Levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) among children with steady-state sickle cell disease

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The search for sickle cell disease (SCD) prognosis biomarkers is a challenge. These markers identification can help to establish further therapy, later severe clinical complications and with patients follow-up. We attempted to study a possible involvement of levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) in steady-state children with SCD, once that this lipid marker has been correlated with anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, anti-aggregation, anti-coagulant and pro-fibrinolytic activities, important aspects to be considered in sickle cell disease pathogenesis.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We prospectively analyzed biochemical, inflammatory and hematological biomarkers of 152 steady-state infants with SCD and 132 healthy subjects using immunochemistry, immunoassay and electronic cell counter respectively. Clinical data were collected from patient medical records.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Of the 152 infants investigated had a significant positive association of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol with hemoglobin (P < 0.001), hematocrit (P < 0.001) and total cholesterol (P < 0.001) and a negative significant association with reticulocytes (P = 0.046), leukocytes (P = 0.015), monocytes (P = 0.004) and platelets (P = 0.005), bilirubins [total bilirubin (P < 0.001), direct bilirubin (P < 0.001) and indirect bilirubin (P < 0.001], iron (P < 0.001), aminotransferases [aspartate aminotransferase (P = 0.004), alanine aminotransferase (P = 0.035)], lactate dehydrogenase (P < 0.001), urea (P = 0.030), alpha 1-antitrypsin (P < 0.001), very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (P = 0.003), triglycerides (P = 0.005) and hemoglobin S (P = 0.002). Low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentration was associated with the history of cardiac abnormalities (P = 0.025), pneumonia (P = 0.033) and blood transfusion use (P = 0.025). Lipids and inflammatory markers were associated with the presence of cholelithiasis.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>We hypothesize that some SCD patients can have a specific dyslipidemic subphenotype characterized by low HDL-C with hypertriglyceridemia and high VLDL-C in association with other biomarkers, including those related to inflammation. This represents an important step toward a more reliable clinical prognosis. Additional studies are warranted to test this hypothesis and the probably mechanisms involved in this complex network of markers and their role in SCD pathogenesis.</p

Tracing the origin of Brazilian HTLV-1 as determined by analysis of host and viral genes

We compared the genetic diversity of the Brazilian human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 isolates with those found in KwaZulu–Natal (KZN), South Africa, and with the genetic background of the hosts. The seroprevalence rate in KZN was 1.7%. All sequences belonged to the A subgroup. The presence of South African sequences in two different clusters from Brazil, and the finding of the bA-globin haplotype in infected hosts are consistent with the transmission of this virus from Southern Africa to Brazil.This work was partly supported by grants from the Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado da Bahia (FAPESB) and from the Wellcome Trust (UK)grant 061238/2/00/2 S.C.)

Sequence change in the HS2-LCR and Gg-globin gene promoter region of sickle cell anemia patients

