A recent proposal to mitigate the effects of climatic change and reduce water consumption in agriculture is to develop cultivars with high water-use efficiency. The aims of this study were to ...characterize this trait as a differential response mechanism to water-limitation in two bean cultivars contrasting in their water stress tolerance, to isolate and identify gene fragments related to this response in a model cultivar, as well as to evaluate transcription levels of genes previously identified. Keeping CO2 assimilation through a high photosynthesis rate under limited conditions was the physiological response which allowed the cultivar model to maintain its growth and seed production with less water. Chloroplast genes stood out among identified genetic elements, which confirmed the importance of photosynthesis in such response. ndhK, rpoC2, rps19, rrn16, ycf1 and ycf2 genes were expressed only in response to limited water availability.
•The tolerant cultivar had higher photosynthetic rate and seed production.•The tolerant cultivar showed a higher instant and integral water-use efficiency.•Six chloroplast genes turned out to be related to water-use efficiency.•Avoiding ROS accumulation was essential to respond to limited conditions.•There was a lack of expression of drought genes under our experimental conditions.
Introducción: La insuficiencia cardiaca en pacientes con fibrilación auricular no valvular (FANV) es de dos a tres veces más frecuente que en individuos sin FANV. Objetivo: Identificar los factores ...de riesgo cardiometabólico (FRCM) y el tratamiento antitrombótico de pacientes con FANV e insuficiencia cardiaca con fracción de expulsión reducida (IC-FEr), y determinar si existen diferencias conforme al sexo. Métodos: En forma global y de acuerdo con el sexo se analizaron FRCM, riesgo protrombótico, riesgo de sangrado y terapia antitrombótica. Resultados: De 1423 pacientes con FANV, 336 tuvieron IC-FEr. Las mujeres promediaron mayor edad que los hombres. No hubo diferencia entre los sexos respecto al tipo de FANV o uso de anticoagulantes orales directos. La hipertensión arterial sistémica fue más frecuente en mujeres. Un 3.6 % de los pacientes reportó antecedente de ataque isquémico transitorio y 10 % de evento vascular cerebral, sin diferencias en cuanto al sexo. El porcentaje de hombres con riesgo embólico elevado fue mayor, pero sin tratamiento antitrombótico, en comparación con las mujeres. Conclusiones: Se encontraron diferencias significativas de acuerdo con el sexo en pacientes con FANV e IC-FEr, tanto en FRCM y algunas comorbilidades, como en el tratamiento antitrombótico de acuerdo con el riesgo embólico y de sangrado.
Heart failure in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) is two to three times more common than in individuals without NVAF.
To identify cardiometabolic risk factors (CMRF) and ...antithrombotic treatment in patients with NVAF and heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), and to determine if there were differences according to gender.
CMRF, pro-thrombotic risk, bleeding risk, and antithrombotic therapy were globally analyzed and according to gender.
Out of 1,423 patients with NVAF, 336 had HFrEF. On average, females were older than males. There was no difference between genders with regard to the type of NVAF or direct oral anticoagulants use. Hypertension was more common in women. History of transient ischemic attack was reported in 3.6% of the patients and cerebrovascular event in 10%, without differences in terms of gender. The percentage of men with elevated embolic risk was higher, but without antithrombotic treatment, in comparison with women.
Significant differences were found according to gender in patients with NVAF and HFrEF, both in CMRF and some comorbidities, as well as in antithrombotic treatment according to embolic and bleeding risk.
• The physiological response to drought was measured in two common bean varieties with contrastive susceptibility to drought stress. A subtractive cDNA library was constructed from the two cultivars, ...Phaseolus vulgaris 'Pinto Villa' (tolerant) and 'Carioca' (susceptible). • 18 cDNAs displayed protein-coding genes associated with drought, cold and oxidative stress, signal transduction, plant defense, chloroplast function and unknown function. A cDNA coding for an aquaporin (AQP) was selected for further analyses. • The open reading frames (ORFs) of AQPs from 'Pinto Villa' and 'Carioca' were compared and despite their similarity, accumulated differentially in the plant organs, as demonstrated by Northern blot and in situ hybridization. A phylogenetic analysis of the deduced amino acid sequence with other AQPs suggested a tonoplast-located protein. • Under drought conditions, the levels of AQP mRNA from the susceptible cultivar decreased to undetectable levels; by contrast, 'Pinto Villa' mRNA was present and restricted the phloem tissue. This would allow 'Pinto Villa' to maintain vascular tissue functions under drought stress.
SUMMARY
Background
Mexican children are characterized by a high‐starch intake diet and high prevalence of obesity.
Objectives
To investigate the association of AMY1A/AMY2A copy numbers (CNs) and ...AMY1/AMY2 serum enzymatic activity with childhood obesity in up to 427 and 337 Mexican cases and controls.
Methods
Anthropometric and dietary starch intake data were collected. CN of AMY1A/AMY2A and AMY1/AMY2 serum enzymatic activity were determined using droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) and enzymatic colorimetry, respectively. An individual participant level data meta‐analysis of association between AMY1A CNVs and obesity was also performed.
