L'ús d'animals a la medicina de la tradició llatina: estudi del Tresor de la Beutat, un tractat medieval dedicat als cosmètics femenins

L’ús de productes derivats d’animals (Zooteràpia) ha format part de l’arsenal terapèutic dermatològic en les diverses cultures a través del  temps. El Tresor de Beutat és un tractat medieval dedicat als cosmètics  femenins i la salut, escrit en català medieval que es conserva a la  Biblioteca de la Universitat de Barcelona. Descriu més de 200 remeis i  tractaments per a les dones del segle XIV . Molts d’aquests tractaments  eren productes d’origen animal. Estudiem el Tresor de Beutat per  determinar quins animals i quines de les seves parts eren emprades, així  com la forma d’utilització i indicacions terapèutiques. El document original  va ser transcrit al català formal i el text analitzat per tal d’identificar totes  les substàncies d’origen animal destinades a la teràpia. Aquestes  substàncies van ser ordenades segons l’espècie, i es van estudiar les  diferents parts emprades dels animals, la manera de preparació i les  seves indicacions.Es van identificar un total de 223 substàncies o elements (animals, plantes i minerals) utilitzats com a remeis. D’ells, 47 (21%) eren d’origen  animal, pertanyents a 30 animals, 15 mamífers, 7 aus, 4 animals marins,  2 de rèptils i amfibis i 2 insectes. Les diferents parts dels animals  utilitzats inclouen la pell, el greix, els ronyons, el cervell, les  banyes, les ungles, les secrecions anals, glàndules mamàries o salivals,  la femta, o fins i tot l’animal sencer, en el cas dels mamífers. De les aus,  s’usaven les plomes, ous, greixos, els nius, el cap, el suc propi de  l’animal, i els excrements. Dels animals marins es va emprar l’animal a  trossos, els ossos i els ous, i dels insectes els ous de formiga; la mel i la  cera d’abelles; dels rèptils i amfibis els ous i la sang. Els tractaments  s’utilitzen principalment per a la cara, com a cosmètics per al cabell i el cos, la higiene, la salut general i per la pell. També per l’esfera  otorinolaringològica, ocular, els trastorns dentals, i ginecològics, així com per a l’alleugeriment del dolor. El Tresor de Beutat proporciona informació sobre el coneixement dels tractaments tòpics, amb una base científica (i no màgica) amb una àmplia gamma de recursos d’origen animal, amb les formulacions acuradament elaborades per a fins cosmètics i terapèutics dissenyats per assolir l’ideal de la bellesa i la salut en les dones  medievals, sent evident en les bases d’alguns tractaments tòpics utilitzats en el segle XXI

Intermittent hypoxia is associated with high hypoxia inducible factor-1α but not high vascular endothelial growth factor cell expression in tumors of cutaneous melanoma patients

Epidemiological associations linking between obstructive sleep apnea and poorer solid malignant tumor outcomes have recently emerged. Putative pathways proposed to explain that these associations have included enhanced hypoxia inducible factor (HIF)-1α and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) cell expression in the tumor and altered immune functions via intermittent hypoxia (IH). Here, we examined relationships between HIF-1α and VEGF expression and nocturnal IH in cutaneous melanoma (CM) tumor samples. Prospectively recruited patients with CM tumor samples were included and underwent overnight polygraphy. General clinical features, apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), desaturation index (DI4%), and CM characteristics were recorded. Histochemical assessments of VEGF and HIF-1α were performed, and the percentage of positive cells (0, 75%) was blindly tabulated for VEGF expression, and as 0, 0-5.9, 6.0-10.0, >10.0% for HIF-1α expression, respectively. Cases with HIF-1α expression >6% (high expression) were compared with those 75% of cells was compared with those with <75%. 376 patients were included. High expression of VEGF and HIF-1α were seen in 88.8 and 4.2% of samples, respectively. High expression of VEGF was only associated with increasing age. However, high expression of HIF-1α was significantly associated with age, Breslow index, AHI, and DI4%. Logistic regression showed that DI4% [OR 1.03 (95% CI: 1.01-1.06)] and Breslow index [OR 1.28 (95% CI: 1.18-1.46)], but not AHI, remained independently associated with the presence of high HIF-1α expression. Thus, IH emerges as an independent risk factor for higher HIF-1α expression in CM tumors and is inferentially linked to worse clinical CM prognostic indicators