Submitted by Ana Maria Fiscina Sampaio ([email protected]) on 2013-01-14T18:31:39Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Adorno, E.V. et al Sequence change in the....pdf: 1027902 bytes, checksum: 6f76839b978b7826a8a5282b5e836460 (MD5)Made available in DSpace on 2013-01-14T18:31:39Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Adorno, E.V. et al Sequence change in the....pdf: 1027902 bytes, checksum: 6f76839b978b7826a8a5282b5e836460 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Centro de Pesquisas Gonçalo Moniz. Salvador, BA, Brasil / Universidade Federal da Bahia. Faculdade de Farmácia. Departamento de Análises Clínicas e Toxicológicas. Salvador, BA, BrasilUniversidade Federal da Bahia. Faculdade de Farmácia. Departamento de Análises Clínicas e Toxicológicas. Salvador, BA, BrasilFundação de Hematologia e Hemoterapia da Bahia. Salvador, BA, BrasilFundação de Hematologia e Hemoterapia da Bahia. Salvador, BA, BrasilFundação Oswaldo Cruz. Centro de Pesquisas Gonçalo Moniz. Salvador, BA, Brasil / Universidade Federal da Bahia. Faculdade de Farmácia. Departamento de Análises Clínicas e Toxicológicas. Salvador, BA, BrasilFundação Oswaldo Cruz. Centro de Pesquisas Gonçalo Moniz. Salvador, BA, Brasil / Universidade Federal da Bahia. Faculdade de Farmácia. Departamento de Análises Clínicas e Toxicológicas. Salvador, BA, BrasilFundação Oswaldo Cruz. Centro de Pesquisas Gonçalo Moniz. Salvador, BA, BrasilFundação Oswaldo Cruz. Centro de Pesquisas Gonçalo Moniz. Salvador, BA, Brasil / Universidade Federal da Bahia. Faculdade de Farmácia. Departamento de Análises Clínicas e Toxicológicas. Salvador, BA, BrasilThe fetal hemoglobin (HbF) levels and betaS-globin gene haplotypes of 125 sickle cell anemia patients from Brazil were investigated. We sequenced the Gg- and Ag-globin gene promoters and the DNase I-2 hypersensitive sites in the locus control regions (HS2-LCR) of patients with HbF level disparities as compared to their ßS haplotypes. Sixty-four (51.2 percent) patients had CAR/Ben genotype; 36 (28.8 percent) Ben/Ben; 18 (14.4 percent) CAR/CAR; 2 (1.6 percent) CAR/Atypical; 2 (1.6 percent) Ben/Cam; 1 (0.8 percent) CAR/Cam; 1 (0.8 percent) CAR/Arab-Indian, and 1 (0.8 percent) Sen/Atypical. The HS2-LCR sequence analyses demonstrated a c.-10.677G>A change in patients with the Ben haplotype and high HbF levels. The Gg gene promoter sequence analyses showed a c.-157T>C substitution shared by all patients, and a c.-222_-225del related to the Cam haplotype. These results identify new polymorphisms in the HS2-LCR and Gg-globin gene promoter. Further studies are required to determine the correlation between HbF synthesis and the clinical profile of sickle cell anemia patients

Characterisation of microbial attack on archaeological bone

As part of an EU funded project to investigate the factors influencing bone preservation in the archaeological record, more than 250 bones from 41 archaeological sites in five countries spanning four climatic regions were studied for diagenetic alteration. Sites were selected to cover a range of environmental conditions and archaeological contexts. Microscopic and physical (mercury intrusion porosimetry) analyses of these bones revealed that the majority (68%) had suffered microbial attack. Furthermore, significant differences were found between animal and human bone in both the state of preservation and the type of microbial attack present. These differences in preservation might result from differences in early taphonomy of the bones. © 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved

Electron and photon reconstruction and identification with the CMS experiment at the CERN LHC

CERN for the benefit of the CMS collaboration: et al. The performance is presented of the reconstruction and identification algorithms for electrons and photons with the CMS experiment at the LHC. The reported results are based on proton-proton collision data collected at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV and recorded in 2016–2018, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 136 fb^-1. Results obtained from lead-lead collision data collected at √(sNN)=5.02 TeV are also presented. Innovative techniques are used to reconstruct the electron and photon signals in the detector and to optimize the energy resolution. Events with electrons and photons in the final state are used to measure the energy resolution and energy scale uncertainty in the recorded events. The measured energy resolution for electrons produced in Z boson decays in proton-proton collision data ranges from 2 to 5%, depending on electron pseudorapidity and energy loss through bremsstrahlung in the detector material. The energy scale in the same range of energies is measured with an uncertainty smaller than 0.1 (0.3)% in the barrel (endcap) region in proton-proton collisions and better than 1 (3)% in the barrel (endcap) region in heavy ion collisions. The timing resolution for electrons from Z boson decays with the full 2016–2018 proton-proton collision data set is measured to be 200 ps. Individuals have received support from the Marie-Curie program and the European Research Council and Horizon 2020 Grant, contract Nos. 675440, 724704, 752730, and 765710 (European Union); the Programa de Excelencia María de Maeztu, and the Programa Severo Ochoa del Principado de Asturias Peer reviewe

