Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors in preclinical myxomatous mitral valve disease in dogs: systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the efficacy and adverse events of the administration of angiotensin--converting enzyme inhibitors for the management of preclinical myxomatous mitral valve disease in dogs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A compre- hensive search using Pubmed/MEDLINE, LILACS and CAB abstracts databases was performed. Ran- domised clinical trials that assessed efficacy and adverse events of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors for the management of preclinical myxomatous mitral valve disease in dogs were included. Certainty of evidence was rated using GRADE methods. RESULTS: Four randomised clinical trials were included. While safe, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors administration to dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease and cardiomegaly results in little to no difference in the risk of development congestive heart failure (high certainty of evidence; relative risk: 1.03; 95% confidence interval: 0.87 to 1.23) and may result in little to no difference in cardiovascular-related (low certainty of evidence; relative risk: 1.01; 95% confidence interval: 0.54 to 1.89) and all-cause mortality (low certainty of evidence; relative risk: 0.93; 95% confidence interval: 0.63 to 1.36). Administration of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors to dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease without cardiomegaly may result in a reduced risk of congestive heart failure development. However, the range in which the actual effect for this outcome may be, the "margin of error," indicates it might also increase the risk of congestive heart failure development (low certainty of evidence; relative risk: 0.86; 95% confidence interval: 0.54 to 1.35). CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Administration of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors to dogs with -preclinical myxoma- tous mitral valve disease and cardiomegaly results in little to no difference in the risk of the develop- ment of congestive heart failure and may result in little to no difference in -cardiovascular-related and all-cause mortality. The certainty of evidence of the efficacy of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibi- tors administration to dogs without cardiomegaly was low.

Changes in anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies and rheumatoid factor isotypes serum levels in patients with rheumatoid arthritis following treatment with different biological drugs.

OBJECTIVES: Anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies (anti-CCP) are a serological marker of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and also have a prognostic value for more aggressive disease. Whether anti-CCP levels may change during treatment according to clinical response is matter of debate. Likewise, it is unknown whether different biological drugs have peculiar effects on anti-CCP levels. This study aimed to investigate changes in anti-CCP serum levels in RA patients on biological drugs with different mechanism of action. METHODS: We studied 71 patients with active RA tested positive for anti-CCP who started a first biological drug (54 anti-TNF-α drug, 9 rituximab, 8 tocilizumab). In 14 patients stopping anti-TNF-α treatment for ineffectiveness, rituximab was started. Anti-CCP and rheumatoid factor (RF) isotypes (IgM, IgA, IgG) levels were measured at entry, 12 months and again at 12 months after swapping to rituximab. RESULTS: After 1 year of therapy of the first biological drug, patients taking anti-TNF-α drugs showed a significant reduction of the anti-CCP levels (p=0.002), and all RF isotypes (p=0.003). Also patients treated with rituximab or tolicizumab had a significant decrease in anti-CCP (p=0.01) and RF isotype levels (p=0.01). Anti-CCP levels did not correlated with DAS28 over time. In patients switching to rituximab after failure of TNF-α blockers, anti-CCP levels did not change at 12 months (p=0.06), despite of the reduction of DAS28 (p=0.02) and RFs levels (p=0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed that anti-CCP levels may change during RA course, regardless of the biological drug used and the clinical response.

Investigación de bartonelosis en el valle de puchka, provincia de Huari, Ancash-Perú / Epidemiological study about bartonelosis in the punchka valley, province of Huari, Ancash-Peru

En Setiembre de 1988 se realizó un estudio epidemiológico sobre Bartonelosis en los distritos de Masin, Rahuapampa, Huachis, Chaná, Pontó y Huachi en el valle del Puchka, provincia de Huari, Ancash. Se encuestó a 208 pobladores, detectándose entre ellos 7 casos activos de Bartonelosis. A todos se les tomó una muestra de sangre para frotises, hemocultivos y serología. En los 201 personas asintomáticas, se encontró a 77 (38.3 por ciento) portadores asintomáticos de Bartonella bacilliformis. Todas las muestras fueron positivas a la serología teniendo el 91.4 por ciento de la población títulos que oscilaron entre 1/80 y 1/320. Un 12.5 por ciento refirió antecedentes de la enfermedad bartonelósica. Entre los casos clínicos, 6 estuvieron en la fase eruptiva y uno en la fase hemática. Alguno de los casos clínicos y de los portadores se encontraron a más de 3,000 metros de altitud. Se observa que los portadores están en mayor porcentaje entre los que refieren antecedentes y en altitudes más bajas.