Breast cancer (BC) is a malignant disease with a high prevalence worldwide. The main cause of death is not the primary tumor, but instead the spread of tumor cells to distant sites. The aim of the ...present study was to examine a new method for the detection of cancer cells in aqueous medium using bioimpedance spectroscopy assisted with magnetic nanoparticles (MNP's) exposure to a constant magnetic field. The spectroscopic patterns were identified for three breast cancer cell lines. Each BC cell line represents a different pathologic stage: the early stage (MCF-7), invasive phase (MDA-MB-231) and metastasis (SK-BR-3). For this purpose, bioimpedance measurements were carried out at a certain frequency range with the aid of nanoprobes, consisting of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) coupled to a monoclonal antibody. The antibody was specific for the predominant cell surface protein for each cell line, which was identified by using RT-qPCR and flow cytometry. Accordingly, EpCAM corresponds to MCF-7, MUC-1 to MDA-MB-231, and HER-2 to SK-BR-3. Despite their low concentrations, BC cells could be detected by impedance spectroscopy. Hence, this methodology should permit the monitoring of circulating tumor cells (CTC) and therefore help to prevent recurrences and metastatic processes during BC treatment.
The pandemic disease by SARS-CoV-2 infection does not have an effective treatment. To prevent the disease, scientists developed vaccines that the clinicians use as an emergency licensed vaccine. The ...objective of this study was to determine the side effects in personnel vaccinated at the Military Central Hospital of Mexico with the BNT162b2 vaccine.
This study included the subjects who had received both doses of the BNT162b2 vaccine between December 2020 and February 2021. We asked about the side effects after the first and the second vaccine doses. One group had no history of COVID-19, and the second had a history of COVID-19. ANTI-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were measured by the immunodetection technique in the second group only.
We included 946 participants, 62% were women, and 80% were without comorbidities; 680 were included in the first group, and only 266 were in the second group. After the first dose, 77% of the first group and 86% of the second group presented some side effects. After the second dose, 84% of the first group and 89% of the second group showed some side effects. The main side effect was mild pain. All participants (126) were IgG positive, and only 26.9% were IgM positive at 17.5 days (12.8 days, 20.3 days) after the second dose.
There is a positive correlation between side effects after the first dose in patients with a history of previous SARS-CoV-2 infection compared to those who did not. Nevertheless, this correlation is not present after the second dose. The low percentage of IgM could be related to the time interval between vaccination and sample measure.
Wound healing is a complex process regulated by several molecular interactions, characterized by three phases 1.
In vitro
, we have found that 50% ethanol extract of the
“metatera
” plant (
Bacopa ...procumbens
(Mill.) Greenm., Scrophulariaceae) induce fibroblast differentiation, migration, proliferation and adhesion 2. Moreover,
in vivo
assays showed that it increased wound contraction, reepithelization, fibroblast orientation, and total collagen content 3. The main objective of this work was to determinate the molecular effectors and signaling pathway induced by the metatera extract treatment
in vivo
correlating this findings with morphometric and histopathological changes. Our results showed that the inflammation process was regulated by the expression of TGFβ1. Additionally, the extract regulates the expression of key molecules related with proliferation and differentiation of fibroblasts; moreover, it stimulates the presence and arrangement of the fibroblasts. It also induce the remodelation phase promoting the expression of TGFβ3 and the matrix synthesis; stimulating neoformation, maturation, arrangement and horizontal alignment of collagen fibers. This findings correlate with the morphometric results, where the aqueous extract of the plant accelerates wound closure at least 48h in comparison with the natural process. In conclusion, our results demonstrated that “
metatera”
extract induce the expression of key molecules that regulates several molecular and cellular events from the three phases of the healing process, accelerating the remodeling process and the wound closure.
