Antiproliferative and pro-apoptotic effects of Andean berry juice (Vaccinium meridionale Swartz) on human colon adenocarcinoma SW480 cells

ABSTRACT: Vaccium meridionale Swartz, commonly Andean Berry, has a high content of several phytochemicals, such as anthocyanins, phenolic acids, and other flavonoids. However, in spite of its antioxidant capacity, there is little information about its anticarcinogenic properties. This study evaluated the antiproliferative and pro-apoptotic activity of Andean Berry Juice (ABJ) on human colon adenocarcinoma SW480 cells. The antiproliferative activity of ABJ was evaluated on SW480 cells using the Sulphorodamine B assay.The effect on cell viability, cytotoxicity and activation of caspase-3 was analyzed using The ApoTox-GloTM Triplex Assay. Specific apoptotic biomarkers cleaved PARP, total Bcl-2-associated death promote (BAD), phosphorylated BAD, total p53, and phosphorylated p53 were also analyzed. To determine the intracellular redox-state, the Glutathione Assay Kit and 2′-7′- Dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA) were used, respectively. The antiproliferative assay showed a IC50 value of 8% v/v ABJ, the caspase 3 activity was increased in time-dependent manner in SW480 treated cells, the proapoptotic proteins (cleaved caspase 3, cleaved PARP, P53 and total BAD) were increased by 1.6 to 2.0 fold. In addition, the ABJ-treated SW480 cells increased significantly the production of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), parallel with reduction in the intracellular content of glutathione (GSH) and consequently a decrease of GSH/ oxidized glutathione (GSSG) ratio. In conclusion, the ABJ was able to inhibit SW480 cells proliferation involving apoptotic mechanisms through the perturbation of intracellular oxidative state

Financial economics: Dynamic analysis of macrofundamental variables and risk cases, Colombia and Lima (Peru)

Dedicated to all those who believe in their dreams and sow day by day to achieve them. This research book is the product of a frank and open debate related to the importance of accurately measuring financial phenomena that turn out to be related to scenarios of economic openness, financial globalization, competitive market environments and their incidence on risk. Thus, the authors of this book have wanted to show in a clear and detailed way methodological approaches that allow future researchers to carry out replications of this work in other contexts or to broaden the theoretical reflection to strengthen the theoretical framework of financial economics. The analysis contexts in this book have been chosen considering spatial, temporal or historical peculiarities that have aroused intellectual interest in understanding how differentiated impacts are produced on commodity prices, exchange rate and risk or which variables are determinants of these categories of analysis. This work aims to provide investors and researchers with a methodological approach to carry out technical and / or fundamental analyzes for the prediction of the behavior of the main currency pairs worldwide, especially those that can be traded through the Internet, in various platforms that brokers develop to facilitate access and participation in these types of markets. In many cases, the broad panorama of research topics related to the field of financial economics may induce a greater focus on performance analysis to leave out very important elements that should be considered when making investment decisions, such as For example, the most appropriate statistical tools for a certain behavior, the combination of analysis to confirm or deny a prediction, the indicators of more and less risky operations, linearity or non-linearity in quantitative relationships of interest. However, this work does not guarantee success in your investment decisions, due to a large number of factors that will be explained later in the following chapters, however, it intends to considerably reduce your deliberate, irrational and unfounded decisions, regarding amounts, risk analysis, types of currency, duration and times when financial operations are carried out. This requires the application of statistical tools (technical analysis) based on longitudinal data available in secondary information sources and the analysis of the most influential economic indicators in the behavior of the assets mentioned in the document (fundamental analysis). Carlos David Cardona Arena

Stem cell therapy in cirrhosis

ABSTRACT: We present a review of the literature on stem cells as therapy for cirrhosis. We emphasize on a description of the present scientific status of the field and its clinical implications. Cell therapy has been proposed in view of the shortage of liver organ donors, and the complications of immunosuppressive therapy. Stem cells may be obtained from different sources such as the blastocyst, bone marrow and even mature hepatocytes. The ability to proliferate and differentiate varies among these cell types. Such variations, among other factors, influence their clinical utility. The safety and feasibility of this technique to improve fibrosis, the ability of the cells to differentiate and replicate, and some clinical parameters have been assessed in both animal models and human beings. Results, although encouraging, should be carefully interpreted. In conclusion, further studies are required on stem cell therapy for cirrhosis because it is still a controversial field.RESUMEN: En este artículo se presenta una revisión de la literatura sobre las células madre como terapia para la cirrosis hepática, con énfasis en describir la situación científica actual y las implicaciones clínicas de los avances. Se ha propuesto la terapia celular en cirrosis por la escasez de donantes de hígado y las complicaciones derivadas de la terapia inmunosupresora. Las células madre se pueden obtener de diferentes fuentes como el blastocisto, la médula ósea e incluso hepatocitos maduros; pero la capacidad de proliferación y diferenciación de cada uno de estos tipos celulares es distinta y, entre otras consideraciones, es lo que va a definir su utilidad clínica final. En la literatura se encuentran varios estudios en modelos animales y en seres humanos que evalúan la seguridad y factibilidad de esta técnica en cuanto a la mejoría de la fibrosis, la capacidad de diferenciación y replicación celulares y algunos parámetros clínicos. Los resultados, aunque alentadores, se deben interpretar con cuidado. En conclusión, antes de aceptar esta modalidad terapéutica se requieren estudios de mejor calidad y con homogeneidad metodológica porque su uso aún es controversial

Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of Chagas Disease in the United States: A Multicenter Retrospective Analysis

Chagas disease affects approximately 300,000 patients in the United States. We evaluated a multicenter U.S.-based network to obtain clinical characteristics and outcomes of chronic Chagas disease by disease forms. This was a U.S.-based, multicenter, population-based, retrospective cohort study. We queried TriNetX, a global research network, to identify patients with dual-positive IgG serology for Trypanosoma cruzi. We captured outcomes of interest for up to 5 years. We found 429 patients with evidence of dual-positive T. cruzi IgG out of 19,831 patients with an available test result from 31 U.S. medical centers. The positive proportion for those tested was 2.2%, up to 4.6% among Hispanics. We found a prevalence of a positive Chagas serology of 0.02% among Hispanics. Cardiomyopathy risk reached an annual rate of 1.3% during the initial 5 years of follow-up among patients with the indeterminate form. We found no new events for pulmonary embolism, sudden death, or left ventricular aneurysms at 5 years. Annual risks for arrhythmias and stroke for chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy (CCC) were 1.6% and 0.8%, respectively. The yearly mortality and hospitalization rates for CCC were 2.7% and 17.1%, respectively. Only 13 patients had a documented antitrypanosomal therapy course within 6 months after diagnosis. Of those receiving treatment, 10 patients received benznidazole and three nifurtimox. Chagas disease screening in patients from endemic areas living in the United States remains crucial. Chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy carries a considerable disease burden, translating into increased morbidity and mortality and an enlarging medical health service utilization

Desenlaces en salud en población adulta mayor colombiana con amputaciones: un análisis secundario de la encuesta SABE

Objective. To describe the factors associated with amputations in the Colombian elderly population (>60 years) as evaluated in the 2015 SABE Survey with its possible adverse health related outcomes. Materials and methods. Cross-sectional, retrospective and analytical study consisting of a secondary analysis of the SABE (Health, Well-being and Aging) Colombia 2015 survey. Excluding factors were people who required a substitute informant during the interview, people without amputations and those with upper and lower limb amputations simultaneously. The dependent variables were the adverse health outcomes in older people with amputations (depressive symptoms, mobility problems, poor self-perception of health, disability discrimination, falls in the last year, whether or not help was needed in the last fall, and hospitalizations in the last year). Both descriptive and bivariate analysis as well as multivariate logistic regression were performed. Results. The sample was of 278 elderly, 77.34% were men, with a mean age of 70 ± 11 years. Variables such as male sex (OR 3.62 95%CI 1.82-7.19, p<0.001) and arterial hypertension (OR 3.45 95%CI 1.77-6.71, p<0.001), were positively associated with upper limb amputations. Likewise, for lower limb amputations, a positive association was found with diabetes (OR 7.78 95%CI 3.78-16.02, p<0.001). However, there was a negative association with male sex (OR 0.27 95%CI 0.14-0.55, p<0.001) and arterial hypertension (OR 0.29 95%CI 0.15-0.56, p<0.001). Conclusion. In people over 60 years of age, factors such as being a man and having high blood pressure are associated with upper limb amputations; counterwise, diabetes is associated with lower limb amputations.Objetivo. Describir los factores asociados a las amputaciones en la población colombiana adulta mayor de 60 años evaluados en la Encuesta SABE 2015, frente a posibles desenlaces adversos en salud. Materiales y métodos. Estudio transversal, retrospectivo y analítico consistente en un análisis secundario de la encuesta SABE (Salud, Bienestar y Envejecimiento) Colombia 2015. Para este trabajo, se excluyeron a las personas que requirieron de un informante sustituto durante la entrevista, personas sin amputaciones o con amputaciones de miembro superior e inferior simultáneamente. La variable dependiente fueron los desenlaces adversos en salud en personas mayores con amputaciones (síntomas depresivos, problemas de movilidad, mala autopercepción de salud, discriminación por discapacidad, caídas en el último año, si en la última caída necesito o no ayuda y hospitalizaciones en el último año). Se realizó análisis descriptivo, bivariado y regresión logística multivariada. Resultados. De las 278 personas identificadas con amputaciones, el 77.34% fueron hombres, con edad promedio de 70 ± 11 años. Se encontró que variables como sexo masculino (OR 3.62 IC95%1.82-7.19, p<0.001) e hipertensión arterial (OR 3.45 IC 95%1.77-6.71, p<0.001), se asocian positivamente con amputaciones de miembro superior. Asimismo, para amputaciones de miembro inferior, se encontró asociación positiva con diabetes (OR 7.78 IC95%3.78-16.02, p<0.001), y asociación negativa frente a sexo masculino (OR 0.27 IC95%0.14-0.55, p<0.001) e hipertensión arterial (OR 0.29 IC95%0.15-0.56, p<0.001). Conclusión. En personas mayores de 60 años, factores como ser hombre y tener hipertensión arterial se asocian con amputaciones en miembro superior; por otro lado, la diabetes se asocia con amputaciones en miembro inferior

