On-board real-time pose estimation for UAVs using deformable visual contour registration

Presentado al ICRA 2014 celebrado en Hong Kong del 31 de mayo al 7 de junio.We present a real time algorithm for estimating the pose of non-planar objects on which we have placed a visual marker. It is designed to overcome the limitations of small aerial robots, such as slow CPUs, low image resolution and geometric distortions produced by wide angle lenses or viewpoint changes. The method initially registers the shape of a known marker to the contours extracted in an image. For this purpose, and in contrast to state-of-the art, we do not seek to match textured patches or points of interest. Instead, we optimize a geometric alignment cost computed directly from raw polygonal representations of the observed regions using very simple and efficient clipping algorithms. Further speed is achieved by performing the optimization in the polygon representation space, avoiding the need of 2D image processing operations. Deformation modes are easily included in the optimization scheme, allowing an accurate registration of different markers attached to curved surfaces using a single deformable prototype. Once this initial registration is solved, the object pose is retrieved using a standard PnP approach. As a result, the method achieves accurate object pose estimation in real-time, which is very important for interactive UAV tasks, for example for short distance surveillance or bar assembly. We present experiments where our method yields, at about 30Hz, an average error of less than 5mm in estimating the position of a 19×19mm marker placed at 0.7m of the camera.This work has been partially funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness under project TaskCoop DPI2010-17112, by the ERANet Chistera project ViSen PCIN-2013-047 and by the EU project ARCAS FP7-ICT-2011-28761. A. Ruiz is supported by FEDER funds under grant TIN2012-38341-C04-03.Peer Reviewe

Experiences and perceptions of final-year nursing students of using a chatbot in a simulated emergency situation: A qualitative study

Aim The aim of this study is to explore the experiences and perceptions of final-year nursing students on the acceptability and feasibility of using a chatbot for clinical decision-making and patient safety. Background The effective and inclusive use of new technologies such as conversational agents or chatbots could support nurses in increasing evidence-based care and decreasing low-quality services. Methods A descriptive qualitative study was used through focus group interviews. The data analysis was conducted using a thematic analysis. Results This study included 114 participants. After our data analysis, two main themes emerged: (i) experiences in the use of a chatbot service for clinical decision-making and and (ii) integrating conversational agents into the organizational safety culture. Conclusions The findings of our study provide preliminary support for the acceptability and feasibility of adopting SafeBot, a chatbot for clinical decision-making and patient safety. Our results revealed substantial recommendations for refining navigation, layout and content, as well as useful insights to support its acceptance in real nursing practice. Implications for Nursing Management Leaders and managers may well see artificial intelligence-based conversational agents like SafeBot as a potential solution in modern nursing practice for effective problem-solving resolution, innovative staffing and nursing care delivery models at the bedside and criteria for measuring and ensure quality and patient safety.Funding for open access charge: CRUE-Universitat Jaume

The Mexican Cognitive Aging Ancillary Study (Mex-Cog): Study Design and Methods

Objective: Describe the protocol sample and instruments of the Cognitive Aging Ancillary Study in Mexico (Mex-Cog). The study performs an in-depth cognitive assessment in a subsample of older adults of the ongoing Mexican Health and Aging Study (MHAS). The Mex-Cog is part of the Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocol (HCAP) design to facilitate cross-national comparisons of the prevalence and trends of dementia in aging populations around the world, funded by the National Institute on Aging (NIA). Methods: The study protocol consists of a cognitive assessment instrument for the target subject and an informant questionnaire. All cognitive measures were selected and adapted by a team of experts from different ongoing studies following criteria to warrant reliable and comparable cognitive instruments. The informant questionnaire is from the 10/66 Dementia Study in Mexico. Results: A total of 2,265 subjects aged 55-104 years participated, representing a 70% response rate. Validity analyses showed the adequacy of the content validity, proper quality-control procedures that sustained data integrity, high reliability, and internal structure. Conclusions: The Mex-Cog study provides in-depth cognitive data that enhances the study of cognitive aging in two ways. First, linking to MHAS longitudinal data on cognition, health, genetics, biomarkers, economic resources, health care, family arrangements, and psychosocial factors expands the scope of information on cognitive impairment and dementia among Mexican adults. Second, harmonization with other similar studies around the globe promotes cross-national studies on cognition with comparable data. Mex-Cog data is publicly available at no cost to researchers

