Transmission of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infection Among Children in Summer Schools Applying Stringent Control Measures in Barcelona, Spain.

BACKGROUND: Understanding the role of children in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission is critical to guide decision-making for schools in the pandemic. We aimed to describe the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 among children and adult staff in summer schools. METHODS: During July 2020, we prospectively recruited children and adult staff attending summer schools in Barcelona who had SARS-CoV-2 infection. Primary SARS-CoV-2 infections were identified through (1) a surveillance program in 22 summer schools of 1905 participants, involving weekly saliva sampling for SARS-CoV-2 reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) during 2-5 weeks; and (2) cases identified through the Catalonian Health Surveillance System of children diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection by nasopharyngeal RT-PCR. All centers followed prevention protocols: bubble groups, handwashing, face masks, and conducting activities mostly outdoors. Contacts of a primary case within the same bubble were evaluated by nasopharyngeal RT-PCR. Secondary attack rates and the effective reproduction number in summer schools (Re*) were calculated. RESULTS: Among the >2000 repeatedly screened participants, 30 children and 9 adults were identified as primary cases. A total of 253 close contacts of these primary cases were studied (median, 9 [interquartile range, 5-10] for each primary case), among which 12 new cases (4.7%) were positive for SARS-CoV-2. The Re* was 0.3, whereas the contemporary rate in the general population from the same areas in Barcelona was 1.9. CONCLUSIONS: The transmission rate of SARS-CoV-2 infection among children attending school-like facilities under strict prevention measures was lower than that reported for the general population. This suggests that under preventive measures schools are unlikely amplifiers of SARS-CoV-2 transmission, supporting current recommendations for school opening.

Relevance of Peroxisome Proliferator Activated Receptors in Multitarget Paradigm Associated with the Endocannabinoid System.

Cannabinoids have shown to exert their therapeutic actions through a variety of targets. These include not only the canonical cannabinoid receptors CB1R and CB2R but also related orphan G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), ligand-gated ion channels, transient receptor potential (TRP) channels, metabolic enzymes, and nuclear receptors. In this review, we aim to summarize reported compounds exhibiting their therapeutic effects upon the modulation of CB1R and/or CB2R and the nuclear peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs). Concomitant actions at CBRs and PPARα or PPARγ subtypes have shown to mediate antiobesity, analgesic, antitumoral, or neuroprotective properties of a variety of phytogenic, endogenous, and synthetic cannabinoids. The relevance of this multitargeting mechanism of action has been analyzed in the context of diverse pathologies. Synergistic effects triggered by combinatorial treatment with ligands that modulate the aforementioned targets have also been considered. This literature overview provides structural and pharmacological insights for the further development of dual cannabinoids for specific disorders.

STOPP-START Criteria Used to Identify the Elderly Population Prone to Potentially Inadequate Prescribing in a Colombian Cohort.

BACKGROUND: Elderly people have multiple comorbidities that often require treatment with multiple medications. Having strategies to lessen the risks associated with pharmacological interactions and potentially inadequate prescribing (PIP) is of major importance. The STOPP- START criteria are useful in identifying PIP along with other tools, such as LASA (look alike/sound alike) drugs and high-risk medications (HRM). OBJECTIVE: We aimed to clinically and sociodemographically characterize the population with PIP according to the STOPP-START criteria in hospitalized elderly patients over 6 months in a third-level hospital in Colombia, South America. We also aimed to calculate the prevalence of PIP, LASA drugs and HRM and to identify other problems related with medication. Finally, we proposed an algorithm for the identification of PIP in this population. METHODS AND MATERIALS: This was a descriptive, cross-sectional study in hospitalized patients older than 60 years during the first semester of 2021 to identify PIP according to STOPP- START criteria. An analysis of clinical and sociodemographic variables was conducted, as well as the construction of an algorithm to identify PIP in the elderly in a semiautomated way. Data were collected and analyzed using the software SPSS 2021, using descriptive statistics and measures of central tendency. RESULTS: The prevalence of PIP in the study population was 25%. Furthermore, 60% of patients had one problem related to medication, and 27% used at least one LASA drug or HRM. CONCLUSION: This study allows one to characterize, for the first time, the Colombian population prone to PIP, as well as the construction of an algorithm that identifies PIP in a semiautomated way.

