The Binding Of Bifidobacterium Pseudocatenulatum G4 Tomutagenic/Carcinogenic Heterocyclic Aromatic Aminesin An In Vitro Study

Consumption of probiotic microorganisms has been associated with decreased risk of colon cancer and reported to have antimutagenic/anticarcinogenic properties. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) existing in the colon may exert an anticarcinogenic action, but the mechanism is still poorly understood. One possible mechanism for this effect involves physical binding of the mutagenic compounds, such as heterocyclic amines, to the bacteria. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to study the binding assay of mutagenic/carcinogenic heterocyclic aromatic amines (HCAs) to Bifidobacterium pseudocatenulatum G4, a species which has not been explored yet as a commercial probiotic, in vitro. The effect of two gram positive bacteria: Bifidobacterium pseudocatenulatum G4 and Bifidobacterium longum BB536 (a commercial probiotic used as a reference strain), and a gram negative bacterium: human intestinal strain Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 at the colon environmental pH and temperature were studied

Effect of Toxocara canis and Toxascaris leonina egg antigens on induction of eosinophilia in animal model

زمینه و هدف: توکسوکاراها و توکساسکاریس انگل روده سگ و گربه می باشند که لارو آن ها باعث ایجاد ائوزینوفیلی در انسان می شود. در این تحقیق به صورت اختصاری تأثیر آنتی ژن های تخم برخی از این انگل ها بر ایجاد ائوزینوفیلی بررسی شده است. روش بررسی: در این مطالعه تجربی تعداد 54 سر موش سوری در شش گروه قرار گرفتند. به گروه های مورد، آنتی ژن تخم توکسوکارا کانیس یا توکساسکاریس لئونینا بدون ادجونت از راه داخل صفاقی و یا همراه با ادجوانت فروندز از راه زیر جلدی تزریق شد. گروه های شاهد هیچ تزریقی دریافت نکردند. هر تزریق سه بار با فاصله زمانی دو هفته تکرار و بعد از هر تزریق، شمارش گلبول های سفید از نمونه های خونی انجام شد. یافته ها: اختلافی بین میانگین گلبول های سفید شامل لنفوسیت ها، ائوزینوفیل ها، نوتروفیل ها، مونوسیت ها و بازوفیل ها در گروه های مورد در مقایسه با گروه های شاهد مشاهده نگردید. نتیجه گیری: بر خلاف لاروها، آنتی ژن های انگل های مورد مطالعه باعث ائوزینوفیلی در موش ها نشدند؛ با این حال تحقیقات بیشتری در این خصوص توصیه می گردد

In vitro binding of mutagenic heterocyclic aromatic amines by Bifidobacterium pseudocatenulatum G4.

Consumption of probiotics has been associated with decreased risk of colon cancer and reported to have antimutagenic/ anti-carcinogenic properties. One possible mechanism for this effect involves physical binding of the mutagenic compounds, such as heterocyclic amines (HCAs), to the bacteria. Therefore, the objective of this study was to examine the binding capacity of bifidobacterial strains of human origin on mutagenic heterocyclic amines which are suspected to play a role in human cancers. In vitro binding of the mutagens Trp-p-2, IQ, MeIQx, 7,8DiMeIQx and PhIP by three bacterial strains in two media of different pH was analysed using high performance liquid chromatography. Bifidobacterium pseudocatenulatum G4 showed the highest decrease in the total HCAs content, followed by Bifidobacterium longum, and Escherichia coli. pH affects binding capacity; the highest binding was obtained at pH 6.8. Gram-positive tested strains were found to be consistently more effective than the gram-negative strain. There were significant decreases in the amount of HCAs in the presence of different cell concentrations of B. pseudocatenulatum G4; the highest decrease was detected at the concentration of 10(10) cfu/ml. The results showed that HCAs were able to bind with all bacterial strains tested in vitro, thus it may be possible to decrease their absorption by human intestine and increase their elimination via faeces

Human urogenital myiasis : A systematic review of reported cases from 1975 to 2017

