Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior, and Suicidal Ideation in Major Depressive Disorder.

OBJECTIVE: Identifying risk factors for suicidal ideation (SI) is necessary for suicide prevention. Associations between self-reported physical activity (PA) and sedentary time and SI in the general population have been found. The current study examines these associations in adults with major depressive disorder (MDD) using objective measures of PA and sedentary time. METHOD: Sedentary time and PA were measured with an activPAL inclinometer/accelerometer over 7 days in 52 adults with MDD. Presence and severity of SI was examined with the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview. Multinomial logistic regressions examined associations between accelerometer-derived behaviors and SI classification in the full sample and a subsample experiencing a major depressive episode (MDE). RESULTS: Sedentary time and PA measures were not significantly associated with SI in the full sample. In those experiencing an MDE, higher light ambulatory PA was associated with lower odds of reporting Low SI compared to None and for Moderate/High SI compared to None. Sedentary time was not significantly associated with SI severity. CONCLUSION: Sedentary time and PA were not associated with SI severity, although results could be due to the small sample size. The small effect found for the subsample may suggest that low levels of light ambulatory PA may be a modifiable risk factor for SI during an MDE. We also demonstrated the feasibility of collecting objective data with accelerometers in this population. Future studies are needed to replicate findings to determine whether increasing light ambulatory PA could be useful in suicide prevention during an MDE.HighlightsLight physical activity was associated with lower odds of suicidal ideation.Suicidal ideation was not associated with sedentary or moderate-to-high activity.It is possible to collect objective data for adults with depression.

Effect of crop residue management on damage by Diatraea saccharalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), its egg parasitoids and the ants associated with sugarcane.

In the American continent, the sugarcane borer Diatraea saccharalis (F.) is the main pest in sugarcane producing areas. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of crop residue management on damage by D. saccharalis, its egg parasitoids and the ants associated with sugarcane. The study was carried out during 2011-2012, 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 crop cycles, in three commercial fields located in different regions of Tucumán state, Argentina. Two types of crop residue management (= treatments) were compared: conservation of trash at the soil surface (CT) and trash burning (TB). In 'trash conservation' treatment, crop residue was allowed to remain over the soil surface during the whole sugarcane growing season, while the second treatment consisted of complete burning of trash blanket approximately 2 weeks after harvest. The injury level was measured by recording the number of stalks bored and internodes bored. Parasitism was estimated by counting the total number of eggs and number of black eggs (which indicates the occurrence of egg parasitoids). Ants (Formicidae) richness was calculated by two estimators; abundance-based coverage estimator and incidence-based coverage estimator, using the non-parametric richness estimators: Chao 2 and Jackknife. Finally, the indicator value was estimated through the measurement of specificity and fidelity. In all the parameters studied no significant difference was found between TB and CT treatments.

Assessment of Maya women's knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs on sexually transmitted infections in Guatemala: a qualitative pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Despite Guatemala's large indigenous population, indigenous health is often neglected in reported health data and interventions. Although this data is limited in scope, it shows that indigenous people have poorer health outcomes. Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are now a growing threat in Guatemala and pose great risk to the wellbeing of its indigenous population. METHODS: This qualitative pilot study assessed the knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs of STIs through semi-structured interviews among a previously unstudied population of indigenous Maya women (n = 35, ages 18-50) in the six municipalities of Santa Cruz La Laguna, Guatemala. RESULTS: Four key themes were identified: 1) indigenous Maya women have limited factual knowledge about sex and STIs; 2) widespread partner infidelity minimizes women's control over preventing STI contraction; 3) close-knit communities and the resulting heightened fear of gossip prevents communication and hinders care seeking; and 4) lack of quality medical care and inaccessibility of biomedical healthcare systems pose barriers to seeking care for potential STIs. CONCLUSIONS: To address these findings, we suggest methods to improve sexual education, combat male infidelity, promote condom use, and improve health services to reduce the incidence of STIs in Maya Guatemala.

