Cost-Effective Trap qPCR Approach to Evaluate Telomerase Activity: an Important Tool for Aging, Cancer, and Chronic Disease Research

OBJECTIVES: Telomeres are a terminal "DNA cap" that prevent chromosomal fusion and degradation. However, aging is inherent to life, and so is the loss of terminal sequences. Telomerase is a specialized reverse transcriptase encoded by self-splicing introns that counteract chromosome erosion. Telomerase activity is observed during early embryonic development, but after the blastocyst stage, the expression of telomerase reduces. The consequences of either insufficient or unrestrained telomerase activity underscore the importance of ongoing studies aimed at elucidating the regulation of telomerase activity in humans. In the present study, we aimed to standardize a simplified telomerase repeat-amplification protocol (TRAP) assay to detect telomerase activity in unstimulated and PHA-stimulated mononuclear cells. METHODS and RESULTS: Our optimized qPCR-based can efficiently evaluate telomerase activity. Quantification of protein and DNA between unstimulated and PHA-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells revealed cellular activation and cell-cycle entry. The assay also showed that relative telomerase activity is significantly different between these two conditions, supporting the applicability of the assay. Furthermore, our findings corroborated that telomerase activity decreases with age. CONCLUSIONS: Telomeres and telomerase are implicated in aging and development of chronic diseases and cancer; however, difficulty in accessing commercial kits to investigate these aspects is a critical constraint in health surveillance studies. Our optimized assay was successfully used to differentiate telomerase activity between unstimulated and stimulated cells, clearly showing the reactivation of telomerase upon cell activation. This assay is affordable, reproducible, and can be executed in resource-limited settings.

Percepción parental de la salud psicofísica, estado nutricional y salud bucal, en relación con características sociodemográficas en niños de Bariloche, Argentina: estudio epidemiológico / Parental perception of psychophysical health, nutritional status and oral health in relation to sociodemographic characteristics in children in Bariloche, Argentina: an epidemiological study

Introducción. Existen evidencias de la asociación de determinantes sociales con la salud infantil. Objetivo. Identificar características sociodemográficas asociadas a desigualdades en la salud infantil y evaluar el efecto acumulado sobre la salud de factores de riesgo basados en estas características. Población y métodos. Evaluamos niños de 4-13 años, de Bariloche, entre junio de 2008 y mayo de 2009. Características sociodemográficas consideradas: nivel socioeconómico, educación materna, embarazo adolescente, cobertura médica, inseguridad y hábitos familiares. Valoramos la percepción parental de la salud física y socioemocional, el estado nutricional y la salud bucal en relación con dichas características y con la acumulación de factores de riesgo. Utilizamos encuesta, antropometría y examen bucal. Resultados. Participaron 180 escolares. El nivel educativo materno se asoció con la salud física, socioemocional y bucal del niño. El porcentaje de niños con piezas faltantes o caries fue 77% entre aquellos cuyas madres, como máximo, habían completado el primario, comparado con 13% entre aquellos cuyas madres habían completado estudios terciarios/universitarios. La posibilidad de percepción de salud física y socioemocional no óptima aumentó con cada factor de riesgo 1,8 y 1,4 veces, respectivamente, y la posibilidad de caries o piezas faltantes se duplicó con cada factor de riesgo adicional. El 27,3% de los escolares presentó sobrepeso y el 8,7%, obesidad, y no se encontró asociación con características sociodemográficas. Conclusiones. El bajo nivel socioeconómico familiar y educativo materno se asoció con una mayor prevalencia de resultados de salud desfavorables. Múltiples factores de riesgo tienen un efecto acumulado sobre la percepción parental de la salud física y socioemocional y la salud bucal.

Introduction. There is evidence of an association between social determinants and child health. Objective. To identify sociodemographic characteristics related to child health inequalities and to analize the cumulative effect on health of risk factors based on these characteristics. Population and Methods. We evaluated 4-13 year-old children in Bariloche between June 2008 and May 2009. The following sociodemographic characteristics were taken into account: socioeconomic level, maternal education, adolescent pregnancy, medical coverage, unsafeness, and family habits. We assessed parental perception of physical, and social and emotional health, nutritional status and oral health in relation to these characteristics and the accumulation of risk factors. We used survey, anthropometry and oral examination. Results. One hundred and eighty students participated. The level of maternal education was associated with the child's physical, social and emotional, and oral health. The percentage of children with missing teeth or cavities reached 77% among those whose mothers had, at most, completed primary school, compared to 13% among those whose mothers had completed tertiary school or university. The possibility of perceiving a non-optimal physical, and social and emotional health increased 1.8 and 1.4 times with each risk factor, respectively, and the possibility of having missing teeth or cavities was twice as much with each additional risk factor. Overweight and obesity was observed in 27.3% and 8.7% of students, respectively, and no relationship was found with sociodemographic characteristics. Conclusions. A low family socioeconomic level and a low maternal education level were associated with a higher prevalence of unfavorable health outcomes. Multiple risk factors have an cumulative effect on parental perception of physical, social and emotional, and oral health.

