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Bacterial endospores, or simply spores, are formed by a diverse group of members within the phylum Bacillota and include notable genera such as Bacillus, Paenibacillus, and Clostridium. Spores are distributed ubiquitously in natural environments, with soil being an important primary reservoir for these microbes. As such, spores are present throughout the dairy farm environment, and transmission into raw milk occurs through several pathways that coalesce at the point of milk harvest. Despite the very low spore concentrations typically found in bulk tank raw milk, the impact of spores on dairy product quality, safety, and product conformance is widely documented. Processed dairy products affected by the presence of sporeforming bacteria include milk, cheese, dairy powders, ice cream mix, and more. Although raw milk is a major source of spores leading to quality, safety, and conformance issues in dairy products, the impact of other sources should not be discounted and may include ingredients (e.g., cocoa powder), contamination originating from biofilms in processing equipment, and even cross-contamination from the processing environment itself. Addressing spore contamination in the dairy system is complicated by this widespread distribution and by the diversity of these organisms, and successful source tracking often requires discriminatory molecular subtyping tools. Here, we review the key sources of sporeforming bacteria in the dairy system, the factors leading to the transmission of this diverse group of microbes into processed dairy products, and methods employed to enumerate and track spore contaminants.
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Background: Integration of transcriptomic testing into EUS-FNA samples is a growing need for precision oncology in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). The NanoString platform is suitable for transcriptome profiling in low yield RNA samples. Methods: Inclusion of patients that underwent EUS-FNA cytological diagnosis of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma using 19G and/or 22G needles and subsequent surgical resection. Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) cytological and surgical samples underwent RNA extraction and transcriptomic analysis using a custom 52-gene NanoString panel of stromal PDAC features. Cell type abundance was quantified in FFPE specimens and correlated. Results: 18 PDAC patients were included. Mean EUS-FNA passes was 2 + 0.7. All FFPE passed the RNA quality control for genomic analysis. Hierarchical clustering on the global gene expression data showed that genes were differentially expressed between EUS and surgical samples. A more enriched cancer-associated fibroblasts and epithelial-mesenchymal transition transcriptomic profile was observed across surgical specimens whereas immunological biomarkers were more represented in EUS-FNA samples. Cytological examination confirmed a scanty representation of CAF and more immunological cell abundance in cytological samples in comparison to surgical specimens. Conclusion: Targeted transcriptomic NanoString profiling of PDAC samples obtained by EUS-FNA is a feasible approach for pre-surgical molecular analysis although stromal CAF/EMT mRNA biomarkers are underrepresented.
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In this Letter, we show 3D steady-state trapping and manipulation of vapor bubbles in liquids employing a low-power continuous-wave laser using the Marangoni effect. Light absorption from photodeposited silver nanoparticles on the distal end of a multi-mode optical fiber is used to produce bubbles of different diameters. The thermal effects produced by either the nanoparticles on the fiber tip or the light bulk absorption modulate the surface tension of the bubble wall and creates both longitudinal and transversal forces just like optical forces, effectively creating a 3D potential well. Using numerical simulations, we obtain expressions for the temperature profiles and present analytical expressions for the Marangoni force. In addition, using an array of three fibers with photodeposited nanoparticles is used to demonstrate the transfer of bubbles from one fiber to another by sequentially switching on and off the lasers.
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INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Currently, there are no established criteria regarding treatment for lumbar ureteral stones. The objective of this work is to present our results in the endourological treatment of this pathology, analyzing the variables associated with the use of the flexible ureterorenoscope. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Retrospective review of 103 patients who underwent retrograde URS with semi-rigid or flexible ureterorenoscope. Proximal location: L2-L3. Medial location: L4-L5. Semirigid URS was the initial treatment, with conversion to flexible URS when it was required to complete the procedure. Success was defined as absence of residual fragments (6 weeks). Demographic, surgical, immediate postoperative variables, and those related to the stone, were analyzed. Their correlation with the use of the flexible ureterorenoscope was evaluated. RESULTS: Mean age: 57.2 years (SD 15.6); there were 73 men (70.9%). Stone size: 8â¯mm (range 4-30; IQR 4.5). Proximal location: 58 (56.3%). Previous JJ: 44.7%. Previous nephrostomy: 10.7%. Semirigid URS with conversion to flexible URS: 51 (49.5%). Impacted stones: 28.2%. Intraoperative complications: 2 (1.9%). Postoperative JJ: 84.5%. Immediate postoperative complications: 23 (22.3%) (Clavien-Dindo I-II: 91.3%). Postoperative ureteral stricture: 5.8%. Success: 88.4%. Residual fragments: 12 (11.7%). Spontaneous passage: 6 (50%). Greater performance of flexible URS in proximal ureteral stones (pâ¯=â¯0.001) of more than 11 mm (pâ¯=â¯0.02) in univariate analysis, and in proximal stones [OR 3.5; 1.5-8.1; pâ¯=â¯0.004] in multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Endourological treatment obtained a high success rate in our sample. Size greater than 11â¯mm and proximal ureteral location in univariate and multivariate analysis, respectively, behaved as predictors of flexible URS.
