Dietary fatty acid profile: effects on caecal fermentation and performance of young and fattening rabbits

[EN] The present work was performed to study the effect of dietary inclusion of different fatty acid combinations (saturated, n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids; PUFA) on caecal fermentation activity, feed intake, growth rate and feed efficiency of young rabbits around weaning (17 to 44 d) and fattening rabbits (28 to 63 d of age). Five diets were formulated using the same raw materials and including 3% of lard (A diet, rich in saturated fat), sunflower oil (S diet, rich in n-6 PUFA), linseed oil (L diet, rich in n-3 PUFA), sunflower oil and lard at 1:1 rate (SA diet), or linseed oil and lard at 1:1 rate (LA diet). In the first trial, the effect of the 5 diets on rabbit performance was evaluated in a fattening period from 28 to 63 d of age, with 490 rabbits allocated in individual cages; mortality rates were measured with 1670 rabbits (750 allocated in individual cages and 920 in collective cages, 8 rabbits/cage). In the second trial, 120 young rabbits were used from 17 to 44 d of age, weaned at 28 d, allocated in collective cages and randomly fed with A, S or L diets, evaluating performance and gut weight and caecum fermentation activity. The use of animal fat or vegetable oil and the richness in n-3 or n-6 PUFA of vegetable oils had no significant effect on the feed intake (130 g dry matter/d) and growth rate of fattening rabbits (45.5 g/d), but the inclusion of sunflower oil in diet improved feed conversion rate (2.79 for S diet vs. 2.87 for the rest of diets; P<0.01). Mortality rate was lower when vegetable oils were included in diet (34 and 37% for S and L diets respectively vs. 45% for A diet; P<0.05). Feed intake and growth rate increased quickly from 17 to 44 d, but only small occasional differences were recorded in growth rate of young rabbits, in favour of rabbits receiving animal fat from 17 to 21 d (P<0.05) or sunflower oil from 28 to 30 d (P<0.05). Caecal traits of rabbits at 30 and 44 d of age were similar for the different dietary groups, although butyric acid concentration in caecum content at 44 d was the lowest (P<0.05) with L diet.This work was supported by a Ministry of Science and Technology grant (AGL2003-06559-C02-02).Casado, C.; Moya, J.; Pascual, JJ.; Blas Ferrer, E.; Cervera Fras, MC. (2013). Dietary fatty acid profile: effects on caecal fermentation and performance of young and fattening rabbits. World Rabbit Science. 21(4):235-242. https://doi.org/10.4995/wrs.2013.1437SWORD23524221

Detection of kinase domain mutations in BCR::ABL1 leukemia by ultra-deep sequencing of genomic DNA

The screening of the BCR::ABL1 kinase domain (KD) mutation has become a routine analysis in case of warning/failure for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) Philadelphia (Ph)-positive patients. In this study, we present a novel DNA-based next-generation sequencing (NGS) methodology for KD ABL1 mutation detection and monitoring with a 1.0E−4 sensitivity. This approach was validated with a well-stablished RNA-based nested NGS method. The correlation of both techniques for the quantification of ABL1 mutations was high (Pearson r = 0.858, p < 0.001), offering DNA-DeepNGS a sensitivity of 92% and specificity of 82%. The clinical impact was studied in a cohort of 129 patients (n = 67 for CML and n = 62 for B-ALL patients). A total of 162 samples (n = 86 CML and n = 76 B-ALL) were studied. Of them, 27 out of 86 harbored mutations (6 in warning and 21 in failure) for CML, and 13 out of 76 (2 diagnostic and 11 relapse samples) did in B-ALL patients. In addition, in four cases were detected mutation despite BCR::ABL1 < 1%. In conclusion, we were able to detect KD ABL1 mutations with a 1.0E−4 sensitivity by NGS using DNA as starting material even in patients with low levels of disease.Tis project was funded in part by CRIS CANCER FOUNDATION

