Estudio de las mucinas polimórficas epiteliales asociadas a tumores malignos

Objetivo general: \nDeterminar la utilidad de MUC1 y antígenos asociados como marcadores tumorales en neoplasias de cabeza y cuello. \nObjetivos específicos: \n- Detectar la presencia de células malignas primitivas y secundarias mediante el estudio de la expresión de mucinas y epitopes asociados en tumores epiteliales localizados en cabeza y cuello.\n- Comparar la expresión de mucinas con otros antígenos asociados a tumores epiteliales.\n- Establecer cultivos primarios de tumores malignos de cabeza y cuello.\n- Relacionar la expresión de mucinas con los procesos de invasión y metástasis.\n- Relacionar la expresión de mucinas con parámetros clínicos.\n- Estudiar la respuesta inmune humoral inducida por antígenos asociados a tumor.\n- Analizar el rol de los anticuerpos inducidos por antígenos asociados a tumor con la evolución de la enfermedad.Doctor en Ciencias Médica

Estudio de las mucinas polimórficas epiteliales asociadas a tumores malignos

Objetivo general: Determinar la utilidad de MUC1 y antígenos asociados como marcadores tumorales en neoplasias de cabeza y cuello. Objetivos específicos: - Detectar la presencia de células malignas primitivas y secundarias mediante el estudio de la expresión de mucinas y epitopes asociados en tumores epiteliales localizados en cabeza y cuello. - Comparar la expresión de mucinas con otros antígenos asociados a tumores epiteliales. - Establecer cultivos primarios de tumores malignos de cabeza y cuello. - Relacionar la expresión de mucinas con los procesos de invasión y metástasis. - Relacionar la expresión de mucinas con parámetros clínicos. - Estudiar la respuesta inmune humoral inducida por antígenos asociados a tumor. - Analizar el rol de los anticuerpos inducidos por antígenos asociados a tumor con la evolución de la enfermedad.Facultad de Ciencias Médica

Diseño y evaluación de un caso clínico interactivo empleando el programa CurseLab

La enseñanza utilizando medios electrónicos y en particular a través de la Internet (elearning) se ofrece como herramienta que facilita el aprendizaje y mejora los resultados obtenidos a través del mismo. El empleo de casos clínicos interactivos ha ganado espacio en la enseñanza de la Medicina. Resulta de interés evaluar cuál es el efecto del agregado de casos clínicos interactivos sobre el desempeño de los alumnos en el marco de una currícula tradicional.Facultad de Ciencias Médica

The Relevance of Cultural, Fatalistic and Psychosocial Factors in Breast Cancer Screening Behavior in Middle Age and Older Women

The aim of this study was to analyze cultural and social factors in advantaged and disadvantaged women in relation to mammographic screening. A cross-sectional study was performed; 850 women aged 45-79 years were interviewed; based on socioeconomic aspects, women were grouped in low economic power (Low group, LG) (379 women) and middle economic power (MG) (471). A questionnaire previously validated was employed and information about cultural, fatalistic, and psychosocial factors as well as breast cancer and mammographic screening was assessed. An extensive statistical analysis was performed including three regression models and a principal component analysis. 98% MG and 49.7% LG had a high level of education. Women who stated having a high level of education, regularly visit a doctor and being communicatively open showed the most positive mammographic screening behaviors. In general, analysis of fatalistic affirmatives in relation to mammogram variables did not show a significant difference in relation to total MG and LG while psychosocial variables showed a very low significant relationship with mammographic screening. Regression analysis showed similar results. This study highlights that communication as well as family and social support constitute important factors which impact on mammographic screening, while fatalism, although present, should not constitute a crucial aspect.Centro de Investigaciones Inmunológicas Básicas y Aplicada

COVID-19: A study about the Impact of Coronavirus on Physicians of La Plata, Argentina

Background: In Argentina, the burden of COVID-19 on health systems and physicians was substantial with difficulties on daily triage decisions which have to be made in the context of grave shortages of basic equipment and consumables. Purpose: this study was performed to understand what physicians were experiencing during the COVID-19 pandemic in La Plata (capital city of Buenos Aires province, Argentina). Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed; a questionnaire was sent by e-mail to physicians who work in this city during November 2020. The questionnaire was made based on Medscape US and International Physicians' COVID-19 Experience Report: Risk, Burnout, Loneliness. Statistical analysis: test for normality was performed employing the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test while Chi-square test of independence to examine the relationship between sex and workplace with nominal variables. For categorical variables, Kendall’s tau correlation was performed to test for independence. ANOVA was developed to examine differences between physician’s age. Statistical significance was set to p <0.05 in all cases. All statistical analysis was done employing SPSS Statistics, Version 24 (IBM, USA). Results: 203 physicians answered the questionnaire; the majority of physicians (96%) considered stressful their experience during pandemic and reported distress episodes being for more than 60% the most stressful of their practices, 30% presented depression and were medically treated, while 32.7% felt loneliness with 4 physicians with suicidal thoughts. Conclusion: The results highlight the need to protect the psychological well-being of the healthcare community, and to invest resources to significantly promote the mental health of professionals.Centro de Investigaciones Inmunológicas Básicas y Aplicada

