Delivering an innovative multi-infection and female genital mutilation screening to high-risk migrant populations (ISMiHealth): study protocol of a cluster randomised controlled trial with embedded process evaluation.

Introduction: ISMiHealth is a clinical decision support system, integrated as a software tool in the electronic health record system of primary care, that aims to improve the screening performance on infectious diseases and female genital mutilation (FGM) in migrants. The aim of this study is to assess the health impact of the tool and to perform a process evaluation of its feasibility and acceptability when implemented in primary care in Catalonia (Spain).

Methods And Analysis: This study is a cluster randomised control trial where 35 primary care centres in Catalonia, Spain will be allocated into one of the two groups: intervention and control.

Evaluation of inflammatory biomarkers and their association with anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody titers in healthcare workers vaccinated with BNT162B2.

Introduction: Vaccine-induced immunity against COVID-19 generates antibody and lymphocyte responses. However, variability in antibody titers has been observed after vaccination, and the determinants of a better response should be studied. The main objective of this investigation was to analyze the inflammatory biomarker response induced in healthcare workers vaccinated with BNT162b2, and its association with anti-Spike (a SARS-CoV-2 antigen) antibodies measured throughout a 1-year follow-up.

Serum Phthalate Concentrations and Biomarkers of Oxidative Stress in Adipose Tissue in a Spanish Adult Cohort.

The relationship between phthalates, a group of chemical pollutants classified as endocrine disruptors, and oxidative stress is not fully understood. The aim of the present hospital-based study was to explore the associations between circulating levels of 10 phthalate metabolites and 8 biomarkers of oxidative stress in adipose tissue. The study population ( = 143) was recruited in two hospitals in the province of Granada (Spain).

Phthalate exposure and risk of metabolic syndrome components: A systematic review.

Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions that increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, i.e. obesity, insulin resistance, hypertriglyceridemia, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) levels and arterial hypertension.

Impact of COVID-19 on Spanish mortality rates in 2020 by age and sex.

Background: Previous studies have used different biometric indicators to measure the effect of Covid-19 on population mortality such as the number of deaths or the decrease of life expectancy showing a dependence of mortality on age and sex. According to them, the impact of the pandemic was greater on women than in men and that the older the population, the greater the number of deaths caused by Covid-19.

Methods: We apply graduation techniques and non-parametric methods to estimate mortality rates allowing us to obtain an age-by-age picture of changes in mortality rates from 2018-2019 to 2020.

[Influence of diet in COVID-19 infection and severity risk: a systematic review].

Introduction: the risk and/or prognosis of COVID-19, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, have been related to chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular diseases, with poor-quality diet being a predisposing factor for these diseases. Objective: to synthesize the scientific evidence on the effect of diet on the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe COVID-19. Methods: a systematic review was carried out following the PRISMA guidelines.

Psychological Impact of COVID-19 in the Setting of Dentistry: A Review Article.

The worldwide pandemic has exposed healthcare professionals to a high risk of infection, exacerbating the situation of uncertainty caused by COVID-19. The objective of this review was to evaluate the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on dental professionals and their patients. A literature review was conducted using Medline-Pubmed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases, excluding systematic reviews, narratives, meta-analyses, case reports, book chapters, short communications, and congress papers.

Eotaxin-2 and eotaxin-3 in malaria exposure and pregnancy.

Background: Eotaxin-1 concentrations in plasma have been inversely associated with malaria exposure, malaria infection and pregnancy, but the effect of these conditions on the levels of the related chemokines eotaxin-2 and eotaxin-3 remains unknown.

Methods: Eotaxin-2 and -3 concentrations were measured in 310 peripheral or placental plasma samples from pregnant and non-pregnant individuals from Papua New Guinea (malaria-endemic country) and Spain (malaria-naïve individuals) with previous data on eotaxin-1 concentrations. Correlations between eotaxin concentrations were examined with the Spearman's test.