Just Play Cognitive Modern Board and Card Games, It's Going to Be Good for Your Executive Functions: A Randomized Controlled Trial with Children at Risk of Social Exclusion.

Modern board and card games are usually used for leisure. Few studies have focused on the type of game played in vulnerable populations. Therefore, the main aim of this study was to test the effectiveness of playing modern board and card games to enhance updating, inhibition, and flexibility in children at risk of social exclusion using games that activated specific basic executive functions. We developed a quadruple-blind randomized clinical trial during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sixty-eight participants (7-12 years old) were divided into two experimental groups: 35 children played games that directly activated basic executive functions, and 33 played games that directly triggered other cognitive domains. The primary statistical analysis consisted of mixed models. We found significant time effects in cognitive flexibility and inhibition and, to a lesser extent, in working memory in both gaming groups. We analyzed the cognitive profile of the games and found that all the games activated basic executive functions significantly, irrespective of the experimental group. Therefore, it is possible that playing any type of modern board and card game (excluding games with a high incidence of luck) could be beneficial for children at risk of social exclusion.

wMel Wolbachia alters female post-mating behaviors and physiology in the dengue vector mosquito Aedes aegypti.

Globally invasive Aedes aegypti disseminate numerous arboviruses that impact human health. One promising method to control Ae. aegypti populations is transinfection with Wolbachia pipientis, which naturally infects ~40-52% of insects but not Ae. aegypti. Transinfection of Ae. aegypti with the wMel Wolbachia strain induces cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI), allows infected individuals to invade native populations, and inhibits transmission of medically relevant arboviruses by females. Female insects undergo post-mating physiological and behavioral changes-referred to as the female post-mating response (PMR)-required for optimal fertility. PMRs are typically elicited by male seminal fluid proteins (SFPs) transferred with sperm during mating but can be modified by other factors, including microbiome composition. Wolbachia has modest effects on Ae. aegypti fertility, but its influence on other PMRs is unknown. Here, we show that Wolbachia influences female fecundity, fertility, and re-mating incidence and significantly extends the longevity of virgin females. Using proteomic methods to examine the seminal proteome of infected males, we found that Wolbachia moderately affects SFP composition. However, we identified 125 paternally transferred Wolbachia proteins, but the CI factor proteins (Cifs) were not among them. Our findings indicate that Wolbachia infection of Ae. aegypti alters female PMRs, potentially influencing control programs that utilize Wolbachia-infected individuals.

Impact of COVID-19 Lockdown on the Nasopharyngeal Microbiota of Children and Adults Self-Confined at Home.

The increased incidence of COVID-19 cases and deaths in Spain in March 2020 led to the declaration by the Spanish government of a state of emergency imposing strict confinement measures on the population. The objective of this study was to characterize the nasopharyngeal microbiota of children and adults and its relation to SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 severity during the pandemic lockdown in Spain. This cross-sectional study included family households located in metropolitan Barcelona, Spain, with one adult with a previous confirmed COVID-19 episode and one or more exposed co-habiting child contacts. Nasopharyngeal swabs were used to determine SARS-CoV-2 infection status, characterize the nasopharyngeal microbiota and determine common respiratory DNA/RNA viral co-infections. A total of 173 adult cases and 470 exposed children were included. Overall, a predominance of Corynebacterium and Dolosigranulum and a limited abundance of common pathobionts including Haemophilus and Streptococcus were found both among adults and children. Children with current SARS-CoV-2 infection presented higher bacterial richness and increased Fusobacterium, Streptococcus and Prevotella abundance than non-infected children. Among adults, persistent SARS-CoV-2 RNA was associated with an increased abundance of an unclassified member of the Actinomycetales order. COVID-19 severity was associated with increased Staphylococcus and reduced Dolosigranulum abundance. The stringent COVID-19 lockdown in Spain had a significant impact on the nasopharyngeal microbiota of children, reflected in the limited abundance of common respiratory pathobionts and the predominance of Corynebacterium, regardless of SARS-CoV-2 detection. COVID-19 severity in adults was associated with decreased nasopharynx levels of healthy commensal bacteria.

