Influencia de la altura en la producción lagrimal y presión intraocular en caninos (canis lupus familiaris) : estudio piloto

Tesis (Médico Veterinario). -- Universidad de La Salle. Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias. Programa de Medicina Veterinaria, 2014

Similarities between the lipid proile of Mexican patients with lupus and the general population

Premature cardiovascular events have been observed in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients, but the reason for this accelerated process is still debatable; although traditional risk factors are more prevalent in such patients than in the general population, the do not seem to fully explain that enhanced risk. One of the most important conditions is a proatherogenic lipid proile. There is not enough data about it in Mexican SLE patients. Objective: To establish the differences in the lipid proiles between Mexican patients with SLE and the general population. Material and methods: Observational, transversal, descriptive and comparative study, between SLE patients and age-sex-matched healthy volunteers. We performed a full lipid proile (by spectrophotometry) 14 hours of fast. The results obtained were analyzed by the statistical program SPSS® Statistics version 17. Results: We studied the full lipid proiles of 138 subjects, 69 with a diagnosis of SLE and 69 agesex- matched healthy volunteers; 95.7% were females and 4.3% males. Average age was 30 years; average body mass index (BMI) 25.96 ± 5.96 kg/m² in SLE patients and 26.72 ± 4.36 kg/m² in the control group (p = 0.396). Average of total cholesterol 156 mg/dl in the SLE patients and 169.4 mg/dl in the control group (p =0.028); average of low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol 85.27 mg/dl in the SLE patients and 97.57 mg/dl in the control group (p = 0.023). Conclusions: We did not ind statistical differences in the lipid proiles among patients and healthy volunteers, which could explain increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality observed in SLE patients

Eventos cardiovasculares en el Lupus eritematoso sistémico. Estudio del registro español Relesser

Objetivos: (1) Estudiar la frecuencia de eventos cardiovasculares (CV) que presentaron los pacientes de una gran cohorte española de lupus eritematoso sistémico (LES) tras el diagnóstico de la enfermedad, y (2) investigar los principales factores de riesgo implicados en la aterosclerosis. Material y métodos: Estudio transversal retrospectivo basado en RELESSER, un registro multicéntrico, nacional de pacientes diagnosticados de LES. Pacientes: sujetos con diagnóstico de LES (criterios ACR 1997), atendidos en 45 servicios de Reumatología españoles. Variables: demográficas, clínicas, factores de riesgo tradicionales y eventos CV. La variable de desenlace fue evento CV que se definió por la presencia de al menos uno de los siguientes tras el diagnóstico de LES: 1) Enfermedad cardiaca isquémica (infarto agudo de miocardio y/o angina por clínica y/o electrocardiograma y/o enzimas y/o coronariografía), 2) accidente cerebrovascular (ACV) basado en un diagnóstico previo o por clínica y/o imagen; y 3) enfermedad arterial periférica por diagnóstico previo o por imagen. Los pacientes con eventos CV previos al diagnóstico de LES se excluyeron del análisis. Protocolo: la información fue recogida a partir de las historias clínicas usando un protocolo específico en una plataforma web y con previo entrenamiento de los investigadores. Análisis estadístico: Descriptivo y comparaciones entre grupos utilizando χ2, T-Student o U Mann-Whitney. Análisis de regresión logística múltiple para analizar los posibles factores de riesgo CV asociados a aterosclerosis. Resultados: Desde el año 2.011 al 2.012, 3.658 pacientes con LES fueron reclutados en RELESSER y solo 9 se excluyeron por insuficiente información sobre eventos CV. De los 3.649 restantes, 374 (10,9%) presentaron al menos un evento CV. Doscientos sesenta y nueve (7,4%) pacientes tuvieron 318 eventos CV tras el diagnóstico de LES. El 86,2% de esos pacientes eran mujeres, mediana [RIQ] de edad de 54,9 años [43,2 ̶ 66,1] y una duración del LES de 212.0 meses [120,8 ̶ 289,0]. La media (DE) de edad al cuando sufrieron el primer evento CV fue 48,6 (17,1) años. Los ACV (5,7%), fueron los eventos más frecuentes seguidos de la cardiopatía isquémica (3,8%) y la enfermedad arterial periférica (2,2%). El análisis multivariante mostró una fuerte asociación (OR [IC 95%]) entre los eventos CV y la edad (1,03 [1,02 ̶ 1,04]), la hipertensión arterial (1,71 [1,20 ̶ 2,44]), el tabaquismo (1,48 [1,06 ̶ 2,07]), la diabetes (2,2 [1,32 ̶ 3,74]), la dislipemia (2.18 [1,54 ̶ 3,09], el lupus neuropsiquiátrico (2,42 [1,56 ̶ 3,75]), la presencia de valvulopatía (2,44[1,34 ̶ 4,26]), serositis (1,54 [1,09 ̶ 2.18]), anticuerpos antifosfolípidos (1,57 [1,13 ̶ 2,17]), disminución del complemento (1,81 [1,12 ̶ 2,93]) y la toma de azatioprina (1,47 [1,04 ̶ 2,07]). Conclusiones: Los pacientes con LES presentan una alta prevalencia de enfermedad CV prematura que se asocia con factores de riesgo CV tradicionales y relacionados con el LES. Aunque se necesitan futuros estudios que lo comprueben, nuestro trabajo demuestra, por primera vez, una asociación entre la diabetes y los eventos CV en pacientes con LES.

