50 research outputs found
Humoral immune response in hens naturally infected with Salmonella Enteritidis against outer membrane proteins and other surface structural antigens
A simple procedure for obtaining surface exposed antigens of Salmonella Enteritidis is
described. A heat treatment of whole bacteria in saline solution induced the release of small membrane
vesicles containing outer membrane components as well as surface appendage components,
such as fimbriae and flagellin. The characterization of the structural components of this extract, called
HE, was established by SDS-PAGE and immunoblotting using polyclonal and monoclonal specific
antibodies. Five major groups of proteins were identified: flagellin, porins, OmpA, SEF21 and SEF14
fimbriae. The immunogenicity of these proteins was studied by immunoblotting with serum samples
from naturally infected hens. Flagellin, porins, OmpA, SEF14 and SEF21 fimbriae were immunogenic
in the S. Enteritidis infected hens (frequency of reactants: 47.3, 97.3, 64.7, 50.0 and 60.8%,
respectively); porins also reacted with sera from non infected hens (66.7%). The immunogenicity
of these antigens in infected birds provide promise that they may serve as components of an effective
subcellular vaccine for poultry salmonellosis
Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay with a Salmonella enteritidis antigen for differentiating infected from vaccinated poultry
The specificity and sensitivity of indirect ELISA, based on the use of four different antigenic extracts obtained from a clinical isolate of Salmonella enteritidis, were compared with those obtained with the gm-flagellin based ELISA (IDEXX). A total of 116 serum samples from salmonellae free, naturally infected and vaccinated hens were studied. The results showed that the indirect ELISA, based on lipopolysaccharide (LPS), O-polysaccharide (PS) or membrane sediment (SD) antigens, enable the identification of a greater number of infected birds and discriminated field antibody responses from vaccinal ones better than the commercial IDEXX test. The indirect ELISA that used a O-polysaccharide rich fraction (PS) proved to be the most specific and sensitive test, suggesting that this indirect ELISA could be used to confirm IDEXX results, especially when the differentiation between vaccinated and infected poultry is required
Ammonia levels in different kinds of sampling sites in the central Iberian Peninsula
Ponencia presentada en:2nd Iberian Meeting on Aerosol Science and Technology (RICTA 2014) celebrado en Tarragona del 7 al 9 de julio de 2014.Ammonia is the Secondary Inorganic Aerosol (SIC) gaseous precursor which has been studied to a lesser extent in the Madrid Metropolitan Area up to date. A study conducted in the city of Madrid with the aim of characterizing levels of ammonia took place in 2011. These campaigns formed part of a larger study conducted in 6 Spanish cities. A time series of weekly integrated ammonia measurements available at an EMEP rural site (Campisábalos) has been used to obtain information on the ammonia rural background in the region. The results point to traffic and waste treatment plants as the main ammonia sources in Madrid. Relevant seasonal differences have not been observed in the Metropolitan Area. The explanation can be related to the fall in the rural background levels during July 2011, which might conceal urban summer emission increases observed in other cities
Evaluation of different bowel preparations for small bowel capsule endoscopy: a prospective, randomized, controlled study
To obtain an adequate view of the whole small
intestine during capsule endoscopy (CE) a clear liquid diet and overnight fasting
is recommended. However, intestinal content can hamper vision in spite of these
measures. Our aim was to evaluate tolerance and degree of intestinal cleanliness
during CE following three types of bowel preparation. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This
was a prospective, multicenter, randomized, controlled study. Two-hundred
ninety-one patients underwent one of the following preparations: 4 L of clear
liquids (CL) (group A; 92 patients); 90 mL of aqueous sodium phosphate (group B;
89 patients); or 4 L of a polyethylene glycol electrolyte solution (group C; 92
patients). The degree of cleanliness of the small bowel was classified by blinded
examiners according to four categories (excellent, good, fair or poor). The
degree of patient satisfaction, gastric and small bowel transit times, and
diagnostic yield were measured. RESULTS: The degree of cleanliness did not differ
significantly between the groups (P = 0.496). Interobserver concordance was fair
(k = 0.38). No significant differences were detected between the diagnostic
yields of the CE (P = 0.601). Gastric transit time was 35.7 +/- 3.7 min (group
A), 46.1 +/- 8.6 min (group B) and 34.6 +/- 5.0 min (group C) (P = 0.417).