A single nucleotide deletion resulting in a frameshift in exon 4 of TAB2 is associated with a polyvalular syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: Polyvalvularmyxomatous degeneration is a rare clinical condition. A 51-year-old male patient presented at our centre with all four heart valves with myxomatous degeneration and severe mitral and aortic regurgitation due to leaflet prolapse. The patient referred five further family members with valvular heart disease at different stages of presentation. The aim of this study was to investigate the genetic basis of this familial polyvalvularmyxomatous degeneration which was associated with mild dysmorphic facial anomalies and short stature. DESIGN: A detailed family history was recorded. Nine members of the family, affected or not by valvular heart disease, were studied clinically, echocardiographically and by detailed genetic analyses. RESULTS: Six of the nine family members had echocardiographic features of different degrees of degenerative heart valve disease. In addition, the affected subjects shared similar mild dysmorphic facial anomalies and short stature. Exome sequencing identified a rare heterozygous single nucleotide deletion in the TAB2 gene in all affected family members, which was absent in the unaffected members. CONCLUSIONS: A variant in the TAB2 gene is proposed as the cause of syndromic congenital heart disease, displaying congenital myxomatous degenerative heart valve disease, mild dysmorphic fascial anomalies and short stature in this family.

Cytokine responses across submaximal exercise intensities in women with major depressive disorder.

BACKGROUND: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is associated with chronic inflammation. Exercise training can treat depression in adults with MDD, potentially through reducing inflammatory activity. This improvement may occur through adaptations to repeated acute inflammatory responses. Cytokine responses to acute steady-state exercise of varying intensities were determined in women with different levels of depression. METHODS: This analysis included 19 women with MDD who each participated in four sessions consisting of 30 â€‹min of quiet rest, light, moderate, or hard intensity exercise. Blood samples were collected pre- and within 10 â€‹min post-session. Changes in the levels of IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and TNF were evaluated in each session. RESULTS: Serum concentrations of IL-6, IL-8 and TNF were all significantly elevated following vigorous exercise (i.e., hard) compared to the quiet rest session. No changes in cytokine levels occurred after light and moderate exercise. Depression severity did not appear to influence the acute inflammatory response to exercise. LIMITATIONS: The sample size was small, all female, and from a secondary data analysis, which limits the generalizability of the findings. CONCLUSIONS: Repeat, acute increases in inflammatory activity following hard exercise sessions may prompt adaptations and lead to reductions in chronic inflammation over time. This dose-response study identified an exercise intensity threshold to induce acute inflammatory responses in women with MDD.

Response of the human myocardium to ischemic injury and preconditioning: The role of cardiac and comorbid conditions, medical treatment, and basal redox status.

BACKGROUND: The diseased human myocardium is highly susceptible to ischemia/reoxygenation (I/R)-induced injury but its response to protective interventions such as ischemic preconditioning (IPreC) is unclear. Cardiac and other pre-existing clinical conditions as well as previous or ongoing medical treatment may influence the myocardial response to I/R injury and protection. This study investigated the effect of both on myocardial susceptibility to I/R-induced injury and the protective effects of IPreC. METHODS AND RESULTS: Atrial myocardium from cardiac surgery patients (n = 300) was assigned to one of three groups: aerobic control, I/R alone, and IPreC. Lactate dehydrogenase leakage, as a marker of cell injury, and cell viability were measured. The basal redox status was determined in samples from 90 patients. The response to I/R varied widely. Myocardium from patients with aortic valve disease was the most susceptible to injury whereas myocardium from dyslipidemia patients was the least susceptible. Tissue from females was better protected than tissue from males. Myocardium from patients with mitral valve disease was the least responsive to IPreC. The basal redox status was altered in the myocardium from patients with mitral and aortic valve disease. CONCLUSIONS: The response of the myocardium to I/R and IPreC is highly variable and influenced by the underlying cardiac pathology, dyslipidemia, sex, and the basal redox status. These results should be taken into account in the design of future clinical studies on the prevention of I/R injury and protection.

