Recent advances and novel applications in microbial diversity estimation based on DNA analysis methods.

This review focuses on recent patents on the exploration and quantification of microbial diversity. Only the patents based on DNA analysis are considered. In general terms, the analysis of environmental samples can be investigated by using three main approaches: microarrays based technologies, genomes/metagenomes comparison and amplification and detection of operative taxonomic units. All patents can relate to the estimation of the microbial diversity, however, many of them were initially designed to detect important medical or agronomic microorganisms. Here, we briefly review recent technological achievements for DNA analysis that offer great potentials for the identification of species.

The amoebicidal aqueous extract from Castela texana possesses antigenotoxic and antimutagenic properties.

Due to long-term treatment toxicity and clinical resistance to drugs commonly used against E. histolytica, new drugs against amoebiasis are urgently needed. Castela texana ("chaparro amargo") is a shrub taken traditionally in teas and capsules of dry plant to treat intestinal amoebic infections. An aqueous extract was prepared and its mutagenic, genotoxic and cytotoxicity properties were evaluated in prokaryotic and eukaryotic systems. This extract was neither mutagenic when evaluated with the Ames test in Salmonella typhimurium strains TA98, TA100 and TA102, nor genotoxic in unscheduled DNA synthesis in hepatocyte cultures, even at the highest concentrations tested. In fact, C. texana extract showed antimutagenic activity on S. typhimurium strains TA98 and TA100 in the Ames test. Furthermore, it was capable of protecting liver cell cultures against unscheduled DNA synthesis induced by 2-acetylaminofluorene at a concentration of 6.77 microg/ml. A free-radical scavenging test was used in order to explore the antioxidant capacity of C. texana extract with S. typhimurium strain TA102 pretreated with norfloxacin, a free radical producer. This extract showed a free radical withdrawal effect. The effective chemoprotective activity of this extract could be due to the antioxidant capacity of the C. texana extract components. In this paper it is shown that the antiamoebic natural product, C. texana, is also antimutagenic and protects against induction of preneoplastic lesions in rat liver. These results justify further studies to extend it use to human beings.

High levels of IgG class antibodies to recombinant HSP60 kDa of Yersinia enterocolitica in sera of patients with uveitis.

AIMS: To determine the levels of IgG class antibodies to recombinant heat shock protein 60 kDa of Yersinia enterocolitica (rHSP60Ye), Klebsiella pneumoniae (rHSP60Kp), Escherichia coli (rHSP60Ec), Shigella flexneri (rHSP60Sf), and Streptococcus pyogenes (rHSP60Sp) in the serum of patients with HLA-B27 associated acute anterior uveitis (HLA-B27 associated AAU), idiopathic acute anterior uveitis (idiopathic AAU), pars planitis, Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH), and healthy subjects. METHODS: The genes that code for HSP60Ye, HSP60Kp, HSP60Ec, HSP60Sf, and HSP60Sp were cloned by PCR from genomic DNA. The rHSPs were purified by affinity using a Ni-NTA resin. The serum levels of IgG class antibodies to rHSP60s were determined by ELISA in patients with uveitis (n = 42) and in healthy subjects (n = 25). RESULTS: The majority of patients with uveitis had higher levels of IgG class antibodies to rHSP60Ye compared with levels of healthy subjects (p = 0.01), although these differences were only observed in the HLA-B27 associated AAU (p = 0.005) and in pars planitis patients (p = 0.001). The levels of IgG antibodies to the rHSP60Kp, rHSP60Sf, rHSP60Ec, and rHSP60Sp were similar in patients with uveitis and in healthy subjects (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: The results suggest that HSP60Ye could be involved in the aetiology of HLA-B27 associated AAU and pars planitis.

Entamoeba histolytica: transferrin binding proteins.

Entamoeba histolytica trophozoites depend on iron for their growth; thus, they must use some host iron-containing molecules to fulfill this requirement. In this work we report that amoebas are able to utilize human holo-Tf as iron source and to recognize it through transferrin binding proteins. By use of an anti-human transferrin antiserum in an immunoblotting assay, two main polypeptides with apparent molecular masses of 70 and 140 kDa were found in total extract of trophozoites cultured in vitro. However, when a monoclonal anti-human transferrin receptor antibody was used, only one band with molecular mass of 140 kDa was observed. Both the human transferrin and the monoclonal antibody recognized a protein on the amoebic surface, demonstrated by confocal microscopy. Furthermore, the complex transferrin-transferrin binding protein was internalized by an endocytic process and probably dissociated inside the cell. This mechanism could be one manner in which E. histolytica acquires iron from the human host transferrin.

[Informed consent in cardiology. The Committee on Informed Consent of the Commission on Professional Matters of the Sociedad Española de Cardiología]. / El consentimiento informado en cardiología. Comité de Consentimientos Informados de la Comisión de Asuntos Professionales de la Sociedad Española de Cardiología.

In the last thirty years, the clinical relationship between physicians and patients has been rather modified. There are several factors that have contributed to this change: a) New ways to execute medical practises, specially referred to the development of new techniques; b) Cultural changes in our western society, mainly in the mediterranean area, where there has been progress in the recognition of patients' autonomy to decide about their own lives, health and their own bodies; c) The increasing number of lawsuits, complaints and judgements about the problems that clinical information involves, particularly the informed consent in clinical practise. We consider it necessary to make an extensive and deep discussion from all of the areas in Medicine and Law, to analyze the different ethical and legal parts of the informed consent. For that reason the Spanish Society of Cardiology offers their members a basic document in order to reflect about these facts, developing arguments, justifications and supports. This document has also considered models, conditions to their applicability according to Spanish law, and the experience we have had. Finally, there is a list of diagnostic procedures and interventional practises in cardiology that might be preceded by a written informed consent document. We considered them by the name of Spanish Society of Cardiology recommendations.

[Survey on bioethics knowledge among nursing personnel]. / Exploración de conocimientos bioéticos en el personal de enfermería del Hospital Clinicoquirúrgico de Cienfuegos.

An anonymous survey was done to know the level of Bioethics elementary knowledge existing among the nursing personnel, as well as the effectiveness in that sense of a postgraduate course on this topic imparted to 110 nurses from the Provincial Clinical and Surgical Hospital in Cienfuegos. 84 of them had no previous training on this regard, and the other 26 had attended postgraduate courses. It was demonstrated that the first group only answered correctly for a general mark of 39.5%, whereas the second group obtained 86.9%. This shows that there is a low level of Bioethics knowledge among the nursing personnel, and reaffirms the need to conduct systematic Bioethics courses for this health personnel, taking into account that its efficacy may lead to a better and more human attention to the patients and their relatives.

[Angina pectoris. The concept and its classification. The Angina Pectoris Study Group of the Ischemic Cardiopathy Section and Coronary Units of the Spanish Society of Cardiology]. / Angina de pecho. Concepto y clasificación. Grupo de Estudio de Angina de Pecho de la Sección de Cardiopatía Isquémica y Unidades Coronarias de la Sociedad Española de Cardiología.

Angina pectoris is one of the most important manifestation of coronary artery disease. In this review, the Ischemic Cardiopathy and Coronary Units Group defines the Spanish Society of Cardiology policy concerning angina pectoris definition and classification.