Individual prevention and containment measures in schools in Catalonia, Spain, and community transmission of SARS-CoV-2 after school re-opening.

BACKGROUND: Despite their clear lesser vulnerability to COVID-19, the extent by which children are susceptible to getting infected by SARS-CoV-2 and their capacity to transmit the infection to other people remains inadequately characterized. We aimed to evaluate the role of school reopening and the preventive strategies in place at schools in terms of overall risk for children and community transmission, by comparing transmission rates in children as detected by a COVID-19 surveillance platform in place in Catalonian Schools to the incidence at the community level. METHODS AND FINDINGS: Infections detected in Catalan schools during the entire first trimester of classes (September-December 2020) were analysed and compared with the ongoing community transmission and with the modelled predicted number of infections. There were 30.486 infections (2.12%) documented among the circa 1.5M pupils, with cases detected in 54.0% and 97.5% of the primary and secondary centres, respectively. During the entire first term, the proportion of "bubble groups" (stable groups of children doing activities together) that were forced to undergo confinement ranged between 1 and 5%, with scarce evidence of substantial intraschool transmission in the form of chains of infections, and with ~75% of all detected infections not leading to secondary cases. Mathematical models were also used to evaluate the effect of different parameters related to the defined preventive strategies (size of the bubble group, number of days of confinement required by contacts of an index case). The effective reproduction number inside the bubble groups in schools (R*), defined as the average number of schoolmates infected by each primary case within the bubble, was calculated, yielding a value of 0.35 for primary schools and 0.55 for secondary schools, and compared with the outcomes of the mathematical model, implying decreased transmissibility for children in the context of the applied measures. Relative homogenized monthly cumulative incidence ([Formula: see text]) was assessed to compare the epidemiological dynamics among different age groups and this analysis suggested the limited impact of infections in school-aged children in the context of the overall community incidence. CONCLUSIONS: During the fall of 2020, SARS-CoV-2 infections and COVID-19 cases detected in Catalan schools closely mirrored the underlying community transmission from the neighbourhoods where they were set and maintaining schools open appeared to be safe irrespective of underlying community transmission. Preventive measures in place in those schools appeared to be working for the early detection and rapid containment of transmission and should be maintained for the adequate and safe functioning of normal academic and face-to-face school activities.

Multiplex Antibody Analysis of IgM, IgA and IgG to SARS-CoV-2 in Saliva and Serum From Infected Children and Their Close Contacts.

COVID-19 affects children to a lesser extent than adults but they can still get infected and transmit SARS-CoV-2 to their contacts. Field deployable non-invasive sensitive diagnostic techniques are needed to evaluate the infectivity dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 in pediatric populations and guide public health interventions, particularly if this population is not fully vaccinated. We evaluated the utility of high-throughput Luminex assays to quantify saliva IgM, IgA and IgG antibodies against five SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) and nucleocapsid (N) antigens in a contacts and infectivity longitudinal study in 122 individuals (52 children and 70 adults). We compared saliva versus serum/plasma samples in infected children and adults diagnosed by weekly RT-PCR over 35 days (n=62), and those who consistently tested negative over the same follow up period (n=60), in the Summer of 2020 in Barcelona, Spain. Saliva antibody levels in SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR positive individuals were significantly higher than in negative individuals and correlated with those measured in sera/plasmas. Asymptomatic infected individuals had higher levels of anti-S IgG than symptomatic individuals, suggesting a protective anti-disease role for antibodies. Higher anti-S IgG and IgM levels in serum/plasma and saliva, respectively, in infected children compared to infected adults could also be related to stronger clinical immunity in them. Among infected children, males had higher levels of saliva IgG to N and RBD than females. Despite overall correlation, individual clustering analysis suggested that responses that may not be detected in blood could be patent in saliva, and vice versa. In conclusion, measurement of SARS-CoV-2-specific saliva antibodies should be considered as a complementary non-invasive assay to serum/plasma to determine COVID-19 prevalence and transmission in pediatric populations before and after vaccination campaigns.

Low transmission of SARS-CoV-2 derived from children in family clusters: An observational study of family households in the Barcelona Metropolitan Area, Spain.