Intraoperative monitoring of cerebral oximetry and depth of anaesthesia during neuroanesthesia procedures.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This review reports recent evidence on intraoperative monitoring of cerebral oximetry and depth of anaesthesia during neuroanaesthesia procedures. RECENT FINDINGS: The clinical benefits of intraoperative monitoring with cerebral oximetry [near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and brain tissue oxygenation monitoring (brptiO2)] and depth of anaesthesia with bispectral index (BIS) have recently been studied in surgical (carotid endarterectomy, cerebral arteriovenous malformations resection and brain tumour resections) and neuroradiological vascular procedures. BrptiO2/PaO2 ratio is much more reliable than absolute brptiO2 readings in detecting hypoxia in arteriovenous malformation resections. NIRS can help clinicians monitor those patients receiving endovascular treatment for acute ischaemic stroke and during carotid endarterectomy, but the value of applying cerebral oximetry in patients with cerebral vasospasm needs to be further evaluated. Awake craniotomy demonstrated that because of considerable pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic interindividual variation, BIS titration is recommended. Thus, the presence of a frontal brain tumour did not affect ipsilateral BIS values. SUMMARY: Recent studies provide interesting evidence of intraoperative monitoring of NIRS, brptiO2 and BIS. The brptiO2/PaO2 ratio is much more reliable than an absolute brptiO2 reading; NIRS helps clinicians to monitor patients who are undergoing endovascular treatment, and BIS guides the titration of anaesthesia during awake craniotomy; its values are not affected by the presence of a frontal brain tumour.

Manual Physical Therapy Versus Surgery for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A Randomized Parallel-Group Trial.

UNLABELLED: This randomized clinical trial investigated the effectiveness of surgery compared with physical therapy consisting of manual therapies including desensitization maneuvers in carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). The setting was a public hospital and 2 physical therapy practices in Madrid, Spain. One hundred twenty women with CTS were enrolled between February 2013 and January 2014, with 1-year follow-up completed in January 2015. Interventions consisted of 3 sessions of manual therapies including desensitization maneuvers of the central nervous system (physical therapy group, n = 60) or decompression/release of the carpal tunnel (surgical group, n = 60). The primary outcome was pain intensity (mean pain and the worst pain), and secondary outcomes included functional status and symptoms severity subscales of the Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire and the self-perceived improvement. They were assessed at baseline and 1, 3, 6, and 12 months by a blinded assessor. Analysis was by intention to treat. At 12 months, 111 (92%) women completed the follow-up (55/60 physical therapy, 56/60 surgery). Adjusted analyses showed an advantage (all, P < .01) for physical therapy at 1 and 3 months in mean pain (Δ -2.0 [95% confidence interval (CI) -2.8 to -1.2]/-1.3 [95% CI -2.1 to -.6]), the worst pain (Δ -2.9 [-4.0 to -2.0]/-2.0 [-3.0 to -.9]), and function (Δ -.8 [-1.0 to -.6]/-.3 [-.5 to -.1]), respectively. Changes in pain and function were similar between the groups at 6 and 12 months. The 2 groups had similar improvements in the symptoms severity subscale of the Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire at all follow-ups. In women with CTS, physical therapy may result in similar outcomes on pain and function to surgery. TRIAL REGISTRATION: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov, ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01789645. PERSPECTIVE: This study found that surgery and physical manual therapies including desensitization maneuvers of the central nervous system were similarly effective at medium-term and long-term follow-ups for improving pain and function but that physical therapy led to better outcomes in the short term.

The role of birds and insects in pollination shifts of Scrophularia (Scrophulariaceae).

