“CLUPS”: A New Culture Medium for the Axenic Growth of Entamoeba histolytica

Amebiasis remains a major health problem in Mexico. Terefore, the search for better culture media and low-cost diagnostic and therapeutic tools is fundamental. We present a new culture medium for Entamoeba histolytica which allows the microbe to preserve its virulence factors and ability to induce hepatic abscesses in animal models. Te novel CLUPS medium is an improved version of the PEHPS medium, previously designed in our laboratory. Te main diference is the substitution of raw beef liver in PEHPS by raw beef lung in the CLUPS medium. To compare the performance of three-culture media (traditional TYI-S-33, PEHPS, and CLUPS), E. histolytica trophozoites were cultured in quintuplicate, followed by the evaluation of phospholipase activity and the induction of liver abscesses in golden hamsters. E. histolytica trophozoites grew signifcantly better in CLUPS medium than in TYIS-33. Likewise, CLUPS-cultured trophozoites produced signifcantly more phospholipases than TYI-S-33-cultured trophozoites. Finally, trophozoites grown in any of the three tested media had similar potential to induce liver abscesse

Are the Stellar Winds in IC1613 stronger than expected?

In this poster we present the results of our analyses of three early massive stars in IC 1613, whose spectra have been observed with VIMOS and analyzed with CMFGEN and FASTWIND. One of the targets resulted a possible LBV and the other two are Of stars with unexpectedly strong winds. The Of stars seem to be strongly contaminated by CNO products. Our preliminary results may represent a challenge for the theory of stellar atmospheres, but they still have to be confirmed by the analysis of more objects and a more complete coverage of the parameter space.Comment: 2 pages. Poster contribution to the proceedings of the IAU272 "Active OB Stars: structure, evolution, mass loss and critical limits

Efecto del tratamiento preoperatorio con estatinas sobre los resultados de la cirugía coronaria

IntroducciónEl uso de estatinas se asocia a una reducción de accidentes coronarios en prevención primaria y secundaria y después de angioplastia primaria.ObjetivoInvestigar si el empleo de estatinas en pacientes sometidos a cirugía de revascularización coronaria (CRC) se asocia a beneficio clínico.MétodosSe incluyeron 102 pacientes consecutivos con enfermedad coronaria para CRC electiva y aislada. En el momento de la inclusión se registró el tratamiento preoperatorio y las variables clínicas basales. En el seguimiento se registró la aparición de muerte de origen cardíaco e infarto agudo de miocardio (IAM) en los primeros 30 días.ResultadosRecibían estatinas 61 pacientes (60%) frente a 41 (40%) que no las recibían. No se encontraron diferencias significativas entre ambas poblaciones respecto a las características basales. A los 30 días se produjo una muerte cardíaca (1,6%) en el grupo que recibió estatinas, frente a cinco (12,2%) en el grupo que no las recibían (p=0,02), el IAM ocurrió en cuatro (6,6%) frente a 8 (19,5%) (p=0,04) y el resultado compuesto de muerte cardíaca o IAM ocurrió en cinco (8,2%) frente a 10 (24,4%) (p=0,02). En un modelo multivariado, el tratamiento preoperatorio con estatinas se mantuvo como un factor independiente de predicción (p=0,01; odds ratio [OR]: 3,6) de la aparición de muerte de causa cardíaca o IAM durante los primeros 30 días después de la intervención.ConclusiónEl tratamiento previo con estatinas se asocia de forma significativa e independiente a un menor riesgo de IAM o muerte de origen cardíaco en pacientes sometidos a CRC.IntroductionStatin treatment diminishes adverse cardiac events both in primary and secondary prevention and also after percutaneous coronary intervention.ObjectiveTo study if preoperative statin treatment is associated with any clinical advantage after coronary artery surgery.MethodsWe enrolled 102 consecutive patients with coronary artery disease, scheduled for elective coronary artery surgery. Combined procedures were excluded. Preoperative treatment and the clinical baseline characteristics were recorded in all patients at inclusion. Cardiac death and acute myocardial infarction (AMI) were recorded during the first 30 days.ResultsSixty one patients (60%) were on preoperative statin treatment vs. 41 (40%) who were not. There were no differences at baseline level between both groups. There was one cardiac death at 30 days (1.6%) in the statin-treatment group vs. five deaths (12.2%) in the nostatin group (p=0.02). Acute myocardial infarction presented in four (6.6%) vs. eight (19.5%) (p=0.04). The primary combined cardiac endpoint made of cardiac death or AMI occurred in five (8.2%) vs. 10 (24.4%) (p=0.02). In a multivariate model, preoperative statin treatment remained an independent predictor (p=0.01; odds ratio [OR] 3.6) of cardiac death or AMI during the first 30 days after surgery.ConclusionPreoperative statin-treatment was significative and independently associated with less risk of AMI or cardiath death in patients who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting

