el tiempo, continúan arraigados en el imaginario de los jóvenes, legitimando desigualdades históricas y construyendo modelos asimétricos de género centrados en actitudes sexistas de masculinidad y feminidad heredados de la tradición(AU)

Inequity among men and women in perpetuated by automatized and generational reproduction of gender stereotypes, which appear enrooted in social subjectivity and are expressed in daily life by multiple ways. The present study is framed in the current efforts for potentiating a world in which gender equity prevails among machista attitudes and behaviors of ancestral character.The objective was to characterize the stereotypes associated to gender roles in the house, professional and academic, and partnership ambits in a sample of Cuban university students of Medical Sciences.The study starts from the dialectical-materialistic method supported in theoretical methods such as the logic-historic and the structural-systemic, which permitted to analyze, from multiple dimensions, the masculinity and femininity models as interrelated and socially opposed systems. Also, empirical methods were used, such as the survey, the interview and, the discussion groups and composition, and descriptive statistics.The analysis carried out showed that gender stereotypes affect and predispose the conceptions and ideas of the inter-gender relationships in people, including medical students, who showed sexist attitudes associated to their diverse spheres of performance: family, professional and academic life, engagement.The study carried out shows that gender steriotypes, in the three stated dimesnions, although have been flexibilized over the time, are still srootedn in the youth imagineries, legitimizing historial inequlities and construction asymetric gender models and patterns centered in sexist attitudes of masculinity and femininity traditionally heritaged(AU)

Interspecies competition triggers virulence and mutability in Candida albicans-Pseudomonas aeruginosa mixed biofilms.

Inter-kingdom and interspecies interactions are ubiquitous in nature and are important for the survival of species and ecological balance. The investigation of microbe-microbe interactions is essential for understanding the in vivo activities of commensal and pathogenic microorganisms. Candida albicans, a polymorphic fungus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a Gram-negative bacterium, are two opportunistic pathogens that interact in various polymicrobial infections in humans. To determine how P. aeruginosa affects the physiology of C. albicans and vice versa, we compared the proteomes of each species in mixed biofilms versus single-species biofilms. In addition, extracellular proteins were analyzed. We observed that, in mixed biofilms, both species showed differential expression of virulence proteins, multidrug resistance-associated proteins, proteases and cell defense, stress and iron-regulated proteins. Furthermore, in mixed biofilms, both species displayed an increase in mutability compared with monospecific biofilms. This characteristic was correlated with the downregulation of enzymes conferring protection against DNA oxidation. In mixed biofilms, P. aeruginosa regulates its production of various molecules involved in quorum sensing and induces the production of virulence factors (pyoverdine, rhamnolipids and pyocyanin), which are major contributors to the ability of this bacterium to cause disease. Overall, our results indicate that interspecies competition between these opportunistic pathogens enhances the production of virulence factors and increases mutability and thus can alter the course of host-pathogen interactions in polymicrobial infections.

Tumor de células granulosas en vulva: reporte de un caso / Granular cell tumor of the vulva: case report

El tumor de células granulosas (TCG) es una entidad infrecuente de la piel y tejidos blandos. Ocurre con más frecuencia en mujeres de raza negra, entre la segunda y sexta década de vida. La localización habitual es la cavidad oral, pero pueden aparecer en otros sitios. El compromiso vulvar ha sido reportado en el 5-16%. Aunque la mayoría son benignos, existe una rara variante maligna agresiva. El tratamiento de elección es la escisión quirúrgica amplia. Presentamos un caso de TCG en la vulva de una mujer de 65 años de edad y revisamos la literatura.

Granulosa cell tumor (GCT) is an uncommon skin and soft tissues disease. It occurs most often in black women between secondand sixth decade of life. Usual location involves oral cavity, but may appear in other sites. Vulvar commitment has been reportedin 5-16% of the cases. Mostly benign, but there is a rare aggressive malignant variant. Treatment choice is wide surgical excision.We report a 65-year-old woman with GCT of the vulva and review the literature.

Functional modules, structural topology, and optimal activity in metabolic networks.

Modular organization in biological networks has been suggested as a natural mechanism by which a cell coordinates its metabolic strategies for evolving and responding to environmental perturbations. To understand how this occurs, there is a need for developing computational schemes that contribute to integration of genomic-scale information and assist investigators in formulating biological hypotheses in a quantitative and systematic fashion. In this work, we combined metabolome data and constraint-based modeling to elucidate the relationships among structural modules, functional organization, and the optimal metabolic phenotype of Rhizobium etli, a bacterium that fixes nitrogen in symbiosis with Phaseolus vulgaris. To experimentally characterize the metabolic phenotype of this microorganism, we obtained the metabolic profile of 220 metabolites at two physiological stages: under free-living conditions, and during nitrogen fixation with P. vulgaris. By integrating these data into a constraint-based model, we built a refined computational platform with the capability to survey the metabolic activity underlying nitrogen fixation in R. etli. Topological analysis of the metabolic reconstruction led us to identify modular structures with functional activities. Consistent with modular activity in metabolism, we found that most of the metabolites experimentally detected in each module simultaneously increased their relative abundances during nitrogen fixation. In this work, we explore the relationships among topology, biological function, and optimal activity in the metabolism of R. etli through an integrative analysis based on modeling and metabolome data. Our findings suggest that the metabolic activity during nitrogen fixation is supported by interacting structural modules that correlate with three functional classifications: nucleic acids, peptides, and lipids. More fundamentally, we supply evidence that such modular organization during functional nitrogen fixation is a robust property under different environmental conditions.

