Search

Here, we report on the role of haptoglobin (Hp), whose expression depends on the synthesis of interleukin 6 (IL-6), related to the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS), as a possible marker of muscle improvement achieved after treatment with the polyphenol epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and an increase in the ketone body beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) in the blood. After 4 months of intervention with 27 MS patients, we observed that Hp does not significantly increase, alongside a significant decrease in IL-6 and a significant increase in muscle percentage. At the same time, Hp synthesis is considerably and positively correlated with IL-6 both before and after treatment, while this correlation occurs significantly reversed with muscle percentage before treatment, no correlation is evident after the intervention. These results seem to indicate that Hp could be a marker of muscle status and could be a diagnosis tool after therapeutic intervention in MS patients.

Background: One of the pathogenic mechanisms of ALS disease is perturbed energy metabolism particularly glucose metabolism. Given the substantial difference in the severity and the prognosis of the disease, depending on whether it has a bulbar or spinal onset, the aim of the study was to determine metabolic differences between both types of ALS, as well as the possible relationship with muscle function. Materials and Methods: A descriptive, analytical, quantitative, and transversal study was carried out in hospitals and Primary Care centers in the region of Valencia, Spain. Fasting glucose and alkaline phosphatase (AP) levels in venous blood, muscle percentage, fat percentage, muscle strength (MRC scale), and functional capacity (Barthel Index) were measured in 31 patients diagnosed with ALS (20 with spinal onset ALS and 11 with bulbar onset ALS). A healthy control of 29 people was included. Results: No significant differences were observed in blood AP and glucose levels between spinal onset and bulbar onset ALS patients. However, a significant positive correlation was observed between the mean values of both substances in patients with spinal onset ALS. Moreover, a lower percentage of muscle mass and a higher percentage of fat mass were also seen in spinal ALS patients, who also presented lower muscle strength and lower functional capacity. Conclusion: The results of this study seem to point to a possible difference in the peripheral use of glucose between patients with bulbar onset ALS and spinal onset ALS, who appear to have possible insulin resistance. These metabolic differences could explain the lower muscle percentage and lower muscular function in spinal onset ALS patients, although further studies are required.

Background: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating neurodegenerative disease, characterized by progressive loss of spinal and cortical motor neurons, leading to muscular atrophy, respiratory failure, and ultimately death. There is no known cure, and the clinical benefit of the two drugs approved to treat ALS remains unclear. Novel disease-modifying therapeutics that are able to modulate the disease course are desperately needed. Our objective was to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of Elysium Health's candidate drug EH301 in people with ALS (PALS). Methods: This was a single-center, prospective, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled pilot study. Thirty-two PALS were recruited thanks to the collaboration of the Spanish Foundation for ALS Research (FUNDELA). Study participants were randomized to receive either EH301 or placebo and underwent evaluation for 4 months. Differences between EH301 and placebo-treated participants were evaluated based on standard clinical endpoints, including the revised ALS functional rating scale (ALSFRS-R), forced vital capacity (FVC), and the Medical Research Council (MRC) grading scale. Results: Compared to placebo, participants treated with EH301 demonstrated significant improvements in the ALSFRS-R score, pulmonary function, muscular strength, and in skeletal muscle/fat weight ratio. EH301 was shown to significantly slow the progression of ALS relative to placebo, and even showed improvements in several key outcome measures compared with baseline. Conclusions: This study provides evidence in support of the disease-modifying effects of EH301 for the treatment of ALS. Catholic University San Vicente Mártir (grant 2017-216-001). University of Valencia (grant OTR2017-18255INVES). 3.286 JCR (2019) Q2, 68/204 Clinical Neurology 1.249 SJR (2019) Q1, 40/169 Neurology No data IDR 2019 UEV

It is known that stress and immune systems are related with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, the relationship of both systems in the progression of disease is not clearly demonstrated. Hair cortisol and salivary immunoglobulin A (IgA) were quantified in 49 patients with mild, moderate, and severe AD. A significant change was seen in both molecules as AD progressed from mild to moderate and severe. Low levels of cortisol were observed in mild AD patients compared with moderate and severe. However, IgA showed a contrary pattern. High levels were observed in mild AD patientes but low in moderate and severe AD subjects. The secretion of cortisol and IgA seems to be very different at the start compared with posterior development of AD suggesting that neuroinflammation can be involved. Both molecules could be used as possible therapeutical tools. Sin financiación 3.606 JCR (2019) Q2, 101/271 Neurosciences; Q3, 102/195 Cell Biology 1.126 SJR (2019) Q1, 415/2754 Medicine (miscellaneous); Q2, 136/300 Cell Biology; Q3, 48/89 Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience No data IDR 2019 UEV