Small-intestinal transit time was 276.9 +/- 10.7 min (group A), 249.7 +/- 13.1
min (group B) and 245.6 +/- 11.6 min (group C) (P = 0.120). CL was the best
tolerated preparation. Compliance with the bowel preparation regimen was lowest
in group C (P = 0.008). CONCLUSIONS: A clear liquid diet and overnight fasting is
sufficient to achieve an adequate level of cleanliness and is better tolerated by
patients than other forms of preparation
Usefulness of bone turnover markers as predictors of mortality risk, disease progression and skeletal-related events appearance in patients with prostate cancer with bone metastases following treatment with zoledronic acid: TUGAMO study
Owing to the limited validity of clinical data on the treatment of prostate cancer (PCa) and bone metastases,
biochemical markers are a promising tool for predicting survival, disease progression and skeletal-related events (SREs) in these
patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the predictive capacity of biochemical markers of bone turnover for mortality risk,
disease progression and SREs in patients with PCa and bone metastases undergoing treatment with zoledronic acid (ZA).
Methods: This was an observational, prospective and multicenter study in which ninety-eight patients were included. Patients
were treated with ZA (4mg every 4 weeks for 18 months). Data were collected at baseline and 3, 6, 9, 12, 15 and 18 months after
the beginning of treatment. Serum levels of bone alkaline phosphtase (BALP), aminoterminal propeptide of procollagen type I
(P1NP) and beta-isomer of carboxiterminal telopeptide of collagen I (b-CTX) were analysed at all points in the study. Data on
disease progression, SREs development and survival were recorded.
Results: Cox regression models with clinical data and bone markers showed that the levels of the three markers studied were
predictive of survival time, with b-CTX being especially powerful, in which a lack of normalisation in visit 1 (3 months after the
beginning of treatment) showed a 6.3-times more risk for death than in normalised patients. Levels of these markers were also
predictive for SREs, although in this case BALP and P1NP proved to be better predictors. We did not find any relationship
between bone markers and disease progression.
Conclusion: In patients with PCa and bone metastases treated with ZA, b-CTX and P1NP can be considered suitable predictors for
mortality risk, while BALP and P1NP are appropriate for SREs. The levels of these biomarkers 3 months after the beginning of
treatment are especially importantThis study was supported by Novartis Oncology Spai
Incretins in patients with rheumatoid arthritis
Background: The precise mechanism linking systemic inflammation with insulin resistance (IR) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) remains elusive. In the present study, we determined whether the incretin-insulin axis and incretin effect are disrupted in patients with RA and if they are related to the IR found in these patients. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study that encompassed 361 subjects without diabetes, 151 patients with RA, and 210 sex-matched control subjects. Insulin, C-peptide, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP), dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP-4) soluble form, and IR indexes by homeostatic model assessment (HOMA2) were assessed. A multivariable analysis adjusted for IR-related factors was performed. Additionally, ten patients and ten control subjects underwent a 566-kcal meal test so that we could further study the postprandial differences of