Hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection has disproportionately affected more men who have sex with men (MSM), occurring in outbreaks, despite being vaccine-preventable. We determined the prevalence and ...factors associated with HAV susceptibility among cisgender MSM on HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in Northeastern Brazil. From September 30, 2021 to June 19, 2023, 282 cisgender MSM receiving HIV PrEP were enrolled into this cross-sectional study. Sociodemographic and clinical information were collected. Blood samples were collected for screening of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and serum samples were tested for IgM and total anti-HAV antibodies. Non-reactive results for total anti-HAV antibodies were found in 106 of 282 (37.6%) participants. Factors associated with HAV susceptibility included age <30 years (prevalence ratio PR: 2.02; 95% confidence interval 95% CI: 1.61-2.53), having health insurance (PR: 1.39; 95% CI: 1.19-1.64), sex only with cisgender men (PR: 1.52; 95% CI: 1.23-1.89), non-steady partner (PR: 1.20; 95% CI: 1.01-1.43) and no lifetime history of STIs (PR: 1.25; 95% CI: 1.03-1.53). Identifying clinical correlates of HAV susceptibility in key populations is a fundamental step towards development of public policy focused on prevention, especially following the recent hepatitis A outbreak in Brazil.
Glycosylation is a common post-translational modification of brain proteins including cell surface adhesion molecules, synaptic proteins, receptors and channels, as well as intracellular proteins, ...with implications in brain development and functions. Using advanced state-of-the-art glycomics and glycoproteomics technologies in conjunction with glycoinformatics resources, characteristic glycosylation profiles in brain tissues are increasingly reported in the literature and growing evidence shows deregulation of glycosylation in central nervous system disorders, including aging associated neurodegenerative diseases. Glycan signatures characteristic of brain tissue are also frequently described in cerebrospinal fluid due to its enrichment in brain-derived molecules. A detailed structural analysis of brain and cerebrospinal fluid glycans collected in publications in healthy and neurodegenerative conditions was undertaken and data was compiled to create a browsable dedicated set in the GlyConnect database of glycoproteins (https://glyconnect.expasy.org/brain). The shared molecular composition of cerebrospinal fluid with brain enhances the likelihood of novel glycobiomarker discovery for neurodegeneration, which may aid in unveiling disease mechanisms, therefore, providing with novel therapeutic targets as well as diagnostic and progression monitoring tools.
•Brain and CSF have characteristic protein glycosylation profiles.•State-of-the-art glyco(proteo)mics and glycoinformatics unveil novel biomarkers.•Aging related neurodegenerative diseases display deregulated glycosignatures.•Protein glycosylation provides with potential biomarkers for neurodegeneration.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a rapidly progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects upper (UMN) and lower motor (LMN) neurons. It is associated with a short survival and there is no ...effective treatment, in spite of a large number of clinical trials. Strong efforts have been made to identify novel disease biomarkers to support diagnosis, provide information on prognosis, to measure disease progression in trials and increase our knowledge on disease pathogenesis.
Electromyography by testing the function of the LMN can be used as a biomarker of its dysfunction. A number of electrophysiological and neuroimaging methods have been explored to identify a reliable marker of UMN degeneration. Recently, strong evidence from independent groups, large cohorts of patients and multicenter studies indicate that neurofilaments are very promising diagnostic biomarkers, in particular cerebrospinal fluid and blood levels of phosphoneurofilament heavy chain and neurofilament light chain. Furthermore, their increased levels are associated with poor prognosis.
Additional studies have been performed aiming to identify other biomarkers, which alone or in combination with neurofilaments could increase the sensitivity and the specificity of the assays. Emerging molecular marker targets are being discovered, but more studies with standardized methods are required in larger cohorts of ALS patients.
•Novel biomarkers are critical for ALS diagnosis and prognosis, and in trials.•pNFH and NFL have been largely studied and constitute promising ALS biomarkers.•Novel biomarker targets are investigated and others will be discovered in the future.
This systematic review aimed to investigate the occurrence of phthalates (phthalic acid esters PAEs) in different food matrices, as well as report the main sources of PAEs in food, the potential ...risks to the population, and the factors that influence its migration from food contact materials (FCMs) to food. Nineteen PAEs were identified, including di‐(2‐ehtylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), dibutyl‐phthalate (DBP), benzylbutyl phthalate (BBP), diisononyl phthalate (DINP), and diisodecyl phthalate (DIDP) in fruits and vegetables, milk and dairy products, cereals, meat, fish, fat and oils, snacks, condiments and sauces, miscellaneous, and baby food. Fifty‐seven values of PAEs were above the legal limits of countries. DEHP is the PAE with the highest incidence, with maximum concentrations above the specific migration limit (SML) for milk and dairy products, oils and fats, fish, cereals, condiments and sauces, meat, and fruits and vegetables. The risk of exceeding the tolerable daily intake (TDI) was high for DEHP and DBP in fish, fat and oils, cereals, and milk and dairy products for children and adults. Fat and oils are the most critical food for DEHP, DBP, BBP, and DINP. Comparing the estimated daily intake (EDI) with the TDI, there was a risk for “milk and dairy products” in adults and for “cereal and cereal products” in children concerning DEHP. “Cereal and cereal products” presented a risk in children and adults concerning DBP. The “fat and oils” category presented a risk in children and adults about DBP and DINP. Temperature, contact time between food and the FCM, fat percent, and acidity positively correlate with the PAE's migration. The contamination occurs in many steps of the production chain.
