Genetic polymorphisms of RANTES, IL1-A, MCP-1 and TNF-A genes in patients with prostate cancer.

Background: Inflammation has been implicated as an etiological factor in several human cancers, including prostate cancer. Allelic variants of the genes involved in inflammatory pathways are logical candidates as genetic determinants of prostate cancer risk. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether single nucleotide polymorphisms of genes that lead to increased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines are associated with an increased prostate cancer risk.

Determination of polyphenolic compounds in wastewater olive oil by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

A simple and sensitive method for the determination of 21 polyphenolic compounds in wastewater from olive oil production plants is proposed. The method involves a liquid-liquid microextraction (LLME) procedure with ethyl acetate followed by a silylation step. Identification and quantification have been performed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS).

Determination of ciprofloxacin in human urine and serum samples by solid-phase spectrofluorimetry.

A method for the determination of trace amounts of ciprofloxacin has been developed, based on solid-phase spectrofluorimetry. The relative fluorescence intensity of ciprofloxacin fixed on Sephadex SP C-25 gel was measured directly after packing the gel beads in a 1-mm silica cell, using a solid-phase attachment. The wavelengths of excitation and emission were 272 and 448 nm, respectively.

Determination of bisphenol A (BPA) in the presence of phenol by first-derivative fluorescence following micro liquid-liquid extraction (MLLE).

Bisphenol A (BPA) in the presence of phenol is determined using a method based on first-derivative spectrofluorimetry. The proposed method involves a micro liquid-liquid extraction of sodium chloride saturated water samples with diethyl ether followed by direct fluorimetric analysis of extracts. The excitation spectra of both compounds in diethyl ether are recorded between 200 and 290 nm, with the emission wavelength at 306 nm.

Simultaneous determination of naproxen, salicylic acid and acetylsalicylic acid by spectrofluorimetry using partial least-squares (PLS) multivariate calibration.

Determination of naproxen, salicylic acid and acetylsalicylic acid has been carried out in mixtures of up to three components by recording emission fluorescence spectra between 300 and 520 nm with an excitation wavelength of 290 nm. The excitation-emission spectra of these compounds are strongly overlapped, which does not permit their direct determination without previous separation by conventional methodologies. Here, a method is proposed for the determination of these chemicals by the use of a full-spectrum multivariate calibration method, partial least-squares (PLS).

Simultaneous spectrofluorimetric determination of 1-naphthylacetic acid and 1-naphthalenacetamide in commercial formulations and soil samples.

A spectrofluorimetric method for the simultaneous determination of 1-naphthylacetic acid (NAA) and 1-naphthalenacetamide (NAD) was developed. The sample solution containing both analytes was equilibrated with Sephadex QAE A-25 gel by agitation and then only NAA was fixed on gel, while the remaining NAD stayed in the solution. The relative fluorescence intensity of NAA fixed on Sephadex QAE A-25 gel was measured directly after packing the gel beads in a 1-mm silica cell, using a solid-phase attachment.

Vocal cord paresis and diaphragmatic dysfunction are severe and frequent symptoms of GDAP1-associated neuropathy.

Cranial nerve involvement in Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) is rare, though there are a number of CMT syndromes in which vocal cord paralysis is a characteristic feature. CMT disease due to mutations in the ganglioside-induced differentiation-associated protein 1 gene (GDAP1) has been reported to be associated with vocal cord and diaphragmatic palsy. In order to address the prevalence of these complications in patients with GDAP1 mutations we evaluated vocal cord and respiratory function in nine patients from eight unrelated families with this disorder.

Characterization of novel CAPN3 isoforms in white blood cells: an alternative approach for limb-girdle muscular dystrophy 2A diagnosis.

Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy type 2A (LGMD2A) is an autosomal recessive disorder caused by mutations in the CAPN3 gene. Its definitive diagnosis is laborious, since the clinical phenotype is often similar to other types of muscular dystrophy and since the CAPN3 gene encompasses a large genomic region with more than 300 pathogenic mutations described to date. In fact, it is estimated that nearly 25% of the cases with a phenotype suggestive of LGMD2A do not have mutations in the CAPN3 gene and that, in up to 22% of the cases, only one mutation is identified.

Clinical and molecular genetic findings in COLQ-mutant congenital myasthenic syndromes.

