Psychological burden and quality of life in newly diagnosed inflammatory bowel disease patients

Objective: Psychological factors, such as stress, anxiety, and depression, are frequently related to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, few studies have examined these factors in patients newly diagnosed with IBD. The aim of the present study was to test the psychological burden in patients with a recent diagnosis of IBD and the factors related to this psychological burden. Methods: We performed a prospective, multi-center, observational study in patients with a new diagnosis of IBD (≤6 months). The patients were recruited from four different Spanish hospitals. Clinical and demographic characteristics were collected. Patients were evaluated using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and quality of life questionnaire for patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBDQ-32). The Scale of Stress Perceived by the Disease was used to assess stressful life events. Results: We included 156 patients newly diagnosed with IBD [69 women; 80 Crohn’s disease (CD) and 76 ulcerative colitis (UC)], with a mean age of 42.3 (SD 16.21) years. A total of 37.2% of patients had symptoms of anxiety and 17.3% had symptoms of depression. Quality of life was affected in 30.1% of patients. Factors related to anxiety in early IBD were being a woman and having CD. The only factor related to depression was the presence of comorbidity. Being a woman and having suffered previous stressful life events were factors related to impaired quality of life. Conclusion: Anxiety, depression, and impaired quality of life are frequent in patients with a recent diagnosis of IBD. This psychological burden is greater in women.This study was funded by Instituto de Salud Carlos III (PI 18/01547), ISABIAL (Alicante Institute for Health and Biomedical Research, UGP-23-071 and UGP-22-105), GETECCU (Grupo Español de Trabajo en Enfermedad de Crohn y Colitis Ulcerosa, Grant 2017), and SVPD (Sociedad Valenciana de Patología Digestiva, Grant 2017)

Impact of BCR-ABL1 Transcript Type on Response, Treatment-Free Remission Rate and Survival in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Patients Treated with Imatinib

The most frequent BCR-ABL1-p210 transcripts in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) are e14a2 and e13a2. Imatinib (IM) is the most common first-line tyrosine-kinase inhibitor (TKI) used to treat CML. Some studies suggest that BCR-ABL1 transcript types confer different responses to IM. The objective of this study was to correlate the expression of e14a2 or e13a2 to clinical characteristics, cumulative cytogenetic and molecular responses to IM, acquisition of deep molecular response (DMR) and its duration (sDMR), progression rate (CIP), overall survival (OS), and treatment-free remission (TFR) rate. We studied 202 CML patients, 76 expressing the e13a2 and 126 the e14a2, and correlated the differential transcript expression with the above-mentioned parameters. There were no differences in the cumulative incidence of cytogenetic responses nor in the acquisition of DMR and sDMR between the two groups, but the e14a2 transcript had a positive impact on molecular response during the first 6 months, whereas the e13a2 was associated with improved long-term OS. No correlation was observed between the transcript type and TFR rate

Spatial distribution and risk factors of Brucellosis

Background: The role of wildlife as a brucellosis reservoir for humans and domestic livestock remains to be properly established. The aim of this work was to determine the aetiology, apparent prevalence, spatial distribution and risk factors for brucellosis transmission in several Iberian wild ungulates. Methods: A multi-species indirect immunosorbent assay (iELISA) using Brucella S-LPS antigen was developed. In several regions having brucellosis in livestock, individual serum samples were taken between 1999 and 2009 from 2,579 wild bovids, 6,448 wild cervids and4,454 Eurasian wild boar (Sus scrofa), and tested to assess brucellosis apparent prevalence. Strains isolated from wild boar were characterized to identify the presence of markers shared with the strains isolated from domestic pigs. Results: Mean apparent prevalence below 0.5% was identified in chamois (Rupicapra pyrenaica), Iberian wild goat (Capra pyrenaica), and red deer (Cervus elaphus). Roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), fallow deer (Dama dama), mouflon (Ovis aries) and Barbary sheep (Ammotragus lervia) tested were seronegative. Only one red deer and one Iberian wild goat resulted positive in culture, isolating B. abortus biovar 1 and B. melitensis biovar 1, respectively. Apparent prevalence in wild boar ranged from 25% to 46% in the different regions studied, with the highest figures detected in South-Central Spain. The probability of wild boar being positive in the iELISA was also affected by age, age-by-sex interaction, sampling month, and the density of outdoor domestic pigs. A total of 104 bacterial isolates were obtained from wild boar, being all identified as B. suis biovar 2. DNA polymorphisms were similar to those found in domestic pigs. Conclusions: In conclusion, brucellosis in wild boar is widespread in the Iberian Peninsula, thus representing an important threat for domestic pigs. By contrast, wild ruminants were not identified as a significant brucellosis reservoir for livestock

