Ana Gomez

Exercise Training and Cytokines in Breast Cancer Survivors

The purpose of this randomized controlled trial was to determine the effects of an 8-week (aerobic+strength) exercise training program (3 sessions/week) on the circulating cytokine levels of breast cancer survivors. We randomly allocated 16 female survivors of breast cancer (mean±SD age: 50±5 years) to an intervention or usual care (control) group (N=8 in each group). The intervention group followed an 8-week exercise program consisting of 3 sessions/week (session duration: 90 min). We measured the levels of the following cytokines before and after the intervention: beta-NGF, CTACK, eotaxin, FGF basic, G-CSF, gmCSFα, HGF, ICAM1, IFNα2, IFNγ, IL1α, IL1ß, IL1ra, IL2, IL2ra, IL3, IL4, IL6, IL7, IL8, IL9, IL10, IL12, IL13, IL15, IL16, IL17, IL18, IP10, LIF, MCS-F, MIP1α, MIP1β, MIF, MCP1, MCP3, MIG, PDGF bb, SCF, SCGFβ, SDF1α, TRAIL, TNFα, TNFβ, VCAM1, and VEGF. We only observed a significant interaction (group*time) effect for CTACK ( P=0.016), with mean values remaining stable in the intervention group but increasing over time in controls. The intervention program did not induce a significant decrease in the main breast cancer-related cytokines such as IL6 and IL8. A combined (aerobic+strength) 8-week exercise training intervention did not induce major changes in the basal cytokine levels of breast cancer survivors.

Ajuste psicológico e integración social en hijos e hijas de familias homoparentales

Resumen Se estudiaron 28 familias españolas de padres gays o madres lesbianas con hijos o hijas entre 3 y 16 años de edad (familias homoparentales). Se estudió el ajuste psicológico de estos niños y niñas, así como su integración social, compareándolos con dos muestras de compañeros de clase que crecían en familias de progenitores heterosexuales (familias heteroparentales). Los resultados obtenidos indican que los chicos y chicas que crecen en familias homoparentales presentan valores medios o medio-altos en competencia académica, competencia social y autoestima, y se encuentran, de media, fuera de las puntuaciones que indican presencia de problemas clínicos en ajuste emocional y comportamental; asimismo, gozan de una aceptación media por sus compañeros de clase y tienen relaciones de amistad muy satisfactorias. No se hallaron diferencias entre chicos de familias homoparentales y las dos muestras de chicos de familias heteroparentales en ninguna de estas dimensiones. Los datos se discuten a la luz de los prejuicios existentes con respecto al desarrollo infantil en familias homoparentales y en sus implicaciones teóricas.

Chemokines and relapses in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia: A role in migration and in resistance to antileukemic drugs

We studied whether chemokines may have a role in relapses in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). We compared the levels of chemokine receptors in marrow samples from 82 children with ALL at diagnosis versus 15 at relapses, and quantified the levels of chemokines in central system fluid (CSF) samples. The functional role of specific chemokines was studied in vitro and in vivo. The expression of some chemokine receptors was upregulated upon leukemic relapse, both in B- and in T-ALL, and in cases of medullary and extramedullary involvement. CXCL10 induced chemotaxis in leukemic cell lines and in primary leukemic cells, depending upon the levels of CXCR3 expression. CXCL10 specifically diminished chemotherapy-induced apoptosis on ALL cells expressing CXCR3, partially inhibiting caspase activation and maintaining the levels of the antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2. Finally, immunodeficient mice engrafted with CXCR3-expressing human leukemic cells showed decreased infiltration of marrow, spleen, and CNS after receiving a CXCR3-antagonist molecule. CXCR3 signaling in ALL may have a dual function: chemotactic for the localisation of leukemic blasts in specific niches, and it may also confer resistance to chemotherapy, enhancing the chances for relapses.

A Role for the CXCR3/CXCL10 Axis in Rasmussen Encephalitis

BACKGROUND Rasmussen encephalitis is a devastating pediatric syndrome of unknown etiology that is characterized by progressive loss of neurological function and intractable focal epilepsy. Cytotoxic T lymphocytes have an active role in the pathogenic process of Rasmussen encephalitis. We studied the implication of CXCL10-CXCR3, a chemotactic axis involved in the pathogenesis of several cases of immune encephalitis. METHODS We analyzed surgical specimens of children with Rasmussen encephalitis, and performed functional in vitro assays to test the implications of the pathological findings. RESULTS We found that cytotoxic T lymphocytes infiltrating the damaged areas of primary biopsies expressed CXCR3, whereas neurons and astrocytes in the same areas expressed CXCL10. The in vitro assays demonstrated we found that astrocytes upregulated the expression of CXCL10 messenger RNA and the release of CXCL10 to the supernatants on stimulation with polyinosinic-polycyticylic acid, a synthetic double-stranded RNA that mimics infections with either RNA or DNA viruses. Activated T lymphocytes responded to the production of CXCL10 by astrocytes by increasing their migration in a transwell assay. Finally, the chemotaxis induced by the stimulated astrocytes was completely abrogated in the presence of a small molecule antagonist of CXCR3. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that the CXCR3-CXCL10 axis has a role in recruiting pathogenic T lymphocytes into the brains of patients with Rasmussen encephalitis. This chemotactic mechanism may be targeted pharmacologically.

9. Osteocondroma vertebral radioinducido T4 con compresión medular

Caso clinico Presentamos un caso de un paciente de 18 anos de edad que debuta con una historia de ocho semanas de evolucion de debilidad progresiva en su extremidad inferior izquierda. Habia sido diagnosticado a los 7 anos de un meduloblastoma cerebeloso, tratado con cirugia, radioterapia y quimioterapia. La radiologia simple no mostro alteraciones, y la RM mostro una masa extradural originada en el borde posteroinferior del platillo vertebral de T4, que producia una marcada compresion de la medula espinal. Se realizo hemilaminectomia y facetectomia T4 izquierdas, extirpando la lesion. El estudio histologico confirmo el diagnostico de osteocondroma. La recuperacion clinica del paciente fue completa. Discusion Este caso reune todos los criterios necesarios para ser considerado una lesion radioinducida. La mayor parte de los osteocondromas solitarios se presentan en la columna cervical o lumbar, y en pocos casos producen compresion medular ya que no suelen crecer intraespinalmente y la mayor parte de ellos proceden de los elementos vertebrales posteriores. El osteocondroma radioinducido puede no ser visible en radiografias simples. El TAC y la RM son pruebas muy utiles para determinar la extension de la lesion y el grado de compresion medular, siendo la RM mas util si el diagnostico es dudoso o si hay sospecha de degeneracion sarcomatosa. Conclusion El osteocondroma radioinducido es una patologia poco frecuente en la columna vertebral, y debe ser incluido en el diagnostico diferencial de compresion medular en pacientes con una historia de meduloblastoma. La extirpacion quirurgica completa es curativa. Este es el primer caso referido de osteocondroma vertebral radioinducido tras cirugia, radioterapia y quimioterapia para el tratamiento de un meduloblastoma cerebeloso.