Dietary supplements in lymphedema

Lymphedema is a chronic inflammatory disorder resulting from ineffective fluid uptake by the lymphatic system, and the effects are principally felt in the lower limbs. The condition is said to be primary when caused by genetic mutations and secondary when caused by injuries, infections, or surgery. Lymphedema, a worldwide pathology, does not have an effective therapy so far. Leukotriene B4 has recently been identified as a key molecule in lymphedema pathogenesis. Surgical, nonsurgical, and pharmacological treatments have been proposed; however, they do not cure the disease and only ameliorate the symptoms. Nutrition and nutritional status are extremely important in lymphedema physiopathology. Obesity is a comorbidity that exacerbates the risk for secondary lymphedema and constitutes a negative prognostic factor. Indeed, anti-inflammatory foods and their effects on the inflammatory state and on oxidative stress are now being investigated for their possible therapeutic role in lymphedema. Although no special diet has so far been proven to be very effective, specific dietary tips could help in alleviating the edematous state of patients with lymphedema. A few supplements have been tested for lymphedema treatment. Among them, GARLIVE® containing hydroxytyrosol, hesperidin, spermidine and vitamin A, exhibited promising effects in the animal model. Hydroxytyrosol, a polyphenol from olives, showed anti-inflammatory effects and reduced leukotriene B4 synthesis, thus holding promise as a potential natural candidate for lymphedema treatment

Optimization of long-range PCR protocol to prepare filaggrin exon 3 libraries for PacBio long-read sequencing

BackgroundThe filaggrin (FLG) protein, encoded by the FLG gene, is an intermediate filament-associated protein that plays a crucial role in the terminal stages of human epidermal differentiation. Loss-of-function mutations in the FLG exon 3 have been associated with skin diseases. The identification of causative mutations is challenging, due to the high sequence homology within its exon 3 (12,753 bp), which includes 10 to 12 filaggrin tandem repeats. With this study we aimed to obtain the whole FLG exon 3 sequence through PacBio technology, once 13-kb amplicons have been generated.Methods and resultsFor the preparation of SMRTbell libraries to be sequenced using PacBio technology, we focused on optimizing a 2-step long-range PCR protocol to generate 13-kb amplicons covering the whole FLG exon 3 sequence. The performance of three long-range DNA polymerases was assessed in an attempt to improve the PCR conditions required for the enzymes to function properly. We focused on optimization of the input template DNA concentration and thermocycling parameters to correctly amplify the entire FLG exon 3 sequence, minimizing non-specific amplification.ConclusionsTaken together, our findings suggested that the PrimeSTAR protocol is suitable for producing the amplicons of the 13-kb FLG whole exon 3 to prepare SMRTbell libraries. We suggest that sequencing the generated amplicons may be useful for identifying LoF variants that are causative of the patients' disorders

Dietary supplements for Lipedema

Lipedema is a chronic disease that mostly manifests in females as the abnormal distribution of subcutaneous adipose connective tissue, usually coupled with bruising, pain, and edema. Lipedema molecular pathophysiology is currently not clear, but several studies suggest that genetics and hormonal imbalance participate in lipedema pathogenesis. Women with lipedema present in some cases with elevated body mass index, and the appearance of obesity in addition to lipedema, where the obesity can cause serious health issues as in lipedema-free individuals with obesity, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disorders.  Unlike obesity, lipedema tissue does not respond well to diet or physical exercise alone. Therefore, in this review we discuss the effect of various dietary supplements that, along with diet and physical exercise, cause fat burning and weight loss, and which could potentially be important in the treatment of lipedema. Indeed, an effective fat burner should convert stored fats into energy, mobilize and break down triglycerides in adipocytes, boost metabolism and inhibit lipogenesis. Common ingredients of fat burning supplements are green tea, caffeine, chromium, carnitine, and conjugated linoleic acid. The use of fat burners could act synergistically with a healthy diet and physical exercise for decreasing adipose tissue deposition in patients with lipedema and resolve related health issues. The effects of fat burners in human studies are sometimes contradictory, and further studies should test their effectiveness in treating lipedema

Reduced Plasma Levels of sCD14 and I-FABP in HIV-infected Patients with Mesalazine-treated Ulcerative Colitis

