Mild to moderate hypersensitivity reactions to beta-lactams in children: a single-centre retrospective review

[Abstract] Objective: Beta-lactam (BL) antibiotics are the most reported drugs in hypersensitivity reactions in children. More than 90% of these children tolerate the suspected drug after diagnostic work-up. Skin tests (STs) show low sensitivity. Our aim was to assess the performance of drug provocation tests (DPTs) without previous ST in mild and moderate delayed reactions and to propose a new DPT protocol. Design of the study: Charts from 213 children under 15 years of age referred for suspected BL allergy from 2011 to 1013 were reviewed. Prick, intradermal and patch tests were performed with major determinant penicilloyl-polylysine, minor determinant mixture, amoxicillin (AMX), cefuroxime, penicillin G and AMX-clavulamate. Children with negative skin tests underwent DPT. After an initial full dose of antibiotic, DPT was carried on for 3 days at home in patients reacting within the first 3 days of treatment. If the reaction took place from day 4 on of treatment, patients took the antibiotic for 5 days. Results: We included 108 girls and 105 boys. Mean age at the time of reaction was 3.66±3.06 years. 195 patients (91.5%) reacted to one BL. 154 reactions (67.2%) were non-immediate. Mild to moderate skin manifestations were most frequently reported. AMX-clavulanate was the most frequently involved (63.4%). DPT confirmed the diagnosis of drug hypersensitivity in 17 (7.3%) cases. These 17 patients had negative ST. Conclusion: In mild and moderate cases of BL hypersensitivity, diagnosis can be performed by DPT without previous ST

Mimicking epithelial tissues in three-dimensional cell culture models

Epithelial tissues are composed of layers of tightly connected cells shaped into complex three-dimensional (3D) structures such as cysts, tubules, or invaginations. These complex 3D structures are important for organ-specific functions and often create biochemical gradients that guide cell positioning and compartmentalization within the organ. One of the main functions of epithelia is to act as physical barriers that protect the underlying tissues from external insults. In vitro, epithelial barriers are usually mimicked by oversimplified models based on cell lines grown as monolayers on flat surfaces. While useful to answer certain questions, these models cannot fully capture the in vivo organ physiology and often yield poor predictions. In order to progress further in basic and translational research, disease modeling, drug discovery, and regenerative medicine, it is essential to advance the development of new in vitro predictive models of epithelial tissues that are capable of representing the in vivo-like structures and organ functionality more accurately. Here, we review current strategies for obtaining biomimetic systems in the form of advanced in vitro models that allow for more reliable and safer preclinical tests. The current state of the art and potential applications of self-organized cell-based systems, organ-on-a-chip devices that incorporate sensors and monitoring capabilities,as well as microfabrication techniques including bioprinting and photolithography, are discussed. These techniques could be combined to help provide highly predictive drug tests for patient-specific conditions in the near future

Editorial: When the Shape Does Matter: Three-Dimensional In Vitro Models of Epithelial Barriers

The Research Topic presented here includes a collection of selected pre-reviewed manuscripts that describe relevant recent advances in the fields of bioengineering and biophysics with a focus on the generation and analysis of novel three-dimensional (3D) in vitro models of epithelial barriers

Participación en actividad física de una muestra universitaria a partir del modelo de las etapas de cambio en el ejercicio físico : un estudio piloto

Los beneficios saludables derivados de la práctica de actividad física sólo se llegan a conseguir como consecuencia de una participación continuada. Los estudios sobre la participación de la población universitaria en actividades físicas no llegan a describir qué tipo de práctica realiza dicha población quedándose de manera frecuente en los porcentajes de frecuencia y duración. Con el fin de profundizar en el tipo de participación en actividades físicas de una muestra universitaria, se aplica en este estudio el Modelo de las Etapas de Cambio en el Ejercicio Físico de Prochaska y Marcus (1994). Los resultados parecen indicar que un gran porcentaje de los participantes en el estudio es insuficientemente activo a pesar del reconocimiento general de la importancia de la práctica de actividad física para la salud. Asimismo, los resultados parecen confirmar que el acercamiento teórico de las etapas de cambio resulta práctico a la hora de diferenciar y definir el patrón de actividad física de la muestra en estudio.The benefits for the health derived from physical activity participation are only achieved through continuous participation. Studies of the College's students participation in physical activity usually do not describe the type of participation that they do and only give us a perspective of frequency and duration rates. In order to understand the participation type of the university population, the Prochaska & Marcus (1994) Stages of Change in Exercise Model is adopted. The results of the study seem to suggest that a high percentage of the sample are insufficiently active in spite of the general acknowledgment of the benefits to health from participation in Physical activity. At the same time, the results confirm that the Stage of Change approach is very practical in defining and differentiating the activity pattern of the sample under study