Controle do nematóide Aphelenchoides besseyi das sementes de arroz

Six trials were carried out at Lorena and Pindamonhangaba, SP, Brazil, to study the control of the rice nematode Aphelenchoides besseyi Christie 1942, for irrigated conditions. Some chemicals and one thermal treatment were effective in decreasing nematode density; nevertheless, there was no association with yield increases. The cultivars IR 841, IAC 435, IAC 120 and IAC 899 were very tolerant to nematode with yields prominence of IAC 899. Em seis experimentos conduzidos nos municípios de Lorena e Pindamonhangaba, SP, procurou-se verificar o efeito de tratamentos químicos e térmico de sementes sobre o nematóide Aphelenchoides besseyi Christie 1942, em condições de cultivo irrigado. Alguns produtos e o tratamento térmico reduziram o nível populacional do nematóide, porém não houve associação entre os dados de redução e aumento na produção. As cultivares utilizadas, IR 841, IAC 435, IAC 120 e IAC 899, demonstraram elevada tolerância ao nematóide, com destaque de produtividade da IAC 899

A genome-wide association study follow-up suggests a possible role for PPARG in systemic sclerosis susceptibility

Introduction: A recent genome-wide association study (GWAS) comprising a French cohort of systemic sclerosis (SSc) reported several non-HLA single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) showing a nominal association in the discovery phase. We aimed to identify previously overlooked susceptibility variants by using a follow-up strategy.<p></p> Methods: Sixty-six non-HLA SNPs showing a P value <10-4 in the discovery phase of the French SSc GWAS were analyzed in the first step of this study, performing a meta-analysis that combined data from the two published SSc GWASs. A total of 2,921 SSc patients and 6,963 healthy controls were included in this first phase. Two SNPs, PPARG rs310746 and CHRNA9 rs6832151, were selected for genotyping in the replication cohort (1,068 SSc patients and 6,762 healthy controls) based on the results of the first step. Genotyping was performed by using TaqMan SNP genotyping assays. Results: We observed nominal associations for both PPARG rs310746 (PMH = 1.90 × 10-6, OR, 1.28) and CHRNA9 rs6832151 (PMH = 4.30 × 10-6, OR, 1.17) genetic variants with SSc in the first step of our study. In the replication phase, we observed a trend of association for PPARG rs310746 (P value = 0.066; OR, 1.17). The combined overall Mantel-Haenszel meta-analysis of all the cohorts included in the present study revealed that PPARG rs310746 remained associated with SSc with a nominal non-genome-wide significant P value (PMH = 5.00 × 10-7; OR, 1.25). No evidence of association was observed for CHRNA9 rs6832151 either in the replication phase or in the overall pooled analysis.<p></p> Conclusion: Our results suggest a role of PPARG gene in the development of SSc