Keywords:
Bacopa procumbens, Scrophulariaceae, “metatera”, wound heling, TGFβ
References:
1 Clark RAF, Ghosh K, Tonnesen MG. Tissue engineering for cutaneous wounds. Nature 2006; 127: 1018 – 1029
2 Hidalgo O. Determinación del efecto cicatrizante del extracto acuoetanólico de la B. procumbens en la línea celular 3T3 de fibroblastos de ratón. Thesis, Mexico: ENMyH-IPN; 2010.
3 Ceja LJA. Evaluación del efecto cicatrizante del extracto acuoso de la planta B. procumbens en un modelo murino. Thesis, Mexico: ENMyH-IPN; 2013.
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is responsible for the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, affecting more than 219 countries and causing the death of ...more than 5 million people worldwide. The genetic background represents a factor that predisposes the way the host responds to SARS-CoV-2 infection. In this sense, genetic variants of
and
could explain the observed interindividual variability to COVID-19 outcomes. In order to improve the understanding of how genetic variants of
and
are involved in the severity of COVID-19, we included a total of 481 individuals who showed clinical manifestations of COVID-19 and were diagnosed by reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR). Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood and saliva samples.
insertion/deletion polymorphism was evaluated by the high-resolution melting method;
single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) (rs4344) and
SNPs (rs2285666 and rs2074192) were genotyped using TaqMan probes. We assessed the association of ACE and ACE2 polymorphisms with disease severity using logistic regression analysis adjusted by age, sex, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and obesity. The severity of the illness in our study population was divided as 31% mild, 26% severe, and 43% critical illness; additionally, 18% of individuals died, of whom 54% were male. Our results showed in the codominant model a contribution of
gene rs2285666 T/T genotype to critical outcome odds ratio (OR) = 1.83; 95%CI = 1.01-3.29; p = 0.04 and to require oxygen supplementation (OR = 1.76; 95%CI = 1.01-3.04; p = 0.04), in addition to a strong association of the T allele of this variant to develop critical illness in male individuals (OR = 1.81; 95%CI = 1.10-2.98; p = 0.02). We suggest that the T allele of rs2285666 represents a risk factor for severe and critical outcomes of COVID-19, especially for men, regardless of age, hypertension, obesity, and type 2 diabetes.
Wounds represent a medical problem that contributes importantly to patient morbidity and to healthcare costs in several pathologies. In Hidalgo, Mexico, the Bacopa procumbens plant has been ...traditionally used for wound-healing care for several generations; in vitro and in vivo experiments were designed to evaluate the effects of bioactive compounds obtained from a B. procumbens aqueous fraction and to determine the key pathways involved in wound regeneration. Bioactive compounds were characterized by HPLC/QTOF-MS, and proliferation, migration, adhesion, and differentiation studies were conducted on NIH/3T3 fibroblasts. Polyphenolic compounds from Bacopa procumbens (PB) regulated proliferation and cell adhesion; enhanced migration, reducing the artificial scratch area; and modulated cell differentiation. PB compounds were included in a hydrogel for topical administration in a rat excision wound model. Histological, histochemical, and mechanical analyses showed that PB treatment accelerates wound closure in at least 48 h and reduces inflammation, increasing cell proliferation and deposition and organization of collagen at earlier times. These changes resulted in the formation of a scar with better tensile properties. Immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR molecular analyses demonstrated that treatment induces (i) overexpression of transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) and (ii) the phosphorylation of Smad2/3 and ERK1/2, suggesting the central role of some PB compounds to enhance wound healing, modulating TGF-β activation.
Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have been used in a wide range of applications, conferring to bio-molecules diverse properties such as delivery, stabilization, and reduction of the adverse effects of ...drugs or plant extracts. Polyphenolic compounds from
(
(BP) can modulate proliferation, adhesion, migration, and cell differentiation, reducing the artificial scratch area in fibroblast cultures and promoting wound healing in an in vivo model. Here, chemically synthesized AuNPs conjugated with BP (AuNP-BP) were characterized using UV-Vis, ATR-FTIR, DLS, zeta-potential, and TEM analysis. The results showed an overlap of the FTIR spectra of the polyphenolic compounds from
adhered to the surface of the AuNPs. UV-vis analysis indicated that the average size of the AuNP-BP was 28 nm, while DLS analysis showed a size of 44.58 nm and, by TEM, a size of 16.5 nm with an icosahedral morphology was observed. These measurements suggest an increase in the size of the nanoparticles after conjugation with BP, compared to the sizes of 9 nm, 44.51 nm, and 14.17 nm for the unconjugated AuNPs, respectively. Furthermore, the zeta potential of the AuNPs, which was originally -36.3 ± 12.3 mV shifted to -18.2 ± 7.02 mV after conjugation with BP, indicating improved stability of the nanoparticles. Enhancement of the wound healing effect was evaluated by morphometric, histochemical, and FTIR changes in a rat wound excision model. Results showed that the nanoconjugation process reduced the BP concentrations by 100-fold to have the same wound healing effect as BP alone. Besides, histological and FTIR spectroscopy analyses demonstrated that AuNP-BP treatment exhibited better macroscopical performance, showing a reduction in inflammatory cells and an increased synthesis and improved organization of collagen fibers.
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is the latest biological hazard for the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Even though numerous diagnostic tests for ...SARS-CoV-2 have been proposed, new diagnosis strategies are being developed, looking for less expensive methods to be used as screening. This study aimed to establish salivary vibrational modes analyzed by attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy to detect COVID-19 biological fingerprints that allow the discrimination between COVID-19 and healthy patients. Clinical dates, laboratories, and saliva samples of COVID-19 patients (N = 255) and healthy persons (N = 1209) were obtained and analyzed through ATR-FTIR spectroscopy. Then, a multivariate linear regression model (MLRM) was developed. The COVID-19 patients showed low SaO
2
, cough, dyspnea, headache, and fever principally. C-reactive protein, lactate dehydrogenase, fibrinogen,
d
-dimer, and ferritin were the most important altered laboratory blood tests, which were increased. In addition, changes in amide I and immunoglobulin regions were evidenced in the FTIR spectra analysis, and the MLRM showed clear discrimination between both groups. Specific salivary vibrational modes employing ATR-FTIR spectroscopy were established; moreover, the COVID-19 biological fingerprint in saliva was characterized, allowing the COVID-19 detection using an MLRM, which could be helpful for the development of new diagnostic devices.
During a viral infection, the immune response is mediated by the toll-like receptors and myeloid differentiation Factor 88 (MyD88) that play an important role sensing infections such as SARS-CoV-2 ...which has claimed the lives of more than 6.8 million people around the world.
We carried out a cross-sectional with a population of 618 SARS-CoV-2-positive unvaccinated subjects and further classified based on severity: 22% were mild, 34% were severe, 26% were critical, and 18% were deceased. Toll Like Receptor 7 (TLR7) single-nucleotide polymorphisms (rs3853839, rs179008, rs179009, and rs2302267) and MyD88 (rs7744) were genotyped using TaqMan OpenArray. The association of polymorphisms with disease outcomes was performed by logistic regression analysis adjusted by covariates.
A significant association of rs3853839 and rs7744 of the TLR7 and MyD88 genes, respectively, was found with COVID-19 severity. The G/G genotype of the rs3853839 TLR7 was associated with the critical outcome showing an Odd Ratio = 1.98 (95% IC = 1.04–3.77). The results highlighted an association of the G allele of MyD88 gene with severe, critical and deceased outcomes. Furthermore, in the dominant model (AG + GG vs. AA), we observed an Odd Ratio = 1.70 (95% CI = 1.02–2.86) with severe, Odd Ratio = 1.82 (95% CI = 1.04–3.21) with critical, and Odd Ratio = 2.44 (95% CI = 1.21–4.9) with deceased outcomes.