Congenital myasthenic syndromes (CMS) are clinically and genetically heterogeneous inherited disorders characterized by impaired neuromuscular transmission. Mutations in the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) collagen-like tail subunit gene (COLQ) cause synaptic basal-lamina associated CMS with end-plate AChE deficiency. Here we present the clinical and molecular genetic findings of 22 COLQ-mutant CMS patients, carrying a total of 20 different COLQ mutations, 11 of them had not previously been reported.

Determination of sulfophenyl carboxylic acids in agricultural groundwater samples by CE with ultraviolet absorption detection.

An analytical method for the determination of six sulfophenyl carboxylic acids, namely (p-sulfophenyl)acetic, 2-(p-sulfophenyl)propionic, 2-(p-sulfophenyl)butyric, 3-(p-sulfophenyl)butyric, 4-(p-sulfophenyl)butyric, and 5-(p-sulfophenyl)valerianic acid, in agricultural irrigation water samples was developed. It involves an SPE procedure, an on-line preconcentration normal stacking mode and subsequent separation and determination using CE with UV detection (CE-UV). p-Sulfobenzoic acid was used as internal standard.

Differentiation of certified brands of origins of Spanish white wines by HS-SPME-GC and chemometrics.

A headspace solid-phase microextraction gas-chromatographic (HS-SPME-GC) procedure was used to determine the composition of the volatile fraction of white wine samples from several Spanish certified brands of origin (CBO). The compounds present were previously identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and quantitative determinations were carried out by GC-FID. Four CBO, Rueda, Ribeiro, Penedés, and Condado de Huelva, were studied.

Multiresidue method for simultaneous determination of quinolone antibacterials in pig kidney samples by liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection.

A new analytical method for simultaneous determination of eight quinolones namely, ciprofloxacin, danofloxacin, difloxacin, enrofloxacin, flumequine, marbofloxacin, oxolinic acid and sarafloxacin, in pig kidney samples was developed. The procedure involves the extraction of the quinolones from the samples by traditional extraction, a step for clean-up and preconcentration of the analytes by solid-phase extraction (SPE) and subsequent liquid chromatography separation with fluorescence detection (LC-FD). The mobile phase was composed of acetonitrile and 10 mM citrate buffer solution of pH 4.

Bisphenol-A and chlorinated derivatives in adipose tissue of women.

Bisphenol-A (BPA) and chlorinated derivatives (Cl(x)BPA) were investigated in adipose tissue of women in Southeast Spain. BPA was above limit of detection (LOD) in 11 out of 20 samples (55%). Among Cl(x)BPA, Cl(2)BPA was the most frequent (80%) and abundant, constituting 94.

High incidence of CTLA-4 AA (CT60) polymorphism in renal cell cancer.

Polymorphism in genes encoding T-cell regulatory proteins and cytokines may influence inflammation and cancer development via regulation of antitumor immune response. In the current study we analyzed genotypic frequencies of cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen-4 (CTLA-4)/CT60, CTLA-4/A49G, interleukin (IL)-4, and IL-10 polymorphisms in 117 renal cell carcinoma patients, 96 patients with colorectal cancer, and 196 healthy controls to test for an association between polymorphism in these genes and the risk of renal and colon cancer in a Spanish group of patients. In the case-control study, DNA samples from cancer patients and controls were analyzed using a TaqMan single nucleotide polymorphism genotyping assay.

Gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric study of the degradation of phenolic compounds in wastewater olive oil by Azotobacter Chroococcum.

Compounds present in wastewater olive oil (WWOO) which can be used in metabolic pathways of Azotobacter chroococcum (A. chroococcum) have been investigated. Some compounds such as syringic acid, p-coumaric acid and syringaldehyde do not favour microorganism growing up.

HLA-DRB1*1101 allele may be associated with bilateral Méniére's disease in southern European population.

Objective: To analyze the associations of HLA-DRB1* and DQB1* Class II alleles in patients with bilateral Méniére's disease (MD).

Patients And Methods: Eighty patients from two ethnically defined groups with definite bilateral MD, according to the diagnostic scale of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, were compared with normal controls from the same origin in a prospective multicenter study. We performed an allele-specific amplification for HLA-DRB1* and DQB1* genes of the major histocompatibility complex.

Analysis of KIR gene frequencies in HLA class I characterised bladder, colorectal and laryngeal tumours.

