Primary human hepatocytes-laden scaffolds for the treatment of acute liver failure.

Cell-based liver therapies based on retrieving and steadying failed metabolic function(s) for acute and chronic diseases could be a valuable substitute for liver transplants, even though they are limited by the low engraftment capability and reduced functional quality of primary human hepatocytes (PHH). In this paper we propose the use of gelatin-hyaluronic acid (Gel-HA) scaffolds seeded with PHH for the treatment of liver failure. We first optimized the composition using Gel-HA hydrogels, looking for the mechanical properties closer to the human liver and determining HepG2 cells functionality. Gel-HA scaffolds with interconnected porosity (pore size 102 µm) were prepared and used for PHH culture and evaluation of key hepatic functions. PHH cultured in Gel-HA scaffolds exhibited increased albumin and urea secretion and metabolic capacity (CYP and UGT activity levels) compared to standard monolayer cultures. The transplant of the scaffold containing PHH led to an improvement in liver function (transaminase levels, necrosis) and ameliorated damage in a mouse model of acetaminophen (APAP)-induced liver failure. The study provided a mechanistic understanding of APAP-induced liver injury and the impact of transplantation by analyzing cytokine production and oxidative stress induction to find suitable biomarkers of cell therapy effectiveness.

¿Mienten los pacientes con EPOC sobre su hábito tabáquico? / Do COPD patients lie about their smoking habit?

OBJETIVO: Determinar la tasa de decepción o concordancia entre la respuesta de los pacientes con enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica (EPOC) sobre su hábito tabáquico y la medición del mismo por cooximetría en una consulta monográfica EPOC. DISEÑO: Estudio observacional prospectivo para determinar la concordancia entre los valores de cooximetría y la respuesta a entrevista clínica sobre hábito tabáquico. EMPLAZAMIENTO: Consulta monográfica de EPOC, Neumología, Sevilla. PARTICIPANTES: Pacientes con diagnóstico confirmado de EPOC en cualquier grado. INTERVENCIONES: Entrevista clínica y medición de monóxido de carbono mediante cooximetría. MEDICIONES PRINCIPALES: Valores de cooximetría, respuestas sobre hábito tabáquico, variables sociodemográficas. RESULTADOS: Se incluyó un total de 169 pacientes (n: 169) de los cuales, 107 presentaron valores menores o iguales 6 ppm frente a 62 con valores mayores a 6 ppm, determinando una prevalencia de tabaquismo activo del 36,7%. La tasa de decepción fue del 19,5% del total de la muestra (24,3% de entre todos los que afirmaban no fumar), con una kappa de Cohen de 0,48 y p < 0,000. El 40% de los pacientes confesó no haber dicho la verdad. No se encontró ninguna relación de este dato con la edad, el consumo acumulado de tabaco ni el FEV1. Se halló una relación significativa con el sexo (tasa de decepción: 31,8% en las mujeres vs. 15,2% en los hombres, p 0,017). CONCLUSIONES: A pesar de nuestros intentos para que los pacientes dejen de fumar, la tasa de decepción en nuestra consulta fue considerable, mayor entre las mujeres, exfumadores recientes o en proceso de abandono, por lo que sería fundamental incorporar medidas objetivas como el cooxímetro en el abordaje de este tipo de pacientes

OBJECTIVE: To determine the deception rate or concordance between the interview on smoking and cooximetry in COPD patients from a monographic consultation. DESIGN: Prospective observational study to evaluate the concordance between the values of cooximetry and the response to a clinical interview on smoking. SETTING: COPD monographic consultation, Pneumology, Seville. PARTICIPANTS: Patients with a confirmed diagnosis of COPD in any degree. INTERVENTIONS: Clinical interview and measurement of carbon monoxide by cooximetry. MAIN MEASUREMENTS: Cooximetry values, responses on smoking, sociodemographic variables. RESULTS: n: 169. 107 patients presented values less than or equal to 6 ppm compared to 62 with values greater than 6 ppm, determining a prevalence of active smoking of 36.7%. The deception rate was 19.5% of the total sample (24.3% of all those who claimed not to smoke), with a Cohen kappa of 0.48 and p < 0.000. 40% of patients confessed not having told the truth. No relationship of this data was found with age, accumulated tobacco consumption or FEV1. A significant relationship with sex was found (deception rate: 31.8% in women vs. 15.2% in men, p 0.017). CONCLUSIONS: In spite of our attempts to make patients stop smoking, a considerable deception rate was found in our consultation; higher among women, recent ex-smokers or in the process of abandonment, so it would be essential to incorporate objective measures such as the cooximeter in the approach of this type of patient

Synthesis and Characterization of Oxidized Polysaccharides for In Situ Forming Hydrogels.

