SARS-CoV-2 Serum Viral Load and Prognostic Markers Proposal for COVID-19 Pneumonia in Low-Dose Radiation Therapy Treated Patients.

Several studies have shown that the plasma RNA of SARS-CoV-2 seems to be associated with a worse prognosis of COVID-19. In the present study, we investigated plasma RNA in COVID-19 patients treated with low-dose radiotherapy to determine its prognostic value. Data were collected from the IPACOVID prospective clinical trial (NCT04380818). The study included 46 patients with COVID-19 pneumonia treated with a whole-lung dose of 0.5 Gy. Clinical follow-up, as well as laboratory variables, and SARS-CoV-2 serum viral load, were analyzed before LDRT, at 24 h, and one week after treatment. The mean age of the patients was 85 years, and none received any of the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine doses. The mortality ratio during the course of treatment was 33%. RT-qPCR showed amplification in 23 patients. Higher mortality rate was associated with detectable viremia. Additionally, C-reactive protein, lactate dehydrogenase, and aspartate aminotransferase were significant risk factors associated with COVID-19 mortality. Our present findings show that detectable SARS-CoV-2 plasma viremia 24 h before LDRT is significantly associated with increased mortality rates post-treatment, thus downsizing the treatment success.

Gradient Boosting Machine Identified Predictive Variables for Breast Cancer Patients Pre- and Post-Radiotherapy: Preliminary Results of an 8-Year Follow-Up Study.

Radiotherapy (RT) is part of the standard treatment of breast cancer (BC) because of its effects on relapse reduction and survival. However, response to treatment is highly variable, and some patients may develop disease progression (DP), a second primary cancer, or may succumb to the disease. Antioxidant systems and inflammatory processes are associated with the onset and development of BC and play a role in resistance to treatment. Here, we report our investigation into the clinical evolution of BC patients, and the impact of RT on the circulating levels of the antioxidant enzyme paraoxonase-1 (PON1), cytokines, and other standard biochemical and hematological variables. Gradient Boosting Machine (GBM) algorithm was used to identify predictive variables. This was a retrospective study in 237 patients with BC. Blood samples were obtained pre- and post-RT, with samples of healthy women used as control subjects. Results showed that 24 patients had DP eight years post-RT, and eight patients developed a second primary tumor. The algorithm identified interleukin-4 and total lymphocyte counts as the most relevant indices discriminating between BC patients and control subjects, while neutrophils, total leukocytes, eosinophils, very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and PON1 activity were potential predictors of fatal outcome.

Effect of Low-Dose Radiotherapy on the Circulating Levels of Paraoxonase-1-Related Variables and Markers of Inflammation in Patients with COVID-19 Pneumonia.

The aim of our study was to investigate the changes produced by low-dose radiotherapy (LDRT) in the circulating levels of the antioxidant enzyme paraoxonase-1 (PON1) and inflammatory markers in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia treated with LDRT and their interactions with clinical and radiological changes. Data were collected from the IPACOVID prospective clinical trial (NCT04380818). The study included 30 patients treated with a whole-lung dose of 0.5 Gy. Clinical follow-up, as well as PON1-related variables, cytokines, and radiological parameters were analyzed before LDRT, at 24 h, and 1 week after treatment. Twenty-five patients (83.3%) survived 1 week after LDRT. Respiratory function and radiological images improved in survivors. Twenty-four hours after LDRT, PON1 concentration significantly decreased, while transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-ß1) increased with respect to baseline. One week after LDRT, patients had increased PON1 activities and lower PON1 and TGF-ß1 concentrations compared with 24 h after LDRT, PON1 specific activity increased, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and C-reactive protein (CRP) decreased, and CD4+ and CD8+ cells increased after one week. Our results highlight the benefit of LDRT in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia and it might be mediated, at least in part, by an increase in serum PON1 activity at one week and an increase in TGF-ß1 concentrations at 24 h.

Efecto antibacteriano del extracto etanólico de Camellia sinensis y propóleo, frente a cepas de Streptococcus mutans / Antibacterial effect of the ethanolic extract of Camellia sinensis and propolis, against strains of Streptococcus mutans

Objetivo. Determinar el efecto antibacteriano del extracto etanólico del té verde (Camellia sinensis) y propóleo a una concentración de 10, 20 y 30% a las 24 y 48 horas sobre Streptococcus mutans. Métodos. Estudio experimental, in vitro, comparativo, con muestra no probabilística de 150 discos de papel, distribuidos en 30 placas Petri previamente preparadas con agar sangre e inoculadas con cepas de Streptococcus mutans, se colocaron tres discos embebidos en extracto etanólico al 10, 20 y 30%, un disco en clorhexidina 0,12% (control positivo) y un disco en agua destilada, fueron llevadas a la incubadora y pasadas las 24 horas y 48 horas se midieron los correspondientes halos de inhibición. Los extractos se obtuvieron mediante un proceso de maceración modificado, en aparato de agitación rotatorio. Resultados. El mayor halo inhibitorio del extracto etanólico de Camellia sinensis (C. sinensis) frente a Streptococcus mutans fue en la concentración al 30% a las 24 h y 48 h, mientras que el mayor halo inhibitorio del extracto etanólico de propóleo, fue en la concentración al 30% a las 24 h, por lo tanto, los extractos naturales mostraron ser sensibles en la escala de Duraffourd. Conclusiones. Se evidenció que el propóleo al 30% mostró un efecto antibacteriano similar a la clorhexidina, considerada gold estándar, el tiempo en el que existió mayor efecto antibacteriano del extracto etanólico de C. sinensis y propóleo frente a Streptococcus mutans, fue a las 24 horas, el diámetro de los halos inhibitorios disminuyó, conforme aumentó el tiempo de exposición al microorganismo.