BACKGROUND: Family clusters offer a good opportunity to study viral transmission in a stable setting. We aimed to analyze the specific role of children in transmission of SARS-CoV-2 within households. METHODS: A prospective, longitudinal, observational study, including children with documented acute SARS-CoV-2 infection attending 22 summer-schools in Barcelona, Spain, was performed. Moreover, other patients and families coming from other school-like environments that voluntarily accessed the study were also studied. A longitudinal follow-up (5 weeks) of the family clusters was conducted to determine whether the children considered to be primary cases were able to transmit the virus to other family members. The household reproduction number (Re*) and the secondary attack rate (SAR) were calculated. RESULTS: 1905 children from the summer schools were screened for SARS-CoV-2 infection and 22 (1.15%) tested positive. Moreover, 32 additional children accessed the study voluntarily. Of these, 37 children and their 26 households were studied completely. In half of the cases (13/26), the primary case was considered to be a child and secondary transmission to other members of the household was observed in 3/13, with a SAR of 14.2% and a Re* of 0.46. Conversely, the SAR of adult primary cases was 72.2% including the kids that gave rise to the contact tracing study, and 61.5% without them, and the estimated Re* was 2.6. In 4/13 of the paediatric primary cases (30.0%), nasopharyngeal PCR was persistently positive > 1 week after diagnosis, and 3/4 of these children infected another family member (p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Children may not be the main drivers of the infection in household transmission clusters in the study population. A prolonged positive PCR could be associated with higher transmissibility.

Clinical Evidence of Magistral Preparations Based on Medicinal Cannabis.

Cannabis has been widely used as a medicinal plant for millennia; however, studies related to its main components were first conducted in 1960. Subsequently, laboratories have produced new components and structures related to its active biological properties. Countries that have approved the medicinal use of cannabis impose regulations that govern its clinical and scientific use. One means of administering medicinal cannabis is via a magistral preparation that must have a medical prescription and be prepared in an establishment that meets quality standards to ensure the quantities of its main components, such as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). Furthermore, suppliers must have a clear indication of its use in the patient before prescription. This review shows the published evidence regarding the clinical use of medicinal cannabis magistral preparations in the management of post-chemotherapy nausea and vomiting, neuropathic pain in multiple sclerosis, and anorexia and cachexia in patients with HIV.

How Did the COVID-19 Lockdown Affect Children and Adolescent's Well-Being: Spanish Parents, Children, and Adolescents Respond.

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, lockdown strategies have been widely used to contain SARS-CoV-2 virus spread. Children and adolescents are especially vulnerable to suffering psychological effects as result of such measures. In Spain, children were enforced to a strict home lockdown for 42 days during the first wave. Here, we studied the effects of lockdown in children and adolescents through an online questionnaire. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Spain using an open online survey from July (after the lockdown resulting from the first pandemic wave) to November 2020 (second wave). We included families with children under 16 years-old living in Spain. Parents answered a survey regarding the lockdown effects on their children and were instructed to invite their children from 7 to 16 years-old (mandatory scholar age in Spain) to respond a specific set of questions. Answers were collected through an application programming interface system, and data analysis was performed using R. Results: We included 1,957 families who completed the questionnaires, covering a total of 3,347 children. The specific children's questionnaire was completed by 167 kids (7-11 years-old), and 100 adolescents (12-16 years-old). Children, in general, showed high resilience and capability to adapt to new situations. Sleeping problems were reported in more than half of the children (54%) and adolescents (59%), and these were strongly associated with less time doing sports and spending more than 5 h per day using electronic devices. Parents perceived their children to gain weight (41%), be more irritable and anxious (63%) and sadder (46%). Parents and children differed significantly when evaluating children's sleeping disturbances. Conclusions: Enforced lockdown measures and isolation can have a negative impact on children and adolescent's mental health and well-being. In future waves of the current pandemic, or in the light of potential epidemics of new emerging infections, lockdown measures targeting children, and adolescents should be reconsidered taking into account their infectiousness potential and their age-specific needs, especially to facilitate physical activity and to limit time spent on electronic devices.

Spatial and temporal population dynamics of male and female Aedes albopictus at a local scale in Medellín, Colombia.