Association of breast and gut microbiota dysbiosis and the risk of breast cancer: a case-control clinical study

We would like to thank M Luisa Puertas-Martin and Isabel Manzano-Jimenez, nurses at the Unit of Mammary Pathology, General Surgery Service, San Cecilio University Hospital (Granada), without whose enthusiasm the enrolment of participants in Granada would still be stalled. We are indebted to all the women taking part in the study.The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03885648, 03/25/2019. Retrospectively registered.Background Breast cancer ranks first in women, and is the second cause of death in this gender. In addition to genetics, the environment contributes to the development of the disease, although the factors involved are not well known. Among the latter is the influence of microorganisms and, therefore, attention is recently being paid to the mammary microbiota. We hypothesize that the risk of breast cancer could be associated with the composition and functionality of the mammary/gut microbiota, and that exposure to environmental contaminants (endocrine disruptors, EDCs) might contribute to alter these microbiota. Methods We describe a case-control clinical study that will be performed in women between 25 and 70 years of age. Cases will be women diagnosed and surgically intervened of breast cancer (stages I and II). Women with antecedents of cancer or advanced tumor stage (metastasis), or who have received antibiotic treatment within a period of 3 months prior to recruitment, or any neoadjuvant therapy, will be excluded. Controls will be women surgically intervened of breast augmentation or reduction. Women with oncological, gynecological or endocrine history, and those who have received antibiotic treatment within a period of 3 months prior to recruitment will also be excluded. Blood, urine, breast tissue and stool samples will be collected. Data regarding anthropometric, sociodemographic, reproductive history, tumor features and dietary habits will be gathered. Metabolomic studies will be carried out in stool and breast tissue samples. Metagenomic studies will also be performed in stool and breast tissue samples to ascertain the viral, fungal, bacterial and archaea populations of the microbiota. Quantitation of estrogens, estrogen metabolites and EDCs in samples of serum, urine and breast tissue will also be performed. Discussion: This is the first time that the contribution of bacteria, archaea, viruses and fungi together with their alteration by environmental contaminants to the risk of breast cancer will be evaluated in the same study. Results obtained could contribute to elucidate risk factors, improve the prognosis, as well as to propose novel intervention studies in this disease.This work is funded by grants PI-0538-2017 (Junta de Andalucía, Spain, to LF) and Biomedical Research Networking Center-CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP) of the Institute of Health Carlos III -supported by European Regional Development Fund/FEDER (FIS-PI16/01812) (to MFF)

Pharmacokinetic Comparability of a Biosimilar Trastuzumab Anticipated from Its Physicochemical and Biological Characterization

Comparability between a biosimilar and its reference product requires the evaluation of critical quality attributes that may impact on its pharmacological response. Herein we present a physicochemical characterization of a biosimilar trastuzumab focused on the attributes related to the pharmacokinetic response. Capillary isoelectrofocusing (cIEF) and cation exchange chromatography (CEX) were used to evaluate charge heterogeneity; glycosylation profiles were assessed through hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC); aggregates content was evaluated through size exclusion chromatography (SEC) while binding affinity to FcRn was evaluated using isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC). The biosimilar trastuzumab and its reference product exhibited a high degree of similarity for the evaluated attributes. In regard to the pharmacokinetic parameters, randomized, double blind, and two-arm parallel and prospective study was employed after the administration of a single intravenous dose in healthy volunteers. No significant differences were found between the pharmacokinetic profiles of both products. Our results confirm that similarity of the critical quality attributes between a biosimilar product, obtained from a different manufacturing process, and the reference product resulted in comparable pharmacokinetic profiles, diminishing the uncertainty related to the biosimilar's safety and efficacy

