Sex-specific fat mass ratio cutoff value identifies a high prevalence of cardio-metabolic disorders in people living with HIV.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: HIV-associated lipodystrophy syndrome (HALS) contributes to the increased cardiovascular risk connoting people living with HIV (PLHIV). HALS recognition, based on clinical ground, may be inaccurate urging an objective instrumental diagnosis. The aim of this study is to search for the DXA-derived fat mass ratio (FMR) threshold, among those suggested for the diagnosis of HALS, able to identify PLHIV at high cardiovascular risk. METHODS AND RESULTS: In a cross-sectional analysis of 101 PLHIV (age 53 ± 11 years, men 55%) and 101 age- and sex-matched uninfected controls, DXA-derived FMR and anthropometric as well as cardio-metabolic parameters were assessed. PLHIV showed a higher FMR (1.15 ± 0.42 vs 0.95 ± 0.18, p < 0.01) together with a greater cardio-metabolic derangement than controls, in spite of lower BMI (24.3 ± 4.3 vs 26.9 ± 4.0 kg/m2, p < 0.01) and fat mass index (FMI, 6.6 ± 3.0 vs 9.2 ± 3.1 kg/m2, p < 0.01). Particularly, PLHIV with HALS (n = 28), defined as those with a FMR above 1.260 and 1.329 for men and women, respectively, had a greater prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (18% vs 1%), insulin resistance (68% vs 27%), hypertriglyceridemia (50% vs 29%), hypertension (61% vs 30%) and metabolic syndrome (32% vs 10%) than those without HALS (p < 0.05 for all comparisons) and controls. At multivariate analyses, FMR in PLHIV was significantly associated (p < 0.05) with fasting glucose (ß [95%CI] = 0.5, [0.1-0.9]), insulin (44.6, [14.9-74.2]), HOMA-IR (1.6, [0.5-2.7]), triglycerides (1.0, [ 0.2-1.8]) and HDL-cholesterol (-2.1, [-3.9/-0.4]) levels. CONCLUSION: Sex-specific FMR thresholds, proposed for diagnosis of HALS, could represent new indices of cardio-metabolic derangement in PLHIV.

Effect of 1-year oral cholecalciferol on a metabolic profile and blood pressure in poor-controlled type 2 diabetes mellitus: an open-label randomized controlled pilot study.

PURPOSE: Hypovitaminosis D has been associated with many cardio-metabolic disorders, although their pathogenetic link still remains unclear. Our aim was to evaluate whether 1-year vitamin D (D) supplementation could improve glycemic control, lipid profile, systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure levels and body composition. METHODS: In an open-label randomized-controlled pilot study, thirty poor-controlled (HbA1c > 59 mmol/mol) type 2 diabetic patients (age 71.5 ± 3.2 years, M/F 21/9, BMI 29.8 ± 3.6 kg/m2) with hypovitaminosis D (25OHD 22.0 ± 11.3 nmol/l) were randomized to cholecalciferol supplementation (500 UI/kg p.o. weekly, + D) or observation (- D) for one year. Changes in parameters of glucose, lipid and blood pressure control at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months vs. baseline were assessed. RESULTS: One-year D supplementation restored D status and had a beneficial effect on fasting glucose (FG, mean percentage changes ± SD, - 1.8% ± 23.1 vs. + 18.8% ± 30.0), glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c, - 13.7% ± 14.5 vs. - 4.2% ± 14.1), SBP (- 13.4% ± 8.5 vs. - 2.4% ± 12.6) and HDL-cholesterol levels (- 2.1% ± 14.0 vs. - 10.9% ± 12.9; p < 0.05 for all comparisons) in + D vs. - D patients, respectively. In the former, a reduction in HBA1c, SBP and DBP levels, BMI, fat mass index (FMI) and ratio (FMR) was observed after 1 year (p < 0.05 for all comparisons vs. baseline). We noticed a relationship between 1-year mean percentage changes of serum 25OHD and SBP levels (R = - 0.36, p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: One-year cholecalciferol supplementation, able to restore D status, significantly improves FG, HbA1c, SBP and HDL-cholesterol levels in patients with poor-controlled type 2 diabetes mellitus and D deficiency.

Denial and oncological pathology: Case report of a massive testicular cancer.

LITERATURE: The cancer of testicles represents 1% of male neoplasms and 5% of urological malignant neoplasm. Its incidence has been growing in Western societies. Cancer of testicles usually presents as an increase of consistence in one testicles and absence of pain, as a casual ultrasound scan finding, or it could be highlighted by a scrotal injury. The surgical treatment is either radical orchiectomy or radical orchiectomy plus retroperitoneal lymph node dissection. CASE PRESENTATION: The case presented concerns a 48-year-old male with a history of left testicular trauma and subsequent hypotrophy. Over the next 4 years, the patient developed a testicle size increase up to 15 cm in diameter. At diagnosis, he had retroperitoneal lymphadenopathy. The patient was, after surgery, referred to the oncology department. CONCLUSION: The awareness of the male population respect to testicular cancer and its screening methods (e.g. self-examination) is essential to make the diagnosis at an early stage. It is also essential to psychologically support patients undergoing surgical and/or pharmacological therapy due to risk of determining anxiety or depression compared to the whole population.

The importance of psychosexual counselling in the re-establishment of organic and erotic functions after penile prosthesis implantation.