Isolation of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells and evaluation of their osteogenic potential

Las células madre mesenquimatosas de médula ósea humana (abreviadas hBMSCs) constituyen una fuente de células auto-renovables con alto potencial de diferenciación, comúnmente aisladas a partir de los aspirados medulares en huesos largos. Su diferenciación hacia el linaje osteogénico, por ejemplo, ha sido ampliamente utilizada para la evaluación biológica de biomateriales o matrices con aplicaciones en la ingeniería de tejidos óseos. El objetivo de este trabajo consistió en aislar hBMSCs a partir de la cabeza femoral de pacientes sometidos a artroplastia total de cadera, así como evaluar su potencial osteogénico. Brevemente, se extrajo el hueso esponjoso y se disgregó mecánicamente; las células desprendidas se cultivaron y las células no adherentes se eliminaron luego de 4 días. El potencial osteogénico se evaluó en la quinta generación de cultivo, mediante ensayos de diferenciación a 14 y 20 días donde se compararon cultivos con y sin suplementos osteogénicos. La evaluación se realizó mediante tinción con Alizarina Roja y la cuantificación de los niveles de expresión génica de los marcadores osteogénicos colágeno tipo I, osteonectinca y sialoprotiena ósea mediante RT-PCR en tiempo real. Las hBMSCs obtenidas presentaron un fenotipo no-diferenciado estable, así como la capacidad de mineralizar la matriz extracelular y expresar un fenotipo similar al osteoblasto durante la inducción osteogénica. Los tres marcadores evaluados se sobre-expresaron en los cultivos en condiciones osteogénicas, y se encontró que cambios hasta de 2X en sus niveles de expresión son relevantes para el desarrollo del proceso de diferenciación. El modelo de hBMSCS presentado podría ser utilizado para la evaluación in vitro de la osteoinductividad de diferentes biomateriales, moléculas bioactivas o matrices para ingeniería de tejidos.Human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs) comprise a cell population capable of self-renewal and multilineage differentiation commonly isolated from bone marrow aspirates of large bones. Their osteogenic potential has been extensively exploited for the biological evaluation of scaffolds or biomaterials with applications in bone tissue engineering. This work aimed to isolate hBMSCs from femoral heads of patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty and to evaluate their osteogenic potential. Briefly, the trabecular bone was extracted and mechanically disaggregated; the released cells were cultured and non-adherent cells were removed after 4 days. The osteogenic potential was evaluated at the fifth passage after 14 and 20 days of induction, comparing cultures with and without osteogenic supplements, via Alizarin red staining and the quantification of the gene expression levels of the osteogenic markers collagen type I, osteonectin and bone sialoprotein through real-time RT-PCR. The obtained hBMSCs presented a stable undifferentiated phenotype after prolonged cell culture, matrix mineralization capabilities and expression of osteoblast phenotype upon osteogenic induction. The three markers were up-regulated in cultures under osteogenic conditions and 2 fold differences in their expression levels were found to be significant for the onset of the differentiation process. The obtained hBMSCs may have applications on the in vitro evaluation of the osteoinductivity of different biomaterials, bioactive molecules or tissue engineering scaffolds

Development of a Clinical Practice Guideline for Lower Limb Amputees. A Knowledge Translation Process in a Middle Income Country

