Study of the pathology valued at Phoniatrics Unit Complex Care of Zamora in the first quarter of 2012

[ES] Introducción: Presentamos este estudio de la actividad del primer trimestre del año de la consulta de Foniatría del Hospital Virgen de la Concha de Zamora Material y Métodos: Se elabora un estudio estadístico. Resultados: Número total de pacientes valorados: 244, siendo 137 (56,15%) los que acudían por vez primera y 107 (43,85% ) los evaluados previamente. De ellos, 139 ( 56, 97%) presentaron patología vocal y 105 (43,3%) patología del lenguaje. 38 pacientes (15, 57%) fueron remitidos desde Foniatría para recibir tratamiento logopédico en el hospital. La patología vocal ocupa el 86.84% (de los 38 remitidos), siendo 32 el número de disfonías, 19 (59.37% ) orgánicas, ( de éstas 10,52% correspondían a profesionales de la voz); 9 fueron microcirugías laríngeas (28,13%) y 4 disfonías funcionales (12,5%). De la patología del Lenguaje valorada médicamente en Foniatría, sólo el 4,76% es remitida a Logopedia hospitalaria, el 95,24 % restante es enviado a los Centros Escolares, siendo los Maestros especialistas en A-L. los responsables de su rehabilitación (según orden de NEE de 1992). Conclusiones: 1.- La cantidad de pacientes valorados por vez primera en al consulta médico foníatrica es superior al de revisiones. 2.- Predomina el porcentaje de patología Vocal evaluada, pero la diferencia con la del Lenguaje se va acortando a medida que los Pediatras tienen conocimiento de esta actividad médica. 3.- El número de pacientes incluidos en rehabilitación logopédica es significativamente inferior a los estudiados foníatricamente. 4.- La terapéutica Vocal predomina a nivel hospitalario y la del Lenguaje en Centros escolares. [EN] Introduction: We present this study about the activity of the first term of Phoniatrics consulting belongs to the Virgen de la Concha Hospital in Zamora Material and Methods: A statistical study was developed Results: Total number of patients evaluated: 244, with 137 (56.15%) who came as first time (new cases) and 107 (43.85%) who were previously evaluated. Of these, 139 (56, 97%) had vocal pathology and 105 (43.3%) speech pathology. 38 patients (15, 57%) were referred from the phoniatrics unit to speech therapy at the hospital for treatment. Vocal pathology occupies 86.84% (from the 38 submitted), being 32 the number of dysphonia, 19 (59.37%) organic (of which 10.52% were professional voice users), 9 were laryngeal microsurgery (28, 13%) and 4 functional dysphonia (12.5%). From all the language pathologies analyzed by Phoniatrics unit, only 4.76% is referred to Speech therapy. The remaining 95.24% are sent to the school centers, with specialist teachers in LA whose are responsible for its rehabilitation (in order of SEN 1992). Conclusions: 1. - The number of patients evaluated for first time in the medical consultation is higher than phoniatric revisions. 2. - The percentage of vocal pathology evaluated predominates but the difference versus language pathology is narrowing as pediatricians have medical knowledge of this activity. 3. - The number of patients included in speech rehabilitation is significantly lower than those who have been studied in the consultation. 4 - The Vocal therapy predominates at hospital level and Language therapy in the schools

Plasma and urinary extracellular vesicles RNA content as potential biomarkers for detection, risk stratification and monitoring of prostate cancer

