Biofilm formation by multidrug resistant Enterobacteriaceae strains isolated from solid organ transplant recipients

Solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients are especially at risk of developing infections by multidrug resistant bacteria (MDR). In this study, the biofilm-forming capability of 209 MDR strains (Escherichia coli n = 106, Klebsiella pneumoniae n = 78, and Enterobacter spp. n = 25) isolated from rectal swabs in the first 48 hours before or after kidney (93 patients), liver (60 patients) or kidney/pancreas transplants (5 patients) were evaluated by using a microplate assay. Thirty-nine strains were isolated before transplant and 170 strains were isolated post-transplant. Overall, 16% of E. coli strains, 73% of K. pneumoniae strains and 4% Enterobacter strains showed moderate or strong biofilm production. Nine strains isolated from infection sites after transplantation were responsible of infections in the first month. Of these, 4 K. pneumoniae, 1 E. coli and 1 Enterobacter spp. strains isolated pre-transplant or post-transplant as colonizers caused infections in the post-transplant period. Our results suggest that in vitro biofilm formation could be an important factor for adhesion to intestine and colonization in MDR K. pneumoniae strains in SOT recipients, but this factor appears to be less important for MDR E. coli and Enterobacter spp.Acknowledgements: The authors thank Dr. Fidel Madrazo (Electron Microscopy Unit, Technology Support Services, IDIVAL) for helping with confocal microscopy. This research was supported by ‘Plan Nacional de I + D + i and Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias PI 13/01191 to MCF and PI 16/01103 to JRV), Subdirección General de Redes y Centros de Investigación Cooperativa, Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, Spanish Network for Research in Infectious Diseases (REIPI RD12/0015) and (REIPI RD16/0016) co-financed by the European Development Regional Fund “A way to achieve Europe” ERDF

Dental size variation in admixed Latin Americans: effects of age, sex and genomic ancestry

Dental size variation in modern humans has been assessed from regional to worldwide scales, especially under microevolutionary and forensic contexts. Despite this, populations of mixed continental ancestry such as contemporary Latin Americans remain unexplored. In the present study we investigated a large Latin American sample from Colombia (N = 804) and obtained buccolingual and mesiodistal diameters and three indices for maxillary and mandibular teeth (except third molars). We evaluated the correlation between 28 dental measurements (and three indices) with age, sex and genomic ancestry (estimated using genome-wide SNP data). In addition, we explored correlation patterns between dental measurements and the biological affinities, based on these measurements, between two Latin American samples (Colombians and Mexicans) and three putative parental populations: Central and South Native Americans, western Europeans and western Africans through PCA and DFA. Our results indicate that Latin Americans have high dental size diversity, overlapping the variation exhibited by the parental populations. Several dental dimensions and indices have significant correlations with sex and age. Western Europeans presented closer biological affinities with Colombians, and the European genomic ancestry exhibited the highest correlations with tooth size. Correlations between tooth measurements reveal distinct dental modules, as well as a higher integration of postcanine dentition. The effects on dental size of age, sex and genomic ancestry is of relevance for forensic, biohistorical and microevolutionary studies in Latin Americans

Current clinical spectrum of common variable immunodeficiency in Spain: The multicentric nationwide GTEM-SEMI-CVID registry

Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) constitutes a heterogenic group of primary immunodeficiency disorders with a wide-ranging clinical spectrum. CVID-associated non-infectious morbidity constitutes a major challenge requiring a full understanding of its pathophysiology and its clinical importance and global variability, especially considering the broad clinical, genetic, and regional heterogeneity of CVID disorders. This work aimed to develop a nationwide, multicenter, retrospective study over a 3-year period describing epidemiological, clinical, laboratory, therapeutic, and prognostic features of 250 CVID patients in Spain. The mean diagnostic delay was around 10 years and most patients initially presented with infectious complications followed by non-infectious immune disorders. However, infectious diseases were not the main cause of morbimortality. Non-infectious lung disease was extraordinarily frequent in our registry affecting approximately 60% of the patients. More than one-third of the patients in our cohort showed lymphadenopathies and splenomegaly in their follow-up, and more than 33% presented immune cytopenias, especially Evans' syndrome. Gastrointestinal disease was observed in more than 40% of the patients. Among biopsied organs in our cohort, benign lymphoproliferation was the principal histopathological alteration. Reaching 15.26%, the global prevalence of cancer in our registry was one of the highest reported to date, with non-Hodgkin B lymphoma being the most frequent. These data emphasize the importance of basic and translational research delving into the pathophysiological pathways involved in immune dysregulation and diffuse lymphocytic infiltration. This would reveal new tailored strategies to reduce immune complications, and the associated healthcare burden, and ensure a better quality of life for CVID patients

Variation in dental morphology and inference of continental ancestry in admixed Latin Americans

Objectives: To investigate the variation in dental nonmetric traits and to evaluate the utility of this variation for inferring genetic ancestry proportions in a sample of admixed Latin Americans.; Materials and Methods: We characterized a sample from Colombia (N = 477) for 34 dental traits and obtained estimates of individual Native American, European, and African ancestry using genome‐wide SNP data. We tested for correlation between dental traits, genetic ancestry, age, and sex. We carried out a biodistance analysis between the Colombian sample and reference continental population samples using the mean measure of divergence statistic calculated from dental trait frequencies. We evaluated the inference of genetic ancestry from dental traits using a regression approach (with 10‐fold cross‐validation) as well as by testing the correlation between estimates of ancestry obtained from genetic and dental data.; Results: Latin Americans show intermediate dental trait frequencies when compared to Native Americans, Europeans, and Africans. Significant correlations were observed for several dental traits, genetic ancestry, age, and sex. The biodistance analysis displayed a closer relationship of Colombians to Europeans than to Native Americans and Africans. Mean ancestry estimates obtained from the dental data are similar to the genetic estimates (Native American: 32% vs. 28%, European: 59% vs. 63%, and African: 9% vs. 9%, respectively). However, dental features provided low predictive power for genetic ancestry of individuals in both approaches tested (R2 < 5% for all genetic ancestries across methods).; Discussion: The frequency of dental traits in Latin Americans reflects their admixed Native American, European and African ancestry and can provide reasonable average estimates of genetic ancestry. However, the accuracy of individual genetic ancestry estimates is relatively low, probably influenced by the continental differentiation of dental traits, their genetic architecture, and the distribution of genetic ancestry in the individuals examined.Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse

A genome-wide association scan implicates DCHS2, RUNX2, GLI3, PAX1 and EDAR in human facial variation

We report a genome-wide association scan for facial features in B6,000 Latin Americans. We evaluated 14 traits on an ordinal scale and found significant association (P valueso5 10 8) at single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in four genomic regions for three nose-related traits: columella inclination (4q31), nose bridge breadth (6p21) and nose wing breadth (7p13 and 20p11). In a subsample of B3,000 individuals we obtained quantitative traits related to 9 of the ordinal phenotypes and, also, a measure of nasion position. Quantitative analyses confirmed the ordinal-based associations, identified SNPs in 2q12 associated to chin protrusion, and replicated the reported association of nasion position with SNPs in PAX3. Strongest association in 2q12, 4q31, 6p21 and 7p13 was observed for SNPs in the EDAR, DCHS2, RUNX2 and GLI3 genes, respectively. Associated SNPs in 20p11 extend to PAX1. Consistent with the effect of EDAR on chin protrusion, we documented alterations of mandible length in mice with modified Edar funtion

Impact of COVID-19 Lockdown in Eating Disorders: A Multicentre Collaborative International Study

