A Novel Neuraminidase Virus-Like Particle Vaccine Offers Protection Against Heterologous H3N2 Influenza Virus Infection in the Porcine Model.

Influenza A viruses (IAVs) pose a global health threat, contributing to hundreds of thousands of deaths and millions of hospitalizations annually. The two major surface glycoproteins of IAVs, hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA), are important antigens in eliciting neutralizing antibodies and protection against disease. However, NA is generally ignored in the formulation and development of influenza vaccines. In this study, we evaluate the immunogenicity and efficacy against challenge of a novel NA virus-like particles (VLPs) vaccine in the porcine model. We developed an NA2 VLP vaccine containing the NA protein from A/Perth/16/2009 (H3N2) and the matrix 1 (M1) protein from A/MI/73/2015, formulated with a water-in-oil-in-water adjuvant. Responses to NA2 VLPs were compared to a commercial adjuvanted quadrivalent whole inactivated virus (QWIV) swine IAV vaccine. Animals were prime boost vaccinated 21 days apart and challenged four weeks later with an H3N2 swine IAV field isolate, A/swine/NC/KH1552516/2016. Pigs vaccinated with the commercial QWIV vaccine demonstrated high hemagglutination inhibition (HAI) titers but very weak anti-NA antibody titers and subsequently undetectable NA inhibition (NAI) titers. Conversely, NA2 VLP vaccinated pigs demonstrated undetectable HAI titers but high anti-NA antibody titers and NAI titers. Post-challenge, NA2 VLPs and the commercial QWIV vaccine showed similar reductions in virus replication, pulmonary neutrophilic infiltration, and lung inflammation compared to unvaccinated controls. These data suggest that anti-NA immunity following NA2 VLP vaccination offers comparable protection to QWIV swine IAV vaccines inducing primarily anti-HA responses.

Diabetes tipo 2, síndrome metabólico y factores asociados en la ciudad de La Paz - Bolivia / Type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome and associated factors in the city of La Paz Bolivia

OBJETIVO: Determinar la prevalencia de diabetes tipo 2, síndrome metabólico, sobrepeso, obesidad, riesgo de diabetes tipo 2 y factores asociados en comerciantes de cinco mercados populares de la ciudad de La Paz, gestión 2017. MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: Estudio transversal analítico, en comerciantes de un mercado por cada red urbana de salud, de ambos sexos y con edad mayor o igual a 18 años. En 4 de los 5 mercados se trabajó con la totalidad de la población, en la red 1 se calculó una muestra de 273. Las mediciones que se tomaron fueron datos generales, test de FINDRISC, antropometría, pruebas laboratoriales, presión arterial y recordatorio de 24 horas. RESULTADOS: Se obtuvo la información de 807 comerciantes, con edad de 49.21±14.2 años, el 90.42% mujeres, la prevalencia de diabetes fue 19.5%, síndrome metabólico 47%, sobrepeso 37.5%, obesidad 41.7%; riesgo de tener diabetes en 10 años es del 32.7%, de fumar por lo menos 1 cigarrillo al día, durante los últimos 6 meses es del 12.7% en mujeres y del 25.3% en varones; de consumo de riesgo de alcohol es del 20.8%, de sedentarismo del 58.6%; la dieta en mujeres es hipercalórica, hiperlipídica e hiperglusídica.CONCLUSIONES: La prevalencia de diabetes es 3 veces mayor al estimado del 2015 para Bolivia, la de síndrome metabólico más alta que la estimada en Sudamérica; los hábitos de vida son inadecuados y de riesgo.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, overweight, obesity, risk of type 2 diabetes and associated factors in merchants of five popular markets in the city of La Paz, management 2017. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Analytical cross-sectional study of merchants in one market for each urban health network, of both sexes and aged 18 years or older. In 4 of the 5 markets we worked with the entire population, in network 1 a sample of 273 was calculated. The measurements that were taken were general data, FINDRISC test, anthropometry, laboratory tests, blood pressure and 24 recall hours. RESULTS: Information was obtained from 807 merchants, aged 49.21 ± 14.2 years, 90.42% women, the prevalence of diabetes was 19.5%, metabolic syndrome 47%, overweight 37.5%, obesity 41.7%; risk of having diabetes in 10 years is 32.7%, of smoking at least 1 cigarette a day, during the last 6 months it is 12.7% in women and 25.3% in men; risk consumption of alcohol is 20.8%, sedentary lifestyle is 58.6%; the diet in women is hypercaloric, hyperlipidic and hyperglusidic. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of diabetes is 3 times higher than the 2015 estimate for Bolivia, the metabolic syndrome prevalence higher than that estimated in South America; lifestyle habits are inappropriate and risky.