Elektroniskā versija nesatur pielikumusProstatas vēzis (PV) ir globāla veselības problēma. Slimības bioloģiskā un klīniskā neviendabība rada grūtības to savlaicīgi un precīzi diagnosticēt un izvēlēties katram pacientam piemērotāko ārstēšanu. Tādēļ pastāv nepieciešamība atrast jaunus neinvazīvus, , kas dotu iespēju precīzi noteikt vēža klātbūtni un prognozēt slimības gaitu. Ekstracelulārās vezikulas (EVs), satur dažādas molekulas, kas atspoguļo to izcelsmes šūnu molekulāro saturu, ir perspektīvs PV biomarķieru avots šķidrajām biopsijām. Kopumā ņemot, šajā darbā tika identificēti vairāki jauni cilvēka un mikrobiālas izcelsmes PV biomarķieri, kas potenciāli varētu tikt izmantoti PV šķidro biopsiju testos diagnostikai un prognostikai. Šo biomarķieru ieviešana klīniskajā praksē varētu uzlabot PV pacientu ārstēšanu un dzīves kvalitāti, taču ir nepieciešama atrasto biomarķieru validācija lielākā pacientu kohortā. Prostatas vēzis, Ekstracelulārās vezikulas, biomarķierus, šķidrajām biopsijām. microbiotaProstate cancer (PC) poses a significant global burden among male malignancies, and its inherent heterogeneity presents ongoing challenges in achieving accurate detection and stratification. Hence, there exists an unmet need for non-invasive biomarkers capable of identifying and classifying PC. Extracellular vesicles (EVs), hold promise as valuable reservoirs of PC-specific biomarkers. EVs encapsulate a diverse range of molecules, reflecting the molecular characteristics of their originating cells. This thesis presents the identification of EV-based biomarkers derived from PC, which have the potential to be utilized as a liquid biopsy for the diagnosis and prognosis of PC. Implementing these biomarkers could significantly improve PC management and enhance the overall well-being of PC patients, although further validation in a larger cohort is necessary. Key words: Prostate cancer, extracellular vesicles, biomarkers, microbiota, liquid biops

Biodistribution, Uptake and Effects Caused by Cancer-derived Extracellular Vesicles

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have recently emerged as important mediators of intercellular communication. They are released in the extracellular space by a variety of normal and cancerous cell types and have been found in all human body fluids. Cancer-derived EVs have been shown to carry lipids, proteins, mRNAs, non-coding and structural RNAs and even extra-chromosomal DNA, which can be taken up by recipient cells and trigger diverse physiological and pathological responses. An increasing body of evidence suggests that cancer-derived EVs mediate paracrine signalling between cancer cells. This leads to the increased invasiveness, proliferation rate and chemoresistance, as well as the acquisition of the cancer stem cell phenotype. This stimulates angiogenesis and the reprogramming of normal stromal cells into cancer-promoting cell types. Furthermore, cancer-derived EVs contribute to the formation of the pre-metastatic niche and modulation of anti-tumour immune response. However, as most of these data are obtained by in vitro studies, it is not entirely clear which of these effects are recapitulated in vivo. In the current review, we summarize studies that assess the tissue distribution, trafficking, clearance and uptake of cancer-derived EVs in vivo and discuss the impact they have, both locally and systemically

