Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud

A new modulation strategy that allows operating the dual active bridge (DAB) dc-dc converter under soft switching in the whole operating range is proposed. This strategy is ruled by imposing a certain modulation index in one of the two bridges and a phase shift between the transformer primary and secondary voltages. Moreover, the proposed algorithm reduces the reactive power and thus reducing the converter conduction losses. An experimental prototype was implemented and some experimental results are presented to validate the theoretical analysis. The experimental results reveal that the overall efficiency of the DAB topology can be improved up to 20% by implementing the proposed modulation strategy instead of the conventional one.

BACKGROUND: A century after its discovery, Chagas disease still represents a major neglected tropical threat. Accurate diagnostics tools as well as surrogate markers of parasitological response to treatment are research priorities in the field. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the performance of PCR methods in detection of Trypanosoma cruzi DNA by an external quality evaluation. METHODOLOGY/FINDINGS: An international collaborative study was launched by expert PCR laboratories from 16 countries. Currently used strategies were challenged against serial dilutions of purified DNA from stocks representing T. cruzi discrete typing units (DTU) I, IV and VI (set A), human blood spiked with parasite cells (set B) and Guanidine Hidrochloride-EDTA blood samples from 32 seropositive and 10 seronegative patients from Southern Cone countries (set C). Forty eight PCR tests were reported for set A and 44 for sets B and C; 28 targeted minicircle DNA (kDNA), 13 satellite DNA (Sat-DNA) and the remainder low copy number sequences. In set A, commercial master mixes and Sat-DNA Real Time PCR showed better specificity, but kDNA-PCR was more sensitive to detect DTU I DNA. In set B, commercial DNA extraction kits presented better specificity than solvent extraction protocols. Sat-DNA PCR tests had higher specificity, with sensitivities of 0.05-0.5 parasites/mL whereas specific kDNA tests detected 5.10(-3) par/mL. Sixteen specific and coherent methods had a Good Performance in both sets A and B (10 fg/µl of DNA from all stocks, 5 par/mL spiked blood). The median values of sensitivities, specificities and accuracies obtained in testing the Set C samples with the 16 tests determined to be good performing by analyzing Sets A and B samples varied considerably. Out of them, four methods depicted the best performing parameters in all three sets of samples, detecting at least 10 fg/µl for each DNA stock, 0.5 par/mL and a sensitivity between 83.3-94.4%, specificity of 85-95%, accuracy of 86.8-89.5% and kappa index of 0.7-0.8 compared to consensus PCR reports of the 16 good performing tests and 63-69%, 100%, 71.4-76.2% and 0.4-0.5, respectively compared to serodiagnosis. Method LbD2 used solvent extraction followed by Sybr-Green based Real time PCR targeted to Sat-DNA; method LbD3 used solvent DNA extraction followed by conventional PCR targeted to Sat-DNA. The third method (LbF1) used glass fiber column based DNA extraction followed by TaqMan Real Time PCR targeted to Sat-DNA (cruzi 1/cruzi 2 and cruzi 3 TaqMan probe) and the fourth method (LbQ) used solvent DNA extraction followed by conventional hot-start PCR targeted to kDNA (primer pairs 121/122). These four methods were further evaluated at the coordinating laboratory in a subset of human blood samples, confirming the performance obtained by the participating laboratories. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: This study represents a first crucial step towards international validation of PCR procedures for detection of T. cruzi in human blood samples.

Introduction: An epidemic of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) begun in December 2019 in China, causing primary concern. Among raised questions, clinical, laboratory, and imaging features have been partially characterized in some observational studies. No systematic reviews have been published on this matter. Methods: We performed a systematic review of the literature with meta-analysis, using three databases to assess clinical, laboratory, imaging features, and outcomes of confirmed cases of COVID-19. All the observational studies, and also case reports, were included. The case reports were analyzed separately. We performed a random-effects model meta-analysis to calculate the pooled prevalence and 95%CI. Measures of heterogeneity, including Cochran’s Q statistic, the I2 index, and the τ2 test, were estimated and reported.Results: 660 articles were retrieved. After screening by abstract and title, 27 articles were selected for full-text assessment. Of them, 19 were finally included for qualitative and quantitative analyses. Additionally, 39 case report articles were included and analyzed separately. For >656 patients, fever (88.7%, 95%CI 84.5-92.9%), cough (57.6%, 40.8-74.4%) and dyspnea (45.6%, 10.9-80.4%) were the most prevalent clinical manifestations. Among the patients, 20.3% (95%CI 10.0-30.6%) required ICU, with 32.8% presenting ARDS (95%CI 13.7-51.8), 6.2% (95%CI 3.1-9.3) with shock and 13.9% (95%CI 6.2-21.5%) with a fatal outcome.Discussion: COVID-19 is a new clinical infectious disease, causing considerable compromise, especially in patients with comorbidities, requiring ICU in at least a fifth of them and sometimes with fatal outcomes. Additional research is needed to elucidate factors that may mediate the pathogenesis of the severe and fatal associated disease.

