Component-Resolved in Vitro Diagnosis in Peach-Allergic Patients

BACKGROUND: The in vitro diagnosis of pollen-related food allergy presents low specifi city and reproducibility with many conventional extracts. This can be improved using natural purifi ed allergens, recombinant purifi ed allergens, or both. OBJECTIVE: We compared specifi c immunoglobulin (Ig) E determination (sIgE), the basophil activation test (BAT), the histamine release test (HRT), and the cellular allergen stimulation test (CAST) using natural and recombinant allergens in the diagnosis of peach allergy. METHODS: Thirty-two peach allergic patients were studied. Skin prick tests were performed with commercial peach and extract with Mal d 1, nPru p 3, and profi lin (nPho d 2). sIgE, BAT, CAST, and HRT were determined using rPru p 3, rMal d 3, rBet v 1, rMal d 1, and rMal d 4. RESULTS: Agreement between the techniques was good with all the allergens, except HRT with rMal d 1 and rMal d 4. With rPru p 3, sIgE, CAST, BAT, and HRT showed sensitivity values of 88%, 81%, 72%, and 69% and specifi city values of 100%, 93%, 97%, and 83%, respectively. In patients with systemic symptoms or contact urticaria, the values were 100%, 85%, 81%, and 81%. In patients with oral allergy syndrome, sensitivity to profi lins or homologues of Bet v 1 was detected in 100% of the cases by all the techniques, except by HRT with rMal d 1, which detected 66% of the cases. CONCLUSIONS: The use of single allergens in the in vitro diagnosis of peach allergy by specifi c IgE determination, BAT, and CAST offers high specifi city and sensitivity, with better results than the HRT

Nuevas formas farmacéuticas para el tratamiento de enfermedades alérgicas

Specific immunotherapy involves certain drawbacks which could be minimized by the use of appropriate adjuvants, capable of amplifying the right immune response with minimal side effects. In this context, we review different types of immunotherapy vehicles and coadyuvants. We describe previous studies by our group in which we demonstrated the adjuvant capacity of Gantrez® AN nanoparticles, which can effectively enhance the immune response. We employed two types of nanoparticles (with and without LPS of Brucella ovis as immunomodulator) within capsulated ovoalbumin and Lollium perenne extract, tested on a model of mice sensitized to this allergenic mixture. In the challenge experiment involving the sensitized mice, differences in the mortality rate and in the MCP-1 levels were found between the treated groups and the control. Under the experimental conditions of this model of mice pre-sensitized to L. perenne, Gantrez®AN nanoparticles appeared to be a good strategy for immunotherapy. We finally tested these carriers administered by the oral route and found that they were able to protect a model of mice sensitized to ovalbumin from anaphylactic shock

Test de activación de basófilos en el diagnóstico de alergia a medicamentos

In this paper we study the reliability of the basophil activation test (BAT) in the "in-vitro" diagnosis of allergy to betalactams and to metamizol, and the sensitivity and specificity of the technique are analyzed. To this end, we studied 58 patients allergic to betalactam antibiotics with a positive cutaneous test facing any derivative of penicillin and 30 healthy controls who tolerated betalactams, and 26 patients allergic to metamizol with an immediate reaction and 30 healthy controls who tolerated the medicine. Sensitivity to BAT in allergy to betalactams was 52.8%, and specificity was 92.6%. For metamizol, sensitivity was 42.3% and specificity was 100%. The positive predictive value of BAT in allergy to betalactams was 18.9% and the negative predictive value was 98.4%. For metamizol, the positive predictive value of the technique was 100% and the negative predictive value was 99.4%. The joint use of BAT and CAP (specific IgE) makes it possible to diagnose some 65% of patients allergic to betalactams. The combined use of cutaneous tests and BAT in allergy to metamizol detects 70% of the cases. BAT is a useful, non-invasive technique in the "in-vitro" diagnosis of allergy to betalactams and metamizol

Intra-abdominal pulmonary secuestration as an exceptional cause of abdominal mass in the adult

AbstractINTRODUCTIONPulmonary sequestration (PS) is an extremely rare malformation defined as a portion of lung tissue isolated from the pulmonary system. PSs are classified into intralobar type and intra-abdominal PS that represents only 2.5% of cases. There are 20 cases of PS reported in adults and only two were managed by laparoscopic approach. We report a case of intra-abdominal PS mimicking a gastroesophageal duplication cyst in an adult. Besides its rarity, this is the first intra-abdominal PS in an adult managed by an anterior laparoscopic approach.PRESENTATION OF CASEA 60-year-old female patient had had epigastric and left upper quadrant pain for several days. Physical examination was normal. Image test were consistent with a gastroesophageal duplication. The patient was taken to the operating room for laparoscopic exploration and resection. The pathological diagnosis was extralobar pulmonary sequestration.DISCUSSIONLess than 20 cases of PS have been reported in adults and only two cases were managed by a lateral laparoscopic approach. In contrast to these reports, we used an anterior approach due to the GEJ suspected origin of the mass.CONCLUSIONExtralobar intra-abdominal PS is an extremely rare condition during adulthood but this diagnosis should be included in the differential diagnosis of a left-sided suprarenal mass. Due to the difficulty in achieving a definitive preoperative diagnosis, surgery is recommended. Laparoscopic resection is safe and effective but careful preoperative imaging studies are recommended in order to plan the most suitable approach

