Cognitive impairment in agricultural workers and nearby residents exposed to pesticides in the Coquimbo Region of Chile

Chronic exposure to organophosphate pesticides is a worldwide public health concern associated with several psychiatric disorders and dementia. Most existing studies on the effects of pesticides only evaluate agricultural workers. Therefore, this study sought to establish if individuals indirectly exposed to pesticides, such as residents in agricultural areas, also suffer cognitive impairments. Neuropsychological evaluations were carried out on three groups (n = 102): agricultural workers directly exposed to pesticides (n = 32), individuals living in agricultural areas indirectly (i.e. environmentally) exposed to pesticides (n = 32), and an unexposed control group (n = 38). The assessed cognitive processes included memory, executive functions, attention, language praxis, and visuoconstruction. The direct exposure group performed significantly lower in executive function, verbal fluency, and visual and auditory memory tests than the indirect exposure group, which, in turn, performed worse than the unexposed group. Even after adjusting for age, gender, and educational level, both exposure groups showed higher rates of cognitive deficit than control individuals. In conclusion, both direct and indirect chronic exposure to pesticides affects cognitive functioning in adults and, consequently, actions should be taken to protect the health of not only agricultural workers, but also of residents in agricultural areas.FONDEF D0911057 FONDECYT 3120231 CONICYT-PCHA 2014-2114111

Deciphering Additional Roles for the EF-Tu, l-Asparaginase II and OmpT Proteins of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) causes outbreaks and sporadic cases of gastroenteritis. STEC O157:H7 is the most clinically relevant serotype in the world. The major virulence determinants of STEC O157:H7 are the Shiga toxins and the locus of enterocyte effacement. However, several accessory virulence factors, mainly outer membrane proteins (OMPs) that interact with the host cells may contribute to the virulence of this pathogen. Previously, the elongation factor thermo unstable (EF-Tu), l-asparaginase II and OmpT proteins were identified as antigens in OMP extracts of STEC. The known subcellular location of EF-Tu and l-asparaginase II are the cytoplasm and periplasm, respectively. Therefore, we investigate whether these two proteins may localize on the surface of STEC and, if so, what roles they have at this site. On the other hand, the OmpT protein, a well characterized protease, has been described as participating in the adhesion of extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli strains. Thus, we investigate whether OmpT has this role in STEC. Our results show that the EF-Tu and l-asparaginase II are secreted by O157:H7 and may also localize on the surface of this bacterium. EF-Tu was identified in outer membrane vesicles (OMVs), suggesting it as a possible export mechanism for this protein. Notably, we found that l-asparaginase II secreted by O157:H7 inhibits T-lymphocyte proliferation, but the role of EF-Tu at the surface of this bacterium remains to be elucidated. In the case of OmpT, we show its participation in the adhesion of O157:H7 to human epithelial cells. Thus, this study extends the knowledge of the pathogenic mechanisms of STEC

Histatin-1 is a novel osteogenic factor that promotes bone cell adhesion, migration, and differentiation

Histatin-1 is a salivary antimicrobial peptide involved in the maintenance of enamel and oral mucosal homeostasis. Moreover, Histatin-1 has been shown to promote re-epithelialization in soft tissues, by stimulating cell adhesion and migration in oral and dermal keratinocytes, gingival and skin fibroblasts, endothelial cells and corneal epithelial cells. The broad-spectrum activity of Histatin-1 suggests that it behaves as a universal wound healing promoter, although this is far from being clear yet. Here, we report that Histatin-1 is a novel osteogenic factor that promotes bone cell adhesion, migration, and differentiation. Specifically, Histatin-1 promoted cell adhesion, spreading, and migration of SAOS-2 cells and MC3T3-E1 preosteoblasts in vitro, when placed on a fibronectin matrix. Besides, Histatin-1 induced the expression of osteogenic genes, including osteocalcin, osteopontin, and Runx2, and increased both activity and protein levels of alkaline phosphatase. Furthermore, Histatin-1 promoted mineralization in vitro, as it augmented the formation of calcium deposits in both SAOS-2 and MC3T3-E1 cells. Mechanistically, although Histatin-1 failed to activate ERK1/2, FAK, and Akt, which are signaling proteins associated with osteogenic differentiation or cell migration, it triggered nuclear relocalization of β-catenin. Strikingly, the effects of Histatin-1 were recapitulated in cells that are nonosteogenically committed, since it promoted surface adhesion, migration, and the acquisition of osteogenic markers in primary mesenchymal cells derived from the apical papilla and dental pulp. Collectively, these observations indicate that Histatin-1 is a novel osteogenic factor that promotes bone cell differentiation, surface adhesion and migration, as crucial events required for bone tissue regeneration

Microbiota composition in the lower respiratory tract is associated with severity in patients with acute respiratory distress by influenza