To study the protective effects of maternal thyroxine (T4) and 3,5,3'-triiodothyronine (T3) in congenital hypothyroidism, we gave pregnant rats methimazole (MMI), an antithyroid drug that crosses the placenta, and infused them with three different doses of T4 or T3. The concentrations of both T4 and T3 were determined in maternal and fetal plasma and tissues (obtained near term) by specific RIAs. Several thyroid hormone-dependent biological end-points were also measured. MMI treatment resulted in marked fetal T4 and T3 deficiency. Infusion of T4 into the mothers increased both these pools in a dose-dependent fashion. There was a preferential increase of T3 in the fetal brain. Thus, with a T4 dose maintaining maternal euthyroidism, fetal brain T3 reached normal values, although fetal plasma T4 was 40% of normal and plasma TSH was high. The infusion of T3 pool into the mothers increased the total fetal extrathyroidal T3 pool in a dose-dependent fashion. The fetal T4 pools were not increased, however, and this deprived the fetal brain (and possibly the pituitary) of local generation of T3 from T4. As a consequence, fetal brain T3 deficiency was not mitigated even when dams were infused with a toxic dose of T3. The results show that (a) there is a preferential protection of the brain of the hypothyroid fetus from T3 deficiency; (b) maternal T4, but not T3, plays a crucial role in this protection, and (c) any condition which lowers maternal T4 (including treatment with T3) is potentially harmful for the brain of a hypothyroid fetus. Recent confirmation of transplacental passage of T4 in women at term suggests that present results are relevant for human fetuses with impairment of thyroid function. Finding signs of hypothyroidism at birth does not necessarily mean that the brain was unprotected in utero, provided maternal T4 is normal. It is crucial to realize that maintainance of maternal "euthyroidism" is not sufficient, as despite hypothyroxinemia, the mothers may be clinically euthyroid if their T3 levels are normal.

Assembly of synapses requires proper coordination between pre- and postsynaptic elements. Identification of cellular and molecular events in synapse formation and maintenance is a key step to understand human perception, learning, memory, and cognition. A key role for astrocytes in synapse formation and function has been proposed. Here, we show that transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) signaling is a novel synaptogenic pathway for cortical neurons induced by murine and human astrocytes. By combining gain and loss of function approaches, we show that TGF-β1 induces the formation of functional synapses in mice. Further, TGF-β1-induced synaptogenesis involves neuronal activity and secretion of the co-agonist of the NMDA receptor, D-serine. Manipulation of D-serine signaling, by either genetic or pharmacological inhibition, prevented the TGF-β1 synaptogenic effect. Our data show a novel molecular mechanism that might impact synaptic function and emphasize the evolutionary aspect of the synaptogenic property of astrocytes, thus shedding light on new potential therapeutic targets for synaptic deficit diseases.

Since 1995 when the first case of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) was reported in Patagonia, there have been more than 400 cases of HPS reported in five countries in South America. The first case of HPS was associated with Andes (AND) virus. In this study, we report on the genetic diversity, geographical distribution, and serological features of hantavirus infection in six countries in South America based on 87 HPS cases from Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay. An early immunoglobulin M (IgM), IgA, and IgG humoral response was observed in almost all HPS cases. The IgM response appears to peak 1 or 2 days after the onset of symptoms. Peak IgG antibody titers occur mostly after the first week. Low IgG titers or the absence of IgG was associated with higher mortality rates. The IgA response peaks around day 15 and then rapidly decreases. The results of phylogenetic analysis based on partial M-fragment G1- and G2-encoding sequences showed that HPS cases from the five countries were infected with viruses related to AND or Laguna Negra (LN) virus. Within AND virus-infected persons, at least five major genetic lineages were found; one lineage was detected in Uruguayan and Argentinean cases from both sides of the Rio de la Plata river. Two Paraguayan patients were infected with a virus different from LN virus. According to the results of phylogenetic analyses, this virus probably belongs to a distinct lineage related more closely to the AND virus than to the LN virus, suggesting that there is probably an Oligoryzomys-borne viral variant circulating in Paraguay. These studies may contribute to a better understanding of hantavirus human infection in South America.