Prácticas de RSE en cooperativas. Experiencias y resultados mediante el estudio de casos

La conducta observada en las organizaciones que conforman el entramado de la Economía Social ha supuesto un precedente en actuaciones y prácticas que representan una forma de hacer empresa basada en la responsabilidad social, incluidas sus múltiples acepciones y enfoques. Asimismo, se percibe un creciente interés en la llamada Responsabilidad Social de la Empresa (RSE), un modelo de gestión implantado en diversos tipos de organizaciones, con y sin fines lucrativos, que lleva consigo el compromiso con un conjunto de valores ligados a todos sus grupos de interés. En el marco de la Economía Social, las cooperativas operan en conformidad con los criterios, valores y principios de RSE, interés por la comunidad y servicio a sus miembros, no solamente en la esfera económica, sino también en el ámbito social y medioambiental. Múltiples trabajos manifiestan la concordancia entre el desarrollo de las políticas de RSE en sus tres vertientes (económica, social y ambiental) y los valores y principios cooperativos enunciados por la Alianza Cooperativa Internacional (ACI, 1995). Estos estudios avalan la afirmación de que la propia naturaleza de las cooperativas implica un comportamiento socialmente responsable. Asumidos estos postulados, el objetivo del presente trabajo es observar y constatar el cumplimiento efectivo de los mismos en cooperativas de diferentes sectores y entornos, cuestión que conlleva el análisis de la gestión integral de las actuaciones inherentes de RSE, derivadas de sus relaciones con los distintos agentes, según la Teoría de los grupos de interés (Turker, 2009). Adicionalmente, las cooperativas deben buscar la supervivencia mediante sus resultados económicos plasmados en la obtención de unos excedentes y una rentabilidad adecuados (López y Marcuello, 2006), con la finalidad de prestar servicios a los socios a lo largo del tiempo, y todo ello en sintonía con las demandas de los distintos grupos de interés. Por estos motivos, el estudio contrasta la aplicación de la RSE con la obtención de resultados económicos en un entorno de crisis económica. Mediante una metodología de estudio de casos, se han seleccionado seis cooperativas españolas pertenecientes a diversos sectores, para analizar sus memorias y cuentas de resultados, con el objeto de identificar relaciones entre sus comportamientos de RSE y los resultados económico-financieros obtenidos en un periodo de tiempo determinado. The behaviour observed in the organizations of the Social Economy framework has set a precedent in business practices which are based on social responsibility. There is also a growing interest in so-called Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), a management model implemented in different types of for- and non-profit organizations, which entails a commitment to a set of values linked to all its stakeholders. Within the framework of the Social Economy, cooperatives operate under the criteria, values, and principles of CSR. They have an interest in the community and in providing service to their members, not only economically but also socially and environmentally. There is a body of evidence which shows the link between the development of CSR policies (economic, social and environmental) and the cooperative values and principles laid out by the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA, 1995). These studies support the claim that the very nature of cooperatives implies socially responsible behaviour. In the last two decades, and more intensely during the recent economic crisis, Spanish cooperatives have shown an increasing interest in the development of CSR policies through concrete actions (Monzon and Antunano, 2012). Likewise, cooperatives seek to broaden the communication channels with their stakeholders and with society as a whole, through the preparation of well-defined and accessible CSR reports, as an additional element of transparency in their management model. In light of the above, the general objective of this study is to observe and verify the effective CSR compliance in a scenario of economic crisis across cooperatives from different sectors and environments. This issue entails the analysis of the management of CSR actions, derived from the relations with the relevant agents, according to the Theory of Stakeholders (Turker, 2009). This is linked to the nature of cooperatives and their operating principles given their afore-posited predisposition to more effective CSR implementation in comparison to other business formulas (Bel and Marin, 2008; Sanchis and Rodriguez, 2018). This facet goes hand in hand with a marked interest in transparency, accountability and the preparation of SCR reports as a way of transmitting their differentiating characteristics to their interest groups (Gallardo and Castilla, 2015). In addition, the economic literature on the subject recognises CSR as a fundamental resource for creating a competitive advantage applicable to cooperatives. These organizations develop strategies that allow them to survive thanks to their economic results, reflected in the obtaining of adequate surpluses (Lopez and Marcuello, 2006), by the aim of providing services to members over time, and all in tune with the demands of the different interest groups. For these reasons, the second objective of the study is to contrast the CSR implementation with profit generation