Editorial: Iodine in health and disease

Iodine is an essential micronutrient, used by the thyroid gland to synthesize thyroid hormones that perform pleiotropic functions in the human organism. These roles include stimulating somatic growth and regulating metabolism, cardiac function, and neurodevelopment, the latter through the control of synapse formation, neuronal migration, and myelination.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

High-performance electrochemical immunomagnetic assay for breast cancer analysis

Despite the evolution of targeted therapies in oncology, some challenges such as screening and early diagnosis of cancer-related biomarkers still remain. The analysis of the Human Epidermal growth factor Receptor 2 (HER2) in biological fluids provides essential information for effective treatments. In this work we report the development of an electrochemical immunomagnetic bioassay for the analysis of the extracellular domain of HER2 (HER2-ECD) in human serum and cancer cells. Biomodified carboxylic acid functionalized magnetic beads (COOH-MBs) were used as the capture probe and an antibody labelled with alkaline phosphatase (AP) as the signalling probe. In the presence of HER2-ECD a sandwich complex was formed on the MBs, which were magnetically attracted to the surface of a screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE). After the addition of 3-indoxyl phosphate and silver ions, used as the enzymatic substrate, the immunological interaction was detected by linear sweep voltammetry. Two linear concentration ranges were established: one between 5.0 and 50 ng/mL and another between 50 and 100 ng/mL. The developed assay provided a clinically useful detection limit (2.8 ng/mL) and has an adequate precision (Vx0 < 5%). The assay provided accurate results and was selective towards the target biomarker. Additionally, CTCs were analysed in human serum and a detection limit of 3 cells/mL was achieved for the HER+ breast cancer cell line SK-BR-3.The authors are grateful for the financial support from the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) / the Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior (MCTES) through national funds (Portugal) (LAQV - UID/QUI/50006/2019 and CINTESIS - UID/IC/4255/2019). Maria Freitas is grateful to FCT for her PhD grant (SFRH/BD/111942/2015), financed by POPH- QREN-Tipologia 4.1-Formação Avançada, subsidized by Fundo Social Europeu and the MCTES. The authors are also thankful to Rui Rocha and CEMUP “Centro de Materiais da Universidade do Porto” for the SEM workinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A suplementação com ácido fólico na gravidez: perceções e práticas clínicas na Área Metropolitana do Porto

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Unveiling Dark Matter free-streaming at the smallest scales with high redshift Lyman-alpha forest

This study introduces novel constraints on the free-streaming of thermal relic warm dark matter (WDM) from Lyman-$\alpha$ forest flux power spectra. Our analysis utilises a high-resolution, high-redshift sample of quasar spectra observed using the HIRES and UVES spectrographs ($z=4.2-5.0$). We employ a Bayesian inference framework and a simulation-based likelihood that encompasses various parameters including the free-streaming of dark matter, cosmological parameters, the thermal history of the intergalactic medium, and inhomogeneous reionization, to establish lower limits on the mass of a thermal relic WDM particle of $5.7\;\mathrm{keV}$ (at 95\% C.L.). This result surpasses previous limits from the Lyman-$\alpha$ forest through reduction of the measured uncertainties due to a larger statistical sample and by measuring clustering to smaller scales ($k_{\rm max}=0.2\;\mathrm{km^{-1}\,s}$). The approximately two-fold improvement due to the expanded statistical sample suggests that the effectiveness of Lyman-$\alpha$ forest constraints on WDM models at high redshifts are limited by the availability of high-quality quasar spectra. Restricting the analysis to comparable scales and thermal history priors as in prior studies ($k_{\rm max}<0.1\;\mathrm{km^{-1}\,s}$) lowers the bound on the WDM mass to $4.1\;\mathrm{keV}$. As the precision of the measurements increases, it becomes crucial to examine the instrumental and modelling systematics. On the modelling front, we argue that the impact of the thermal history uncertainty on the WDM particle mass constraint has diminished due to improved independent observations. At the smallest scales, the primary source of modeling systematic arises from the structure in the peculiar velocity of the intergalactic medium and inhomogeneous reionization.Comment: 22 pages, 14 figures, 2 tables; submitte

The Cardiometabolic Impact of Rebaudioside A Exposure during the Reproductive Stage

The consumption of non-sugar sweeteners (NSS) has increased during pregnancy. The European Food Safety Agency suggested that steviol glycosides, such as Rebaudioside A (RebA), the major sweetener component of stevia, are safe for humans up to a dose of 4 mg/kg body weight/day. However, the World Health Organization recommended in 2023 the restraint of using NSS, including stevia, at any life stage, highlighting the need to study NSS safety in early periods of development. We aimed to study the mitochondrial and cardiometabolic effects of long-term RebA consumption during the reproductive stage of the life cycle. Female rats were exposed to RebA (4 mg steviol equivalents/kg body weight/day) in the drinking water from 4 weeks before mating until weaning. Morphometry, food and water consumption, glucose and lipid homeostasis, heart structure, function, and mitochondrial function were assessed. RebA showed an atrophic effect in the heart, decreasing cardiomyocyte cross-sectional area and myocardial fibrosis without repercussions on cardiac function. Mitochondrial and myofilamentary functions were not altered. Glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity were not affected, but fasting glycemia and total plasma cholesterol decreased. This work suggests that this RebA dose is safe for female consumption during the reproductive stage, from a cardiometabolic perspective. However, studies on the effects of RebA exposure on the offspring are mandatory.publishersversionpublishe