Disentangling the geologic, human and climate drivers influencing sediment deposition in volcanic lakes on the Azores Archipelago

IAL-IPA joint meeting "Lakes as Memories of the Landscape", Patagonia, Argentina, 27 November-01 December 2022The Azores Archipelago Western (AAWG) and Central (AACG) groups present a high diversity of tectono-volcanic settings, and, therefore, a wide range of lake-watershed system morphometries. This archipelago has suffered from anthropic impacts, mainly abrupt land-use changes, since medieval times (between 700 and 850 CE), and increasingly after the Portuguese arrival in the 15th century. In this complex geologic and human context, we used a multiproxy approach in sediment records from Lakes Caldeirão (Corvo Island), Funda (Flores Island), and Caveiro (Pico Island) to demonstrate a complex interlinking among several environmental drivers over the last millennia. Paleoenvironmental changes have been defined by a multivariate analysis of sedimentary facies, biogeochemical and mineralogical data. This analysis highlights that the most prominent sedimentary process in the AAWG lakes (Caldeirao and Funda) is hydrological grain size sorting, driven by runoff. Additionally, smooth catchment slopes of the low-gradient lake, Caldeirão, modulated this process by favouring rock grain size diminution through weathering, whereas the steep topographic-bathymetric profile of the high-gradient lake, Funda, do through water-level fluctuations. The frequent volcanic activity of the AACG and the small size of Caveiro lake catchment favoured the deposit of pyroclastic tephra through direct fallout in the lake, over the catchment-sourced inputs, reworked by climate and tectonic activity. The biogeochemical and mineral composition of the sedimentary records present extreme change rates at 1288+28-22-1388+41-32 CE, corresponding with the age of the most intense landscape transformation. Therefore, to obtain robust climate reconstructions from these Azorean lacustrine records, we present a detailed statistical approach to isolate the climate signal from volcano-tectonic, morphometric, and anthropic driversThis research was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness research projects PaleoNAO (CGL2010-15767), RapidNAO (CGL2013-40608-R), PaleoModes (CGL2016-75281-C2), and NEOCLIM (PID2020-113798GB-C33), and through Portuguese Science Foundation (FCT) (DL57/2016/ICETA/EEC2018/25) and the DISCOVERAZORES (PTDC/CTA-AMB/28511/2017)N

The Fourteenth Data Release of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey: First Spectroscopic Data from the extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey and from the second phase of the Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment

The fourth generation of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS-IV) has been in operation since July 2014. This paper describes the second data release from this phase, and the fourteenth from SDSS overall (making this, Data Release Fourteen or DR14). This release makes public data taken by SDSS-IV in its first two years of operation (July 2014-2016). Like all previous SDSS releases, DR14 is cumulative, including the most recent reductions and calibrations of all data taken by SDSS since the first phase began operations in 2000. New in DR14 is the first public release of data from the extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (eBOSS); the first data from the second phase of the Apache Point Observatory (APO) Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOGEE-2), including stellar parameter estimates from an innovative data driven machine learning algorithm known as "The Cannon"; and almost twice as many data cubes from the Mapping Nearby Galaxies at APO (MaNGA) survey as were in the previous release (N = 2812 in total). This paper describes the location and format of the publicly available data from SDSS-IV surveys. We provide references to the important technical papers describing how these data have been taken (both targeting and observation details) and processed for scientific use. The SDSS website (www.sdss.org) has been updated for this release, and provides links to data downloads, as well as tutorials and examples of data use. SDSS-IV is planning to continue to collect astronomical data until 2020, and will be followed by SDSS-V.Comment: SDSS-IV collaboration alphabetical author data release paper. DR14 happened on 31st July 2017. 19 pages, 5 figures. Accepted by ApJS on 28th Nov 2017 (this is the "post-print" and "post-proofs" version; minor corrections only from v1, and most of errors found in proofs corrected

