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Aurora magazine

The blog about the prenatal genetic of latest generation

Gulf War Syndrome: it is the mitochondrial fault

Gulf War syndrome is defined as a set of pathologies affecting veterans of the same conflict. These are diseases that mainly affect the muscular and nervous system, whose cause was still indefinite. A team of American researchers found that the cause lies in some mitochondrial dysfunctions.

Scientists have analyzed the DNA of 28 veterans who took part in the conflict. In particular, they investigated the degree of injury and the number of copies of mitochondrial DNA. This way they measured the degree of mitochondrial damage. They then compared the results with those obtained from a control group.

The mitochondrial genetic material of veterans was 20% more damaged than that of the control group. According to the researchers, this may be the cause of many diseases that have affected these men. Mitochondria are in fact the organelles that produce ATP, a key molecule in energy management within cells.

During the Gulf War, soldiers have been exposed to many toxic substances such as carbamates and organophosphates. Both substances interact with mitochondria, hindering the transfer of electrons along the ATP synthesis chain. This results in increased free radicals, resulting in oxidative stress and damage to tissues and mitochondria.

Source: corriere.it

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Gulf War Syndrome: causes and symptoms

Gulf War Syndrome is a set of serious illnesses that afflict those who fought during the Gulf War. It includes a wide range of pathologies, with very different symptoms. These include tiredness, headache, joint pain, difficulty digesting, insomnia, memory problems. It is estimated that almost 1 veteran out of 4 suffers.

The diagnosis of Gulf War syndrome occurs when the symptoms occur for 6 months or more. You also need to have a 10% or greater disability. Smoky criteria due to the poor knowledge of this set of disorders.

It is thought that the syndrome is caused by exposure to toxic chemicals. The theory is supported by a series of clinical trials. In one of these, doctors administered high doses of Coenzyme Q. Nearly 80% of subjects showed a marked improvement in most of the symptoms. Improvement was accompanied by an increase in mitochondrial activity.

Gulf War syndrome is likely to be linked to mitochondrial malfunction. Some hypothesize that there may also be genetic predisposition. According to these doctors, in some subjects the cellular detoxification process would be slower. This would facilitate the accumulation of toxic substances over time.

The treatment of Gulf War syndrome is largely symptomatic, although some studies aim to strike the deep causes. Cognitive-behavioral therapy has also proven to be helpful, to help soldiers recover part of their psychological equilibrium. However, some researchers have focused on intranasal insulin to reduce neural inflammation. This type of inflammation is in fact related to exposure to chemicals.

Source: news-medical.ne

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Are biological therapies dangerous in pregnancy?

Using biological therapies during pregnancy is dangerous for the baby? According to a study at the University of California in San Diego, the answer is no. Treatments for rheumatoid arthritis and other diseases do not increase the risk that the child develops opportunistic infections.

Pneumonia, meningitis and tuberculosis are some of the best-known opportunistic infections. The researchers wanted to make sure that biological therapies did not make it easier for them to appear. The biological drugs, in fact, keep the immune system in check so as not to attack the organism itself. The fear was that the process exposed the fetus to more infections.

The study analyzes data collected from 2004 and 2016, covering more than 1,000 pregnancies. Scientists have analyzed data from pregnant women with autoimmune diseases treated with biological therapies. For each patient, they marked the drug intake dates, taking notice of any interruptions in pregnancy therapy.

The data included 502 pregnancies of women with rheumatoid arthritis subjected to biological therapies. Of the pregnancies analyzed, furthermore, 231 were women affected by the disease who had stopped the therapies. The control group, on the other hand, focused on 423 pregnancies.

After delivery, the researchers collected data on the rate of infant infections. They have focused on serious infections such as sepsis, pneumonia, meningitis, and others. There is thus a slight difference between the different groups. The infections affected: 4% of the children of those who did not stop the therapies; 2.6% of the children of women who had stopped the therapies; 2.1% of control group children.

The study shows that therapies do not significantly increase the risk of serious infections. True, however, there are still no studies on medium-sized infections.

Source: rheumatology.org

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An article explains how non-invasive prenatal screening works

The use of non-invasive prenatal screening tests is increasing year by year. So there are also concerns about the lack of understanding of these techniques, both by doctors and patients. For this reason, The Journal of Applied Laboratory Medicine has published an explanatory article on it. The goal is to provide doctors who follow the magazine all the information needed to reassure even the most anxious patients.

Thanks to a drop of maternal blood, a non-invasive prenatal screening test allows you to identify common genetic abnormalities. Down's syndrome and others are diagnostically diagnosed in the uterus without risk for either the mother or the baby. At first the test was recommended especially for high-risk pregnancies. More and more studies, however, show its utility in low-risk pregnancies.

In 2016, the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists renewed their guidelines. She now recommends that fetal DNA tests be tested on all women who are on hold, regardless of age. Despite its success, however, this technology is still not very well understood.

In the article, a team of experts from the University of Washington in Seattle explains how doctors should face the tests. Still too few people understand that non-invasive prenatal screening is just one element of diagnosis. If a negative result gives assurance that the fetus is healthy, it is not mathematical the opposite. If the test is successful, it is best to proceed with further analysis that confirms or deny the first result.

The authors also warn of the use of rare genetic testing. In these cases, it is best to proceed with caution. There are indeed many less studies on the effectiveness of these tests, rather than those applied to Down or Evans syndrome.

Source: aacc.org

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