Ecotoxicology in tropical regions

Miocardiopatía dilatada en una niña con epidermólisis ampollar distrófica recesiva

Publication date: Available online 23 April 2018
Source:Actas Dermo-Sifiliográficas
Author(s): A. Imbernón-Moya, R. Maseda-Pedrero, M. Feito, R. de Lucas

Rosácea papulopustulosa: respuesta al tratamiento con azitromicina oral

Publication date: Available online 23 April 2018
Source:Actas Dermo-Sifiliográficas
Author(s): M. Lova Navarro, P. Sánchez-Pedreño Guillen, A.M. Victoria Martínez, T. Martínez Menchón, R. Corbalán Vélez, J. Frías Iniesta
IntroducciónEl tratamiento de la rosácea papulopustulosa (RPP) ha consistido durante años en el uso de tetraciclinas orales y antibióticos tópicos. Pero no es infrecuente encontrar casos de RPP resistentes al tratamiento convencional. Azitromicina oral ha demostrado ser una opción eficaz para estos pacientes no respondedores.Material y métodoSe realizó un estudio piloto prospectivo con 16 pacientes con RPP no respondedores al tratamiento convencional (doxiciclina oral y metronidazol gel) que recibieron tratamiento con azitromicina oral. En la visita inicial (visita 1) se realizó una valoración basal del estadio clínico de la RPP, según 4 niveles de gravedad progresiva, y se inició tratamiento con azitromicina oral. A las 8 semanas de finalizar el tratamiento (visita 2) se evaluó la respuesta clínica según 3 niveles de mejoría respecto al estadio clínico basal. Posteriormente, para evaluar la eficacia de azitromicina oral a largo plazo, se realizaron visitas periódicas cada 12 semanas.ResultadosTodos los pacientes que recibieron tratamiento con azitromicina oral mejoraron de su RPP. A las 8 semanas de finalizar el tratamiento se objetivó un eritema facial residual débil o nulo, con desaparición completa de las pápulas y/o pústulas en el 87,5% de los pacientes. En cuanto al mantenimiento de la eficacia a largo plazo, únicamente 2 pacientes presentaron una recidiva de lesiones inflamatorias de RPP.ConclusionesLos resultados de nuestro estudio evidencian que azitromicina oral podría ser un fármaco de gran eficacia a corto y largo plazo para el manejo de aquellos casos de RPP resistentes al tratamiento convencional.IntroductionOral tetracyclines and topical antibiotics have been used to treat papulopustular rosacea (PPR) for years, but it is not uncommon to find patients who do not respond to this standard treatment. In such refractory cases, oral azithromycin has proven to be an effective option.Material and methodWe conducted a prospective pilot study of 16 patients with PPR who were treated with oral azithromycin after a lack of response to oral doxycycline and metronidazole gel. At the first visit, the patients were assessed for baseline severity of PPR on a 4-point clinical scale and started on oral azithromycin. At the second visit, response to treatment in terms of improvement from baseline was evaluated on a 3-point scale. Patients were then scheduled for follow-up visits every 12 weeks to assess long-term effectiveness.ResultsAll 16 patients experienced an improvement in their PPR following treatment with oral azithromycin. Eight weeks after completion of treatment, 14 patients (87.5%) showed complete or almost complete recovery (slight or no residual redness and complete clearance of papules and pustules). Only 2 patients experienced a new episode of inflammatory PPR lesions during follow-up.ConclusionsThe findings of this pilot study suggest that oral azithromycin could be a very effective short-term and long-term treatment for RPP resistant to conventional treatment.

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Prenatal Exposure to Acetaminophen and Risk for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Autistic Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis, and Meta-Regression Analysis of Cohort Studies

Abstract

Acetaminophen is the most commonly used analgesic and antipyretic during pregnancy. Evidence of neuro-disruptive properties is accumulating. Therefore, we sought to evaluate the risk for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) in the offspring of women exposed to acetaminophen during pregnancy. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane up to January 2017. Data were independently extracted and assessed by two researchers. Seven eligible retrospective cohorts included 132,738 mother and child pairs and with a follow-up period of 3-11 years. Pooled risk ratio (RR) for ADHD was (RR=1.32, 95% CI 1.18,1.45, I²=61%), for ASD (RR=1.23, 95% CI1.13,1.32, I²=17%), and for hyperactivity symptoms (RR=1.23, 95% CI 1.01,1.49, I²=94%). In meta-regression analysis, the association between exposure and ADHD increased with childs' age upon follow-up and with the mean duration of exposure (β=0.0354, 95% CI 0.001,0.07), (β=0.006, 95% CI 0.009,0.01). The available data is of observational nature only. Studies differed gravely in exposure and outcome assessment. Acetaminophen use during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk for ADHD, ASD and hyperactivity symptoms. These findings are concerning, however, results should be interpreted with caution as the available evidence consists of observational studies and susceptible to several potential sources of bias.