Systems biology of bacterial nitrogen fixation: high-throughput technology and its integrative description with constraint-based modeling.

BACKGROUND: Bacterial nitrogen fixation is the biological process by which atmospheric nitrogen is uptaken by bacteroids located in plant root nodules and converted into ammonium through the enzymatic activity of nitrogenase. In practice, this biological process serves as a natural form of fertilization and its optimization has significant implications in sustainable agricultural programs. Currently, the advent of high-throughput technology supplies with valuable data that contribute to understanding the metabolic activity during bacterial nitrogen fixation. This undertaking is not trivial, and the development of computational methods useful in accomplishing an integrative, descriptive and predictive framework is a crucial issue to decoding the principles that regulated the metabolic activity of this biological process. RESULTS: In this work we present a systems biology description of the metabolic activity in bacterial nitrogen fixation. This was accomplished by an integrative analysis involving high-throughput data and constraint-based modeling to characterize the metabolic activity in Rhizobium etli bacteroids located at the root nodules of Phaseolus vulgaris (bean plant). Proteome and transcriptome technologies led us to identify 415 proteins and 689 up-regulated genes that orchestrate this biological process. Taking into account these data, we: 1) extended the metabolic reconstruction reported for R. etli; 2) simulated the metabolic activity during symbiotic nitrogen fixation; and 3) evaluated the in silico results in terms of bacteria phenotype. Notably, constraint-based modeling simulated nitrogen fixation activity in such a way that 76.83% of the enzymes and 69.48% of the genes were experimentally justified. Finally, to further assess the predictive scope of the computational model, gene deletion analysis was carried out on nine metabolic enzymes. Our model concluded that an altered metabolic activity on these enzymes induced different effects in nitrogen fixation, all of these in qualitative agreement with observations made in R. etli and other Rhizobiaceas. CONCLUSIONS: In this work we present a genome scale study of the metabolic activity in bacterial nitrogen fixation. This approach leads us to construct a computational model that serves as a guide for 1) integrating high-throughput data, 2) describing and predicting metabolic activity, and 3) designing experiments to explore the genotype-phenotype relationship in bacterial nitrogen fixation.

Controversies in the management of adjuvant breast cancer with taxanes: review of the current literature.

Taxanes offer clear benefits in adjuvant chemotherapy for early breast cancer. This review examines evidence to date on the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of their use in the adjuvant treatment of women with early breast cancer, based on three meta-analyses, one systematic review, five clinical practice guidelines and 16 randomized clinical trials. Against the background of a major increase in the use of docetaxel rather than paclitaxel in our setting over the past few years, implying a major increase in costs, we examined whether this higher use of docetaxel is supported by the available evidence. In this wide study, we found no evidence that regimens containing docetaxel yield greater benefits than those including paclitaxel. From an effectiveness standpoint, the change from paclitaxel to docetaxel in our setting is not justified.

Xantogranuloma juvenil y leucemia linfática aguda / Juvenile xanthogranuloma and acute lymphatic leukemia

El xantogranuloma juvenil es la mas frecuente de las histiocitosis de células no Langerhans, de naturaleza benigna y autoinvolutiva. Se presenta con lesiones papulares o nodulares, únicas o múltiples, amarillo-anaranjadas, localizadas en la piel y, ocasionalmente, en otros órganos. Ocurre principalmente en la infancia. Se encuentra descripta su asociación con neurofibromatosis tipo 1 y leucemia mielomonocítica juvenil. Su pronóstico es excelente cuando no hay afección sistémica.. Presentamos el caso de una niña de 9 años de edad con diagnóstico de xantogranuloma juvenil asociado a leucemia linfática aguda y antecedente familiar de neurofibromatosis tipo 1.

Juvenile xanthogranuloma is the most common type of non-Langerhans cell histiocytosis, with a bening and self-healing course. It presents with one or more orange-yellow papules or nodules in the skin and, occasionally, in other organs. The disease occurs mainly in childhood, although it may affect adults. The association of juvenile xanthogranuloma with neurofibromatosis type 1 and juvenile myelogenous leukemia is well documented. The prognosis is excellent when there is no systemic involvement. We herein present the case of a 9-year-old girl with a juvenile xanthogranuloma associated with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and a family history of neurofibromatosis type 1.

Proline-rich cell wall proteins accumulate in growing regions and phloem tissue in response to water deficit in common bean seedlings.