Detection of kinase domain mutations in BCR::ABL1 leukemia by ultra-deep sequencing of genomic DNA

The screening of the BCR::ABL1 kinase domain (KD) mutation has become a routine analysis in case of warning/failure for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) Philadelphia (Ph)-positive patients. In this study, we present a novel DNA-based next-generation sequencing (NGS) methodology for KD ABL1 mutation detection and monitoring with a 1.0E-4 sensitivity. This approach was validated with a well-stablished RNA-based nested NGS method. The correlation of both techniques for the quantification of ABL1 mutations was high (Pearson r = 0.858, p < 0.001), offering DNA-DeepNGS a sensitivity of 92% and specificity of 82%. The clinical impact was studied in a cohort of 129 patients (n = 67 for CML and n = 62 for B-ALL patients). A total of 162 samples (n = 86 CML and n = 76 B-ALL) were studied. Of them, 27 out of 86 harbored mutations (6 in warning and 21 in failure) for CML, and 13 out of 76 (2 diagnostic and 11 relapse samples) did in B-ALL patients. In addition, in four cases were detected mutation despite BCR::ABL1 < 1%. In conclusion, we were able to detect KD ABL1 mutations with a 1.0E-4 sensitivity by NGS using DNA as starting material even in patients with low levels of disease

Treatment with tocilizumab or corticosteroids for COVID-19 patients with hyperinflammatory state: a multicentre cohort study (SAM-COVID-19)

Objectives: The objective of this study was to estimate the association between tocilizumab or corticosteroids and the risk of intubation or death in patients with coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) with a hyperinflammatory state according to clinical and laboratory parameters. Methods: A cohort study was performed in 60 Spanish hospitals including 778 patients with COVID-19 and clinical and laboratory data indicative of a hyperinflammatory state. Treatment was mainly with tocilizumab, an intermediate-high dose of corticosteroids (IHDC), a pulse dose of corticosteroids (PDC), combination therapy, or no treatment. Primary outcome was intubation or death; follow-up was 21 days. Propensity score-adjusted estimations using Cox regression (logistic regression if needed) were calculated. Propensity scores were used as confounders, matching variables and for the inverse probability of treatment weights (IPTWs). Results: In all, 88, 117, 78 and 151 patients treated with tocilizumab, IHDC, PDC, and combination therapy, respectively, were compared with 344 untreated patients. The primary endpoint occurred in 10 (11.4%), 27 (23.1%), 12 (15.4%), 40 (25.6%) and 69 (21.1%), respectively. The IPTW-based hazard ratios (odds ratio for combination therapy) for the primary endpoint were 0.32 (95%CI 0.22-0.47; p < 0.001) for tocilizumab, 0.82 (0.71-1.30; p 0.82) for IHDC, 0.61 (0.43-0.86; p 0.006) for PDC, and 1.17 (0.86-1.58; p 0.30) for combination therapy. Other applications of the propensity score provided similar results, but were not significant for PDC. Tocilizumab was also associated with lower hazard of death alone in IPTW analysis (0.07; 0.02-0.17; p < 0.001). Conclusions: Tocilizumab might be useful in COVID-19 patients with a hyperinflammatory state and should be prioritized for randomized trials in this situatio

Effect of oxidation state of dietary sunflower oil and dietary zinc and [alfa]-tocopheryl acetate supplementation on performance of fattening rabbits