The role of PGC-1α and mitochondrial biogenesis in kidney diseases

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is one of the fastest growing causes of death worldwide, emphasizing the need to develop novel therapeutic approaches. CKD predisposes to acute kidney injury (AKI) and AKI favors CKD progression. Mitochondrial derangements are common features of both AKI and CKD and mitochondria-targeting therapies are under study as nephroprotective agents. PGC-1α is a master regulator of mitochondrial biogenesis and an attractive therapeutic target. Low PGC-1α levels and decreased transcription of its gene targets have been observed in both preclinical AKI (nephrotoxic, endotoxemia, and ischemia-reperfusion) and in experimental and human CKD, most notably diabetic nephropathy. In mice, PGC-1α deficiency was associated with subclinical CKD and predisposition to AKI while PGC-1α overexpression in tubular cells protected from AKI of diverse causes. Several therapeutic strategies may increase kidney PGC-1α activity and have been successfully tested in animal models. These include AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activators, phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitors, and anti-TWEAK antibodies. In conclusion, low PGC-1α activity appears to be a common feature of AKI and CKD and recent characterization of nephroprotective approaches that increase PGC-1α activity may pave the way for nephroprotective strategies potentially effective in both AKI and CKD.Supported by ISCIII-FIS, FEDER funds, CP14/00133, PI16/02057, PI16/01900, PI18/01366, PI19/00588, PI19/00815, DTS18/00032, ERA-PerMed-JTC2018 (KIDNEY ATTACK AC18/00064 and PERSTIGAN AC18/00071, ISCIII-RETIC REDinREN RD016/0009, Sociedad Española de Nefrología, Fundacion Renal Iñigo Álvarez de Toledo (FRIAT), ISCIII Miguel Servet (A.B.S., M.D.S.-N.), ISCIII Sara Borrell (J.M.M.-M.), Comunidad de Madrid CIFRA2 B2017/BMD-3686 (M.F.-B. and D.M.-S.

Epigenetic modifiers as potential therapeutic targets in diabetic kidney disease

Diabetic kidney disease is one of the fastest growing causes of death worldwide. Epigenetic regulators control gene expression and are potential therapeutic targets. There is functional interventional evidence for a role of DNA methylation and the histone post-translational modifications—histone methylation, acetylation and crotonylation—in the pathogenesis of kidney disease, including diabetic kidney disease. Readers of epigenetic marks, such as bromodomain and extra terminal (BET) proteins, are also therapeutic targets. Thus, the BD2 selective BET inhibitor apabetalone was the first epigenetic regulator to undergo phase-3 clinical trials in diabetic kidney disease with an endpoint of kidney function. The direct therapeutic modulation of epigenetic features is possible through pharmacological modulators of the specific enzymes involved and through the therapeutic use of the required substrates. Of further interest is the characterization of potential indirect effects of nephroprotective drugs on epigenetic regulation. Thus, SGLT2 inhibitors increase the circulating and tissue levels of β-hydroxybutyrate, a molecule that generates a specific histone modification, β-hydroxybutyrylation, which has been associated with the beneficial health effects of fasting. To what extent this impact on epigenetic regulation may underlie or contribute to the so-far unclear molecular mechanisms of cardio-and nephroprotection offered by SGLT2 inhibitors merits further in-depth studies.This research was funded by FIS/FEDER funds (PI15/00298, CP14/00133, PI16/01900, PI18/01386, PI18/0133, PI19/00588, PI19/00815, DTS18/00032, ERA-PerMed-JTC2018 (KIDNEY ATTACK AC18/00064 and PERSTIGAN AC18/00071), ISCIII-RETIC REDinREN RD016/0009), Sociedad Española de Nefrología, FRIAT, Comunidad de Madrid en Biomedicina B2017/BMD- 3686 CIFRA2-CM. Salary support: ISCIII Miguel Servet to ABS and MDS-N, ISCIII Sara Borrell to JM-MM, REDinREN RD016/0009 to MF-B, and MICIU to JG-M

Assessment of Multilocus Sequence Analysis (MLSA) for Identification of Candidatus Liberibacter Solanacearum from Different Host Plants in Spain