Plant cell walls undergo dynamic changes in response to different environmental stress conditions. In response to water deficit, two related proline-rich glycoproteins, called p33 and p36, accumulate in the soluble fraction of the cell walls in Phaseolus vulgaris (Covarrubias et al. in Plant Physiol 107:1119-1128, 1995). In this work, we show that p33 and p36 are able to form a 240 kDa oligomer, which is found in the cell wall soluble fraction. We present evidence indicating that the highest accumulation of these proteins in response to water deficit occurs in the growing regions of common bean seedlings, particularly in the phloem tissues. These proteins were detected in P. vulgaris cell suspension cultures, where the p33/p36 ratio was higher under hyperosmotic conditions than in bean seedlings subjected to the same treatment. The results support a role for these proteins during the plant cell response to changes in its water status, and suggest that cell wall modifications are induced in active growing cells of common bean in response to water limitation.

Comparative proteomics using 2-D gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry as tools to dissect stimulons and regulons in bacteria with sequenced or partially sequenced genomes.

We propose two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) and mass spectrometry to define the protein components of regulons and stimulons in bacteria, including those organisms where genome sequencing is still in progress. The basic 2-DE protocol allows high resolution and reproducibility and enables the direct comparison of hundreds or even thousands of proteins simultaneously. To identify proteins that comprise stimulons and regulons, peptide mass fingerprint (PMF) with matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization/time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) analysis is the first option and, if results from this tool are insufficient, complementary data obtained with electrospray ionization tandem-MS (ESI-MS/MS) may permit successful protein identification. ESI-MS/MS and MALDI-TOF-MS provide complementary data sets, and so a more comprehensive coverage of a proteome can be obtained using both techniques with the same sample, especially when few sequenced proteins of a particular organism exist or genome sequencing is still in progress.

Family clustering of blood cancers as a risk factor for lymphoid neoplasms.

Family aggregation of cancer was significantly more common among 588 incident cases with lymphoid neoplasms than among 631 controls (OR: 1.4; 95%CI= 1.1-1.8, p value=0.004). This association was of particular relevance among cases of multiple myeloma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia, with a 2-fold increased risk, the latter also showing an almost 4-fold increased risk of family aggregation of hematologic cancers.

Proteome analysis of aerobic and fermentative metabolism in Rhizobium etli CE3.

Rhizobium etli undergoes a transition from an aerobic to a fermentative metabolism during successive subcultures in minimal medium. This metabolic transition does not occur in cells subcultured in rich medium, or in minimal medium containing either biotin or thiamine. In this report, we characterize the aerobic and fermentative metabolism of R. etli using proteome analysis. According to their synthesis patterns in response to aerobic (rich medium, minimal medium with biotin or minimal medium with thiamine) or fermentative (minimal medium without supplements) growth conditions, proteins were assigned to five different classes: (i) proteins produced only in aerobic conditions (e.g., catalase-peroxidase KatG and the E2 component of pyruvate dehydrogenase); (ii) protein produced under both conditions but strongly induced in aerobic metabolism (e.g., malate dehydrogenase and the succinyl-CoA synthetase beta subunit); (iii) proteins that were induced equally under all conditions tested (e.g., AniA, DnaK, and GroEL); (iv) proteins downregulated during aerobic metabolism, and (v) proteins specific to only one of the conditions analyzed. Northern blotting studies of katG expression confirmed the proteome data for this protein. The negative regulation of carbon metabolism proteins observed in fermentative metabolism is consistent with the drastic physiological changes which occur during this process.

Guías de práctica clínica de la Sociedad Española de Cardiología en pruebas de esfuerzo / Guidelines of the Spanish Society of Cardiology for clinical practice in exercise testing

La mayor parte de las pruebas de esfuerzo se realizan a pacientes adultos con cardiopatía isquémica en estudio o ya conocida. En los últimos años se ha producido la incorporación de las técnicas de imagen en este campo, mejorando así la información aportada por la prueba de esfuerzo convencional. Pero cada vez existen más situaciones que escapan a esta norma general, tanto en sujetos sanos (asintomáticos, atletas, discapacitados, etc.) como en pacientes con cardiopatías diferentes de la isquémica (insuficiencia cardíaca congestiva avanzada, hipertensión, trastornos del ritmo, cardiopatías congénitas etc.). Todos estos aspectos justifican un documento de consenso en España, necesariamente multidisciplinario. Este documento revisa en profundidad la metodología de las pruebas de esfuerzo convencionales, sin olvidar las realizadas con determinación de consumo de oxígeno. El papel de esta exploración en el manejo de la cardiopatía isquémica, así como las aplicaciones de las técnicas de imagen al campo de estrés, ocupan un lugar fundamental en esta revisión. Por último, se analiza la utilidad de las pruebas de esfuerzo en diversas cardiopatías no isquémicas y en diferentes poblaciones de sujetos sanos (AU)