HLA association with the susceptibility to anti-synthetase syndrome

Objective To investigate the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) association with anti-synthetase syndrome (ASSD). Methods We conducted the largest immunogenetic HLA-DRB1 and HLA-B study to date in a homogeneous cohort of 168 Caucasian patients with ASSD and 486 ethnically matched healthy controls by sequencing-based-typing. Results A statistically significant increase of HLA-DRB1*03:01 and HLA-B*08:01 alleles in patients with ASSD compared to healthy controls was disclosed (26.2% versus 12.2%, P = 1.56E?09, odds ratio?OR [95% confidence interval?CI] = 2.54 [1.84?3.50] and 21.4% versus 5.5%, P = 18.95E?18, OR [95% CI] = 4.73 [3.18?7.05]; respectively). Additionally, HLA-DRB1*07:01 allele was significantly decreased in patients with ASSD compared to controls (9.2% versus 17.5%, P = 0.0003, OR [95% CI] = 0.48 [0.31?0.72]). Moreover, a statistically significant increase of HLA-DRB1*03:01 allele in anti-Jo-1 positive compared to anti-Jo-1 negative patients with ASSD was observed (31.8% versus 15.5%, P = 0.001, OR [95% CI] = 2.54 [1.39?4.81]). Similar findings were observed when HLA carrier frequencies were assessed. The HLA-DRB1*03:01 association with anti-Jo-1 was unrelated to smoking history. No HLA differences in patients with ASSD stratified according to the presence/absence of the most representative non-anti-Jo-1 anti-synthetase autoantibodies (anti-PL-12 and anti-PL-7), arthritis, myositis or interstitial lung disease were observed. Conclusions Our results support the association of the HLA complex with the susceptibility to ASS

Identification of the PTPN22 functional variant R620W as susceptibility genetic factor for giant cell arteritis

Objective: To analyse the role of the PTPN22 and CSK genes, previously associated with autoimmunity, in the predisposition and clinical phenotypes of giant cell arteritis (GCA). Methods: Our study population was composed of 911 patients diagnosed with biopsy-proven GCA and 8136 unaffected controls from a Spanish discovery cohort and three additional independent replication cohorts from Germany, Norway and the UK. Two functional PTPN22 polymorphisms (rs2476601/R620W and rs33996649/R263Q) and two variants of the CSK gene (rs1378942 and rs34933034) were genotyped using predesigned TaqMan assays. Results: The analysis of the discovery cohort provided evidence of association of PTPN22 rs2476601/R620W with GCA (PFDR=1.06E-04, OR=1.62, CI 95% 1.29 to 2.04). The association did not appear to follow a specific GCA subphenotype. No statistically significant differences between allele frequencies for the other PTPN22 and CSK genetic variants were evident either in the case/control or in stratified case analysis. To confirm the detected PTPN22 association, three replication cohorts were genotyped, and a consistent association between the PTPN22 rs2476601/R620W variant and GCA was evident in the overall meta-analysis (PMH=2.00E-06, OR=1.51, CI 95% 1.28 to 1.79). Conclusions: Our results suggest that the PTPN22 polymorphism rs2476601/R620W plays an important role in the genetic risk to GCA

HLA association with the susceptibility to anti-synthetase syndrome

Objective: To investigate the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) association with anti-synthetase syndrome (ASSD). Methods: We conducted the largest immunogenetic HLA-DRB1 and HLA-B study to date in a homogeneous cohort of 168 Caucasian patients with ASSD and 486 ethnically matched healthy controls by sequencing-based-typing. Results: A statistically significant increase of HLA-DRB1*03:01 and HLA-B*08:01 alleles in patients with ASSD compared to healthy controls was disclosed (26.2% versus 12.2%, P=1.56E-09, odds ratio-OR [95% confidence interval-CI]=2.54 [1.84-3.50] and 21.4% versus 5.5%, P=18.95E-18, OR [95% CI]=4.73 [3.18-7.05]; respectively). Additionally, HLA-DRB1*07:01 allele was significantly decreased in patients with ASSD compared to controls (9.2% versus 17.5%, P=0.0003, OR [95% CI]=0.48 [0.31-0.72]). Moreover, a statistically significant increase of HLA-DRB1*03:01 allele in anti-Jo-1 positive compared to anti-Jo-1 negative patients with ASSD was observed (31.8% versus 15.5%, P=0.001, OR [95% CI]=2.54 [1.39-4.81]). Similar findings were observed when HLA carrier frequencies were assessed. The HLA-DRB1*03:01 association with anti-Jo-1 was unrelated to smoking history. No HLA differences in patients with ASSD stratified according to the presence/absence of the most representative non-anti-Jo-1 anti-synthetase autoantibodies (anti-PL-12 and anti-PL-7), arthritis, myositis or interstitial lung disease were observed. Conclusions: Our results support the association of the HLA complex with the susceptibility to ASSD