[EN] Liberibacteris a bacterial group causing different diseases and disorders in plants. Among liberibacters,CandidatusLiberibacter solanaceraum (CLso) produces disorders in several species mainly within Apiaceae and Solanaceae families. CLso isolates are usually grouped in defined haplotypes according to single nucleotide polymorphisms in genes associated with ribosomal elements. In order to characterize more precisely isolates of CLso identified in potato in Spain, a Multilocus Sequence Analysis (MLSA) was applied. This methodology was validated by a complete analysis of ten housekeeping genes that showed an absence of positive selection and a nearly neutral mechanism for their evolution. Most of the analysis performed with single housekeeping genes, as well as MLSA, grouped together isolates of CLso detected in potato crops in Spain within the haplotype E, undistinguishable from those infecting carrots, parsnips or celery. Moreover, the information from these housekeeping genes was used to estimate the evolutionary divergence among the different CLso by using the concatenated sequences of the genes assayed. Data obtained on the divergence among CLso haplotypes support the hypothesis of evolutionary events connected with different hosts, in different geographic areas, and possibly associated with different vectors. Our results demonstrate the absence in Spain of CLso isolates molecularly classified as haplotypes A and B, traditionally considered causal agents of zebra chip in potato, as well as the uncertain possibility of the present haplotype to produce major disease outbreaks in potato that may depend on many factors that should be further evaluated in future worksThis research was funded by Instituto Nacional de Investigacion y Tecnologia Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA), grant numbers AT2016-007 and RTA2014-00008-C04-03-E, co-financed by FEDER.Ruiz-Padilla, A.; Redondo, C.; Asensio, A.; Garita-Cambronero, J.; Martinez, C.; Perez-Padilla, V.; Marquinez, R.... (2020). Assessment of Multilocus Sequence Analysis (MLSA) for Identification of Candidatus Liberibacter Solanacearum from Different Host Plants in Spain. Microorganisms. 8(9):1-19. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms8091446S11989Haapalainen, M. (2014). Biology and epidemics ofCandidatusLiberibacter species, psyllid-transmitted plant-pathogenic bacteria. Annals of Applied Biology, 165(2), 172-198. doi:10.1111/aab.12149Raddadi, N., Gonella, E., Camerota, C., Pizzinat, A., Tedeschi, R., Crotti, E., … Alma, A. (2010). ‘Candidatus Liberibacter europaeus’ sp. nov. that is associated with and transmitted by the psyllid Cacopsylla pyri apparently behaves as an endophyte rather than a pathogen. Environmental Microbiology, 13(2), 414-426. doi:10.1111/j.1462-2920.2010.02347.xWang, N., Pierson, E. A., Setubal, J. C., Xu, J., Levy, J. G., Zhang, Y., … Martins, J. (2017). The Candidatus Liberibacter–Host Interface: Insights into Pathogenesis Mechanisms and Disease Control. Annual Review of Phytopathology, 55(1), 451-482. doi:10.1146/annurev-phyto-080516-035513Morris, J., Shiller, J., Mann, R., Smith, G., Yen, A., & Rodoni, B. (2017). Novel ‘Candidatus Liberibacter’ species identified in the Australian eggplant psyllid, Acizzia solanicola. Microbial Biotechnology, 10(4), 833-844. doi:10.1111/1751-7915.12707Alfaro-Fernández, A., Hernández-Llopis, D., & Font, M. I. (2017). Haplotypes of ‘Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum’ identified in Umbeliferous crops in Spain. European Journal of Plant Pathology, 149(1), 127-131. doi:10.1007/s10658-017-1172-2Haapalainen, M., Wang, J., Latvala, S., Lehtonen, M. T., Pirhonen, M., & Nissinen, A. I. (2018). Genetic Variation of ‘Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum’ Haplotype C and Identification of a Novel Haplotype from Trioza urticae and Stinging Nettle. Phytopathology®, 108(8), 925-934. doi:10.1094/phyto-12-17-0410-rHaapalainen, M., Latvala, S., Wickström, A., Wang, J., Pirhonen, M., & Nissinen, A. I. (2019). A novel haplotype of ‘Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum’ found in Apiaceae and Polygonaceae family plants. European Journal of Plant Pathology, 156(2), 413-423. doi:10.1007/s10658-019-01890-0Mauck, K. E., Sun, P., Meduri, V. R., & Hansen, A. K. (2019). New Ca. Liberibacter psyllaurous haplotype resurrected from a 49-year-old specimen of Solanum umbelliferum: a native host of the psyllid vector. Scientific Reports, 9(1). doi:10.1038/s41598-019-45975-6Teixeira, D. C., Eveillard, S., Sirand-Pugnet, P., Wulff, A., Saillard, C., Ayres, A. J., & Bove, J. M. (2008). The tufB-secE-nusG-rplKAJL-rpoB gene cluster of the liberibacters: sequence comparisons, phylogeny and speciation. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SYSTEMATIC AND EVOLUTIONARY MICROBIOLOGY, 58(6), 1414-1421. doi:10.1099/ijs.0.65641-0Glaeser, S. P., & Kämpfer, P. (2015). Multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA) in prokaryotic taxonomy. Systematic and Applied Microbiology, 38(4), 237-245. doi:10.1016/j.syapm.2015.03.007Gevers, D., Cohan, F. M., Lawrence, J. G., Spratt, B. G., Coenye, T., Feil, E. J., … Swings, J. (2005). Re-evaluating prokaryotic species. Nature Reviews Microbiology, 3(9), 733-739. doi:10.1038/nrmicro1236Swisher Grimm, K. D., & Garczynski, S. F. (2019). Identification of a New Haplotype of ‘CandidatusLiberibacter solanacearum’ inSolanum tuberosum. Plant Disease, 103(3), 468-474. doi:10.1094/pdis-06-18-0937-reLin, H., Lou, B., Glynn, J. M., Doddapaneni, H., Civerolo, E. L., Chen, C., … Vahling, C. M. (2011). The Complete Genome Sequence of ‘Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum’, the Bacterium Associated with Potato Zebra Chip Disease. PLoS ONE, 6(4), e19135. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0019135Thompson, S. M., Johnson, C. P., Lu, A. Y., Frampton, R. A., Sullivan, K. L., Fiers, M. W. E. J., … Smith, G. R. (2015). Genomes of ‘Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum’ Haplotype A from New Zealand and the United States Suggest Significant Genome Plasticity in the Species. Phytopathology®, 105(7), 863-871. doi:10.1094/phyto-12-14-0363-fiLin, H., Pietersen, G., Han, C., Read, D. A., Lou, B., Gupta, G., & Civerolo, E. L. (2015). Complete Genome Sequence of « Candidatus Liberibacter africanus,» a Bacterium Associated with Citrus Huanglongbing. Genome Announcements, 3(4). doi:10.1128/genomea.00733-15Wulff, N. A., Zhang, S., Setubal, J. C., Almeida, N. F., Martins, E. C., Harakava, R., … Gabriel, D. W. (2014). The Complete Genome Sequence of ‘Candidatus Liberibacter americanus’, Associated with Citrus Huanglongbing. Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions®, 27(2), 163-176. doi:10.1094/mpmi-09-13-0292-rDuan, Y., Zhou, L., Hall, D. G., Li, W., Doddapaneni, H., Lin, H., … Gottwald, T. (2009). Complete Genome Sequence of Citrus Huanglongbing Bacterium, ‘CandidatusLiberibacter asiaticus’ Obtained Through Metagenomics. Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions®, 22(8), 1011-1020. doi:10.1094/mpmi-22-8-1011Katoh, H., Miyata, S., Inoue, H., & Iwanami, T. (2014). Unique Features of a Japanese ‘Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus’ Strain Revealed by Whole Genome Sequencing. PLoS ONE, 9(9), e106109. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0106109Leonard, M. T., Fagen, J. R., Davis-Richardson, A. G., Davis, M. J., & Triplett, E. W. (2012). Complete genome sequence of Liberibacter crescens BT-1. Standards in Genomic Sciences, 7(2), 271-283. doi:10.4056/sigs.3326772Teresani, G. R., Bertolini, E., Alfaro-Fernández, A., Martínez, C., Tanaka, F. A. O., Kitajima, E. W., … Font, M. I. (2014). Association of ‘Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum’ with a Vegetative Disorder of Celery in Spain and Development of a Real-Time PCR Method for Its Detection. Phytopathology®, 104(8), 804-811. doi:10.1094/phyto-07-13-0182-rLi, W., Hartung, J. S., & Levy, L. (2006). Quantitative real-time PCR for detection and identification of Candidatus Liberibacter species associated with citrus huanglongbing. Journal of Microbiological Methods, 66(1), 104-115. doi:10.1016/j.mimet.2005.10.018Munyaneza, J. E., Sengoda, V. G., Crosslin, J. M., De la Rosa-Lozano, G., & Sanchez, A. (2009). First Report of ‘Candidatus Liberibacter psyllaurous’ in Potato Tubers with Zebra Chip Disease in Mexico. Plant Disease, 93(5), 552-552. doi:10.1094/pdis-93-5-0552aPhillips, J. L., & Gnanakaran, S. (2014). A data-driven approach to modeling the tripartite structure of multidrug resistance efflux pumps. Proteins: Structure, Function, and Bioinformatics, 83(1), 46-65. doi:10.1002/prot.24632Kumar, S., Stecher, G., Li, M., Knyaz, C., & Tamura, K. (2018). MEGA X: Molecular Evolutionary Genetics Analysis across Computing Platforms. Molecular Biology and Evolution, 35(6), 1547-1549. doi:10.1093/molbev/msy096Estimation of the number of nucleotide substitutions in the control region of mitochondrial DNA in humans and chimpanzees. (1993). Molecular Biology and Evolution. doi:10.1093/oxfordjournals.molbev.a040023Rozas, J., Ferrer-Mata, A., Sánchez-DelBarrio, J. C., Guirao-Rico, S., Librado, P., Ramos-Onsins, S. E., & Sánchez-Gracia, A. (2017). DnaSP 6: DNA Sequence Polymorphism Analysis of Large Data Sets. Molecular Biology and Evolution, 34(12), 3299-3302. doi:10.1093/molbev/msx248Liao, J., Wiedmann, M., & Kovac, J. (2017). Genetic Stability and Evolution of the sigB Allele, Used for Listeria Sensu Stricto Subtyping and Phylogenetic Inference. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 83(12). doi:10.1128/aem.00306-17Tamura, K., Battistuzzi, F. U., Billing-Ross, P., Murillo, O., Filipski, A., & Kumar, S. (2012). Estimating divergence times in large molecular phylogenies. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 109(47), 19333-19338. doi:10.1073/pnas.1213199109Tamura, K., Tao, Q., & Kumar, S. (2018). Theoretical Foundation of the RelTime Method for Estimating Divergence Times from Variable Evolutionary Rates. Molecular Biology and Evolution, 35(7), 1770-1782. doi:10.1093/molbev/msy044López-Hermoso, C., de la Haba, R. R., Sánchez-Porro, C., Papke, R. T., & Ventosa, A. (2017). Assessment of MultiLocus Sequence Analysis As a Valuable Tool for the Classification of the Genus Salinivibrio. Frontiers in Microbiology, 8. doi:10.3389/fmicb.2017.01107Hajri, A., Loiseau, M., Cousseau-Suhard, P., Renaudin, I., & Gentit, P. (2017). Genetic Characterization of ‘Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum’ Haplotypes Associated with Apiaceous Crops in France. Plant Disease, 101(8), 1383-1390. doi:10.1094/pdis-11-16-1686-reFang, Y., Wang, Y., Liu, Z., Dai, H., Cai, H., Li, Z., … Wang, D. (2019). Multilocus Sequence Analysis, a Rapid and Accurate Tool for Taxonomic Classification, Evolutionary Relationship Determination, and Population Biology Studies of the Genus Shewanella. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 85(11). doi:10.1128/aem.03126-18Konstantinidis, K. T., Ramette, A., & Tiedje, J. M. (2006). Toward a More Robust Assessment of IntraspeciesDiversity, Using Fewer GeneticMarkers. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 72(11), 7286-7293. doi:10.1128/aem.01398-06Ajene, I. J., Khamis, F., Ballo, S., Pietersen, G., van Asch, B., Seid, N., … Mohamed, S. (2020). Detection of Asian Citrus Psyllid (Hemiptera: Psyllidae) in Ethiopia: A New Haplotype and its Implication to the Proliferation of Huanglongbing. Journal of Economic Entomology, 113(4), 1640-1647. doi:10.1093/jee/toaa113Thapa, S. P., De Francesco, A., Trinh, J., Gurung, F. B., Pang, Z., Vidalakis, G., … Coaker, G. (2020). Genome‐wide analyses of Liberibacter species provides insights into evolution, phylogenetic relationships, and virulence factors. Molecular Plant Pathology, 21(5), 716-731. doi:10.1111/mpp.12925Antolinez, C. A., Fereres, A., & Moreno, A. (2017). Risk assessment of ‘Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum’ transmission by the psyllids Bactericera trigonica and B. tremblayi from Apiaceae crops to potato. 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(2020). ‘Candidatus Liberibacter Solanacearum’ Is Unlikely to Be Transmitted Spontaneously from Infected Carrot Plants to Citrus Plants by Trioza Erytreae. Insects, 11(8), 514. doi:10.3390/insects1108051