Spatial distribution and risk factors of Brucellosis in Iberian wild ungulates

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The role of wildlife as a brucellosis reservoir for humans and domestic livestock remains to be properly established. The aim of this work was to determine the aetiology, apparent prevalence, spatial distribution and risk factors for brucellosis transmission in several Iberian wild ungulates.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A multi-species indirect immunosorbent assay (iELISA) using <it>Brucella </it>S-LPS antigen was developed. In several regions having brucellosis in livestock, individual serum samples were taken between 1999 and 2009 from 2,579 wild bovids, 6,448 wild cervids and4,454 Eurasian wild boar (<it>Sus scrofa</it>), and tested to assess brucellosis apparent prevalence. Strains isolated from wild boar were characterized to identify the presence of markers shared with the strains isolated from domestic pigs.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Mean apparent prevalence below 0.5% was identified in chamois (<it>Rupicapra pyrenaica</it>), Iberian wild goat (<it>Capra pyrenaica</it>), and red deer (<it>Cervus elaphus</it>). Roe deer (<it>Capreolus capreolus</it>), fallow deer (<it>Dama dama</it>), mouflon (<it>Ovis aries</it>) and Barbary sheep (<it>Ammotragus lervia</it>) tested were seronegative. Only one red deer and one Iberian wild goat resulted positive in culture, isolating <it>B. abortus </it>biovar 1 and <it>B. melitensis </it>biovar 1, respectively. Apparent prevalence in wild boar ranged from 25% to 46% in the different regions studied, with the highest figures detected in South-Central Spain. The probability of wild boar being positive in the iELISA was also affected by age, age-by-sex interaction, sampling month, and the density of outdoor domestic pigs. A total of 104 bacterial isolates were obtained from wild boar, being all identified as <it>B. suis </it>biovar 2. DNA polymorphisms were similar to those found in domestic pigs.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>In conclusion, brucellosis in wild boar is widespread in the Iberian Peninsula, thus representing an important threat for domestic pigs. By contrast, wild ruminants were not identified as a significant brucellosis reservoir for livestock.</p

COVID-19 Severity and Survival over Time in Patients with Hematologic Malignancies: A Population-Based Registry Study

Mortality rates for COVID-19 have declined over time in the general population, but data in patients with hematologic malignancies are contradictory. We identified independent prognostic factors for COVID-19 severity and survival in unvaccinated patients with hematologic malignancies, compared mortality rates over time and versus non-cancer inpatients, and investigated post COVID-19 condition. Data were analyzed from 1166 consecutive, eligible patients with hematologic malignancies from the population-based HEMATO-MADRID registry, Spain, with COVID-19 prior to vaccination roll-out, stratified into early (February–June 2020; n = 769 (66%)) and later (July 2020–February 2021; n = 397 (34%)) cohorts. Propensity-score matched non-cancer patients were identified from the SEMI-COVID registry. A lower proportion of patients were hospitalized in the later waves (54.2%) compared to the earlier (88.6%), OR 0.15, 95%CI 0.11–0.20. The proportion of hospitalized patients admitted to the ICU was higher in the later cohort (103/215, 47.9%) compared with the early cohort (170/681, 25.0%, 2.77; 2.01–3.82). The reduced 30-day mortality between early and later cohorts of non-cancer inpatients (29.6% vs. 12.6%, OR 0.34; 0.22–0.53) was not paralleled in inpatients with hematologic malignancies (32.3% vs. 34.8%, OR 1.12; 0.81–1.5). Among evaluable patients, 27.3% had post COVID-19 condition. These findings will help inform evidence-based preventive and therapeutic strategies for patients with hematologic malignancies and COVID-19 diagnosis.Depto. de MedicinaFac. de MedicinaTRUEFundación Madrileña de Hematología y HemoterapiaFundación Leucemia y LinfomaAsociación Madrileña de Hematología y Hemoterapiapu