Background. The COVID-19 lockdown has had a significant impact on mental health. Patients with eating disorders (ED) have been particularly vulnerable. Aims. (1) To explore changes in eating-related symptoms and general psychopathology during lockdown in patients with an ED from various European and Asian countries; and (2) to assess differences related to diagnostic ED subtypes, age, and geography. Methods. The sample comprised 829 participants, diagnosed with an ED according to DSM-5 criteria from specialized ED units in Europe and Asia. Participants were assessed using the COVID-19 Isolation Scale (CIES). Results. Patients with binge eating disorder (BED) experienced the highest impact on weight and ED symptoms in comparison with other ED subtypes during lockdown, whereas individuals with other specified feeding and eating disorders (OFSED) had greater deterioration in general psychological functioning than subjects with other ED subtypes. Finally, Asian and younger individuals appeared to be more resilient. Conclusions. The psychopathological changes in ED patients during the COVID-19 lockdown varied by cultural context and individual variation in age and ED diagnosis. Clinical services may need to target preventive measures and adapt therapeutic approaches for the most vulnerable patients

Risk factors for non-diabetic renal disease in diabetic patients

Background. Diabetic patients with kidney disease have a high prevalence of non-diabetic renal disease (NDRD). Renal and patient survival regarding the diagnosis of diabetic nephropathy (DN) or NDRD have not been widely studied. The aim of our study is to evaluate the prevalence of NDRD in patients with diabetes and to determine the capacity of clinical and analytical data in the prediction of NDRD. In addition, we will study renal and patient prognosis according to the renal biopsy findings in patients with diabetes. Methods. Retrospective multicentre observational study of renal biopsies performed in patients with diabetes from 2002 to 2014. Results. In total, 832 patients were included: 621 men (74.6%), mean age of 61.7 6 12.8 years, creatinine was 2.8 6 2.2 mg/dL and proteinuria 2.7 (interquartile range: 1.2–5.4) g/24 h. About 39.5% (n ¼ 329) of patients had DN, 49.6% (n ¼ 413) NDRD and 10.8% (n ¼ 90) mixed forms. The most frequent NDRD was nephroangiosclerosis (NAS) (n ¼ 87, 9.3%). In the multivariate logistic regression analysis, older age [odds ratio (OR) ¼ 1.03, 95% CI: 1.02–1.05, P < 0.001], microhaematuria (OR ¼ 1.51, 95% CI: 1.03–2.21, P ¼ 0.033) and absence of diabetic retinopathy (DR) (OR ¼ 0.28, 95% CI: 0.19–0.42, P < 0.001) were independently associated with NDRD. Kaplan–Meier analysis showed that patients with DN or mixed forms presented worse renal prognosis than NDRD (P < 0.001) and higher mortality (P ¼ 0.029). In multivariate Cox analyses, older age (P < 0.001), higher serum creatinine (P < 0.001), higher proteinuria (P < 0.001), DR (P ¼ 0.007) and DN (P < 0.001) were independent risk factors for renal replacement therapy. In addition, older age (P < 0.001), peripheral vascular disease (P ¼ 0.002), higher creatinine (P ¼ 0.01) and DN (P ¼ 0.015) were independent risk factors for mortality. Conclusions. The most frequent cause of NDRD is NAS. Elderly patients with microhaematuria and the absence of DR are the ones at risk for NDRD. Patients with DN presented worse renal prognosis and higher mortality than those with NDRD. These results suggest that in some patients with diabetes, kidney biopsy may be useful for an accurate renal diagnosis and subsequently treatment and prognosis

Epidemiologic Features and Control Measures during Monkeypox Outbreak, Spain, June 2022

During June 2022, Spain was one of the countries most affected worldwide by a multicountry monkeypox outbreak with chains of transmission without identified links to disease-endemic countries. We provide epidemiologic features of cases reported in Spain and the coordinated measures taken to respond to this outbreak.S

Effects of hormonal treatment, maxilofacial surgery-orthodontics, traumatism, and malformation on fluctuating asymmetry

