Collagen I and collagen III polymorphisms in women with pelvic organ prolapse.

AIMS: Verify the presence of the single nucleotide polymorphisms rs1800012 of the collagen I (COL1A1) and rs1800255 of the collagen III (COL3A1) genes and their association with pelvic organ prolapse (POP) in Brazilian women and to determine risk factors for POP. METHODS: We assessed 826 postmenopausal women divided into POP (stages III and IV) and control groups (stages 0 and I) by examination and peripheral blood sample collection. DNA sequences of interest were analyzed by real-time reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. We used logistic regression analyses, recessive and codominance models of inheritance, and P < .05 for significance. RESULTS: Six-hundred and thirty-four postmenopausal women were included: 348 (54.8%) POP cases and 286 (45.1%) controls. The frequencies of GG, GA, and AA genotypes for COL1A1 were 69.12%, 20.24%, and 10.59% in POP group and 71.79%, 20%, and 8.21% in controls; GG, GT, and TT for COL3A1 were 37.54%, 59.53%, and 2.93% in POP group and 36.24%, 60.14%, and 3.62% in controls. There were no genotypic or allelic association with POP phenotype that link both SNPs rs1800012 and rs1800255 to increased risk of POP. Vaginal delivery (odds ratio [OR] = 13; 95% confidence interval [CI] [4.00-47.08]), POP family history (OR = 3.1; 95% CI [1.49-6.50]), diabetes mellitus (OR = 2.3; 95% CI [1.08-5.21]), number of pregnancies (OR = 1.2; 95% CI [1.05-1.36]), and age (OR = 1.1; 95% CI [1.09-1.19]), were variables of increased risk for POP (P < .05 for all). CONCLUSION: Our study suggests lack of association between DNA polymorphisms rs1800012 of COL1A1 and rs1800255 of COL3A1 with advanced POP. Vaginal delivery, POP family history, diabetes mellitus, number of pregnancies, and age are risk factors for POP.

Avaliação do Conhecimento em Cuidados Paliativos em Estudantes durante o Curso de Medicina / Evaluation of Medical Students' Knowledge of Palliative Care

RESUMO Introdução É crescente a necessidade de uso de cuidados paliativos (e de suporte em cuidados) nas áreas de saúde, em especial na Medicina. Isto acontece devido ao envelhecimento populacional e ao aumento da prevalência das doenças crônicas não transmissíveis, especialmente câncer metastático e demência avançada. Assim, é muito importante iniciar o processo de ensino-aprendizagem em cuidados paliativos já no curso de graduação em Medicina. Objetivo Avaliar os conhecimentos em cuidados paliativos (CCP)em alunos do curso de Medicina da Escola Superior de Ciências da Saúde (Brasília, DF), bem como averiguar se há ganho de CCP entre os alunos da primeira, quarta e sexta séries. Método Realizou-se um estudo transversal com aplicação de questionário anônimo, com perguntas sobre idade, gênero e mais 19 perguntas sobre CCP. Tais questionários foram aplicados separadamente aos alunos da primeira, quarta e sexta séries do curso de Medicina. Foi usado o teste de Kolmogorov-Smirnov (análise de normalidade). Já o teste de Kruskal-Wallis comparou os três grupos (primeira, quarta e sexta séries), e, caso houvesse diferença com significância estatística, a análise post hoc seria realizada com o teste de Mann-Whitney com correção de Bonferroni (valor de p significativo se <0,016).Resultados: Participaram do estudo 193 estudantes (taxa de inclusão:76,8%;IC95%:71,0%-81,8%), com idades de 23,6±4,3 anos, sendo 100 mulheres (51,8%). Os CCP baseados no número de respostas consideradas corretas por aluno na primeira, quarta e sexta séries foram, em mediana (interquartil), 4,00(2,00-5,00), 10,00(9,00-12,75) e 12,00(10,25-14,00), respectivamente (p< 0,001). Quando comparadas diretamente a primeira com a quarta série, e a primeira com a sexta série, a diferença estatística persiste (p<0,001 e p<0,001, respectivamente); já a comparação entre quarta e sexta séries não demonstra diferença estatística significativa (p:0,041). Conclusão O CCP entre os alunos não é bom, e o ganho de CCP entre a quarta e a sexta série não apresentou significância estatística. Isto denota a necessidade de melhorar o processo de ensino-aprendizagem em cuidados paliativos, principalmente nos cenários do internato.

ABSTRACT Background There is a growing need to use palliative care (and support care) in health areas, particularly in Medicine. This is due to an aging population and the increased prevalence of chronic non-communicable diseases, especially metastatic cancer and advanced dementia. Thus, it is very important to start the teaching-learning process in palliative care during undergraduate medical training. Purpose To evaluate: (1) knowledge in palliative care (KPC) among medical students at the Escola Superior de Ciências da Saúde medical school (Brasília, DF), and (2) the gain in KPC among first, fourth and sixth-year students. Method A cross-sectional study involved the application of an anonymous questionnaire with questions about age, gender, and 19 questions about KPC. These questionnaires were applied separately to the students. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was applied. Thereafter, the Kruskal-Wallis test compared the 3 groups (first, fourth and sixth year students), and when any statistically significant difference was verified, post hoc analysis was performed using the Mann-Whitney test with Bonferroni correction (p < 0.016).Results: The study included 193 students (inclusion rate: 76.8%; 95%CI: 71.0%-81.8%), 23.6±4.3 years-old, 100 women (51.8%). The median KPC(interquartile) scores based on the number of correct responses per student of the first, fourth and sixth year of the course were: 4.00(2.00-5.00), 10.00(9.00-12.75), 12.00(10.25-14.00), respectively (p <0.001). When directly comparing the first and fourth year students, and the first and sixth year students, the statistical difference persists (p <0.001 and p <0.001, respectively); but the analysis between fourth and sixth year students shows no statistical difference (p=0.041). Conclusion KPC among our students is limited, and KPC gain between the fourth and sixth years of study was not statistically significant. This shows the need to improve the process of teaching and learning in palliative care, especially in internship scenarios.