Language disorders in patients with Down Syndrome

[ES] Introducción: El lenguaje y la comunicación son claves en el desarrollo social y personal de los niños afectos de Síndrome de Down. Además del fenotipo característico, la hipotonía muscular y el diferente grado de discapacidad psíquica, se asocian otras patologías. El lenguaje oral se adquiere de forma natural. Para el desarrollo de esta actividad existen dos requisitos: potencialidad de los dispositivos cerebrales, auditivos y visuales y existencia de estímulo social. Siendo la afectación lingüística variable de unos individuos a otros. Material y Métodos: Se expone el estudio pormenorizado de cuatro casos de la consulta médica de Foniatría del Hospital Virgen Concha de Zamora, evaluados a lo largo de varios años. Discusión y conclusión: Las personas con Síndrome de Down encuentran dificultades en el procesamiento de la información que reciben, la pérdida auditiva incluso leve o moderada, va a incidir en la fonología y producción del habla. El desarrollo del lenguaje en estos niños está enlentecido. Su lenguaje comprensivo está menos limitado que el expresivo, éste suele ser pobre, simplificado y con un vocabulario limitado debido a, sus dificultades cognitivas, motoras a nivel buco-orofacial y las diferentes características que se asocian a este síndrome, pero puede llegar a ser funcional. Su capacidad comunicativa se refuerza mediante el gesto. Los trastornos atencionales dificultarán el aprendizaje en gran manera. La Atención Temprana y la Logoterapia son fundamentales en estos casos. [EN] Introduction: Language and communication are key to the social and personal development of children affected by Down Syndrome. In addition to the characteristic phenotype, muscle hypotonia and different degrees of mental disability, other diseases may be associated. Oral language is naturally acquired. For this activity there are two requirements: potential brain devices (auditory and visual) and social stimulus existence; being the linguistic affectation variable among individuals. Material and Methods: A detailed report of four cases taken from Phoniatrics Section of the Hospital Virgen Concha de Zamora, evaluated over several years is presented. Discussion and conclusion: Down syndrome patients find difficulties to process the information received. Moderate or even mild hearing loss will influence the phonology and speech production. Language development in these children is slowered. Languageunderstanding is less limited than expression which is usually poor, simplified and with limited vocabulary because of their cognitive difficulties, motor orofacial level and the different characteristics that are associated to this syndrome, but it can become functional. Communication skills are strengthened by the gesture. Learning is greatly hampered by attentional disorders. Early childhood intervention and speech therapy are essential in these cases

Strong-LAMP: A LAMP Assay for Strongyloides spp. Detection in Stool and Urine Samples. Towards the Diagnosis of Human Strongyloidiasis Starting from a Rodent Model

[EN]Background: Strongyloides stercoralis, the chief causative agent of human strongyloidiasis, is a nematode globally distributed but mainly endemic in tropical and subtropical regions. Chronic infection is often clinically asymptomatic but it can result in severe hyperinfection syndrome or disseminated strongyloidiasis in immunocompromised patients. There is a great diversity of techniques used in diagnosing the disease, but definitive diagnosis is accomplished by parasitological examination of stool samples for morphological identification of parasite. Until now, no molecular method has been tested in urine samples as an alternative to stool samples for diagnosing strongyloidiasis. This study aimed to evaluate the use of a new molecular LAMP assay in a well-established Wistar rat experimental infection model using both stool and, for the first time, urine samples. The LAMP assay was also clinically evaluated in patients´ stool samples. Methodology/Principal Findings: Stool and urine samples were obtained daily during a 28-day period from rats infected subcutaneously with different infective third-stage larvae doses of S. venezuelensis. The dynamics of parasite infection was determined by daily counting the number of eggs per gram of feces from day 1 to 28 post-infection. A set of primers for LAMP assay based on a DNA partial sequence in the 18S rRNA gene from S. venezuelensis was designed. The set up LAMP assay (namely, Strong-LAMP) allowed the sensitive detection of S. venezuelensis DNA in both stool and urine samples obtained from each infection group of rats and was also effective in S. stercoralis DNA amplification in patients´ stool samples with previously confirmed strongyloidiasis by parasitological and real-time PCR tests. Conclusions/Significance: Our Strong-LAMP assay is an useful molecular tool in research of a strongyloidiasis experimental infection model in both stool and urine samples. After further validation, the Strong-LAMP could also be potentially applied for effective diagnosis of strongyloidiasis in a clinical setting. © 2016 Fernández-Soto et al

Effects of urinary extracellular vesicles from prostate cancer patients on the transcriptomes of cancer-associated and normal fibroblasts