Variability in the international normalised ratio (INR) in patients with antiphospholipid syndrome and positive lupus anticoagulant: should the INR targets be higher?

El síndrome antifosfolípido es un desorden autoinmune caracterizado por hipercoagulabilidad que requiere terapia anticoagulante como pilar fundamental, siendo la warfarina el tratamiento de elección en los casos que requieren manejo por largos periodos. Sin embargo, los pacientes con anticoagulante lúpico positivo representan un reto porque tienen mayor riesgo de presentar eventos trombóticos, sumado a que el seguimiento con el International Normalized Ratio (INR) no es confiable, ya que estos anticuerpos generan interferencia con las pruebas de laboratorio basadas en fosfolípidos, como es el caso del tiempo de protrombina (PT) con INR basal prolongado, incluso antes del inicio de la terapia anticoagulante. Por tal razón, se ilustra el caso de una paciente con síndrome antifosfolípido primario y anticoagulante lúpico positivo quien ha presentado múltiples episodios trombóticos, a pesar de recibir terapia anticoagulante. Además se hace una revisión de la literatura disponible y se postulan nuevas metas de INR en estos pacientes diferentes de las que se plantean actualmente.

Circulation of canine viruses in free-ranging Italian wolves (Canis lupus italicus) from three Italian regions

In this study, the duodenum, spleen, tongue, and lungs were sampled from 56 Italian wolves who died between 2017 and 2020. The aim of the study was to evaluate the presence and spread of DNA and RNA viruses in the wolf population examined, relating the virological results to: year of sampling, region of origin, sex, age, season, genetic determination of the species, nutritional conditions, causes of death, matrices examined. In addition, the presence or absence of co-infections was evaluated. Through molecular methods, the presence of genomic DNA of three important DNA viruses was investigated, i.e.: Canine Parvovirus type 2 (CPV-2), Canine Adenovirus type 1 (CAdV-1), Canine Adenovirus type 2 (CAdV-2). Furthermore, the presence of genomic RNA of the important RNA viruses, Canine Enteric Coronavirus (CCoV) and Canine Distemper Virus (CDV), was also investigated. The results showed that the virus with the highest prevalence in the wolf population studied was CPV-2, found in 78.6% of subjects (44/56). The prevalence of CAdV was 17.9% (10/56), in particular CAdV-1 (12.5% - 7/56) and CAdV-2 (5.4% - 3/56). The results of the molecular investigations in RT-PCR of the two RNA viruses (CCoV and CDV) did not give positive results in the study population. In this study it was observed that the majority of wolves that resulted positive were in good nutritional conditions, thus excluding a direct cause of death from CPV-2, CAdV-1, and CAdV- 2 infections. Moreover, the prevalence obtained in this study suggests that, during the years here studied, the circulation of CAdV-1 and CAdV-2 in Italian wolves of the three sampled regions was sporadic, proving consistent with sporadic and short-lived introductions of the virus in these populations. However, the situation for CPV-2 is different as there was a circulation that suggests a pattern of continuous and lasting endemic exposure over time.

