Incremento de peso en pacientes con fibrosis quística: ¿es siempre beneficioso?

Introduction: The primary objective of this study was to find out the prevalence of overweight and obese status, as well as their association to pulmonary function, total cholesterol and vitamin D in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). Materials and methods: This is a multicenter descriptive and cross-sectional study. Twelve Spanish hospitals participated. 451 patients with CF were included. Adults were classified according to body mass index (BMI) and children were classified according to BMI percentiles (WHO tables). Pearson’s correlation, Anova, Student’s t-test and multiple linear regression were conducted. Results: Mean age was 12.3 (range 4-57) years old, 51% were male and 18% had pancreatic sufficiency. Participants were classified in five nutritional status categories: 12% were malnourished; 57%, at nutritional risk; 24%, normally nourished; 6%, overweight; and 1%, obese. Pulmonary function in overweight or obese patients (91 ± 19%) was better than in malnourished patients (77 ± 24%) (p = 0.017). However, no difference was observed between those at nutritional risk (86 ± 19%) or normally nourished (90 ± 22%) groups. Overweight and obese patients had higher levels of total cholesterol (p = 0.0049), a greater proportion of hypercholesterolemia (p = 0.001), as well as lower levels of 25 OH vitamin D (p = 0.058). Conclusions: Prevalence of overweight and obese was 6 and 1%. Excess weight status does not offer any benefit in pulmonary function in comparison to normally nourished patientsIntroducción y objetivos: conocer la prevalencia de sobrepeso y obesidad, así como su asociación con la función pulmonar, el colesterol total y la vitamina D en pacientes con fi brosis quística (FQ). Material y métodos: estudio multicéntrico descriptivo y transversal. Participaron 12 hospitales españoles. Fueron incluidos 451 pacientes con FQ, clasifi cados según el índice de masa corporal (IMC) en adultos y el IMC percentilado (tablas OMS) en niños. Análisis estadístico: C.Pearson, Anova, t de Student y regresión lineal múltiple. Resultados: la mediana de edad fue 12,3 (rango 4-57) años. Un 51% eran varones y el 18%, sufi cientes pancreáticos (SP). El 12% estaba desnutrido; el 57%, en riesgo nutricional; el 24%, normonutrido; el 6% presentaba sobrepeso; y un 1%, obesidad. La función pulmonar en los pacientes con sobrepeso (91 ± 19%) era mejor que en los desnutridos (77 ± 24%) (p = 0,017), sin embargo, no se observaron diferencias con respecto a los que estaban en riesgo nutricional (86 ± 19%) o normonutridos (90 ± 22%). Los pacientes con sobrepeso tenían más elevado el colesterol total (p = 0,0049), mayor proporción de hipercolesterolemia (p = 0,001), así como niveles más bajos de 25 OH vitamina D (p = 0,058). Conclusiones: la prevalencia de sobrepeso y obesidad fue del 6 y el 1%. El sobrepeso y la obesidad no ofrecen benefi cio sobre la función pulmonar en comparación con los normonutrido

Vitamin d and chronic lung colonization in pediatric and young adults cystic fibrosis patients

