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Abstract Objective To determine the association of a metabolomic profile with the diagnosis of localized prostate cancer. Methods We conducted a search strategy in MEDLINE (OVID), EMBASE, LILACS, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) from 2008 to the present. We included Clinical trials and analytical and descriptive observational studies that reported metabolite results and metabolite profiles in serum, tissue, urine, and seminal fluid. All studies used metabolomic techniques such as MS and MRI to identify patients with localized prostate cancer compared with patients without cancer. We used QUADAS 2 to assess the risk of bias. Results We found 1248 studies with the search strategy. Finally, 14 case–control studies were included. Serum was the primary sample to identify the metabolites. Low concern was found regarding applying the index test and the reference standard in assessing the risk of bias. The metabolites of interest associated with establishing a metabolomic profile in the diagnosis of localized prostate cancer were amino acids, lipids, androgens, estrogens, nucleotides, and histidine metabolism. Conclusion Disturbances in the metabolism of fatty acids, amino acids, nucleotides, and steroid hormones were identified, suggesting the presence of localized prostate cancer. Importantly, serum samples showed an increase in amino acid levels. Glutamate and aspartic acid stand out among the amino acids that register high levels. In addition, glycine and serine were consistently decreased metabolites in the three kinds of biological samples analyzed.

Introduction: Iodine is an essential mineral for fetal growth and brain development. The aim of this research was to evaluate goiter, iodine deficiency and intrauterine growth restriction in pregnant women of minority ethnic groups in Colombia. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed in six non-metropolitan areas of Colombia. Results: A total of 318 Indigenous and Afro-descendant pregnant women were invited to participate: 248 (83.2%) Indigenous and 50 (16.8%) Afro-descendants were studied. The mean age was 24 years (range 13-44 years). Of the women, 130 (43.5%) were from the department of Cauca, 72 (24.1%) were from Córdoba, 28 (9.4%) were from Guajira, 26 (8.8%) were from Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, 22 (7.4%) were from Amazonas, 16 (5.4%) were from Meta and 4 (1.3%) were from the department of Cesar. A total of 244 (81.8%) were illiterate and 291 (97.7%) were of very low socioeconomic level. Goiter was observed in 69 (23.3%) pregnant women (38 (41.7%) from the department of Cauca, 10 (35.7%) from Guajira, 5 (31.2%) from Meta, 6 (27.2%) from Amazonas and 10 (13.8%) from Córdoba). Iodine deficiency (

Introducción. Se han observado niveles séricos alterados de zinc, más altos o más bajos, en personas afectadas por enfermedades crónicas no transmisibles. Sin embargo, la información sobre determinantes de zinc sérico en poblaciones sin enfermedad crónica es muy limitada. Objetivo. Evaluar si la ingestión de nutrientes, las medidas bioquímicas y clínicas, el estilo de vida y los antecedentes familiares de las enfermedades cardiometabólicas están asociados de forma independiente con los niveles de zinc en individuos aparentemente sanos. Materiales y métodos. Se evaluaron 239 sujetos sanos. El zinc sérico se midió por espectrometría de absorción atómica de llama y el resto de los marcadores bioquímicos por métodos enzimáticos-colorimétricos. Se utilizaron técnicas estándar para medir la antropometría. Se aplicó una encuesta para registrar antecedentes personales y familiares, y se estimó el consumo de nutrientes por recordatorio de 24 horas. Resultados. Las mujeres tenían niveles séricos de zinc más bajos que los hombres. En los análisis multivariados, la ingestión total de grasas (β = -0,15; error estándar = 0,03; p