Real World Evidence for Regulatory Decisions: Concomitant Administration of Zoster Vaccine Live and Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccine

Abstract

The US Food and Drug Administration is charged with expanding the use of real world evidence (RWE) for regulatory decisions. As a test case for RWE to support regulatory decisions, we present the scenario of concomitant vaccination with zoster vaccine live (ZVL) and 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23). The prescribing information states that these vaccines should not be given concurrently, based on a small trial using varicella zoster virus antibody levels as a correlate of ZVL efficacy, even though ZVL protects against herpes zoster via cell-mediated immunity. We conducted an observational cohort study involving >30,000 members of Kaiser Permanente Southern California receiving concomitant ZVL and PPSV23 versus PPSV23 prior to ZVL. Occurrence of herpes zoster was assessed through electronic health records from January 1, 2007 to June 30, 2016. The adjusted hazard ratio comparing incidence rates of herpes zoster in the concomitant vaccination cohort and the prior vaccination cohort was 1.04 (95% CI: 0.92, 1.16). This RWE study provides direct evidence for a lack of vaccine interference, relying on herpes zoster occurrence rather than an intermediate marker of immunity. RWE is essential for regulators and policy makers in addressing evidentiary gaps regarding safety, effectiveness, compliance, and vaccine interactions for the new recombinant zoster vaccine.

Moderators of angiogenesis in muscle flaps: a non-randomised animal study

A muscle flap can survive a pedicle injury under favourable conditions. In the reconstruction of compound limb injuries, the wound milieu is variable and may affect the rate and manner of neovascularisation. Our aim is to determine the effect of some key clinical variables on neovascularisation in muscle flaps in an animal model.

Non-invasive bioluminescence imaging as a standardized assessment measure in mouse models of dermal inflammation

Myeloperoxidase is used as a marker and diagnostic tool for inflammatory processes. Hypochlorous acid produced by myeloperoxidase oxidizes luminol to produce light. By injecting luminol into experimental animals, inflammatory processes can be tracked in real-time by bioluminescence imaging (BLI).

Bepotastine besilate downregulates the expression of nerve elongation factors in normal human epidermal keratinocytes

H1-antihistamines are used as the first choice of medication for pruritus and inflammation resulting from allergic diseases such as urticaria. Second-generation H1-antihistamines (e.g. bepotastine) hardly penetrate the blood-brain barrier, and thus exhibit only mild sedative effects or are non-sedating [1,2]. These agents have both antihistamine and antiallergic effects, such as suppressing the release of chemical mediators by stabilizing mast cells [3]. Recently, it was reported that some second-generation H1-antihistamines have beneficial effects on pruritus in atopic dermatitis (AD) patients [4].

Red meat and processed meat intake and risk of cutaneous melanoma in white women and men: Two prospective cohort studies

Epidemiological studies investigating red and processed meat intake and melanoma have been limited and inconclusive., We found an inverse association between red and processed meat intake and melanoma., Because processed meat and potentially red meat may contain carcinogens, our findings need to be replicated in other populations.

Subcutaneous Infiltration of Carbon Dioxide (Carboxytherapy) for Abdominal Fat Reduction: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Patients have shown an increasing preference for more non-invasive fat reduction options. Five weeks after study initiation and one week after the fifth treatment session, carboxytherapy reduced abdominal fat more than sham treatment, but there was no difference at 28 weeks. This study showed only a transient benefit for carboxytherapy.

Novel sequencing technologies to support industrial biotechnology

Abstract

Industrial biotechnology develops and applies microorganisms for the production of bioproducts and enzymes with applications ranging from food and feed ingredients and processing to bio-based chemicals, biofuels and pharmaceutical products. Next generation DNA sequencing technologies play an increasingly important role in improving and accelerating microbial strain development for existing and novel bio-products via screening, gene and pathway discovery, metabolic engineering, and additional optimization and understanding of large-scale manufacturing. In this mini-review, we describe novel DNA sequencing and analysis technologies with a focus on applications to industrial strain development, enzyme discovery and microbial community analysis.