The mixed vertebrate-insect pollination system is rare in Holarctic plants. Phylogenetic relationships of 116 Scrophularia taxa were investigated based on two plastid (ndhF and trnL-trnF) and one nuclear (ITS) DNA regions. A wider time-calibrated analysis of ndhF sequences of the Lamiales revealed that Scrophularia diverged as early as in the Miocene (<22 Ma). Results of maximum-likelihood optimizations supported wasp pollination as the ancestral pollination system from which other systems derived (hoverfly, mixed vertebrate-insect and bird systems). Four origins for a mixed vertebrate-insect (MVI) pollination system were inferred, in which two western Mediterranean species (S. sambucifolia and S. grandiflora) and two island species (the Tirrenian S. trifoliata and the Canarian S. calliantha) were involved. S. calliantha is the only species in which a more complex MVI system, including pollination by the lizard Gallotia stehlini, has evolved. In addition, bird (hummingbird) floral traits found in the New Mexican S. macrantha appear to have been independently acquired. In contrast, we failed to find evidence for an ancient role of hummingbirds in the evolution of European Scrophularia. Indeed, paleontological data revealed that extinction of European hummingbirds (30-32 Ma) occurred earlier than the divergence of European MVI lineages of Scrophularia. In conclusion, our results showed that a role of birds in pollination of Scrophularia may not have been effective in the Miocene-Pliocene, but bird pollination that shows its origin in the Pliocene-Pleistocene is still operating independently in different islands and continents.

Cardioprotective effect of sevoflurane and propofol during anaesthesia and the postoperative period in coronary bypass graft surgery: a double-blind randomised study.

CONTEXT: Volatile anaesthetics may have direct cardioprotective properties due to effects similar to ischaemic preconditioning and postconditioning. Clinical results in cardiac surgery patients are controversial and may be related to the timing of administration of anaesthetics intraoperatively. OBJECTIVE: We hypothesised that the cardioprotective effect of sevoflurane in coronary bypass graft surgical patients would be greater if administration during anaesthesia continued in the ICU for at least 4 h postoperatively until weaning from mechanical ventilation. DESIGN: Double-blind, double-dummy, prospective, randomised and controlled clinical trial. SETTING: In a single centre between June 2006 and June 2007. PATIENTS: Seventy-five adult patients were assigned randomly to receive anaesthesia and postoperative sedation either with propofol (control, n = 37) or sevoflurane (n = 36). INTERVENTIONS: Myocardial biomarkers were measured before surgery, at the time of admission to the intensive care unit and at 6, 24, 48 and 72 h. The need for inotropic support, and lengths of stay in the intensive care unit and hospital were also recorded. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Elevation of myocardial biomarkers was the primary endpoint. The secondary endpoints were haemodynamic events and lengths of stay in the intensive care unit and hospital. RESULTS: Necrosis biomarkers increased significantly in the postoperative period in both groups with no significant differences at any time. Inotropic support was needed in 72.7 and 54.3% of patients in the propofol and sevoflurane groups, respectively (P = 0.086). There were no significant differences in haemodynamic variables, incidence of arrhythmias, myocardial ischaemia or and lengths of stay in the ICU and hospital between the two groups. CONCLUSION: In patients undergoing coronary bypass graft surgery, continuous administration of sevoflurane as a sedative in the ICU for at least 4 h postoperatively did not yield significant improvements in the extent and time course of myocardial damage biomarkers compared to propofol.

Intermittent claudication caused by a giant atypical lipoma of the thigh.

The main cause of intermittent claudication in lower limbs is peripheral vascular disease. Less commonly, the etiology can be extrinsic to vascular structures, as in the cases of tumors that, due to their rapid growth, can reduce the blood supply and produce intermittent claudication during gait. We report the case of a 49-year-old patient with intermittent claudication in the left lower limb, reporting the presence of a tumor in the inner side of the left thigh with rapid growth. Doppler and angiography magnetic resonance imaging examinations demonstrated the presence of an adipose tumor that was producing deep and superficial extrinsic compression of the femoral arteries.

Antibodies against ß-fibrin synthetic peptides: a study of their association with the immunogenetic background and disease course of rheumatoid arthritis patients.