The antitumor potential of proteins from snake venoms has been studied in recent decades, and evidence has emerged that phospholipases A2 can selectively attack cells of various types of tumors. Previous results have shown that phospholipase A2 “Pllans-II,” isolated from Porthidium lansbergii lansbergii snake venom, displayed antitumoral activity on cervical cancer and did not alter the viability of non-tumorigenic cells. However, until now, there was no evidence of its safety at the local and systemic levels, nor had experiments been developed to demonstrate that its production using recombinant technology allows us to obtain a molecule with effects similar to those generated by native phospholipase. Thus, we evaluated the impact caused by Pllans-II on murine biomodels, determining whether it induced local hemorrhage or increased pro-inflammatory and liver damage markers and histological alterations in the liver and kidneys. Additionally, the protein was produced using recombinant technology using a pET28a expression vector and the BL21 (DE3) Escherichia coli strain. Equally, its enzymatic activity and anticancer effect were evaluated on cervical cancer lines such as HeLa and Ca Ski. The results demonstrated that Pllans-II did not generate hemorrhagic activity, nor did it increase the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6, IL-1B, or TNF-α at doses of 3.28, 1.64, and 0.82 mg/kg. There was also no evidence of organ damage, and only ALT and AST increased in mild levels at the two highest concentrations. Additionally, the recombinant version of Pllans-II showed conservation in its catalytic activity and the ability to generate death in HeLa and Ca Ski cells (42% and 23%, respectively). These results demonstrate the innocuity of Pllans-II at the lowest dose and constitute an advance in considering a molecule produced using recombinant technology a drug candidate for selective attacks against cervical cancer.

Despite advances in chemotherapeutic drugs used against cervical cancer, available chemotherapy treatments adversely affect the patient’s quality of life. For this reason, new molecules from natural sources with antitumor potential and few side effects are required. In previous research, Pllans−II, a phospholipase A2 type-Asp49 from Porthidium lansbergii lansbergii snake venom, has shown selective attack against the HeLa and Ca Ski cervical cancer cell lines. This work suggests that the cytotoxic effect generated by Pllans−II on HeLa cells is triggered without affecting the integrity of the cytoplasmic membrane or depolarizing the mitochondrial membranes. The results allow us to establish that cell death in HeLa is related to the junction blockage between α5β1 integrins and fibronectin of the extracellular matrix. Pllans−II reduces the cells’ ability of adhesion and affects survival and proliferation pathways mediated by intracellular communication with the external environment. Our findings confirmed Pllans−II as a potential prototype for developing a selective chemotherapeutic drug against cervical cancer.

Body iron excess appears to be related to insulin resistance and cardiometabolic risk and increased oxidative stress might be involved in this relationship. Very few studies have described the association between soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR) levels and cardiometabolic risk in the general population or antioxidant status. There were 239 subjects (20–65 years old) included in this cross-sectional study. Linear regressions adjusting for BMI, menopausal status, insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), physical inactivity, alcohol intake and subclinical/chronic inflammation were used to describe the association between sTfR, total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and measures of cardio-metabolic risk. sTfR levels were positively associated with TAC in men (βeta [95% confidence interval ]: 0.31 [0.14 to 0.48]) and women (βeta = 0.24 [0.07 to 0.40]) in non-adjusted and adjusted models (p < 0.05). In men, sTfR levels were inversely associated with waist circumference (βeta [95% confidence interval]: −1.12 [−2.30 to −0.22]) and fasting glucose (−2.7 (−4.82 to −0.57), and positively with LDL cholesterol (12.41 (6.08 to 18.57) before and after adjustments for confounding variables. LDL cholesterol had a significant and positive association with TAC in non-adjusted and adjusted models in men (p < 0.05). sTfR levels are significantly associated with antioxidant status and a few specific cardio-metabolic risk variables, independently of covariates that included serum ferritin and hepcidin. This might imply that iron biomarkers in regard to cardiometabolic risk reflect physiological contexts other than iron metabolism.

Due to the lack of chemotherapeutic drugs that selectively affect cervical cancer cells, natural sources such as snake venom are currently being investigated for molecules with antitumor potential. Pllans–II, a phospholipase A2 type–Asp49 from Porthidium lansbergii lansbergii snake venom, induced cell death in a cervical cancer cell line—Ca Ski—related to dysfunction in the ability to resolve endoplasmic reticulum stress, evidenced by sub–expression of genes such as PERK, ERO1 PDIs, HSP70, and CHOP. Western blot analysis validated the last two genes′ sub–expression at the protein level. In addition, Pllans–II presented a dose–dependent cytotoxic effect on cancer cells and an insignificant effect on healthy endothelial cells (HUVEC). Additionally, Pllans–II inhibited cancer cells′ adhesion and migration capacity, induced cell cycle arrest in the G2/M phase, and induced apoptosis stimulated possibly by the extrinsic route. These results demonstrate for the first time that Pllans–II has an antitumor effect on a squamous epithelial cervical cancer cell line and represents a possible biotechnological tool for designing a prominent antitumor agent.