Interleukin 7 receptor (IL7R) is vital in the adaptive immune response against human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV). We assessed IL7RA polymorphisms (SNPs) in antiretroviral therapy (ART)‐naïve HIV ...patients for their association with spontaneous HIV infection control. We conducted a retrospective cohort study involving 667 ART‐naïve patients categorized by HIV progression (ordinal variable): 150 rapid progressors, 334 moderate/typical progressors, 86 long‐term nonprogressors elite controllers (LTNPs‐EC), and 97 LTNPs‐non‐EC. We genotyped three IL7RA SNPs using Agena Bioscience's MassARRAY platform. The association between IL7RA SNPs and spontaneous HIV infection control was evaluated using ordinal logistic regression. Individuals carrying the rs10491434 G allele have a higher likelihood of spontaneous HIV infection control (adjusted odds ratio aOR = 1.33; p = 0.023). Moreover, the IL7RA GCT haplotype, consisting of three specific SNPs (rs6897932, rs987106, and rs10491434), demonstrated an association with the control of untreated HIV infection (aOR = 1.34; p = 0.050). Remarkably, the rs10491434 SNP and the IL7RA GCT haplotype exhibited similar aOR values, suggesting that rs10491434 may be primarily responsible for the observed effect of the haplotype. IL7RA rs10491434 G allele is associated with a higher likelihood of spontaneous HIV infection control, indicating its significant role in the pathogenesis of HIV, possibly influencing infection course and viral replication control.
IRF5–TNPO3 polymorphisms have previously been related to immune response, and TNPO3 plays a role in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)‐1 infection after nuclear import. Therefore, we analyzed the ...genetic association between IRF5–TNPO3 polymorphisms and the HIV elite control in long‐term nonprogressors (LTNPs). We performed a retrospective cohort study on 183 LTNPs, who were antiretroviral therapy‐naïve with CD4+ ≥ 500 cells/mm3, viral load ≤10 000 copies/mL, and asymptomatic over 10 years after HIV seroconversion. The primary outcome variable was HIV elite control (undetectable viral load in at least 90% of the measurements for at least 1 year). Seven IRF5–TNPO3 polymorphisms were genotyped using Agena Bioscience's MassARRAY platform. We found a significant association between specific IRF5–TNPO3 genotypes and HIV elite control: rs2004640 TT (aOR = 2.05; p = 0.041), rs10954213 AA (aOR = 1.95; p = 0.035), rs2280714 TT (aOR = 2.02; p = 0.031), and rs10279821 CC (aOR = 2.12; p = 0.017). We also found a significant association between IRF5‐TNPO3 haplotype TATC composed of the favorable significant polymorphisms (rs2004640, rs10954213, rs2280714, and rs10279821) and the HIV elite control (aOR = 1.59; p = 0.048). IRF5–TNPO3 rs2004640, rs10954213, rs2280714, and rs10279821 polymorphisms were related to HIV elite control in LTNPs. Our data provide new knowledge about the impact of IRF5–TNPO3 polymorphisms on HIV pathogenesis to understand the phenomenon of natural HIV control.
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease in which the formation of extracellular aggregates of amyloid beta (Aβ) peptide, fibrillary tangles of intraneuronal tau and ...microglial activation are major pathological hallmarks. One of the key molecules involved in microglial activation is galectin-3 (gal3), and we demonstrate here for the first time a key role of gal3 in AD pathology. Gal3 was highly upregulated in the brains of AD patients and 5xFAD (familial Alzheimer’s disease) mice and found specifically expressed in microglia associated with Aβ plaques. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the
LGALS3
gene, which encodes gal3, were associated with an increased risk of AD. Gal3 deletion in 5xFAD mice attenuated microglia-associated immune responses, particularly those associated with TLR and TREM2/DAP12 signaling. In vitro data revealed that gal3 was required to fully activate microglia in response to fibrillar Aβ. Gal3 deletion decreased the Aβ burden in 5xFAD mice and improved cognitive behavior. Interestingly, a single intrahippocampal injection of gal3 along with Aβ monomers in WT mice was sufficient to induce the formation of long-lasting (2 months) insoluble Aβ aggregates, which were absent when gal3 was lacking. High-resolution microscopy (stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy) demonstrated close colocalization of gal3 and TREM2 in microglial processes, and a direct interaction was shown by a fluorescence anisotropy assay involving the gal3 carbohydrate recognition domain. Furthermore, gal3 was shown to stimulate TREM2–DAP12 signaling in a reporter cell line. Overall, our data support the view that gal3 inhibition may be a potential pharmacological approach to counteract AD.