Otorhinolaryngological Findings In A Group Of Patients With Rheumatic Diseases.

Otorhinolaryngological manifestations of rheumatologic diseases represent a great challenge not only to the generalistphysician but also to the ENT doctor andrheumatologist. They often represent early manifestations of an autoimmune disorder which requires prompt and aggressive immunosuppressive treatment. Auditory, nasal, laryngeal and eye symptoms can be the first manifestation of rheumatic diseases and their proper assessment helps the doctor to identify signs of disease activity. The objective of this study is to identify the ENT manifestations in patients with rheumatic diseases in a high complexity hospital, regarding facilitating an early diagnosis and treatment. We performed clinical and complete otorhinolaryngological evaluations in patients selected from the outpatient rheumatology in a standardized manner by the use of a standardized form filling during the secondhalf of 2010. In the study group, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients had predominantly laryngeal manifestations, while patients with Sjögren's syndrome showed a higher prevalence of otologic manifestations. Changes in audiometric tests were found in 53% of Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) patients, 80% of relapsing polychondritis (RP), 33% of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and 50% of Churg-Strauss syndrome (SCS). Regarding nasal alterations, these were found so prevalent in all conditions, especially Churg-Strauss syndrome. This study demonstrated that most patients treated in our hospital has the ENT signs and symptoms commonly associated in previous studies on rheumatic diseases, but further studies with a larger number of patients must be made to establish such relations.

Lymphocyte Activation In Silica-exposed Workers.

Exposure to silica dust has been examined as a possible risk factor for autoimmune diseases, including systemic sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus and ANCA-associated vasculitis. However, the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms resulting in the increased prevalence of autoimmunity remain elusive. To clarify these mechanisms, we studied various markers of immune activation in individuals occupationally exposed to silica dust, i.e., serum levels of soluble IL-2 receptor (sIL-2R), levels of IL-2, other pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines and lymphoproliferation. Our results demonstrate that silica-exposed individuals present important alterations in their immune response when compared to controls, as shown by increased serum sIL-2R levels, decreased production of IL-2 and increased levels of the pro-inflammatory (IFN-γ, IL-1α, TNF-α, IL-6) as well as anti-inflammatory (IL-10 and TGF-β) cytokines. Furthermore, silica-exposed individuals presented enhanced lymphoproliferative responses. Our findings provide evidence that the maintenance of immune homeostasis may be disturbed in silica-exposed individuals, possibly resulting in autoimmune disorders.

Magnetic resonance imaging in the evaluation of patients with aseptic meningoencephalitis and connective tissue disorders

OBJECTIVE: To describe the role of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the evaluation of patients with chronic and recurrent aseptic meningitis.METHOD: A retrospective study of five patients with aseptic meningoencefalitis diagnosed by clinical and CSF findings. CT scans showed without no relevant findings. RESULTS: MRI showed small multifocal lesions hyperintense on T2 weighted images and FLAIR, with mild or no gadolinium enhancement, mainly in periventricular and subcortical regions. Meningoencephalitis preceded the diagnosis of the underlying disease in four patients (Behçet´s disease or systemic lupus erythematosus). After the introduction of adequate treatment for the rheumatic disease, they did not present further symptoms of aseptic meningoencephalitis. CONCLUSION: Aseptic meningoencephalitis can be an early presentation of an autoimmune disease. It is important to emphasize the role of MRI in the diagnosis and follow-up of these patients.

