Determinación de hidrocarburos aromáticos policíclicos (HAPs) en el fitobentos del Sistema Lagunar de Chelem, Yucatán, México

The contamination of bodies of water by oil derivatives has been alarming in recent years, and hydrocarbons are the most common forms of pollution in aquifer systems. Plant communities have been considered as biomonitors of pollutants, so the presence of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) was determined in the phytobenthos of the Chelem´s lagoon system, as it is an impacted system. Specimens of Halodule wrightii Ascherson and Batophora oerstedii J.Agardh were selected, with 4 replications. The samples were rinsed to eliminate epiphytic organisms, and dried for 48 hours at 45 ° C, and then the hydrocarbons were extracted by microwave oven and purified on an alumina column eluted with Hexane (H), Dichloromethane (DCM) and H: DCM mixture 1:1. The determination of PAHs was carried out using GC-FID, which was used to identify and quantify a certified standard with the 16 priority HAPs of the US_EPA. The results showed Fluoranthene, Indene [1, 2, 3-cd] pyrene and Chrysene as the most common compounds. H. wrightii is the one with the highest abundance and high concentrations of 4-ring PAHs, while in B. oerstedii it predominated with 3 and 5 rings. It is important to determine the type of PAHs and the amount absorbed by the phytobenthos since they are the basis of the trophic network, and could affect the biota present in the Chelem´s lagoon system; at the same time, these species could be used as bioindicators of pollution in bodies of water.La contaminación de cuerpos de agua por derivados del petróleo ha sido alarmante en los últimos años, y los hidrocarburos son de las formas más comunes de contaminación en los sistemas acuíferos. Las comunidades vegetales han sido consideradas como biomonitores de contaminantes, por lo que se determinó la presencia de Hidrocarburos Aromáticos Policíclicos (HAP´s) en el fitobentos del sistema lagunar de Chelem, por ser un sistema impactado. Se seleccionaron especímenes de Halodule wrightii Ascherson y Batophora oerstedii J.Agardh, con 4 repeticiones. Las muestras se enjuagaron eliminando organismos epifitos y se secaron durante 48 horas a 45 oC, posteriormente los hidrocarburos fueron extraídos mediante horno de microondas y purificados en una columna de alúmina eluída con Hexano (H), Diclorometano (DCM) y mezcla de H:DCM 1:1. La determinación de HAP´s se realizó mediante GC-FID empleando para su identificación y cuantificación de un estándar certificado con los 16 HAP´s prioritarios de la US_EPA. Los resultados mostraron como compuestos más comunes el Fluoranteno, Indeno [1, 2, 3-cd] pireno y el Criseno. H. wrightii es el que presentó mayor abundancia y altas concentraciones de HAP´s de 4 anillos mientras que en B. oerstedii predominó de 3 y 5 anillos. Es de importancia determinar el tipo de HAP´sy la cantidad que absorbe el fitobentos ya que son la base de la red trófica, y podrían afectar a la biota presente en el sistema lagunar de Chelem; a la vez estas especies podrían usarse como bioindicadores de contaminación en cuerpos de agua

Clonal Spread and Intra- and Inter-Species Plasmid Dissemination Associated With Klebsiella pneumoniae Carbapenemase-Producing Enterobacterales During a Hospital Outbreak in Barcelona, Spain

Objectives: The study aimed to characterize the clonal spread of resistant bacteria and dissemination of resistance plasmids among carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales at a tertiary hospital in Catalonia, Spain. Methods: Isolates were recovered from surveillance rectal swabs and diagnostic samples. Species identification was by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). Molecular typing was performed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and multi-locus sequence typing (MLST). Antimicrobial susceptibility was assessed by gradient-diffusion and carriage of bla genes was detected by PCR. Plasmid typing, conjugation assays, S1-PFGE studies and long-read sequencing were used to characterize resistance plasmids. Results: From July 2018 to February 2019, 125 Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC)-producing Enterobacterales were recovered from 101 inpatients from surveillance (74.4%) or clinical samples (25.6%), in a tertiary hospital in Barcelona. Clonality studies identified a major clone of Klebsiella pneumoniae belonging to sequence type ST15 and additional isolates of K. pneumoniae, Escherichia coli and Enterobacter sp. from different STs. All isolates but one carried the bla allelic variant. The bla gene was located in an IncFIIk plasmid of circa 106 Kb in a non-classical Tn 4401 element designated NTE-pMC-2-1. Whole-genome sequencing revealed different rearrangements of the 106 Kb plasmid while the NTE-pMC-2-1 module was highly conserved. Conclusion: We report a hospital outbreak caused by the clonal dissemination of KPC-producing ST15 K. pneumoniae but also the intra- and inter-species transmission of the bla gene associated with plasmid conjugation and/or transposon dissemination. To our knowledge, this is the first report of an outbreak caused by KPC-producing Enterobacterales isolated from human patients in Catalonia and highlights the relevance of surveillance studies in the early detection and control of antibiotic resistant high-risk clones