Three cohorts of patients with laryngeal, bladder or colorectal tumours were investigated for frequency of killer immunoglobulin-like receptor (KIR) genes compared with a normal control population. The frequency of KIR3DL1 and KIR2DS4 was significantly increased (but not after correction for number of comparisons made) in patients with bladder tumour compared with controls. No other significant differences were found in gene frequencies or in the frequencies of those KIR genes with and without their human leucocyte antigen (HLA) ligands.

A polymorphism in the inducible nitric oxide synthase gene is associated with tuberculosis.

iNOS or NOS2 is a molecule that plays a key role in the immunological control of a broad spectrum of infectious agents. Investigation is hampered by difficulty in estimating in vivo production of nitric oxide (NO), but genetic studies provide a potential means of examining the relation between NO production and disease outcome. To better characterize the host genetic factors determining the susceptibility to TB, we evaluated the influence of two polymorphisms in the NOS2A gene on the risk of developing pulmonary TB in a Northwestern Colombian population, which is a moderately-high endemic area.

The p.R1109X mutation in SH3TC2 gene is predominant in Spanish Gypsies with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 4.

Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease type 4 (CMT4) is the name given to autosomal recessive forms of hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy (HMSN). When we began this study, three genes or loci associated with inherited peripheral neuropathies had already been identified in the European Gypsy population: HMSN-Lom (MIM 601455), HMSN-Russe (MIM 605285) and the congenital cataracts facial dysmorphism neuropathy syndrome (MIM 604168). We have carried out genetic analyses in a series of 20 Spanish Gypsy families diagnosed with a demyelinating CMT disease compatible with an autosomal recessive trait.

Characterization of aniseed-flavoured spirit drinks by headspace solid-phase microextraction gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and chemometrics.

The volatile composition of aniseed-flavoured spirit drinks was studied by headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The influence of the time, temperature, volume of sample and ionic strength on the extraction were considered. Several aniseed-flavoured spirit drinks, such as pastis, sambuca, anis and raki were analyzed.

Phenotypical spectrum of DOK7 mutations in congenital myasthenic syndromes.

Dok ('downstream-of-kinase') family of cytoplasmic proteins play a role in signalling downstream of receptor and non-receptor phosphotyrosine kinases. Recently, a skeletal muscle receptor tyrosine kinase (MuSK)-interacting cytoplasmic protein termed Dok-7 has been identified. Subsequently, we and others identified mutations in DOK7 as a cause of congenital myasthenic syndromes (CMS), providing evidence for a crucial role of Dok-7 in maintaining synaptic structure.

Progressive supranuclear palsy-like parkinsonism resulting from occupational exposure to lead sulphate batteries.

A 53-year-old man who had worked for 17 years manufacturing car batteries, with overt exposure to lead, developed a clinical picture initially characterized by signs of parkinsonism, followed by atypical signs such as loss of memory, reduction of eye movement, dysarthria, chorea-like dyskinesia and sexual impotence. The diagnosis of atypical parkinsonism was eventually changed to progressive supranuclear palsy-like parkinsonism. The patient was treated with various anti-Parkinson's disease drugs, including levodopa, with modest improvement.

Simultaneous identification of natural dyes in the collection of drawings and maps from The Royal Chancellery Archives in Granada (Spain) by CE.

A simple and rapid capillary electrophoretic method with UV detection (CE-UV) has been developed for the identification of five natural dyes namely, carmine, indigo, saffron, gamboge and Rubia tinctoria root. The separation was performed in a fused-silica capillary of 64.5 cm length and 50 microm id.

Migraine, patent foramen ovale and migraine triggers.

Little information exists about a causal association between PFO and migraine. Some patients identify Valsalva-provoking activities (VPA) as migraine triggers. Therefore, we speculate about a pathogenic connection.

Multiresidue determination of quinolone antibacterials in eggs of laying hens by liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection.

An analytical method for the simultaneous determination of seven quinolones (ciprofloxacin, enrofloxacin, danofloxacin, difloxacin, flumequine, oxolinic acid and sarafloxacin) in egg samples of laying hens was developed. Their use is totally prohibited in animals from which eggs are produced for human consumption. Protein precipitation was achieved by addition of acetonitrile and ammonia, removal of acetonitrile with dichloromethane, the quinolones remaining in the basic aqueous extract.