Lack of Antilipoprotein Lipase Antibodies in Takayasu's Arteritis

Background. Antilipoprotein lipase (anti-LPL) antibodies were described in rheumatic diseases. In systemic lupus erythematosus they were highly associated with inflammatory markers and dyslipidemia, and may ultimately contribute to vascular damage. The relevance of this association in Takayasu's arteritis, which is characterized by major inflammatory process affecting vessels, has not been determined. Objectives. To analyze the presence of anti-LPL antibodies in patients with Takayasu's arteritis and its association with inflammatory markers and lipoprotein risk levels. Methods. Thirty sera from patients with Takayasu's arteritis, according to ACR criteria, were consecutively included. IgG anti-LPL was detected by a standard ELISA. Lipoprotein risk levels were evaluated according to NCEP/ATPIII. Inflammatory markers included ESR and CRP values. Results. Takayasu's arteritis patients had a mean age of 34 years old and all were females. Half of the patients presented high ESR and 60% elevated CRP. Lipoprotein NCEP risk levels were observed in approximately half of the patients: 53% for total cholesterol, 43% for triglycerides, 16% for HDL-c and 47% for LDL-c. In spite of the high frequency of dyslipidemia and inflammatory markers in these patients no anti-LPL were detected. Conclusions. The lack of anti-LPL antibodies in Takayasu's disease implies distinct mechanisms underlying dyslipidemia compared to systemic lupus erythematosus. Copyright (C) 2009 Jozelio Freire de Carvalho et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Prolactin May Not Play a Role in Primary Antiphospholipid (Hughes') Syndrome

The relationship between prolactin (PRL) and the immune system has been demonstrated in the last two decades and has opened new windows in the field of immunoendocrinology. However, there are scarce reports about PRL in primary antiphospholipid syndrome (pAPS). The objective of this study was to evaluate PRL levels in patients with pAPS compared to healthy controls and to investigate their possible clinical associations. Fifty-five pAPS patients according to Sapporo criteria were age- and sex-matched with 41 healthy subjects. Individuals with secondary causes of hyperprolactinemia (HPRL) were excluded; demographic, biometric, and clinical data, PRL levels, antiphospholipid antibodies, inflammatory markers, and other routine laboratory findings were analyzed. PRL levels were similar between pAPS and healthy controls (8.94 +/- 7.02 versus 8.71 +/- 6.73 ng/mL, P = .876). Nine percent of the pAPS patients and 12.1% of the control subjects presented HPRL (P = .740). Comparison between the pAPS patients with hyper- and normoprolactinemia revealed no significant differences related to anthropometrics, clinical manifestations, medications, smoking, and antiphospholipid antibodies (P > .05). This study showed that HPRL does not seem to play a role in clinical manifestations of the pAPS, differently from other autoimmune rheumatic diseases.

Serological Survey for Antibodies to Encephalitozoon cuniculi in Ownerless Dogs From Urban Areas of Brazil and Colombia

There are 3 strains of Encephalitozoon cuniculi that occur in mammals. Strain III is associated with clinical disease in dogs, although some can be asymptomatic carriers and excrete spores in their urine. Several cases of human E. cuniculi infection caused by strain III have been observed in immunocompromised patients, indicating that E. cuniculi should be considered a zoonotic agent. Encephalitozoon cuniculi can cause fatal disease in maternally-infected or young dogs. Clinical signs in these animals included blindness, encephalitis, retarded growth rate, and nephritis. Encephalitozoon cuniculi has also been associated with primary renal failure in adult dogs. The present study used the direct agglutination test (DAT, cut-off 1:50) and the indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT, cut-off 1:10) to examine the prevalence of antibodies to E. cuniculi in dogs from Brazil and Colombia. Using the DAG, 31 (27.4%) of 113 dogs from Brazil and 47 (18.5%) of 254 dogs from Colombia were seropositive. Nine (14.3%) of 63 dogs from Brazil and IS (35.3%) of the 51 dogs from Colombia were seropositive by indirect immunofluorescent antibody test. These results indicate that dogs from Brazil and Colombia are exposed to E. cuniculi.