Non-celiac gluten sensitivity: Clinical presentation, etiology and differential diagnosis.

Non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) is the latest pathology incorporated into the group of gluten-related disorders. This review addresses the evidence on its etiology, differential diagnosis and symptomatology. Although NCGS is defined by a reaction to gluten, other possible etiopathogenic mechanisms have been described, such as an inadequate response to other components of wheat or to FODMAPs, with the term non-celiac sensitivity to wheat recently being extended.

Associations of circulating levels of phthalate metabolites with cytokines and acute phase reactants in a Spanish human cohort.

The associations between human phthalate exposure and the onset of chronic diseases with an immunological component (e.g., metabolic syndrome, cancer) remain unclear, partly due to the uncertainties in the underlying mechanisms.

Factors associated with the development of second primary tumours in head and neck cancer patients.

Introduction: The development of second primary tumours (SPTs) is one of the main causes of low survival in patients with head and neck cancer (HNC). The aim of this study was to review the evidence about factors associated with developing SPTs in patients with HNC.

Methods: An updated systematic review was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines, and the search was performed in Pubmed and Scopus.

Public healthcare costs associated with long-term exposure to mixtures of persistent organic pollutants in two areas of Southern Spain: A longitudinal analysis.

Background: Polychlorinated biphenyls and organochlorine pesticides are persistent organic pollutants (POPs) that had been banned or restricted in many countries, including Spain. However, their ubiquity still poses environmental and human health threats.

Objective: To longitudinally explore public healthcare costs associated with long-term exposure to a mixture of 8 POPs in a cohort of residents of two areas of Granada Province, Southern Spain.

Differential Bioaccumulation Patterns of α, β-Hexachlorobenzene and Dicofol in Adipose Tissue from the GraMo Cohort (Southern Spain).

To identify bioaccumulation patterns of α-, β- hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) and dicofol in relation to sociodemographic, dietary, and lifestyle factors, adipose tissue samples of 387 subjects from GraMo cohort in Southern Spain were analyzed. Potential predictors of these organochlorine pesticides (OCP) levels were collected by face-to-face interviews and assessed by multivariable linear and logistic regression. OCPs were detected in 84.

Tocilizumab in COVID-19: Factors Associated With Mortality Before and After Treatment.

Tocilizumab (TCZ) has been administered in SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia but the factors associated with mortality before and after treatment remain unclear. Cox regression models were used to estimate the predictors of time to death in a cohort of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 receiving TCZ. In addition, the mean differences between discharged and deceased patients in laboratory parameters measured before and 3, 6 and 9 days after TCZ administration were estimated with weighted generalized estimation equations.

Associations of accumulated selected persistent organic pollutants in adipose tissue with insulin sensitivity and risk of incident type-2 diabetes.

Continuous exposure to low doses of persistent organic pollutant (POPs), such as those occurring in the general population, might contribute to the burden of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, evidences from longitudinal studies are scarce. We aimed to explore the associations of accumulated POP exposure with the development of T2DM by means of 1) longitudinal associations with the 16-year incidence of the disease, and 2) complementary cross-sectional analyses with markers of glucose homeostasis at recruitment.

Cytokine signatures of Plasmodium vivax infection during pregnancy and delivery outcomes.

Plasmodium vivax malaria is a neglected disease, particularly during pregnancy. Severe vivax malaria is associated with inflammatory responses but in pregnancy immune alterations make it uncertain as to what cytokine signatures predominate, and how the type and quantity of blood immune mediators influence delivery outcomes. We measured the plasma concentrations of a set of thirty-one biomarkers, comprising cytokines, chemokines and growth factors, in 987 plasma samples from a cohort of 572 pregnant women from five malaria-endemic tropical countries and related these concentrations to delivery outcomes (birth weight and hemoglobin levels) and malaria infection.

Corrigendum: Chronic Exposure to Malaria Is Associated with Inhibitory and Activation Markers on Atypical Memory B Cells and Marginal Zone-Like B Cells.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2017.