Medicina màgica a les comarques de la Marina: papers masculins i femenins

La medicina popular consisteix en l’estudi de les tradicions ancestrals i costums de tipus religiós popular que el poble ha emprat per guarir i previndre tot tipus de malalties, perque aquest és un fenomen inseparable de la vida i totes les societats han fet front a eixe problema. Als països mediterranis i concretament al País Valencià, la dona ha jugat un paper clau en el manteniment i pervivència d’aquestes pràctiques. En el present treball comentem alguns aspectes relacionats amb la medicina màgico-religiosa què hem pogut comprovar encara són vius al nostre entorn. Expliquem alguns remeis màgics com són trencar els golls, traure el sol del cap, trencar l’enfit, tractar el mal d’ull. També analitzem algunes malalties específiques que es beneficien d’un tractament màgic com són les berrugues o el mussol entre altres. Repasem els sants sanadors i, per acabar, comentem alguns professionals sanitaris que basaven la seua activitat sanadora en rituals i oraciones màgiques.Folk medicine is based upon the study of old traditions, basically of a religious character, that people have used for ages in order to avoid and treat different illnesses. All societies need to give an answer to the question of illness because this is an important part of life itself. In the Mediterranean countries, more specifically in the Pais Valencià, women have played a main role in keeping and transmitting these traditions. In this paper we review different aspects of folk medicine that is still active nowadays. We explain some magic treatments like trencar els golls, traure el sol del cap, trencar l’enfit, tractar el mal d’ull. We also analyze some specific illness that responds to a magic treatment like warts or stye. We also analyze different health professionals whose caring practice is based on magic prayers and activities

Medicina mágica en las comarcas de la Marina: roles masculinos y femeninos

La medicina popular consisteix en l’estudi de les tradicions ancestrals i costums de tipus religiós popular que el poble ha emprat per guarir i previndre tot tipus de malalties, perque aquest és un fenomen inseparable de la vida i totes les societats han fet front a eixe problema. Als països mediterranis i concretament al País Valencià, la dona ha jugat un paper clau en el manteniment i pervivència d’aquestes pràctiques. En el present treball comentem alguns aspectes relacionats amb la medicina màgico-religiosa què hem pogut comprovar encara són vius al nostre entorn. Expliquem alguns remeis màgics com són trencar els golls, traure el sol del cap, trencar l’enfit, tractar el mal d’ull. També analitzem algunes malalties específiques que es beneficien d’un tractament màgic com són les berrugues o el mussol entre altres. Repasem els sants sanadors i, per acabar, comentem alguns professionals sanitaris que basaven la seua activitat sanadora en rituals i oraciones màgiques.Folk medicine is based upon the study of old traditions, basically of a religious character, that people have used for ages in order to avoid and treat different illnesses. All societies need to give an answer to the question of illness because this is an important part of life itself. In the Mediterranean countries, more specifically in the Pais Valencià, women have played a main role in keeping and transmitting these traditions. In this paper we review different aspects of folk medicine that is still active nowadays. We explain some magic treatments like trencar els golls, traure el sol del cap, trencar l’enfit, tractar el mal d’ull. We also analyze some specific illness that responds to a magic treatment like warts or stye. We also analyze different health professionals whose caring practice is based on magic prayers and activities

Short and Long-Term Impact of COVID-19 Infection on Previous Respiratory Diseases.

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) a pandemic. Till now, it affected 452.4 million (Spain, 11.18 million) persons all over the world with a total of 6.04 million of deaths (Spain, 100,992). It is observed that 75% of hospitalized COVID-19 patients have at least one COVID-19 associated comorbidity. It was shown that people with underlying chronic illnesses are more likely to get it and grow seriously ill. Individuals with COVID-19 who have a past medical history of cardiovascular disorder, cancer, obesity, chronic lung disease, diabetes, or neurological disease had the worst prognosis and are more likely to develop acute respiratory distress syndrome or pneumonia. COVID-19 can affect the respiratory system in a variety of ways and across a spectrum of levels of disease severity, depending on a person's immune system, age and comorbidities. Symptoms can range from mild, such as cough, shortness of breath and fever, to critical disease, including respiratory failure, shock and multi-organ system failure. So, COVID-19 infection can cause overall worsening of these previous respiratory diseases, such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), interstitial lung disease, etc. This review aims to provide information on the impact of the COVID-19 disease on pre-existing lung comorbidities

Soluble PD-L1 is a potential biomarker of cutaneous melanoma aggressiveness and metastasis in obstructive sleep apnoea patients.

Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) upregulates the programmed cell death-1 receptor and its ligand (PD-L1) pathway, potentially compromising immunosurveillance. We compared circulating levels of soluble PD-L1 (sPD-L1) in patients with cutaneous melanoma according to the presence and severity of OSA, and evaluated relationships with tumour aggressiveness and invasiveness.In a multicentre observational study, 360 patients with cutaneous melanoma underwent sleep studies, and serum sPD-L1 levels were assayed using ELISA. Cutaneous melanoma aggressiveness indices included mitotic rate, Breslow index, tumour ulceration, Clark level and tumour stage, and sentinel lymph node (SLN) metastasis was recorded as a marker of invasiveness.sPD-L1 levels were higher in severe OSA compared to mild OSA or non-OSA patients. In OSA patients, sPD-L1 levels correlated with Breslow index and were higher in patients with tumour ulceration, advanced primary tumour stages or with locoregional disease. The incorporation of sPD-L1 to the classic risk factors to SLN metastasis led to net improvements in the classification of 27.3%.Thus, sPD-L1 levels are increased in melanoma patients with severe OSA, and, in addition, might serve as a potential biomarker of cutaneous melanoma aggressiveness and invasiveness in this group of subjects