Exercise prevents the effects of experimental arthritis on the metabolism and function of immune cells

Active lymphocytes (LY) and macrophages (M Phi) are involved in the pathophysiology of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) Due to its anti-inflammatory effect. physical exercise may be beneficial in RA by acting on the immune system (IS) Thus, female Wistar rats with type II collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) were submitted to swimming training (6 weeks. 5 days/week. 60 min/day) and some biochemical and immune parameters, such as the metabolism of glucose and glutamine and function of LY and M. were evaluated In addition, plasma levels of some hormones and of interleukin-2 (IL-2) were also determined Results demonstrate that CIA increased lymphocyte proliferation (1.9- and 1 7-fold, respectively, in response to concanavalin A (ConA) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)), as well as macrophage H(2)O(2) production (1 6-fold), in comparison to control Exercise training prevented the activation of immune cells, induced by CIA. and established a pattern of substrate utilization similar to that described as normal for these cells. Exercise also promoted an elevation of plasma levels of corticosterone (22 2%), progesterone (1 7-fold) and IL-2 (2 6-fold) Our data suggest that chronic exercise is able to counterbalance the effects of CIA on cells of the IS. reinforcing the proposal that the benefits of exercise may not be restricted to aerobic capacity and/or strength improvement Copyright (C) 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

Aerobic exercise is safe and effective in systemic sclerosis

Several studies have established that systemic sclerosis patients have a reduced exercise capacity when compared to healthy individuals. It is relevant to evaluate whether aerobic exercise in systemic sclerosis patients is a safe and effective intervention to improve aerobic capacity. Seven patients without pulmonary impairment and seven healthy controls were enrolled in an 8-week program consisting of moderate intensity aerobic exercise. Patients and controls had a significant improvement in peak oxygen consumption (19.72 +/- 3.51 vs. 22.27 +/- 2.53 and 22.94 +/- 4.70 vs. 24.55 +/- 3.00, respectively, p = 0.006), but difference between groups was not statistically significant (p = 0.149). This finding was reinforced by the fact that at the end of the study both groups were able to perform a significantly higher exercise intensity when compared to baseline, as measured by peak blood lactate (1.43 +/- 0.51 vs. 1.84 +/- 0.33 and 1.11 +/- 0.45 vs. 1.59 +/- 0.25, respectively, p = 0.01). Patients improved the peak exercise oxygen saturation comparing to the baseline (84.14 +/- 9.86 vs. 90.29 +/- 5.09, p = 0.048). Rodnan score was similar before and after the intervention(15.84 +/- 7.84 vs. 12.71 +/- 4.31, p = 0.0855). Digital ulcers and Raynaud`s phenomenon remained stable. Our data support the notion that improving aerobic capacity is a feasible goal in systemic sclerosis management. The long term benefit of this intervention needs to be determined in large prospective studies.

HEMOPLASMAS IN WILD CANIDS AND FEUDS IN BRAZIL

Hemotropic mycoplasmas, epicellular erythrocytic bacterial parasites lacking a cell wall, are the causative agents of infectious anemia in numerous mammalian species. The presence of hemotropic mycoplasmas in blood samples of neotropical and exotic wild canids and felids from Brazilian zoos were recorded using molecular techniques. Blood samples were collected from 146 Brazilian wild felids, 19 exotic felids, 3 European wolves (Canis lupus), and from 97 Brazilian wild canids from zoos in the Brazilian states of Sao Paulo and Mato Grosso and the Federal District. Using conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR), this work found 22 (13%) wild felids positive to Candidatus Mycoplasma haemominutum [4 jaguars (Panthera onca); 3 pumas (Puma concolor); 10 ocelots (Leopardus pardalis); 2 jaguarondis (Puma yagouaroundi); and 3 little spotted cats (Leopardus tigrinus)]. Only one little spotted cat (Leopardus tigrinus) was positive to Mycoplasma haemofelis, and none was positive to Candidatus Mycoplasma turicensis. Two bush dogs (Speothos venaticus) were positive for a Mycoplasma sp. closely related to Candidatus Mycoplasma haematoparvum, and two European wolves were positive for a Mycoplasma sp. closely related to candidatus Mycoplasma haemominutum. This is the first study regarding the molecular detection of hemotropic mycoplasmas in wild canids.