Results
A positive association between AMY1A/AMY2A CNs and their corresponding AMY1/AMY2 serum enzyme activity was observed in children with normal weight and obesity. The serum enzyme activity of AMY1 and AMY2 was negatively associated with childhood obesity risk, and the association was restricted to kids eating medium/high amount of starch (Pinteraction = .004). While no association between AMY1A and AMY2A CNs and childhood obesity was observed in our sample, we confirmed a significant association between AMY1A CN and obesity in a meta‐analysis of 3100 Mexican children.
Conclusions
Our data suggest that genetically determined salivary and pancreatic amylase activity can increase/decrease the risk of obesity in Mexican children, this effect being blunted by a low‐starch diet.
Atrial Fibrillation (AF) is associated with an increased risk of stroke and systemic embolism. Several studies have suggested that female AF patients could have a greater risk for stroke. There is ...scarce information about clinical characteristics and use of antithrombotic therapies in Latin American patients with nonvalvular AF.
To describe the gender differences in clinical characteristics, thromboembolic risk, and antithrombotic therapy of patients with nonvalvular AF recruited in Mexico, an upper middle-income country, into the prospective national CARMEN-AF Registry.
A total of 1423 consecutive patients, with at least one thromboembolic risk factor were enrolled in CARMEN-AF Registry during a three-year period (2014–2017). They were categorized according to Gender.
Overall, 48.6% were women, mean age 70 ± 12 years. Diabetes, smoking, alcoholism, non-ischemic cardiomyopathy, coronary artery disease, and obstructive sleep apnea were higher in men. Most women were found with paroxysmal AF (40.6%), and most men with permanent AF (44.0%). No gender differences were found in the use of vitamin K antagonists (VKA) (30.5% in women vs. 28.0% in men). No gender differences were found in the use of direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC) (33.8% women vs 35.4% men).
CARMEN-AF Registry demonstrates that in Mexico, regardless of gender, a large proportion of patients remain undertreated. No gender differences were found in the use of VKA or DOAC.
SUMMARY
Roots provide physical and nutritional support to plant organs that are above ground and play critical roles for adaptation via intricate movements and growth patterns. Through screening the ...effects of bacterial isolates from roots of halophyte Mesquite (Prosopis sp.) on Arabidopsis thaliana, we identified Achromobacter sp. 5B1 as a probiotic bacterium that influences plant functional traits. Detailed genetic and architectural analyses in Arabidopsis grown in vitro and in soil, cell division measurements, auxin transport and response gene expression and brefeldin A treatments demonstrated that root colonization with Achromobacter sp. 5B1 changes the growth and branching patterns of roots, which were related to auxin perception and redistribution. Expression analysis of auxin transport and signaling revealed a redistribution of auxin within the primary root tip of wild‐type seedlings by Achromobacter sp. 5B1 that is disrupted by brefeldin A and correlates with repression of auxin transporters PIN1 and PIN7 in root provasculature, and PIN2 in the epidermis and cortex of the root tip, whereas expression of PIN3 was enhanced in the columella. In seedlings harboring AUX1, EIR1, AXR1, ARF7ARF19, TIR1AFB2AFB3 single, double or triple loss‐of‐function mutations, or in a dominant (gain‐of‐function) mutant of SLR1, the bacterium caused primary roots to form supercoils that are devoid of lateral roots. The changes in growth and root architecture elicited by the bacterium helped Arabidopsis seedlings to resist salt stress better. Thus, Achromobacter sp. 5B1 fine tunes both root movements and the auxin response, which may be important for plant growth and environmental adaptation.
Significance Statement
Achromobacter sp. 5B1 induces Arabidopsis primary roots to deviate their growth from the gravity vector and this promotes lateral root development, thus enabling better soil exploration that accounts for enhanced plant biomass production in vitro and in soil under standard growth conditions and salt stress.
To evaluate the risk of stroke and bleeding using the CHA2DS2-VASc and HAS-BLED scores in Mexican patients with atrial fibrillation and to analyze whether the risk score obtained determined treatment ...decisions regarding antithrombotic therapy.
This is an observational, retrospective study in Mexican patients recently diagnosed with atrial fibrillation. The risk of stroke was assessed using the CHA2DS2-VASc scores. The bleeding risk was evaluated using the HAS-BLED score. The frequency of use of antithrombotic therapy was calculated according to the results of the score risk assessment.
A total of 350 patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation were analyzed. A 92.9% of patients had a high risk (score ≥ 2) of stroke according to the CHA2DS2-VASc score and only 17.2% were treated with anticoagulants. A high proportion of patients with atrial fibrillation (72.5%) showed both a high risk of stroke and a high risk of bleeding based on HAS-BLED score.
In this group of patients with atrial fibrillation, from Northeast Mexico, there is a remarkably underutilization of anticoagulation despite the high risk of stroke of these patients.
Abstract
Background
The safety of ustekinumab in pregnant patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and in their offspring has been barely studied.