Clonal Spread and Intra- and Inter-Species Plasmid Dissemination Associated With Klebsiella pneumoniae Carbapenemase-Producing Enterobacterales During a Hospital Outbreak in Barcelona, Spain

Objectives: The study aimed to characterize the clonal spread of resistant bacteria and dissemination of resistance plasmids among carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales at a tertiary hospital in Catalonia, Spain. Methods: Isolates were recovered from surveillance rectal swabs and diagnostic samples. Species identification was by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). Molecular typing was performed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and multi-locus sequence typing (MLST). Antimicrobial susceptibility was assessed by gradient-diffusion and carriage of bla genes was detected by PCR. Plasmid typing, conjugation assays, S1-PFGE studies and long-read sequencing were used to characterize resistance plasmids. Results: From July 2018 to February 2019, 125 Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC)-producing Enterobacterales were recovered from 101 inpatients from surveillance (74.4%) or clinical samples (25.6%), in a tertiary hospital in Barcelona. Clonality studies identified a major clone of Klebsiella pneumoniae belonging to sequence type ST15 and additional isolates of K. pneumoniae, Escherichia coli and Enterobacter sp. from different STs. All isolates but one carried the blaKPC-2 allelic variant. The blaKPC-2 gene was located in an IncFIIk plasmid of circa 106 Kb in a non-classical Tn4401 element designated NTEKPC-pMC-2-1. Whole-genome sequencing revealed different rearrangements of the 106 Kb plasmid while the NTEKPC-pMC-2-1 module was highly conserved. Conclusion: We report a hospital outbreak caused by the clonal dissemination of KPCproducing ST15 K. pneumoniae but also the intra- and inter-species transmission of the blaKPC-2 gene associated with plasmid conjugation and/or transposon dissemination. To our knowledge, this is the first report of an outbreak caused by KPC-producing Enterobacterales isolated from human patients in Catalonia and highlights the relevance of surveillance studies in the early detection and control of antibiotic resistant highrisk clones

A Phase II Study to Evaluate the Safety and Efficacy of Prasinezumab in Early Parkinson's Disease (PASADENA) : Rationale, Design, and Baseline Data

Altres ajuts: F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd.Background: Currently available treatments for Parkinson's disease (PD) do not slow clinical progression nor target alpha-synuclein, a key protein associated with the disease. Objective: The study objective was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of prasinezumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody that binds aggregated alpha-synuclein, in individuals with early PD. Methods: The PASADENA study is a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled treatment study. Individuals with early PD, recruited across the US and Europe, received monthly intravenous doses of prasinezumab (1,500 or 4,500 mg) or placebo for a 52-week period (Part 1), followed by a 52-week extension (Part 2) in which all participants received active treatment. Key inclusion criteria were: aged 40-80 years; Hoehn & Yahr (H&Y) Stage I or II; time from diagnosis ≤2 years; having bradykinesia plus one other cardinal sign of PD (e.g., resting tremor, rigidity); DAT-SPECT imaging consistent with PD; and either treatment naïve or on a stable monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B) inhibitor dose. Study design assumptions for sample size and study duration were built using a patient cohort from the Parkinson's Progression Marker Initiative (PPMI). In this report, baseline characteristics are compared between the treatment-naïve and MAO-B inhibitor-treated PASADENA cohorts and between the PASADENA and PPMI populations. Results: Of the 443 patients screened, 316 were enrolled into the PASADENA study between June 2017 and November 2018, with an average age of 59.9 years and 67.4% being male. Mean time from diagnosis at baseline was 10.11 months, with 75.3% in H&Y Stage II. Baseline motor and non-motor symptoms (assessed using Movement Disorder Society-Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale [MDS-UPDRS]) were similar in severity between the MAO-B inhibitor-treated and treatment-naïve PASADENA cohorts (MDS-UPDRS sum of Parts I + II + III [standard deviation (SD)]; 30.21 [11.96], 32.10 [13.20], respectively). The overall PASADENA population (63.6% treatment naïve and 36.4% on MAO-B inhibitor) showed a similar severity in MDS-UPDRS scores (e.g., MDS-UPDRS sum of Parts I + II + III [SD]; 31.41 [12.78], 32.63 [13.04], respectively) to the PPMI cohort (all treatment naïve). Conclusions: The PASADENA study population is suitable to investigate the potential of prasinezumab to slow disease progression in individuals with early PD. Trial Registration: NCT03100149