The atmosphere plays a fundamental role in the transport of microbes across the planet but it is often neglected as a microbial habitat. Although the ocean represents two thirds of the Earth's ...surface, there is little information on the atmospheric microbial load over the open ocean. Here we provide a global estimate of microbial loads and air-sea exchanges over the tropical and subtropical oceans based on the data collected along the Malaspina 2010 Circumnavigation Expedition. Total loads of airborne prokaryotes and eukaryotes were estimated at 2.2 × 10
and 2.1 × 10
cells, respectively. Overall 33-68% of these microorganisms could be traced to a marine origin, being transported thousands of kilometres before re-entering the ocean. Moreover, our results show a substantial load of terrestrial microbes transported over the oceans, with abundances declining exponentially with distance from land and indicate that islands may act as stepping stones facilitating the transoceanic transport of terrestrial microbes.The extent to which the ocean acts as a sink and source of airborne particles to the atmosphere is unresolved. Here, the authors report high microbial loads over the tropical Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans and propose islands as stepping stones for the transoceanic transport of terrestrial microbes..
To assess the effect of type 2 diabetes (T2DM) on hospital outcomes such as in hospital postoperative complications (IHPC), length of hospital stay (LOHS) and in-hospital mortality (IHM) after the ...revision of total hip arthroplasty (RHA) and total knee arthroplasty (RKA) and to identify factors associated with IHPC among T2DM patients undergoing these procedures.
We performed a retrospective study using the Spanish National Hospital Discharge Database, 2005-2014. We included patients who were ≥40 years old that had undergone RHA and RKA. For each T2DM patient, we selected a year-, gender-, age- and Charlson Comorbidity Index-matched non-diabetic patient.
We identified 44,055 and 39,938 patients who underwent RHA (12.72% with T2DM) and RKA (15.01% with T2DM). We matched 4,700 and 5,394 couples with RHA and RKA, respectively. Any IHPC was more frequent among patients with T2DM than among non-T2DM patients (19% vs. 15.64% in the RHA cohort and 12.94% vs. 11.09% in the RKA cohort, respectively). For patients who underwent RHA, postoperative infection (4.51% vs. 2.94%, p<0.001), acute post-hemorrhagic anemia (9.53% vs. 7.70%, p<0.001), mean LOHS and IHM were significantly higher in patients with T2DM. Among RKA patients, the incidence of acute posthemorrhagic anemia (7.21% vs. 5.62%; p = 0.001) and urinary tract infection (1.13% vs. 0.72%; p = 0.029) was significantly higher in patients with diabetes. Older age, obesity, infection due to internal joint prosthesis, myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, mild liver disease and renal disease and emergency room admission were significantly associated with a higher risk of IHPC in T2DM patients. IHPC decreased over time only in T2DM patients who underwent RHA (OR 0.94, 95%CI 0.89-0.98).