Funding Information: This work was funded by the Latvian Council of Science, Project No. lzp-2018/0269. Publisher Copyright: © 2022, The Author(s).Background: Increasing evidence suggests that cancer-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) alter the phenotype and functions of fibroblasts and trigger the reprogramming of normal fibroblasts into cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). Here, we for the first time studied the effects of urinary EVs from PC patients and healthy males on the transcriptional landscape of prostate CAFs and normal foreskin fibroblasts. Methods: Patient-derived prostate fibroblast primary cultures PCF-54 and PCF-55 were established from two specimens of PC tissues. EVs were isolated from urine samples of 3 patients with PC and 2 healthy males and used for the treatment of prostate fibroblast primary cultures and normal foreskin fibroblasts. The EV-treated fibroblasts were subjected to RNA sequencing analysis. Results: RNA sequencing analysis showed that the fibroblast cultures differed significantly in their response to urinary EVs. The transcriptional response of foreskin fibroblasts to the urinary EVs isolated from PC patients and healthy controls was very similar and mostly related to the normal functions of fibroblasts. On the contrary, PCF-54 cells responded very differently - EVs from PC patients elicited transcriptional changes related to the regulation of the cell division and chromosome segregation, whereas EVs from healthy males affected mitochondrial respiration. In PCF-55 cells, EVs from both, PC-patients and controls induced the expression of a number of chemokines such as CCL2, CCL13, CXCL1, CXCL8, whereas pathways related to regulation of apoptotic signaling and production of cell adhesion molecules were triggered specifically by EVs from PC patients. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that urinary EVs from PC patients and healthy controls elicit distinct transcriptional responses in prostate CAFs and supports the idea that EVs contribute to the generation of functional heterogeneity of CAFs. Moreover, this study suggests that the changes in the gene expression pattern in EV recipient cells might serve as a novel type of functional cancer biomarkers.publishersversionPeer reviewe

Validation of potential RNA biomarkers for prostate cancer diagnosis and monitoring in plasma and urinary extracellular vesicles

Introduction: Prostate cancer (PCa), one of the most prevalent malignancies affecting men worldwide, presents significant challenges in terms of early detection, risk stratification, and active surveillance. In recent years, liquid biopsies have emerged as a promising non-invasive approach to complement or even replace traditional tissue biopsies. Extracellular vesicles (EVs), nanosized membranous structures released by various cells into body fluids, have gained substantial attention as a source of cancer biomarkers due to their ability to encapsulate and transport a wide range of biological molecules, including RNA. In this study, we aimed to validate 15 potential RNA biomarkers, identified in a previous EV RNA sequencing study, using droplet digital PCR. Methods: The candidate biomarkers were tested in plasma and urinary EVs collected before and after radical prostatectomy from 30 PCa patients and their diagnostic potential was evaluated in a test cohort consisting of 20 benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) and 20 PCa patients’ plasma and urinary EVs. Next, the results were validated in an independent cohort of plasma EVs from 31 PCa and 31 BPH patients. Results: We found that the levels of NKX3-1 (p = 0.0008) in plasma EVs, and tRF-Phe-GAA-3b (p &lt; 0.0001) tRF-Lys-CTT-5c (p &lt; 0.0327), piR-28004 (p = 0.0081) and miR-375-3p (p &lt; 0.0001) in urinary EVs significantly decreased after radical prostatectomy suggesting that the main tissue source of these RNAs is prostate and/or PCa. Two mRNA biomarkers—GLO1 and NKX3-1 showed promising diagnostic potential in distinguishing between PCa and BPH with AUC of 0.68 and 0.82, respectively, in the test cohort and AUC of 0.73 and 0.65, respectively, in the validation cohort, when tested in plasma EVs. Combining these markers in a biomarker model yielded AUC of 0.85 and 0.71 in the test and validation cohorts, respectively. Although the PSA levels in the blood could not distinguish PCa from BPH in our cohort, adding PSA to the mRNA biomarker model increased AUC from 0.71 to 0.76. Conclusion: This study identified two novel EV-enclosed RNA biomarkers–NKX3-1 and GLO1–for the detection of PCa, and highlights the complementary nature of GLO1, NKX3-1 and PSA as combined biomarkers in liquid biopsies of PCa.</p

Detection of circulating miRNAs : comparative analysis of extracellular vesicle-incorporated miRNAs and cell-free miRNAs in whole plasma of prostate cancer patients