The iogeneration intervention study at Lisbon: iodine status and iodised salt consumption in school-aged children

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Association of 3-Phenoxybenzoic Acid Exposure during Pregnancy with Maternal Outcomes and Newborn Anthropometric Measures: Results from the IoMum Cohort Study

The aims of this study were to characterize the exposure of pregnant women living in Portugal to 3-phenoxybenzoic acid (3-PBA) and to evaluate the association of this exposure with maternal outcomes and newborn anthropometric measures. We also aimed to compare exposure in summer with exposure in winter. Pregnant women attending ultrasound scans from April 2018 to April 2019 at a central hospital in Porto, Portugal, were invited to participate. Inclusion criteria were: gestational week between 10 and 13, confirmed fetal vitality, and a signature of informed consent. 3-PBA was measured in spot urine samples by gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The median 3-PBA concentration was 0.263 (0.167; 0.458) μg/g creatinine (n = 145). 3-PBA excretion was negatively associated with maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) (p = 0.049), and it was higher during the summer when compared to winter (p < 0.001). The frequency of fish or yogurt consumption was associated positively with 3-PBA excretion, particularly during the winter (p = 0.002 and p = 0.015, respectively), when environmental exposure is low. Moreover, 3-PBA was associated with levothyroxine use (p = 0.01), a proxy for hypothyroidism, which could be due to a putative 3-PBA—thyroid hormone antagonistic effect. 3-PBA levels were not associated with the anthropometric measures of the newborn. In conclusion, pregnant women living in Portugal are exposed to 3-PBA, particularly during summer, and this exposure may be associated with maternal clinical features.This article was supported by national funds through the FCT Foundation for Science and Technology, I.P., within the scope of the projects RISE - LA/P/0053/2020; CINTESIS, R&D UNIT (reference UIDB/4255/2020) and LAQV (references: UIDB/50006/2020 AND UIDP/50006/2020). Virgínia Cruz Fernandes was funded by FCT/MCTES (Foundation for Science and Technology and Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education) and the ESF (European Social Fund) through NORTE 2020 (North Region Operational Program) through a grant of Post-Doc (reference SFRH/BPD/109153/2015). Juliana Guimarães was funded by FCT/MCTES (Foundation for Science and Technology and Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education) under CINTESIS by a PhD scholarship (reference UI/BD/152087/2021). The authors would like to thank the kind participation of all pregnant women and the support of the recruitment activities by the health professionals of the Department of Obstetrics, Centro Hospitalar Universitário S. João, Porto, Portugal and also to the professionals of REQUIMTE/LAQV, Instituto Superior de Engenharia, Politécnico do Porto, for their collaboration in carrying out the analyzes of the 3-PBA metabolite. This work received support from PT national funds (FCT/MCTES, Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia and Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior) through the projects LA/P/0053/2020; UIDB/4255/2020; UIDB/5006/2020 and UIDP/50006/2020. Virgínia Cruz Fernandes thanks FCT/MCTES (Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia and Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior) and ESF (European Social Fund) through NORTE 2020 (Programa Operacional Região Norte) for his/her Post-Doc grant ref. SFRH/BPD/109153/2015). Juliana Guimarães was funded by FCT/MCTES (Foundation for Science and Technology and Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education) under CINTESIS by a PhD scholarship (reference UI/BD/152087/2021).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A Prospective Study from the IoMum Cohort

Cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), molybdenum (Mo), and zinc (Zn) are essential trace elements (ETEs) and important cofactors for intermediary metabolism or redox balance. These ETEs are crucial during pregnancy, their role on specific pregnancy outcomes is largely unknown. This prospective study (#NCT04010708) aimed to assess urinary levels of these ETEs in pregnancy and to evaluate their association with pregnancy outcomes. First trimester pregnant women of Porto and Lisbon provided a random spot urine sample, and sociodemographic and lifestyle data. Clinical data were obtained from clinical records. Urinary ETEs were quantified by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). A total of 635 mother:child pairs were included. Having urinary Zn levels above the 50th percentile (P50) was an independent risk factor for pre-eclampsia (PE) (aOR [95% CI]: 5.350 [1.044-27.423], p = 0.044). Urinary Zn levels above the P50 decreased the risk of small for gestational age (SGA) birth head circumference (aOR [95% CI]: 0.315 [0.113-0.883], p = 0.028), but it increased the risk SGA length (aOR [95% CI]: 2.531 [1.057-6.062], p = 0.037). This study may provide valuable information for public health policies related to prenatal nutrition, while informing future efforts to de-fine urinary reference intervals for ETEs in pregnant women.publishersversionpublishe