Novel Vaccine Technologies in Veterinary Medicine: A Herald to Human Medicine Vaccines.

The success of inactivated and live-attenuated vaccines has enhanced livestock productivity, promoted food security, and attenuated the morbidity and mortality of several human, animal, and zoonotic diseases. However, these traditional vaccine technologies are not without fault. The efficacy of inactivated vaccines can be suboptimal with particular pathogens and safety concerns arise with live-attenuated vaccines. Additionally, the rate of emerging infectious diseases continues to increase and with that the need to quickly deploy new vaccines. Unfortunately, first generation vaccines are not conducive to such urgencies. Within the last three decades, veterinary medicine has spearheaded the advancement in novel vaccine development to circumvent several of the flaws associated with classical vaccines. These third generation vaccines, including DNA, RNA and recombinant viral-vector vaccines, induce both humoral and cellular immune response, are economically manufactured, safe to use, and can be utilized to differentiate infected from vaccinated animals. The present article offers a review of commercially available novel vaccine technologies currently utilized in companion animal, food animal, and wildlife disease control.

Peptide ELISA and FRET-qPCR Identified a Significantly Higher Prevalence of Chlamydia suis in Domestic Pigs Than in Feral Swine from the State of Alabama, USA.

Chlamydia suis is an important, highly prevalent, and diverse obligate intracellular pathogen infecting pigs. In order to investigate the prevalence and diversity of C. suis in the U.S., 276 whole blood samples from feral swine were collected as well as 109 fecal swabs and 60 whole blood samples from domestic pigs. C. suis-specific peptide ELISA identified anti-C. suis antibodies in 13.0% of the blood of feral swine (26/276) and 80.0% of the domestic pigs (48/60). FRET-qPCR and DNA sequencing found C. suis DNA in 99.1% of the fecal swabs (108/109) and 21.7% of the whole blood (13/60) of the domestic pigs, but not in any of the assayed blood samples (0/267) in feral swine. Phylogenetic comparison of partial C. suis ompA gene sequences and C. suis-specific multilocus sequencing typing (MLST) revealed significant genetic diversity of the C. suis identified in this study. Highly genetically diverse C. suis strains are prevalent in domestic pigs in the USA. As crowding strongly enhances the frequency and intensity of highly prevalent Chlamydia infections in animals, less population density in feral swine than in domestic pigs may explain the significantly lower C. suis prevalence in feral swine. A future study is warranted to obtain C. suis DNA from feral swine to perform genetic diversity of C. suis between commercial and feral pigs.

Acute administration of perampanel, an AMPA receptor antagonist, reduces cognitive impairments after traumatic brain injury in rats.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major cause of death and physical as well as cognitive disability for which an effective treatment option remains to be identified. Evidence in preclinical models has indicated that antagonists of the α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isozazole propionate (AMPA) receptor exert neuroprotective effects after mechanical injury in vitro and in vivo. In particular, 2-(2-oxo-1-phenyl-5-pyridin-2-yl-1,2-dihydropyridin-3-yl)benzonitrile hydrate (perampanel), a selective AMPA receptor antagonist with good bioavailability, was recently shown to therapeutically protect against the sequelae of TBI in the rodent controlled cortical impact model. However, this model induces a largely focal injury and is less representative of diffuse injury components that occur in TBI resulting from acceleration/deceleration forces. Here, we investigated the neuroprotective effects of perampanel in the rodent lateral fluid percussion injury model (LFPI), which produces both focal and diffuse injury. Pre- or post-injury administration of perampanel in male adult rats attenuated the injury-induced increase in the pro-apoptotic bax/bcl-xL ratio in the hippocampus; reduced impairments in learning and memory, assessed by the Morris water maze test; and reduced impairments in reward-seeking behavior, assessed by a female encounter test. Although additional studies are needed to determine the sex-related differences in the neuroprotective effects, these results provide support for the therapeutic potential of perampanel in TBI.