Microbial communities in bakken region produced water

Abstract

The Bakken Shale has become one of the United States' most important oil and gas producing regions. This study examined the microbiology and geochemical characteristics of Bakken region produced water from 17 well sites sampled from the three-phase separator and produced water holding tank over a six-month time frame. Produced water samples had high total dissolved solids (TDS) (220,000 mg/L – 350,000 mg/L) and low dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations (41 mg/L – 132 mg/L). Microbial abundances varied between 101–104 16S rRNA gene copies/mL, approximately four orders of magnitude below those observed for produced waters from other hydraulic fracturing regions. The most abundant bacterial orders found in produced water samples were Bacillales, Halanaerobiales, and Pseudomonadales, consistent with observations from other unconventional resource plays. Our observations suggest temporal community structuring, as produced waters sampled early in our sampling period were dominated by Halanaerobiales, and produced waters sampled at the remaining winter sampling time points were characterized by high relative abundances of Bacillales and Pseudomonadales. Data from this study extends the current available knowledge of the microbiology and chemistry associated with produced water from the Bakken region and provides insights into microbial community dynamics in hypersaline subsurface fluids.

High removal performance of a magnetic FPA90-Cl anion resin for bromate and coexisting precursors: kinetics, thermodynamics, and equilibrium studies

Abstract

In this study, the FPA90-Cl resin was magnetized with supported Fe₃O₄ particles using a chemical co-precipitation method and its removal performance of bromate and coexisting precursors was explored. The magnetized FPA90-Cl resin was structurally characterized by SEM, FT-IR, and XRD. The effects of the initial concentrations, temperature, and resin dosage on bromate and bromide ion removal in drinking water were investigated using batch experiments. The magnetized FPA90-Cl resin exhibited a high removal efficiency for bromate and bromide ions at three initial concentrations, and the residual bromate concentrations were under the maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 10 μg L⁻¹ after 80 min. The adsorption data of bromate and bromide ion could be well described by a pseudo-first-order kinetic model (R² ˃ 0.98). The bromate removal alone was further studied by varying the initial solution pH, temperature, and competitive anions. The results showed that the magnetized FPA90-Cl resin could be used over a wide pH range (4.0–9.0). The maximum sorption capacity of the magnetized FPA90-Cl resin for bromate reached 132.83 mg g⁻¹ at 298 K. The Freundlich and Redlich-Peterson isotherm models fit the bromate adsorption equilibrium better (R² ˃ 0.99) than the Langmuir isotherm model (R² ˃ 0.98). The thermodynamic analysis showed that the bromate adsorption process was endothermic. The negative ΔG and positive ΔS indicated that the process was spontaneous and that randomness increased after adsorption, respectively. The competition of coexisting anions with bromate was in the order of SO₄²⁻ > CO₃²⁻ > Cl⁻ > NO₃⁻ > HCO₃⁻ > PO₄³⁻. Additionally, the magnetized FPA90-Cl resin could maintain a high bromate and bromide ion adsorption capacity after five cycles of regeneration by a 0.1 M NaCl solution.

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Chronische myeloische Leukämie

Zusammenfassung

Die Einführung des Tyrosinkinaseinhibitors (TKI) Imatinib verbesserte die Prognose bei chronischer myeloischer Leukämie (CML) erheblich. Mit den Zweitgenerationsinhibitoren Nilotinib, Dasatinib und Bosutinib werden im Vergleich zu Imatinib raschere und tiefere molekulare Remissionen mit verändertem Nebenwirkungsprofil erzielt. Lang andauernde, behandlungsfreie Remissionen bei einer steigenden Zahl von Patienten verstärken die Hoffnung auf eine Heilbarkeit der CML. Entscheidend ist ein konsequentes zytogenetisches und molekulares Follow-up der CML-Patienten mit standardisierten Methoden, um den Remissionsstatus regelmäßig zu überprüfen. Der Einsatz von Interferon-α parallel zu oder nach einer TKI-Therapie geht mit der Induktion einer Immunantwort gegen den leukämischen Klon einher, was die Remissionsrate weiter erhöht. Ein neuer allosterischer Kinaseinhibitor (Asciminib) könnte die CML-Therapie künftig weiter verbessern.