Rincón-Sánchez AR. Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1) induction is implicated in the antioxidative and antiviral activity of acetylsalicylic acid in HCV-expressing cells. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 302: G1264 -G1273, 2012. First published March 22, 2012 doi:10.1152/ajpgi.00237.2011We evaluated the participation of oxidative stress in the negative regulation of hepatitis C virus (HCV)-RNA induced by acetylsalicylic acid (ASA). We used the HCV subgenomic replicon cell system that stably expresses HCV-nonstructural proteins (Huh7 HCV replicon cells) and the parental cell line. Cells were exposed to 4 mM ASA at different times (12-72 h), and pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC) was used as an antioxidant control. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, oxidized protein levels, cytosolic superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn-SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity were measured to evaluate oxidative stress. In addition, viral RNA and prostaglandin (PGE 2) levels were determined. We observed that ASA treatment decreased ROS production and oxidized protein levels in a time-dependent fashion in both parental and HCV replicon cells with a greater extent in the latter. Similar results were found with PDTC exposure. Average GPx activity was decreased, whereas a striking increase was observed in average cytosolic SOD activity at 48 and 72 h in both cells exposed to ASA, compared with untreated cells. HCV replicon cells showed higher levels of Cu/Zn-SOD expression (mRNA and protein) with ASA treatment (48 and 72 h), whereas NS5A protein levels showed decreased expression. In addition, we found that inhibition of SOD1 expression reversed the effect of ASA. Interestingly, PDTC downregulated HCV-RNA expression (55%) and PGE2 (60%) levels, imitating ASA exposure. These results suggest that ASA treatment could reduce cellular oxidative stress markers and modify Cu/Zn-

Objectives:This study aimed to determine the association between infection with Toxoplasma gondii and epilepsy in patients attended to in a public hospital in the northern Mexican city of Durango.Methods:We performed an age- and gender-matched case-control study of 99 patients suffering from epilepsy and 99 without epilepsy. Sera of participants were analyzed for anti-T. gondii IgG and IgM antibodies using commercially available enzyme-linked immunoassays. Seropositive samples to T. gondii were further analyzed for detection of T. gondii DNA by polymerase chain reaction.Results:Anti-T. gondii IgG antibodies were found in 10 (10.1%) of the 99 cases and in 6 (6.1%) of the 99 controls (odds ratio = 1.74; 95% confidence interval: 0.60–4.99; p = 0.43). High (> 150 IU/mL) levels of anti-T. gondii IgG antibodies were found in 6 of the 99 cases and in 4 of the 99 controls (odds ratio = 1.53; 95% confidence interval: 0.41–5.60; p = 0.74). Anti-T. gondii IgM antibodies were found in 2 of the 10 IgG seropositive cases, and in 2 of the 6 IgG seropositive controls (odds ratio = 0.50; 95% confidence interval: 0.05–4.97; p = 0.60). T. gondii DNA was not found in any of the 10 anti-T. gondii IgG positive patients. Bivariate analysis of IgG seropositivity to T. gondii and International Statistical Classification of Diseases and related Health Problems, 10th Edition codes of epilepsy showed an association between seropositivity and G40.1 code (odds ratio = 22.0; 95% confidence interval: 2.59–186.5; p = 0.008). Logistic regression analysis showed an association between T. gondii infection and consumption of goat meat (odds ratio = 6.5; 95% confidence interval: 1.22–34.64; p = 0.02), unwashed raw vegetables (odds ratio = 26.3; 95% confidence interval: 2.61–265.23; p = 0.006), and tobacco use (odds ratio = 6.2; 95% confidence interval: 1.06–36.66; p = 0.04).Conclusions:Results suggest that T. gondii infection does not increase the risk of epilepsy in our setting; however, infection might be linked to specific types of epilepsy. Factors associated with T. gondii infection found in this study may aid in the design of preventive measures against toxoplasmosis.

The results suggest that the prevalence of HIV-1/HCV coinfection in Mexico is lower than in other American countries.

Background The association between Toxoplasma gondii infection and thyroid disease has been poorly studied. Therefore, we sought to determine the association between T. gondii seropositivity and thyroid dysfunction. Methods We performed an age- and gender-matched case-control study of 176 patients suffering from hypothyroidism (n = 161) or hyperthyroidism (n = 15) and 528 control subjects without these diseases in a public hospital in Durango City, Mexico. Anti-Toxoplasma IgG antibodies were determined in sera from cases and controls using a commercially available enzyme-linked immunoassay. Results Anti-T. gondii IgG antibodies were found in 11 (6.3%) of 176 patients suffering from thyroid dysfunction and in 48 (9.1%) of 528 control subjects (OR = 0.66; 95% CI: 0.33–1.31; P = 0.23). Stratification by two groups of age (50 years and younger, and 51 year and older) showed that the youngest group of patients with thyroid dysfunction had a significantly lower seroprevalence of T. gondii infection than its age- and gender-matched control group (1/83: 1.2% vs 23/257: 8.6%; OR = 0.12; 95% CI: 0.01–0.93; P = 0.01). This stratification also showed that the youngest group of patients with hypothyroidism had a significantly lower seroprevalence of T. gondii infection than its age- and gender matched control group (0/75: 0% vs 21/233: 9.0%; P = 0.003). Conclusions Our results suggest that thyroid dysfunction is not associated with seropositivity to T. gondii in general; however, in young (50 years or less) patients, a negative association between infection and thyroid dysfunction and hypothyroidism was found. Further research to confirm this negative association is needed.

Whether waste pickers are a risk group for hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection is largely unknown. This study aimed to determine the association between HEV exposure and the occupation of waste pickers and the work characteristics of waste pickers. An age‐and gender‐matched case‐control seroprevalence study of 86 waste pickers and 86 control subjects of the general population was performed. We determined anti‐HEV IgG antibodies in sera of cases and controls using a commercially available enzyme‐linked immunoassay. The McNemar's test was used to assess the association between HEV seropositivity and the occupation of waste picker. The association between HEV seropositivity and work characteristics of waste pickers was assessed by bivariate and logistic regression analyses. Anti‐HEV IgG antibodies were detected in 14 (16.3%) of the 86 waste pickers and in 8 (9.3%) of the 86 control subjects (McNemar's pair test: odds ratio (OR) = 13.0; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.73–230.77; p = .02). Bivariate analysis showed that HEV exposure was associated with an ill status (p = .01) and reflexes impairment (p = .009). Logistic regression analysis showed that HEV seropositivity was associated with increasing age (OR = 6.52; 95% CI: 1.95–21.78; p = .002) and raising pigs (OR = 12.01; 95% CI: 1.48–97.26; p = .02). This is the first age‐ and gender‐matched case‐control study on the association between HEV infection and the occupation of waste picker. Waste pickers represent a risk group for HEV infection. Factors associated with HEV seropositivity found in this study may help in the design of optimal planning to avoid HEV infection.

The microbiota of Hymenoptera is limited to certain bacterial species that vary according to the habitat and diet; however, the bacterial populations are not known in Telenomus tridentatus Johnson & Bin, an egg parasitoid of agricultural importance. We determined the microbiota composition of adults of T. tridentatus using next‐generation sequencing technologies. We found the presence of the Phylums Proteobacteria, in greater proportion followed by Actinobacteria and Firmicutes, respectively. The most abundant species were Cutibacterium acnes, Aquabacterium sp. and Massilia sp. The results of this study could lead to investigating the importance of symbiotic bacteria in T. tridentatus and its relation with agricultural plantations.

BackgroundToxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) can disseminate to brain in infected hosts. Little is known about the magnitude of the association between this infection and headache. Therefore, we sought to determine the association of T. gondii seropositivity and headache in patients attending neurological consultations in a public hospital in Durango City, Mexico.MethodsThrough an age- and gender-matched case-control study, 105 patients suffering from headache and 105 subjects without headache were examined for anti-T. gondii IgG and IgM antibodies using commercially available enzyme-linked immunoassays. Seropositive cases were analyzed for detection of T. gondii DNA by polymerase chain reaction.ResultsAnti-T. gondii IgG antibodies were found in five (4.8%) of the 105 cases and in seven (6.7%) of the 105 controls (odds ratio (OR) = 0.70; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.21 - 2.28; P = 0.76). The frequency of high (> 150 IU/mL) levels of anti-T. gondii IgG antibodies among anti-T. gondii IgG positive individuals was significantly (P = 0.01) higher in cases (5/5) than in controls (1/7). Anti-T. gondii IgM antibodies were found in one (20.0%) of the five IgG seropositive cases, and in three (42.9%) of the seven IgG seropositive controls (P = 0.60). T. gondii DNA was not detected in any of the five anti-T. gondii IgG positive cases. No association between T. gondii infection and specific headache types was found.ConclusionsThis is the first matched case-control study on the association between T. gondii infection and headache. Results suggest that high anti-T. gondii IgG antibody levels, but not T. gondii seropositivity, were associated with headache in the population studied.

Traditional techniques for cancer diagnosis, such as nuclear magnetic resonance, ultrasound and tissue analysis, require sophisticated devices and highly trained personnel, which are characterized by elevated operation costs. The use of biomarkers has emerged as an alternative for cancer diagnosis, prognosis and prediction because their measurement in tissues or fluids, such as blood, urine or saliva, is characterized by shorter processing times. However, the biomarkers used currently, and the techniques used for their measurement, including ELISA, western-blot, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or immunohistochemistry, possess low sensitivity and specificity. Therefore, the search for new proteomic, genomic or immunological biomarkers and the development of new noninvasive, easier and cheaper techniques that meet the sensitivity and specificity criteria for the diagnosis, prognosis and prediction of this disease has become a relevant topic. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview about the search for new cancer biomarkers, including the strategies that must be followed to identify them, as well as presenting the latest advances in the development of biosensors that possess a high potential for cancer diagnosis, prognosis and prediction, mainly focusing on their relevance in lung, prostate and breast cancers.