Del clor a les dioxines passant per James Lovelock i el detector de captura d'electrons

El desenvolupament de l'anàlisi química i de les tècniques cromatogràfiques, gràcies a la gran sensibilitat dels detectors –especialment el de captura d'electrons– van contribuir de forma important a la consolidació de la consciència ecològica. El descobriment en el medi ambient de residus de DDT i d'altres pesticides, que contenen clor en la seva molècula, juntament amb residus de bifenils policlorats, va contribuir a que la societat vegi el clor, i tots aquells compostos orgànics que el contenen en la seva estructura amb gran recel. L'accident de Seveso a Itàlia i l'ús de l'Agent Taronja a la guerra del Vietnam van ser una aportació més, per a la quasi general proscripció del element químic clor. En aquest treball, tot seguint l'itinerari que suggereix el títol, es fa una revisió sobre les anàlisis de mostres ambientals de bifenils policlorats i del detector de captura electrònica. La segona part es dedica a l'anàlisi de dioxines destacant-ne alguns exemples concrets, com la determinació de dioxines en mostres de formatge mozzarella.The development of chemical analysis and chromatographic techniques, due to the great sensitivity of the detectors used – especially the electron capture detector - has decisively contributed to the consolidation of ecological conscience. The detection of DDT and other chlorinated pesticide residues in the environment, in addition to polychlorinated biphenyl residues, made raise the concern about chlorine and chlorinated compounds in the society. Seveso accident, in Italy, and the use of Orange Agent in Vietnam War were two other contributions to the general proscription of the chemical element chlorine. In this work, following the itinerary suggested by the title, the analysis of polychlorinated biphenyls in environmental samples and the use of the electron capture detector are reviewed. The second part of the work is devoted to the analysis of dioxins, pointing some specific examples, such as the determination of dioxins in samples of mozzarella cheese

New Models Used to Determine the Dioxins Total Amount and Toxicity (TEQ) in Atmospheric Emissions from Thermal Processes

In order to reduce the calculation effort during the simulation of the emission of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and furans (PCDD/F) during municipal solid waste incineration, minimizing the number of simulated components is mandatory. For this purpose, two new multilinear regression models capable of determining the dioxins total amount and toxicity of an atmospheric emission have been adjusted based on previously published ones. The new source of data used (almost 200 PCDD/F analyses) provides a wider range of application to the models, increasing also the diversity of the emission sources, from industrial and laboratory scale thermal processes. Only three of the 17 toxic congeners (1,2,3,6,7,8-HxCDD, 2,3,7,8-TCDF and OCDF), whose formation was found to be linearly independent, were necessary as inputs for the models. All model parameters have been statistically validated and their confidence intervals have been calculated using the Bootstrap method. The resulting coefficients of determination (R2) for the models are 0.9711 ± 0.0056 and 0.9583 ± 0.0085; its root mean square errors (RMSE) are 0.2115 and 0.2424, and its mean absolute errors (MAE) are 0.1541 and 0.1733 respectively.Juan A. Conesa and Nuria Ortuño acknowledge the support for this work by the CTQ2016-76608-R project from the Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness (Spain). Damià Palmer thanks IQS—Universitat Ramon Llull for its financial support

Early diarrhoea under sorafenib as a marker to consider the early migration to second-line drugs

Background: Despite atezolizumab and bevacizumab (A + B) is currently the first-line treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients, some patients will not be adequate for this combination. In the setting of sorafenib some adverse events have been proposed as prognostic factors. Objective: To characterize the early diarrhoea development as prognostic factor in 344 HCC patients. Methods: The development of early diarrhoea in sorafenib treatment defined as patients who developed diarrhoea and needed dose modification within the first 60 days of treatment (e-diarrhoea) and 3-grouping variables were analysed: Patients with e-diarrhoea, patients who developed diarrhoea after the first 60 days of treatment (L-diarrhoea) and patients that never developed diarrhoea (never diarrhoea). Results: The median overall survival in sorafenib treated patients was significantly different across groups (6.8 months for e-diarrhoea, 26.7 months for L-diarrhoea and 13.3 months for never-diarrhoea). The emergence of e-diarrhoea was associated with poor outcomes (hazard ratio [HR] 1.84 [95%CI 1.15-2.95]), while there was no increased/decreased risk of dismal evolution in patients with L-diarrhoea (HR 0.66 [95%CI 0.42-1.03]). Conclusion: The emergence of e-diarrhoea in HCC patients treated with sorafenib is an early predictor of dismal evolution under this therapy. Thus, prompt identification of these non-responders may be useful for an early switch to second-line therapies