these molecules between patients and control subjects. Results: Insulin, C-peptide, and HOMA2-IR indexes were higher in patients than in control subjects. This was also the case for GLP-1 (0.49 ± 1.28 vs. 0.71 ± 0.22 ng/ml, p = 0.000) and GIP (0.37 ± 0.40 vs. 1.78 ± 0.51 ng/ml, p = 0.000). These differences remained significant after multivariable adjustment including glucocorticoid intake. Disease Activity Score in 28 joints with erythrocyte sedimentation rate (? coefficient 46, 95% CI 6?87, p = 0.026) and Clinical Disease Activity Index (? coefficient 7.74, 95% CI 1.29?14.20, p = 0.019) were associated with DPP-4 serum levels. GLP-1 positively correlated with ?-cell function (HOMA2 of ?-cell production calculated with C-peptide) in patients but not in control subjects (interaction p = 0.003). The meal test in patients with RA revealed a higher total and late response AUC for glucose response, a later maximal response of C-peptide, and a flatter curve in GIP response. Conclusions: The incretin-insulin axis, both during fasting and postprandial, is impaired in patients with RA.This work was supported by grants from the Spanish Ministry of Health,
Subdirección General de Evaluación y Fomento de la Investigación, Plan
Estatal de Investigación Científica y Técnica y de Innovación 2013–2016
Instituto de Salud Carlos III [ISCIII] PI14/00394) and by the Fondo Europeo de
Desarrollo Regional (FEDER) (to IFA). The research of MAGG was supported
by European Union FEDER funds and by the “Fondo de Investigación
Sanitaria” (grants PI06/0024, PS09/00748, PI12/00060, and PI15/00525) of the
Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII; Spanish Health Ministry). The research of
MAGG was also partially supported by RETICS Programs RD12/0009 (RIER)
and RD12/0009/0013 from the ISCIII (Spanish Health Ministry)
Prolonged oral cannabinoid administration prevents neuroinflammation, lowers β-amyloid levels and improves cognitive performance in Tg APP 2576 mice
Background: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) brain shows an ongoing inflammatory condition and non-steroidal antiinflammatories
diminish the risk of suffering the neurologic disease. Cannabinoids are neuroprotective and antiinflammatory
agents with therapeutic potential.
Methods: We have studied the effects of prolonged oral administration of transgenic amyloid precursor protein
(APP) mice with two pharmacologically different cannabinoids (WIN 55,212-2 and JWH-133, 0.2 mg/kg/day in the
drinking water during 4 months) on inflammatory and cognitive parameters, and on 18F-fluoro-deoxyglucose
(18FDG) uptake by positron emission tomography (PET).
Results: Novel object recognition was significantly reduced in 11 month old Tg APP mice and 4 month
administration of JWH was able to normalize this cognitive deficit, although WIN was ineffective. Wild type mice
cognitive performance was unaltered by cannabinoid administration. Tg APP mice showed decreased 18FDG
uptake in hippocampus and cortical regions, which was counteracted by oral JWH treatment. Hippocampal GFAP
immunoreactivity and cortical protein expression was unaffected by genotype or treatment. In contrast, the density
of Iba1 positive microglia was increased in Tg APP mice, and normalized following JWH chronic treatment. Both
cannabinoids were effective at reducing the enhancement of COX-2 protein levels and TNF-a mRNA expression
found in the AD model. Increased cortical b-amyloid (Ab) levels were significantly reduced in the mouse model by
both cannabinoids. Noteworthy both cannabinoids enhanced Ab transport across choroid plexus cells in vitro.
