Low seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in a liver transplant cohort

Solid organ transplant recipients might be at greater risk for acquisition and mortality because of SARS-CoV-2. There are no data regarding SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence among liver transplant (LT) recipients, and whether it is different from that of the general population or other immunosuppressed groups. We evaluated the prevalence of IgG SARS-CoV-2 antibodies among LT recipients to estimate the frequency of asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection using serological assays in our outpatient clinic. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis from 10 May to 26 October 2020 of all adult (>18 years) LT recipients that underwent a routine laboratory test for the outpatient clinic follow-up at the Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron (Barcelona) in which we included serological testing for SARS-CoV-2. Nine out of 294 LT recipients (3.1%) tested positive for anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies. Five of them (55.5%) had suffered clinically symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection confirmed by RT-PCR, four (44.4%) had presented compatible symptoms but without microbiological confirmation and only one patient (1/9, 11.1%) tested positive without any previous symptom. SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence among LT recipients in an area highly affected by the pandemic is lower than in the general population in the same area. These results render the possibility of asymptomatic infection in LT recipients very unlikely.     

Assessment of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons ecotoxicity threshold in marine sediments through in situ input/decay measurements

The ability of decomposers to process variable amounts of xenobiotics in the marine sediment is a useful aggregate indicator of their capacity to prevent their accumulation and eventual ecotoxic effects. Since decomposition processes depend on environmental factors at the sediment which are difficult to mimic in laboratory systems, in situ evaluations in undisturbed sediments are of great interest. A method and its results are presented to evaluate the decomposition rates of PAHs (polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons) in coastal undisturbed marine sediments at different levels of pollution input. The method is based on the application of pulse chromatography concepts to interpret trap and bed sediment monitoring data obtained at regular time intervals, using models of the water column as an anisotropic carrying medium. The results are for a 14 month data series from moderately polluted sediments near an urban site and at a more distant nearly pristine site on the south Atlantic coast. QSAR (quantitative structure activity relations) indicate that decay rates increase with higher UV absorption and lipidic solubility. At low levels of total PAH input to the sediments (<0.05 g day^–1 g^–1), decomposition mechanisms effectively process these compounds within a few days. At higher input levels (up to 0.12 g day^–1 g^–1), decomposition lags behind the inputs by approximately 25% and PAHs accumulate in the sediment. In situ estimates of the PAH input/decay ratios provide reliable ecosystem indicators of a safe threshold for anthropogenic inputs of PAHs to the marine environment and a basis for receptor-based standards aimed at their regulation.     

Diagnóstico y seguimiento de los pacientes con hipotiroidismo congénito diagnosticados por cribado neonatal

The screening program of congenital hypothyroidism (CH) is probably one of the best achievements in paediatrics. Thyroid hormones are essential for brain development and brain maturation that continue through the neonatal period. Hypothyroidism that begins in the first months of life causes irreversible damage to the central nervous system, and is one of the most frequent and preventable causes of mental retardation. As children with congenital hypothyroidism are born with a normal appearance, analytical studies are required to immediately start the appropriate therapy.This article analyses the aims, diagnostic procedures, tests required, aetiology, and differential diagnosis in this disorder. Especially relevant is to perform frequent monitoring to ensure dose adjustments of L-Thyroxine therapy, avoiding infra- or supra-dosing that negatively affects neurosensory functions. Re-evaluation of the aetiology permanent vs transient hypothyroidism is always recommended after 3 years of chronological age.The relevance of this screening program should be widely discussed in paediatrics. The main objective is to avoid cerebral damage in these patients, and has been highly successful and economically beneficial.Other aspects are required to optimise patient outcomes, to perform all the controls according to the recommendations and to include, in the near future, the diagnosis of central hypothyroidism. Implementation of this program is necessary to progress in accordance with current scientific knowledge.     

Synthesis of circular RNA in bacteria and yeast using RNA cyclase ribozymes derived from a group I intron of phage T4.

Studies on the function of circular RNA and RNA topology in vivo have been limited by the difficulty in expressing circular RNA of desired sequence. To overcome this, the group I intron from the phage T4 td gene was split in a peripheral loop (L6a) and rearranged so that the 3' half intron and 3' splice site are upstream and a 5' splice site and 5' half intron are downstream of a single exon. The group I splicing reactions excise the internal exon RNA as a circle (RNA cyclase ribozyme activity). We show that foreign sequences can be placed in the exon and made circular in vitro. Expression of such constructs (RNA cyclase ribozymes) in Escherichia coli and yeast results in the accumulation of circular RNA in these organisms. In yeast, RNA cyclase ribozymes can be expressed from a regulated promoter like an mRNA, containing 5' leader and 3' trailer regions, and a nuclear pre-mRNA intron. RNA cyclase ribozymes have broad application to questions of RNA structure and function including end requirements for RNA transport or function, RNA topology, efficacy of antisense or ribozyme gene control elements, and the biosynthesis of extremely long polypeptides.     

Obscure gastrointestinal bleeding: a complication of radiation enteritis diagnosed by wireless capsule endoscopy.

Obscure gastrointestinal bleeding is a common disorder and may account for as many as 5% of all gastrointestinal hemorrhages. It is often caused by lesions in the small intestine, which were very complicated to examine prior to the advent of wireless capsule endoscopy. Here we present the case of a 31-year-old woman with obscure gastrointestinal bleeding as a complication of radiation enteritis, which was diagnosed only after she underwent an examination with wireless capsule endoscopy. This technique has proven to be far superior to other radiographic and endoscopic methods in diagnosing obscure gastrointestinal bleeding and pathologies of the small intestine in general.