SARS-CoV-2 RNAemia is associated with severe chronic underlying diseases but not with nasopharyngeal viral load

Supported by Plan Nacional de I + D + i 2013–2016 and Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Subdirección General de Redes y Centros de Investigación Cooperativa, Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad, Spanish Network for Research in Infectious Diseases (REIPI, RD16/0016/0001, RD16/0016/0005, RD16/0016/0007, RD16/0016/0009, RD16/0016/0010, R D16/0016/0013) cofinanced by European Development Regional Fund “A way to achieve Europe”, Operative program Intelligent Growth 2014–2020. JSC and EC received grants from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Proyectos de Investigación sobre el SARSCoV-2 y la enfermedad COVID-19 ( COV20/00580 ; COV20/00370 ). J.S.C. is a researcher belonging to the program “Nicolás Monardes” (C-0059–2018), Servicio Andaluz de Salud, Junta de Andalucía, Spain

Mutational spectrum of the SPG4 (SPAST) and SPG3A (ATL1) genes in Spanish patients with hereditary spastic paraplegia

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Hereditary Spastic Paraplegias (HSP) are characterized by progressive spasticity and weakness of the lower limbs. At least 45 loci have been identified in families with autosomal dominant (AD), autosomal recessive (AR), or X-linked hereditary patterns. Mutations in the <it>SPAST </it>(<it>SPG4</it>) and <it>ATL1 </it>(<it>SPG3A</it>) genes would account for about 50% of the ADHSP cases.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We defined the <it>SPAST </it>and <it>ATL1 </it>mutational spectrum in a total of 370 unrelated HSP index cases from Spain (83% with a pure phenotype).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We found 50 <it>SPAST </it>mutations (including two large deletions) in 54 patients and 7 <it>ATL1 </it>mutations in 11 patients. A total of 33 of the <it>SPAST </it>and 3 of the <it>ATL1 </it>were new mutations. A total of 141 (31%) were familial cases, and we found a higher frequency of mutation carriers among these compared to apparently sporadic cases (38% vs. 5%). Five of the <it>SPAST </it>mutations were predicted to affect the pre-mRNA splicing, and in 4 of them we demonstrated this effect at the cDNA level. In addition to large deletions, splicing, frameshifting, and missense mutations, we also found a nucleotide change in the stop codon that would result in a larger ORF.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>In a large cohort of Spanish patients with spastic paraplegia, <it>SPAST </it>and <it>ATL1 </it>mutations were found in 15% of the cases. These mutations were more frequent in familial cases (compared to sporadic), and were associated with heterogeneous clinical manifestations.</p

Clonal chromosomal mosaicism and loss of chromosome Y in elderly men increase vulnerability for SARS-CoV-2

The pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19) had an estimated overall case fatality ratio of 1.38% (pre-vaccination), being 53% higher in males and increasing exponentially with age. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, we found 133 cases (1.42%) with detectable clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations (mCA) and 226 males (5.08%) with acquired loss of chromosome Y (LOY). Individuals with clonal mosaic events (mCA and/or LOY) showed a 54% increase in the risk of COVID-19 lethality. LOY is associated with transcriptomic biomarkers of immune dysfunction, pro-coagulation activity and cardiovascular risk. Interferon-induced genes involved in the initial immune response to SARS-CoV-2 are also down-regulated in LOY. Thus, mCA and LOY underlie at least part of the sex-biased severity and mortality of COVID-19 in aging patients. Given its potential therapeutic and prognostic relevance, evaluation of clonal mosaicism should be implemented as biomarker of COVID-19 severity in elderly people. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, individuals with clonal mosaic events (clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations and/or loss of chromosome Y) showed an increased risk of COVID-19 lethality