Deciphering the contribution of genetic instability in somatic cells is critical to our understanding of many human disorders. Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is one such disorder that is caused by the expansion of a CTG repeat that shows extremely high levels of somatic instability. This somatic instability has compromised attempts to measure intergenerational repeat dynamics and infer genotype-phenotype relationships. Using single-molecule PCR, we have characterized more than 17 000 de novo somatic mutations from a large cohort of DM1 patients. These data reveal that the estimated progenitor allele length is the major modifier of age of onset. We find no evidence for a threshold above which repeat length does not contribute toward age at onset, suggesting pathogenesis is not constrained to a simple molecular switch such as nuclear retention of the DMPK transcript or haploinsufficiency for DMPK and/or SIX5. Importantly, we also show that age at onset is further modified by the level of somatic instability; patients in whom the repeat expands more rapidly, develop the symptoms earlier. These data establish a primary role for somatic instability in DM1 severity, further highlighting it as a therapeutic target. In addition, we show that the level of instability is highly heritable, implying a role for individual-specific trans-acting genetic modifiers. Identifying these trans-acting genetic modifiers will facilitate the formulation of novel therapies that curtail the accumulation of somatic expansions and may provide clues to the role these factors play in the development of cancer, aging and inherited disease in the general population.

Congenital hypothyroidism strongly affects myelination. To assess the role of thyroid hormone on myelin gene expression, we have studied the effect of hypothyroidism on the steady state levels of myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG) and its mRNA in rat brain during the first postnatal month. As studied by immunoblot analysis of several brain regions, MAG increased from days 10-15 onwards, reaching constant levels by days 20-25. Hypothyroid samples showed a delay in the accumulation of MAG that was more severe in rostral regions, such as cortex and hippocampus. The effect of hypothyroidism on the accumulation of the protein correlated with mRNA levels. MAG mRNA started to accumulate in the cerebrum of normal animals by postnatal day 7, reaching maximal levels by day 20. Hypothyroid rats showed a delay of several days in the onset of mRNA expression, increasing thereafter at the same rate as in normal animals, and eventually reaching similar values. When individual brain regions were analyzed, we found strong regional differences in the effect of hypothyroidism. The cerebral cortex was most affected, with messenger levels lower than in normal animals at all ages. In more caudal regions differences between control and hypothyroid rats were evident only at the earlier stages of myelination, with spontaneous recovery at later ages. By run on analysis, we found no differences in transcriptional activities of the MAG gene in normal, hypothyroid, or T4-treated rats. Therefore, the effects of hypothyroidism on MAG mRNA and protein levels were most likely caused by decreased mRNA stability. We propose that thyroid hormone contributes to enhanced myelin gene expression by affecting the stability of newly transcribed mRNA in the early phases of myelination.

In 1991 and 1992, a prenatal screening of Trypanosoma cruzi infection was carried out using ELISA and indirect immunofluorescence techniques. A total of 840 blood samples from pregnant women, obtained at the Maternity Ward of the Hospital de Clínicas, National University of Asunción (Asunción, Paraguay), and 1,022 samples from the Regional Hospital of the San Pedro Department of Paraguay were examined. It was observed that 7.7% and 10.5%, respectively, of the pregnant women were serologically positive for infection with T. cruzi. When blood samples obtained from newborns on the day of birth or, at the most, on the first few days afterwards were examined by direct microscopic observation, an incidence of congenital transmission of 3% was found. These results are consistent with those of neighboring countries. When a serologic follow-up was conducted on the newborns until six months of age, the incidence of congenital transmission reached 10%. The same incidence rate was obtained when the samples collected during the first days after birth were examined by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Fifty-eight infants born to seropositive mothers were followed-up, two of which were positive by direct microscopic observation at birth, and four who were PCR-positive, but microscopy-negative at birth. None of the infants were positive for IgM at birth. The infected babies were treated with benznidazole and were followed-up by serology and PCR for four years. We conclude that the PCR has a clear advantage over conventional techniques for the early detection of congenital transmission of T. cruzi infection, and for monitoring infants undergoing chemotherapy.