Factors associated with breast cancer in an Argentine city

In Argentina, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the first leading cause of cancer deaths; this information is mainly based on estimations since only recently, Argentina has organized a National Registry of Tumors. Argentine studies addressing socioeconomic factors and their possible effect on breast cancer prevalence are scarce, and there is not any systematic action to prevent and control breast cancer as well. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship among socioeconomic factors, breast cancer risk factors, women's adherence to mammography screening, and breast cancer prevalence in La Plata, the capital city of Buenos Aires Province (Argentina), an administrative and University city. We performed a cross‐sectional study of women with low socioeconomic power (low group, LG) and a middle group (MG) from October 2012 to December 2012; 739 women between 45 and 79 years old were personally interviewed, being 360 (MG) and 379 (LG). A structured questionnaire previously validated was employed. Variables included were as follows: socioeconomic group, breast cancer risk and socioeconomic factors, mammographic screening parameters, ever diagnosed breast cancer, Physician Enrollment, and Health System which consists of three sectors: Public (free), Private, and Social/Union Security.Centro de Investigaciones Inmunológicas Básicas y Aplicada

Análisis de la expresión de la mucina MUC1 en un modelo de hipoxia tumoral <i>in vitro</i>

La expresión de antígenos asociados a tumores puede ser afectada por diversos estímulos presentes en las neoplasias. La hipoxia es un fenómeno presente en la mayoría de los tumores y es capaz de estimular la expresión de MUC1.Esta mucina ha sido propuesta como moduladora del daño celular inducido por hipoxia. La colocación de un cubreobjeto sobre un cultivo en monocapa simula las condiciones de isquemia tumoral y podría constituir un modelo adecuado para la evaluación de la expresión de este marcador.Facultad de Ciencias Médica

Patterns of MUC1 tissue expression defined by an Anti-MUC1 cytoplasmic tail monoclonal antibody in breast cancer

Our aim was to determine the pattern of expression of MUC1 mucin cytoplasmic tail (MUC1 CT) in breast carcinoma. A total of 98 invasive breast adenocarcinoma tumor samples were assayed by immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis. The pattern of reaction was classified as membrane, cytoplasmic, or mixed. Subcellular fractions were prepared after SDS-PAGE and Western blotting. The antibodies employed were anti-MUC1 CT (CT2 monoclonal antibody, MAb) and C595 MAb against the extracellular MUC1 core protein. With the CT2 MAb, IHC showed a high percentage of positive staining in 93% of specimens, with membrane staining the most common pattern observed. C595 MAb was reactive in 73% of specimens. Similar percentages of membrane and cytoplasmic staining were found, mainly in a mixed pattern. Western blotting showed different bands. With the CT2 MAb, the membrane fraction showed the most intense reaction; a strong band of reaction was detected at approximately <30 kD. With the C595 MAb, in most cases a double band at 200 kD was found. In breast epithelium, the pattern of MUC1 CT expression may constitute an indicator of MUC1 production because it does not depend on glycosylation. The pattern and extension of MUC1 CT positivity do not vary according to the histopathological subtype of the tumor.Facultad de Ciencias MédicasCentro de Investigaciones Inmunológicas Básicas y Aplicada

Patterns of MUC1 tissue expression defined by an Anti-MUC1 cytoplasmic tail monoclonal antibody in breast cancer

Our aim was to determine the pattern of expression of MUC1 mucin cytoplasmic tail (MUC1 CT) in breast carcinoma. A total of 98 invasive breast adenocarcinoma tumor samples were assayed by immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis. The pattern of reaction was classified as membrane, cytoplasmic, or mixed. Subcellular fractions were prepared after SDS-PAGE and Western blotting. The antibodies employed were anti-MUC1 CT (CT2 monoclonal antibody, MAb) and C595 MAb against the extracellular MUC1 core protein. With the CT2 MAb, IHC showed a high percentage of positive staining in 93% of specimens, with membrane staining the most common pattern observed. C595 MAb was reactive in 73% of specimens. Similar percentages of membrane and cytoplasmic staining were found, mainly in a mixed pattern. Western blotting showed different bands. With the CT2 MAb, the membrane fraction showed the most intense reaction; a strong band of reaction was detected at approximately <30 kD. With the C595 MAb, in most cases a double band at 200 kD was found. In breast epithelium, the pattern of MUC1 CT expression may constitute an indicator of MUC1 production because it does not depend on glycosylation. The pattern and extension of MUC1 CT positivity do not vary according to the histopathological subtype of the tumor.Facultad de Ciencias MédicasCentro de Investigaciones Inmunológicas Básicas y Aplicada

Glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase-2 is expressed in spermatic germ cells and incorporates arachidonic acid into triacylglycerols

Background: De novo glycerolipid synthesis begins with the acylation of glycerol-3 phosphate catalyzed by glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase (GPAT). In mammals, at least four GPAT isoforms have been described, differing in their cell and tissue locations and sensitivity to sulfhydryl reagents. In this work we show that mitochondrial GPAT2 overexpression in CHO-K1 cells increased TAG content and both GPAT and AGPAT activities 2-fold with arachidonoyl-CoA as a substrate, indicating specificity for this fatty acid. Methods and Results: Incubation of GPAT2-transfected CHO-K1 cells with [1-14C]arachidonate for 3 h increased incorporation of [14C]arachidonate into TAG by 40%. Consistently, arachidonic acid was present in the TAG fraction of cells that overexpressed GPAT2, but not in control cells, corroborating GPAT2's role in synthesizing TAG that is rich in arachidonic acid. In rat and mouse testis, Gpat2 mRNA was expressed only in primary spermatocytes; the protein was also detected in late stages of spermatogenesis. During rat sexual maturation, both the testicular TAG content and the arachidonic acid content in the TAG fraction peaked at 30 d, matching the highest expression of Gpat2 mRNA and protein. Conclusions: These results strongly suggest that GPAT2 expression is linked to arachidonoyl-CoA incorporation into TAG in spermatogenic germ cells.Facultad de Ciencias Médica