BACKGROUND: Microbial translocation (MT) is a shared feature of HIV infection and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). AIMS: This study was conducted to assess the impact of IBD (and particularly ulcerative colitis, UC) on plasma markers of MT and immune activation in HIV+ subjects. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 3 groups of patients: HIV+/UC+(group HIV/UC); HIV+/UC- (group HIV); HIV-/UC+(group UC). Plasma levels of soluble CD14 (sCD14), intestinal fatty acid-binding protein (I-FABP), and endotoxin core antibodies (endoCAB) were measured as plasma markers of MT. Inflammation and immune activation were evaluated by measuring plasma levels of IL-6, IL-21, TNF-alpha, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP). T- and B-cells subpopulations were characterized by FACS analysis. RESULTS: Seven patients were enrolled in group HIV/UC, 9 in HIV, and 10 in UC. All HIV-positive patients had plasma values of HIV-1 RNA < 37 copies/mL for at least 12 months and good immunological recovery. All patients with UC were treated with oral mesalazine. Markers of MT, immune activation, and inflammation were not increased in subjects with HIV/UC. In fact, they had lower levels of I-FABP (p = 0.001) and sCD14 (p = 0.007) when compared to other patients groups. Positive correlations were found between I-FABP and sCD14 (r = .355, p = 0.076). Frequency of T- and B-cell subsets did not differ among groups. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that UC does not worsen MT, inflammation, or immune activation in HIV-infected subjects. The anti-inflammatory activity of chronic mesalazine administration on intestinal mucosa may contribute to this finding

Nonintegrating Lentiviral Vector-Based Vaccine Efficiently Induces Functional and Persistent CD8+ T Cell Responses in Mice

CD8+ T cells are an essential component of an effective host immune response to tumors and viral infections. Genetic immunization is particularly suitable for inducing CTL responses, because the encoded proteins enter the MHC class I processing pathway through either transgene expression or cross-presentation. In order to compare the efficiency and persistence of immune response induced by genetic vaccines, BALB/c mice were immunized either twice intramuscularly with DNA plasmid expressing a codon-optimized HIV-1 gp120 Envelope sequence together with murine GM-CSF sequence or with a single immunization using an integrase defective lentiviral vector (IDLV) expressing the same proteins. Results strongly indicated that the schedule based on IDLV vaccine was more efficient in inducing specific immune response, as evaluated three months after the last immunization by IFNγ ELISPOT in both splenocytes and bone marrow- (BM-) derived cells, chromium release assay in splenocytes, and antibody detection in sera. In addition, IDLV immunization induced high frequency of polyfunctional CD8+ T cells able to simultaneously produce IFNγ, TNFα, and IL2

Pulmonary adenocarcinomas presenting as ground-glass opacities on multidetector CT: three-dimensional computer-assisted analysis of growth pattern and doubling time

We aimed to evaluate the growth pattern and doubling time (DT) of pulmonary adenocarcinomas exhibiting ground-glass opacities (GGOs) on multidetector computed tomography (CT). METHODS The growth pattern and DT of 22 pulmonary adenocarcinomas exhibiting GGOs were retrospectively analyzed using three-dimensional semiautomatic software. Analysis of each lesion was based on calculations of volume and mass changes and their respective DTs throughout CT follow- up. Three-dimensional segmentation was performed by a single radiologist on each CT scan. The same observer and another radiologist independently repeated the segmentation at the baseline and the last CT scan to determine the variability of the measurements. The relationships among DTs, histopathology, and initial CT features of the lesions were also analyzed. RESULTS Pulmonary adenocarcinomas presenting as GGOs exhibited different growth patterns: some lesions grew rapidly and some grew slowly, whereas others alternated between periods of growth, stability, or shrinkage. A significant increase in volume and mass that exceeded the coefficient of repeatability of interobserver variability was observed in 72.7% and 84.2% of GGOs, respectively. The volume-DTs and mass-DTs were heterogeneous throughout the follow-up CT scan (range, -4293 to 21928 and -3113 to 17020 days, respectively), and their intra- and interobserver variabilities were moderately high. The volume-DTs and mass-DTs were not correlated with the initial CT features of GGOs; however, they were significantly shorter in invasive adenocarcinomas (P = 0.002 and P = 0.001, respectively). CONCLUSION Pulmonary adenocarcinomas exhibiting GGOs show heterogeneous growth patterns with a trend toward a progressive increase in size. DTs may be useful for predicting tumor aggressiveness

Successful Immunization with a Single Injection of Non-integrating Lentiviral Vector

