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M Carmen Alonso

Publications and source records attributed to M Carmen Alonso.

9 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Molecular fingerprinting of Vibrio tapetis strains using three PCR-based methods: ERIC-PCR, REP-PCR and RAPD.

Brown Ring Disease (BRD) is a bacterial disease caused by Vibrio tapetis which affects cultured clams and causes heavy economic losses. In this study, 28 V. tapetis strains isolated from 5 different hosts were intraspecifically characterized by 3 different polymerase chain reaction- (PCR-) based typing methods: enterobacteria repetitive intergenic consensus (ERIC)-PCR, repetitive extragenic palindromic (REP)-PCR and randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD)-PCR. Cluster analysis of genetic profiles obtained from these molecular techniques clearly showed the existence of 3 genetic groups strongly correlated to the host origin. The first group was formed by 23 V. tapetis strains isolated from Manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum, 1 isolated from venus clam Venerupis aurea, and 1 isolated from common cockle Cerastoderma edule, all collected from France and Spain. The second group was formed by 2 strains isolated from carpet-shell clam R. decussatus cultured in the northwest of Spain. The third group was composed of 1 strain isolated from Atlantic halibut Hippoglossus hippoglossus from the UK. We concluded that the 3 typing methods based on PCR were useful for the intraspecific typing of V. tapetis strains, and that they can potentially be used as a fast and reliable tool for epidemiological studies in the future.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Cloning and expression analysis of Mx cDNA from Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis).

Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis) is a promising fish species of growing interest in European aquaculture. In fish farming, viral infections are a constant threat therefore, understanding fish defence mechanisms is a main priority to avoid economic losses. Mx proteins are involved in the innate antiviral response of fish. They are induced by type I interferons (alpha and beta) and are essential to investigate viral defence mechanisms in fish, due to the difficulty in tracking interferon activity in these species. In this study a full-length Senegalese sole Mx cDNA has been RT-PCR cloned, resulting in 2322bp coding for 623 amino acids. The sequence accounts for the main characteristics of Mx proteins but lacking nuclear localisation signal (NLS), which suggests cytoplasmic localisation. The alignments of Senegalese sole Mx sequence showed the highest identity with the flatfish species, 80.1% identity with flounder and 78.9% with halibut. The spatial and temporal expression pattern has been analysed in control and challenged fish by RT-PCR. In control fish a constitutive level of sole Mx expression has been obtained and a clear induction was observed after treatment with Poly[I:C], which supports a putative role for the Mx in Senegalese sole viral defence. These findings contribute to increasing the knowledge of the role of interferon pathway in fish innate immunity and to develop new tools to fight virus infections in the culture of this species.

Actins↗
PubMed2006

Effect of mammography on breast cancer risk in women with mutations in BRCA1 or BRCA2.

Women who carry mutations in either the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes are at risk for early-onset breast cancer and are recommended to begin screening mammography at age 25 to 30 years. Results of in vitro and animal studies suggest that BRCA1/BRCA2 mutation carriers are hypersensitive to ionizing radiation and possibly to radiation-induced breast cancer. This study was undertaken to investigate the association of low-dose radiation exposure from mammograms with breast cancer status in BRCA mutation carriers. One hundred sixty-two female mutation carriers provided information at time of genetic testing about exposure to mammograms before enrollment. Using unconditional logistic regression, breast cancer status was not associated with number of mammograms received before diagnosis (affected women) or ascertainment [unaffected women; adjusted odds ratio (OR), 0.94; P = not significant]. A larger group of 213 women provided information about lifetime number of mammograms. There was no association between mammogram exposure and risk in the group as a whole (adjusted OR, 1.04; P = not significant), although there was a modest association in BRCA1 carriers (adjusted OR, 1.08; P = 0.03). These findings indicate that screening mammography is unlikely to be associated with a large increase in breast cancer risk in this population.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

[Angiosarcoma in an irradiated breast: a case description].

Post-radiotherapy cutaneous angiosarcomas have been described in different locations, including the breast. We present a case of cutaneous angiosarcoma of the breast, diagnosed 6 years after a carcinoma of the breast had been treated with radiation. The patient was a 44-year-old female with a history of ductal carcinoma (CA) of the right breast treated with tumorectomy, axillary lymphadenectomy, chemotherapy (FEC) and radiotherapy, who 6 years later presented with a violaceous, indurated plaque with a satellite nodule on the same breast. The histology of the skin biopsies showed angiomatous proliferation throughout the entire dermis, with no cellular atypia. Considering the patient's symptoms, history and the changes observed via mammography, it was decided to completely excise the lesion followed by a simple mastectomy, with the diagnosis of angiosarcoma being confirmed. The patient was later treated with paclitaxel, and the disease was apparently controlled. Despite this fact, two years and one month later, the angiosarcoma recurred on the internal area of the mastectomy scar. The patient was treated with paclitaxel, and surgical excision of the lesion area was once again performed. This complication usually appears 5-10 years after treatment with radiotherapy, so angiosarcoma should be ruled out if any angiomatous lesions later appear on skin that had been irradiated.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Genetic counseling program in familial breast cancer: analysis of its effectiveness, cost and cost-effectiveness ratio.

