Portación de staphylococcus aureus y resistencia a la meticilina en elaboradores de alimentos de tres instituciones educativas de la ciudad de Gualeguaychú

Los elaboradores de alimentos que no mantienen una buena higiene pueden ser vehículos de Enfermedades Trasmitidas por Alimentos (ETA). En las últimas décadas se ha observado un aumento significativo de los portadores de Staphylococcus aureus resistente a la meticilina (SARM) representando un problema para la seguridad alimentaria y salud pública. El objetivo del presente trabajo fue detectar Staphylococcus aureus (SAU) y sensibilidad a meticilina, evaluando hábitos y conocimientos higiénico sanitarios de los elaboradores de alimentos de instituciones educativas de Gualeguaychú. Se analizaron 43 muestras de fosas nasales y manos de alumnos y docentes, realizando aislamiento de SAU, identificados mediante pruebas bioquímicas convencionales y sensibilidad a meticilina (difusión con disco de cefoxitina 30μg). Se evaluaron los hábitos y conocimientos aplicando un cuestionario de autoinforme. Los aspectos éticos fueron contemplados firmando un consentimiento. Resultados: El 47% (n=20) resulto positivo para SAU, 33% (n=14) lo portaban en manos y 35% (n=15) en narinas. La prevalencia de SAMR fue del 25% para narinas y 19% en manos. En el cuestionario se halló una diferencia significativa (ρ<0,05) para el momento de lavado de manos, manifiestando falta general de conocimiento. Conclusiones: si bien los valores de portación encontrados fueron similares a los de otros trabajos científicos, se encontró una frecuencia de resistencia a meticilina mayor, por lo que sería conveniente analizar qué ocurre en esta zona ya que no hay estudios reportados. Se deberían implementar capacitaciones, dado que las falencias detectadas indican circulación de SARM entre estos elaboradores de alimentos con el riesgo de ser diseminadores de dichas cepas.Fil: López, Tamara A.. Universidad Nacional de Entre Ríos.Fil: Grenóvero, Silvia. Universidad Nacional de Entre Ríos.Fil: Sosa, Natalia. Universidad Nacional de Entre Ríos.Fil: Taus Maria, R.. Universidad Nacional de Entre Ríos

Multiple Cancer Testis Antigens Function To Support Tumor Cell Mitotic Fidelity

While the expression of genes that are normally involved in spermatogenesis is frequently detected in tumors, the extent to which these gene products are required for neoplastic behaviors is unclear. To begin to address their functional relevance to tumorigenesis, we identified a cohort of proteins which display synthetic lethality with paclitaxel in non-small-cell lung cancer and whose expression is biased toward testes and tumors. Remarkably, these testis proteins, FMR1NB, NXF2, MAGEA5, FSIP1, and STARD6, are required for accurate chromosome segregation in tumor cells. Their individual depletion enhances the generation of multipolar spindles, increases mitotic transit time, and induces micronucleation in response to an otherwise innocuous dose of paclitaxel. The underlying basis for abnormal mitosis is an alteration in microtubule function, as their depletion increases microtubule cytaster formation and disrupts microtubule stability. Given these observations, we hypothesize that reactivated testis proteins may represent unique tumor cell vulnerabilities which, if targeted, could enhance responsiveness to antimitotic therapy. Indeed, we demonstrate that combining paclitaxel with a small-molecule inhibitor of the gametogenic and tumor cell mitotic protein TACC3 leads to enhanced centrosomal abnormalities, activation of death programs, and loss of anchorage-independent growth

Serum cytokine levels as predictive biomarkers of benefit from ipilimumab in small cell lung cancer

