Differences in Malnutrition Inflammation Score of Hemodialysis Patients Associated With Hemodialysis Factors. A Spanish Multicenter Epidemiologic Study.

OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study are to analyze the prevalence of malnutrition in hemodialysis (HD) patients in Spain, and to assess the association of malnutrition in these patients with sociodemographic characteristics, comorbidity, and parameters related to HD. DESIGN AND METHODS: A multicenter, retrospective, cross-sectional study in HD patients from centers all over Spain was conducted. Nutritional status of patients was assessed using Malnutrition Inflammation Score (MIS), and was stratified according to MIS values into 5 categories: ≤2, normal nutrition; >2 to ≤5, mild malnutrition or risk of malnutrition; >5 to ≤7, moderate malnutrition; >7 to ≤10, severe malnutrition, and >10, extreme malnutrition. RESULTS: A total of 52 Spanish HD Units participated in the study enrolling 2,748 patients. Mean age of patients was 68.20 ± 14.24 years, 1,811 (65.9%) were men. Mean time on HD was 55.63 ± 63.25 months. Using an MIS cut-off point of 2 for malnutrition, 89% of patients were malnourished (MIS > 2). However, with a cut-off point of 5, more commonly described in the literature, the percentage of patients with malnutrition was reduced to 51.7%. Using this cut-off, we observed significant differences between patients with malnutrition and normo-nourished patients in biochemical parameters, age, Charlson Index, HD residual renal function, scheme, and vascular access (permanent catheter vs arteriovenous fistula). A multivariate regression analysis showed that age, sex, HD scheme, vascular access, residual renal function, and comorbidity index were predictive factors for malnutrition. We found that a high percentage of HD patients with malnutrition did not receive oral supplementation. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of malnutrition in HD patients in Spain, assessed using the MIS scale, was high. Higher malnutrition was associated with the use of catheter versus fistula, and standard HD versus online hemodiafiltration, and with the absence of residual renal function, older age, greater comorbidity, and male sex. Malnourished patients had a low rate of oral supplementation.

Ghrelin plasma levels and appetite in peritoneal dialysis patients.

Anorexia-associated malnutrition is a severe complication that increases mortality in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients. Ghrelin is a recently-discovered orexigenic hormone with actions in brain and stomach. We analyzed, in 42 PD patients, the possible relationship between ghrelin and appetite regulation with regard to other orexigens [neuropeptide Y (NPY), NO3] and anorexigens [cholecystokinin (CCK), leptin, glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide (GIP), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha)]. All orexigens and anorexigens were determined in plasma. Eating motivation was evaluated using a visual analog scale (VAS). The patients were divided into three groups: those with anorexia (n = 12), those with obesity associated with high intake (n = 12), and those with no eating behavior disorders (n = 18). A control group of 10 healthy volunteers was also evaluated. Mean plasma levels of ghrelin were high (3618.6 +/- 1533 mg/mL), with 36 patients showing values above the normal range (< 2600 mg/mL). Patients with anorexia had lower ghrelin and NPY levels and higher peptide-C, CCK, interleukin-1 (IL-1), TNFalpha, and GIP levels than did the other patients. Patients with anorexia also had an early satiety score and low desire and pleasure in eating on the VAS and diet survey. We observed significant positive linear correlations between ghrelin and albumin (r = 0.43, p < 0.05), prealbumin (r = 0.51, p < 0.05), transferrin (r = 0.4, p < 0.05), growth hormone (r = 0.66, p < 0.01), NO3 (r = 0.36, p < 0.05), and eating motivation (VAS). At the same time, negative relationships were observed between blood ghrelin and GIP (r = -0.42, p < 0.05), insulin (r = -0.4, p < 0.05), leptin (r = -0.45, p < 0.05), and creatinine clearance [r = -0.33, p = 0.08 (nonsignificant)]. Ghrelin levels were not related to Kt/V or to levels of CCK and cytokines. Ghrelin plasma levels are elevated in PD patients. Uremic patients with anorexia show relatively lower ghrelin plasma levels than the levels seen in obese patients or in patients with normal appetite. The role of ghrelin in appetite modulation is altered in uremic PD patients, and that alteration is possibly associated with disorders in insulin and growth hormone metabolism.

Tratamiento del diverticulo de Zenker: reporte de cuatro casos y revisión de la literatura / Treatment of the zenkers diverticulum: report of four cases and revision and literature

El divertículo de Zenker en una patología esofágica, es un diverticulo, por pulsión y representa el más frecuente que aparece en los adultos mayores de 50 años. En este trabajo se muestra el reporte de cuatro casos del divertículo de Zenker en el Hospital de Clínicas Caracas del año 1995-99, el manejo de esta patología y su tratamiento quirúrgico planteándose también una revisión de la literatura sobre el tratamiento endoscópico a través de la técnica de Soehendra. Esta técnica, por ser endoscópica, tiene las ventajas de ser menos invasivas, más rapida en el procedimiento, en la recuperación, de menor costo y con un número menor de complicaciones.

Significado del ARN viral en ganglios linfáticos procedentes de pacientes infectados por el VIH en terapia antiretroviral / Significance of viral RNA in lymph node procedure of infected HIV patients in antiretroviral therapy

El tejido linfático provee un reservorio para la persistencia del Virus de Inmunodeficiencia Humana (VIH), en terapia antiretroviral (TA) con dos análogos nucleósidos (Zidovudina, Lamivudina) o la combinación anterior más un inhibidor de la proteasa (Indinavir) y con carga viral (CV) plasmática por debajo del límite de detección por Reacción en Cadena de Polimerasa combinada con Transcripción Reversa (RT-PCR) por al menos un año, se les realizó excisión de ganglios linfáticos inguinales y se les solicitó una muestra de semen. El VIH ARN fue extraído de las muestras homogeneizadas y cuantificado por un ensayo de amplificación de ADN. La CV en semen fue indetectable. Tres pacientes con terapia doble (TD), independientemente del valor de linfocitos CD4, tuvieron CV elevadas en ganglios linfáticos. No pudimos detectar replicación viral en 11 de 12 individuos con terapia triple (TT), aún cuando en valor de linfocitos CD4 era menor de 500 células/ml. Esta data antiretrovirales altamente activas es capaz de producir una supresión sostenida del VIH RNA plasmático y de reducir la CV en tejidos linfáticos