Introducción y objetivos: conocer la situación en la que se encuentran los pacientes con fibrosis quística en relación con sus niveles de vitamina D y su asociación con las colonizaciones pulmonares crónicas. Material y métodos: estudio multicéntrico transversal. Participaron 12 hospitales nacionales. De noviembre a abril del 2012 al 2014 se incluyeron 377 pacientes con fibrosis quística. Se consideraron insuficientes niveles de vitamina D < 30 ng/ml. Presentar al menos dos cultivos positivos en el último año fue considerado un criterio de colonización crónica. Resultados: los pacientes tenían una mediana de edad de 8,9 años (2 meses—20 años). Un 65% presentaban niveles insuficientes de vitamina D. Se observó una correlación inversa entre edad y niveles de vitamina D (r = -0,20 p < 0,001). Los diagnosticados por cribado eran más jóvenes y tenían niveles de vitamina D más altos. Los niveles de vitamina D presentaron una correlación inversa con el número de colonizaciones pulmonares (r = -0,16 p = 0,0015). Ajustando por edad, función pancreática y diagnóstico mediante cribado, la colonización por S. Aureus en menores de seis años y por Pseudomonas sp. en los mayores de esa edad, incrementaban el riesgo de presentar niveles insuficientes de vitamina D: OR 3,17 (IC95% 1,32-7,61) (p=0,010) y OR 3,77 (IC95% 1,37- 10,37)(p = 0,010), respectivamente. Conclusiones: a pesar de una suplementación adecuada, más de la mitad de nuestros pacientes no alcanzan niveles óptimos de vitamina D. La colonización crónica por Pseudomonas sp. en escolares y adolescentes y por S. Aureus en lactantes y preescolares se asocia de forma independiente con la deficiencia de vitamina D.Introduction and objectives: evaluate vitamin D status and its association with chronic lung colonisation in Cystic Fibrosis patients. Material and methods: descriptive cross-sectional multicenter study. From November 2012 to April 2014, at 12 national hospitals, 377 patients with Cystic Fibrosis were included. Vitamin D levels < 30 ng/ml were classified as insufficient. Chronic colonisation was considered if they had at least two positive cultures in the past year. Results: the median age was 8.9 years (2 months to 20 years). 65% had insufficient levels of vitamin D. There was an inverse correlation between age and vitamin D levels (r = -0.20 p < 0.001). Those diagnosed by screening, were younger and had higher levels of vitamin D. There was an inverse correlation between the number of colonisations and vitamin D levels (r = -0.16 p = 0.0015). Adjusting for age, pancreatic status and diagnosis by screening, colonization by S. aureus in <6 years and Pseudomonas sp. in > 6 years, increased the risk of insufficient levels of vitamin D: OR 3.17 (95% CI 1.32 to 7.61) (p = 0.010) and OR 3.77 (95% CI 1.37 to 10 , 37) (p = 0.010), respectively. Conclusions: despite adequate supplementation, more than half of our patients did not achieve optimal levels of vitamin D. Regardless of age, diagnosis by screening or pancreatic status, chronic colonization by Pseudomonas sp. in children and adolescents and S. Aureus in infants and preschoolars increases the risk of developing vitamin D deficiency in these patients.S

Multiancestry analysis of the HLA locus in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases uncovers a shared adaptive immune response mediated by HLA-DRB1*04 subtypes

Across multiancestry groups, we analyzed Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) associations in over 176,000 individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) versus controls. We demonstrate that the two diseases share the same protective association at the HLA locus. HLA-specific fine-mapping showed that hierarchical protective effects of HLA-DRB1*04 subtypes best accounted for the association, strongest with HLA-DRB1*04:04 and HLA-DRB1*04:07, and intermediary with HLA-DRB1*04:01 and HLA-DRB1*04:03. The same signal was associated with decreased neurofibrillary tangles in postmortem brains and was associated with reduced tau levels in cerebrospinal fluid and to a lower extent with increased Aβ42. Protective HLA-DRB1*04 subtypes strongly bound the aggregation-prone tau PHF6 sequence, however only when acetylated at a lysine (K311), a common posttranslational modification central to tau aggregation. An HLA-DRB1*04-mediated adaptive immune response decreases PD and AD risks, potentially by acting against tau, offering the possibility of therapeutic avenues

Original Communication - Capillaroscopy in Fabry disease: Study of a family

Background: Nail bed capillaroscopy represents a simple and innocuous diagnosis method, used in vasculitis or collagen diseases. In Fabry disease (FD), there is a vasculopathy due to the storage of globotriaosylceramide. This is the first series that studies capillaroscopy in FD. Objective: To describe and evaluate the capillary findings in Fabry patients. Materials and Methods: Eight Fabry patients were selected; five were under enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) with agalsidase-A. Results: In three patients (under ERT), the capillaroscopy showed no abnormalities; two patients had absence of some capillaries (one with ERT); in three (one with ERT) the capillaroscopy revealed ramification of capillaries. Patients with normal capillaroscopy had no symptom of acroparesthesia for more than a year. Conclusions: Capillaroscopy is a good method to evaluate small vessels in FD and seems to have a correlation with ERT benefits, clinical manifestations and capillary findings. We purpose to use the capillaroscopy in the study of Fabry patients

Successful restoration of corneal surface integrity with a tissue-engineered allogeneic implant in severe keratitis patients

