Renal brucelloma: A case report

Descripción del caso clínico: Paciente en contacto habitual con ganado ovino y bovino, astenia, anemia y fiebre de origen desconocido. En este contexto se realizan varias pruebas complementarias, entre ellas un TC abdominal que revela masa renal calcificada. Con la sospecha de brucelosis, tras obtenerse un resultado positivo en Rosa de Bengala, se comienza tratamiento antibiótico y se realiza nefrectomía simple derecha por lumbotomía, la pieza quirúrgica confirmó el diagnóstico con PCR positiva para Brucella Melitensis. Relevancia: Existen muy pocos casos de bruceloma renal descritos en la literatura, por ello, es importante divulgar los casos que surjan para ampliar el conocimiento sobre esta patología y su tratamiento. Implicaciones clínicas: En ocasiones las pruebas no invasivas no son suficientes para su diagnóstico y el tratamiento quirúrgico junto con la antibioterapia es de elección en la mayoría de los casos descritos en la literatura. Conclusiones: La brucelosis es una enfermedad poco frecuente pero endémica en algunas zonas. El diagnóstico suele darse en el contexto de un estudio por fiebre de origen desconocido. El tratamiento del bruceloma renal suele ser la combinación de antibioterapia y cirugía. Clinical case description: A patient in regular contact with cattle and sheep presented with asthenia, anemia, and fever of unknown origin. Among the complementary studies carried out, an abdominal CT scan revealed a calcified renal mass. Brucellosis was suspected, and after a positive Bengal Rose test, antibiotic therapy was begun. Right nephrectomy was performed through lumbotomy and the diagnosis was confirmed by the surgical specimen, with a PCR test positive for Brucella melitensis. Relevance: There are very few cases of renal brucelloma reported in the literature, thus the description of cases that arise is important to broaden the knowledge of the pathology and its treatment. Clinical implications: Noninvasive tests are often not sufficient for making the diagnosis. The surgical approach, together with antibiotic therapy, is the treatment of choice in the majority of the cases reported in the literature. Conclusions: Brucellosis is an uncommon disease, but endemic in certain areas. Diagnosis tends to be made in the context of evaluating cases of fever of unknown origin. The combination of antibiotic therapy and surgery is the usual treatment for renal brucelloma

A hot sub-Neptune in the desert and a temperate super-Earth around faint M dwarfs: Color validation of TOI-4479b and TOI-2081b

We report the discovery and validation of two TESS exoplanets orbiting faint M dwarfs: TOI-4479b and TOI-2081b. We have jointly analyzed space (TESS mission) and ground based (MuSCAT2, MuSCAT3 and SINISTRO instruments) lightcurves using our multi-color photometry transit analysis pipeline. This allowed us to compute contamination limits for both candidates and validate them as planet-sized companions. We found TOI-4479b to be a sub-Neptune-sized planet ($R_{p}=2.82^{+0.65}_{-0.63}~\rm R_{\oplus}$) and TOI-2081b to be a super-Earth-sized planet ($R_{p}=2.04^{+0.50}_{-0.54}~\rm R_{\oplus}$). Furthermore, we obtained that TOI-4479b, with a short orbital period of $1.15890^{+0.00002}_{-0.00001}~\rm days$, lies within the Neptune desert and is in fact the largest nearly ultra-short period planet around an M dwarf known to date. These results make TOI-4479b rare among the currently known exoplanet population around M dwarf stars, and an especially interesting target for spectroscopic follow-up and future studies of planet formation and evolution.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy&Astrophysic

Las inhumaciones del Neolítico antiguo de Ca l´Estrada (Canovelles, Barcelona)

Actualmente, en el noreste de la Península Ibérica, se conocen muy pocos restos humanos pertenecientes a las primeras comunidades agricultoras y pastoriles de inicios del neolítico. Buena parte de las evidencias que tenemos provienen de contextos arqueológicos excavados con anterioridad a los años 80, lo que supone que no se dispone del mismo acerbo de análisis que se realizan en la actualidad. La excavación realizada en Ca lEstrada viene a rellenar en parte ese vacío aportando no sólo dos nuevos enterramientos, sino también toda una serie de análisis tanto del continente como del contenido de las sepulturas. Su estudio nos ha permitido conocer biológicamente a dos de los sujetos protagonistas de aquella su historia, cómo fueron inhumados y qué objetos les acompañaban. Estamos, sin duda, ante una de las primeras evidencias funerarias de lo que ha venido a denominarse como la Cultura de los Sepulcros de fosa

Regulation of Cyclooxygenase-2 Expression in Human T Cells by Glucocorticoid Receptor-Mediated Transrepression of Nuclear Factor of Activated T Cells

Cyclooxygenase (COX) is the key enzyme in prostanoid synthesis from arachidonic acid (AA). Two isoforms, named COX-1 and COX-2, are expressed in mammalian tissues. The expression of COX-2 isoform is induced by several stimuli including cytokines and mitogens, and this induction is inhibited by glucocorticoids (GCs). We have previously shown that the transcriptional induction of COX-2 occurs early after T cell receptor (TCR) triggering, suggesting functional implications of this enzyme in T cell activation. Here, we show that dexamethasone (Dex) inhibits nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT)-mediated COX-2 transcriptional induction upon T cell activation. This effect is dependent on the presence of the GC receptor (GR), but independent of a functional DNA binding domain, as the activation-deficient GRLS7 mutant was as effective as the wild-type GR in the repression of NFAT-dependent transcription. Dex treatment did not disturb NFAT dephosphorylation, but interfered with activation mediated by the N-terminal transactivation domain (TAD) of NFAT, thus pointing to a negative cross-talk between GR and NFAT at the nuclear level. These results unveil the ability of GCs to interfere with NFAT activation and the induction of pro-inflammatory genes such as COX-2, and explain some of their immunomodulatory properties in activated human T cells