Sexual behaviors in male sex workers in Spain: modulating factors.

This study analyzed how the culture of origin, educational level, sexual orientation, and experience of male sex workers may mediate their commercial sexual behaviors. A total of 100 Spanish agency male sex workers were interviewed. Most of them were young men, Latin American, homosexual, and had middle-level education. Our results showed that cultural differences and sexual orientation could influence male sex workers when engaging in sexual behaviors with their clients. Social and health projects with male sex workers may have to take into account sexual myths and taboos related to sexual orientation and cultural differences.

Clinical, biological, and molecular characteristics of clonal mast cell disorders presenting with systemic mast cell activation symptoms.

BACKGROUND: Systemic mast cell activation disorders (MCADs) are characterized by severe and systemic mast cell (MC) mediators-related symptoms frequently associated with increased serum baseline tryptase (sBt). OBJECTIVE: To analyze the clinical, biological, and molecular characteristics of adult patients presenting with systemic MC activation symptoms/anaphylaxis in the absence of skin mastocytosis who showed clonal (c) versus nonclonal (nc) MCs and to provide indication criteria for bone marrow (BM) studies. METHODS: Eighty-three patients were studied. Patients showing clonal BM MCs were grouped into indolent systemic mastocytosis without skin lesions (ISMs(-); n = 48) and other c-MCADs (n = 3)-both with CD25(++) BM MCs and either positive mast/stem cell growth factor receptor gene (KIT) mutation or clonal human androgen receptor assay (HUMARA) tests-and nc-MCAD (CD25-negative BM MCs in the absence of KIT mutation; n = 32) and compared for their clinical, biological, and molecular characteristics. RESULTS: Most clonal patients (48/51; 94%) met the World Health Organization criteria for systemic mastocytosis and were classified as ISMs(-), whereas the other 3 c-MCAD and all nc-MCAD patients did not. In addition, although both patients with ISMs(-) and patients with nc-MCAD presented with idiopathic and allergen-induced anaphylaxis, the former showed a higher frequency of men, cardiovascular symptoms, and insect bite as a trigger, together with greater sBt. Based on a multivariate analysis, a highly efficient model to predict clonality before BM sampling was built that includes male sex (P = .01), presyncopal and/or syncopal episodes (P = .009) in the absence of urticaria and angioedema (P = .003), and sBt >25 microg/L (P = .006) as independent predictive factors. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with c-MCAD and ISMs(-) display unique clinical and laboratory features different from nc-MCAD patients. A significant percentage of c-MCAD patients can be considered as true ISMs(-) diagnosed at early phases of the disease.

Safety and effectiveness of immunotherapy in patients with indolent systemic mastocytosis presenting with Hymenoptera venom anaphylaxis.

BACKGROUND: Anaphylaxis after Hymenoptera sting has been described in patients with mastocytosis. Venom immunotherapy (VIT) is a safe and effective way to treat patients with Hymenoptera anaphylaxis, but few studies have addressed its usefulness in patients with systemic mastocytosis. OBJECTIVE: To study the effectiveness and safety of VIT in patients with systemic mastocytosis having anaphylaxis after Hymenoptera sting. METHODS: A total of 21 mastocytosis patients-4 women (19%) and 17 men (81%) with a median age of 50 years (range, 29-74 years)-with Hymenoptera sting anaphylaxis who were treated with VIT and followed for a median of 52 months (range, 2-250 months) were studied. RESULTS: In 18 of 21 patients-16 of them lacking skin involvement-anaphylaxis was the presenting symptom. Six patients (29%) experienced adverse reactions during VIT, 3 during initiation and 3 during maintenance. Twelve patients (57%) were resting while undergoing VIT; 9 (75%) presented local reactions and 3 (25%) systemic reactions, 1 of which required intubation. The Hymenoptera specific IgE decreased from 4.15 kU/L (range, 0.44-100 kU/L) before immunotherapy to 1.2 kU/L (range, 0.34-69.4 kU/L) after 4 years (P < .003). CONCLUSION: Venom immunotherapy is effective to treat IgE-mediated Hymenoptera anaphylaxis in patients with mastocytosis. Its use is recommended despite a relatively high risk of adverse reactions during the build-up phase because it provides protection from anaphylaxis in around 3/4 of the patients.