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Litotripsia , Cálculos Ureterais , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Estudos Retrospectivos , Resultado do Tratamento , Cálculos Ureterais/cirurgia , Ureteroscopia/efeitos adversosRESUMO
INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Currently, there are no established criteria regarding treatment for lumbar ureteral stones. The objective of this work is to present our results in the endourological treatment of this pathology, analyzing the variables associated with the use of the flexible ureterorenoscope. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Retrospective review of 103 patients who underwent retrograde URS with semi-rigid or flexible ureterorenoscope. Proximal location: L2-L3. Medial location: L4-L5. Semirigid URS was the initial treatment, with conversion to flexible URS when it was required to complete the procedure. Success was defined as absence of residual fragments (6 weeks). Demographic, surgical, immediate postoperative variables, and those related to the stone, were analyzed. Their correlation with the use of the flexible ureterorenoscope was evaluated. RESULTS: Mean age: 57.2 years (SD 15.6); there were 73 men (70.9%). Stone size: 8mm (range 4-30; IQR 4.5). Proximal location: 58 (56.3%). Previous JJ: 44.7%. Previous nephrostomy: 10.7%. Semirigid URS with conversion to flexible URS: 51 (49.5%). Impacted stones: 28.2%. Intraoperative complications: 2 (1.9%). Postoperative JJ: 84.5%. Immediate postoperative complications: 23 (22.3%) (Clavien-Dindo I-II: 91.3%). Postoperative ureteral stricture: 5.8%. Success: 88.4%. Residual fragments: 12 (11.7%). Spontaneous passage: 6 (50%). Greater performance of flexible URS in proximal ureteral stones (P=0.001) of more than 11mm (P=0.02) in univariate analysis, and in proximal stones [OR 3.5; 1.5-8.1; P=0.004] in multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Endourological treatment obtained a high success rate in our sample. Size greater than 11mm and proximal ureteral location in univariate and multivariate analysis, respectively, behaved as predictors of flexible URS.
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The most common approach to optically generate and manipulate bubbles in liquids involves temperature gradients induced by CW lasers. In this work, we present a method to accomplish both the generation of microbubbles and their 3D manipulation in ethanol through optothermal forces. These forces are triggered by light absorption from a nanosecond pulsed laser (λ = 532 nm) at silver nanoparticles photodeposited at the distal end of a multimode optical fiber. Light absorbed from each laser pulse quickly heats up the silver-ethanol interface beyond the ethanol critical-point (â¼ 243 °C) before the heat diffuses through the liquid. Therefore, the liquid achieves a metastable state and owing to spontaneous nucleation converted to a vapor bubble attached to the optical fiber. The bubble grows with semi-spherical shape producing a counterjet in the final stage of the collapse. This jet reaches the hot nanoparticles vaporizing almost immediately and ejecting a microbubble. This microbubble-generation mechanism takes place with every laser pulse (10 kHz repetition rate) leading to the generation of a microbubbles stream. The microbubbles' velocities decrease as they move away from the optical fiber and eventually coalesce forming a larger bubble. The larger bubble is attracted to the optical fiber by the Marangoni force once it reaches a critical size while being continuously fed with each bubble of the microbubbles stream. The balance of the optothermal forces owing to the laser-pulse drives the 3D manipulation of the main bubble. A complete characterization of the trapping conditions is provided in this paper.