Instrument to assess the nursing care product: development and content validation / Instrumento para avaliação do produto do cuidar em enfermagem: desenvolvimento e validação de conteúdo / Instrumento para evaluación del producto del cuidar en enfermería: desarrollo y validación de contenido

AbstractObjectives: develop and validate the content of a tool about nursing care production.Method: the data were collected between 2011 and 2013, based on focus groups, the application of semistructured questionnaires (prototype test) and the Delphi technique. The focus groups were used to produce the instrument items and held at three hospitals in the interior of the State of São Paulo, involving 20 nurses. A panel of 10 experts evaluated the instrument.Results: after two phases of the Delphi technique, the tool consisted of eight items. The content validity index of the scale corresponded to ≥0.9 and the content validity of the items ranged between 0.8 and 1.0, indicating the maintenance of the structure and content. The assertion on the applicability in daily nursing practice showed a content validity index of the scale equal to 0.8.Conclusion: this study permitted the development and content validation of scale on nursing care production, equipping the nurses in their management practice.

ResumoObjetivos:desenvolver e validar o conteúdo de um instrumento sobre produção do cuidado de enfermagem.Método:a coleta de dados ocorreu entre 2011 e 2013, a partir de grupos focais, aplicação de questionários semiestruturados (teste do protótipo) e técnica Delphi. Os grupos focais foram utilizados para geração de itens do instrumento e realizados em três hospitais do interior do Estado de São Paulo, com a participação de 20 enfermeiros. A apreciação do instrumento foi conduzida por um painel de 10 especialistas.Resultados:após duas fases da técnica Delphi, o instrumento passou a ser constituído por oito itens. O índice de validade do conteúdo da escala foi de ≥0,9 e a validade dos conteúdos dos itens apresentou variação de 0,8 a 1,0, indicando a manutenção da estrutura e do conteúdo. A afirmativa referente à aplicabilidade na prática diária do enfermeiro apresentou índice de validade do conteúdo da escala de 0,8.Conclusão:este estudo possibilitou desenvolver e validar o conteúdo de uma escala sobre produção do cuidado de enfermagem, instrumentalizando os enfermeiros em sua prática gerencial.

ResumenObjetivos:desarrollar y validar el contenido de un instrumento sobre producción del cuidado de enfermería.Método:los datos fueron recolectados entre 2011 y 2013, a partir de grupos focales, aplicación de cuestionarios semiestructurados (prueba del prototipo) y técnica Delphi. Los grupos focales fueron utilizados para generar ítems del instrumento y organizados en tres hospitales del interior del Estado de São Paulo, con la participación de 20 enfermeros. La apreciación del instrumento fue conducida por un panel de 10 especialistas.Resultados:tras dos fases de la técnica Delphi, el instrumento pasó a ser constituido por ocho ítems. El índice de validez de contenido de la escala fue ≥0,9 y la validez de los contenidos mostró variación de 0,8 a 1,0, indicando la manutención de la estructura y del contenido. La afirmativa respecto a la aplicabilidad en la práctica diaria del enfermero mostró índice de validez del contenido de la escala de 0,8.Conclusión:este estudio permitió desarrollar y validar el contenido de una escala sobre producción del cuidado de enfermería, instrumentalizando los enfermeros en su práctica gerencial.

The human leukocyte antigen G molecule (HLA-G) expression in patients with nasal polyposis / A expressão do antígeno humano leucocitário G (HLA-G) em pacientes com polipose nasossinusal

INTRODUCTION: Sinonasal polyposis (NP) is a chronic inflammatory pathology of the nasal/paranasal cavities which affects from 1%-4% of the population. Although polyps seem to be a manifestation of chronic inflammation in both allergic and non-allergic subjects, the pathogenesis of nasal polyposis remains unknown. HLA-G molecules are a kind of no classic class I antigen with anti-inflammatory and tolerogenic properties. Little attention has been paid to the role of HLA-G chronic inflammatory disorders. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to investigate the expression of HLA-G in the NP. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Prospective study involving samples of patients presenting with nasal polyposis that were subjected to the immunohistochemistry technique. After a skin prick test, all patients were divided into atopic and nonatopic groups and classified as asthmatic or non-asthmatic. RESULTS: Immunohistochemical staining demonstrated a higher expression of the HLA-G molecule in samples from nonatopic than in those from atopic patients, and was significantly lower in the non-asthmatic patients. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that HLA-G may play an important role in the pathology of nasal polyposis. Considering the anti-inflammatory properties of HLA-G, this study suggests that it could reduce susceptibility to atopy and asthma. .

INTRODUÇÃO: Polipose nasossinusal (PNS) é uma patologia inflamatória crônica das cavidades nasais/paranasais que afeta 1%-4% da população. Embora os pólipos pareçam ser uma manifestação de inflamação crônica em ambos os indivíduos alérgicos e não alérgicos, a patogênese da polipose nasal permanece desconhecida. Moléculas HLA-G são antígenos não clássicos da classe I com propriedades anti-inflamatórias e tolerogênicas. Pouca atenção tem sido dada ao papel do HLA-G em doenças inflamatórias crônicas. OBJETIVO: Investigar a expressão de HLA-G na PNS. MATERIAIS E MÉTODOS: Estudo prospectivo de pacientes com polipose nasal que foram submetidas à técnica de imuno-histoquímica. Após realizarem teste cutâneo, os pacientes foram divididos em grupos atópicos e não atópicos e classificados como asmáticos ou não asmáticos. RESULTADO: A coloração imuno-histoquímica mostrou uma maior expressão da molécula HLA-G em pacientes não atópicos do que naqueles atópicos e foi significativamente inferior nos pacientes não asmáticos. CONCLUSÃO: Os resultados indicam que o HLA-G pode ter um papel importante na patologia da polipose nasal. Considerando as propriedades anti-inflamatórias do HLA-G, este estudo sugere que ele poderia reduzir a susceptibilidade a atopia e asma. .