Although many studies about penile prosthesis implantation (PPI) have been published so far, only a small amount of them take into account patients and partners outcome in terms of satisfaction and erotic function. The aim of this study is to explore the value of psycosexual counselling in and the sexual and erotic function of penile prosthesis recipients. Thirty patients and their partners were randomised into two groups. In arm A (case group) patients and their partners underwent a multistep psychosexual counselling before and after surgery. In arm B (control group) surgery was performed without the specific psychosexual counselling scheme. Specific questionnaires (International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) and the Sexual Daydreaming Scale (SDS)) were administered before surgery and 12 months afterwards. Twenty-four months postoperatively patients were asked to complete the Global Assessment Questions (GAQ) and the Erectile Dysfunction Inventory of Treatment Satisfaction (EDITS), while their partners were asked to answer to the EDITS partner's section. Between January 2009 and October 2011, we enrolled 30 patients undergoing PPI in our institution (15 in each arm). Twenty-four months postoperative follow-up is available for all of them. No significant differences between the two groups in terms of baseline questionnaires scores were observed. Mean IIEF score was significantly higher in case group (arm A 68.3, arm B 53.4, P-value<0.001). At 12 months after PPI the improvement of erotic function according to SDS was significantly higher in the study group for both patients and their partners. Improvement in satisfaction rates were confirmed at 24 months, with statistically significant scores for EDITS in arm A patients and partners as compared with arm B. PPI with a pre- and postoperative psychosexual counselling scheme resulted in better postoperative sexual activity and erotic function for both patients and partners than PPI alone.

Cardiovascular risk and metabolic syndrome in primary hyperparathyroidism and their correlation to different clinical forms.

Cardiometabolic disorders have been associated with primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT), while the relationship of cardiovascular risk score (CRS) and metabolic syndrome (MS) with different clinical presentation of PHPT remains undefined. Our aim was to evaluate CRS, MS and its components in PHPT looking for their correlation to different clinical forms. In 68 consecutive PHPT patients and 68 matched controls, CRS, MS and its components were assessed to perform an observational case-control study at an ambulatory referral center for Bone Metabolism Diseases. Patients were stratified in symptomatic and asymptomatic PHPT; these latter were divided in high-risk and low-risk subgroups for end-organ damage. An increased proportion of PHPT patients had intermediate-high CRS and MS (mean, 95 % Confidence Interval (CI) 51.5 %, 39.6-63.3 and 20.6 %, 11.0-30.2, respectively, p < 0.02 vs. controls). Intermediate-high CRS was prevalent both in symptomatic and low-risk asymptomatic PHPT while MS resulted prevalent in low-risk asymptomatic but not in symptomatic PHPT. Type 2 DM, IFG, mixed dyslipidemia, hypertriglyceridemia, HDL-hypocholesterolemia, and LDL-hypercholesterolemia predominated in low-risk asymptomatic, while only LDL-hypercholesterolemia prevailed also in symptomatic PHPT. In patients and controls without cardiometabolic risk factors, HOMA-IR index was significantly increased in PHPT vs. controls (p < 0.03) and associated to total calcium (R = 0.73; p < 0.001). By multivariate analysis low-risk asymptomatic PHPT predicted MS after adjusting for age, sex, and BMI. Our data show an increased frequency of intermediate-high CRS both in symptomatic and low-risk asymptomatic PHPT while MS prevails in low-risk asymptomatic PHPT, supporting the potential for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality also in this form.

Effect of the adsorption of lithium and borate species on the zeta potential of particles of cobalt ferrite, nickel ferrite, and magnetite.

Zetametric measurements on suspensions of oxide particles (cobalt ferrite, nickel ferrite, and magnetite) representative of corrosion products from primary circuits of pressurized water reactors were performed at 25 and 70 degrees C in the presence of lithium and borate species. No effect of lithium ions was observed. Borate species cause a decrease of the isoelectric point (IEP), attributed to the sorption of borate as a negative complex MOB(OH)3(-). A predictive model based on thermodynamic calculations (2-pK and diffuse layer models) of the surface acidity constants from the data of acid-base titrations combined with an empirical relationship between the surface potential Psi 0 and the zeta potential determined by zetametry was developed. A whole set of parameters valid at 25 degrees C, in a range of ionic strength between 10(-4) and 10(-2) molL(-1) and in a range of pH between 4 and 8, was determined for this model. Increase of temperature to 70 degrees C in the presence of borate results in a decrease of IEP for cobalt ferrite and an increase of the IEP for nickel ferrite.

MP-Link cementless distal fixation modular prosthesis for revision total hip arthroplasty.

The aseptic loosening of the femoral stem may require different treatments due to the complex problems related to the bone resorption (qualitatively and quantitatively): a minimum bone stock loss may result in a periprosthetic resorption that is so severe to make the fixation of the revision prosthesis extremely difficult. The revision surgery of a loosened hip prosthesis is often characterized by a complex reconstruction due to such severe loss of femoral bone tissue. We illustrate our experience with MP-Link modular stem (Waldemar Link, Hamburg, Germany) in cases of severe bone loss of the metaphyseal area and of the proximal third of the femoral shaft, assessing the technological developments (materials and design) over the years and examining the pros and cons of cementless distalfixation modular stems versus the traditional Wagner's stem.