Effect of Oxysterol-Induced Apoptosis of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells on Experimental Hypercholesterolemia

Smooth muscle cells (SMCs) undergo changes related to proliferation and apoptosis in the physiological remodeling of vessels and in diseases such as atherosclerosis and restenosis. Recent studies also have demonstrated the vascular cell proliferation and programmed cell death contribute to changes in vascular architecture in normal development and in disease. The present study was designed to investigate the apoptotic pathways induced by 25-hydroxycholesterol in SMCs cultures, using an in vivo/in vitro cell model in which SMCs were isolated and culture from chicken exposed to an atherogenic cholesterol-rich diet (SMC-Ch) and/or an antiatherogenic fish oil-rich diet (SMC-Ch-FO). Cells were exposed in vitro to 25-hydroxycholesterol to study levels of apoptosis and apoptotic proteins Bcl-2, Bcl- and Bax and the expression of bcl-2 and bcl- , genes. The quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and the Immunoblotting western blot analysis showed that 25-hydroxycholesterol produces apoptosis in SMCs, mediated by a high increase in Bax protein and Bax gene expression. These changes were more marked in SMC-Ch than in SMC-Ch-FO, indicating that dietary cholesterol produces changes in SMCs that make them more susceptible to 25-hydroxycholesterol-mediated apoptosis. Our results suggest that the replacement of a cholesterol-rich diet with a fish oil-rich diet produces some reversal of cholesterol-induced changes in the apoptotic pathways induced by 25-hydroxycholesterol in SMCs cultures, making SMCs more resistant to apoptosis.This work was supported partly by Junta de Andalucía (Group code CTS 168) and also by the research grants from Instituto de Salud Carlos III, ISCIII (Grant no. PI030829)

Health in neighbourhoods: impact of extreme temperatures

[ES] Las proyecciones de cambio climático prevén un aumento en el número e intensidad de las olas de calor. En España, se prevé un ritmo de incremento de las temperaturas máximas diarias de 0,4 ºC por década en el periodo 2021–2050 y de 0,6ºC por década en el 2051–2100 en un escenario de máximas emisiones (RCP8.5). Este incremento de temperaturas puede implicar importantes sobrecostes sanitarios que se sumarán a los actuales aumentos de mortalidad y morbilidad provocados por la exposición de la población a extremos térmicos. El entorno urbano construido, así como la edificación, juegan un papel fundamental en el grado de exposición de la población a estas temperaturas extremas. La alta densidad de las ciudades y la ausencia de espacios verdes son modificadores del clima urbano y en grandes urbes se expresan mediante una alta intensidad del fenómeno de isla de calor. La ausencia de eficiencia energética de gran parte del parque de viviendas y los elevados precios de la energía se suman a esta problemática, en especial, en aquellas situaciones de pobreza energética en la que los hogares no pueden mantener su vivienda a unas temperaturas adecuadas para unas óptimas condiciones de salud. Las intervenciones en barrios deben acometerse desde una perspectiva de salud con un objetivo claro de reducción de la exposición de la población a temperaturas extremas y los riesgos sanitarios asociados. Resulta necesario combinar las actuaciones sobre el espacio público orientadas a la mejora del microclima urbano con aquellas destinadas la mejora de las condiciones de bienestar térmico de las viviendas. [POR] As projecções de alterações climáticas prevêem um aumento no número e na intensidade das ondas de calor. Em Espanha, prevê-se um aumento nas temperaturas máximas diárias de 0,4 ºC por década no período de 2021–2050 e de 0,6 ºC por década em 2051–2100, num cenário de emissões máximas (RCP8.5). Este aumento de temperaturas pode implicar custos adicionais significativos para a saúde que se somarão aos atuais aumentos de mortalidade e morbilidade causados pela exposição da população a extremos térmicos. O ambiente urbano construído, assim como a edificação, desempenham um papel fundamental no grau de exposição da população a essas temperaturas extremas. A alta densidade das cidades e a ausência de espaços verdes são modificadores do clima urbano e nas grandes cidades expressam-se por meio de uma alta intensidade do fenómeno das ilhas de calor. A ausência de eficiência energética em grande parte do parque habitacional e os elevados preços da energia aumentam esse problema, especialmente em situações de pobreza energética em que as famílias não conseguem manter suas casas em temperaturas adequadas para condições de saúde óptimas.As intervenções nas áreas residenciais devem ser realizadas a partir de uma perspectiva de saúde com um objectivo claro de reduzir a exposição da população a temperaturas extremas e os riscos para a saúde associados. É necessário conjugar as acções no espaço público que visam a melhoria do microclima urbano com aquelas que visam a melhoria das condições de bem-estar térmico das habitações. [EN] Projections about climate change forecast an increase in the number and intensity of heat waves. In Spain daily maximum temperatures are projected to increase by 0.4 °C per decade in the 2021-2050 period and by 0.6°C per decade in the 2051-2100 period in a maximum emissions scenario (RCP8.5). This increase in temperatures may lead to significant healthcare costs, on top of current mortality and morbidity increases, as a result of the population’s exposure to temperature extremes.The built urban environment and buildings proper play a key role in the population’s degree of exposure to these temperature extremes. The high density of cities and the absence of green spaces are modifiers of urban climate. In large cities this is manifested in a high intensity of the heat island phenomenon. The poor energy efficiency of much of the housing pool and high energy prices compound this problem, especially in energy poverty situations where households are unable to keep their homes at temperatures suitable for optimal health conditions.Interventions should be made in neighborhoods with health in mind, the clear objective of which should be reducing the population’s exposure to extreme temperatures and the associated health risks. It is necessary to combine actions on the public space aimed at improving the urban microclimate with measures intended to improve the thermal comfort conditions in dwellings.Esta investigación se ha realizado con el apoyo de la Fundación Biodiversidad proyecto ENPY 470/19, el Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad. Proyecto MODIFICA (BIA2013-41732-R) y con el apoyo de un contrato FPU del Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte (FPU15/05052).S