Reprocessing high-flux polysulfone dialyzers does not negatively impact solute removal in short-daily online hemodiafiltration.

There are no studies evaluating the impact of dialyzer reprocessing on solute removal in short-daily online hemodiafiltration (OL-HDF). Our aim was to evaluate the impact of dialyzer reuse on solute removal in daily OL-HDF and compare with that in high-flux short-daily hemodialysis (SDH). Fourteen patients undergoing a SDH program were included. Pre-dialysis and post-dialysis blood samples and effluent dialysate were collected in the 1st, 7th, and 13th dialyzer uses in SDH sessions and in daily OL-HDF sessions. Directly quantified small solute (urea, phosphorus, creatinine, and uric acid) total mass removal (TM(DQ)) and clearance (K(DQ)) were similar when the 1st, 7th, and 13th dialyzer SDH uses were compared with the 1st, 7th, and 13th daily OL-HDF uses. TMDQ and K(DQ) of small solutes were similar among analyzed dialyzer uses in SDH sessions and in daily OL-HDF sessions. ß2-Microglobulin TM(DQ) and K(DQ) were statistically higher in daily OL-HDF dialyzer uses than in the respective SDH uses. There was no difference in ß2-microglobulin TM(DQ) and K(DQ) among dialyzer uses in daily OL-HDF sessions or in SDH sessions. In daily OL-HDF, albumin loss was significantly different among dialyzer uses (P < 0.001), being lower in the 7th and 13th dialyzer uses than in the first use. Dialyzer reprocessing did not impair solute extraction in daily OL-HDF. ß2-Microglobulin removal was greater in daily OL-HDF than in SDH sessions, without significant differences in other solutes extraction. There was a significant reduction in intradialytic albumin loss with dialyzer reprocessing in daily OL-HDF sessions.

The potential role of C-reactive protein in distinguishing cytomegalovirus from tuberculosis and bacterial infections in renal transplant recipients.

INTRODUCTION: The delay in the diagnosis of infections can be deleterious in renal transplant recipients. Thus, laboratory tests leading to an earlier diagnosis are very useful for these patients. PURPOSE: To assess the behavior of C-reactive protein (CRP) in renal transplant recipients with a diagnosis of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection, tuberculosis (TB) and bacterial infection (BI). METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 129 patients admitted at our hospital, from 2006 to 2008 because of CMV, TB or BI, was carried out. Appropriate statistical analysis was done and values were expressed as medians, range. RESULTS: When CRP levels were compared among the groups with CMV disease, TB or BI, the group with CMV disease presented lower levels of CRP (18.4 mg/L, 0.28-44 mg/L) than the TB and BI (p < 0.05) groups. The area under the receiver-operating characteristics curve, distinguishing CMV disease from TB/BI, was 0.96 (p < 0.0001), resulting in 100% sensitivity and 90.63% specificity to detect CMV disease when CRP < 44.5 mg/L. The subgroup analysis of CMV infection showed increasing levels of CRP (0.28, 16 and 29.5 mg/L) in the asymptomatic, symptomatic and invasive disease subgroups, respectively (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The measurement of CRP levels may be a useful tool for differentiating CMV infection from the other types (bacterial or TB) of infection in kidney transplant recipients.

Pruritus in hemodialysis patients: the problem remains.

Pruritus is still one of the most common and disturbing symptoms of end-stage renal disease. The objective of this study is to analyze the prevalence of pruritus in hemodialysis patients and the possible factors implicated in its genesis. In a cross-sectional study, 101 patients on hemodialysis at our center were screened for pruritus. The relationship of various factors with pruritus was evaluated. Of the 101 patients included, 31(30.7%) had pruritus at the time of examination. Patients with pruritus were significantly older than those without pruritus (P=0.0027). Pruritus tended to be more prevalent in patients undergoing dialysis 3 times a week than in those undergoing daily dialysis, but the difference did not reach statistical significance (P=0.0854). Lower transferrin saturation levels were found in patients with pruritus than in those without pruritus (P=0.0144). C-reactive protein levels were significantly higher in patients with pruritus than in those without pruritus (P=0.0013). There was no significant difference between the groups in the levels of the other inflammatory biomarkers measured. However, there was a tendency toward a correlation between the levels of alpha-1-glycoprotein and the intensity of pruritus (P=0.0834). Our results suggest a possible relationship of the inflammatory response upregulation to pruritus. Additionally, there was a positive relationship between pruritus and iron deficiency, possibly associated with inflammatory elevation of hepcidin. A better understanding of the factors implicated in the genesis of pruritus related to end-stage renal disease is crucial in the development of more effective treatments for this symptom.