BACKGROUND: Diseases transmitted by invasive Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes are public health issues in the tropics and subtropics. Understanding the ecology of mosquito vectors is essential for the development of effective disease mitigation programs and will allow for accurate predictions of vector occurrence and abundance. Studies that examine mosquito population dynamics are typically focused on female presence or total adult captures without discriminating the temporal and spatial distribution of both sexes. METHODS: We collected immature and adult mosquitoes bimonthly for 2 years (2018-2019) in the Medellín Botanical Garden. Collection sites differed in proximity to buildings and nearby vegetation, and were classified by their overhead vegetation cover. We used linear mixed models (LMMs) and Spatial Analysis by Distance Indices (SADIE) to assess the spatial distribution of Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus. Using our Ae. albopictus captures exclusively, we assessed (1) the spatial and temporal distribution of males and females using SADIE and a generalized linear mixed model (GLMM), (2) the relationship between climatic variables/vegetation coverage and adult captures using GLMMs and LMMs, and (3) the correlation of male and female size in relation to climatic variables and vegetation coverage using LMMs. RESULTS: Spatial analysis showed that Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus were distributed at different locations within the surveilled area. However, Ae. albopictus was the predominant species in the park during the study period. Adult Ae. albopictus captures were positively correlated with precipitation and relative humidity, and inversely correlated with temperature and wind speed. Moreover, we observed a spatial misalignment of Ae. albopictus males and females-the majority of males were located in the high vegetation coverage sites, while females were more evenly distributed. We observed significant associations of the size of our adult Ae. albopictus captures with precipitation, temperature, and wind speed for both sexes and found that overhead vegetation cover influenced male size, but observed no effect on female size. CONCLUSIONS: Our work elucidates the differential dynamics of Ae. albopictus males and females, which is pivotal to develop accurate surveillance and the successful establishment of vector control programs based on the disruption of insect reproduction.

Is There a Role for the Therapeutic Drug Monitoring of Colistin? An Overview.

Colistin is used as a last-line antibiotic for the treatment of Gram-negative multiresistant bacteria. Due to its high nephrotoxicity, Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (TDM) is recommended for dose adjustment. We aimed to evaluate the available evidence of TDM in patients given colistin to treat Gram-negative infections. In this paper, we offer an overview, using an electronic search of the literature (published up to June 2019, without language restrictions) that compares the clinical outcomes and measurements of colistin TDM. Ultimately, the Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (TDM) of colistin in Plasma could prevent nephrotoxicity risk.

Postoperative enteral immunonutrition in head and neck cancer patients: Impact on clinical outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Head and neck cancer patients have a high rate of complications during the postoperative period that could increase their morbidity rate. Arginine has been shown to improve healing and to modulate inflammation and immune response. The aim of our study was to assess whether use of arginine-enriched enteral formulas could decrease fistulas and length of stay (LoS). METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted in patients who had undergone head and neck cancer surgery and were receiving enteral nutrition through a nasogastric tube in the postoperative period between January 2012 and May 2018. The differences associated to use of immunoformula vs. standard formulas were analysed. Sociodemographic, anthropometric, and nutritional intervention variables, as well as nutritional parameters, were recorded during the early postoperative period. Occurrence of complications (fistulas), length of hospital stay, readmissions, and 90-day mortality were recorded. RESULTS: In a univariate analysis, patients who received nutritional support with immunonutrition had a lower fistula occurrence rate (17.91% vs. 32.84%; p=0.047) and a shorter mean LoS [28.25 (SD 16.11) vs. 35.50 (SD 25.73) days; p=0.030]. After adjusting for age, energy intake, aggressiveness of surgery and tumour stage, fistula occurrence rate and LoS were similar in both groups irrespective of the type of formula. CONCLUSIONS: Use of arginine-enriched enteral nutrition appears to decrease the occurrence of fistulas in the postoperative period in patients with head and neck cancer, with a resultant reduction in length of hospital stay. However, the differences disappeared after adjusting for age, tumour stage, or aggressiveness of the surgery.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa Coharboring BlaKPC-2 and BlaVIM-2 Carbapenemase Genes.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a bacterium commonly isolated from hospital settings, exhibits intrinsic resistance to a number of antibiotics and can acquire resistance during antibiotic therapy. Resistance towards carbapenems is increasing due to its overuse in the treatment of infections caused by extended-spectrum ß-lactamase (ESBL) producing organisms. Nonetheless, carbapenems are essential for the treatment of high-risk infections and are one of the remaining weapons in the fight against "extreme drug resistance" of Gram-negative/positive bacilli. Herein, we describe a case report of infections caused by P. aeruginosa strains that carry blaVIM-2 and blaKPC-2 carbapenemase genes simultaneously, identified in five patients who were admitted to a high complexity health institution in Colombia. Molecular characterization included PCR screening for blaKPC, blaGES, blaOXA-48, blaIMP, blaNDM, and blaVIM carbapenemase and other resistance genes as well as analysis of the genetic relationships by genome macro-restriction and Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE) separation. In conclusion, these infections represent a major challenge to public health due to the risk of the infection spreading compounded by the fact that limited treatment options are available, thereby increasing the risk of increased morbidity and mortality.