Objectives: The personal impact of COVID-19 on mental health care workers (MHWs) has received scarce attention despite their work addressing the emotional wellbeing of those affected by the pandemic. This study aims to analyze Latin American and Caribbean’s MHWs’ subjective impact in connection to working during the initial times of the pandemic. Methods: One hundred and fifty-five persons ( n = 155) from seventeen countries were contacted in May–June 2020 through a snowball approach. Complementary methodological strategies of analysis used for data triangulation included content analysis, thematic analysis, and interpretative phenomenological analysis. Results: Participants reported feelings of fear, anxiety, anguish, and fatigue. Milder negative impacts (e.g., uncertainty, concern), and complex feelings (e.g., ambivalence) were also frequent. One third of participants acknowledged their capacity to learn from this situation and/or experience satisfaction. Conclusion: Mental health of MHWs in Latin America and the Caribbean were under severe strain and the ongoing mental health reforms at risk during the pandemic’s beginning. More research and additional care may be needed to offer support to those involved in caring for the wellbeing of others.

The disequilibrium between the production of reactive oxygen (ROS) and nitrogen (RNS) species and their elimination by protective mechanisms leads to oxidative stress. Mitochondria are the main source of ROS as by-products of electron transport chain. Most of the time the intestine responds adequately against the oxidative stress, but with aging or under conditions that exacerbate the ROS and/or RNS production, the defenses are not enough and contribute to developing intestinal pathologies. The endogenous antioxidant defense system in gut includes glutathione (GSH) and GSH-dependent enzymes as major components. When the ROS and/or RNS production is exacerbated, oxidative stress occurs and the intestinal Ca 2+ absorption is inhibited. GSH depleting drugs such as DLbuthionine-S,R-sulfoximine, menadione and sodium deoxycholate inhibit the Ca 2+ transport from lumen to blood by alteration in the protein expression and/or activity of molecules involved in the Ca 2+ transcellular and paracellular pathways through mechanisms of oxidative stress, apoptosis and/or autophagy. Quercetin, melatonin, lithocholic and ursodeoxycholic acids block the effect of those drugs in experimental animals by their antioxidant, anti-apoptotic and/or anti-autophagic properties. Therefore, they may become drugs of choice for treatment of deteriorated intestinal Ca 2+ absorption under oxidant conditions such as aging, diabetes, gut inflammation and other intestinal disorders.

Among bacterial protein toxins, the cytolethal distending toxins (CDTs) are unique in their ability to activate the DNA damage checkpoint responses, causing cell cycle arrest or apoptosis in intoxicated cells. We provide direct evidence that natural intoxication of cells with the Haemophilus ducreyi CDT (HdCDT) holotoxin induces DNA double-strand breaks similarly to ionizing radiation. Upon DNA damage, epithelial cells and fibroblasts promote the formation of actin stress fibres via activation of the small GTPase RhoA. This phenomenon is not toxin specific, but is part of the ATM-induced cellular responses to genotoxic stresses, including ionizing radiation. Activation of RhoA is associated with prolonged cell survival, as HdCDT-treated epithelial cells expressing a dominant-negative form of RhoA detach and consequently die faster than cells expressing a functional RhoA. Our data highlight several novel aspects of CDT biology: (i) we show that a member of the CDT family causes DNA double-strand breaks in naturally intoxicated cells, acting as a true genotoxic agent; and (ii) we disclose the existence of a novel signalling pathway for intracellularly triggered activation of the RhoA GTPase via the ATM kinase in response to DNA damage, possibly required to prolong cell survival.