The public health importance of myiasis [infestation with dipterous (fly) larvae] remains unknown. This disease is spread worldwide in animals and humans, but baseline data on its prevalence are limited. In particular, knowledge on human urogenital myiasis (UGM) is scattered. As such, a systematic search was undertaken of five English and five Persian databases for publications describing UGM cases in English or Persian published between 1975 and 2017. In total, 45 papers reporting 59 UGM cases from various regions of the world are included in this review. All included papers were from the English databases. The age of patients ranged from 5 to 89 years, and the mean age was 40.6 years. Thirty-six of the patients were female and 19 were male. The highest number of cases (n = 12) was reported from Brazil. The most common genera causing UGM were Psychoda spp. (23.7%) and Cochliomyia spp. (11.8%). The vagina was the most commonly reported anatomical location of UGM for women, and the urogenital tract was the most commonly reported location for men. Thirteen cases were reported from rural areas and eight cases from urban areas; the location of other cases was not specified. The incidence of UGM is likely to be substantially underestimated when evaluated based on published case reports. Epidemiological studies, such as questionnaires to medical doctors, could help to gather the necessary baseline data on the occurrence of UGM. (C) 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.Peer reviewe

Depression is Associated with Weight Gain in Patients Transplanted for NASH Cirrhosis but Not Other Etiologies of Cirrhosis

The present study was to bridge this gap in knowledge by evaluating the relationship between depression, liver disease and weight change after LT. Weight gain after liver transplantation (LT) is common, particularly in patients transplanted for NASH cirrhosis, and is associated with reduced survival. In non-LT patients, presence and sub-optimal management of depression is closely associated with weight gain and obesity. The impact of depression as predictor of post-LT weight gain is currently not known. Method:All adult patients receiving LT between 7/2007 to 7/2017 were included in the analysis. Patients with graft failure or death within 6 months after LT were excluded. Baseline weight was weight 2 weeks after LT to avoid contribution of peri-transplant edema. Screening for depression was performed by a psychologist or psychiatrist using DSM-IV/V guidelines. Antidepressant use was quantified through chart review. Results: The presence of depression did not affect weight change in patients transplanted for HCV and alcoholic cirrhosis; however, in patients transplanted for NASH cirrhosis depression was positively associated with 60 months post-LT weight gain. Patients receiving treatment for depression, the weight gain was mitigated, whereas in patients with NASH cirrhosis and depression not on anti-depressants the weight gain was significantly more profound at each follow up.Conclusion: Presence and under-treatment of depression are associated with more profound weight gain in patients transplanted for NASH cirrhosis, likely reflecting poor coping mechanisms. Additional trials with aggressive screening and treatment of depression in patients transplanted for NASH cirrhosis are essential to mitigate post-LT weight gai

Association between Thyroid Hormones and Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Non-alcoholic Steatohepatitis in Obese Individuals Undergoing Bariatric Surgery

Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), and hepatic fibrosis have emerged as one of the leading causes of chronic liver disease. The prevalence of the NAFLD spectrum has increased, which can be attributed to the rise in obesity. As NAFLD can ultimately lead to liver cirrhosis, it is imperative to identify modifiable risk factors associated with its onset and progression to provide timely intervention to prevent potentially disastrous consequences. Considering the pivotal role of the endocrine axis in several metabolic pathways such as obesity and insulin resistance, thyroid hormones are crucial in the pathophysiology of NAFLD. The study is focused on the identification of an association between thyroid function and radiographic and histological parameters of NAFLD in patients with severe obesity. Methods: Ninety patients were recruited for this study and underwent initial assessments, including demographic profiles, anthropometric measurements, hepatic biopsy, and basic laboratory tests. Liver stiffness was evaluated using two-dimensional shear wave elastography (2D-SWE) at least 2 weeks before liver biopsy. Results: Among the 90 participants, 80% were women. The mean age was 38.5 ± 11.1 years, and the mean body mass index (BMI) was 45.46 ± 6.26 kg/m2. The mean levels of serum T3 and free T4 in patients with positive histology were not statistically significant compared with patients with negative histology. Furthermore, there was no statistical significance in the mean T3 and free T4 levels between patients diagnosed with hepatic steatosis or fibrosis (on ultrasonography and elastography) and those with negative hepatic imaging. Serum levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) were negatively correlated with ultrasonography (P = 0.007). Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that none of the thyroid hormones was a predictive factor for liver histology in both adjusted and crude models. Conclusion: The results from our analysis did not suggest an association between thyroid hormones and NAFLD, which is in line with several previously published studies. However, the authors note that there are published data that do propose a link between the two entities. Therefore, well-designed large-scale clinical studies are required to clarify this discrepancy

