Anti-Trypanosomatidae Activity of Essential Oils and Their Main Components from Selected Medicinal Plants.

Kinetoplastida is a group of flagellated protozoa characterized by the presence of a kinetoplast, a structure which is part of a large mitochondria and contains DNA. Parasites of this group include genera such as Leishmania, that cause disease in humans and animals, and Phytomonas, that are capable of infecting plants. Due to the lack of treatments, the low efficacy, or the high toxicity of the employed therapeutic agents there is a need to seek potential alternative treatments. In the present work, the antiparasitic activity on Leishmania infantum and Phytomonas davidi of 23 essential oils (EOs) from plants of the Lamiaceae and Asteraceae families, extracted by hydrodistillation (HD) at laboratory scale and steam distillation (SD) in a pilot plant, were evaluated. The chemical compositions of the EOs were determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Additionally, the cytotoxic activity on mammalian cells of the major components from the most active EOs was evaluated, and their anti-Phytomonas and anti-Leishmania effects analyzed. L. infantum was more sensitive to the EOs than P. davidi. The EOs with the best anti-kinetoplastid activity were S. montana, T. vulgaris, M. suaveolens, and L. luisieri. Steam distillation increased the linalyl acetate, ß-caryophyllene, and trans-α-necrodyl acetate contents of the EOs, and decreased the amount of borneol and 1,8 cineol. The major active components of the EOs were tested, with thymol being the strongest anti-Phytomonas compound followed by carvacrol. Our study identified potential treatments against kinetoplastids.

Indication for Liver Transplantation After Direct-Acting Agents in the Treatment of Patients With Hepatitis C.

BACKGROUND: The development of new direct-acting antivirals (DAA) for hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment has reduced the indications for liver transplantation (LT). We analyzed the indications, characteristics, and evolution of patients with HCV infection who were treated with DAA-based therapies and who underwent LT. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective single-center study was performed. Data were collected of patients undergoing LT owing to HCV infection between January 2016 and August 2020. Overall characteristics of the patients were analyzed and divided into 2 groups according to the indication for LT: hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) or decompensated cirrhosis (DC). Differences between biliary and vascular complications after surgery and survival time were compared. RESULTS: Of 156 LTs, 33 (22%) were performed in patients with HCV infection in this period, which shows a decrease of nearly 16% when comparing this period with the interferon/ribavirin era. Indications for LT were 56.7% in patients with HCC and 43.3% in patients with DC. After DAA treatment, all patients developed a sustained viral response. Mean age of the global series, HCC group, and DC group were 56.9, 58.71, and 54.4 years, respectively (P = .041); 53.8% of the HCV-DC group initiated DAA treatment by the time to be included at the waiting list, compared with 17.6% of HCV-HCC group (P = .045). There were no statistically significant differences in terms of survival or biliary and vascular complications after LT. CONCLUSION: Patients with HCV are still part of the waiting list, mainly because of HCC. No statistical differences were shown in terms of postoperative complications or survival. Studies with a higher number of patients are needed.

Renal Function in Receptors With Simultaneous Liver-Kidney Transplant From the Same Donor.

Controversy surrounds the suitability of simultaneous liver-kidney transplant (SLKT) when compared with sequential transplant. Pretransplant renal failure is a post-transplant mortality predictor, and studies demonstrate worse functioning and lower survival of the renal graft when compared with kidney transplant alone (KTA). BACKGROUND: This study compares renal function in patients with SLKT and those who received the contralateral kidney from the same donor. MATERIAL AND METHODS: From June 2017 to February 2021, 5 SLKTs were performed in our hospital, and contralateral kidney grafts took place in other Andalusian Modification on Diet in Renal Disease-4 hospitals. Renal function was assessed according to glomerular filtration (GF) by the formula (that uses 4 variables: creatinine, age, sex, and race) during different periods of time; and the average increase of GF during 6 months in both groups was compared. Other factors from donors and receptors were also compared. RESULTS: No statistically significant differences between average GF in both groups were found; however, there were statistically significant differences when we compared the GF increase 6 months after the transplant in both groups of patients, being that increase higher in patients with KTA. CONCLUSIONS: Despite our small sample size, our study found that patients with SLKT have worse functioning of the kidney graft than those with KTA.

Evaluation of a therapeutic community treatment program: a long-term follow-up study in Spain.

The aims of this study is to carry out a long-term follow-up evaluation of a well-established therapeutic community treatment for addictions in Navarre (Spain) and to make a comparison between the program completers and the dropouts, as well as between relapsing and nonrelapsing patients, on a broad set of variables. A long-term follow-up design (mean of 6 years after leaving treatment) was used to analyze the outcomes of the therapeutic program. The sample consisted of 155 subjects (113 completers and 42 dropouts). A personal interview was carried out with each one of the located subjects. The interviews took place between September 2000 and September 2004. Treatment "dropouts" manifested a higher and earlier rate both of relapses, and of new treatments for their drug addiction than the completion group. The program was also effective in reducing criminal behavior and improving the state of health. Significant differences were found across outcome variables when comparison was made between treatment completers and "dropouts." All subjects improved on outcome variables after receiving the treatment. When relapsing and nonrelapsing patients were compared, significant outcome differences were also found between groups. The study's limitations are noted and future needed research is suggested.

Relapse precipitants in addictions:results in a therapeutic community.

In this paper, a study examining high-risk situations for relapse is presented. The sample consisted of 72 participants (51 male and 21 female) who had relapsed after having received a residential psychological treatment for drug addition in a therapeutic community in Spain. In order to analyze what personal, environmental or social factors were the most immediate triggers of relapse, a personal interview, using the Relapse Interview, was administered to each one of the relapsed patients. Results showed that most of the relapses took place during the first year after completing the treatment program. Likewise, the factors most frequently cited for relapse were the following: to cope with negative emotional states (49.5%), to be unable to resist temptations or impulses to consume (17.5%), to test personal control (10.3%) and to cope with interpersonal conflicts (9.3%). Results indicate thatmost factors were of an intrapersonal nature. Implications of these results for further research and clinical practice are commented upon.