Introduction: Biological drugs are therapies designed to target a specific molecule of the immune system that have been linked with the development of autoimmune diseases.Areas covered: The BIOGEAS Registry currently collects information about nearly 13,000 reported cases of autoimmune diseases developed in patients exposed to biologics, including more than 50 different systemic and organ-specific autoimmune disorders, of which psoriasis (n=6375), inflammatory bowel disease (n=845), demyelinating CNS disease (n=803), interstitial lung disease (n=519) and lupus (n=369) were the most frequently reported. The main biologics involved were anti-TNF agents in 9133 cases (adalimumab in 4154, infliximab in 3078 and etanercept in 1681), immune checkpoint inhibitors in 913 (ipilimumab in 524 and nivolumab in 225), B-cell targeted therapies in 741 (rituximab in 678), and growth factor inhibitors in 549 cases (bevacizumab in 544). Even though targeting a particular immune molecule may be associated with an excellent clinical response in most patients, an unexpected autoimmune disease may arise in around 8 out of 10,000 exposed patients.Expert opinion: Following the increased use of biologics, the number and diversity of induced autoimmune diseases is increasing exponentially. Management of these disorders will be an increasing clinical challenge in the daily practice in the next years.

The present updated systematic review and meta-analysis aims to summarize the evidence from published studies with low risk for any important bias (based on methodological quality assessment) investigating the potential associations of adiposity with sperm quality and reproductive hormones. We conducted a systematic search of the literature published in MEDLINE-PubMed and EMBASE through June 2019. Based on the criteria in our review, 169 eligible publications were used for data abstraction. Finally, 60 articles were included in the qualitative analysis and 28 in the quantitative analysis. Our systematic review results indicated that overweight and/or obesity were associated with low semen quality parameters (i.e., semen volume, sperm count and concentration, sperm vitality and normal morphology) and some specific reproductive hormones (e.g., inhibin B, total testosterone and sex hormone-binding globulin). Overweight and/or obesity were also positively associated with high estradiol concentrations. Meta-analysis indicated that overweight and/or obesity categories were associated with lower sperm quality (i.e., semen volume, sperm count and concentration, sperm vitality, total motility and normal morphology), and underweight category was likewise associated with low sperm normal morphology. In conclusion, our results suggest that maintaining a healthy body weight is important for increasing sperm quality parameters and potentially male fertility.

Methodologies Used in the Extrapolation of Wind Speed Data at Different Heights and Its Impact in the Wind Energy Resource Assessment in a Region

There is evidence that Amerindians have continuously occupied the lower Central American Isthmus for as long as 10,000 years. There remains some doubt about the relationships of these original colonizers to the resident peoples of this zone at the time of European contact (approximately A.D. 1500). We present new genetic data for up to 48 genetic loci for 570 members of six Chibcha-speaking tribes of lower Central America--the Boruca, Bribri, Cabecar, and Guatuso of Costa Rica and the Kuna and Teribe of Panama--and delineate the genetic affinities among the various groups (these six tribes and the Guaymi and Bokota) of lower Central America. We convert standard genetic distance metrics into a form that is linear with the effective time since divergence, and we compare the genetic distances with linguistic distances for the same groups (r = .74, P less than .001). Geographic affinity accounts for some of the genetic divergence among groups (r = .49, P less than .084) and for some of the linguistic divergence (r = .53, P less than .037), but the correspondence between geographic position and taxonomic affinity is not high. We combine all of the genetic and linguistic data to construct a synthetic overview taxonomy of the lower Central American Chibcha. Both the genetic and linguistic data exhibit hierarchical organization of tribal groups, showing a general east-to-west pattern of grouping, with greater affinities between close neighbors. The presence of private genetic variants of some antiquity within the region and their absence outside the zone, coupled with the essential absence of the DI*A polymorphism of mongoloid origin that is widespread outside the zone, argue for a relatively isolated development of the Central American Chibcha. Our results do not support the old view of lower Central America as a frontier between more advanced cultures to the north and south. Any such explanation would require recent waves of migration from outside the region, migration that is not compatible with either the genetic or linguistic data or with the archaeological history of the region.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the influence of the main immunological markers on the disease phenotype at diagnosis in a large international cohort of patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (SjS). METHODS: The Big Data Sjögren Project Consortium is an international, multicentre registry created in 2014. As a first step, baseline clinical information from leading centres on clinical research in SjS of the 5 continents was collected. The centres shared a harmonised data architecture and conducted cooperative online efforts in order to refine collected data under the coordination of a big data statistical team. Inclusion criteria were the fulfillment of the 2002 classification criteria. Immunological tests were carried out using standard commercial assays. RESULTS: By January 2018, the participant centres had included 10,500 valid patients from 22 countries. The cohort included 9,806 (93%) women and 694 (7%) men, with a mean age at diagnosis of primary SjS of 53 years, mainly White (78%) and included from European countries (71%). The frequency of positive immunological markers at diagnosis was 79.3% for ANA, 73.2% for anti-Ro, 48.6% for RF, 45.1% for anti- La, 13.4% for low C3 levels, 14.5% for low C4 levels and 7.3% for cryoglobulins. Positive autoantibodies (ANA, Ro, La) correlated with a positive result in salivary gland biopsy, while hypocomplementaemia and especially cryoglo-bulinaemia correlated with systemic activity (mean ESSDAI score of 17.7 for cryoglobulins, 11.3 for low C3 and 9.2 for low C4, in comparison with 3.8 for negative markers). The immunological markers with a great number of statistically-significant associations (p<0.001) in the organ-by-organ ESS- DAI evaluation were cryoglobulins (9 domains), low C3 (8 domains), anti-La (7 domains) and low C4 (6 domains). CONCLUSIONS: We confirm the strong influence of immunological markers on the phenotype of primary SjS at diagnosis in the largest multi-ethnic international cohort ever analysed, with a greater influence for cryoglobulinaemic-related markers in comparison with Ro/La autoantibodies and ANA. Immunological patterns play a central role in the phenotypic expression of the disease already at the time of diagnosis, and may guide physicians to design a specific personalised management during the follow-up of patients with primary SjS.