Measurements of the Total and Differential Higgs Boson Production Cross Sections Combining the H??????? and H???ZZ*???4??? Decay Channels at s\sqrt{s}=8??????TeV with the ATLAS Detector

Measurements of the total and differential cross sections of Higgs boson production are performed using 20.3~fb$^{-1}$ of $pp$ collisions produced by the Large Hadron Collider at a center-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s} = 8$ TeV and recorded by the ATLAS detector. Cross sections are obtained from measured $H \rightarrow \gamma \gamma$ and $H \rightarrow ZZ ^{*}\rightarrow 4\ell$ event yields, which are combined accounting for detector efficiencies, fiducial acceptances and branching fractions. Differential cross sections are reported as a function of Higgs boson transverse momentum, Higgs boson rapidity, number of jets in the event, and transverse momentum of the leading jet. The total production cross section is determined to be $\sigma_{pp \to H} = 33.0 \pm 5.3 \, ({\rm stat}) \pm 1.6 \, ({\rm sys}) \mathrm{pb}$. The measurements are compared to state-of-the-art predictions.Measurements of the total and differential cross sections of Higgs boson production are performed using 20.3  fb-1 of pp collisions produced by the Large Hadron Collider at a center-of-mass energy of s=8  TeV and recorded by the ATLAS detector. Cross sections are obtained from measured H→γγ and H→ZZ*→4ℓ event yields, which are combined accounting for detector efficiencies, fiducial acceptances, and branching fractions. Differential cross sections are reported as a function of Higgs boson transverse momentum, Higgs boson rapidity, number of jets in the event, and transverse momentum of the leading jet. The total production cross section is determined to be σpp→H=33.0±5.3 (stat)±1.6 (syst)  pb. The measurements are compared to state-of-the-art predictions.Measurements of the total and differential cross sections of Higgs boson production are performed using 20.3 fb$^{-1}$ of $pp$ collisions produced by the Large Hadron Collider at a center-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s} = 8$ TeV and recorded by the ATLAS detector. Cross sections are obtained from measured $H \rightarrow \gamma \gamma$ and $H \rightarrow ZZ ^{*}\rightarrow 4\ell$ event yields, which are combined accounting for detector efficiencies, fiducial acceptances and branching fractions. Differential cross sections are reported as a function of Higgs boson transverse momentum, Higgs boson rapidity, number of jets in the event, and transverse momentum of the leading jet. The total production cross section is determined to be $\sigma_{pp \to H} = 33.0 \pm 5.3 \, ({\rm stat}) \pm 1.6 \, ({\rm sys}) \mathrm{pb}$. The measurements are compared to state-of-the-art predictions

Measurement of inclusive and differential cross sections for single top quark production in association with a W boson in proton-proton collisions at s \sqrt{s} = 13 TeV

International audienceMeasurements of the inclusive and normalised differential cross sections are presented for the production of single top quarks in association with a W boson in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. The data used were recorded with the CMS detector at the LHC during 2016–2018, and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb$^{−1}$. Events containing one electron and one muon in the final state are analysed. For the inclusive measurement, a multivariate discriminant, exploiting the kinematic properties of the events is used to separate the signal from the dominant $\textrm{t}\overline{\textrm{t}}$ background. A cross section of $79.2\pm 0.9{\left(\textrm{stat}\right)}_{-8.0}^{+7.7}\left(\textrm{syst}\right)\pm 1.2\left(\textrm{lumi}\right)$ pb is obtained, consistent with the predictions of the standard model. For the differential measurements, a fiducial region is defined according to the detector acceptance, and the requirement of exactly one jet coming from the fragmentation of a bottom quark. The resulting distributions are unfolded to particle level and agree with the predictions at next-to-leading order in perturbative quantum chromodynamics.[graphic not available: see fulltext