Análisis de Dechlorane Plus y compuestos relacionados (Dechlorane 602, 603 y 604) en aceites

Universitat Ramon Llull (Ayuda a Grupos de Investigación – IQS-SAMA)

Dioxinas, furanos y PCB similares a dioxinas en aire ambiente de Cataluña

Generalitat de Catalunya; Universitat Ramon Llul

Health Risks of Environmental Exposure to PCDD/Fs near a Hazardous Waste Incinerator in Catalonia, Spain

In order to evaluate the environmental impact of a hazardous waste incinerator (HWI) located in Constantí (Spain), during the period 2010-2012, 30 vegetation and soil samples were alternatively (herbage in 2010 and 2012, and soils in 2011) collected in the surroundings of the facility, and their contents of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) determined. Data were compared with those of previous campaigns, and especially with PCDD/F levels in the same monitors reported in the baseline study (1998), when the facility was being constructed. In general terms, a continuous decrease of PCDD/Fs in soils was observed, while in herbage the results indicated an increase since 2008. Anyhow, the health risks associated to environmental exposure of PCDD/Fs are currently within acceptable ranges

From chlorine to dioxins through James Lovelock and the electron capture detector (DOI: 10.2436/20.2003.01.31)

El desenvolupament de l&rsquo;an&agrave;lisi qu&iacute;mica i de les t&egrave;cniques cromatogr&agrave;fiques, gr&agrave;cies a la gran sensibilitat dels detectors &ndash;especialment el de captura d&rsquo;electrons&ndash; van contribuir de forma important a la consolidaci&oacute; de la consci&egrave;ncia ecol&ograve;gica. El descobriment en el medi ambient de residus de DDT i d&rsquo;altres pesticides, que contenen clor en la seva mol&egrave;cula, juntament amb residus de bifenils policlorats, va contribuir a que la societat vegi el clor, i tots aquells compostos org&agrave;nics que el contenen en la seva estructura amb gran recel. L&rsquo;accident de Seveso a It&agrave;lia i l&rsquo;&uacute;s de l&rsquo;Agent Taronja a la guerra del Vietnam van ser una aportaci&oacute; m&eacute;s, per a la quasi general proscripci&oacute; del element qu&iacute;mic clor. En aquest treball, tot seguint l&rsquo;itinerari que suggereix el t&iacute;tol, es fa una revisi&oacute; sobre les an&agrave;lisis de mostres ambientals de bifenils policlorats i del detector de captura electr&ograve;nica. La segona part es dedica a l&rsquo;an&agrave;lisi de dioxines destacant-ne alguns exemples concrets, com la determinaci&oacute; dedioxines en mostres de formatge mozzarella.Paraules clau: clor; PCB; DDT; ECD, PCDD, PCDF; cromatografiade gasos; espectrometria de masses; quimiometria.The development of chemical analysis and chromatographic techniques, due to the great sensitivity of the detectors used &ndash; especially the electron capture detector - has decisively contributed to the consolidation of ecological conscience. The detection of DDT and other chlorinated pesticide residues in the environment, in addition to polychlorinated biphenyl residues, made raise the concern about chlorine and chlorinated compounds in the society. Seveso accident, in Italy, and the use of Orange Agent in Vietnam War were two other contributions to the general proscription of the chemical element chlorine. In this work, following the itinerary suggested by the title, the analysis of polychlorinated biphenyls in environmental samples and the use of the electron capture detector are reviewed. The second part of the work is devoted to the analysis of dioxins, pointing some specific examples, such as the determination of dioxins in samples of mozzarella cheese.Keywords: chlorine; PCB; DDT; ECD; PCDD; PCDF; gaschromatography; mass spectrometry; chemometrics