Electric field effects on proteins Novel perspectives on food and potential health implications

Electric fields (EF) technologies have been establishing a solid position in emergent food processing and have seen as serious alternatives to traditional thermal processing. During the last decades, research has been devoted to elucidation of technological and safety issues but also fundamental aspects related with interaction of electric fields (EF) with important macromolecules, such as proteins. Proteins are building blocks for the development of functional networks that can encompass health benefits (i.e. nutritional and bioactive properties) but may be also linked with adverse effects such as neurodegenerative diseases (amyloid fibrils) and immunological responses. The biological function of a protein depends on its tridimensional structure/conformation, and latest research evidences that EF can promote disturbances on protein conformation, change their unfolding mechanisms, aggregation and interaction patterns. This review aims at bringing together these recent findings as well as providing novel perspectives about how EF can shape the behavior of proteins towards the development of innovative foods, aiming at consumers health and wellbeing.This study was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) under the scope of the strategic funding of UID/ BIO/04469/2019 and UIDB 50006/2020 with funding from FCT/ MCTES through national funds, BioTecNorte operation (NORTE-01- 0145-FEDER-000004) funded by the European Regional Development Fund under the scope of Norte2020 - Programa Operacional Regional do Norte. This work was also supported by the projects AlleRiskAssess – PTDC/BAA-AGR/31720/2017 and NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-031720. Zita Avelar acknowledge the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) for its fellowship SFRH/BD/146347/2019info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Mapping 123 million neonatal, infant and child deaths between 2000 and 2017

Since 2000, many countries have achieved considerable success in improving child survival, but localized progress remains unclear. To inform efforts towards United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3.2—to end preventable child deaths by 2030—we need consistently estimated data at the subnational level regarding child mortality rates and trends. Here we quantified, for the period 2000–2017, the subnational variation in mortality rates and number of deaths of neonates, infants and children under 5 years of age within 99 low- and middle-income countries using a geostatistical survival model. We estimated that 32% of children under 5 in these countries lived in districts that had attained rates of 25 or fewer child deaths per 1,000 live births by 2017, and that 58% of child deaths between 2000 and 2017 in these countries could have been averted in the absence of geographical inequality. This study enables the identification of high-mortality clusters, patterns of progress and geographical inequalities to inform appropriate investments and implementations that will help to improve the health of all populations

Mapping geographical inequalities in childhood diarrhoeal morbidity and mortality in low-income and middle-income countries, 2000–17 : analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017

Background Across low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs), one in ten deaths in children younger than 5 years is attributable to diarrhoea. The substantial between-country variation in both diarrhoea incidence and mortality is attributable to interventions that protect children, prevent infection, and treat disease. Identifying subnational regions with the highest burden and mapping associated risk factors can aid in reducing preventable childhood diarrhoea. Methods We used Bayesian model-based geostatistics and a geolocated dataset comprising 15 072 746 children younger than 5 years from 466 surveys in 94 LMICs, in combination with findings of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2017, to estimate posterior distributions of diarrhoea prevalence, incidence, and mortality from 2000 to 2017. From these data, we estimated the burden of diarrhoea at varying subnational levels (termed units) by spatially aggregating draws, and we investigated the drivers of subnational patterns by creating aggregated risk factor estimates. Findings The greatest declines in diarrhoeal mortality were seen in south and southeast Asia and South America, where 54·0% (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 38·1–65·8), 17·4% (7·7–28·4), and 59·5% (34·2–86·9) of units, respectively, recorded decreases in deaths from diarrhoea greater than 10%. Although children in much of Africa remain at high risk of death due to diarrhoea, regions with the most deaths were outside Africa, with the highest mortality units located in Pakistan. Indonesia showed the greatest within-country geographical inequality; some regions had mortality rates nearly four times the average country rate. Reductions in mortality were correlated to improvements in water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) or reductions in child growth failure (CGF). Similarly, most high-risk areas had poor WASH, high CGF, or low oral rehydration therapy coverage. Interpretation By co-analysing geospatial trends in diarrhoeal burden and its key risk factors, we could assess candidate drivers of subnational death reduction. Further, by doing a counterfactual analysis of the remaining disease burden using key risk factors, we identified potential intervention strategies for vulnerable populations. In view of the demands for limited resources in LMICs, accurately quantifying the burden of diarrhoea and its drivers is important for precision public health