Influence of thyroid peroxidase antibodies on TSH levels of pregnant women and maternal-fetal complications. / Influencia de los anticuerpos antiperoxidasa tiroidea en los valores de TSH de gestantes y en las complicaciones materno-fetales.

INTRODUCTION: During pregnancy, thyroid peroxidase (TPO) antibodies may increase the risk of developing subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH). Both conditions appear to be associated to maternal-fetal complications. The objectives of this study were to analyze if a relationship exists between TSH and TPO levels during pregnancy and the potential effects on gestational and perinatal complications, and to assess whether detectable, but not positive, TPO levels have an impact on development of gestational SCH. METHODS: A prospective study was conducted at the Leon Health Area (CAULE), where universal screening for gestational thyroid dysfunction is performed between weeks 7-13 of pregnancy. Data on TSH and TPO levels and gestational and perinatal complications were collected for all 2016 deliveries. Positive TPO antibodies were defined as values≥35IU/mL. In a previous study, a TSH level>3.72mU/L was established as the cut-off value for gestational SCH. RESULTS: Records corresponding to 1,980 deliveries at CAULE, 21 abortions, and 18 deliveries outside the hospital were analyzed. Of the 1,670 pregnant women screened (84.34%), 142 (8.50%) had positive TPO antibodies and their presence was associated to diagnosis of SCH (P<0.01) and to significantly higher mean TSH levels (3.51mU/L vs. 2.46mU/L, P=0.03). There were no significant differences in gestational or neonatal complications. In the group with undetectable TPO antibodies (<10lU/mL), the mean TSH levels was slightly lower than in the group with TPO values ranging from 10-35 IU/mL, but the difference was not significant (P=0.89). CONCLUSION: Presence of positive TPO antibodies is associated to higher TSH levels and higher risk of gestational SCH, but does not increase the rate of maternal-fetal complications.

Using a biocultural approach to examine migration/globalization, diet quality, and energy balance.

The aim of this paper is to examine the role and impact that globalization and migration (e.g., intra-/intercontinental, urban/rural, and circular) have had on diet patterns, diet quality, and energy balance as reported on in the literature during the last 20 years. Published literature from the fields of anthropology, public health, nutrition, and other disciplines (e.g., economics) was collected and reviewed. In addition, case studies from the authors' own research are presented in order to elaborate on key points and dietary trends identified in the literature. While this review is not intended to be comprehensive, the findings suggest that the effects of migration and globalization on diet quality and energy balance are neither lineal nor direct, and that the role of social and physical environments, culture, social organization, and technology must be taken into account to better understand this relationship. Moreover, concepts such as acculturation and the nutrition transition do not necessarily explain or adequately describe all of the global processes that shape diet quality and energy balance. Theories from nutritional anthropology and critical bio-cultural medical anthropology are used to tease out some of these complex interrelationships.