Polysaccharides are widely used as building blocks of scaffolds and hydrogels in tissue engineering, which may require their chemical modification to permit crosslinking. The goal of this study was to generate a library of oxidized alginate (oALG) and oxidized hyaluronic acid (oHA) that can be used for in situ gelling hydrogels by covalent reaction between aldehyde groups of the oxidized polysaccharides (oPS) and amino groups of carboxymethyl chitosan (CMC) through imine bond formation. Here, we studied the effect of sodium periodate concentration and reaction time on aldehyde content, molecular weight of derivatives and cytotoxicity of oPS towards 3T3-L1 fibroblasts. It was found that the molecular weights of all oPs decreased with oxidation and that the degree of oxidation was generally higher in oHA than in oALG. Studies showed that only oPs with an oxidation degree above 25% were cytotoxic. Initial studies were also done on the crosslinking of oPs with CMC showing with rheometry that rather soft gels were formed from higher oxidized oPs possessing a moderate cytotoxicity. The results of this study indicate the potential of oALG and oHA for use as in situ gelling hydrogels or inks in bioprinting for application in tissue engineering and controlled release.

[Do COPD patients lie about their smoking habit?] / ¿Mienten los pacientes con EPOC sobre su hábito tabáquico?

OBJECTIVE: To determine the deception rate or concordance between the interview on smoking and cooximetry in COPD patients from a monographic consultation. DESIGN: Prospective observational study to evaluate the concordance between the values of cooximetry and the response to a clinical interview on smoking. SETTING: COPD monographic consultation, Pneumology, Seville. PARTICIPANTS: Patients with a confirmed diagnosis of COPD in any degree. INTERVENTIONS: Clinical interview and measurement of carbon monoxide by cooximetry. MAIN MEASUREMENTS: Cooximetry values, responses on smoking, sociodemographic variables. RESULTS: n: 169. 107 patients presented values less than or equal to 6 ppm compared to 62 with values greater than 6 ppm, determining a prevalence of active smoking of 36.7%. The deception rate was 19.5% of the total sample (24.3% of all those who claimed not to smoke), with a Cohen kappa of 0.48 and p < 0.000. 40% of patients confessed not having told the truth. No relationship of this data was found with age, accumulated tobacco consumption or FEV1. A significant relationship with sex was found (deception rate: 31.8% in women vs. 15.2% in men, p 0.017). CONCLUSIONS: In spite of our attempts to make patients stop smoking, a considerable deception rate was found in our consultation; higher among women, recent ex-smokers or in the process of abandonment, so it would be essential to incorporate objective measures such as the cooximeter in the approach of this type of patient.

A sorbent tube for oral malodour monitoring.

Volatile sulphur compounds (VSCs) and particularly hydrogen sulphide are considered as the predominant gases causing oral malodour. In this paper, a simple alarm sensor has been developed for VSCs determination in mouth air. The device consists of a glass tube packed with a solid sensing phase. The VSCs react with the sensing phase to produce a change in the colour of the sensor visible with a naked eye. Different "reagents" were investigated to develop the sensing phase (neocuproine + Cu(II), bathocuproine + Cu(II), resazurin, 2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol and lead acetate), finding the neocuproine + Cu(II) as the best for our purposes. Also, different substrates such as Amberlite XAD-4 and XAD-7 and different trademarks of silica gel were tested as solid supports, being selected the silica gel. A device consisting of a glass tube packed with the sensing phase was optimized and tested with halitosis patients as a rapid illness test and the results compared with those obtained with a commercially available instrument, the Halimetertrade mark, used for the determination of VSCs in mouth air. The results exhibited acceptable agreement between the proposed "qualitative" alarm sensor and a commercially available technique selected as reference, showing the possibility of using this "visual sensor" to control the halitosis and its evolution with an eventual treatment, by the own patient.