INTRODUCTION: Sarcoidosis is a complex systemic disease with a silent, long-term evolution, and a heterogeneous clinical presentation. The diagnostic approach is complex with no single diagnostic test that may confirm the disease. Areas covered: A large list of serum biomarkers has been tested during the last 40 years. In this review, we analyse the potential usefulness in the diagnosis and prognosis of sarcoidosis of serum biomarkers classified according to their corresponding cellular source. Expert commentary: Diagnosis of sarcoidosis must always be approached as a multistep process based on a case-by-case integration of clinical, radiological, histological and serological data, none of which being pathognomonic. We found sIL-2R, CRP, SAA and chitotriosidase to be the best markers to confirm sarcoidosis (highest sensitivity), while ACE, gammaglobulins and lysozyme may be more useful for discarding sarcoidosis (highest specificity), taking into account that with the use of a higher cut-off we can increase specificity and with a lower cut-off we can increase sensitivity. Other biomarkers (TNF-a and CCL18) could help to identify patients with an enhanced risk of developing pulmonary fibrosis or progressive disease. The future scenario of the serological diagnostic approach of sarcoidosis will be the use of multi-assays including biomarkers from different cellular sources.

Intestinal and free-living protozoa, such as Giardia lamblia, express a dense coat of variant-specific surface proteins (VSPs) on trophozoites that protects the parasite inside the host's intestine. Here we show that VSPs not only are resistant to proteolytic digestion and extreme pH and temperatures but also stimulate host innate immune responses in a TLR-4 dependent manner. We show that these properties can be exploited to both protect and adjuvant vaccine antigens for oral administration. Chimeric Virus-like Particles (VLPs) decorated with VSPs and expressing model surface antigens, such as influenza virus hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA), are protected from degradation and activate antigen presenting cells in vitro. Orally administered VSP-pseudotyped VLPs, but not plain VLPs, generate robust immune responses that protect mice from influenza infection and HA-expressing tumors. This versatile vaccine platform has the attributes to meet the ultimate challenge of generating safe, stable and efficient oral vaccines.

BACKGROUND: Despite the accumulated evidence on the efficacy of brief interventions in hazardous drinkers some ambiguity remains regarding their differential effectiveness by gender. METHODS: Meta-analysis of independent studies conducted in primary health care settings with a follow-up of 6-12 months which report results separately by gender. Two outcome measures were selected: the quantity of typical weekly alcohol consumption and the frequency of drinkers who reported consumption below hazardous levels after the intervention. RESULTS: Seven studies were included in the meta-analysis. The standardized effect sizes for the reduction of alcohol consumption were similar in men (d=- 0.25; 95% CI=- 0.34 to -0.17) and women (d=- 0.26; 95% CI=- 0.38 to - 0.13). The odds ratios (OR) for the frequency of individuals who drank below harmful levels were also similar (four studies; OR for men=2.32; 95% CI=1.78-2.93; OR for women=2.31; 95% CI=1.60-3.17). The difference between genders was negligible. CONCLUSION: Our results support the equality of outcomes among men and women achieved by brief interventions for hazardous alcohol consumption in primary care settings.