Murine cysticercosis by
is a model for human neurocysticercosis. Genetic and/or immune differences may underlie the higher susceptibility to infection in BALB/cAnN with respect to C57BL/6 mice. T ...regulatory cells (Tregs) could mediate the escape of
from the host immunity. This study is aimed to investigate the role of Tregs in
establishment in susceptible and non-susceptible mouse strains. Treg and effector cells were quantified in lymphoid organs before infection and 5, 30, 90, and 130 days post-infection. The proliferative response post-infection was characterized
. The expression of regulatory and inflammatory molecules was assessed on days 5 and 30 post-infection. Depletion assays were performed to assess Treg functionality. Significantly higher Treg percentages were observed in BALB/cAnN mice, while increased percentages of activated CD127+ cells were found in C57BL/6 mice. The proliferative response was suppressed in susceptible mice, and Treg proliferation occurred only in susceptible mice. Treg-mediated suppression mechanisms may include IL-10 and TGFβ secretion, granzyme- and perforin-mediated cytolysis, metabolic disruption, and cell-to-cell contact. Tregs are functional in BALB/cAnN mice. Therefore Tregs could be allowing parasite establishment and survival in susceptible mice but could play a homeostatic role in non-susceptible strains.
High serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels are an independent prognostic factor for recurrence and survival in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Its role as a predictive marker ...of treatment response has not been widely characterized.
180 patients with advanced NSCLC (stage IIIB or Stage IV), who had an elevated CEA serum level (>10 ng/ml) at baseline and who had no more than one previous chemotherapy regimen, were included. CEA levels were measured after two treatment cycles of platinum based chemotherapy (93%) or a tyrosine kinase inhibitor (7%). We evaluate the change in serum CEA levels and the association with response measured by RECIST criteria.
After two chemotherapy cycles, the patients who achieved an objective response (OR, 28.3%) had a reduction of CEA levels of 55.6% (95%CI box drawings light horizontal64.3 to box drawings light horizontal46.8) compared to its basal level, with an area under the ROC curve (AURC) of 0.945 (95%CI 0.91-0.99), and a sensitivity and specificity of 90.2 and 89.9%, respectively, for a CEA reduction of ≥14%. Patients that achieved a decrease in CEA levels ≥14% presented an overall response in 78% of cases, stable disease in 20.3% and progression in 1.7%, while patients that did not attain a reduction ≥14% had an overall response of 4.1%, stable disease of 63.6% and progression of 32.2% (p < 0.001). Patients with stable (49.4%) and progressive disease (22.2%) had an increase of CEA levels of 9.4% (95%CI 1.5-17.3) and 87.5% (95%CI 60.9-114) from baseline, respectively (p < 0.001). The AURC for progressive disease was 0.911 (95%CI 0.86-0.961), with sensitivity and specificity of 85 and 15%, respectively, for a CEA increase of ≥18%. PFS was longer in patients with a ≥14% reduction in CEA (8.7 vs. 5.1 months, p < 0.001). Neither reduction of CEA nor OR were predictive of OS.
A CEA level reduction is a sensitive and specific marker of OR, as well as a sensitive indicator for progression to chemotherapy in patients with advanced NSCLC who had an elevated CEA at baseline and had received no more than one chemotherapy regimen. A 14% decrease in CEA levels is associated with a better PFS.
Abstract Background Self-management of moderate/severe asthma depends upon patients’ ability to: 1) navigate (access health care to obtain diagnoses and treatment), 2) use inhaled corticosteroids ...(ICS) properly, and 3) understand ICS function. Objective To test whether navigation skills (medication recall, knowledge of copay requirements ability to provide information needed for a medical visit about a persistent cough unresponsive to medication), are related to other self-management skills and to health literacy. Methods A 21-item Navigating Ability (NAV2) questionnaire was developed, validated, then read to adults with moderate/severe asthma. ICS technique was evaluated by scales derived from instructions in national guidelines; knowledge of ICS function by a validated 10-item questionnaire. Spearman correlation was computed between NAV2 score and these questionnaires and with numeracy (Asthma Numeracy Questionnaire) and print literacy (Short Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults). Results 250 adults participated: age 51±13 years, 72% female, 65% African-American, 10% Latino, 50% with less than $30,000 household income per year, 47% with no more than a 12th grade education, 29% experienced hospitalizations for asthma in the prior year. Higher NAV2 score was associated with correct ICS technique (ρ=0.24, p=0.0002), knowledge of ICS (ρ =0.35, p<0.001), better print literacy (ρ=0.44, p<0.001) and numeracy (ρ=0.41, p<0.001). Conclusions Patients with poor navigating ability are likely to have poor inhaler technique and limited understanding of ICS function, as well as limited numeracy and print literacy. Clinicians should consider these elements of self-management for their impact on asthma care and as a marker of more general health literacy deficits.