Preliminary studies have shown the potential application for the diagnosis of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) patients with a severe disease course of an epitopic domain of ß-fibrin. The aim of the present work was the analysis of the presence of antibodies against several ß-fibrin synthetic peptides in relation to the immunogenetic background and disease course in a clinically well-defined RA patient cohort. Our results indicated that positive patients against anti-ß-fibrin synthetic peptides have a higher percentage of HLA-DRB1 shared epitope (SE) than negative patients. We also observed that the presence of SE alleles was significantly associated with a higher level of anti-[Cit(376)]ßfib(365-383) antibodies. When analyzing the effect of different SE alleles, we found a significant positive association between carriers of QRRAA allele and [Cit(376)]ßfib(365-383) (Odds ratio 3.77; CI95%: 1.41-10.08). These results suggest that the anti-ß-fibrin status is associated with the immunogenetic background of RA patients.

Diagnostic and prognostic value of antibodies against chimeric fibrin/filaggrin citrullinated synthetic peptides in rheumatoid arthritis.

INTRODUCTION: Evidence suggests that citrullinated fibrin(ogen) may be a potential in vivo target of anticitrullinated protein/peptide antibodies (ACPA) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We compared the diagnostic yield of three enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) tests by using chimeric fibrin/filaggrin citrullinated synthetic peptides (CFFCP1, CFFCP2, CFFCP3) with a commercial CCP2-based test in RA and analyzed their prognostic values in early RA. METHODS: Samples from 307 blood donors and patients with RA (322), psoriatic arthritis (133), systemic lupus erythematosus (119), and hepatitis C infection (84) were assayed by using CFFCP- and CCP2-based tests. Autoantibodies also were analyzed at baseline and during a 2-year follow-up in 98 early RA patients to determine their prognostic value. RESULTS: With cutoffs giving 98% specificity for RA versus blood donors, the sensitivity was 72.1% for CFFCP1, 78.0% for CFFCP2, 71.4% for CFFCP3, and 73.9% for CCP2, with positive predictive values greater than 97% in all cases. CFFCP sensitivity in RA increased to 80.4% without losing specificity when positivity was considered as any positive anti-CFFCP status. Specificity of the three CFFCP tests versus other rheumatic populations was high (> 90%) and similar to those for the CCP2. In early RA, CFFCP1 best identified patients with a poor radiographic outcome. Radiographic progression was faster in the small subgroup of CCP2-negative and CFFCP1-positive patients than in those negative for both autoantibodies. CFFCP antibodies decreased after 1 year, but without any correlation with changes in disease activity. CONCLUSIONS: CFFCP-based assays are highly sensitive and specific for RA. Early RA patients with anti-CFFCP1 antibodies, including CCP2-negative patients, show greater radiographic progression.

Efecto del consumo de cultivo de levaduras Saccharomyces cerevisiae y/o selenio en pollos de engorde expuestos a bajos niveles de aflatoxina B1 en la dieta: 2: morfología hepática / Effect of Saccharomyces cerevisiae culture and/or selenium intake on broiler exposed to low levels of aflatoxin B1 in the ration: 2: hepatic morphology

El presente estudio fue conducido para determinar el efecto de 0,1 por ciento de cultivo de levaduras Saccharomyces cerevisiae 1026 (Sc)y/o 2mg/kg de selenio (Se) en el alimento contaminado con 0,07mg/kg (70 ppb) de aflatoxina B1 (AFB1 ), sobre la morfología hepática de pollos de engorde. Un total de 480 pollos Hubbar x Hubbar, machos, de un día de nacidos, fueron asignados al azar para recibir 8 tipos de dietas durante 42 días, cada una con 4 replicas de 15 pollos, estas correspondieron a los siguientes tratamientos (T) T1 : grupo control que consiste en alimento comercial (AC) sin niveles detectables de aflatoxina; T2: AC + AFB1; T3: AC + Sc; T4: AC + AFB1 + Sc; T5: AC + Se; T6: AC + AFB1 + Se; T7: AC + Sc + Se; T8: AC + AFB1 + Sc + Se. La ingestión de Sc y/o Se en el alimento sin o con AFB1 , no causaron lesiones macroscópicas en los hígados. Se observó un incremento (P<0,05) del peso relativo del hígado en el T4 comparado con el T1 y T3 y en los pollos del T5 y T6 (P<0,01) con relación al T 1. Los T con Sc y/o Se en el alimento sin y con AFB1 , presentaron una significativa frecuencia de lesiones hepatotóxicas con respecto al T 1, sin embargo la combinación de Sc + Seen el alimento con AFB1 (T8), disminuyó el grado de severidad de las lesiones hepatotóxicas, en comparación al grado de hepatotoxicidad de las aves que recibieron estos aditivos por separado (T4 y T6). Estos resultados indican un aparente sinergismo de ambos aditivos para disminuir la hepatotoxicidad causada por la ingestión de alimento con AFB1.

