Evidence for the 125 GeV Higgs boson decaying to a pair of tau leptons

A search for a standard model Higgs boson decaying into a pair of tau leptons is performed using events recorded by the CMS experiment at the LHC in 2011 and 2012. The dataset corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 4.9 fb(-1) at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV and 19.7 fb(-1) at 8 TeV. Each tau lepton decays hadronically or leptonically to an electron or a muon, leading to six different final states for the tau-lepton pair, all considered in this analysis. An excess of events is observed over the expected background contributions, with a local significance larger than 3 standard deviations for m (H) values between 115 and 130 GeV. The best fit of the observed H -> tau tau signal cross section times branching fraction for m(H) = 125 GeV is 0.78 +/- 0.27 times the standard model expectation. These observations constitute evidence for the 125 GeV Higgs boson decaying to a pair of tau leptons

The white coat effect is not associated with additional increase of target organ damage in true resistant hypertension

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Background and objective: White coat effect (WCE) (i.e., the difference between office blood pressure [OBP] and awake ambulatory blood pressure monitoring [ABPM]) may be present in hypertensive individuals. The relationship between occurrence of WCE and target organ damage (TOD) has not yet been assessed in true resistant hypertension (RHTN). Patients and methods: RHTN patients were divided into two groups: RHTN with WCE (WCE, n = 66) and RHTN without WCE (non-WCE, n = 61). All patients were submitted to OBP measurement, ABPM, echocardiography and renal function evaluation in three visits. Results: No differences were observed between the WCE and non-WCE groups regarding age, body mass index or gender. OBP were 169.8 +/- 15.8/95.1 +/- 14.0 (WCE) and 161.9 +/- 9.0/90.1 +/- 10.4 mmHg (non-WCE), ABPM = 143.0 +/- 12.8/86.1 +/- 9.9 (WCE) and 146.1 +/- 13.6/85.1 +/- 14.9 mmHg (non-WCE). No statistical differences were observed between WCE and non-WCE subgroups with respect to left ventricular mass index (LVMI) (WCE = 131 +/- 4.7; non-WCE = 125 +/- 2.9 g/m(2)), creatinine clearance (WCE = 78 4.7; non-WCE = 80 +/- 3.6 ml/min/m(2)) and microalbuminuria (MA) (WCE = 44 +/- 8.4; non-WCE = 49 +/- 6.8 mg/g Cr). Conclusions: This finding may suggest that WCE is not associated with additional increase of TOD in true RHTN subjects. (C) 2012 Elsevier Espana, S.L. All rights reserved.140115Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES

Hypoadiponectinemia and aldosterone excess are associated with lack of blood pressure control in subjects with resistant hypertension

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Obesity, arterial stiffness and high aldosterone levels can interact to cause resistant hypertension (RHTN). Lower adiponectin (APN) levels may be significantly associated with hypertension. However, the importance of hypoadiponectinemia as a complicating factor in the lack of blood pressure (BP) control in individuals with RHTN has not been demonstrated. Ninety-six RHTN patients were classified into uncontrolled (UCRHTN, n = 44) and controlled (CRHTN, n = 52) subgroups. Their APN and aldosterone levels, office and ambulatory BP (ABPM) measurements, endothelium-dependent brachial artery responses (flow-mediated dilation (FMD)), left ventricular mass index (LVMI) and pulse wave velocity (PWV) were evaluated. The UCRHTN subgroup had increased aldosterone levels, as well as higher LVMI and PWV. In addition, lower APN levels and impaired FMD response were found in this subgroup. The brachial and ABPM pulse pressures were inversely associated with the APN levels (r = -0.45, P = 0.002; r = -0.33, P = 0.03, respectively), as were the aldosterone levels and the PWV (r = -0.38, P = 0.01; r = -0.36, P = 0.02, respectively) in UCRHTN patients. The PWV was only significantly influenced by the APN level in the UCRHTN subgroup in the multivariate regression analysis. None of the correlations mentioned above were observed in the CRHTN subgroup. Hypoadiponectinemia and high aldosterone levels may therefore be implicated in resistance to antihypertensive therapy related to arterial stiffness.361210671072Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES

High-circulating leptin levels are associated with increased blood pressure in uncontrolled resistant hypertension

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Leptin and aldosterone have been associated with the pathophysiological mechanisms of hypertension. However, despite studies showing the association of leptin with intima-media thickness, arterial distensibility and sympathetic nerve activation, the relationship between leptin and blood pressure (BP) in resistant hypertension (RHTN) is unknown. We aimed to assess the correlation of plasma leptin and aldosterone levels with BP in uncontrolled controlled RHTN (UCRHTN) and CRHTN patients. Plasma leptin and aldosterone levels, office BP, ambulatory BP monitoring and heart rate were measured in 41 UCRHTN, 39 CRHTN and 31 well-controlled HTN patients. No differences were observed between the three groups regarding gender, body mass index and age. The UCRHTN group had increased leptin when compared with CRHTN and well-controlled HTN patients (38.2 +/- 21.4, 19.6 +/- 8.7 and 20.94 +/- 13.9 ng ml(-1), respectively; P<0.05). Aldosterone levels values were also statistically different when comparing RHTN, CRHTN and well-controlled HTN patients (9.6 +/- 3.8, 8.1 +/- 5.0 and 8.0 +/- 4.7 ng dl(-1), respectively; P<0.05). As expected, UCRHTN patients had higher heart rate values compared with CRHTN and well-controlled HTN patients (86.2 +/- 7.2, 83.5 +/- 6.7 and 83.4 +/- 8.5, respectively; P<0.05). Plasma leptin positively correlated with systolic (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP), and aldosterone (r = 0.43, 0.35 and 0.47, respectively; all P<0.05) in UCRHTN, but neither in the CRHTN nor in the HTN group. Simple linear regression showed that SBP, DBP and aldosterone may be predicted by leptin (r(2) = 0.16, 0.15 and 0.19, respectively; all P<0.05) only in the UCRHTN subgroup. In conclusion, UCRHTN patients have higher circulating leptin levels associated with increased plasma aldosterone and BP levels when compared with CRHTN and HTN subjects.274225230Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES

Plasma oxytocin concentration during pregnancy is associated with development of postpartum depression

Postpartum depression (PPD) affects up to 19% of all women after parturition. The non-apeptide oxytocin (OXT) is involved in adjustment to pregnancy, maternal behavior, and bonding. Our aim was to examine the possible association between plasma OXT during pregnancy and the development of PPD symptoms. A total of 74 healthy, pregnant women were included in this prospective study. During the third trimester of pregnancy and within 2 weeks after parturition, PPD symptoms were assessed using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). Blood samples for plasma OXT assessment were collected in the third trimester. Following the literature, participants with postpartum EPDS scores of 10 or more were regarded as being at risk for PPD development (rPPD group). In a logistic regression analysis, plasma OXT was included as a potential predictor for being at risk for PPD. Results were controlled for prepartal EPDS score, sociodemographic and birth-outcome variables. Plasma OXT concentration in mid-pregnancy significantly predicted PPD symptoms at 2 weeks postpartum. Compared with the no-risk-for-PPD group, the rPPD group was characterized by lower plasma OXT concentrations. To our knowledge, this is the first study to show an association between prepartal plasma OXT concentration and postpartal symptoms of PPD in humans. Assuming a causal relationship, enhancing OXT release during pregnancy could serve as a potential target in prepartum PPD prevention, and help to minimize adverse effects of PPD on the mother-child relationship