in these entities, in a context of economic crisis, and to seek certainties on the alignment between the social and economic function of the cooperatives (Gallardo and Castilla, 2015). Following Villareal and Landeta (2010), a case study methodology has been applied. For this, we have selected six Spanish cooperatives from different sectors with a high degree of significance within the Ranking "Relevant Companies of the Social Economy" 2010-2011 published by the Social Economy Business Confederation (CEPES). Subsequently, the chosen cooperatives have been refined and sorted based on the available documentation. For this, first all the potentially comparable information regarding the development of CSR actions has been collected. Then, the available financial data have been obtained. In parallel, qualitative and quantitative information of these cooperatives has been extracted from the publications of CSR and economic reports. These data have been complemented with information from other secondary sources. Consequently, the relevant CSR factors relating to the social, economic and environmental dimensions have been determined according to the RSECOOP model (2011) following the indicators of the Global Reporting Initiative. Then, the economic-financial ratios have been selected, which reveal positions in accordance with the different interest groups of the selected cooperatives. Next, we start from the hypothesis, widely reviewed in the literature, which associates cooperative principles with behaviours consistent with the development of social responsibility towards stakeholders, and considers that these organisations should integrate these behaviours into their management policies (Server and Capo, 2009). This issue is closely related to the creation of added (Mozas, 2010) and the obtaining of lasting competitive advantages (Castilla et al., 2015). Thus, under the stated objectives, a basic evaluation of compliance with the relevant CSR factors for these six cooperatives is first carried out (COCETA, 2001). To this end, the results obtained are verified and compared using the numerical values offered and are grouped into charts for better visualization of the degree of compliance (concentration-dispersion) with the CSR in the three vectors considered. Then, the CSR values obtained are contrasted with the average values of the profitability ratios applied for these cooperatives, to observe possible relationships between compliance with the CSR variables and the economic results of the organizations. After analyzing the CSR practices developed by the cooperatives under study, relatively high compliance with socially responsible behaviours has been observed, since the results show positive values and highly homogeneous deviations. However, not all cases denote a development of CSR according to the relative position of the cooperative in the market and its economic results. Therefore, a degree of commitment to its stakeholders based on the specific corporate culture and values present is perceived. On the other hand, certain biases in the configuration of the CSR have been observed as an integral business management model, ` since not all CSR vectors have been observed with the same intensity in each of the cases. Also, there is a correlation in the cooperatives between the economic results obtained, measured in terms of commercial margin, and the overall development of CSR practices. It is reflected more intensely in the economic profitability ratios and corresponds to the progress of social responsibility aspects in the economic vector. Finally, the results obtained could serve, in general, to strengthen the theory, generally accepted in the literature about the capacity of cooperatives to be more resistant in crisis environments by promoting a more socially responsible economy. However, it is still necessary for these organizations to make greater efforts to communicate their social performance and the advantages of the CSR''s reported management as a tool for competing in markets. One of the limitations of the study derives from the difficulty of configuring and examining a large number of variables. This leads to a reduced case study, which prevents, due to the size of the sample, the establishment and/or modelling of causal relationships for Spanish cooperatives in the reference period as a whole. Nevertheless, this issue has not been the object of analysis, as justified in the design of the study. We must also add the limitation of not having homogeneous and constant information for all cooperatives or more extended periods. The contribution of this research is reflected firstly in the particularities that can be approached in greater depth from the analysis of specific cases, reviewing social and economic behaviour of cooperatives. And secondly, the proposed methodology can be used as a guide to be adapted and expanded to analyze this type of relationship in different contexts and scenarios. For example, the study can be replicated to analyze cooperatives from the same sector or to carry out cross-sector comparisons. Future research can consider specific geographical areas and different periods, with varying dimensions and sizes, or even ultimately, the model may allow comparisons with other companies that are not part of the Social Economy

¿Presentan las cooperativas contextos favorables para la igualdad de género?: Especial referencia a la provincial de Teruel