Prevalencia de Helicobacter pylori en un grupo de pacientes pediátricos infectados por el Virus de la Inmunodeficiencia Humana

Se realizó un estudio cuantitativo, descriptivo transversal y no experimental sobre la prevalencia de Helicobacter pylori en pacientes pediátricos infectados por el virus de inmunodeficiencia humana (VIH), internados en el Hospicio San José, Santa Lucí­a Milpas Altas, Sacatepéquez, Guatemala, durante los meses de noviembre 2012 a enero 2013. La población completa fue conformada por 40 pacientes pediátricos de ambos sexos, entre los 3 y 12 años de edad, que padecen infección por VIH. Para el diagnóstico de infección por H. pylori se utilizó la detección de antí­geno en heces por inmunocromatografí­a. Se encontró un resultado positivo en el 35%, con una mayor incidencia en varones, correspondiendo al 71.4% de los casos. En cuanto a la distribución por edades, el rango de edad con más casos positivos fue el comprendido entre los 7 y 8 años, con un 66.7% de los casos. La prevalencia de H. pylori en la población pediátrica VIH positiva estudiada fue mayor que la reportada en poblaciones similares, pero menor a la reportada en la población pediátrica VIH negativo. Se recomienda realizar un estudio multicéntrico para confirmar la prevalencia de H. pylori en la población pediátrica guatemalteca VIH positivo

Prognosis Relevance of Serum Cytokines in Pancreatic Cancer

The overall survival of patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is extremely low. Although gemcitabine is the standard used chemotherapy for this disease, clinical outcomes do not reflect significant improvements, not even when combined with adjuvant treatments. There is an urgent need for prognosis markers to be found. The aim of this study was to analyze the potential value of serum cytokines to find a profile that can predict the clinical outcome in patients with pancreatic cancer and to establish a practical prognosis index that significantly predicts patients’ outcomes. We have conducted an extensive analysis of serum prognosis biomarkers using an antibody array comprising 507 human cytokines. Overall survival was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Univariate and multivariate Cox’s proportional hazard models were used to analyze prognosis factors. To determine the extent that survival could be predicted based on this index, we used the leave-one-out cross-validation model. The multivariate model showed a better performance and it could represent a novel panel of serum cytokines that correlates to poor prognosis in pancreatic cancer. B7-1/CD80, EG-VEGF/PK1, IL-29, NRG1-beta1/HRG1-beta1, and PD-ECGF expressions portend a poor prognosis for patients with pancreatic cancer and these cytokines could represent novel therapeutic targets for this disease.The study was fully supported by ROCHE FARMA S.A (ref. H/OH-TAR-10/131 and ref. H/OH-TRR-08/59) and Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII) (Clinical trial ref. EC08/00009), and the Government of Andalusia Project P12-TIC-2082