Patients with T2DM who underwent RHA and RKA procedures had more IHPC after controlling for the effects of possible confounders. LOHS and IHM were also higher among RHA patients with diabetes. Older age, comorbidity, obesity and emergency room admission were strong predictors of IHPC in diabetic patients.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
The physical mechanisms that take place under sea‐breeze (SB) conditions in the Palma basin (Mallorca island, western Mediterranean sea) are analysed through the inspection of data from automatic ...weather stations (AWS) during the period 2009–2017. Satellite‐derived land‐surface and sea‐surface temperatures (LST and SST, respectively) are used to compute the surface temperature difference (LST–SST) in the Palma basin. It is found that during daytime hourly averages for each month of this difference are always positive and maximal during summer time. A method is proposed to select the SB events using data from AWS. SB conditions are mainly reported during the warm months of the year (from April to September). Results from the statistical analysis of the selected SB events show that the morning reversal strongly depends on the speed and direction of the large‐scale winds. Besides, weak wind conditions are reported during the morning reversal and once the SB starts the cold advection from the sea counteracts the radiative heating and the 2‐m temperature levels off. The maximum surface temperature difference under SB conditions is larger than 5°C and it is often reported several hours after the morning reversal. About 2 hr later the maximum wind speed is formed, strongly influenced by the amount of soil moisture.
Topography of the island of Mallorca (in the western Mediterranean sea) and a sketch of the physical mechanisms that take place under sea‐breeze conditions: the horizontal (ΔTh) and vertical (ΔTv) temperature differences plus the local and the large scale winds. The surface observations from the Airport (A) and the University Campus (UIB) are analyzed together with the satellite‐derived surface temperatures.
Summary
Aim
We sought (a) to assess the association between periodontal disease and diabetes, controlling for socio‐demographic characteristics, comorbidities, oral health status and lifestyle ...variables; (b) to identify which of these variables are independently associated with periodontal disease among diabetes sufferers.
Methods
We conducted a case‐control study using data from the National/European Health Interview Surveys, conducted from 2003 to 2014 in Spain. We included 65 295 subjects ≥40 years. Diabetes status was self‐reported. One non‐diabetic control was matched by the year‐of‐survey, age and sex for each diabetic patient. The presence of periodontal disease was defined using the answer "my teeth bleed spontaneously or while brushing" or/and "my teeth move" to the following question: "Do you suffer of any of these dental and oral disorders or disease?". Independent variables included demographic, socio‐economic and healthcare related variables, oral health status and comorbidities.
Results
The prevalence of periodontal disease was higher among those suffering from diabetes than their non‐diabetes controls (23.8% vs 19.5%; P < 0.001). Adjusted OR of periodontal disease for subjects with diabetes was 1.22 (95% CI; 1.03‐1.45). Among diabetes sufferers, missing teeth status (OR 2.08, 95% CI; 1.70‐2.53), suffering osteoporosis (OR 1.41, 95% CI; 1.07‐1.63) and suffering depression (OR 1.39, 95% CI; 1.12‐1.71) were positively associated with higher risk of periodontal disease. Older ages, using private insurance and university education level were associated with lower rates of periodontitis.
Conclusions
Diabetes subjects have an increased likelihood of periodontal disease. Dentists and physicians should increase their awareness with their diabetic patients, especially those with lower educational level, with missing teeth, osteoporosis and depression.
The eastern Ebro basin is composed of an extensive irrigated plain, surrounded by rainfed slopes and wooden mountain ranges and open to the west to the agricultural western Ebro basin. The sea breeze ...generated at the coast is able to surmount the Catalan prelitoral range through its lowest heights, reaching the basin by its easternmost part. It is a well‐known feature in the region, called Marinada. A network of Automatic Weather Stations is used here to analyse a period of 19 years (2003–2021). A filtering procedure is developed which selects the events when the Marinada is present, based on detecting clear sky, weak wind conditions and the wind direction from the coast in the afternoon. The analysis of these days show that the Marinada propagates along the basin in the afternoon meanwhile observations of the specific humidity show a sudden increase as the temperature cools down, resulting on a cold and humid advection. It is also found that the timing of the arrival of the Marinada depends on the mesoscale/synoptical circulations already present in the region (westerlies or a thermal low).
During the afternoon of the warm months, the sea breeze generated in the Catalan coast can surmount the mountains and reach the Ebro river eastern sub‐basin (wind known as Marinada). A methodology is proposed based on surface observations to select days under the influence of the Marinada. The Marinada acts as a cold and humid advection that interacts with the presence of the locally generated winds.