Las cooperativas presentan características organizativas y de funcionamiento diferenciales que podrían ofrecer contextos favorables para la igualdad de género. En este trabajo se exponen diferentes aspectos relacionados con las condiciones laborales y de flexibilidad en el trabajo de las mujeres en las cooperativas de un territorio con alta despoblación, como es la provincia de Teruel. A su vez se estudia el papel de los distintos agentes de interés involucrados en estas organizaciones y los potenciales beneficios y ventajas para el desarrollo familiar, personal y profesional de las mujeres en este contexto de la economía social. El mayor conocimiento de los factores sociales y organizativos inherentes a estas organizaciones facilitará el desarrollo de políticas y acciones encaminadas a reforzar proyectos empresariales que contribuyan a integrar las necesidades de las mujeres y las de su entorno. Con esta finalidad se ha llevado a cabo un análisis cualitativo mediante del desarrollo de entrevistas en profundidad, dado que estas aportan información más precisa y extensa que otras metodologías de investigación alternativas. Los resultados aportan evidencia sobre las políticas sociales internas y externas aplicadas, y las relaciones institucionales y empresariales de estas cooperativas, caracterizadas por una alta presencia de mujeres en su gestión y funcionamiento. También se observa que la autogestión permite mayor flexibilidad que otras fórmulas empresariales, en aspectos como la conciliación o las condiciones laborales. Así mismo, las mujeres reconocen que su implicación con la entidad debe ser mayor, dado que su futuro laboral depende de la supervivencia de la cooperativa

Colaboración docente para diseñar materiales de Ciencia y Tecnología Culinaria y, Salud Pública

En el presente trabajo se han diseñado materiales de trabajo para utilizar en las asignaturas de Ciencia y Tecnología Culinaria y, Salud Pública del Grado en Nutrición Humana y Dietética (NHyD). Estos materiales han permitido obtener valoraciones nutricionales de platos típicos de la Comunidad Valenciana como son arroces y legumbres y, a partir de estas valoraciones hacer comparaciones nutricionales entre dichos platos. Por otro lado, se ha trabajado el tema de los tamaños de ración estimados por los alumnos para personas adultas y sanas, también se ha realizado una comparación entre de tamaños entre recetas semejantes. Estos conocimientos previos se han aplicado a una asignatura que se imparte posteriormente en el Grado de NHyD que es Salud Pública. En dicha asignatura, se han diseñado unos cuestionarios para averiguar si los tamaños de ración estimados por los alumnos y por familiares son muy diferentes. Los resultados obtenidos muestran que la realización de la valoración nutricional de platos por parte de los alumnos permite añadir conocimientos a los alumnos que no se encuentran en bibliografía y, además también permiten concienciar de la importancia que tiene la educación a los pacientes en cuanto a la importancia que puede tener el tamaño de ración que se consuma

Transformación genética de olivo con el gen OeHPL para el análisis funcional del papel de la enzima 13-hidroperóxido liasa (13-HPL) en la producción de compuestos volátiles.

La 13-hidroperóxido liasa es una enzima implicada en la biosíntesis de compues- tos volátiles y tiene un papel fundamental sobre la composición y propiedades del aceite de oliva virgen. La expresión del gen OeHPL muestra una regulación temporal durante la maduración y desarrollo del fruto; además, la expresión es alta en hojas y tejido de mesocarpo y baja en semillas. En este trabajo se aborda el análisis funcional de este gen mediante su sobreexpresión y silenciamiento en plantas transgénicas de olivo. La transformación se llevó a cabo vía Agrobac- terium. Se utilizó la cepa AGL-1 con tres construcciones distintas: pHPLs para sobreexpresión (orientación sentido), pHPLas (orientación antisentido) y pHPLi (ARN-interferente) para silenciamiento. Se recuperaron plantas procedentes de 27 líneas transgénicas independientes, 6 HPLs, 10 HPLas y 11 HPLi. El análisis de la expresión del gen OeHPL en hojas de estas líneas mostró los siguientes resultados, a) líneas sentido: en una de ellas aumentó la expresión 24 veces mien- tras que en otras tres, aumentó en el rango 4-7X; b) líneas antisentido: sólo en dos de ellas disminuyó su expresión un 20% y c) líneas RNAi: en tres de ellas, se redujo la expresión entre 25-35% mientras que en otras dos, disminuyó un 50%. Estas líneas RNAi muestran un crecimiento ralentizado y, en general, presen- tan menor vigor que las controles. Próximamente, se iniciarán los trabajos para cuantificar la actividad enzimática 13-HPL y el contenido de volátiles en hojas con diferentes perfiles de expresión del gen. Asimismo, dado el papel que los vo- látiles de hoja verde, formados vía HPL, juegan en la resistencia a estrés también se evaluará la tolerancia a verticilosis en las plantas de las líneas seleccionadas.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucia Tech

A severe case of lipoatrophy due to human insulin and insulin analogs in a patient with diabetes: is an immunological mechanism involved?

The precipitin technique has been used in insulin resistance and immunity studies since the 1940s [7]. In the case described, the technique proved, once again, to be a valid method for choosing the most appropriate insulin. However, whether or not an immunological mechanism was involved in the lipoatrophic process remains uncertain, and further studies with adequate immunological assessment are necessary