Análisis de la evolución de los usos del suelo y seguimiento de la dinámica de indicadores hidromorfológicos del cauce del Bajo Gállego

El cauce bajo del río Gállego en la actualidad muestra una dinámica muy activa, pese a ser un cauce muy regulado y no sufrir suficientes crecidas. Una de las últimas crecidas tuvo lugar en octubre de 2012, lo que ha permitido el análisis posterior de las secciones del cauce y de las barras sedimentarias originadas por la misma. Tomando como origen el Estudio Hidrológico y Geomorfológico realizado en 2005, se ha actualizado el mismo analizando las variaciones del espacio fluvial natural hasta el 2009, a través de mapas de usos del suelo y de fotografía aérea

Natural HLA-B*2705 protein ligands with glutamine as anchor motif: implications for HLA-B27 association with spondyloarthropathy

The presentation of short viral peptide antigens by human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I molecules on cell surfaces is a key step in the activation of cytotoxic T lymphocytes, which mediate the killing of pathogen-infected cells or initiate autoimmune tissue damage. HLA-B27 is a well known class I molecule that is used to study both facets of the cellular immune response. Using mass spectrometry analysis of complex HLA-bound peptide pools isolated from large amounts of HLA-B*2705(+) cells, we identified 200 naturally processed HLA-B*2705 ligands. Our analyses revealed that a change in the position (P) 2 anchor motif was detected in the 3% of HLA-B*2705 ligands identified. B*2705 class I molecules were able to bind these six GlnP2 peptides, which showed significant homology to pathogenic bacterial sequences, with a broad range of affinities. One of these ligands was able to bind with distinct conformations to HLA-B27 subtypes differentially associated with ankylosing spondylitis. These conformational differences could be sufficient to initiate autoimmune damage in patients with ankylosing spondylitis-associated subtypes. Therefore, these kinds of peptides (short, with GlnP2, and similar low affinity to all HLA-B27 subtypes tested but with unlike conformations in differentially ankylosing spondylitis-associated subtypes) must not be excluded from future researches involving potential arthritogenic peptides.This work was supported by grants from the Programa Ramón y Cajal and the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (to D. L.) and from the Israel Science Foundation (ISF 916/05) (to A. A.).N

Brensocatib, an oral, reversible inhibitor of dipeptidyl peptidase 1, mitigates interferon-α-accelerated lupus nephritis in mice

Neutrophils have been implicated in initiating and perpetuating systemic lupus erythematosus and the resultant kidney damage in lupus nephritis (LN) patients, in part through an excessive release of neutrophil serine proteases (NSPs). NSP zymogens are activated by dipeptidyl peptidase 1 (DPP1) during neutrophil maturation and released by mature neutrophils in response to inflammatory stimuli. Thus, a potential strategy to attenuate disease progression in LN would be to inhibit DPP1. We tested whether brensocatib, a highly selective and reversible DPP1 inhibitor, could mitigate LN progression in an interferon-alpha (IFNα)-accelerated NZB/W F1 mouse model. To confirm brensocatib’s pharmacodynamic effect on NSPs in this mouse strain, repeated dose studies were conducted for 7 and 14 days in naïve NZB/W F1 mice via oral gavage twice a day. Brensocatib at 2 and 20 mg/kg/day achieved a significant reduction in bone marrow NSP activities after 7 days of daily administration. To initiate LN disease progression, the mice were injected with an IFNα-expressing adenovirus. After 2 weeks, three brensocatib doses (or vehicle) were administered for 6 more weeks. Throughout the 8-week study, brensocatib treatment (20 mg/kg/day) significantly reduced the occurrence of severe proteinuria compared to the vehicle control. Brensocatib treatment also entailed a significant reduction in the urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio, indicating decreased kidney damage, as well as a significant reduction in blood urea nitrogen level, suggesting improved renal function. Based on kidney histopathology analysis, brensocatib treatment significantly lowered both the renal tubular protein score and the nephropathy score compared to the vehicle group. A trend towards reduced glomerulonephritis score with brensocatib treatment was also observed. Lastly, brensocatib significantly reduced LN mouse kidney infiltration by various inflammatory cells. In conclusion, these results suggest that brensocatib alters disease progression in LN mice and warrant further evaluation of DPP1 inhibition in LN

Circulating microRNAs in sera correlate with soluble biomarkers of immune activation but do not predict mortality in ART treated individuals with HIV-1 infection: A case control study

Introduction: The use of anti-retroviral therapy (ART) has dramatically reduced HIV-1 associated morbidity and mortality. However, HIV-1 infected individuals have increased rates of morbidity and mortality compared to the non-HIV-1 infected population and this appears to be related to end-organ diseases collectively referred to as Serious Non-AIDS Events (SNAEs). Circulating miRNAs are reported as promising biomarkers for a number of human disease conditions including those that constitute SNAEs. Our study sought to investigate the potential of selected miRNAs in predicting mortality in HIV-1 infected ART treated individuals. Materials and Methods: A set of miRNAs was chosen based on published associations with human disease conditions that constitute SNAEs. This case: control study compared 126 cases (individuals who died whilst on therapy), and 247 matched controls (individuals who remained alive). Cases and controls were ART treated participants of two pivotal HIV-1 trials. The relative abundance of each miRNA in serum was measured, by RTqPCR. Associations with mortality (all-cause, cardiovascular and malignancy) were assessed by logistic regression analysis. Correlations between miRNAs and CD4+ T cell count, hs-CRP, IL-6 and D-dimer were also assessed. Results: None of the selected miRNAs was associated with all-cause, cardiovascular or malignancy mortality. The levels of three miRNAs (miRs -21, -122 and -200a) correlated with IL-6 while miR-21 also correlated with D-dimer. Additionally, the abundance of miRs -31, -150 and -223, correlated with baseline CD4+ T cell count while the same three miRNAs plus miR- 145 correlated with nadir CD4+ T cell count. Discussion: No associations with mortality were found with any circulating miRNA studied. These results cast doubt onto the effectiveness of circulating miRNA as early predictors of mortality or the major underlying diseases that contribute to mortality in participants treated for HIV-1 infection

TAP-independent human histocompatibility complex-Cw1 antigen processing of an HIV envelope protein conserved peptide.

Individuals with nonfunctional transporters associated with antigen processing (TAP) complexes are not particularly susceptible to viral infections or neoplasms. Therefore, their immune system must be reasonably efficient, and the present, though reduced, cytolytic CD8 αβ T subpopulation specific for TAP-independent antigens may be sufficient to establish an immune defense protecting against viral infections in these individuals. The objective of the present study was to identify TAP-independent ligands from HIV gp160 protein. An analysis and comparison of complex human histocompatibility complex (HLA)-bound peptide pools isolated from large quantities of healthy or HIV gp160-expressing human cells was performed using mass spectrometry and bioinformatics tools. A conserved TAP-independent HLA peptide ligand endogenously processed and presented in infected human cells was identified. This ligand originates from the envelope protein bound to the HLA-Cw1 class I molecule with high affinity. It was concluded that HLA class I peptides derived from a large fraction of the N-terminal HIV envelope protein could be presented even in the absence of the TAP complex.The present work was supported by grants to D.L. from the Fondo Investigaciones Sanitarias de la Seguridad Social, and the FIPSE Foundation and to A.A. from the Israel Science Foundation ().S