The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is the latest biological hazard for the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Even though numerous diagnostic tests for SARS-CoV-2 have been proposed, new diagnosis strategies are being developed, looking for less expensive methods to be used as screening. This study aimed to establish salivary vibrational modes analyzed by attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy to detect COVID-19 biological fingerprints that allow the discrimination between COVID-19 and healthy patients. Clinical dates, laboratories, and saliva samples of COVID-19 patients (N = 255) and healthy persons (N = 1209) were obtained and analyzed through ATR-FTIR spectroscopy. Then, a multivariate linear regression model (MLRM) was developed. The COVID-19 patients showed low SaO2, cough, dyspnea, headache, and fever principally. C-reactive protein, lactate dehydrogenase, fibrinogen, d-dimer, and ferritin were the most important altered laboratory blood tests, which were increased. In addition, changes in amide I and immunoglobulin regions were evidenced in the FTIR spectra analysis, and the MLRM showed clear discrimination between both groups. Specific salivary vibrational modes employing ATR-FTIR spectroscopy were established; moreover, the COVID-19 biological fingerprint in saliva was characterized, allowing the COVID-19 detection using an MLRM, which could be helpful for the development of new diagnostic devices.

Breast cancer (BC) is a malignant disease with a high prevalence worldwide. The main cause of death is not the primary tumor, but instead the spread of tumor cells to distant sites. The aim of the present study was to examine a new method for the detection of cancer cells in aqueous medium using bioimpedance spectroscopy assisted with magnetic nanoparticles (MNP’s) exposure to a constant magnetic field. The spectroscopic patterns were identified for three breast cancer cell lines. Each BC cell line represents a different pathologic stage: the early stage (MCF-7), invasive phase (MDA-MB-231) and metastasis (SK-BR-3). For this purpose, bioimpedance measurements were carried out at a certain frequency range with the aid of nanoprobes, consisting of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) coupled to a monoclonal antibody. The antibody was specific for the predominant cell surface protein for each cell line, which was identified by using RT-qPCR and flow cytometry. Accordingly, EpCAM corresponds to MCF-7, MUC-1 to MDA-MB-231, and HER-2 to SK-BR-3. Despite their low concentrations, BC cells could be detected by impedance spectroscopy. Hence, this methodology should permit the monitoring of circulating tumor cells (CTC) and therefore help to prevent recurrences and metastatic processes during BC treatment.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is responsible for the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, affecting more than 219 countries and causing the death of more than 5 million people worldwide. The genetic background represents a factor that predisposes the way the host responds to SARS-CoV-2 infection. In this sense, genetic variants of ACE and ACE2 could explain the observed interindividual variability to COVID-19 outcomes. In order to improve the understanding of how genetic variants of ACE and ACE2 are involved in the severity of COVID-19, we included a total of 481 individuals who showed clinical manifestations of COVID-19 and were diagnosed by reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR). Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood and saliva samples. ACE insertion/deletion polymorphism was evaluated by the high-resolution melting method; ACE single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) (rs4344) and ACE2 SNPs (rs2285666 and rs2074192) were genotyped using TaqMan probes. We assessed the association of ACE and ACE2 polymorphisms with disease severity using logistic regression analysis adjusted by age, sex, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and obesity. The severity of the illness in our study population was divided as 31% mild, 26% severe, and 43% critical illness; additionally, 18% of individuals died, of whom 54% were male. Our results showed in the codominant model a contribution of ACE2 gene rs2285666 T/T genotype to critical outcome [odds ratio (OR) = 1.83; 95%CI = 1.01–3.29; p = 0.04] and to require oxygen supplementation (OR = 1.76; 95%CI = 1.01–3.04; p = 0.04), in addition to a strong association of the T allele of this variant to develop critical illness in male individuals (OR = 1.81; 95%CI = 1.10–2.98; p = 0.02). We suggest that the T allele of rs2285666 represents a risk factor for severe and critical outcomes of COVID-19, especially for men, regardless of age, hypertension, obesity, and type 2 diabetes.

Wounds represent a medical problem that contributes importantly to patient morbidity and to healthcare costs in several pathologies. In Hidalgo, Mexico, the Bacopa procumbens plant has been traditionally used for wound-healing care for several generations; in vitro and in vivo experiments were designed to evaluate the effects of bioactive compounds obtained from a B. procumbens aqueous fraction and to determine the key pathways involved in wound regeneration. Bioactive compounds were characterized by HPLC/QTOF-MS, and proliferation, migration, adhesion, and differentiation studies were conducted on NIH/3T3 fibroblasts. Polyphenolic compounds from Bacopa procumbens (PB) regulated proliferation and cell adhesion; enhanced migration, reducing the artificial scratch area; and modulated cell differentiation. PB compounds were included in a hydrogel for topical administration in a rat excision wound model. Histological, histochemical, and mechanical analyses showed that PB treatment accelerates wound closure in at least 48 h and reduces inflammation, increasing cell proliferation and deposition and organization of collagen at earlier times. These changes resulted in the formation of a scar with better tensile properties. Immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR molecular analyses demonstrated that treatment induces (i) overexpression of transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) and (ii) the phosphorylation of Smad2/3 and ERK1/2, suggesting the central role of some PB compounds to enhance wound healing, modulating TGF-β activation.

(1) Background: Burnout syndrome (BOS) is defined as a psychological state of physical and mental fatigue associated with work. The COVID-19 pandemic greatly impacted the physical and mental wellbeing of health professionals. The objective of this work was to determine the impact on personnel, monitoring the frequency of BOS throughout the pandemic. (2) Methods: The Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) was self-applied in four periods of the pandemic according to sociodemographic and employment characteristics. In this study, all hospital personnel were included; the association of BOS with sex, age, type of participant (civilian or military), military rank and profession was analyzed. (3) Results: The frequency of BOS was 2.4% (start of the pandemic), 7.9% (peak of the first wave), 3.7% (end of the first wave) and 3.6% (peak of the third wave). Emotional exhaustion (EE) was the most affected factor, and the groups most affected were men under 30 years of age, civilians, chiefs and doctors, especially undergraduate medical doctors and specialty resident doctors, and nursing personnel were less affected. (4) Conclusions: The low BOS levels show that the containment measures and military training implemented by the hospital authorities were effective, although the chief personnel were more affected in the first wave. It is probable that this combination allowed the containment of BOS, which was not observed in civilians.

Introduction. The acute kidney injury (AKI) is characterized by a sudden glomerular filtration reduction. Renal or intrinsic causes of AKI include nephrotoxicity induced by exogenous agents like cisplatin, which causes oxidative stress altering the biochemical process and leading to apoptosis. Therefore, this research is aimed at analyzing the embryonic stem cells (ESC) nephroprotective effect in AKI induced by cisplatin, employing genetic, phenotypic, and microspectroscopic techniques. Methods. Thirty mice were randomly divided into three groups (n=10): the healthy, isotonic salt solution (ISS), and mouse embryonic stem cells (mESC) groups. The ISS and mESC groups were subjected to AKI using cisplatin; 24 h post-AKI received an intraperitoneal injection of ISS or 1×106 mESC, respectively. At days 4 and 8 post-AKI, five mice of each group were sacrificed to analyze the histopathological, genetic (PDK4 and HO-1), protein (p53), and vibrational microspectroscopic changes. Results. Histopathologically, interstitial nephritis and acute tubular necrosis were observed; however, the mESC group showed a more preserved microarchitecture with high cellularity. Additionally, the PDK4 and HO-1 gene expression only increased in the ISS group on day 4 post-AKI. Likewise, p53 was more immunoexpressed at day 8 post-AKI in the ISS group. About biomolecular analysis by microspectroscopy, bands associated with lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids were evidenced. Besides, ratios related to membrane function (protein/lipid), unsaturated lipid content (olefinic/total lipid, olefinic/total CH2, and CH2/CH3), and lipid peroxidation demonstrated oxidative stress induction and lipid peroxidation increase mainly in the ISS group. Finally, the principal component analysis discriminated against each group; nonetheless, some data of the healthy and mESC groups at day 8 were correlated. Conclusions. The mESC implant diminishes cisplatin nephrotoxicity, once the protective effect in the reduction of lipid peroxidation was demonstrated, reflecting a functional and histological restoration.

No abstract

Diabetes is a chronic degenerative disease that carries multiple complications. One of the most important complications is the diabetic cutaneous complications, such as skin lesions, ulcerations, and diabetic foot, which are present in 30%–70% of the patients. Currently, the treatments for wound healing include growth factors and cytokines, skin substitutes, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, and skin grafts. However, these treatments are ineffective due to the complex mechanisms involved in developing unhealed wounds. Considering the aforementioned complications, regenerative medicine has focused on this pathology using stem cells to improve these complications. However, it is essential to mention that there is a poor biomolecular understanding of diabetic skin and the effects of treating it with stem cells. For this reason, herein, we investigated the employment of pluripotent stem cells (PSC) in the wound healing process by carrying out morphometric, histological, and Fourier-transform infrared microspectroscopy (FTIRM) analysis. The morphometric analysis was done through a photographic follow-up, measuring the lesion areas. For the histological analysis, hematoxylin & eosin and picrosirius red stains were used to examine the thickness of the epidermis and the cellularity index in the dermis as well as the content and arrangement of collagen type I and III fibers. Finally, for the FTIRM analysis, skin cryosections were obtained and analyzed by employing a Cassegrain objective of 16× of an FTIR microscope coupled to an FTIR spectrometer. For this purpose, 20 mice were divided into two groups according to the treatment they received: the Isotonic Salt Solution (ISS) group and the PSCs group (n = 10). Both groups were induced to diabetes, and six days after diabetes induction, an excisional lesion was made in the dorsal area. Furthermore, using microscopy and FTIRM analysis, the skin healing process on days 7 and 15 post-skin lesion excision was examined. The results showed that the wound healing process over time, considering the lesion size, was similar in both groups; however, the PSCs group evidenced hair follicles in the wound. Moreover, the histological analysis evidenced that the PSCs group exhibited granulation tissue, new vessels, and better polarity of the keratinocytes. In addition, the amount of collagen increased with a good deposition and orientation, highlighting that type III collagen fibers were more abundant in the PSCs. Finally, the FTIR analysis evidenced that the PSCs group exhibited a faster wound healing process. In conclusion, the wounds treated with PSCs showed a more rapid wound healing process, less inflammatory cellular infiltration, and more ordered structures than the ISS group.