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

Twitter as a Tool for Teaching and Communicating Microbiology: The #microMOOCSEM Initiative

Online social networks are increasingly used by the population on a daily basis. They are considered a powerful tool for science communication and their potential as educational tools is emerging. However, their usefulness in academic practice is still a matter of debate. Here, we present the results of our pioneering experience teaching a full Basic Microbiology course via Twitter (#microMOOCSEM), consisting of 28 lessons of 40-45 minutes duration each, at a tweet per minute rate during 10 weeks. Lessons were prepared by 30 different lecturers, covering most basic areas in Microbiology and some monographic topics of general interest (malaria, HIV, tuberculosis, etc.). Data analysis on the impact and acceptance of the course were largely affirmative, promoting a 330% enhancement in the followers and a >350-fold increase of the number of visits per month to the Twitter account of the host institution, the Spanish Society for Microbiology. Almost one third of the course followers were located overseas. Our study indicates that Massive Online Open Courses (MOOC) via Twitter are highly dynamic, interactive, and accessible to great audiences, providing a valuable tool for social learning and communicating science. This strategy attracts the interest of students towards particular topics in the field, efficiently complementing customary academic activities, especially in multidisciplinary areas like Microbiology.Versión del edito

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

31 visiones actuales de la transparencia

Treinta y una aportaciones de autores nacionales y extranjeros sobre la transparencia de las instituciones públicas y de los sujetos obligados por la Ley 19/2013 de 9 de diciembre y el derecho de acceso a la información pública

Integrative epigenomics in Sjögren´s syndrome reveals novel pathways and a strong interaction between the HLA, autoantibodies and the interferon signature

Primary Sjögren's syndrome (SS) is a systemic autoimmune disease characterized by lymphocytic infiltration and damage of exocrine salivary and lacrimal glands. The etiology of SS is complex with environmental triggers and genetic factors involved. By conducting an integrated multi-omics study, we confirmed a vast coordinated hypomethylation and overexpression effects in IFN-related genes, what is known as the IFN signature. Stratified and conditional analyses suggest a strong interaction between SS-associated HLA genetic variation and the presence of Anti-Ro/SSA autoantibodies in driving the IFN epigenetic signature and determining SS. We report a novel epigenetic signature characterized by increased DNA methylation levels in a large number of genes enriched in pathways such as collagen metabolism and extracellular matrix organization. We identified potential new genetic variants associated with SS that might mediate their risk by altering DNA methylation or gene expression patterns, as well as disease-interacting genetic variants that exhibit regulatory function only in the SS population. Our study sheds new light on the interaction between genetics, autoantibody profiles, DNA methylation and gene expression in SS, and contributes to elucidate the genetic architecture of gene regulation in an autoimmune population

Cross-basin and cross-taxa patterns of marine community tropicalization and deborealization in warming European seas.

Ocean warming and acidification, decreases in dissolved oxygen concentrations, and changes in primary production are causing an unprecedented global redistribution of marine life. The identification of underlying ecological processes underpinning marine species turnover, particularly the prevalence of increases of warm-water species or declines of cold-water species, has been recently debated in the context of ocean warming. Here, we track changes in the mean thermal affinity of marine communities across European seas by calculating the Community Temperature Index for 65 biodiversity time series collected over four decades and containing 1,817 species from different communities (zooplankton, coastal benthos, pelagic and demersal invertebrates and fish). We show that most communities and sites have clearly responded to ongoing ocean warming via abundance increases of warm-water species (tropicalization, 54%) and decreases of cold-water species (deborealization, 18%). Tropicalization dominated Atlantic sites compared to semi-enclosed basins such as the Mediterranean and Baltic Seas, probably due to physical barrier constraints to connectivity and species colonization. Semi-enclosed basins appeared to be particularly vulnerable to ocean warming, experiencing the fastest rates of warming and biodiversity loss through deborealization