Background. Immunotherapy has shown efficacy in small cell lung cancer (SCLC), but only a subset of patients benefits. Surrogate biomarkers are urgently needed. Our aim was to evaluate serum Th1, Th2, and proinflammatory cytokines in two cohorts of SCLC patients before and during treatment with chemotherapy with or without ipilimumab and to correlate them with survival. Patients and methods. Two cohorts of SCLC patients were studied: patients treated with chemotherapy (n = 47), and patients treated with chemotherapy plus ipilimumab (n = 37). Baseline, on-treatment and after-treatment serum samples were evaluated for the presence of IL-1beta, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha, GM-CSF, and Mip-1alpha using a Luminex assay. Differential changes in cytokines between cohorts were analyzed. Associations between cytokine levels and their changes with overall survival were evaluated. Results. Patients treated with ipilimumab showed a global increase of all cytokines after treatment initiation. A high level of IL-8 at baseline was associated with worse prognosis regardless of treatment. Baseline increased IL-2 levels predicted sensitivity to ipilimumab, while high IL-6 and TNF-alpha predicted resistance. An on-treatment increase in IL-4 levels in patients treated with immune-chemotherapy was associated with a better overall survival. Conclusions. The addition of ipilimumab to standard chemotherapy in SCLC modulates the serum levels of cytokines. Baseline levels and their change over time relate to overall survival. Blood-based biomarkers are convenient for patients, and our results support prospective validation of cytokines as predictive biomarkers for ipilimumab in SCLC

The UL15 protein of herpes simplex virus type 1 is necessary for the localization of the UL28 and UL33 proteins to viral DNA replication centres

The UL15, UL28 and UL33 proteins of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) are thought to comprise a terminase complex responsible for cleavage and packaging of the viral genome into pre-assembled capsids. Immunofluorescence studies confirmed that shortly after infection with wild-type HSV-1 these three proteins localize to viral DNA replication compartments within the nucleus, identified by the presence of the single-stranded DNA-binding protein, ICP8. In cells infected with either UL28- or UL33-null mutants, the other two terminase proteins also co-localized with ICP8. In contrast, neither UL28 nor UL33 was detectable in replication compartments following infection with a UL15-null mutant, although Western blot analysis showed they were present in normal amounts in the infected cells. Provision of UL15 in a complementing cell line restored the ability of all three proteins to localize to replication compartments. These data indicate that UL15 plays a key role in localizing the terminase complex to DNA replication compartments, and that it can interact independently with UL28 and UL33

Vigilancia epidemiológica en mujeres embarazadas para control de riesgos en el consumo de tabaco en la ciudad de Gualeguaychú

Objetivo: Determinar el nivel de cotinina urinaria en embarazadas fumadoras activas y pasivas en centros de salud públicos (cpub) y privados (cpri) de Gualeguaychú para conocer su riesgo de exposición y contribuir a mejorar el diseño de las intervenciones en la prevención del hábito tabáquico durante el embarazo. Materiales y métodos: Se trabajó con 443 embarazadas que concurrieron a cpub y cpri de Gualeguaychú para su control prenatal, solicitándoles a las que manifestaron ser fumadoras activas o estar expuestas al hat una muestra de orina para el dosaje de cotinina. Se aplicó un diseño de tipo no experimental, retrospectivo y de corte transversal. El dosaje de cotinina se realizó en orina, empleando una metodología quimioluminiscente. Previamente se obtuvo un valor referencial de cotinina urinaria inferior a los 15,2 ng/ml para el 98 % de sujetos no fumadores no expuestos al hat. Resultados: El 97,3 % de las embarazadas que declararon ser fumadoras activas presentaron valores de cotinina superiores a los 100 ng/ml y el 66,2 % de las que expresaron ser fumadoras pasivas presentaron un nivel superior a 15,2 ng/ml. Discusión y conclusiones: Los resultados obtenidos demuestran la utilidad de la cotinina como indicador para obtener datos fidedignos frente a la exposición al tabaco

Portación de Staphylococcus aureus en manipuladores de alimentos de la ciudad de Gualeguaychú