This trial was undertaken to determine the effects of 0.1% the yeast culture Saceharonyces cerevisiae1026 (Sc) and/or 2mg/kg of selenium (Se) added to contaminated foodstuff with 0,07mg/kg (70 ppb) of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), on hepatic morphology of broiler chickens. 480 1-day-old male Hubbar x Hubbar chickens were chosen randomly to receive 8 sorts of diets for 42 days, each diet with 4 replicates of 15 chickens. Those diets corresponded to the fallowing treatments (T): T1: control group receiving commercial food (CF) without detectable aflatoxin levels; T2: CF + AFB1; T3: CF + Sc; T4: CF + AFB1 + Sc; T5: CF + Se; T6: CF +AFB1 + Se; T7: CF + Sc + Se; T8: CF + AFB1 + Sc + Se. Neither Sc or Se added to foodstuff alone or in combination with or without AFB1, caused macroscopic lesions in liver. A relative liver weight increase was observed in T4 compared with T1 and T3 (P<0.05) and in chickens from T5 and T6 (P<0.01) compared with T1. Treatments with Sc and/or Se were shown to have a significative higher frequency of hepatotoxic lesions compared with that of T1. However, Sc + Se added together to AFB1 contaminated food (T8) diminished the hepatotoxic lesions’ severity grading compared to the hepatotoxcity grade found in T4 and T6. This result indicates an apparent synergistic effect of both additives as for diminishing hepatotoxicity caused by AFB1-contaminated foodstuff Ingestion.

Antibodies to citrullinated human fibrinogen synthetic peptides in diagnosing rheumatoid arthritis.

Since aggressive therapy given early in the rheumatoid arthritis (RA) disease course has the greatest therapeutic potential, early diagnostic tests with both high specificity and sensitivity are desirable. Rheumatoid sera were found to contain antibodies against citrullinated peptides, which are considered to be highly specific markers of RA. In the present work several analogues of the alpha- and beta-chains of fibrin peptides containing different degrees of citrullination have been synthesized and analyzed by ELISA using 111 sera from RA patients. In addition, we have also investigated the synergistic effects of different presentation formats of the synthetic constructs. We have designed chimeric and cyclic peptides that bear different peptide sequences within the same molecule. Our results indicate that the synthesis of peptides bearing fibrinogen and filaggrin domains could be a robust method for the design of useful diagnostic strategies in RA.

Synthesis of overlapping fibrin citrullinated peptides and their use for diagnosing rheumatoid arthritis.

With the aim of developing a new enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay test to detect autoantibodies in the sera of rheumatoid arthritis patients with a high sensitivity and specificity using synthetic citrullinated peptides of fibrin (which is abundant in rheumatoid synovium) as antigenic substract, peptides belonging to alpha- and beta-fibrin chains were selected by computer-aided prediction of antigenicity and epitope mapping and synthesized in solid phase. We analysed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay 133 sera from patients with well-characterized rheumatic diseases, including 67 patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The results of the immunoassays reported highlight the usefulness of fibrin-related peptides in rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis and, especially, the ability and specificity of the [Cit(621,627,630)]alpha-fibrin(617-631) (alpha fib617) peptide sequence to recognize the autoantibodies that are present in rheumatoid arthritis patients.

Molecular detection of Spanish deltabeta-thalassemia associated with beta-thalassemia identified during prenatal diagnosis.