[EN] Twelve diets were formulated using the same raw materials and including 3% of sunflower oil at 3 different oxidation levels [fresh (F), peroxidised (P; 55ºC for 11 d; 83 meq O2/kg oil) and highly-oxidised (O; 140ºC for 31 h; [Ro]-anisidine value of 125)], with 2 levels of [ALFA]-tocopherol supplementation (0 and 100 ppm), and 2 levels of Zn supplementation (0 and 200 ppm). A growing trial with 900 twenty eight d old rabbits was carried out in order to study the effect of the oxidation and protection level of supplemented oil on the performance of animals from weaning (28d) to 63 d of age. Another coetaneous trial was performed to study the effect of the oxidation level of sunflower oil (F, P and O) on caecal activity around weaning, using 120 suckling rabbits randomly re-allocated into 12 litters of 10 kits (4 litters per diet) from 17 to 44 d of age. Four rabbits per litter were slaughtered at 30 and 44 d (16 rabbits/treatment and age). Full gastro-intestinal tract and caecum were weighed and pH, dry matter (DM), ammonia nitrogen (NH3) and volatile fatty acids concentration (VFA) values in caecal content were measured. No effect was observed either in the mortality rate, body weight gain, feed intake or conversion rate throughout the growing period when peroxidised or oxidised oils were included in the diet, being on average 32%, 45.1 g/d, 107.6 g DM/d and 2.44, respectively. Dietary supplementation with [alfa]-tocopherol and/or Zn had no effect on the mortality rate, feed intake and performance of rabbits during the fattening period. Daily weight gain just after weaning (28 to 30 d of age) was higher for kits receiving the diet supplemented with F and O diets than those with the P diet (55, 50 and 35 g/d, respectively; P<0.05), but no further effect on performance was observed. Young rabbits fed with the P diet showed lower DM percentage in caecum at 30 d of age (-9.5%; P<0.05) than those with F or O diets. Caecum of young rabbits fed with the O diet presented lower NH3 content at 30 d of age that those given F diet (-38%; P<0.05) and higher total VFA and acetic acid concentration (+36 and +34 %, respectively; P<0.05). Therefore, and although many questions are still open, oxidised oils could be considered as a possible energy source for rabbit nutrition.This work was supported by a grant from the Ministry of Science and Technology (AGL2003-06559-C02-02).Casado, C.; Moya Salvador, VJ.; Pascual Amorós, JJ.; Blas Ferrer, E.; Cervera Fras, MC. (2011). Effect of oxidation state of dietary sunflower oil and dietary zinc and [alfa]-tocopheryl acetate supplementation on performance of fattening rabbits. World Rabbit Science. 19(4). doi:10.4995/wrs.2011.940SWORD19

ABO Blood Groups and the Incidence of Complications in COVID-19 Patients: A Population-Based Prospective Cohort Study

After a COVID-19 outbreak in the Falles festival of Borriana (Spain) during March 2020, a cohort of patients were followed until October 2020 to estimate complications post-COVID-19, considering ABO blood groups (ABO). From 536 laboratory-confirmed cases, 483 completed the study (90.1%) carried by the Public Health Center of Castelló and the Emergency and Microbiology and Clinical Analysis of Hospital de la Plana Vila-real. The study included ABO determination and telephone interviews of patients. The participants had a mean age of 37.2 ± 17.1 years, 300 females (62.1%). ABO were O (41.4%), A (45.5%), B (9.1%), and AB (3.9%). We found no difference in the incidence of COVID-19 infections. A total of 159 (32.9%) patients reported one or more post-COVID-19 complications with divergent incidences after adjustment: O (32.3%), A (32.6%), B (54.1%), and AB (27.6%); B groups had more complications post-COVID-19 when compared with O group (adjusted relative risk [aRR] 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.68, 95% CI 1.24–2.27), and symptoms of fatigue (1.79, 95% CI 1.08–2.95), myalgia (2.06, 95% CI 1.10–3.84), headache (2.61, 95% CI 1.58–4.31), and disorder of vision (4.26 95% CI 1.33–13.60). In conclusion, we observed significant differences in post-COVID-19 complications by ABO, with a higher incidence in B group. Additional research is justified to confirm our results

Persistence of Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies Six Months after Infection in an Outbreak with Five Hundred COVID-19 Cases in Borriana (Spain): A Prospective Cohort Study

