La "conversio" de Agustín en las "Confesiones" traducida por Petrarca como una "imitatio" humanista : una lectura de su polémica carta del Ventoux (Fam. IV, 1)

El 26 de abril de 1336, Francesco Petrarca emprendió la ascensión al monte Ventoux. Lo cuenta en una carta dirigida a Dionigi da Borgo, en la que el momento culminante es la lectura de algunas frases de las Confesiones de Agustín de Hipona en la cumbre del monte. El texto está recogido en los Familiarum rerum libri, y se ha tenido muchas veces por el comienzo de una nueva mirada sobre el paisaje que cierra el periodo medieval y culmina con la eclosión del Renacimiento. Este relato de su experiencia montañera ha originado análisis contradictorios sobre la verdadera naturaleza de sus sentimientos religiosos o acerca de la propia veracidad de la carta. En este artículo se plantea que cabe interpretarla de una manera nueva en términos acordes con el propio texto. En primer lugar, por la elección que Petrarca hace de los textos que cita (Virgilio, Ovidio, Pablo de Tarso) y cómo los interpreta. En segundo lugar, porque el relato de su experiencia no puede tomarse como un calco fidelísimo de la de Agustín. Finalmente, porque la carta reelabora literariamente el proceso seguido por el poeta, adaptándola muy precisamente a los objetivos confesionales que persigue. Se verá cómo la experiencia petrarquesca puede entenderse como triple traducción libérrima de la narrada por Agustín: en el uso de un modelo literario y filosófico previo trasladado a una situación personal; en la emulación del recorrido espiritual del modelo pero reinterpretando etapas y consecuencias del proceso; y en la creación de un texto fenomenológico que puede concebirse como una apropiación empírica de la naturaleza con el trasfondo de esa subjetividad ajena. El resultado es una imitatio humanista, una auténtica traslación, una traducción de significado y espíritu de la experiencia originaria, traicionándola al reconvertirla así en otra nueva digna de ser contada de un modo distinto.On April 26, 1336, Petrarch climbed Mount Ventoux. The account of his ascent is written in a letter adressed to Dionigi da Borgo, whose highlight is the reading of a passage from Augustine of Hippo's Confessions on the summit of the mountain. The letter is included in the collection Familiarum rerum libri, and has often been considered as the beginning of a new look onto the landscape that puts an end to the medieval period and culminates with the emergence of the Renaissance. This account has created contradictory analyses on the true nature of Petrarch's religious feelings or about the truthfulness of the letter. This article argues that this should be interpreted in a new way in terms consistent with its own text. Firstly, Petrarch chooses carefully the texts he cites (Virgil, Ovid, Paul of Tarsus) and the way he deals with them. Secondly, the story of his experience cannot be taken as a most faithful replica of Augustine's. Finally, this letter reworks in a most original way the process experienced by the poet, very precisely adapting its form and its contents to his confessional objectives pursued. Petrarch's experience can be understood as a triple translation of Augustine's Confessions: in the use of its literary model transferred to a most personal situation; in the emulation of the spiritual journey of his model although reinterpreting its stages and consequences; and in the creation of a phenomenological text that can be understood as an empirical appropriation of nature against the backdrop of Augustine's. The result is a humanist imitatio, a true translation of meaning and spirit of Petrarch's original experience, but betrayed when written as a new narration based upon Augustine's

Evaluation of pleural effusion sCD26 and DPP-IV as diagnostic biomarkers in lung disease

In this study, we measured ADA and DPP-IV enzymatic activity and sCD26 concentration in 150 pleural effusion (PE) samples and tested for correlations between these and other cellular and biochemical measures. We found that DPP-IV in particular might improve the specificity (but not the sensitivity) of the ADA test for diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis, since half of the false ADA positive results in non-tuberculous PE were also DPP-IV positive. A percentage of patients with malignant PE were sCD26 or DPP-IV positive; however, some patients with benign PE also tested positive. As a pattern associated with DPP-IV (but not the CD26 protein) was observed in PE, we searched for a finding that might increase the value of these biomarkers for diagnosis of malignancy. The observed pattern was related to the presence of leukocytes, as indicated by correlations with the cell count, and to a band of 180 kDa, detected by immunoblottingThis research was partially supported by grants PS09-00405 and Research Intensification activity from the Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria (FIS) of the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Spain) and funding from Xunta de Galicia and FEDER (CN 2011/024). We are grateful to the patients who participated and made the study possibleS

Surface expression marker profile in colon cancer cell lines and sphere-derived cells suggests complexity in CD26+ cancer stem cells subsets