Women with a family history of breast cancer are at increased risk for developing this neoplasm. Starting surveillance more frequently at a younger age than the general population and the possibility of undergoing genetic testing are options for their medical management. We analyzed the benefits and costs of our clinical program in familial breast cancer (FBC) and carried out a cost-effectiveness analysis of such procedure. The benefits and costs of performing genetic counseling and a screening program in FBC based on 143 high-risk families registered in our database between June 1995 and December 2001 were analyzed. A decision tree was constructed to estimate the survival benefit and cost-effectiveness of the clinical genetic counseling program compared with the strategy of not performing any screening protocol. We estimated that the prevalence of a BRCA mutation in an unaffected relative of our high-risk cohort was 10% and that 53% of the mutations are found in the BRCA1 gene. We assigned a 58.5% lifetime risk of breast cancer for a 30-year-old mutation carrier according to the SEER data. The effectiveness of the screening was obtained from our experience and data for estimating survival were derived from other studies with longer follow-up. We used our local payment data to calculate the costs of the program. A mutation in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes was identified in 20% of the probands. Seventy primary breast cancer cases were recorded since the onset of the program. Thirty percent of the tumors were diagnosed through the screening program and 71% of them were lymph node-negative compared to 49% of the tumors diagnosed outside the program (p=0.1). The cost-effectiveness ratio of our FBC genetic counseling and screening program was 4,294 euros per life-year gained. The model was sensitive to the prevalence of mutation carriers, the lifetime risk of breast cancer and the effectiveness of the screening. In our setting and according to our model, this analysis suggests that a program of genetic testing and screening for breast cancer in a high-risk population may be cost-effective. These results need to be confirmed as more effective interventions for cancer prevention and screening are being implemented.

Aged↗
PubMed2004

Protein and glycoprotein content of lymphocystis disease virus (LCDV).

The polypeptide and glycoprotein composition of eight strains of the fish-pathogenic lymphocystis disease virus (LCDV) isolated from gilt-head seabream (Sparus aurata), blackspot seabream (Pagellus bogaraveo), and sole (Solea senegalensis) were determined. The protein electrophoretic patterns of all LCDV isolates were quite similar regardless of the host fish, showing two major proteins (79.9 and 55.6 kDa) and a variable number of minor proteins. Three groups of LCDV isolates were distinguished according to the number and molecular masses of the minor proteins. Eight glycoproteins were detected inside viral particles of LCDV 2, LCDV 3 and LCDV 5 isolates, but only seven glycoproteins were found inside viral particles of LCDV 1, LCDV 4, LCDV 6, LCDV 7, and LCDV 11 isolates and the reference virus ATCC VR 342 by using five lectins. LCDV glycoproteins were mainly composed of mannose and sialic acid. These glycoproteins could be part of an external viral envelope probably derived from the host cell membrane.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Monitoring of aromatic monosulfonic acids in coastal waters by ion-pair liquid chromatography followed by electrospray-mass spectrometric detection.

Spain is one of the European countries that still discharges untreated wastewaters and sewage sludge into the sea. Aromatic monosulfonated compounds were detected in 36 seawater samples collected bimonthly on the Catalonian coast (Spain) over a period of 18 months. These compounds are of environmental concern because of their limited biodegradability and high mobility within the aquatic system. A method based on a sequential solid-phase extraction procedure (SSPE) followed by ion-pair liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (IPC-ESI-MS) in negative ionization mode was used to monitor aromatic monosulfonated compounds in the Catalonian coastal waters. Triethylamine (TEA) and acetic acid (HOAc) were used as volatile mobile-phase additives. A comparison of two polymeric solid-phase extraction (SPE) materials for the extraction of 15 aromatic monosulfonated compounds of environmental concern was performed. The investigated adsorbents were the polystyrene-divinylbenzene materials Lichrolut EN, from Merck, and Isolute ENV+, from International Sorbent Technology (IST). The influence of the matrix on the analysis of seawater samples was also studied. Applications of the developed analytical procedure to seawater samples gave limits of detection (n = 3) ranging from 0.6 to 45 pg on column for the target analytes. Barcelona and Tarragona locations were chosen along the Catalonian coast as sampling sites because of their large sewage discharges and intensive industrial activities. Samples were acquired from submarine outfalls of two rivers, Besos and Llobregat, located in the north and south of Barcelona city, respectively. Samples from petrochemical industry submarine outfalls located near the commercial port of Tarragona were also studied. Concentrations of benzenesulfonates (BS) and naphthalenesulfonates (NS) were of the order of ng/ml. Most of the collected samples were found to contain both isomers of mononaphthalenesulfonate. The study showed that these compounds can contaminate marine coastal waters.

Benzenesulfonates↗
PubMed2001

Presence of diadenosine polyphosphates in human tears.

Diadenosine polyphosphates are naturally occurring substances that facilitate tear secretion. The occurrence of these dinucleotides in human tears has been established and quantified by an HPLC technique and phosphodiesterase treatment. The concentration of these compounds found in tears was 2.0+/-2.2 nM for diadenosine triphosphate (Ap3A), 108.0+/-18.3 nM for diadenosine tetraphosphate (Ap4A) and 37.0+/-6.2 nM for diadenosine pentaphosphate (Ap5A). When subjects were treated with topical ocular anaesthesia, the concentrations of Ap3A, Ap4A and Ap5A changed to 1.5+/-1.7 nM, 189.3+/-19.5 nM and 112.6+/-12.3 nM, respectively. Ap4A and Ap5A increased tear secretion in rabbits, the effect presenting an EC50 value of 19.0+/-1.2 ng/microl and 11.4+/-1.3 ng/microl respectively. In conclusion, diadenosine polyphosphates are released from the corneal epithelium, they stimulate tear production and therefore they may be considered as physiological modulators of tear secretion.

Animals↗