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BACKGROUND: To evaluate the quality of oral cancer information in Brazilian Portuguese on Google, YouTube, and Instagram. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The first 100 links of each platform characterized the initial sample. The websites and Instagram were evaluated using the JAMA benchmarks, the Discern instrument, and the Flesch readability index (Flesch Reading Ease). The existence of Health on the Net (HON) code was also registered on websites. The usefulness of each video on YouTube was classified as not useful, slightly useful, moderately useful, or very useful. RESULTS: Thirty-four websites, 39 Instagram posts, and 57 videos were evaluated, of which 18 (33.3%) websites and 19 (48.7%) Instagram posts covered only 2 of the 4 JAMA benchmarks. For the Discern instrument, 20 (37%) and 18 (33.3%) websites exhibited low and moderate reliability, respectively, while 26 (66.7%) Instagram posts were of low confidence. The level of intelligibility of both websites and Instagram was difficult. Only three websites exhibited the HONcode. Forty-one (71.9%) videos on YouTube were moderately useful. CONCLUSIONS: Information on oral cancer on the Internet in Brazilian Portuguese is of low quality. Thus, educational and governmental institutions have a responsibility to produce and indicate reliable sources of information for the population.
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Informação de Saúde ao Consumidor , Neoplasias Bucais , Mídias Sociais , Brasil , Humanos , Internet , Reprodutibilidade dos TestesRESUMO
AIMS: To study the response of clinical variables (HbA1c , body weight, lipid profile and blood pressure) over 24 months of liraglutide treatment in a real-world clinical setting, and to describe the evolution of HbA1c and body weight reduction in response to liraglutide treatment by employing generalized additive mixed models (GAMMs). METHODS: We included people aged ≥ 18 years with Type 2 diabetes mellitus that initiated liraglutide treatment between November 2011 and May 2015. Demographic and clinical data were retrieved retrospectively over 24 months from electronic medical records with a median duration of observation of 7.0 (IQR 3.0-12.0) months. RESULTS: Individuals that initiated liraglutide therapy were obese (BMI 39.1 kg/m2 ), with inadequate HbA1c (68 mmol/mol [8.4%]), blood pressure and lipid levels. Upon liraglutide treatment, HbA1c , body weight, mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and lipid levels decreased gradually. GAMMs demonstrated that longer treatment with liraglutide was a predictor of improved HbA1c response, whereas higher baseline HbA1c , longer Type 2 diabetes duration and treatment with insulin were predictors of worse HbA1c response. Higher baseline weight, longer treatment with liraglutide and the interaction between metformin and time were predictors of improved weight response. CONCLUSIONS: In this real-world study, we showed the effectiveness of liraglutide in improving body weight, HbA1c , mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and lipid levels. GAMMs indicated that baseline HbA1c and weight, time of treatment with liraglutide, diabetes duration and the use of metformin or insulin are predictors of clinical response to liraglutide.
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Variação Biológica da População , Diabetes Mellitus Tipo 2/tratamento farmacológico , Diabetes Mellitus Tipo 2/epidemiologia , Liraglutida/uso terapêutico , Adolescente , Adulto , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Estudos Retrospectivos , Espanha/epidemiologia , Resultado do Tratamento , Adulto JovemRESUMO
End-of-life treatment and attention to the needs of relatives are not adequate for several reasons: Society denies or hides the death; it is very difficult to predict it accurately; treatment is frequently fragmented between different specialists, and there is insufficient palliative medicine training, including communication skills. There are frequent conflicts with decisions made at the end of life, particularly the suitability of therapeutic effort. The attitude of professionals on the adequacy of therapeutic effort is not homogenous, and varies depending on the specialty, experience, and beliefs. Many doctors are still afraid of inconveniencing patients. Primary care is in a privileged position to approach the life and values of our patients and their families, and not just the disease, which makes it the right place to guide and advise the patient on the preparation and registration of living wills.