Langerhans cell histiocytosis: literature review and descriptive analysis of oral manifestations

Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is a rare disease, of unknown pathogenesis, characterized by intense and abnormal proliferation of bone marrow-derived histiocytes (Langerhans cells). It can present both local and systemic manifestations involving bone, skin and mucosal tissue, and internal organs. Three basic clinical forms develop: Letterer-Siwe disease (subacute or acute disseminated form), Hand-Schüller-Christian disease (disseminated chronic form) and eosinophilic granuloma (localized chronic form).LCH may manifest orally with single or multiple lesions of the alveolar or basal bone, ulcerated mucosal lesions accompanied by adenopathies and/or periodontal lesions, presenting gingival inflammation, bleeding, recession, necrosis, odontalgia, dental hypermobility and premature loss of teeth. The principal differential diagnoses include advanced periodontal disease or a periapical process of dental or periodontal origin.The odontologist plays a vital role in the diagnosis and multidisciplinary treatment of such patients, by performing routine examinations for periodic follow-up of the disease and its possible oral manifestations, bearing in mind that these may be the first or only signs of LCH

Probiotics reduce anxiety-related behavior in zebrafish

[EN] There is increasing evidence that gut microbiome could have effects on neurological processes and on behavior. In this study we used the novel tank test (NTT) to analyze zebrafish exploring behavior after four months’ supplementation with probiotics with probed antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Results showed that prolonged ingestion of Lactobacillus rhamnosus CECT8361 and Bifidobacterium longum CECT7347 significantly alters the swimming pattern and mean swimming speed in the zebrafish model. After treatment, zebrafish strongly reduced their bottom-dwelling geotactic behavior when placed in a new tank, which could be correlated to a lower state of anxiety.S

Diet Supplemented with Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Probiotics Improves Sperm Quality after Only One Spermatogenic Cycle in Zebrafish Model

[EN] Infertility is a medical concern worldwide and could also have economic consequences in farmed animals. Developing an efficient diet supplement with immediate effects on sperm quality is a promising tool for human reproduction and for domesticated animal species. This study aims at elucidating the effect of a short-time probiotic supplementation consisting of a mixture of two probiotic bacteria with proven antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities on zebrafish sperm quality and male behavior. For this purpose, three homogeneous groups of males in terms of motility (<60%) were established. The control group was fed with a normal standard diet. The other received supplements: One group (vehicle control) was fed with maltodextrin and the other received a probiotic preparation based on a mixture (1:1) of Lactobacillus rhamnosus CECT8361 and Bifidobacterium longum CECT7347. The feeding regime was 21 days corresponding with a single spermatogenesis in zebrafish. The preparation did not modify animal weight, positively affected the number of fluent males, increased sperm concentration, total motility, progressive motility, and fast spermatozoa subpopulations. Moreover, the animals fed with the supplement showed different behavior patterns compared to control groups. Our results suggest a diet-related modulation on the exploration activity indicating a lower stress-like conduct. The studied formulation described here should be considered as advantageous in male reproductive biotechnologySIThis work was supported by project AGL2015 68330-C2-1-R (MINECO/FEDER)The authors acknowledge contract PTA2016-11987-I (MINECO/FEDER), Biopolis S.L. (Valencia, Spain), AQUA-CIBUS International Net 318RT0549 (CYTED), and the staff from Planta de Cultivos El Bocal (IEO

Long Exposure to a Diet Supplemented with Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Probiotics Improves Sperm Quality and Progeny Survival in the Zebrafish Model

