Molecular characterization of multiresistant Escherichia coli producing or not extended-spectrum β-lactamases.

Background: The prevalence and type of plasmids, resistance genes and integrons carried by two collections of multiresistant E. coli producing or not extended-spectrum β-lactamases have been compared. Rep-PCR was used to determine the clonal relationship of the organisms.

Interaction of macrophages with a cytotoxic Serratia liquefaciens human isolate.

Macrophages play key roles in host defense by recognizing, engulfing, and killing microorganisms. Understanding the response of macrophages to pathogens may provide insights into host defenses and the tactics used by pathogens to circumvent these defenses. In the present study, we investigated the interaction between a clinical isolate of Serratia liquefaciens and macrophages.

Microglial activation and expression of immune-related genes in a rat ex vivo nervous system model after infection with Listeria monocytogenes.

A wide variety of microorganisms has previously been identified as causes of brain infection. Among them, Listeria monocytogenes has a particular tropism for the central nervous system. To gain knowledge about the immune response elicited by L.

Prospective study of biomarkers of immune response in lung transplant recipients.

Introduction: Studies on biomarkers of tolerance in organ transplantation have been widely performed during the last decade.

Aim: To assess biomarkers in relation to evolution of the immune response among lung transplant recipients.

Methods: This multicenter study included 27 lung transplant recipients followed before as well as at 7, 14, 30, 60, 90, and 180 days posttransplantation.

High regulatory T-cell levels at 1 year posttransplantation predict long-term graft survival among kidney transplant recipients.

Introduction: Regulatory T cells (Tregs) have gained an important role in mechanisms of tolerance and protection against the transplant rejection. However, only limited retrospective data have shown a relationship between peripheral blood Tregs and better long-term graft survival. The purpose of the present study was to investigate prospectively circulating Treg levels and their association with long-term graft survival.

Analysis of the rs20541 (R130Q) polymorphism in the IL-13 gene in patients with elderly-associated chronic inflammatory diseases.

Objective: To investigate whether there is association between the rs20541 (R130Q) polymorphism in the IL-13 gene with disease susceptibility and clinical subsets in patients with elderly-associated inflammatory chronic diseases.

Material And Methods: 78 patients with giant cell arteritis (GCA), 174 with polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR), 90 elderly-onset rheumatoid arthritis (EORA), and 465 healthy controls from the same geographic area were studied. The rs20541 (R130Q) polymorphism in the IL-13 gene was evaluated by PCR-RFLP.

Differentiation of autoimmune pancreatitis from pancreas cancer: utility of anti-amylase and anti-carbonic anhydrase II autoantibodies.

Purpose: To investigate the utility of different combinations of serum anti-carbonic anhydrase II antibodies (CA II Abs), anti-α amylase antibodies (AMY-α Abs) and IgG4 levels for the diagnosis of autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP).

Methods: We recruited 93 patients with clinical suspicion for AIP and 94 patients as control groups between June 2003 and October 2009. Serum antibodies were measured using homemade enzyme linked immunosorbent assay and IgG4 levels were determined by nephelometry.

Aging is associated with circulating cytokine dysregulation.

Purpose: Aging is accompanied by a progressive increase in pro-inflammatory cytokine status. However, little is known about the development of age-dependent modifications in other circulating cytokines. The aim of this study was to investigate in vivo the influence of age on circulating cytokine production in healthy subjects (HC).

Alterations of OprD in carbapenem-intermediate and -susceptible strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from patients with bacteremia in a Spanish multicenter study.

We investigated the presence of OprD mutations in 60 strains of metallo-ß-lactamase-negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa intermediately susceptible (IS [n = 12]; MIC = 8 μg/ml) or susceptible (S [n = 48]; MICs ≤ 1 to 4 μg/ml) to imipenem and/or meropenem that were isolated from patients with bacteremia in order to evaluate their impact on carbapenem susceptibility profiles. The presence of mutations in oprD was detected by sequencing analysis. OprD expression was assessed by both outer membrane protein (OMP) analysis and real-time PCR (RT-PCR).

Toll-like receptor 4 gene polymorphisms in polymyalgia rheumatica and elderly-onset rheumatoid arthritis.

Objectives: Coding variants in TLR4 gene have been reported to be associated with inflammatory diseases. The aim of this study was to determine whether two of these polymorphisms (Asp299Gly and Thr399Ile) of TLR4 contribute to the genetic background of polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) and elderly-onset rheumatoid arthritis (EORA). Furthermore, we have attempted to correlate the functional consequences of these polymorphisms.

Phenotypic and molecular characterization of Arcanobacterium haemolyticum isolated from clinical samples.

The aim of this study was to assess the phenotypic and genotypic diversity of 56 Arcanobacterium haemolyticum isolates isolated from 51 patients attending primary health care centres and emergency units in the health area of Santander (Cantabria, northern Spain). Phenotypic characterization was based on morphological, biochemical, and antigenic tests. Species identification was confirmed by amplification and sequencing of the 16S rDNA gene.

[Osteoblast-osteoclast interaction mechanisms].

Bone tissue is constantly renewed by the coordinated action of osteoclasts and osteoblasts. Osteocytes have a prominent role in the onset of bone remodeling at selected sites of the skeleton. These and other osteoblastic cells produce a variety of mediators that modulate the differentiation of osteoclast precursors, a critical step for bone resorption to occur.

