Correlates of exposure to second-hand smoke in an urban Mediterranean population

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>To describe the socio-demographic factors associated with exposure to second-hand smoke (SHS) in different settings (home, leisure, and workplace).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We analysed cross-sectional data on self-reported SHS exposure in 1059 non-daily smokers interviewed in the Cornellà Health Interview Survey Follow-up Study in 2002. We calculated age-adjusted prevalence rates and prevalence rate ratios of SHS exposure at home, at the workplace, during leisure time, and in any of these settings.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The age-standardized prevalence rate of SHS exposure in any setting was 69.5% in men and 62.9% in women. Among men, 25.9% reported passive smoking at home, 55.1% during leisure time, and 34.0% at the workplace. Among women, prevalence rates in these settings were 34.1%, 44.3% and 30.1%, respectively. Overall exposure to SHS decreased with age in both men and women. In men, SHS exposure was related to marital status, physical activity, smoking, and alcohol intake. In women, SHS exposure was related to educational level, marital status, occupational status, self-perceived health, smoking-related illness, and alcohol intake.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The prevalence of SHS exposure in this population was high. The strongest association with exposure were found for age and occupational status in men, and age and educational level in women.</p

Value-based radiotherapy: A new chapter of the ESTRO-HERO project.

Radiotherapy interventions are rapidly evolving and improving, holding promise for better patient outcomes, yet at the possible detriment of higher societal costs. The ESTRO-HERO value-based radiotherapy project aims to develop a framework defining and assessing the value of radiotherapy innovations, to support clinical implementation and equitable access, within a sustainable healthcare system

BRCA1 mutations in high-grade serous ovarian cancer are associated with proteomic changes in DNA repair, splicing, transcription regulation and signaling

Ovarian cancer; ProteomicsCáncer de ovarios: ProteómicaCàncer d'ovaris; ProteòmicaDespite recent advances in the management of BRCA1 mutated high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSC), the physiology of these tumors remains poorly understood. Here we provide a comprehensive molecular understanding of the signaling processes that drive HGSC pathogenesis with the addition of valuable ubiquitination profiling, and their dependency on BRCA1 mutation-state directly in patient-derived tissues. Using a multilayered proteomic approach, we show the tight coordination between the ubiquitination and phosphorylation regulatory layers and their role in key cellular processes related to BRCA1-dependent HGSC pathogenesis. In addition, we identify key bridging proteins, kinase activity, and post-translational modifications responsible for molding distinct cancer phenotypes, thus providing new opportunities for therapeutic intervention, and ultimately advance towards a more personalized patient care.This work was supported by the PhD4MD collaborative research program between the Vall d’Hebron Research Institute (VHIR) and the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG). The CRG/UPF Proteomics Unit is part of the Spanish Infrastructure for Omics Technologies (ICTS OmicsTech) and it is a member of the ProteoRed PRB3 consortium which is supported by grant PT17/0019 of the PE I+D+i 2013-2016 from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII) and ERDF. We acknowledge support from the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, (CTQ2016-80364-P and “Centro de Excelencia Severo Ochoa 2013-2017”, SEV-2012-0208), and “Secretaria d’Universitats i Recerca del Departament d’Economia i Coneixement de la Generalitat de Catalunya” (2017SGR595 and 2017SGR1661). This project has also received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No 823839 (EPIC-XS). It has also been supported by grants from the Instituto Carlos III (PI15/00238, PI18/01017, PI21/00977), the Miguel Servet Program (CP13/00158 and CPII18/00027) and the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad y Fondos FEDER (RTC-2015-3821-1). The authors are grateful to the team members of the Proteomics Unit at the Centre for Genomic Regulation, the Biomedical Research Group in Gynecology at the Vall d’Hebron Institute, the Gynecological Oncology Unit at the Vall d’Hebron Hospital and the Biomedical Research Group in Urology at the Vall d’Hebron Institute for their assistance

The frequency of defective genomes in Omicron differs from that of the Alpha, Beta and Delta variants