Objectives: Corneal diseases are among the main causes of blindness, with approximately 4.6 and 23 million patients worldwide suffering from bilateral and unilateral corneal blindness, respectively. The standard treatment for severe corneal diseases is corneal transplantation. However, relevant disadvantages, particularly in high-risk conditions, have focused the attention on the search for alternatives. Methods: We report interim findings of a phase I-II clinical study evaluating the safety and preliminary efficacy of a tissue-engineered corneal substitute composed of a nanostructured fibrin-agarose biocompatible scaffold combined with allogeneic corneal epithelial and stromal cells (NANOULCOR). 5 subjects (5 eyes) suffering from trophic corneal ulcers refractory to conventional treatments, who combined stromal degradation or fibrosis and limbal stem cell deficiency, were included and treated with this allogeneic anterior corneal substitute. Results: The implant completely covered the corneal surface, and ocular surface inflammation decreased following surgery. Only four adverse reactions were registered, and none of them were severe. No detachment, ulcer relapse nor surgical re-interventions were registered after 2 years of follow-up. No signs of graft rejection, local infection or corneal neovascularization were observed either. Efficacy was measured as a significant postoperative improvement in terms of the eye complication grading scales. Anterior segment optical coherence tomography images revealed a more homogeneous and stable ocular surface, with complete scaffold degradation occurring within 3–12 weeks after surgery. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that the surgical application of this allogeneic anterior human corneal substitute is feasible and safe, showing partial efficacy in the restoration of the corneal surface

A study protocol for a multicentre randomised clinical trial evaluating the safety and feasibility of a bioengineered human allogeneic nanostructured anterior cornea in patients with advanced corneal trophic ulcers refractory to conventional treatment

Introduction: There is a need to find alternatives to the use of human donor corneas in transplants because of the limited availability of donor organs, the incidence of graft complications, as well as the inability to successfully perform corneal transplant in patients presenting limbal deficiency, neo-vascularized or thin corneas, etc. We have designed a clinical trial to test a nanostructured fibrin-agarose corneal substitute combining allogeneic cells that mimics the anterior human native cornea in terms of optical, mechanical and biological behaviour. Methods and analysis This is a phase I-II, randomised, controlled, open-label clinical trial, currently ongoing in ten Spanish hospitals, to evaluate the safety and feasibility, as well as clinical efficacy evidence, of this bioengineered human corneal substitute in adults with severe trophic corneal ulcers refractory to conventional treatment, or with sequelae of previous ulcers. In the initial phase of the trial (n=5), patients were sequentially recruited, with a safety period of 45 days, receiving the bioengineered corneal graft. In the second phase of the trial (currently ongoing), subjects are block randomised (2:1) to receive either the corneal graft (n=10), or amniotic membrane (n=5), as the control treatment. Adverse events, implant status, infection signs and induced neovascularization are evaluated as determinants of safety and feasibility of the bioengineered graft (main outcomes). Study endpoints are measured along a follow-up period of 24 months, including 27 post-implant assessment visits according to a decreasing frequency. Intention to treat, and per protocol, and safety analysis will be performed. Ethics and dissemination The trial protocol received written approval by the corresponding Ethics Committee and the Spanish Regulatory Authority and is currently recruiting subjects. On completion of the trial, manuscripts with the results of phases I and II of the study will be published in a peer-reviewed journal. Trial registration CT.gov identifier: NCT01765244 (Jan2013). EudraCT number: 2010-024290-40 (Dec2012)

Molecular Epidemiology of Influenza A/H3N2 Viruses Circulating in Mexico from 2003 to 2012

<div><p>In this work, nineteen influenza A/H3N2 viruses isolated in Mexico between 2003 and 2012 were studied. Our findings show that different human A/H3N2 viral lineages co-circulate within a same season and can also persist locally in between different influenza seasons, increasing the chance for genetic reassortment events. A novel minor cluster was also identified, named here as Korea, that circulated worldwide during 2003. Frequently, phylogenetic characterization did not correlate with the determined antigenic identity, supporting the need for the use of molecular evolutionary tools additionally to antigenic data for the surveillance and characterization of viral diversity during each flu season. This work represents the first long-term molecular epidemiology study of influenza A/H3N2 viruses in Mexico based on the complete genomic sequences and contributes to the monitoring of evolutionary trends of A/H3N2 influenza viruses within North and Central America.</p></div