Dogs Detecting COVID-19 From Sweat and Saliva of Positive People : A Field Experience in Mexico

ContextMolecular tests are useful in detecting COVID-19, but they are expensive in developing countries. COVID-19-sniffing dogs are an alternative due to their reported sensitivity (>80%) and specificity (>90%). However, most of the published evidence is experimental, and there is a need to determine the performance of the dogs in field conditions. Hence, we aimed to test the sensitivity and specificity of COVID-19-sniffing dogs in the field. MethodsWe trained four dogs with sweat and three dogs with saliva of COVID-19-positive patients, respectively, for 4.5 months. The samples were obtained from a health center in Hermosillo, Sonora, with the restriction to spend 5 min per patient. We calculated sensitivity, specificity, and their 95% confidence intervals (CI). ResultsTwo sweat-sniffing dogs reached 76 and 80% sensitivity, with the 95% CI not overlapping the random value of 50%, and 75 and 88% specificity, with the 95% CI not overlapping the 50% value. The 95% CI of the sensitivity and specificity of the other two sweat dogs overlapped the 50% value. Two saliva-sniffing dogs had 70 and 78% sensitivity, and the 95% CI of their sensitivity and specificity did not overlap the 50% value. The 95% CI of the third dog's sensitivity and specificity overlapped the 50% value. ConclusionFour of the six dogs were able to detect positive samples of patients with COVID-19, with sensitivity and specificity values significantly different from random in the field. We considered the performance of the dogs promising because it is reasonable to expect that with gauze exposed for a longer time to sweat and saliva of people with COVID-19, their detection capacity would improve. The target is to reach the sensitivity range requested by the World Health Organization for the performance of an antigen test (>= 80% sensitivity, >= 97% specificity). If so, dogs could become important allies for the control of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in developing countries.Peer reviewe