Estado nutricional de los adultos mayores que asisten a la Universidad Municipal del Adulto Mayor / Nutritional status of elders whoattend to la paz municipal disctrict University of The Elderly

PREGUNTA DE INVESTIGACIÓN: ¿Cuál será el estado de nutrición de los adultos mayores que asisten a la Universidad Municipal del Adulto Mayor, en la ciudad de La Paz en la gestión 2016? OBJETIVO: Determinar el estado de nutrición de los adultos mayores que asisten a la Universidad Municipal del Adulto Mayor, de la ciudad de La Paz agosto 2016. MATERIALES Y MÉTODO: Se llevó a cabo un estudio transversal con componente analítico, en 78 estudiantes de ambos sexos, comprendidos entre las edades de 54 a 85 años de edad, quienes asisten a la Universidad Municipal del Adulto Mayor de la ciudad de La Paz. La evaluación nutricional se realizó mediante el método antropométrico, empleando las medidas de peso, talla y circunferencia de la cintura. Para la clasificación del estado de nutrición se empleó el índice de masa corporal. La ingesta dietética de energía, macro y micronutrientes, fue determinada a través del registro del consumo de alimentos de un día. RESULTADOS: La mayor parte de los adultos mayores evaluados presentaron un estado de nutrición normal para la edad, con un IMC promedio de 26.8±4.9 Kg/m2 en mujeres y de 24.7±3.5 Kg/m2 en varones, siendo el peso promedio 59.8 ±12.6 Kg en mujeres y 64.2±10.2 Kg en varones. Alrededor de la cuarta parte de los adultos mayores presento bajo peso y la otra cuarta parte sobrepeso y obesidad, siendo predominante la presencia de obesidad con 19.2% que afecta más a las mujeres que los varones. (p>0,05). CONCLUSIONES: El bajo peso afecta aproximadamente a uno de cada cuatro adultos mayores de ambos sexos, mientras que un número similar presenta malnutrición por exceso, representada principalmente por la obesidad, que afecta más a las mujeres incrementando el riesgo de presentar enfermedades de tipo crónico degenerativas al asociar la obesidad con el aumento de la circunferencia de cintura. En cuanto a la ingesta dietética, se determinó un consumo insuficiente de alimentos fuente de calcio y vitamina A, nutrientes críticos para esta edad.

RESEARCH QUESTION: What is the nutritional status of older adults who attend the City University of Senior Citizens in the city of La Paz management in 2016? OBJECTIVE: To determine the nutritional status of elders who attend to La Paz Municipal District University of the Elderly, during August 2016. MATERIALS AND METHODS: It is a transversal study with analytical component, in 78 students of both sexes, who were between the ages of 54-85 years old, and attend to UMAM. Nutritional assessment was performed by the anthropometric method using measures like weight, height and waist circumference; to classify the nutritional status, body mass index was used. Dietary intake energy, macro- and micronutrients was determined by 24 hours recording of food consumption. RESULTS: Most elders evaluated had a normal nutritional status for age, with an average BMI of 26.8 ± 4.9 kg / m2 in women and 24.7 ± 3.5 kg / m2 in men; the average weight was 59.8 ± 12.6 kg in women and 64.2 ± 10.2 kg in males. Around a quarter of the elderly were low weighted, and another quarter were over weighted and obese. Obesity predominated in the 19.2% of the elderly, affecting women more than men. (p> 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Low weight affects approximately at one in four older adults of both sexes, while a similar number presents malnutrition by excess, represented mainly by obesity, which affect mainly women increasing their risk of developing chronic degenerative diseases associated with increased waist circumference. The dietary intake analysis reported that the intake of calcium and vitamin source A did not achieve the needs of elderly, and those are critical nutrients at this ages.