Influencia de los anticuerpos antiperoxidasa tiroidea en los valores de TSH de gestantes y en las complicaciones materno-fetales / Influence of thyroid peroxidase antibodies on TSH levels of pregnant women and maternal-fetal complications

Introducción: Los anticuerpos antiperoxidasa tiroidea (ATPO) en la gestación pueden influir en el desarrollo de hipotiroidismo subclínico gestacional (HSG). Ambas entidades parecen asociarse a complicaciones maternas y fetales. Los objetivos de este estudio son analizar si existe relación entre los valores de TSH y ATPO durante el embarazo, los posibles efectos sobre complicaciones gestacionales y perinatales, y valorar si los ATPO detectables, pero no positivos, influyen en el desarrollo de HSG. Metodología: Estudio prospectivo realizado en el área sanitaria del Complejo Asistencial Universitario de León (CAULE), donde se realiza cribado universal para disfunción tiroidea gestacional entre la semana 7-13 de gestación. Se recogieron datos de TSH, ATPO, obstétricos y neonatales de los partos de 2016. Se considera ATPO positivo si≥35UI/ml. En estudio previo se estableció valor TSH>3,72 mU/L como corte para HSG. Resultados: Se analizaron registros correspondientes a 1.980 partos en CAULE, 21 abortos y 18 partos fuera del centro. Se realizó cribado a 1.670 gestantes (84,34%): 142(8,50%) tuvieron ATPO positivos. La detección de ATPO positivo se asoció con el diagnóstico de HSG (p<0,01) y con media de TSH significativamente mayor (3,51 vs. 2,46mU/L; p=0,03). No encontramos diferencias significativas en las complicaciones gestacionales o neonatales. En el grupo con ATPO indetectable (<10Ul/ml) la media de TSH fue ligeramente inferior que en el grupo con valores de ATPO 10-35UI/ml, pero sin diferencias significativas (p=0,89). Conclusión: La presencia de ATPO positivo se asocia con valores de TSH más elevados y con mayor riesgo de HSG, pero no incrementa la tasa de complicaciones materno-fetales

Introduction: During pregnancy, thyroid peroxidase (TPO) antibodies may increase the risk of developing subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH). Both conditions appear to be associated to maternal-fetal complications. The objectives of this study were to analyze if a relationship exists between TSH and TPO levels during pregnancy and the potential effects on gestational and perinatal complications, and to assess whether detectable, but not positive, TPO levels have an impact on development of gestational SCH. Methods: A prospective study was conducted at the Leon Health Area (CAULE), where universal screening for gestational thyroid dysfunction is performed between weeks 7-13 of pregnancy. Data on TSH and TPO levels and gestational and perinatal complications were collected for all 2016 deliveries. Positive TPO antibodies were defined as values≥35IU/mL. In a previous study, a TSH level>3.72mU/L was established as the cut-off value for gestational SCH. Results: Records corresponding to 1,980 deliveries at CAULE, 21 abortions, and 18 deliveries outside the hospital were analyzed. Of the 1,670 pregnant women screened (84.34%), 142 (8.50%) had positive TPO antibodies and their presence was associated to diagnosis of SCH (P<0.01) and to significantly higher mean TSH levels (3.51mU/L vs. 2.46mU/L, P=0.03). There were no significant differences in gestational or neonatal complications. In the group with undetectable TPO antibodies (<10lU/mL), the mean TSH levels was slightly lower than in the group with TPO values ranging from 10-35 IU/mL, but the difference was not significant (P=0.89). Conclusion: Presence of positive TPO antibodies is associated to higher TSH levels and higher risk of gestational SCH, but does not increase the rate of maternal-fetal complications

Adequacy of pathology reports of specimens from patients with differentiated thyroid cancer.

This study aims to investigate the adequacy of pathology reports of specimens from patients with differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) operated in our institution. Retrospective analysis of the pathology reports of all patients diagnosed with DTC in our area, from 1 January 2006 through 30 June 2011, was done. Sixty-eight patients were diagnosed with DTC. All reports were descriptive. In all the reports, but one, one or more core data items (according to the Royal College of Pathologists) were missing. Information about 1 and 2 items was lacking in 7.4 and 42.6 % of the reports, respectively. The rest were missing three or more data. Lymphovascular invasion, histology subtype, and completeness of excision were, in this order, the three most frequently omitted data. Sometimes, the information in question was not explicitly expressed but could be extrapolated from the data available. The pathology reports of DTC specimens frequently miss some of the information considered necessary to provide a comprehensive patient care.