ABSTRACT: In this work we test for the putative association between facial fluctuating asymmetry (FFA) and hormone treatments, maxillofacial surgery, orthodontics, injuries, and malformations. A protocol of five photographs and photogrammetric reconstruction was implemented to place thirty-four 3D landmarks in 3162 individuals aged between 18 and 85 years, belonging to the CANDELA initiative. A Procrustes ANOVA test was used to obtain individual facial fluctuating asymmetry scores. One way ANOVA, Welch, and Levene tests were conducted to explore the potential differences between mean and variance of the response variables. Our results indicate that women who received some hormonal treatment showed higher fluctuating facial asymmetry scores in relation to the unaffected group, this being persistent once the effects of heterozygosity (genetic ancestry) and further variables had been statistically controlled. The shape changes corresponding to this association are focused on the chin, jaw, lower lip, prefrontal region, nose, and ears. Previous reports suggested a potential relationship between facial asymmetry and hormone levels, but to the best of our knowledge there are no reports indicating the causation underlying the association detected here. This report is one more evidence of the association between hormone intake and facial asymmetric features in urban admixed Latin American populations.RESUMEN: En este trabajo se evalúa la relación entre la asimetría fluctuante facial (AFF) y los tratamientos hormonales, cirugías maxilofaciales, ortodoncia, traumatismos y malformaciones. En el marco del proyecto CANDELA, se tomaron cinco fotografías faciales de 3162 voluntarios entre los 18 y 85 años. Por fotogrametría se colocaron 34 landmarks o puntos en 3D y mediante el método Procrustes ANOVA se obtuvieron valores individuales de asimetría fluctuante facial. Se realizó una prueba de ANOVA de una vía y la prueba de Welch y Levene para conocer las diferencias entre media y varianza de los valores de asimetría facial y las variables respuesta. También, se caracterizó la variación morfológica del componente asimétrico de la forma facial mediante técnicas multivariadas sobre los grupos que resultaran diferentes significativamente. Las mujeres que reportaron haber recibido algún tipo de tratamiento hormonal mostraron mayores valores de asimetría fluctuante facial respecto al grupo sin tratamiento. Esta asociación se mantuvo una vez removido el efecto de la heterocigosidad (como indicador de la ancestría) y sin interactuar con el resto de covariables incluidas en el análisis. Los cambios morfológicos asociados a este factor se concentran en el mentón, maxilar labio inferior, región perifrontal, región nasal y orejas. Algunos trabajos anteriores dieron cuenta de la posible relación entre la asimetría facial y los niveles de hormonas, pero no hay estudios que sustenten la relación causal o directa entre la asociación aquí planteada. El presente trabajo es una evidencia más de la asociación entre el consumo de hormonas y modificaciones de caracteres faciales en poblaciones urbanas mestizas latinoamericanas

Socioeconomic Status Is Not Related with Facial Fluctuating Asymmetry: Evidence from Latin-American Populations

The expression of facial asymmetries has been recurrently related with poverty and/or disadvantaged socioeconomic status. Departing from the developmental instability theory, previous approaches attempted to test the statistical relationship between the stress experienced by individuals grown in poor conditions and an increase in facial and corporal asymmetry. Here we aim to further evaluate such hypothesis on a large sample of admixed Latin Americans individuals by exploring if low socioeconomic status individuals tend to exhibit greater facial fluctuating asymmetry values. To do so, we implement Procrustes analysis of variance and Hierarchical Linear Modelling (HLM) to estimate potential associations between facial fluctuating asymmetry values and socioeconomic status. We report significant relationships between facial fluctuating asymmetry values and age, sex, and genetic ancestry, while socioeconomic status failed to exhibit any strong statistical relationship with facial asymmetry. These results are persistent after the effect of heterozygosity (a proxy for genetic ancestry) is controlled in the model. Our results indicate that, at least on the studied sample, there is no relationship between socioeconomic stress (as intended as low socioeconomic status) and facial asymmetries