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Diretivas Antecipadas , Atenção Primária à Saúde/métodos , Assistência Terminal/métodos , Diretivas Antecipadas/ética , Diretivas Antecipadas/legislação & jurisprudência , Atitude do Pessoal de Saúde , Humanos , Futilidade Médica/ética , Futilidade Médica/legislação & jurisprudência , Cuidados Paliativos/ética , Cuidados Paliativos/métodos , Participação do Paciente/legislação & jurisprudência , Preferência do Paciente/legislação & jurisprudência , Assistência Centrada no Paciente/ética , Assistência Centrada no Paciente/legislação & jurisprudência , Assistência Centrada no Paciente/métodos , Atenção Primária à Saúde/ética , Atenção Primária à Saúde/legislação & jurisprudência , Relações Profissional-Família/ética , Relações Profissional-Paciente/ética , Espanha , Assistência Terminal/éticaRESUMO
The Takotsubo syndrome, also called transient apical dyskinesia syndrome, was first described in Japan in the 1990s. It is a rare entity found in almost 1% of all patients with suspicion of acute coronary syndrome. It usually affects postmenopausal women with a few cardiovascular risk factors. It is characterized by angina-type chest pain, electrocardiographic changes, elevation of the enzymes of myocardial injury, absence of coronary obstruction on angiography, and a characteristic left ventricular anteroapical dyskinesia, which returns to normal within a few days. Severe emotional stress is the most common trigger for this syndrome. The aetiopathogenesis of this syndrome remains to be defined. This syndrome has been considered a clinical condition since 2001, when a series of 88 cases was published. It is a disease with a partially known mechanism, characterised by the morphology adopted by the left ventricle secondary to hypokinesis or dyskinesia of the apical segments, and hypercontractility of basal segments. Unlike acute coronary syndrome, patients with left ventricle dysfunction do not have atherothrombotic disease in the coronary arteries. In addition, the alterations described are reversible. Some clinical diagnostic criteria have been proposed, although they are still controversial, as well as in the complementary examinations required for diagnosis.
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Síndrome Coronariana Aguda/diagnóstico , Cardiomiopatia de Takotsubo/fisiopatologia , Disfunção Ventricular Esquerda/fisiopatologia , Síndrome Coronariana Aguda/fisiopatologia , Eletrocardiografia , Feminino , Humanos , Pós-Menopausa , Fatores de Risco , Estresse Psicológico/complicações , Cardiomiopatia de Takotsubo/diagnóstico , Cardiomiopatia de Takotsubo/epidemiologiaRESUMO
Bone xanthomas are rare and are usually are associated with endocrine or metabolic diseases, mainly lipid disorders. In the absence of systemic diseases, the lesion is called a primary xanthoma. Primary mandibular xanthomas are extremely rare. The aim of this report is to describe the clinical and radiographic findings of a primary mandibular xanthoma, discussing the epidemiological features, pathogenesis and differential diagnosis. A 25-year-old man was referred for evaluation of a left mandibular lesion detected in a routine radiographic exam. Radiographically, there was a diffuse, unilocular and radiolucent lesion, with irregular margins located adjacent to the surface from the distal root of the left mandibular third molar. The lesion was excised under local anaesthesia. Microscopically, there were several cells with a foamy and granular cytoplasm and central small, round nuclei, similar to xanthomatous macrophages. No lipid disorders were diagnosed. According to these features, the diagnosis of primary mandibular xanthoma was established. In conclusion, xanthomas of the jaws are rare and all seem to be primary and occur exclusively in the mandible.
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Doenças Mandibulares/diagnóstico por imagem , Xantomatose/diagnóstico por imagem , Adulto , Diagnóstico Diferencial , Humanos , Masculino , Doenças Mandibulares/patologia , Radiografia , Xantomatose/patologiaRESUMO
N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors and the expression of their different splice variants and subunits were previously characterized in the brain and spinal cord. However, knowledge on the NMDA receptor expression and function in the enteric nervous system is limited. Previous work suggested that NMDA receptors were involved in a rat model of visceral hypersensitivity. The aim of this study was to characterize the expression of the NMDA receptor NR1 splice variants and the NR2 subunit subtypes in the rat colon. We visualized the expression of NR1 protein in the rat submucosal and myenteric plexuses. The NR1 splice variants found in the colon of rats lacked the N1 and C1 cassettes and contained the C2 and C2' cassettes (NR1(000) and NR1(001)). The NR2B and NR2D subunits were also found in the rat colon. Moreover, NMDA receptors in the rat colon were heteromeric, since NR1 was co-localized with NR2B and NR2D subunits using fluorescent immunohistochemistry. The identification of the NMDA receptors in the enteric nervous system could lead to the development of drugs that selectively modulate bowel function.
