Placental PFAS concentrations are associated with perturbations of placental DNA methylation.

The placenta is crucial for fetal development, is affected by PFAS toxicity, and evidence is accumulating that gestational PFAS perturb the epigenetic activity of the placenta. Gestational PFAS exposure can adversely affect offspring, yet individual and cumulative impacts of PFAS on the placental epigenome remain underexplored. Here, we conducted an epigenome-wide association study (EWAS) to examine the relationships between placental PFAS levels and DNA methylation in a cohort of mother-infant dyads in Arkansas (N=151).

Human Cytomegalovirus Infection Induces Long-Term Changes in the Cytokine Milieu of Kidney Transplant Recipients.

The impact of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection on the mid- and long-term balance between pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines among kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) remains unclear. We measured plasma levels of 12 Th1/Th2-type cytokines (granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, interferon-γ, interleukin [IL]-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12p70, IL-13, IL-18 and tumor necrosis factor-α) in a cohort of 290 KTRs at four time points through month 12 after transplantation. Cytokine levels at each point were compared according to the previous documentation of HCMV replication by two approaches: "cumulative exposure" from the time of transplantation and "recent exposure" within the 2-3 months preceding cytokine assessment.

A new STI in the city: MPOX in Barcelona. First outbreak (5/2022-5/2023) and subsequent resurgence.

Background: In May 2022, after the suspension of the mobility restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the first outbreak of MPOX virus, transmitted from human to human, was detected outside of Africa, affecting mostly sexually active men who have sex with men. Our aim is to report the first outbreak of MPOX in Barcelona city in the period from 5/2022 to 5/2023 and the subsequent surge of cases in 8/2023.

Methods: We performed a descriptive study of all notified cases in city residents, obtained through epidemiological surveys.

Central Downregulation of S-Resistin Alleviates Inflammation in EWAT and Liver and Prevents Adipocyte Hypertrophy.

The hypothalamus integrates peripheral signals and modulates food intake and energy expenditure by regulating the metabolic function of peripheral tissues, including the liver and adipose tissue. In a previous study, we demonstrated that s-resistin, an intracellular resistin isoform highly expressed in the hypothalamus and upregulated during aging, is important in the central control of energy homeostasis, affecting mainly the peripheral response to insulin by still unknown mechanisms. Herein, using an intracerebroventricular injection of a specific lentiviral RNAi against s-resistin, we assessed, in the Wistar rat, the effects of central s-resistin downregulation on the expression and phosphorylation levels of intermediates involved in insulin signaling and the inflammatory response in epididymal white adipose tissue (eWAT) and liver.

Diagnostic Performance of Two Different Techniques to Quantify CMV-Specific Cell-Mediated Immunity in Intermediate-Risk Seropositive Kidney Transplant Recipients.

Background: Kidney transplant (KT) recipients at intermediate risk for cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection constitute a potential target for individualized prevention strategies informed by the CMV-specific cell-mediated immunity (CMV-CMI). The optimal method for the functional assessment of CMV-CMI in this group remains unclear.

Methods: We included 74 CMV-seropositive KT recipients that did not receive T-cell-depleting induction and were managed by preemptive therapy.