Association of circulating levels of nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT/Visfatin) and of a frequent polymorphism in the promoter of the NAMPT gene with coronary artery disease in diabetic and non-diabetic subjects

Background: Nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT) is the limiting enzyme in one of pathways of synthesis of Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide, a redox coenzyme. NAMPT is considered as an insulin-mimetic factor and a potential regulatory factor in inflammatory and immune processes. Associations of circulating NAMPT levels with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and insulin resistance have been reported. We investigated association of circulating NAMPT levels and the rs9770242 NAMPT gene polymorphism with coronary artery disease (CAD).Methods: We studied 594 Brazilian subjects undergoing a coronary angiography (49% of whom had type 2 diabetes). CAD, defined as stenosis greater than 50% in one major coronary vessel or branch, was observed in 68% of subjects. Genetic studies were also performed in 858 North-American Non-Hispanic White subjects with type 2 diabetes (49% with CAD).Results: We observed an interaction between glycemic and CAD status on the comparison of NAMPT levels by CAD status. NAMPT levels were higher in type 2 diabetic patients with CAD as compared to those without CAD: 5.27 +/- 2.93 ng/ml vs. 4.43 +/- 2.94 ng/ml, p = 0.006 (mean +/- SD). NAMPT levels were not significantly different in non-diabetic subjects with or without CAD. the T-allele of rs9770242 was associated with CAD in the Brazilian cohort (OR 1.46, 95% CI 1.06 - 2.01, p = 0.02) while no association was observed in the North-American cohort.Conclusions: Our data suggest that circulating NAMPT levels are associated with CAD in type 2 diabetic patients. NAMPT rs9770242 polymorphism may be associated with CAD in some populations.Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Fed Univ São Paulo UNIFESP, Ctr Diabet, BR-04039002 São Paulo, BrazilCEDEBA, BR-41820000 Salvador, BA, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Cardiol Unit, BR-04039002 São Paulo, BrazilJoslin Diabet Ctr, Div Res, Boston, MA 02215 USAUniv Paris 07, INSERM, Res Unit 695, F-75018 Paris, FranceFed Univ São Paulo UNIFESP, Ctr Diabet, BR-04039002 São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Cardiol Unit, BR-04039002 São Paulo, BrazilFAPESP: 2008/10209-6Web of Scienc

Effects of local land use on riparian vegetation, water quality, and in situ toxicity

The conversion of riparian forests into agricultural land results in the loss of water quality and aquatic biota health. The objectives of this study were therefore to determine the proportion of land use with emphasis on the type of vegetation cover; evaluate the limnological parameters and concentration of inorganic elements in the water of the São José stream in the Dourados River Basin, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil; correlate land use with the concentrations of inorganic elements in water; and evaluate the risk to preservation aquatic biota and in situ toxic effect on Astyanax lacustris. We collected samples from the São José Stream in 2020 and evaluated land use with high resolution aerial images. The inorganic elements in water samples were quantified using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. In the surroundings of the São José stream, a reduction in riparian forest was observed with a proportion of only 16.32% of the area and the predominance of agricultural areas with 75.06%. The concentrations of dissolved oxygen (1.510 mg L-1) and P (> 0.235 mg L-1) in the water did not comply with the national legislation. In addition, Al and P indicated risks regarding the conservation of aquatic biota (risk quotient >1). The in situ evaluation of A. lacustris also revealed toxicity in the water. The results indicate environmental imbalance in the São José stream, requiring mitigation measures for its restoration and the sustainable use of its resources

Metals and emerging contaminants in groundwater and human health risk assessment

Groundwaters are normally consumed without previous treatment and therefore the monitoring of contaminants in order to guarantee its safety is necessary. Thus, we aimed to evaluate the groundwater contamination by metals and emerging contaminants, seeking to understand the relationship between their presence in the groundwater and the use and land cover profile of Itapora and Caarapo. In addition, the contaminant concentrations observed were compared with maximum permitted values (MPV) and/or with calculated water quality criteria (WQC) for human consumption to investigate possible human health risks due to the groundwater intake. We collected one groundwater sample from each of the 12 wells located in Itapora and 11 wells located in Caarapo. The metals were analyzed using ICP-OES and the emerging contaminants using LC-MS/MS. At least 1 of the 9 metals analyzed was found in each of the samples. In 12 samples, the metal concentrations verified exceeded the MPV or calculated WQC. A risk to human health has been observed for metals Co, Mn, Cr, and Ni. The emerging contaminant concentrations found in some samples were low (ng/L) and probably did not pose health risks, but their presence in the groundwater showed the impact of agriculture and the inadequate disposal of domestic sewage in the wells of both cities26242458124594CAPES - Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal e Nível Superiornão te