Evolution; Genetics; Molecular biologyEvolució; Genètica; Biologia molecularEvolución; Genética; Biología molecularThe SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant emerged showing higher transmissibility and possibly higher resistance to current COVID-19 vaccines than other variants dominating the global pandemic. In March 2020 we performed a study in clinical samples, where we found that a portion of genomes in the SARS-CoV-2 viral population accumulated deletions immediately before the S1/S2 cleavage site (furin-like cleavage site, PRRAR/S) of the spike gene, generating a frameshift and appearance of a premature stop codon. The main aim of this study was to determine the frequency of defective deletions in prevalent variants from the first to sixth pandemic waves in our setting and discuss whether the differences observed might support epidemiological proposals. The complete SARS-CoV-2 spike gene was deeply studied by next-generation sequencing using the MiSeq platform. More than 90 million reads were obtained from respiratory swab specimens of 78 COVID-19 patients with mild infection caused by the predominant variants circulating in the Barcelona city area during the six pandemic waves: B.1.5, B.1.1, B.1.177, Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron. The frequency of defective genomes found in variants dominating the first and second waves was similar to that seen in Omicron, but differed from the frequencies seen in the Alpha, Beta and Delta variants. The changing pattern of mutations seen in the various SARS-CoV-2 variants driving the pandemic waves over time can affect viral transmission and immune escape. Here we discuss the putative biological effects of defective deletions naturally occurring before the S1/S2 cleavage site during adaption of the virus to human infection.This study was partially supported by Pla Estratègic de Recerca i Innovació en Salut (PERIS) – Direcció General de Recerca i Innovació en Salut (DGRIS), Catalan Health Ministry, Generalitat de Catalunya; the Spanish Network for the Research in Infectious Diseases (REIPI RD16/0016/0003) from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF); Centro para el Desarrollo Tecnológico Industrial (CDTI) from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Business, grant number IDI-20200297; Grant PI19/00301 from Instituto de Salud Carlos III cofinanced by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), and Gilead’s biomedical research project GLD21/00006. We gratefully acknowledge the authors, originating and submitting laboratories of the sequences from GISAID’s EpiCov Database on which this research is based

Determinacions del perfil genètic de tumors sòlids de l’adult

Perfil genètic; Tumors sòlids; Adults; PrecisióPerfil genético; Tumores sólidos; Adultos; PrecisiónGenetic profile; Solid tumors; Adults; AccuracyEn aquest estudi s’ha definit la llista de gens per a cada patologia i tots ells han estat seleccionats atenent a; la seva utilitat diagnòstica per definir els subtipus tumorals en localitzacions tumorals molt concretes; la seva utilitat pronòstica i predictiva, sempre que això comporti un canvi d’actitud terapèutica; la seva utilitat terapèutica per a la indicació de l’ús de fàrmacs diana

Characteristics of 24 SARS-CoV-2-Sequenced Reinfection Cases in a Tertiary Hospital in Spain

SARS-CoV-2; Clinical features; ReinfectionSARS-CoV-2; Características clínicas; ReinfecciónSARS-CoV-2; Característiques clíniques; ReinfeccióBackground: Since the emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the main concern is whether reinfections are possible, and which are the associated risk factors. This study aims to describe the clinical and molecular characteristics of 24 sequence-confirmed reinfection SARS-CoV-2 cases over 1 year in Barcelona (Catalonia, Spain). Methods: Patients with > 45 days between two positive PCR tests regardless of symptoms and negative tests between episodes were initially considered as suspected reinfection cases from November 2020 to May 2021. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) was performed to confirm genetic differences between consensus sequences and for phylogenetic studies based on PANGOLIN nomenclature. Reinfections were confirmed by the number of mutations, change in lineage, or epidemiological criteria. Results: From 39 reported suspected reinfection cases, complete viral genomes could be sequenced from both episodes of 24 patients, all were confirmed as true reinfections. With a median age of 44 years (interquartile range [IQR] 32–65), 66% were women and 58% were healthcare workers (HCWs). The median days between episodes were 122 (IQR 72–199), occurring one-third within 3 months. Reinfection episodes were frequently asymptomatic and less severe than primary infections. The absence of seroconversion was associated with symptomatic reinfections. Only one case was reinfected with a variant of concern (VOC). Conclusion: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 reinfections can occur in a shorter time than previously reported and are mainly found in immunocompetent patients. Surveillance through WGS is useful to identify viral mutations associated with immune evasion.This research was supported by CIBER -Consorcio Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red- (CB 2021), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación and Unión Europea – NextGenerationEU

A year living with SARS-CoV-2: an epidemiological overview of viral lineage circulation by whole-genome sequencing in Barcelona city (Catalonia, Spain)

Catalonia; SARS-CoV-2; Molecular epidemiologyCataluña; SARS-CoV-2; Epidemiología molecularCatalunya; SARS-CoV-2; Epidemiologia molecularHerein, we describe the genetic diversity of circulating SARS-CoV-2 viruses by whole-genome sequencing (WGS) in Barcelona city (Catalonia, Spain) throughout the first four pandemic waves. From weeks 11/2020–24/2021, SARS-CoV-2-positive respiratory samples were randomly selected per clinical setting (80% from primary care or 20% from the hospital), age group, and week. WGS was performed following the ARTICv3 protocol on MiSeq or NextSeq2000 Illumina platforms. Nearly complete consensus sequences were used for genetic characterization based on GISAID and PANGOLIN nomenclatures. From 2475 samples, 2166 (87%) were fully sequenced (78% from primary care and 22% from hospital settings). Multiple genetic lineages were co-circulating, but four were predominant at different periods. While B.1.5 (50.68%) and B.1.1 (32.88%) were the major lineages during the first pandemic wave, B.1.177 (66.85%) and B.1.1.7 (83.80%) were predominant during the second, third, and fourth waves, respectively. Almost all (96.4%) were carrying D614G mutation in the S protein, with additional mutations that define lineages or variants. But some mutations of concern, such as E484K from B.1.351 and P.1 lineages are currently under monitoring, together with those observed in the receptor-binding domain or N-terminal domain, such as L452R and T478K from B.1.617.2 lineage. The fact that a predominant lineage was observed in each pandemic wave suggests advantageous properties over other contemporary co-circulating variants. This genetic variability should be monitored, especially when a massive vaccination campaign is ongoing because the potential selection and emergence of novel antigenic SARS-CoV-2 strains related to immunological escapement events.This work was supported by Spanish Network for the Research in Infectious Diseases: [Grant Number REIPI RD16/0016/0003]; Centro para el Desarrollo Tecnológico Industrial (CDTI) from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Business [Grant Number IDI-20200297]; Direcció General de Recerca i Innovació en Salut (DGRIS); European Development Regional Fund (ERDF) “A way to achieve Europe” by Spanish Network for Research in Infectious Diseases [REIPI RD16/0016/0003]

Determinacions del perfil genètic de tumors sòlids de l’adult

Perfil genètic; Tumors sòlids; Adults; PrecisióPerfil genético; Tumores sólidos; Adultos; PrecisiónGenetic profile; Solid tumors; Adults; AccuracyEn aquest estudi s’ha definit la llista de gens per a cada patologia i tots ells han estat seleccionats atenent a; la seva utilitat diagnòstica per definir els subtipus tumorals en localitzacions tumorals molt concretes; la seva utilitat pronòstica i predictiva, sempre que això comporti un canvi d’actitud terapèutica; la seva utilitat terapèutica per a la indicació de l’ús de fàrmacs diana

The Cornella Health Interview Survey Follow-Up (CHIS.FU) Study: design, methods, and response rate

BACKGROUND: The aim of this report is to describe the main characteristics of the design, including response rates, of the Cornella Health Interview Survey Follow-up Study. METHODS: The original cohort consisted of 2,500 subjects (1,263 women and 1,237 men) interviewed as part of the 1994 Cornella Health Interview Study. A record linkage to update the address and vital status of the cohort members was carried out using, first a deterministic method, and secondly a probabilistic one, based on each subject's first name and surnames. Subsequently, we attempted to locate the cohort members to conduct the phone follow-up interviews. A pilot study was carried out to test the overall feasibility and to modify some procedures before the field work began. RESULTS: After record linkage, 2,468 (98.7%) subjects were successfully traced. Of these, 91 (3.6%) were deceased, 259 (10.3%) had moved to other towns, and 50 (2.0%) had neither renewed their last municipal census documents nor declared having moved. After using different strategies to track and to retain cohort members, we traced 92% of the CHIS participants. From them, 1,605 subjects answered the follow-up questionnaire. CONCLUSION: The computerized record linkage maximized the success of the follow-up that was carried out 7 years after the baseline interview. The pilot study was useful to increase the efficiency in tracing and interviewing the respondents