This article belongs to the Special Issue Relevant Biomolecules for Germ Cells and Fertilization[EN] The aim of the present experiment is to study the effects of oral ingestion of a mixture of two probiotic bacteria on sperm quality and progenies. Three homogeneous groups of juvenile zebrafish were created. Once having reached adulthood (3 months postfertilization; mpf), each group received different feeding regimens: a standard diet (control), a maltodextrin-supplemented diet (vehicle control), or a probiotic-supplemented diet (a mixture (1:1) of Lactobacillus rhamnosus CECT8361 and Bifidobacterium longum CECT7347). The feeding regime lasted 4.5 months. Growth parameters (weight and length) were determined at 3, 5, and 7.5 mpf. Sperm motility was evaluated using computer-assisted sperm analysis at 5 and 7.5 mpf. Progeny survival, hatching rate, and malformation rate were also evaluated. Results showed that probiotic-supplemented diet improved growth parameters compared with the standard diet. The highest percentage of motile spermatozoa was reported in the probiotic-fed group. Concomitantly, the percentage of fast sperm subpopulation was significantly lower in samples derived from control males. Furthermore, there was a significant difference in progeny survival between the probiotic-fed group and the control group at three developmental times (24 hours postfertilization (hpf), 5 days postfertilization (dpf) and 7 dpf). In conclusion, in zebrafish, prolonged ingestion of a mixture of Lactobacillus rhamnosus CECT8361 and Bifidobacterium longum CECT7347 has positive effects on growth, sperm quality, and progeny survivalSIThis work was supported by project AGL2015 68330-C2-1-R (MINECO/FEDER)The authors acknowledge contract PTA2016-11987-I (MINECO/FEDER), Biopolis S.L. (Valencia, Spain), AQUA-CIBUS International Net 318RT0549 (CYTED), and the staff from Planta de Cultivos El Bocal (IEO), in particular, Guadalupe Santos Veiga, Serafín Gago Martínez, Jesús Cociña, Diego Vida

Handgrip strength test a complementary tool in monitoring asthma in daily clinical practice in children

The aim of this study was to demonstrate that handgrip strength test can discriminate the presence/absence of asthma and between intermittent and moderate persistent asthma in children. 140 children (70 healthy and 70 with asthma) completed the Pediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (PAQLQ) and performed the handgrip strength test. Forty-eight hours later, subjects performed spirometry. The results showed Handgrip strength was significantly lower (p<0.001) in children with asthma compared with healthy ones. There were also significant differences (p= 0.024) according to the severity of the disease; children with moderate persistent asthma performed worse than children with intermittent asthma. Binary logistic regression analysis and ROC curve analysis revealed that the result in handgrip strength test was a predictive factor for asthma (cut-off at 16.84 kg) and for severity of pathology (cut-off at 15.06 kg). Handgrip strength was reduced in children with asthma. Handgrip strength was positively associated with lung capacity and quality of life. The fact that the handgrip strength test was able to discriminate between presence/absence of asthma and between intermittent and moderate persistent asthma in children suggested that this test could be used as a complementary tool in the monitoring of asthma in daily clinical practice

Effect of low sperm quality on progeny: a study on zebrafish as model species

[EN] Nowadays a decrease tendency in human sperm quality has been reported mainly in developed countries. Reproductive technologies have been very valuable in achieving successful pregnancies with low quality sperm samples. However, considering that spermatozoa molecular contribution is increasingly important in recent studies, it is crucial to study whether fertilization with low sperm quality could leave a molecular mark on progeny. This study explores the consequences that fertilization with low sperm quality may have on progeny, using zebrafish as a model. Good and bad breeders were established attending to sperm quality analyses and were individually tracked. Significant differences in fertilization and malformation rates were obtained in progenies between high and low quality sperm samples. Moreover an altered miR profile was found in the progenies of bad zebrafish breeders (upregulation of miR-141 and miR -122 in 24 hpf embryos) and as a consequence, some of their targets involved in male sex development such as dmrt1, suffered downregulation. Our results indicate that fertilizing with high sperm quality samples becomes relevant from a new perspective: to avoid molecular alterations in the progeny that could remain masked and therefore produce unexpected consequences in it.SIThis work was supported by AGL2015 68330-C2-1-R project (MINECO/FEDER), PTA2016-11987-I contract (MINECO/FEDER) and AQUA-CIBUS international net 318RT0549 funded by CYTED (Programa Iberoamericano de Ciencia y Tecnologia para el Desarrollo