Aims
Primary: To know the risk of serious ...adverse events (SAEs) in women exposed to ustekinumab during pregnancy and in their offspring. Secondary: To assess the risk of complications of the mothers and their offspring. To describe the patterns of use of ustekinumab during pregnancy in these patients
Methods
Patients with IBD exposed to ustekinumab during pregnancy from DUMBO registry of GETECCU were included. DUMBO is a prospective, observational and multicentre registry, which enrols pregnant women with IBD over 5 years in 70 centres in Spain. The registry was kicked off in September 2019. SAE definition was based on “Clinical Safety Data Management: Definitions and Standards for Expedited Reporting by European Medicines Agency”. Study protocol is summarized in figure 1.
Results
49 pregnant patients have been exposed to ustekinumab during pregnancy so far (table 1).
All pregnancies were singleton. Two patients were lost of follow-up (1st and 2nd trimester) but had uneventful pregnancies up-to last visit. There were 2 miscarriages (4%) at 1st trimester of gestation, 34 newborns and 11 pregnancies that were still on-going at the time of this analysis. All patients were on ustekinumab at conception (57% of them 90 mg/8 weeks). A total of 12 patients (24%) withdrawn ustekinumab during pregnancy: 1 (8%) due to disease flare, 1 (8%) underwent surgery due to intestinal obstruction, 2 (17%) due to patient’s choice (at 1st and 2nd trimester), and 8 (67%) due to clinicians’ decision (1 at 1st, 5 at 2nd and 2 at 3rd trimesters). No patient flared up after ustekinumab discontinuation. 10 (20%) patients had SAEs: 2 miscarriages, 1 intestinal infection, 1 subcorionic hematoma, 3 preterm birth, 1 intestinal obstruction and perforation (underwent surgery), 1 preeclapmsia, and 1 stoma obstruction. A total of 34 women gave birth after a median of 39 weeks gestation interquartile range (IQR)=38–40, 3 (9%) preterm births, 55% by caesarean section (82% obstetric reasons and 18% perianal fistulae). Of the 34 newborns, 53% were female, median birth weight was 3,110 g (IQR=2,820–3,325), 3 (9%) low-birth weight, and 50% were breastfed exclusively. Median babies’ follow-up was 12 months (IQR=7–16). During follow-up, 3 children (9%) had severe infections (2 urinary infections, and 1 bronchiolitis by respiratory syncytial virus). In addition, 4 (13%) children were hospitalized: 1 cardiorespiratory arrest, 1 prematurity, 1 jaundice, and 1 vesicoureteral reflux
Conclusion
Ustekinumab seems to be safe during pregnancy in patients with IBD and their offspring.
Abstract
Background
Most of the drugs approved for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) seem to be of low risk during pregnancy. However, clinicians’ attitude to IBD treatments during ...pregnancy in clinical practice has been barely studied.
Aim
Primary: To describe the management of immunomodulators and biologic agents prescribed for IBD (initiation and withdrawal) in a prospective registry of clinical practice. Secondary aims: To know the main reasons for drug discontinuation; and to evaluate the impact of drug withdrawal on IBD activity during pregnancy.
Methods
Pregnant patients with IBD from DUMBO registry were included. DUMBO is a prospective, observational and multicentre registry, which enrols pregnant women with IBD over 5 years in 70 centres in Spain. The registry was kicked off in September 2019. Study protocol is summarized in figure 1.
Results
So far, 580 pregnant women have been included in the registry; of them, 489 conceived at least 40 weeks before data extraction and were considered for the present analysis (Table 1).
98% of the pregnancies were singleton, and 2% were twin pregnancies. There were 4% of miscarriages, and 1% of elective abortions. The majority of patients were in remission at conception and throughout pregnancy. Patients’ treatments during pregnancy are summarized in table 1; 20% of patients were exposed to thiopurines, 29% to biologics, and 10% to both biologics and thiopurines. No patient received methotrexate, cyclosporine, tacrolimus or tofacitinib during pregnancy. A minority of patients started a new drug during pregnancy: 3 patients (0.6%) started azathioprine, 2 (0.4%) adalimumab, 6 (1.2%) infliximab, and 1 (0.2%) ustekinumab. The proportion of patients who discontinued each drug, reasons for discontinuation, trimester of gestation at discontinuation and disease outcome, are summarized in table 2.
The proportion of patients who discontinued each drug among those with the standard or the intensified dose, are summarized in table 3.
Of noted, biologic agents were discontinued in over 1/3 of patients, while thiopurines were maintained in most cases (78% of those who interrupted thiopurines were maintained on biologics). No patient flared-up after drug discontinuation (Table 2); all but one patient who interrupted the treatment, were in remission at baseline
Conclusion
Biologic agents (even anti-TNF agents) are withdrawn in a relatively high proportion of IBD patients during pregnancy, mainly due to clinicians’ decision. The risk of relapse after drug discontinuation is low, probably due to adequate control of the disease activity already at conception.
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