A familial form of the neurodegenerative disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), is caused by dominant mutations in the cytosolic Cu,Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1). There has been evidence for ...secretion of SOD1, by an unknown mechanism. In this work stable mouse motor neuron-like NSC-34 cells overexpressing human SOD1 wild-type hSOD1
wt (NSC-34/hSOD1
wt) and mutant hSOD1
G93A (NSC-34/hSOD1
G93A) have been used as an ALS cell model. SOD1 was found to be secreted in association with a membrane fraction that pelleted at 100,000
×
g. Sucrose density gradient separation of this fraction showed that wild-type and mutant SOD1 were found between 0.5 and 1.16
M sucrose and co-localized with the exosomal marker CD9. Therefore, SOD1 secretion occurred via exosomes. p115 a cytosolic and Golgi apparatus (GA) protein involved in vesicle tethering was also found in exosomes, contrary to the endoplasmic reticulum protein calnexin. SOD1 secretion mediated by exosomes could explain cell-to-cell transfer of mutant toxicity.
RESUMEN Considerado el territorio brasileño más negro -su población está constituida por un 80% de negros-, Bahía está marcada en sus construcciones culturales y artísticas por los efectos de la ...diáspora transatlántica y produce un Teatro Negro pautado por la herencia cultural afro en sus composiciones escénicas y textuales, y enfocado en una referencialidad litúrgica que trasciende lo religioso. A partir de las referencias históricas del Teatro Negro brasileño y sus reverberaciones, este artículo se propone presentar una breve historiografía y reflexionar cómo el Teatro Negro producido en Salvador y en Alagoinhas (Bahía/Brasil) se articula de acuerdo con una lógica de colectividad, que puede ser pensada como una práctica de producción teatral, pero, principalmente, como un modo de operación solidaria y de fortalecimiento entre grupos. El episteme buscado por el Teatro Negro concierne a la relación entre la cultura afro de resistencia y la producción colectiva. El artículo se propone pensar el Teatro Negro en su ámbito de producción estética, que provoca el diálogo entre los conocimientos afrocentrados y occidentales, como propuesta política intrínseca a sus modos de producción aún periféricos dentro de un escenario brasileño. Para ello, se utilizará como ejemplo el grupo NATA (Alagoinhas) y se harán alusiones al Bando de Teatro Olodum (Salvador/BA).
Exosomes consist of vesicles that are secreted by several human cells, including tumor cells and neurons, and they are found in several biological fluids. Exosomes have characteristic protein and ...lipid composition, however, the results concerning glycoprotein composition and glycosylation are scarce. Here, protein glycosylation of exosomes from ovarian carcinoma SKOV3 cells has been studied by lectin blotting, NP-HPLC analysis of 2-aminobenzamide labeled glycans and mass spectrometry. An abundant sialoglycoprotein was found enriched in exosomes and it was identified by peptide mass fingerprinting and immunoblot as the galectin-3-binding protein (LGALS3BP). Exosomes were found to contain predominantly complex glycans of the di-, tri-, and tetraantennary type with or without proximal fucose and also high mannose glycans. Diantennary glycans containing bisecting N-acetylglucosamine were also detected. This work provides detailed information about glycoprotein and N-glycan composition of exosomes from ovarian cancer cells, furthermore it opens novel perspectives to further explore the functional role of glycans in the biology of exosomes.
AbstractVanishing bile duct syndrome is a rare acquired condition, characterized by progressive loss of intrahepatic bile ducts leading to ductopenia and cholestasis. It can be associated with ...infections, ischemia, drug adverse reactions, neoplasms, autoimmune disease, and allograft rejection. Prognosis is variable and depends on the etiology of bile duct injury. We report the case of a 25-year-old female with cholestatic hepatitis and concomitant intakes of hepatotoxic substances, such as garcinia, field horsetail, and ketoprofen. On suspicion of a drug-induced liver injury, the drugs were promptly withdrawn and ursodeoxycholic acid was started with initial clinical and laboratory improvement, and the patient was discharged from the hospital. One month later, she had a new increase in bilirubin levels and canalicular enzymes, requiring a liver biopsy that showed significant loss of intrahepatic bile ducts, which was compatible with vanishing bile duct syndrome. This was confirmed by using cytokeratin 19 on immunohistochemistry. There was subsequent lymph node enlargement in several chains, and relevant weight loss. Histological analysis of a cervical lymph node revealed nodular sclerosis-subtype classic Hodgkin lymphoma. In this setting, vanishing bile duct syndrome was related to Hodgkin lymphoma and a drug-induced liver injury overlap, leading to progressive cholestasis with a worse prognosis. The patient's response to chemotherapy was poor, requiring biological therapy with brentuximab vedotin. It is crucial for physicians to create a broad differential diagnosis in suspected vanishing bile duct syndrome patients, especially to rule out malignancies.
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