Objective. To determine the antibacterial effect of the ethanolic extract of green tea (Camellia sinensis) and propolis at a concentration of 10, 20 and 30% at 24 and 48 hours on Streptococcus mutans. Methods. Experimental, in vitro, comparative study, with a non-probabilistic sample of 150 paper discs, distributed in 30 Petri dishes previously prepared with blood agar and inoculated with strains of Streptococcus mutans, were placed 3 discs soaked in ethanolic extract at 10, 20 and 30%, 1 disk in 0.12% chlorhexidine (positive control) and 1 disk in distilled water, they were taken to the incubator and after 24 hours and 48 hours the measurements corresponding to the inhibition halos were made. The extracts were gotten by a modified maceration process, in a rotary stirring apparatus. Results. The highest inhibitory halo of the ethanolic extract of C. sinensis against Streptococcus mutans was in the concentration at 30% at 24 h and 48 h, while the highest inhibitory halo of the ethanolic extract of propolis, was in the concentration at 30% at 24 h; therefore, the natural extracts showed to be sensitive on the Duraffourd scale. Conclusions. It was evidenced that 30% propolis showed an antibacterial effect similar to chlorhexidine, considered gold standard, the time in which there was a greater antibacterial effect of the ethanolic extract of Camellia Sinensis and propolis against Streptococcus mutans, was at 24 hours, taking into account that the diameter of the inhibitory halos decreased, as the exposure time to the microorganism increased

Identification of potential metabolic biomarkers of rectal cancer and of the effect of neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy.

We report a pilot study on the feasibility of determinations of circulating levels of paraoxonase-1 (PON1) and compounds related to energy metabolism as biomarkers for the evaluation of patients with rectal cancer (RC), and the effects produced by neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy (NRCT). We studied 32 patients treated with radiotherapy plus capecitabine concomitant chemotherapy and 48 control subjects. We identified pre-NRCT PON1 and α-ketoglutarate as the parameters that best discriminated between RC patients and the control group. Receiver operating characteristics analysis of the combination of the two parameters showed an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.918. Moreover, patients who presented a pathological complete response (pCR) to treatment had lower plasma pre-NRCT valine concentrations (AUC of 0.826). Patients who had a relapse had lower concentrations of succinate (AUC of 0.833). The results of the present study illustrate the usefulness of investigating alterations in oxidative stress and metabolism in RC. Due to the small number of patients studied, our results must be considered preliminary, but they suggest that the determination of circulating levels of PON1 and α-ketoglutarate might be a valuable tool for the early diagnosis of RC, while the determination of valine and succinate might effectively predict pCR and the appearance of relapse.

[Phenotypic and molecular characterization of a Colombian family with phenylketonuria].

INTRODUCTION: Phenylketonuria is a metabolic disorder characterized by severe neurological involvement and behavioral disorder, whose early diagnosis enables an effective treatment to avoid disease sequelae, thus changing the prognosis. Objective: To characterize a family with phenylketonuria in Colombia at clinical, biochemical and molecular levels. Materials and methods: The population consisted of seven individuals of a consanguineous family with four children with suggestive symptoms of phenylketonuria. After signing an informed consent, blood and urine samples were taken for colorimetric tests and high performance liquid and thin layer chromatographies. DNA extraction and sequencing of the 13 exons of the PAH gene were performed in all subjects. We designed primers for each exon with the Primer 3 software using automatic sequencing equipment Abiprism 3100 Avant. Sequences were analyzed using the SeqScape, v2.0, software. Results: We described the clinical and molecular characteristics of a Colombian family with phenylketonuria and confirmed the presence of the mutation c.398_401delATCA. We established a genotype-phenotype correlation, highlighting the interesting clinical variability found among the affected patients despite having the same mutation in all of them. Conclusions: Early recognition of this disease is very important to prevent its neurological and psychological sequelae, given that patients reach old age without diagnosis or proper management.

Prevalencia de las cardiopatías congénitas en un hospital de la ciudad de Manizales, Colombia, años 2000 y 2008 / Prevalence of congenital heart disease in a hospital from Manizales, Colombia between 2000 and 2008

Objetivo: Identificar la prevalencia, la edad al momento del diagnóstico, la prevalencia según el género, determinar los métodos diagnósticos más utilizados, el tratamiento recibido, y la evolución de los pacientes hospitalizados por cardiopatías congénitas en el Hospital Infantil Universitario “Rafael Henao Toro” de la ciudad de Manizales (Colombia).Materiales y métodos: Se realizó un estudio de corte transversal en el cual se analizaron, desde agosto de 2008 hasta febrero de 2009, 105 historias clínicas de pacientes diagnosticados con cardiopatías congénitas entre los años 2000 y 2008.Resultados: De 105 pacientes, 51.4 porciento eran de género femenino; 67.6% provenían de área urbana; la mayor prevalencia se dio en comunicación interauricular 48.6%; en el 99.0% de los casos se usó la ecocardiografia bidimensional como método diagnóstico paraclínico; el 28.6 por ciento usó la furosemida como tratamiento médico. La población presentó una sobrevida del 87.6 por ciento.Conclusiones: Este estudio mostró que las cardiopatías congénitas de mayor prevalecía fueron comunicación interauricular 48.6 por ciento y comunicación intraventricular (46.7 por ciento), y en el género femenino 51.4 por ciento...