Abstract Several factors are associated with the severity of the respiratory disease caused by the influenza virus. Although viral factors are one of the most studied, in recent years the role of the microbiota and co-infections in severe and fatal outcomes has been recognized. However, most of the work has focused on the microbiota of the upper respiratory tract (URT), hindering potential insights from the lower respiratory tract (LRT) that may help to understand the role of the microbiota in Influenza disease. In this work, we characterized the microbiota of the LRT of patients with Influenza A using 16S rRNA sequencing. We tested if patients with different outcomes (deceased/recovered) and use of antibiotics differ in their microbial community composition. We found important differences in the diversity and composition of the microbiota between deceased and recovered patients. In particular, we detected a high abundance of opportunistic pathogens such as Granulicatella, in patients either deceased or with antibiotic treatment. Also, we found antibiotic treatment correlated with lower diversity of microbial communities and with lower probability of survival in Influenza A patients. Altogether, the loss of microbial diversity could generate a disequilibrium in the community, potentially compromising the immune response increasing viral infectivity, promoting the growth of potentially pathogenic bacteria that, together with altered biochemical parameters, can be leading to severe forms of the disease. Overall, the present study gives one of the first characterizations of the diversity and composition of microbial communities in the LRT of Influenza patients and its relationship with clinical variables and disease severity

Equidad en salud

•Acceso a diagnóstico y tratamiento para depresión según posición social en países seleccionados de Latinoamérica •Análisis narrativo de experiencias de chilenos exiliados políticos con discapacidad física en Malmö, Suecia •Caracterización y comparación de puérperas peruanas y chilenas atendidas en el Hospital San José •Conocimientos y prácticas de estudiantes de 7º y 8º básico, de ambos sexos, de Curacaví •Desarrollo económico y mortalidad prematura, Chile, 1994-2003 •Determinación nacional del Índice Significante de Caries (SIC) en adolescentes de 12 años, Chile 2010 •Diagnóstico de salud bucal en niños 2 y 4 años asistentes a la educación preescolar, zonas norte y centro •El GES promueve la equidad en el tratamiento del gran quemado de la tercera edad •Evaluación del nivel de conocimiento en salud bucal de la comunidad educativa preescolar •Factores psicosociales y culturales que inciden en embarazo adolescente en niñas menores de 15 años •Índice Significante de Caries en niños de 6 años, Chile 2010 •La mortalidad por cáncer del cuello uterino en Río de Janeiro: Estudio ecológico •Nivel de desarrollo psicomotor y su relación con el score de riesgo DSM •Perfil en interconsultas dermatológicas del consultorio Padre Esteban Gumucio Vives de Santiago de Chile, 2010 •Prevalencia caries, pérdida de dientes, necesidad de tratamiento en adultos mapuche - huilliches de Isla Huapi •Recursos humanos odontológicos para tratamiento de caries en adolescentes de 12 años, Chile 2010 •Retraso del diagnóstico de tuberculosis en la percepción de los representantes de ONG en Río de Janeiro •Rol de la escuela en promoción de salud y reducción de vulnerabilidad social en salud •Tendencia de las tasas de mortalidad fetal e infantil y sus componentes, Chile 1996- 2006 •Implementación de un mamógrafo móvil para la Región de los Río

Equidad en salud

•Acceso a diagnóstico y tratamiento para depresión según posición social en países seleccionados de Latinoamérica •Análisis narrativo de experiencias de chilenos exiliados políticos con discapacidad física en Malmö, Suecia •Caracterización y comparación de puérperas peruanas y chilenas atendidas en el Hospital San José •Conocimientos y prácticas de estudiantes de 7º y 8º básico, de ambos sexos, de Curacaví •Desarrollo económico y mortalidad prematura, Chile, 1994-2003 •Determinación nacional del Índice Significante de Caries (SIC) en adolescentes de 12 años, Chile 2010 •Diagnóstico de salud bucal en niños 2 y 4 años asistentes a la educación preescolar, zonas norte y centro •El GES promueve la equidad en el tratamiento del gran quemado de la tercera edad •Evaluación del nivel de conocimiento en salud bucal de la comunidad educativa preescolar •Factores psicosociales y culturales que inciden en embarazo adolescente en niñas menores de 15 años •Índice Significante de Caries en niños de 6 años, Chile 2010 •La mortalidad por cáncer del cuello uterino en Río de Janeiro: Estudio ecológico •Nivel de desarrollo psicomotor y su relación con el score de riesgo DSM •Perfil en interconsultas dermatológicas del consultorio Padre Esteban Gumucio Vives de Santiago de Chile, 2010 •Prevalencia caries, pérdida de dientes, necesidad de tratamiento en adultos mapuche - huilliches de Isla Huapi •Recursos humanos odontológicos para tratamiento de caries en adolescentes de 12 años, Chile 2010 •Retraso del diagnóstico de tuberculosis en la percepción de los representantes de ONG en Río de Janeiro •Rol de la escuela en promoción de salud y reducción de vulnerabilidad social en salud •Tendencia de las tasas de mortalidad fetal e infantil y sus componentes, Chile 1996- 2006 •Implementación de un mamógrafo móvil para la Región de los Río