An effective algorithm to detect the possibility of being MSI phenotype in endometrial cancer given the BMI status and histological subtype: a statistical study.

PURPOSE: In endometrial cancer, the incidence of mutations in mismatch repair genes (MMR) is estimated at 17-30%. Patients with alterations at this level (MSI) are known to have different clinical and anatomopathological characteristics than those without this genetic alteration (MSS). In this study, we aim to identify the MSI phenotype in patients who underwent hysterectomy for endometrial cancer. We assessed the correlation of this phenotype with anatomoclinical parameters such as obesity and histological subtype. METHODS/PATIENTS: Clinical and anatomopathological data were collected from 147 patients diagnosed with endometrial cancer and an immunohistochemical study of MMR system proteins was performed. PMS2 and MSH6 proteins were evaluated as primary screening and subsequent evaluation of MLH1 and MSH6, respectively, if the former were negative. Statistical association between the anatomopathological data and the immunohistochemical result was analyzed. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: 22.4% of our patients were MSI phenotype. We obtained statistically significant differences by multivariate analysis between endometrioid subtype and higher FIGO classification grade with MSI phenotype and obesity with MSS phenotype. Given these statistical results, we propose a function for predicting the probability of being MSI phenotype taking into account the histological subtype (endometrioid/non-endometrioid carcinoma) and FIGO grade as well as obesity. This prediction may be useful prior to hysterectomy, for genetic study of the MLH1 promoter and subsequent genetic counseling.

Prognostic Impact of Sarcopenia in Patients with Advanced Prostate Carcinoma: A Systematic Review.

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second most common cancer in men and the fifth leading cause of death from cancer. The possibility of sarcopenia being a prognostic factor in advanced PCa patients has recently become a subject of interest. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the prognostic value of sarcopenia in advanced prostate carcinoma. A systematic review was conducted in Medline, EMBASE, and Web of Science (March, 2021). The quality of studies was assessed using the Quality in Prognosis Studies tool. Meta-analyses for overall, cancer-specific, and progression-free survival were performed. Nine studies (n = 1659) were included. Sarcopenia was borderline associated with a shorter overall survival (HR = 1.20, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.44, P = 0.04, I2 = 43%) but was significantly associated with progression-free survival (HR = 1.61, 95% CI: 1.26, 2.06, P < 0.01; k = 3; n = 588). Available evidence supports sarcopenia as an important prognostic factor of progression-free survival in patients with advanced PCa. However, sarcopenia has a weak association with a shorter overall survival. The evidence on the role of sarcopenia in prostate-cancer-specific survival is insufficient and supports the need for further research. Patient summary: The literature was reviewed to determine whether the loss of muscle mass (sarcopenia) affects the survival in patients with advanced PCa. Patients with advanced PCa and sarcopenia were found to have a shorter progression-free survival (the length of time during and after treatment of a cancer that the patient lives with the disease but it does not get worse), but sarcopenia did not have much influence on the overall survival and cancer-specific survival (the length of time from either the date of diagnosis or the start of treatment to the date of death due to the cancer).

Dynamic Evaluation of Patellofemoral Instability: A Clinical Reality or Just a Research Field? A Literature review.

Patellofemoral instability (PFI) is one of the most disabling conditions in the knee, often affecting young individuals. Despite its not uncommon presentation, the underlying biomechanical features leading to this entity are not entirely understood. The suitability of classic physical examination manoeuvres and imaging tests is a matter of discussion among treating surgeons, and so are the findings provided by these means. A potential cause for this lack of consensus is the fact that, classically, the diagnostic approach for PFI has relied on statically obtained data. Many authors advocate for the study of this entity in a dynamic scenario, closer to the actual situation in which the instability episodes occur. In this literature review, we have compiled the available data from the last decades regarding dynamic evaluation methods for PFI and related conditions. Several categories are presented, grouping the related techniques and devices: physical examination, imaging modalities (ultrasound (US), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT) and combined methods), arthroscopic evaluation, and others. In conclusion, although a vast number of quality studies are presented, in which comprehensive data about the biomechanics of the patellofemoral joint (PFJ) are described, this evidence has not yet reached clinical practice universally. Most of the data still stays in the research field and is seldom employed to assist a better understanding of the PFI cases and their ideal treatment targets.

Factors Associated with Stunting among Children Aged 0 to 59 Months from the Central Region of Mozambique.

The objective of this study was to identify the major socio-demographic, health, and environmental determinants of stunting among children aged 0-59 months from the Tete province (Mozambique) and offering useful information for future healthcare strategies and interventions. A case-control study was conducted among 282 (162 boys; 120 girls) children under five years of age from the central region of Mozambique between 1 May and 3 June 2014. Children with stunting (HAZ < -2 SD according to the WHO Child Growth Standards in 2006) were considered as cases and those who had a Z-score < -2 SD were considered as controls. We collected data related to mothers and children and their environment, and they were assessed in two groups to find a possible association. The software used for data analysis was the SPSS®(version, 21.0) using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, chi-square analyses, bivariate comparisons, and stepwise multiple logistic regression analysis. The results showed that birth weight, mother's educational status, maternal occupation, living in a rural area, family size, number of children under five years of age in the household, cooking with charcoal, inhabiting wooden or straw housing or housing without proper floors, overall duration of breastfeeding as well as duration of exclusive breastfeeding, and time of initiation of complementary feeding were significantly related to stunting. Thus, appropriate nutritional intervention programmes considering these determinants and the dissemination of knowledge at the population level related to undernutrition are necessary to ameliorate the children´s nutritional status.

Renal colic at emergency departments. Epidemiologic, diagnostic and etiopathogenic study.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate epidemiologic, etiopathogenic and clinical factors associated with emergency renal colic (RC). METHODS ANDS RESULTS: We performed a prospective cross-sectional multicenter case-control study of 146 patients treated for RC at emergency departments. Data collected included age, sex, localization/severity of pain, symptoms, personal/family medical history, urine analysis, etiopathogenic factors, chemical composition of the lithiasis, and x-ray studies. Comparative statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 12.2 software. RC was more frequent in men; maximum incidence was between 31-50 years for both sex, with 36.3% in men and 21.23% in women; 60.27% of patients rated pain as severe; 140 RC patients (95.89%) had urologic antecedents vs. 15 (10.27%) controls without RC (p<0.001). The most frequent presentation (93.83%) was sudden intense lumbar-abdominal or lumbar pain; 23.28% of RC patients had family history for urinary lithiasis vs. 6.16% controls (p<0,001). Most RC patients were seen during summer (36.58%), 82% of RC patients drank <2L of water daily vs. 18.49% in non-RC patients (p<0.001). Hematuria was found in 132 (90.41%) patients with RC vs. 17 (11.64%) in those without (p<0.001). Lithiasis was observed by KUB x-ray in 42.10% of RC patients vs. 57.89% controls, most frequent calculi composition was calcium oxalate monohydrate and dehydrate (61,2%). CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of urinary lithiasis and RC in our health care area shows a male predominance. The characteristic pain of RC is severe and appears suddenly. It starts in the back (lumbar region), below the ribs, radiating towards the groin and external genitals (testicles in man or major lips in woman) on the same side. Nausea and vomiting are frequent. Family history of urinary lithiasis and low water intake are risk factors that need to be investigated. 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. The most frequent component of urolithiasis in our study, as well as in other studies, was calcium oxalate monohydrate and dihydrate.