To describe the risk factors for infection, complications, treatment received and response in Puerto Ricans with HCV attending gastroenterology clinics at UPR-MSC, and the prevalence of single ...nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in IFNL3 and IFNL4 in this population.
After consent, demographic and medical data were obtained and blood samples were drawn from each patient. The QIAamp Blood-Maxi Kit was employed for DNA extraction. The TaqMan allelic discrimination assay was employed for SNP genotyping. HCV-RNA was measured by branched-chain DNA assay. Frequency distributions were used to describe the study population and the prevalence of SNPs. The UPR Medical Sciences Campus IRB approved the study.
Of 259 patients recruited, 64% were men. Genotype 1was found in 112/136 (82%). Of 150 subjects treated, 19% had sustained virological response (SVR), 40% received treatment with pegylated interferon plus ribavirin. The SNP frequencies (n = 239) of IFNL3 locus rs12979860 were 27% (C/C), 50% (C/T), and 23% (T/T), and for rs8099917 were 46% (T/T), 47% (T/G), and 7% (G/G). SNP frequencies of IFNL4 locus ss469415590 were 26% (TT/TT), 48% (TT/ΔG), and 26% (ΔG/ΔG).
HCV-infected Hispanics in our sample (all of which were Puerto Rican) were shown to have a low SVR rate of 19%. The demographic characteristics were similar to those of other study groups in the US, except for the annual income. Genotype-1 was the most prevalent in those patients with known HCV genotypes. This study group showed significant differences with frequencies observed in other populations. Lower frequencies of the favorable genotypes were found in our group compared with the populations having European and Asian ancestry.
Evidence strongly supports that to improve breastfeeding practices it is needed to strengthen actions of promotion, protection and support. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to establish a ...multisectoral national policy that includes elements such as design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of programs and policies, funding research, advocacy to develop political willingness, and the promotion of breastfeeding from the national to municipal level, all coordinated by a central level. It is until now that Mexico has initiated a reform process to the establish a National Strategy for Breastfeeding Action. This strategy, is the result not only of the consistent scientific evidence on clear and strong benefits of breastfeeding on population health and the development of human capital, but also for the alarming data of deterioration of breastfeeding practices in the country. The comprehensive implementation of the National Strategy for Breastfeeding Action that includes the establishment of a national committee, intra- and inter-sectoral coordination of actions, setting clear goals and monitoring the International Code of Marketing of Breast-Milk Substitutes, is the awaiting responsibility of the public health agenda of the country.
El trabajo expone cómo los consumidores valoran la calidad de los alimentos orgánicos de origen local. La información fue obtenida mediante un cuestionario aplicado a 50 consumidores asiduos a la ...red Comida Sana y Cercana en San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas, y mediante la realización de dos talleres. Los resultados indican que la calidad se define desde aspectos organolépticos, que los consumidores están interesados en el modelo de certificación participativa, y que depositan su confianza en la relación de cercanía entre productores y consumidores.
COVID-19 mRNA vaccines (Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna) have been shown to be highly protective against COVID-19-associated hospitalizations (1-3). Data are limited on the level of protection against ...hospitalization among disproportionately affected populations in the United States, particularly during periods in which the B.1.617.2 (Delta) variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, predominates (2). U.S. veterans are older, more racially diverse, and have higher prevalences of underlying medical conditions than persons in the general U.S. population (2,4). CDC assessed the effectiveness of mRNA vaccines against COVID-19-associated hospitalization among 1,175 U.S. veterans aged ≥18 years hospitalized at five Veterans Affairs Medical Centers (VAMCs) during February 1-August 6, 2021. Among these hospitalized persons, 1,093 (93.0%) were men, the median age was 68 years, 574 (48.9%) were non-Hispanic Black (Black), 475 were non-Hispanic White (White), and 522 (44.4%) had a Charlson comorbidity index score of ≥3 (5). Overall adjusted vaccine effectiveness against COVID-19-associated hospitalization was 86.8% (95% confidence interval CI = 80.4%-91.1%) and was similar before (February 1-June 30) and during (July 1-August 6) SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant predominance (84.1% versus 89.3%, respectively). Vaccine effectiveness was 79.8% (95% CI = 67.7%-87.4%) among adults aged ≥65 years and 95.1% (95% CI = 89.1%-97.8%) among those aged 18-64 years. COVID-19 mRNA vaccines are highly effective in preventing COVID-19-associated hospitalization in this older, racially diverse population of predominately male U.S. veterans. Additional evaluations of vaccine effectiveness among various age groups are warranted. To prevent COVID-19-related hospitalizations, all eligible persons should receive COVID-19 vaccination.
We present the complete chloroplast genome sequence of an endophytic
sp. isolated from a 19th-century coralline red algal specimen from St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. The chloroplast genome is ...84,848 bp in length, contains 114 genes, and has a high level of gene synteny to other Ostreobiaceae.
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