Global age-sex-specific fertility, mortality, healthy life expectancy (HALE), and population estimates in 204 countries and territories, 1950-2019 : a comprehensive demographic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Background Accurate and up-to-date assessment of demographic metrics is crucial for understanding a wide range of social, economic, and public health issues that affect populations worldwide. The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019 produced updated and comprehensive demographic assessments of the key indicators of fertility, mortality, migration, and population for 204 countries and territories and selected subnational locations from 1950 to 2019. Methods 8078 country-years of vital registration and sample registration data, 938 surveys, 349 censuses, and 238 other sources were identified and used to estimate age-specific fertility. Spatiotemporal Gaussian process regression (ST-GPR) was used to generate age-specific fertility rates for 5-year age groups between ages 15 and 49 years. With extensions to age groups 10-14 and 50-54 years, the total fertility rate (TFR) was then aggregated using the estimated age-specific fertility between ages 10 and 54 years. 7417 sources were used for under-5 mortality estimation and 7355 for adult mortality. ST-GPR was used to synthesise data sources after correction for known biases. Adult mortality was measured as the probability of death between ages 15 and 60 years based on vital registration, sample registration, and sibling histories, and was also estimated using ST-GPR. HIV-free life tables were then estimated using estimates of under-5 and adult mortality rates using a relational model life table system created for GBD, which closely tracks observed age-specific mortality rates from complete vital registration when available. Independent estimates of HIV-specific mortality generated by an epidemiological analysis of HIV prevalence surveys and antenatal clinic serosurveillance and other sources were incorporated into the estimates in countries with large epidemics. Annual and single-year age estimates of net migration and population for each country and territory were generated using a Bayesian hierarchical cohort component model that analysed estimated age-specific fertility and mortality rates along with 1250 censuses and 747 population registry years. We classified location-years into seven categories on the basis of the natural rate of increase in population (calculated by subtracting the crude death rate from the crude birth rate) and the net migration rate. We computed healthy life expectancy (HALE) using years lived with disability (YLDs) per capita, life tables, and standard demographic methods. Uncertainty was propagated throughout the demographic estimation process, including fertility, mortality, and population, with 1000 draw-level estimates produced for each metric. Findings The global TFR decreased from 2.72 (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 2.66-2.79) in 2000 to 2.31 (2.17-2.46) in 2019. Global annual livebirths increased from 134.5 million (131.5-137.8) in 2000 to a peak of 139.6 million (133.0-146.9) in 2016. Global livebirths then declined to 135.3 million (127.2-144.1) in 2019. Of the 204 countries and territories included in this study, in 2019, 102 had a TFR lower than 2.1, which is considered a good approximation of replacement-level fertility. All countries in sub-Saharan Africa had TFRs above replacement level in 2019 and accounted for 27.1% (95% UI 26.4-27.8) of global livebirths. Global life expectancy at birth increased from 67.2 years (95% UI 66.8-67.6) in 2000 to 73.5 years (72.8-74.3) in 2019. The total number of deaths increased from 50.7 million (49.5-51.9) in 2000 to 56.5 million (53.7-59.2) in 2019. Under-5 deaths declined from 9.6 million (9.1-10.3) in 2000 to 5.0 million (4.3-6.0) in 2019. Global population increased by 25.7%, from 6.2 billion (6.0-6.3) in 2000 to 7.7 billion (7.5-8.0) in 2019. In 2019, 34 countries had negative natural rates of increase; in 17 of these, the population declined because immigration was not sufficient to counteract the negative rate of decline. Globally, HALE increased from 58.6 years (56.1-60.8) in 2000 to 63.5 years (60.8-66.1) in 2019. HALE increased in 202 of 204 countries and territories between 2000 and 2019. Interpretation Over the past 20 years, fertility rates have been dropping steadily and life expectancy has been increasing, with few exceptions. Much of this change follows historical patterns linking social and economic determinants, such as those captured by the GBD Socio-demographic Index, with demographic outcomes. More recently, several countries have experienced a combination of low fertility and stagnating improvement in mortality rates, pushing more populations into the late stages of the demographic transition. Tracking demographic change and the emergence of new patterns will be essential for global health monitoring. Copyright (C) 2020 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.Peer reviewe