Conclusions: In summary we have shown that chronically administered cannabinoid showed marked beneficial
effects concomitant with inflammation reduction and increased Ab clearanceThis work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and
Technology (SAF 2005-02845 to M.L.C). A.M.M-M. was recipient a fellowship
from the Ministry of Education and Scienc
Genome-wide association analysis of dementia and its clinical endophenotypes reveal novel loci associated with Alzheimer's disease and three causality networks : The GR@ACE project
Introduction: Large variability among Alzheimer's disease (AD) cases might impact genetic discoveries and complicate dissection of underlying biological pathways. Methods: Genome Research at Fundacio ACE (GR@ACE) is a genome-wide study of dementia and its clinical endophenotypes, defined based on AD's clinical certainty and vascular burden. We assessed the impact of known AD loci across endophenotypes to generate loci categories. We incorporated gene coexpression data and conducted pathway analysis per category. Finally, to evaluate the effect of heterogeneity in genetic studies, GR@ACE series were meta-analyzed with additional genome-wide association study data sets. Results: We classified known AD loci into three categories, which might reflect the disease clinical heterogeneity. Vascular processes were only detected as a causal mechanism in probable AD. The meta-analysis strategy revealed the ANKRD31-rs4704171 and NDUFAF6-rs10098778 and confirmed SCIMP-rs7225151 and CD33-rs3865444. Discussion: The regulation of vasculature is a prominent causal component of probable AD. GR@ACE meta-analysis revealed novel AD genetic signals, strongly driven by the presence of clinical heterogeneity in the AD series
Spread of a SARS-CoV-2 variant through Europe in the summer of 2020
[EN] Following its emergence in late 2019, the spread of SARS-CoV-21,2 has been tracked by phylogenetic analysis of viral genome sequences in unprecedented detail3,4,5. Although the virus spread globally in early 2020 before borders closed, intercontinental travel has since been greatly reduced. However, travel within Europe resumed in the summer of 2020. Here we report on a SARS-CoV-2 variant, 20E (EU1), that was identified in Spain in early summer 2020 and subsequently spread across Europe. We find no evidence that this variant has increased transmissibility, but instead demonstrate how rising incidence in Spain, resumption of travel, and lack of effective screening and containment may explain the variant’s success. Despite travel restrictions, we estimate that 20E (EU1) was introduced hundreds of times to European countries by summertime travellers, which is likely to have undermined local efforts to minimize infection with SARS-CoV-2. Our results illustrate how a variant can rapidly become dominant even in the absence of a substantial transmission advantage in favourable epidemiological settings. Genomic surveillance is critical for understanding how travel can affect transmission of SARS-CoV-2, and thus for informing future containment strategies as travel resumes.S
Functional network resilience to pathology in presymptomatic genetic frontotemporal dementia
© 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)The presymptomatic phase of neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by structural brain changes without significant clinical features. We set out to investigate the contribution of functional network resilience to preserved cognition in presymptomatic genetic frontotemporal dementia. We studied 172 people from families carrying genetic abnormalities in C9orf72, MAPT, or PGRN. Networks were extracted from functional MRI data and assessed using graph theoretical analysis. We found that despite loss of both brain volume and functional connections, there is maintenance of an efficient topological organization of the brain's functional network in the years leading up to the estimated age of frontotemporal dementia symptom onset. After this point, functional network efficiency declines markedly. Reduction in connectedness was most marked in highly connected hub regions. Measures of topological efficiency of the brain's functional network and organization predicted cognitive dysfunction in domains related to symptomatic frontotemporal dementia and connectivity correlated with brain volume loss in frontotemporal dementia. We propose that maintaining the efficient organization of the brain's functional network supports cognitive health even as atrophy and connectivity decline presymptomatically.This work was funded by the UK Medical Research Council, the Italian Ministry of Health, and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research as part of a Centres of Excellence in Neurodegeneration grant [grant number CoEN015]. JBR was supported by the Wellcome Trust [grant number 103838]. JBR, RB, TR, and SJ were supported by the NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre and Medical Research Council [grant number G1100464]. The Dementia Research Centre at UCL is supported by Alzheimer's Research UK, Brain Research Trust, and The Wolfson Foundation, NIHR Queen Square Dementia Biomedical Research Unit, NIHR UCL/H Biomedical Research Centre and Dementia Platforms UK. JDR is supported by an MRC Clinician Scientist Fellowship [grant number MR/M008525/1] and has received funding from the NIHR Rare Disease Translational Research Collaboration [grant number BRC149/NS/MH]. MM is supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Department of Medicine at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and the University of Toronto, and the Sunnybrook Research Institute. RL is supported by Réseau de médecine génétique appliquée, Fonds de recherche du Québec—Santé [grant number FRQS]. FT is supported by the Italian Ministry of Health. DG is supported by the Fondazione Monzino and Italian Ministry of Health, Ricerca Corrente. SS is supported by Cassa di Risparmio di Firenze [grant number CRF 2013/0199] and the Ministry of Health [grant number RF-2010-2319722]. JvS is supported by The Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development Memorable grant [grant number 733050103] and Netherlands Alzheimer Foundation Memorable grant [grant number 733050103].info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio