MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in gene regulation of several physiological processes. Alterations in the concentrations of miRNAs may result in cancer and autoimmune diseases. In cells of the immune system, miRNA expression is regulated by several cytokines and this expression is related to the inflammatory process. In the present work we evaluated miR-155 and miR-146a levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D).We analysed the expression of miRNAs in PBMC from T2D patients (n=20) and control subjects (n=20) using real-time PCR. The quantity of IL-1β and IL-6 in culture supernatants was measured by ELISA.The basal expression of miR-155 and miR-146a in patients with T2D was decreased compared to control subjects and associated with age, gender and metabolic control but not with the therapeutic treatment used. We found significant correlations between the basal expression of miR-155 and miR-146a with HbA1c, Glucose and BMI, as well as of miR-155 expression stimulated by LPS with the values of TG, HbA1c, Glucose and BMI. Additionally, we detected an altered distribution of miR-155 and miR-146a expression related with HbA1c, glucose and BMI using the analysis of a three dimensional association of variables in the group of T2D patients.Downregulated levels of miR-155 could play an important role in the pathogenesis of T2D due to their relationship with metabolic control.

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Placenta-derived exosomes play an important role in cellular communication both in the mother and the fetus. Their concentration and composition are altered in several pregnancy disorders, such as gestational diabetes mellitus (GdM). The isolation and characterization of placental exosomes from serum, plasma and tissues from patients with GdM have been previously described; however, to the best of our knowledge, to date, there is no study available on placental exosomes isolated from urine of patients with GdM. In the present study, placental exosomes were purified from urine the 1st, 2nd and 3rd trimester of gestation. Placental exosomes were characterized by transmission electron microscopy in cryogenic mode and by western blot analysis, confirming the presence of exosomal vesicles. The expression profile of five microRNAs (miR-516-5p, miR-517-3p, miR-518-5p, miR-222-3p and miR-16-5p) was determined by RT-qPCR. In healthy pregnant women, the expression of the miRNAs increased across gestation, apart from miR-516-5p, which was not expressed at the 2nd trimester. All the miRNAs examined were downregulated in patients with GdM at the 3rd trimester of gestation. The downregulated miRNAs affected several metabolic pathways closely associated with the pathophysiology of GdM. This provides further evidence of the regulatory role of miRNAs in the GdM. This also suggests that the of urinary exosomes may be an excellent source of biomarkers and therapeutic targets.

Our data indicate that As seems to have a relevant and complex effect on nTreg cells.

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Introduction of a novel influenza virus into the human population leads to the occurrence of pandemic events, such as the one caused by pandemic influenza A (H1N1) 2009 virus. The severity of infections caused by this virus in young adults was greater than that observed in patients with seasonal influenza. Fatal cases have been associated with an abnormal innate, proinflammatory immune response. A critical role for natural killer cells during the initial responses to influenza infections has been suggested. In this study, we assessed the association of killer-cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) with disease severity by comparing KIR gene content in patients with mild and severe pandemic influenza virus infections to a control group. We found that activator (KIR3DS1 and KIR2DS5) and inhibitory (KIR2DL5) genes, encoded in group B haplotypes containing the cB01, cB03 and tB01 motifs, are associated with severe pandemic influenza A (H1N1) 2009 infections. Better understanding of how genetic variability contributes to influenza virus pathogenesis may help to the development of immune intervention strategies aiming at controlling the severity of disease.

High mean levels of 1-hydroxypyrene, t,t-muconic acid, and hippuric acid were found in women who use firewood combustion (indoor) for cooking and heating using traditional open fire and taking into account that millions of women and children in Mexico are living in scenarios similar to those studied in this report, the assessment of health effects in women and children exposed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and volatile organic compounds is urgently needed. Moreover, it is immediately necessary an intervention program to reduce exposure.

The knowledge of normal metabolite values for neonates is key to establishing robust cut-off values to diagnose diseases, to predict the occurrence of new diseases, to monitor a neonate's metabolism, or to assess their general health status. For full term-newborns, many reference biochemical values are available for blood, serum, plasma and cerebrospinal fluid. However, there is a surprising lack of information about normal urine concentration values for a large number of important metabolites in neonates. In the present work, we used targeted tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS)-based metabolomic assays to identify and quantify 136 metabolites of biomedical interest in the urine from 48 healthy, full-term term neonates, collected in the first 24 h of life. In addition to this experimental study, we performed a literature review (covering the past eight years and over 500 papers) to update the references values in the Human Metabolome Database/Urine Metabolome Database (HMDB/UMDB). Notably, 86 of the experimentally measured urinary metabolites are being reported in neonates/infants for the first time and another 20 metabolites are being reported in human urine for the first time ever. Sex differences were found for 15 metabolites. The literature review allowed us to identify another 78 urinary metabolites with concentration data. As a result, reference concentration values and ranges for 378 neonatal urinary metabolites are now publicly accessible via the HMDB.