Changes in the number of circulating T and T subsets in renal transplantation: relationship with acute rejection and induction therapy.

Effector (T) and central memory (T) T cells have been recently described as the main memory T-cell subsets generated after primary immune response, with a potential role in graft rejection after rechallenge with alloantigen. Because of their effector function, they could be involved in driving the response against the allograft, leading to rejection. In this study, we sought to investigate the different memory T-cell subpopulations in peripheral blood from a cohort of 90 patients who underwent consecutive renal transplant, and their association with acute rejection (AR) episodes and induction therapy.

Toll-like receptor 4 gene polymorphism and giant cell arteritis susceptibility: a cumulative meta-analysis.

Objective: Toll-like receptor (TLR) 4 (+896 A/G) gene polymorphism has been reported to be associated with susceptibility to giant cell arteritis (GCA) with inconsistent results. To provide a more definitive conclusion, a cumulative meta-analysis of the association of TLR4 (+896 A/G) polymorphism with GCA susceptibility combining previous studies was performed.

Methods: The cumulative meta-analysis included 3 case-control studies which provided a total of 437 patients and 1023 controls.

[Guidelines for molecular diagnosis of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease].

Introduction: Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) is the most frequent form of inherited neuropathy. In accordance with the inheritance pattern and degree of slowing of motor conduction velocity (MCV) of the median nerve, CMT encompasses five main forms: CMT1 (autosomal dominant [AD] or X-linked transmission and MCV < 38 m/s); CMT2 (AD or X-linked transmission and MCV > 38 m/s); CMT4 (autosomal recessive [AR] and severe slowing of MCV); AR-CMT2 (AR transmission and MCV > 38 m/s); and DI-CMT (intermediate form with AD transmission and MCV between 30 and 40 m/s). In spite of its stereotyped semiological repertoire (basically, symptoms and signs of sensory-motor polyneuropathy and pes cavus), CMT seems to be one of the most complex hereditary neurodegenerative syndromes, 31 causative genes having been cloned.

Expression and function of toll-like receptors in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of patients with polymyalgia rheumatica and giant cell arteritis.

Objective: To investigate the expression and function of the Toll-like receptor (TLR) family in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of patients with polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) and giant cell arteritis (GCA).

Methods: The authors analysed 70 patients with PMR, 20 with GCA, and 24 healthy controls (HC). TLR expression was assessed by flow cytometry.

[Development of resistances to antibiotic drugs: causes, consequences and importance to the public health system].

Most bacteria contain genes involved in natural resistance to antimicrobial agents. Resistance has clinical importance when the organism is able to survive in the presence of in vivo concentrations of antimicrobial agents. Antimicrobial agents can select individual bacteria or bacterial populations that present natural or acquired resistance to them.

Heel quantitative ultrasound parameters in subjects with the metabolic syndrome: the Camargo Cohort Study.

Objectives: To compare bone parameters measured by calcaneous quantitative ultrasonography (BUS) in subjects with and without metabolic syndrome (MetS). In addition, we wanted to examine the association of each of the individual components of the syndrome with BUS measurements, to study the relationship between calciotropic hormones or bone turnover markers with BUS parameters in subjects with or without MetS, and to explore the possibility that the relationship between prevalent vertebral and non-vertebral fractures and BUS is influenced by MetS status.

Study Design: Cross-sectional study.

Multimodal neurophysiological study of SCA2 and SCA3 autosomal dominant hereditary spinocerebellar ataxias.

Background: The spinocerebellar ataxias (SCA) are a group of genetic neurodegenerative diseases, clinically and pathologically heterogeneous, characterized by slowly progressive cerebellar ataxia.

Objective: To identify the neural pathways affected neurophysiologically, correlate the findings with the size of CAG expansion and determine the contribution of neurophysiological studies in the differential diagnosis of the two most prevalent genotypes in Spain, SCA2 and SCA3.

Method: We examined 10 SCA2 and 12 SCA3 patients by electromyography, electroneurography motor and sensory, multimodal evoked potentials, transcranial magnetic stimulation, blink reflex and masseter reflex.

Kidney transplant recipients show an increase in the ratio of T-cell effector memory/central memory as compared to nontransplant recipients on the waiting list.

Studies of allotolerance in animal models do not usually consider the presence of preexisting memory T cells and activated immune status. However, humans are exposed throughout life to a multitude of external agents that enhance the immune memory. In this article, we consider the effect that a previous kidney transplant has on the number of regulatory T cells (Tregs), effector memory T cells (TEM), and central memory T cells (TCM).

Quantitative assessment of serum free light chains in renal transplantation.

Plasma cell dyscrasias can cause renal disease. Sensitive methods have recently been introduced to quantify serum free light chains (sFLCs). Renal function may influence the variability of these methods, as shown in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients, but this problem has not been widely addressed in renal transplant patients.

Bone turnover markers in Spanish adult men The Camargo Cohort Study.

Background: This cross-sectional study was performed to determine the reference ranges for two bone turnover markers-aminoterminal propeptide of type I collagen (P1NP) and C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (beta-CTX)-in normal adult Spanish men as measured in serum by automated methods.

Methods: A community-based population of 660 healthy men > or = 50 years was evaluated. Fasting serum levels of P1NP, beta-CTX, 25-hydroxyvitamin D, and intact parathyroid hormone were measured on the Elecsys 2010 automated analyzer (Roche).