Blood cytokine, chemokine and growth factor profiling in a cohort of pregnant women from tropical countries.

The immune status of women changes during and after pregnancy, differs between blood compartments at delivery and is affected by environmental factors particularly in tropical areas endemic for multiple infections. We quantified the plasma concentration of a set of thirty-one T1, T2, T17 and regulatory cytokines, pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, and growth factors (altogether biomarkers), in a cohort of 540 pregnant women from five malaria-endemic tropical countries. Samples were collected at recruitment (first antenatal visit), delivery (periphery, cord and placenta) and postpartum, allowing a longitudinal analysis.

Chronic Exposure to Malaria Is Associated with Inhibitory and Activation Markers on Atypical Memory B Cells and Marginal Zone-Like B Cells.

In persistent infections that are accompanied by chronic immune activation, such as human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis C virus, and malaria, there is an increased frequency of a phenotypically distinct subset of memory B cells lacking the classic memory marker CD27 and showing a reduced capacity to produce antibodies. However, critical knowledge gaps remain on specific B cell changes and immune adaptation in chronic infections. We hypothesized that expansion of atypical memory B cells (aMBCs) and reduction of activated peripheral marginal zone (MZ)-like B cells in constantly exposed individuals might be accompanied by phenotypic changes that would confer a tolerogenic profile, helping to establish tolerance to infections.

Naturally Acquired Binding-Inhibitory Antibodies to Duffy Binding Protein in Pregnant Women Are Associated with Higher Birth Weight in a Multicenter Study.

A vaccine to eliminate malaria would need a multi-stage and multi-species composition to achieve robust protection, but the lack of knowledge about antigen targets and mechanisms of protection precludes the development of fully efficacious malaria vaccines, especially for (Pv). Pregnant women constitute a risk population who would greatly benefit from a vaccine preventing the adverse events of infection during gestation. We hypothesized that functional immune responses against putative targets of naturally acquired immunity to malaria and vaccine candidates will be associated with protection against malaria infection and/or poor outcomes during pregnancy.

Plasmodium vivax VIR Proteins Are Targets of Naturally-Acquired Antibody and T Cell Immune Responses to Malaria in Pregnant Women.

P. vivax infection during pregnancy has been associated with poor outcomes such as anemia, low birth weight and congenital malaria, thus representing an important global health problem. However, no vaccine is currently available for its prevention.

Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids attenuate the IL-1β-induced proinflammatory response in human fetal intestinal epithelial cells.

Background: Evidence suggests that excessive inflammation of the immature intestine may predispose premature infants to necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). We investigated the anti-inflammatory effects of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and arachidonic acid (ARA) in human fetal and adult intestinal epithelial cells (IEC) in primary culture.

Methods: Human fetal IEC in culture were derived from a healthy fetal small intestine (H4) or resected small intestine of a neonate with NEC (NEC-IEC).

Proinflammatory responses and higher IL-10 production by T cells correlate with protection against malaria during pregnancy and delivery outcomes.

Pregnancy triggers immunological changes aimed to tolerate the fetus. However, it has not been properly addressed whether similar changes occur in tropical areas with high infection pressure and whether these changes render women more susceptible to infectious diseases. We compared the frequencies of T cell subsets, including regulatory T cells, in pregnant and nonpregnant women from Papua New Guinea, a high malaria transmission area, and from Spain, a malaria-free country.

Pregnancy and malaria exposure are associated with changes in the B cell pool and in plasma eotaxin levels.

Pregnancy triggers immunological changes aimed to tolerate the fetus, but its impact on B lymphocytes is poorly understood. In addition, exposure to the Plasmodium parasite is associated with altered distribution of peripheral memory B cell (MBC) subsets. To study the combined impact of high malaria exposure and pregnancy in B cell subpopulations, we analyzed PBMCs from pregnant and nonpregnant individuals from a malaria-nonendemic country (Spain) and from a high malaria-endemic country (Papua New Guinea).