Food handlers in the community who do not have good personal hygiene can be vehicles for transmission of Staphylococcus aureus (SAU). Their strains have become increasingly resistant to beta-lactam antibiotics, which is a problem for food safety. Isolation was performed on samples of hands and nostrils of 49 ice cream dispensers and 43 food handlers. Methicillin resistance was determined in the positive samples using the cefoxitin disk diffusion technique (30 μg) and 24 positive SAU samples were also subjected to enterotoxin detection using VIDAS Staph enterotoxy reagents. Hygienic habits were evaluated, applying a questionnaire. Of the ice cream sellers, 19 were carriers (39%); for the handlers at educational institutions this percentage was 47% (n = 20). Habits and knowledge found have flaws. For the first sampling (n = 30), a resistance in nostrils of 13% (n = 4) and for hands of 7% was obtained, and in the second (n = 20), of 20% (n = 4) and of 5% (n = 1) respectively and for educational institutions (n ​​= 43), of 25% (n = 11) for nostrils and of 19% (n = 8) for hands. They were enterotoxigenic (33%) of the strains. The results showed the presence of MRSA among these handlers and the risk of being disseminators. Courses should focus on preventive measures of contamination of food and talk about the importance of this issue working interdisciplinary with professionals in the field and with those responsible for public health.Los elaboradores que preparan alimentos y no mantienen una buena higiene personal pueden ser vehículos de transmisión de Staphylococcus aureus (SAU); microorganismo causante de intoxicaciones alimentarias que últimamente se ha tornado más resistente a antibióticos betalactámicos, representando un problema en salud pública. Se lo aisló e identificó en muestras de manos y narinas de 49 expendedores de helados y 43 elaboradores de alimentos en instituciones educativas, se empleó la técnica de difusión con disco de cefoxitina (30 µg) propuesta por CLSI (Clinical & Laboratory Standards Institute) para determinar su resistencia a meticilina. Se evaluaron los hábitos higiénicos aplicando un cuestionario de autoinforme y a 24 cepas extraidas de 24 muestras seleccionadas al azar que fueron SAU positivas, se les realizó la detección de enterotoxinas utilizando reactivos VIDAS Staph enterotoxin. Se obtuvo que un 39% de los expendedores y un 47% de los elaboradores resultaron portadores. El primer muestreo (n=30), marcó una resistencia en narinas del 13% y manos de 7%, en los muestreos siguientes se observó un incremento de SARM (Staphylococcus aureus resistente a meticilina). Respecto a la detección de toxinas de las 24 cepas investigadas, 8 resultaron enterotoxigénicas (33%). Los hábitos y conocimientos evaluados marcaron falencias en puntos críticos, los resultados mostraron la presencia de SARM entre los manipuladores con riesgo de ser diseminadores de dichas cepas. Se deberían programar cursos haciendo énfasis en medidas preventivas que eviten la contaminación alimentaria, realizando un plan de concientización a la población y utilizando estos datos como punto de partida. Es necesario trabajar en forma interdisciplinaria con profesionales afines y responsables de salud pública

Constraints on the χ_(c1) versus χ_(c2) polarizations in proton-proton collisions at √s = 8 TeV

The polarizations of promptly produced χ_(c1) and χ_(c2) mesons are studied using data collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC, in proton-proton collisions at √s=8  TeV. The χ_c states are reconstructed via their radiative decays χ_c → J/ψγ, with the photons being measured through conversions to e⁺e⁻, which allows the two states to be well resolved. The polarizations are measured in the helicity frame, through the analysis of the χ_(c2) to χ_(c1) yield ratio as a function of the polar or azimuthal angle of the positive muon emitted in the J/ψ → μ⁺μ⁻ decay, in three bins of J/ψ transverse momentum. While no differences are seen between the two states in terms of azimuthal decay angle distributions, they are observed to have significantly different polar anisotropies. The measurement favors a scenario where at least one of the two states is strongly polarized along the helicity quantization axis, in agreement with nonrelativistic quantum chromodynamics predictions. This is the first measurement of significantly polarized quarkonia produced at high transverse momentum