In March 2020, several mass gathering events were related to the Falles festival in Borriana (Spain), resulting in a 536 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases outbreak among participants. This article estimates anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies persistence six months after and factors associated with antibody response. A prospective population-based cohort study was carried out by the Public Health Centre of Castellon and the Emergency and Clinical Analysis and Microbiology Services of Hospital de la Plana in Vila-real. In October 2020, a seroepidemiologic study was used to estimate the persistence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies against nucleocapsid protein (N) by an electrochemiluminescence immunoassay (ECLIA) was implemented. We enrolled 484 (90.2%) of the 536 members of the initial outbreak cohort and detected persistent antibodies in 479 (99%) without reinfection episodes. Five participants had a negative antibody test. Factors associated with a negative result were a lower body mass index (BMI), and less contact with other COVID-19 cases. Among the 469 participants with two ECLIA tests, 96 (20.5%) had an increase of antibodies and 373 (79.5%) a decline. Increased antibodies were associated with older age, higher BMI, more severe illness, and low current smokers. Our results show that after a COVID-19 infection, a high proportion of cases maintain detectable anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies

Comparative study of obstetric antiphospholipid syndrome (OAPS) and non-criteria obstetric APS (NC-OAPS): report of 1640 cases from the EUROAPS registry

OBJECTIVES: To compare clinical features, laboratory data and fetal-maternal outcomes between 1000 women with obstetric APS (OAPS) and 640 with aPL-related obstetric complications not fulfilling Sydney criteria (non-criteria OAPS, NC-OAPS). METHODS: This was a retrospective and prospective multicentre study from the European Registry on Obstetric Antiphospholipid Syndrome. RESULTS: A total of 1650 women with 5251 episodes, 3601 of which were historical and 1650 latest episodes, were included. Altogether, 1000 cases (OAPS group) fulfilled the Sydney classification criteria and 650 (NC-OAPS group) did not. Ten NC-OAPS cases were excluded for presenting thrombosis during follow-up. All cases were classified as category I (triple positivity or double positivity for aPL) or category II (simple positivity). Overall, aPL laboratory categories showed significant differences: 29.20% in OAPS vs 17.96% in NC-OAPS (P &lt; 0.0001) for category I, and 70.8% in OAPS vs 82% in NC-OAPS (P &lt; 0.0001) for category II. Significant differences were observed when current obstetric complications were compared (P &lt; 0.001). However, major differences between groups were not observed in treatment rates, livebirths and thrombotic complications. In the NC-OAPS group, 176/640 (27.5%) did not fulfil Sydney clinical criteria (subgroup A), 175/640 (27.34%) had a low titre and/or non-persistent aPL positivity but did meet the clinical criteria (subgroup B) and 289/640 (45.15%) had a high aPL titre but did not fulfil Sydney clinical criteria (subgroup C). CONCLUSION: Significant clinical and laboratory differences were found between groups. Fetal-maternal outcomes were similar in both groups when treated. These results suggest that we could improve our clinical practice with better understanding of NC-OAPS patients

HIBISCUS: Hydroxychloroquine for the secondary prevention of thrombotic and obstetrical events in primary antiphospholipid syndrome

International audienceThe relapse rate in antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) remains high, i.e. around 20%–21% at 5 years in thrombotic APS and 20–28% in obstetrical APS [2, 3].Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) appears as an additional therapy, as it possesses immunomodulatory and anti-thrombotic various effects [4–16].Our group recently obtained the orphan designation of HCQ in antiphospholipid syndrome by the European Medicine Agency.Furthermore, the leaders of the project made the proposal of an international project, HIBISCUS, about the use of Hydroxychloroquine in secondary prevention of obstetrical and thrombotic events in primary APS. This study has been launched in several countries and at now, 53 centers from 16 countries participate to this international trial.This trial consists in two parts: a retrospective and a prospective study.The French part of the trial in thrombosis has been granted by the French Minister of Health in December 2015 (the academic trial independent of the pharmaceutical industry PHRC N PAPIRUS) and is coordinated by one of the members of the leading consortium of HIBISCUS