To our knowledge this work represents an innovative report that highlights the significant association of TLR7 and MyD88 gene polymorphisms with COVID-19 outcomes and the possible implication of the MyD88 variant with D-dimer and IFN-α concentrations.
COVID-19 has affected the entire world due to the rapid spread of SARS-CoV-2, mainly through airborne particles from saliva, which, being easily obtained, help monitor the progression of the disease. ...Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra combined with chemometric analysis could increase the diagnostic efficiency of the disease. However, two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy (2DCOS) is superior to conventional spectra as it helps to resolve the minute overlapped peaks. In this work, we aimed to use 2DCOS and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses to compare the immune response in saliva associated with COVID-19, which could be important in biomedical diagnosis. FTIR spectra of human saliva samples from male (575) and female (366) patients ranging from 20 to 85 ± 2 years of age were used for the study. Age groups were segregated as G1 (20–40 ± 2 years), G2 (45–60 ± 2 years), and G3 (65–85 ± 2 years). The results of the 2DCOS analysis showed biomolecular changes in response to SARS-CoV-2. 2DCOS analyses of the male G1 + (1579,1644) and -(1531,1598) cross peaks evidenced changes such as amide I > IgG. Female G1 cross peaks -(1504,1645), (1504,1545) and -(1391,1645) resulted in amide I > IgG > IgM. The asynchronous spectra in 1300–900 cm-1 of the G2 male group showed that IgM is more important in diagnosing infections than IgA. Female G2 asynchronous spectra -(1027,1242) and + (1068,1176) showed that IgA > IgM is produced against SARS-CoV-2. The G3 male group evidenced antibody changes in IgG > IgM. The absence of IgM in the female G3 population diagnoses a specifically targeted immunoglobulin associated with sex. Moreover, ROC analysis showed sensitivity (85–89 % men; 81–88 % women) and specificity (90–93 % men; 78–92 % women) for the samples studied. The general classification performance (F1 score) of the studied samples is high for the male (88–91 %) and female (80–90 %) populations. This high PPV (positive predictive value) and NPV (negative predictive value) verify our segregation of COVID-19 positive and negative sample groups. Therefore, 2DCOS with ROC analysis using FTIR spectra have the potential for a non-invasive approach to monitoring COVID-19.
•2DCOS analysis showed biomolecular changes in response to SARS-CoV-2.•2DCOS analyses of the male G1 evidenced changes such as amide I > IgG.•Asynchronous spectra in 1300–900 cm−1 of the G2 male group showed that IgM is more important in diagnosing infections.•Absence of IgM in the female G3 population diagnoses a specifically targeted immunoglobulin associated with sex.•2DCOS with ROC analysis have the potential for a non-invasive approach to monitoring COVID-19.
(1) Background: Burnout syndrome (BOS) is defined as a psychological state of physical and mental fatigue associated with work. The COVID-19 pandemic greatly impacted the physical and mental ...wellbeing of health professionals. The objective of this work was to determine the impact on personnel, monitoring the frequency of BOS throughout the pandemic. (2) Methods: The Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) was self-applied in four periods of the pandemic according to sociodemographic and employment characteristics. In this study, all hospital personnel were included; the association of BOS with sex, age, type of participant (civilian or military), military rank and profession was analyzed. (3) Results: The frequency of BOS was 2.4% (start of the pandemic), 7.9% (peak of the first wave), 3.7% (end of the first wave) and 3.6% (peak of the third wave). Emotional exhaustion (EE) was the most affected factor, and the groups most affected were men under 30 years of age, civilians, chiefs and doctors, especially undergraduate medical doctors and specialty resident doctors, and nursing personnel were less affected. (4) Conclusions: The low BOS levels show that the containment measures and military training implemented by the hospital authorities were effective, although the chief personnel were more affected in the first wave. It is probable that this combination allowed the containment of BOS, which was not observed in civilians.
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