Development of a Sensitive and Specific Quantitative Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction Assay for Blood Thyroglobulin Messenger Ribonucleic Acid in the Follow-Up of Patients with Differentiated Thyroid Carcinoma

Context: Serum thyroglobulin is a sensitive tumor marker in the follow-up of patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC), but the presence of endogenous anti-thyroglobulin antibodies (TgAb) can interfere on its measurement. To prevent interference by TgAb, several investigators have tried to quantify blood mRNA Tg by real-time RT-PCR, but the results have been variable, not reporting a correlation between mRNA Tg and the presence of metastases.Objective: the aim of the study was to evaluate the development of a sensitive and specific quantitative RT-PCR assay for blood mRNA Tg in the follow-up of patients with DTC.Design and Patients: An assay employing primers located in a region not affected by alternative splicing or single nucleotide polymorphisms was developed to study 104 DTC patients (13 of 104 with positive TgAb).Results: the assay is specific for thyroid tissue because we found mRNA Tg expression in normal thyroid tissue, but we did not find any mRNA Tg expression in any extrathyroidal tissues. Quantitative mRNA Tg levels were significantly different between patients free of disease (82 of 104) and those with metastases (22 of 104) (2.61 +/- 0.26 vs. 27.58 +/- 1.62 pg mRNA Tg/mu g RNA) (P < 0.0001). A cutoff point of 5.51 was able to discriminate between the two groups. in addition, the measurement of mRNA Tg was not affected by the presence of TgAb.Conclusion: This new mRNA Tg quantification is a reliable method that allowed us to differentiate patients free of disease from those with metastases, and it could represent an appropriate molecular marker for the follow-up of patients with DTC, especially those with positive TgAb. (J Clin Endocrinol Metab 95: 1726-1733, 2010)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Research-Fellowship GrantUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Med, Escola Paulista Med, Div Endocrinol,Lab Mol Endocrinol, BR-04039032 São Paulo, BrazilInst Israelita Ensino & Pesquisa Albert Einstein, Thyroid Dis Ctr, BR-05652000 São Paulo, BrazilFleury Med & Hlth, BR-01243001 São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Med, Escola Paulista Med, Div Endocrinol,Lab Mol Endocrinol, BR-04039032 São Paulo, BrazilFAPESP: 04/09934-7Research-Fellowship Grant: 05/55842-0Web of Scienc

Genomic Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in Healthcare Workers: A Critical Sentinel Group for Monitoring the SARS-CoV-2 Variant Shift

SARS-CoV-2 genome surveillance is important for monitoring risk groups and health workers as well as data on new cases and mortality rate due to COVID-19. We characterized the circulation of SARS-CoV-2 variants from May 2021 to April 2022 in the state of Santa Catarina, southern Brazil, and evaluated the similarity between variants present in the population and healthcare workers (HCW). A total of 5291 sequenced genomes demonstrated the circulation of 55 strains and four variants of concern (Alpha, Delta, Gamma and Omicron—sublineages BA.1 and BA.2). The number of cases was relatively low in May 2021, but the number of deaths was higher with the Gamma variant. There was a significant increase in both numbers between December 2021 and February 2022, peaking in mid-January 2022, when the Omicron variant dominated. After May 2021, two distinct variant groups (Delta and Omicron) were observed, equally distributed among the five Santa Catarina mesoregions. Moreover, from November 2021 to February 2022, similar variant profiles between HCW and the general population were observed, and a quicker shift from Delta to Omicron in HCW than in the general population. This demonstrates the importance of HCW as a sentinel group for monitoring disease trends in the general population