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Colo Descendente/metabolismo , Plexo Mientérico/metabolismo , Subunidades Proteicas/metabolismo , Receptores de N-Metil-D-Aspartato/metabolismo , Plexo Submucoso/metabolismo , Animais , Encéfalo/metabolismo , Imuno-Histoquímica , Isoformas de Proteínas/genética , Isoformas de Proteínas/metabolismo , Subunidades Proteicas/classificação , Subunidades Proteicas/genética , RNA/análise , Ratos , Ratos Sprague-Dawley , Receptores de N-Metil-D-Aspartato/genéticaRESUMO
AIM: To determine the incidence of Type 1 diabetes in Cáceres in children less than 14 years of age. We tested for differences in incidence by age, sex and season at diagnosis. METHODS: All Type 1 diabetes cases with onset <14 years of age between 1988 and 1999 were recorded retrospectively. Pediatric Unit registries provided the primary source of ascertainment. The secondary independent data source was based on the registries of local Diabetic Associations, diabetes camp records and guarantee cards of blood-glucose meters. We used the capture-recapture method for ascertainment. RESULTS: During the 12-year period, 137 new cases of Type 1 diabetes were identified. Completeness of ascertainment was 99.2%. Average annual observed incidence was 16.8/100,000/year (95% C.I. 14.1-19.8). Age-standardised incidence (world population): 16.5/100,000/year (95% C.I. 13.9-19.6). Average annual incidence for 0-4, 5-9 and 10-13-year-old groups: 12.7/100,000 (95% C.I. 8.8-17.9), 18.2/100,000 (95% C.I. 13.7-23.8) and 19.1/100,000 (95% C.I. 14.2-25.1). The highest age-specific annual incidence rate was found in the 10-13-year age group. There was a seasonal onset pattern, with the highest incidence in autumn and winter. November was the month with the highest number of cases (22/137). CONCLUSION: Cáceres has a moderately high incidence of Type 1 diabetes in children less than 14 years of age, similar to that found in other more developed and densely populated regions of Spain, and in the range of other countries of northern Europe. These data do not support the hypothesis of a decrease in the incidence of the disease from north to south over Europe.
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Diabetes Mellitus Tipo 1/epidemiologia , Adolescente , Distribuição por Idade , Distribuição de Qui-Quadrado , Criança , Pré-Escolar , Feminino , Humanos , Incidência , Lactente , Masculino , Estudos Retrospectivos , Estações do Ano , Caracteres Sexuais , Espanha/epidemiologiaRESUMO
OBJECTIVES: Relationship between diabetes and periodontal disease is well established. It has been shown that advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) might exert noxious effects on gingival tissues through its receptor. Evidence for the role of receptors of AGE (RAGE) in periodontal disease was verified in a murine model for diabetes. However, the presence of RAGE in human gingival tissues has not been demonstrated previously. In this study we demonstrate the presence of RAGE in human periodontium in patients with chronic periodontitis with and without type 2 diabetes. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Gingival biopsies from eight patients with both type 2 diabetes and chronic periodontitis and 14 healthy control subjects with chronic periodontitis were immunohistochemically stained for RAGE. Five samples from the study groups and four controls were subjected to reverse transcriptase coupled to polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for quantitative determination of mRNA for RAGE. RESULTS: On immunohistochemistry, positive staining for RAGE was seen in the endothelium and the basal and spinous layer of the inflamed gingival epithelium in both type 2 diabetes and non-diabetes tissue with no statistically significant difference between both groups. RT-PCR, however, showed a 50% increase in mRNA for RAGE in the gingiva of diabetic patients when compared with controls (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Although there was no change in the staining intensity for RAGE between both groups, the increase in the mRNA for RAGE in the type 2 diabetes gingival epithelium may indicate a possible involvement of this receptor in the periodontal destruction in type 2 diabetes.