We evaluated the ability of an integrase (IN)-defective self-inactivating lentiviral vector (sinLV) for the delivery of human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) envelope sequences in mice to elicit specific immune responses. BALB/c mice were immunized with a single intramuscular injection of the IN-defective sinLV expressing the codon optimized HIV-1 JR-FL gp120 sequence, and results were compared with those for the IN-competent counterpart. The IN-defective sinLV elicited specific and long-lasting immune responses, as evaluated up to 90 days from the immunization by enzyme-linked immunosorbent spot (ELISPOT) and intracellular staining (ICS) for interferon- γ (IFN- γ ) assays in both splenocytes and bone marrow (BM) cells, chromium release assay in splenocytes, and antibody detection in sera, without integration of the vector into the host genome. These data provide evidence that a single administration of an IN-defective sinLV elicits a significant immune response in the absence of vector integration and may be a safe and useful strategy for vaccine development

A reverse metabolic approach to weaning: in silico identification of immune-beneficial infant gut bacteria, mining their metabolism for prebiotic feeds and sourcing these feeds in the natural product space

Weaning is a period of marked physiological change. The introduction of solid foods and the changes in milk consumption are accompanied by significant gastrointestinal, immune, developmental, and microbial adaptations. Defining a reduced number of infections as the desired health benefit for infants around weaning, we identified in silico (i.e., by advanced public domain mining) infant gut microbes as potential deliverers of this benefit. We then investigated the requirements of these bacteria for exogenous metabolites as potential prebiotic feeds that were subsequently searched for in the natural product space

Tareas y problemáticas feminizadas en la búsqueda de personas desaparecidas: La experiencia de la Colectiva de Intervención Ante las Violencias

La Colectiva de Intervención Ante las Violencias (CIAV) es un grupo interdisciplinar feminista surgido en el año 2012 como consecuencia de dos problemáticas con grandes déficits de investigación: las violencias letales y la desaparición de personas. Estas nuevas violencias tienen aristas disímiles que pueden analizarse, por ejemplo, desde la perspectiva de género, los procesos migratorios y los entramados territoriales. Conjuntamente, estas problemáticas se hallan entrelazadas con múltiples factores y contextos que requieren nuevas modalidades de trabajo e investigación. Por ello, en este trabajo expondremos nuestro recorrido teórico y práctico, poniendo especial énfasis en la metodología y estrategias desarrolladas para abordar los diferentes casos a las que somos convocadas. Además, mencionaremos cómo, en base a nuestra experiencia, pretendemos desafiar los modelos tradicionales de investigación en antropología forense proponiendo nuevas formas de abordar los casos legales. Finalmente, reseñamos algunos casos en los que hemos intervenido, aportando información detallada sobre las distintas estrategias utilizadas, y también presentamos nuevas líneas de investigación y proyectos de futuro.The Collective for Intervention Against Violence (CIAV) is an interdisciplinary feminist group that emerged in 2012 as a response to two issues with significant research deficits: lethal violence and disappearances of individuals. These new forms of violence have diverse facets that can be analyzed, for instance, from the perspective of gender, migratory processes, and territorial networks. Moreover, these issues are intertwined with multiple factors and contexts that call for new modes of work and research. Therefore, in this paper, we will present our theoretical and practical journey, with a particular emphasis on the methodology and strategies developed to address the different cases to which we are called. We will also discuss how, from our experience, we seek to challenge traditional models of forensic anthropology research by proposing new ways to approach judicial cases. Finally, we outline some specific cases in which we have intervened, providing detailed information about the diverse strategies used. Additionally, we present new lines of research and future projects.Fil: Sandoval Ramos, Belén Pastora. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Geocronología y Geología Isotópica. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Geocronología y Geología Isotópica; Argentina. Colectiva de Intervención Ante las Violencias; ArgentinaFil: Carlini Comerci, Silvia Laura. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Colectiva de Intervención Ante las Violencias; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Filosofía y Letras. Instituto de Ciencias Antropológicas; ArgentinaFil: Perosino, María Celeste. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Colectiva de Intervención Ante las Violencias; ArgentinaFil: Michelini, Daniela Beatriz. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Colectiva de Intervención Ante las Violencias; ArgentinaFil: Rabuffetti, Nadia. Colectiva de Intervención Ante las Violencias; ArgentinaFil: Barreiro, Amelia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Colectiva de Intervención Ante las Violencias; ArgentinaFil: Gutierrez, Andrea. Colectiva de Intervención Ante las Violencias; ArgentinaFil: Cels, Evelyn. Colectiva de Intervención Ante las Violencias; Argentin