Measurement of Atmospheric Neutrino Oscillations with the ANTARES Neutrino Telescope

The data taken with the ANTARES neutrino telescope from 2007 to 2010, a total live time of 863 days, are used to measure the oscillation parameters of atmospheric neutrinos. Muon tracks are reconstructed with energies as low as 20 GeV. Neutrino oscillations will cause a suppression of vertical upgoing muon neutrinos of such energies crossing the Earth. The parameters determining the oscillation of atmospheric neutrinos are extracted by fitting the event rate as a function of the ratio of the estimated neutrino energy and reconstructed flight path through the Earth. Measurement contours of the oscillation parameters in a two-flavour approximation are derived. Assuming maximum mixing, a mass difference of $\Delta m_{32}^2=(3.1\pm 0.9)\cdot 10^{-3}$ eV$^2$ is obtained, in good agreement with the world average value.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figure

The CAPN10 Gene Is Associated with Insulin Resistance Phenotypes in the Spanish Population

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the industrialized world. Familial aggregation of cardiovascular risk factors is a frequent finding, but genetic factors affecting its presentation are still poorly understood. The calpain 10 gene (CAPN10) has been associated with type 2 diabetes (T2DM), a complex metabolic disorder with increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Moreover, the CAPN10 gene has been associated with the presence of metabolic syndrome (MS) in T2DM and in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). In this work, we have analysed whether the polymorphisms UCSNP44, -43, -19 and -63 are related to several cardiovascular risk factors in the context of MS. Molecular analysis of CAPN10 gene was performed in 899 individuals randomly chosen from a cross-sectional population-based epidemiological survey. We have found that CAPN10 gene in our population is mainly associated with two indicators of the presence of insulin resistance: glucose levels two hours after a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and HOMA values, although cholesterol levels and blood pressure values are also influenced by CAPN10 variants. In addition, the 1221/1121 haplogenotype is under-represented in individuals that fulfil the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) diagnostic criteria for MS. Our results suggest that CAPN10 gene is associated with insulin resistance phenotypes in the Spanish population