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Hematologic malignancies (HMs), including leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma, involve the uncontrolled proliferation of abnormal blood cells, posing significant clinical challenges due to their heterogeneity and varied treatment responses. Despite recent advancements in therapies that have improved survival rates, particularly in chronic lymphocytic leukemia and acute lymphoblastic leukemia, treatments like chemotherapy and stem cell transplantation often disrupt gut microbiota, which can negatively impact treatment outcomes and increase infection risks. This review explores the complex, bidirectional interactions between gut microbiota and cancer treatments in patients with HMs. Gut microbiota can influence drug metabolism through mechanisms such as the production of enzymes like bacterial β-glucuronidases, which can alter drug efficacy and toxicity. Moreover, microbial metabolites like short-chain fatty acids can modulate the host immune response, enhancing treatment effectiveness. However, therapy often reduces the diversity of beneficial bacteria, such as Bifidobacterium and Faecalibacterium, while increasing pathogenic bacteria like Enterococcus and Escherichia coli. These findings highlight the critical need to preserve microbiota diversity during treatment. Future research should focus on personalized microbiome-based therapies, including probiotics, prebiotics, and fecal microbiota transplantation, to improve outcomes and quality of life for patients with hematologic malignancies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patients with B-lymphocyte malignancies (BCMs) receiving B-lymphocyte-targeted therapies have increased risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes and impaired antibody response to SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination in comparison to non-hematologic oncologic patients or general population. Consequently, it is vital to explore vaccine-induced T-lymphocyte responses in patients referred for the understanding of immune protection against SARS-CoV2 infections. The objective of the present study was to analyze the recall immune responses carried out by T lymphocytes after two COVID-19 mRNA vaccine doses. Methods: We enrolled 40 patients with BCMs and 10 healthy controls (HCs) after 4 weeks from the second mRNA vaccine dose. Spike (S)-specific T-lymphocyte responses were assessed in peripheral blood mononuclear lymphocytes (PBMCs) by intracellular IFN-γ staining combined with flow cytometry. Furthermore, the humoral response was assessed with the measurement of anti-spike antibodies. Results: From March to July 2021, 40 patients (median age 68) received mRNA vaccines. The overall antibody response for BCMs was 52.5% versus 100% for the healthy controls (p = 0.008). The antibody response was different across BCMs: 18.75% for non-Hodgkin lymphoma, 54.5% for chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and 92.3% for multiple myeloma. Responses varied by malignancy type and treatment, with anti-CD20 therapies showing the lowest response (6.7%). T-lymphocyte analysis revealed reduced numbers and altered differentiation stages in patients compared to the controls. However, the vaccine-induced T response was generally robust, with variations in specific T subpopulations. Conclusions: mRNA vaccines induced significant humoral and cellular immune responses in B-cell lymphoid malignancy patients, although responses varied by treatment type and malignancy. Further research is needed to optimize vaccination strategies in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ion channels, vital transmembrane protein complexes, regulate ion movement within cells. Germline variants in channel-encoding genes lead to channelopathies. The sodium channels in cardiac cells exhibit a structure of an alpha subunit and one to two beta subunits. The alpha subunit, encoded by the SCN5A gene, comprises four domains. Case presentation: A fifteen-year-old Ecuadorian female with atrial flutter and abnormal sinus rhythm with no familial history of cardiovascular disease underwent NGS with the TruSight Cardio kit (Illumina). A likely pathogenic SCN5A gene variant (NM_188056.2:c.2677 C > Tp. Arg893Cys) was identified, associated with arrhythmias, long QT, atrial fibrillation, and Brugada syndrome. Ancestral analysis revealed a predominant European component (43.9%), followed by Native American (35.7%) and African (20.4%) components. Conclusions: The participant presents atrial flutter and conduction disorders, despite lacking typical cardiovascular risk factors. The proband carries a SCN5A variant that has not been previously reported in Latin America and may be associated to her phenotype. The documented arginine-to-cysteine substitution at position 893 in the protein is crucial for various cellular functions. The subject's mixed genetic composition highlights potential genetic contributors to atrial flutter, emphasizing the need for comprehensive genetic studies, particularly in mixed populations like Ecuadorians. This case underscores the importance of genetic analysis for personalized treatment and the significance of studying diverse genetic backgrounds in understanding cardiovascular diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a severe respiratory illness caused by the RNA virus SARS-CoV-2. Globally, there have been over 759.4 million cases and 6.74 million deaths, while Ecuador has reported more than 1.06 million cases and 35.9 thousand deaths. To describe the COVID-19 pandemic impact and the vaccinations effectiveness in a low-income country like Ecuador, we aim to assess the seroprevalence of IgG and IgM antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in a sample from healthy blood donors at the Cruz Roja Ecuatoriana. Methods: The present seroprevalence study used a lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) to detect anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG and IgM antibodies in months with the highest confirmed case rates (May 2020; January, April 2021; January, February, June, July 2022) and months with the highest vaccination rates (May, June, July, August, December 2021) in Quito, Ecuador. The IgG and IgM seroprevalence were also assessed based on sex, age range, blood type and RhD antigen type. The sample size was 8,159, and sampling was performed based on the availability of each blood type. Results: The results showed an overall IgG and IgM seroprevalence of 47.76% and 3.44%, respectively. There were no differences in IgG and IgM seroprevalences between blood groups and sex, whereas statistical differences were found based on months, age range groups, and RhD antigen type. For instance, the highest IgG seroprevalence was observed in February 2022 and within the 17-26 years age range group, while the highest IgM seroprevalence was in April 2021 and within the 47-56 years age range group. Lastly, only IgG seroprevalence was higher in RhD+ individuals while IgM seroprevalence was similar across RhD types. Discussion: This project contributes to limited data on IgG and IgM antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in Ecuador. It suggests that herd immunity may have been achieved in the last evaluated months, and highlights a potential link between the RhD antigen type and COVID-19 susceptibility. These findings have implications for public health strategies and vaccine distribution not only in Ecuador but also in regions with similar characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary objective was to describe the standardized body mass index (z-BMI) trajectory of children and adolescents admitted to a psychiatric reference center in Mexico City according to their diagnosis and medication use. The secondary objective was to compare z-BMI between antipsychotic users and non-users. This is a retrospective cohort study. The psychiatric diagnosis, prescribed medications, serial heights, and weights were collected from the medical records. The median baseline z-BMI of the 129 analyzed cases was 0.88 (interquartile range [IQR]: 0–1.92), and the prevalence of excessive weight (obesity or overweight) was 46.8 %. At the end of follow-up (median 50.3 weeks), the median change in z-BMI was −0.09 (IQR: −0.68 to 0.42). New long-term users of antipsychotics (n=29) had an increase in their z-BMI, in contrast to never-users (median difference 0.73, p=0.01) and to previous users (median difference 0.92, p=0.047). The 59 subjects with excessive weight at admission had a median z-BMI change of −0.39 (IQR: −0.81 to −0.04). Among patients with excessive weight and depression, there was a greater decrease in z-BMI in sertraline users (n=13) compared with fluoxetine users (n=15) (median −0.65 vs. 0.21, p<0.001). New long-term users of antipsychotics showed a significant increase in their z-BMI. Patients with depressive disorders and obesity on sertraline therapy tended to show a decrease in their z-BMI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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