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of the implementation of a short protocol of music therapy as a tool to reduce stress and improve the emotional state in patients with mild Alzheimer's disease. METHODS: A sample of 25 patients with mild Alzheimer's received therapy based on the application of a music therapy session lasting 60 min. Before and after the therapy, patient saliva was collected to quantify the level of salivary cortisol using the Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay (ELISA) immunoassay technique and a questionnaire was completed to measure anxiety and depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale). RESULTS: The results show that the application of this therapy lowers the level of stress and decreases significantly depression and anxiety, establishing a linear correlation between the variation of these variables and the variation of cortisol. CONCLUSIONS: A short protocol of music therapy can be an alternative medicine to improve emotional variables in Alzheimer patients. Sin financiación 1.868 JCR (2018) Q2, 12/27 Integrative & Complementary Medicine 0.532 SJR (2018) Q1, 25/109 Complementary and Alternative Medicine No data IDR 2018 UEV

BackgroundChronic stress during adolescence has usually been evaluated through subjective measures, leaving aside objective measures such as hair cortisol concentrations. Therefore, the aim of this study was to provide reference ranges for hair cortisol concentrations by sex and age and to study the relationship between subjective and objective measures of stress and temporal stability.MethodsThe participants were 170 adolescents aged between 12 and 14 years (mean = 12.78 years; standard deviation = 0.71 years; 52.40% girls) who completed the Perceived Stress Scale 4 and had their hair sampled.ResultsThe results revealed hair cortisol concentrations ranging from 0.07 pg/mg to 9.54 pg/mg. Subjective and objective measures of stress were not related, nor was there intraindividual stability of the hair cortisol concentrations. Girls had higher hair cortisol concentrations, and there were no age differences.ConclusionsThis research provides cortisol reference values for adolescents that will allow the early detection of chronic stress. Such detection methods make it possible to prevent problems arising from stress because we can act more quickly and the treatments will be more effective. The study suggests that there is no relationship between perceived and objective stress; while perceived stress remained stable, the levels of hair cortisol were increased at 6 months. Despite the interesting findings of the study, there are some limitations: the sample was not obtained through probabilistic sampling, the age range was narrow, and some demographic, anthropomorphic and clinical factors are missing, which make the generalization of results difficult.

The understanding of how the immune system works, as well as its relationship with the stress level, seems to be important at the start of the Alzheimer’s disease (AD). To analyze this, immunoglobulin A (IgA) and cortisol in saliva were measured using ELISA in patients with mild AD and healthy volunteers, and the production of both biomarkers was compared and correlated. In participants without AD, IgA was higher when cortisol was lower, and the opposite happened in participants with AD, with the quantification in saliva being a suitable method to determine it. Sin financiación 1.635 SJR (2017) Q1, 12/108 Geriatrics and Gerontology, 239/2885 Medicine (miscellaneous), 64/529 Psychiatry and Mental Health, 34/154 Neuroscience (miscellaneous), 22/270 Clinical Psychology UEV

Objective To determine the morbidity of malignant and pre-malignant skin lesions and people’s knowledge about preventing sun exposure and dangerous habits. Methods A retrospective longitudinal study and one descriptive transversal study were conducted with a population of 25,956 inhabitants using the Abucasis® program, and 201 questionnaires were administered to patients in an emergency department; SPSS 15.0 for Windows program was then used. Results In six years there were 228 cases of actinic keratosis, 26 melanoma and 32 malignant neoplasms of the skin. It was found that 63.7% of the population believed that sufficient solar prevention campaigns were not performed, 50.2% were unaware of the warning signs of skin cancer, and the most widely used measure used for protection was the use of sunscreens. Conclusion The morbidity of malignant and premalignant skin lesions in the Manises population quadrupled and the knowledge about preventing sun exposure is insufficient.