Funding Information: This study was supported by the Norwegian Financial Mechanism 2009–2014 under Project Contract No NFI/R/2014/045. The funding body had no role in the design of the study and collection, analysis, and interpretation of data and in writing the manuscript. Publisher Copyright: © 2017 The Author(s).Background: Circulating cell-free miRNAs have emerged as promising minimally-invasive biomarkers for early detection, prognosis and monitoring of cancer. They can exist in the bloodstream incorporated into extracellular vesicles (EVs) and ribonucleoprotein complexes. However, it is still debated if EVs contain biologically meaningful amounts of miRNAs and may provide a better source of miRNA biomarkers than whole plasma. The aim of this study was to systematically compare the diagnostic potential of prostate cancer-associated miRNAs in whole plasma and in plasma EVs. Methods: RNA was isolated from whole plasma and plasma EV samples from a well characterised cohort of 50 patient with prostate cancer (PC) and 22 patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Nine miRNAs known to have a diagnostic potential for PC in cell-free blood were quantified by RT-qPCR and the relative quantities were compared between patients with PC and BPH and between PC patients with Gleason score ≥ 8 and ≤6. Results: Only a small fraction of the total cell-free miRNA was recovered from the plasma EVs, however the EV-incorporated and whole plasma cell-free miRNA profiles were clearly different. Four of the miRNAs analysed showed a diagnostic potential in our patient cohort. MiR-375 could differentiate between PC and BPH patients when analysed in the whole plasma, while miR-200c-3p and miR-21-5p performed better when analysed in plasma EVs. EV-incorporated but not whole plasma Let-7a-5p level could distinguish PC patients with Gleason score ≥ 8 vs ≤6. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that for some miRNA biomarkers EVs provide a more consistent source of RNA than whole plasma, while other miRNAs show better diagnostic performance when tested in the whole plasma.publishersversionPeer reviewe

RICORS2040 : The need for collaborative research in chronic kidney disease

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a silent and poorly known killer. The current concept of CKD is relatively young and uptake by the public, physicians and health authorities is not widespread. Physicians still confuse CKD with chronic kidney insufficiency or failure. For the wider public and health authorities, CKD evokes kidney replacement therapy (KRT). In Spain, the prevalence of KRT is 0.13%. Thus health authorities may consider CKD a non-issue: very few persons eventually need KRT and, for those in whom kidneys fail, the problem is 'solved' by dialysis or kidney transplantation. However, KRT is the tip of the iceberg in the burden of CKD. The main burden of CKD is accelerated ageing and premature death. The cut-off points for kidney function and kidney damage indexes that define CKD also mark an increased risk for all-cause premature death. CKD is the most prevalent risk factor for lethal coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the factor that most increases the risk of death in COVID-19, after old age. Men and women undergoing KRT still have an annual mortality that is 10- to 100-fold higher than similar-age peers, and life expectancy is shortened by ~40 years for young persons on dialysis and by 15 years for young persons with a functioning kidney graft. CKD is expected to become the fifth greatest global cause of death by 2040 and the second greatest cause of death in Spain before the end of the century, a time when one in four Spaniards will have CKD. However, by 2022, CKD will become the only top-15 global predicted cause of death that is not supported by a dedicated well-funded Centres for Biomedical Research (CIBER) network structure in Spain. Realizing the underestimation of the CKD burden of disease by health authorities, the Decade of the Kidney initiative for 2020-2030 was launched by the American Association of Kidney Patients and the European Kidney Health Alliance. Leading Spanish kidney researchers grouped in the kidney collaborative research network Red de Investigación Renal have now applied for the Redes de Investigación Cooperativa Orientadas a Resultados en Salud (RICORS) call for collaborative research in Spain with the support of the Spanish Society of Nephrology, Federación Nacional de Asociaciones para la Lucha Contra las Enfermedades del Riñón and ONT: RICORS2040 aims to prevent the dire predictions for the global 2040 burden of CKD from becoming true