Background and AimKnowledge translation processes are necessary for improving patients' and communities' health outcomes. The aim of this study was to systematically develop evidence-based recommendations for people over 16 years of age who are in risk for or have suffered a lower limb amputation for medical reasons (vascular, diabetes mellitus) or trauma (civilian or military trauma) in order to improve function, quality of life, decrease complications and morbidity.MethodsFollowing the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach we developed a Clinical Practice Guideline (CPG) for lower limb amputees with funding from the Ministry of Health in Colombia and participation of a multidisciplinary group. We included patients' preferences. Based on the scope, purposes and objectives the questions were elaborated with the PECOT strategy. The evidence search was performed for each question in the main databases: Cochrane Library, Embase and PubMed, without time limit or language restriction. Teams were formed with thematic experts and clinical epidemiologists to review the clinical studies, describe the evidence, and evaluate the quality of the body of evidence with the GRADE methodology. The recommendations were made according to the judgments proposed by the GRADE working group. We conducted a stakeholder's dialogue as a mechanism for the external validation of the guideline implementation.ResultsThe CPG included 43 recommendations related to the diagnosis, surgical treatment, rehabilitation, prescription and adaptation of the prosthesis. They were strong in favor 37.2, weak in favor 53.5, strong against 2.3, Weak against 7.0%. Quality of evidence was high in 0, moderate in 11.6, low in 58.1, and very low 30.2%.DiscussionIn 93% of the recommendations, the quality of the evidence was between low and very low. This is why it was so important to validate and discuss each recommendation with an expanded multidisciplinary group. The research group identified 25 interventions and five milestones to be prioritized in the implementation and in the stakeholder's dialogue participants identified opportunities and barriers for implementation of recommendations.ConclusionIt is necessary to develop a national policy for implementation strategies of CPG recommendations that promotes the necessary arrangements for the provision of services for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of individuals with amputations

Caribbean Corals in Crisis: Record Thermal Stress, Bleaching, and Mortality in 2005

BACKGROUND The rising temperature of the world's oceans has become a major threat to coral reefs globally as the severity and frequency of mass coral bleaching and mortality events increase. In 2005, high ocean temperatures in the tropical Atlantic and Caribbean resulted in the most severe bleaching event ever recorded in the basin. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Satellite-based tools provided warnings for coral reef managers and scientists, guiding both the timing and location of researchers' field observations as anomalously warm conditions developed and spread across the greater Caribbean region from June to October 2005. Field surveys of bleaching and mortality exceeded prior efforts in detail and extent, and provided a new standard for documenting the effects of bleaching and for testing nowcast and forecast products. Collaborators from 22 countries undertook the most comprehensive documentation of basin-scale bleaching to date and found that over 80% of corals bleached and over 40% died at many sites. The most severe bleaching coincided with waters nearest a western Atlantic warm pool that was centered off the northern end of the Lesser Antilles. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE Thermal stress during the 2005 event exceeded any observed from the Caribbean in the prior 20 years, and regionally-averaged temperatures were the warmest in over 150 years. Comparison of satellite data against field surveys demonstrated a significant predictive relationship between accumulated heat stress (measured using NOAA Coral Reef Watch's Degree Heating Weeks) and bleaching intensity. This severe, widespread bleaching and mortality will undoubtedly have long-term consequences for reef ecosystems and suggests a troubled future for tropical marine ecosystems under a warming climate.This work was partially supported by salaries from the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program to the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program authors. NOAA provided funding to Caribbean ReefCheck investigators to undertake surveys of bleaching and mortality. Otherwise, no funding from outside authors' institutions was necessary for the undertaking of this study. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript

Hiperparatiroidismo primario de fenotipo clásico

Introducción: el hiperparatiroidismo primario se caracteriza por hipercalcemia y niveles elevados de hormona paratiroidea y se puede manifestar como tres fenotipos clínicos: clásico, asintomático y normocalcémico. Objetivo: presentar un caso de hiperparatiroidismo primario de fenotipo clásico y discutir su fisiopatología, abordaje y tratamiento. Presentación del caso: mujer de 36 años quien consultó por tres fracturas patológicas simultáneas y disminución en la densidad mineral ósea (DMO), asociado al hallazgo intrahospitalario de nefrocalcinosis, insuficiencia renal, hipercalcemia y niveles aumentados de hormona paratiroidea. Según estos hallazgos, se dio diagnóstico de hiperparatiroidismo primario de fenotipo clásico, secundario a adenoma paratiroideo izquierdo y que recibió tratamiento quirúrgico. Discusión y conclusión: el hiperparatiroidismo primario de fenotipo clásico es una entidad patológica poco frecuente y se relaciona con graves complicaciones esqueléticas y renales. Hay pocos casos descritos en la literatura, por lo que se requiere realizar más estudios en nuestro medio para definir las particularidades epidemiológicas de los pacientes, logrando de esta manera evitar los casos con manifestaciones clínicas en etapas avanzadas de la enfermedad