Sepsis has represented a substantial health care and economic burden worldwide during the previous several decades. Our aim was to analyze the epidemiological trends of hospital admissions, deaths, ...hospital resource expenditures, and associated costs related to sepsis during the twenty-first century in Spain.
We performed a retrospective study of all sepsis-related hospitalizations in Spanish public hospitals from 2000 to 2013. Data were obtained from records in the Minimum Basic Data Set. The outcome variables were sepsis, death, length of hospital stay (LOHS), and sepsis-associated costs. The study period was divided into three calendar periods (2000-2004, 2005-2009, and 2010-2013).
Overall, 2,646,445 patients with sepsis were included, 485,685 of whom had died (18.4%). The incidence of sepsis (events per 1000 population) increased from 3.30 (2000-2004) to 4.28 (2005-2009) to 4.45 (2010-2013) (p < 0.001). The mortality rates from sepsis (deaths per 10,000 population) increased from 6.34 (2000-2004) to 7.88 (2005-2009) to 7.89 (2010-2013) (p < 0.001). The case fatality rate (CFR) or proportion of patients with sepsis who died decreased from 19.1% (2000-2004) to 18.4% (2005-2009) to 17.9% (2010-2013) (p < 0.001). The LOHS (days) decreased from 15.9 (2000-2004) to 15.7 (2005-2009) to 14.5 (2010-2013) (p < 0.001). Total and per patient hospital costs increased from 2000 to 2011, and then decreased by the impact of the economic crisis.
Sepsis has caused an increasing burden in terms of hospital admission, deaths, and costs in the Spanish public health system during the twenty-first century, but the incidence and mortality seemed to stabilize in 2010-2013. Moreover, there was a significant decrease in LOHS in 2010-2013 and a decline in hospital costs after 2011.
The combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) has led to decreased opportunistic infections and hospital admissions in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients, but the intensive care ...unit (ICU) admission rate remains constant (or even increased in some instances) during the cART era. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is associated with an increased risk for hospital admission and/or mortality (particularly those related to severe liver disease) compared with the general population. The aim of this study was to assess the mortality among HIV-infected patients in ICU, and to evaluate the impact of HIV/HCV coinfection and severe sepsis on ICU mortality.
We carried out a retrospective study based on patients admitted to ICU who were recorded in the Minimum Basic Data Set (2005 through 2010) in Spain. HIV-infected patients (All-HIV-group (n = 1,891)) were divided into two groups: HIV-monoinfected patients (HIV group (n = 1,191)) and HIV/HCV-coinfected patients (HIV/HCV group (n = 700)). A control group (HIV(-)/HCV(-)) was also included (n = 7,496).
All-HIV group had higher frequencies of severe sepsis (57.7% versus 39.4%; P < 0.001) than did the control group. Overall, ICU mortality in patients with severe sepsis was much more frequent than that in patients without severe sepsis (other causes) at days 30 and 90 in HIV-infected patients and the control group (P < 0.001). Moreover, the all-HIV group in the presence or absence of severe sepsis had a higher percentage of death than did the control group at days 7 (P < 0.001), 30 (P < 0.001) and 90 (P < 0.001). Besides, the HIV/HCV group had a higher percentage of death, both in patients with severe sepsis and in patients without severe sepsis compared with the HIV group at days 7 (P < 0.001) and 30 (P < 0.001), whereas no differences were found at day 90. In a bayesian competing-risk model, the HIV/HCV group had a higher mortality risk (adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) = 1.44 (95% CI = 1.30 to 1.59) and aHR = 1.57 (95% CI = 1.38 to 1.78) for patients with and without severe sepsis, respectively).
HIV infection was related to a higher frequency of severe sepsis and death among patients admitted to the ICU. Besides, HIV/HCV coinfection contributed to an increased risk of death in both the presence and the absence of severe sepsis.
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