BACKGROUND: beta-Thalassemia is one of the most common single gene disorders and is widely distributed in the Mediterranean region. The deltabeta-thalassemias are a rare group of disorders, however in Spain the Spanish deltabeta0 thalassemia that removes 114 kb of beta-globin cluster is quite frequent. METHODS: To establish a molecular diagnosis of beta-thalassemia in a second-trimester fetus from a couple who are beta-thalassemia carriers, a rapid real-time PCR method was performed to detect major mutations prevalent in people of the Mediterranean basin (IVS I-1, IVS I-6, IVS I-110, CD-6, CD-37, and CD-39). The Spanish deltabeta0 deletion was detected using PCR with deletion-specific primers. RESULTS: The father was diagnosed as a carrier for the IVSI-6 (T>C) mutation and the mother as carrier for the Spanish deltabeta0 deletion. The fetus was a compound heterozygote for both those mutations. The phenotype of compound heterozygosity for deltabeta/beta-thalassemia can range from mild thalassemia intermedia to thalassemia major. After confirming these results in the DNA from amniocentesis obtained at the 20th week of gestation, the couple decided to terminate the pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS: This paper reports the first molecular characterization of Spanishdeltabeta0-thalassemia associated with beta-thalassemia IVSI-6, and confirms the importance of prenatal genetic testing for single gene disorder such as beta-thalassemia.

Intervención educativa sobre nutrición en el embarazo, Hogar Materno Yara / Educative intervention about nutrition in pregnancy: Maternal Home: Yara

Se realizó un estudio de intervención educativa sobre nutrición, a 20 embarazadas del Hogar Materno de Yara, Junio 2005. Se evaluaron variables demográficas, nivel de conocimientos y se aplicó una encuesta inicial donde evidenciamos falta de información inicial sobre esta temática en el 30 por ciento de las participantes. Posteriormente aplicamos un programa de intervención con la finalidad de elevar el nivel de conocimientos lográndose que el 95 por ciento de embarazadas se prepararan. Consideramos que la intervención comunitaria como método a utilizar en la prevención de salud ofrece resultados a largo plazo, lográndose estilos de vida saludables y una mejor preparación de la familia para enfrentar los retos de la vida en sociedad(AU)

It was developed a study educative intervention for nutrition to 20 pregnants of maternal home in Yara, June 2005. There were evaluated the demographic variables, the level of knowledge and it was applied an initial suevey in which it was evidenced the lack of initial information about this topic in the 30 per cent of participants. Later it was applied an intervention program with purpose to enrich the level of knowledge getting that the 95 per cent of pregnants couldbe prepared. It was considerated that yhe community intervention as a method to be applied to prevent health, offers long. Term results, getting healthy life styles and a further preparation of family to face the challenges of life towards society(EU)

Immunofluorescent analysis with the anti-PML monoclonal antibody PG-M3 for rapid and accurate genetic diagnosis of acute promyelocytic leukemia.

Genetic diagnosis is currently considered the most reliable method to accurately identify patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) requiring tailored therapy including all- trans retinoic acid (ATRA). We investigated the clinical effectiveness of immunofluorescence techniques with the anti-PML monoclonal antibody PG-M3 for rapid and accurate diagnosis of APL. PML immunofluorescence staining was analyzed in 164 patients with acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML), including APL (110 patients) and non-APL subtypes (54 patients). All 54 patients with an AML phenotype, in whom tests for t(15;17) or its fusion gene PML/ RARalpha were negative, showed a speckled (macrogranular) nuclear pattern. Of the 110 genetically diagnosed APL patients, 108 showed a microgranular pattern that confirmed PG-M3 positivity. The remaining two patients were not evaluable for PG-M3 reactivity because of scarcity of cells. No patient with APL showed a normal pattern. The high sensitivity and specificity of immunolabeling using PG-M3 monoclonal antibody show that it is a highly efficient and reliable tool to identify PML/ RARalpha-positive patients with APL and that it should be standardized as a first-line diagnostic procedure. In addition, it is technically simple, fast, and cheap, only requiring small tissue samples and non-sophisticated equipment.