Taking advantage of eight established cell lines from colorectal cancer patients at different stages of the disease and the fact that all of them could form spheres, cell surface biomarkers of cancer stem cells and epithelial-mesenchymal transition were tested. The aim was to investigate cancer stem cells and metastatic stem cells in order to provide functional characterization of circulating tumor cells and promote the development of new anti-metastatic therapies. Our model showed an important heterogeneity in EpCAM, CD133, CD44, LGR5, CD26 and E-cadherin expression. We showed the presence of a subset of E-cadherin+ (some cells being E-cadherinhigh) expressing CD26+ (or CD26high) together with the well-known CSC markers LGR5 and EpCAMhigh, sometimes in the absence of CD44 or CD133. The already described CD26+/E-cadherinlow or negative and CD26+/EpCAM−/CD133− subsets were also present. Cell division drastically affected the expression of all markers, in particular E-cadherin, so new-born cells resembled mesenchymal cells in surface staining. CD26 and/or dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitors have already shown anti-metastatic effects in pre-clinical models, and the existence of these CD26+ subsets may help further research against cancer metastasis.This work was done with the Xunta de Galicia grants (supported by the: European Regional Development Fund (ERDF): Axudas consolidación e estructuración de unidades de investigación competitiva [GRC2014/019], Galician Network for Colorectal Cancer Research (REGICC) [R2014/039] and Agrupación estratégica InBiomed [2012/273]S

Proteomic approach to improve the diagnosis of malignant pleural effusions

Comunicaciones a congreso

CD26-Related Serum Biomarkers: sCD26 Protein, DPP4 Activity, and Anti-CD26 Isotype Levels in a Colorectal Cancer-Screening Context

Current screening trials are showing reduction in colorectal cancer incidence and mortality. However, participation rates are often low, and blood-based tests could complement existing screening strategies. CD26 protein (sCD26) and its dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP4) enzymatic activity in circulation have been proposed as biomarkers for colorectal cancer and other diseases. However, changes in sCD26 and DPP4 levels show complex degrees of correlation, and their physiological or pathophysiological role is unclear. The aim of this study was to analyse if anti-CD26 autoantibodies are related to sCD26 and DPP4 and to determine their relevance in a context of colorectal cancer screening for complementing the value of sCD26 and DPP4 as biomarkers. These biomarkers were measured in a large prospective cohort (, except the anti-CD26 antibodies, evaluated in 125 samples) that included a subgroup of individuals that were positive for the faecal immunological occult blood test (FIT) () and underwent a colonoscopy (). We confirmed for the first time higher DPP4 activity in men compared to women (Student’s test, ), though this difference between sexes was not seen for serum sCD26 protein. These biomarkers correlated (, ) only in women. Correlations were found between anti-CD26 isotypes but not with DPP4 activity or sCD26 concentration, except for a negative correlation only in men between anti-CD26 IgA isotype and sCD26 (, ), and an almost significant negative correlation between anti-CD26 IgG and sCD26 limited to FIT-positive men. Interestingly, patients with advanced adenomas displayed the most elevated mean levels of anti-CD26 IgA, IgM, and particularly IgG (Mann-Whitney test, ) in comparison with the other FIT positives without adenomas, and these levels did not correlate with sCD26 or its DPP4 activity. Our preliminary results suggest that the combination of these measures using sex as confounder could perhaps be used as biomarkers for colorectal disease. It also suggests that events affecting the gut influence the levels of anti-CD26 antibodies, which show little or no effect in antigen clearance. These findings should be confirmed in a larger cohort of individuals with colonoscopy. The physiological origin of the sex differences observed should be further addressedThis work received support from the “Fundación Científica de la Asociación Española Contra el Cáncer” (GCB13131592CAST), the Axudas Consolidación e Estructuración de Unidades de Investigación Competitiva (GRC2014/019), and the Galician Network for Colorectal Cancer Research (REGICC, R2014/039) from Xunta de Galicia and FEDER fundingS

In the search of early stages biomarkers for non small cell lung cancer

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Highly sensitive marker panel for guidance in lung cancer rapid diagnostic units

While evidence for lung cancer screening implementation in Europe is awaited, Rapid Diagnostic Units have been established in many hospitals to accelerate the early diagnosis of lung cancer. We seek to develop an algorithm to detect lung cancer in a symptomatic population attending such unit, based on a sensitive serum marker panel. Serum concentrations of Epidermal Growth Factor, sCD26, Calprotectin, Matrix Metalloproteinases −1, −7, −9, CEA and CYFRA 21.1 were determined in 140 patients with respiratory symptoms (lung cancer and controls with/without benign pathology). Logistic Lasso regression was performed to derive a lung cancer prediction model, and the resulting algorithm was tested in a validation set. A classification rule based on EGF, sCD26, Calprotectin and CEA was established, able to reasonably discriminate lung cancer with 97% sensitivity and 43% specificity in the training set, and 91.7% sensitivity and 45.4% specificity in the validation set. Overall, the panel identified with high sensitivity stage I non-small cell lung cancer (94.7%) and 100% small-cell lung cancers. Our study provides a sensitive 4-marker classification algorithm for lung cancer detection to aid in the management of suspicious lung cancer patients in the context of Rapid Diagnostic Units.Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación | Ref. PS09-00405Xunta de Galicia | Ref. INBIOMED 2012-273Xunta de Galicia | Ref. GRC2014/019Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación | Ref. MTM2011-2320