Effect of Standard Tuberculosis Treatment on Plasma Cytokine Levels in Patients with Active Pulmonary Tuberculosis

CITATION: Riou, C. et al. 2012. Effect of standard tuberculosis treatment on plasma cytokine levels in patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis. PLoS ONE, 7(5): e36886, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0036886.The original publication is available at http://journals.plos.org/plosoneBackground: Sputum Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) culture is commonly used to assess response to antibiotic treatment in individuals with pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). Such techniques are constrained by the slow growth rate of Mtb, and more sensitive methods to monitor Mtb clearance are needed. The goal of this study was to evaluate changes in plasma cytokines in patients undergoing treatment for TB as a means of identifying candidate host markers associated with microbiologic response to therapy. Methods: Twenty-four plasma cytokines/chemokines were measured in 42 individuals diagnosed with active pulmonary TB, 52% were HIV co-infected. Individuals, undergoing a 26-week standard TB treatment, were followed longitudinally over 18 months and measurements were associated with HIV status and rates of sputum culture conversion. Results: Plasma concentrations of interferon-inducible protein-10 (IP-10) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were significantly reduced upon TB treatment, regardless of HIV status. By the end of treatment, IP-10 concentrations were significantly lower in HIV negative individuals when compared to HIV-positive individuals (p = 0.02). Moreover, in HIV negative patients, plasma VEGF concentrations, measured as early as 2-weeks post TB treatment initiation, positively correlated with the time of sputum conversion (p = 0.0017). No significant changes were observed in other studied immune mediators. Conclusions: These data suggest that VEGF plasma concentration, measured during early TB treatment, could represent a surrogate marker to monitor sputum culture conversion in HIV uninfected individuals.http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0036886Publisher's versio

James A. Garfield caricature

Caricature of James A. Garfield titled "From the Tow-Path to the White House." This piece of political memorabilia features one of Garfield's campaign slogans from the 1880 presidential campaign. Garfield was the twentieth President of the United States, and was born on November 19, 1831, in Orange, Ohio. His father died in 1833, and James spent most of his youth working on a farm to care for his widowed mother. At the age of seventeen, Garfield took a job steering boats on the Ohio and Erie Canal--the origin of the campaign slogan. After winning election to the Ohio Senate as a member of the Republican Party in 1859, Garfield joined the Union army at the outset of the Civil War and attained the rank of major general before resigning in 1863 to serve nine consecutive terms in the House of Representatives. He was elected president in 1880, but served only four months before being assassinated

Programa de educación vial 1999-2000 Renault : educación secundaria

Proyecto educativo destinado a educación secundaria que trata el eje transversal: educación vial. El proyecto contiene el libro de profesor y un periódico para el alumno. La manera de trabajar el tema es mediante la presentación de unas noticias y su posterior análisis, sin olvidar la realización de actividades propuestas para cada noticia. Estas noticias son diez y constituyen las diez unidades.CataluñaES

Abstract P307: Associations Between Physical Activity and Cardiac Functional Measures Assessed by Echocardiography: Echocardiographic Study of Latinos (ECHO-SOL)

Introduction: Physical activity (PA) is associated with cardiovascular health benefits including prevention of age related cardiac remodeling, systolic and diastolic dysfunction, and adaptive pro-hypertrophic effect. In this study we aim to measure the associations between PA and LV structure and function in a diverse Hispanic/Latino population. Methods: Participants included 1,818 self-identified Hispanic/Latino men and women, age 45-74 from the Echocardiographic Study of Latinos (ECHO-SOL). Standard echo measures included M-mode, two-dimensional (2-D), spectral, tissue Doppler and color flow. Participants wore an Actical hip accelerometer for 1 week. Multivariable regression models were completed to relate PA to echocardiographic parameters. Results: The mean ± SE age for the cohort was 56 ±0.4, 57% were female, the prevalence of diabetes was 28%, hypertension 50%, hypercholesterolemia 49%, and coronary heart disease 7%. Average moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA) was 20.9 ± 1.1 min/day and sedentary time ±SE was 736.5 ± 8.1 min/day. In multivariable models adjusted for age, gender, diabetes, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, coronary heart disease, alcohol and cigarette use we found the following: left atrium volume index (LAVI) decrease by quartiles of MVPA (p-value<0.001). Global circumferential strain (GCS) decreased across these quartiles of MVPA. Moreover, LAVI decreased by 0.3 per 100 min/day of sedentary time (p-value<0.01) and GCS also decreased across quartiles of sedentary time. Conclusion: MVPA was significantly associated with lower LAVI. There was also a significant association with sedentary behavior. Our findings illustrate the complex relationship between PA, sedentary time and cardiac structure and function