SOCEMCH

SOCEMCH

Bienvenidos

Bienvenidos los nuevos miembros del blog Lucio Dávalos, Claudia Zevallos y Fiorella Barbagelatta y en especial a Claudia Matos futura residente de Genética Clínica que nos acompaña desde EEUU.

Muchas gracias por su interés, entusiasmo y futuros aportes!

Javier

Atopia y Evolución

Este artículo propone que el ambiente ha seleccionado a lo individuos atópicos por una supuesta ventaja en la respuesta a algunas infecciones. Interesante hipótesis, muy debatible.

Aquí va la referencia:

Varner AE, The increase in allergic respiratory diseases: survival of the fittest?,CHEST 2002; 121:1308 –1316, disponible en línea: http://www.chestjournal.org/cgi/content/full/121/4/1308

Resumen:

The prevalence of allergic respiratory diseases, asthma and allergic rhinoconjunctivitis, has increased since the advent of industrialization. The inverse relationship between the number of infections early in life and atopy has been interpreted as the "hygiene hypothesis." That is, many infections early in life promote the development of T helper type 1 cytokines, while fewer infections early in life favor the development of T helper type 2 (Th2) cytokines and atopy. An alternate interpretation of the same data, that atopy is protective against infections early in life, is rarely considered. With epidemiologic, historical, and immunologic data, I suggest that human evolution has favored individuals with an atopic predisposition. Th2 immune responses promote parity, and ensure successful pregnancy and term birth; provide the infant protection against infections and the inflammation induced by common pathogens in the first years of life until the immune system matures; and protect young adults exposed to viral respiratory pathogens. These traits are of particular value with the advent of industrialization, especially so in the era prior to the development of antibiotics. This theory contradicts the assumption that there is no biological or evolutionary advantage for allergic disease to exist in humans and has significant implications for our current and future treatments of allergic diseases.

Key Words: allergic rhinoconjunctivitis • asthma • atopy • eosinophils • evolution • IgE • influenza • nitric oxide • T helper type 1/T helper type 2 • viral infection

Un saludo,

Javier

indexación blogsperu

Medicina Evolucionaria

Hola a Todos,

Aquí va otro link a un artículo muy interesante hecho en nuestro propio continente. Da una revisión general al tema. Ojo: este está en español.

Cita: Spotorno AE, Medicina evolucionaria: una ciencia básica emergente , Rev Méd Chile 2005; 133: 231-240 [ http://scielo-test.conicyt.cl/pdf/rmc/v133n2/art13.pdf ]Accedido 25/09/2006 1h40am

Resumen:

Evolutionary Medicine is an emergent basic science that offers new and varied perspectives to the comprehension of human health. The application of classic evolutionary theories (descent with modification, and natural selection) to the human organism, to its pathogens, and their mutual co-evolution, provides new explanations about why we get sick, how we can prevent this, and how we can heal. Medicine has focused mainly on the proximate or immediate causes of diseases and the treatment of symptoms, and very little on its evolutionary or mediate causes. For instance, the present human genome and phenotypes are essentially paleolithic ones: they are not adapted to modern life style, thus favoring the socalled diseases of civilization (ie: ateroesclerosis, senescence, myopia, phobias, panic attacks, stress, reproductive cancers). With the evolutionary approach, post-modern medicine is detecting better the vulnerabilities, restrictions, biases, adaptations and maladaptations of human body, its actual diseases, and its preventions (Rev Méd Chile 2005; 133: 231-40).

Saludos, Javier

Perspectiva Evolutiva en Ciencias de la Salud

Hola a todos,

La primera vez que oí de medicina darwiniana fue durante el curso de biología I en la UPCH. Desde ese momento he tenido fuerte interés en este tema, sin embargo, no he leído sobre este en la medida que quisiera. El fin de este blog es reunir a gente interesada en el tema, estudiantes, profesores, o cualquiera, para poder intercambiar recursos (artículos, libros, webs), opiniones personales o institucionales. Algo así como un simposio virtual.

Empiezo por mandar este link:

Harris et al, Evolutionary explanations in medical and health profession courses: are you answering your students' "why" questions?, BMC Medical Education 2005, 5:16 doi:10.1186/1472-6920-5-16
http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6920/5/16

Un saludo,

Javier