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Diabetes Mellitus Tipo 2/metabolismo , Periodontite/metabolismo , Receptores Imunológicos/análise , Doença Crônica , Gengiva/metabolismo , Humanos , Imuno-Histoquímica , Receptor para Produtos Finais de Glicação Avançada , Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase Via Transcriptase ReversaRESUMO
OBJECTIVE: Receptor for advanced glycation end product (RAGE) is a cell-surface receptor with ligands capable of inducing proinflammatory responses in autoimmunity. We investigated the immunohistochemical expression and immunoblotting of RAGE in labial salivary glands from Sjögren's syndrome (SS) patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Ten minor salivary glands from SS and 15 from normal salivary tissue adjacent to mucocele were stained immunohistochemically using an antibody to RAGE. Immunoblotting was performed on four SS biopsies and four controls from normal gland. RESULTS: Immunohistochemistry showed all sections positive for RAGE. The SS sections did not statistically differ from controls. In immunoblotting, SS samples expressed approximately 100% more RAGE than controls [probability (p)<0.03, Student's t-test]. CONCLUSIONS: RAGE is present in the labial salivary glands of both normal and SS patients, with preliminary data suggesting over-expression in SS tissues. The role of RAGE in the pathogenesis of SS has yet to be determined.
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Receptores Imunológicos/biossíntese , Glândulas Salivares/química , Síndrome de Sjogren/genética , Síndrome de Sjogren/fisiopatologia , Idoso , Estudos de Casos e Controles , Feminino , Produtos Finais de Glicação Avançada/análise , Humanos , Immunoblotting , Imuno-Histoquímica , Masculino , Proteínas de Membrana/análise , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Receptor para Produtos Finais de Glicação Avançada , Regulação para CimaRESUMO
Hemoglobin I (HbI) from Lucina pectinata reacts with hydrogen sulfide to form the ferric sulfide complex needed to transport H2S to the bacterial endosymbiont. To further study HbI, expression studies of this protein were performed in Escherichia coli. This is the first time that the recombinant HbI was produced using a recombinant DNA expression system. Hemoglobin I cDNA was amplified and cloned into the TOPO-PBAD expression vector, which contains a fusion tag of six histidine residues (6XHis tag). Plasmid clone sequence analysis was carried out in order to ensure that the insert was in the correct reading frame for proper protein expression in E. coli. The expression of recombinant HbI was optimal when induced for 5 hr with 0.002% of L-arabinose as detected by Western blot analysis. The proto-porphyrin group was inserted into the recombinant HbI. Purification of the heme-bound recombinant protein was performed under native conditions by affinity chromatography using Ni-NTA and Probond resins. The sodium dithionite-reduced recombinant protein presented a shift from the Soret band at 413-435 nm, indicating the presence of the heme group in the adequate amino acid environment of HbI. These results indicate that recombinant HbI from Lucina pectinata can be successfully expressed in a prokaryotic system retaining its activity toward reduction, oxidation, and ligand binding.
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Bivalves/genética , Hemoglobinas Anormais/genética , Hemoglobinas Anormais/isolamento & purificação , Hemoglobinas , Sequência de Aminoácidos , Animais , Sequência de Bases , Clonagem Molecular , DNA Complementar , Eletroforese em Gel de Poliacrilamida , Escherichia coli/genética , Expressão Gênica , Heme/metabolismo , Hemoglobinas Anormais/metabolismo , Dados de Sequência Molecular , Proteínas RecombinantesRESUMO
An epidemiological study of urinary stone disease has been carried out in the districts of La Sierra and Hellín (Albacete, Spain). Between January 1992 and December 1999 a total of 887 patients with urinary lithiasis have been studied, analysing the number of patients discharged from hospital with the primary diagnosis of lithiasis, the distribution of lithiasis by area, age, gender, family history of lithiasis, diet, occupation and concurrent pathology. The geographical, geological, and climatic conditions, the composition of the water supply and the clinical characteristics are described. The incidence of urinary lithiasis in the whole area in 2.66 per thousand inhabitants/year, showing a male predominance with a male:female ratio of 1.26:1. The mean age was 51.34 years (bimodal distribution with peaks in the 4th and 7th decades). 20.41% of the patients had a family history, with the father being the most frequently affected relation. Those occupations associated with a sedentary life style or with a hot, dry workplace show a higher incidence of lithiasis. A hot, dry climate favours the formation of urinary lithiasis and the highest incidence of lithiasis is in the summer, during the months of July and August. No statistically significant influence was shown between at the hardness of the water and the incidence of urinary lithiasis in the study population.