The Comprehensive Management of Patients with Rhino-Orbito-Cerebral Mucormycosis; A Perspective from Antifungal Treatment to Prosthetic Rehabilitation: A Descriptive Cohort Study.

Surgical intervention is a key element in the management of patients diagnosed with mucormycosis. A retrospective cohort study was carried out, in which patients with a proven diagnosis of mucormycosis were evaluated over a period of 10 years, according to the MSGERC criteria. A descriptive analysis of the clinical characteristics, comorbidities, imaging, and microbiology studies, as well as medical and surgical treatment and the type of prosthesis was carried out. A total of 22 cases were identified, of which 54.5% (n = 12) of the population were men. Furthermore, 77.2% (n = 17) of the population had diabetes mellitus. The main antifungal treatment implemented was liposomal amphotericin B (77.2%, n = 17). The most affected structures in our patients were the paranasal sinuses (n = 18; 81%), followed by the maxilla and orbit (n = 15; 68%), nose (n = 12; 54%), central nervous system (n = 11; 50%), and skin and soft tissues (n = 2; <1%). Of the total population, 59.09% (n = 13) of patients underwent maxillofacial surgery, of which 61.53% (n = 8) required some type of prosthetic rehabilitation. Orbital exenteration and maxillectomy were the most frequent surgeries, accounting for 69.23% (n = 9), while skull base drainage was performed in four patients (30.76%). Of the total number of patients (n = 22), eight died (36.36%). Appropriate surgical management according to the affected structures, considering not only increasing the patient's survival, but also considering the aesthetic and functional consequences, will require subsequent rehabilitation.

Identification and morphological characterization of different types of plastic microparticles.

The knowledge of the polymeric composition of microplastics (MPs) is interesting because offers useful information on the resistance, durability, and degradability of these materials, also allowing progress in the control of this contamination. However, there is currently a lack of reliable standardized methods for the identification, and characterization of the plastic microparticles. This work uses different techniques in a complementary manner for the identification, and characterization of MPs that more frequently are found in the environment. A total of 10 types of plastics were collected (polystyrene (PS), polyethylene terephthalate (PETE), polyethylene (PE), high- and low-density polyethylene (HDPE and LDPE, respectively), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polypropylene (PP), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), Polyamide (PA, Nylon 6,6) and poly-carbonate (PC)) and their chemical identification were analyzed by reflectance-attenuated infrared (FTIR-ATR). Furthermore, the samples were observed using light microscopy, and scan-ning electron microscopy (SEM). Also, staining with 12 different dyes was performed to improve the identification of microplastics. The results of this study revealed that PETE, PE, HDPE and LDPE, whose SEM images exhibited smoothness and flat uniformity of their surface, were not (or less) susceptible to adsorb staining solutions while PP, PA, PVC, and PTFE, were capable of adsorbing the dye solutions.

Factores que influyen en la adherencia al tratamiento nutricional en pacientes hipertensos, Paraguay 2021 / Factors that influence adherence to nutritional treatment in hypertensive patients, Paraguay 2021

Introducción: el tratamiento nutricional está afectado por la conducta de los sujetos para generar adherencia. Objetivo: determinar factores que influyen en la no adherencia al tratamiento nutricional en pacientes hipertensos que acuden al Hospital Regional de Coronel Oviedo, 2021. Metodología: estudio descriptivo transversal. La población estuvo comprendida por pacientes registrados en el Programa de hipertensión arterial/Departamento cardiovascular del Hospital Regional de Coronel Oviedo. Se estudiaron los datos sociodemográficos, los factores de tratamiento nutricional y el grado de adherencia al tratamiento nutricional. Resultados: participaron del estudio 206 sujetos, el 53,4 % poseía 55 años o menos y el 81,1 % fue del sexo femenino. Se pudo hallar que solo el 3,8 % de los pacientes se adhieren al tratamiento. La no adherencia al factor conocimiento estuvo relacionado con el bajo nivel educativo (p=0,032), al factor equipo de salud con provenir del área rural y tener un bajo nivel educativo (p=0,006, p=0,002), al factor paciente con provenir del área rural (p=0.002), ser de bajo nivel educativo (p=0,008) y poseer obesidad grado II y III (p=0,036). La no adherencia global estuvo relacionada a estar casado (p=0.001) y realizar trabajos domésticos (p=0,009). Conclusiones: la adherencia al tratamiento es baja en la población de estudio.

Introduction: nutritional treatment is affected by the behavior of the subjects to generate adherence. This study was carried out to determine factors that influence non-adherence to nutritional treatment in hypertensive patients who attend the Coronel Oviedo Regional Hospital, 2021. Methodology: this was a cross-sectional descriptive observational study. The population was comprised of patients registered in the hypertension department of the Coronel Oviedo Regional Hospital. Sociodemographic data, nutritional treatment factors and the degree of adherence to nutritional treatment were studied. Results: 206 subjects participated in the study, 53.4 % were 55 years old or younger and 81.1 % were female. We found that only 3.8 % of patients adhere to treatment. Non-adherence due to the knowledge factor was related to low educational level (p=0.032), to the health team factor with coming from a rural area and having a low educational level (p=0.006, p=0.002), to the patient factor with coming from a rural area (p=0.002), to have a low educational level (p=0.008) and to have obesity grade II and III (p=0.036). Global non-adherence was related to being married (p=0.001) and doing housework (p=0.009). Conclusions: adherence to treatment is low in the study population.

Nosocomial COVID-19: A Nationwide Spanish Study.

INTRODUCTION: SARS-CoV-2 is a highly contagious virus, and despite professionals' best efforts, nosocomial COVID-19 (NC) infections have been reported. This work aimed to describe differences in symptoms and outcomes between patients with NC and community-acquired COVID-19 (CAC) and to identify risk factors for severe outcomes among NC patients. METHODS: This is a nationwide, retrospective, multicenter, observational study that analyzed patients hospitalized with confirmed COVID-19 in 150 Spanish hospitals (SEMI-COVID-19 Registry) from March 1, 2020, to April 30, 2021. NC was defined as patients admitted for non-COVID-19 diseases with a positive SARS-CoV-2 test on the fifth day of hospitalization or later. The primary outcome was 30-day in-hospital mortality (IHM). The secondary outcome was other COVID-19-related complications. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed. RESULTS: Of the 23,219 patients hospitalized with COVID-19, 1,104 (4.8%) were NC. Compared to CAC patients, NC patients were older (median 76 vs. 69 years; p < 0.001), had more comorbidities (median Charlson Comorbidity Index 5 vs. 3; p < 0.001), were less symptomatic (p < 0.001), and had normal chest X-rays more frequently (30.8% vs. 12.5%, p < 0.001). After adjusting for sex, age, dependence, COVID-19 wave, and comorbidities, NC was associated with lower risk of moderate/severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 0.72; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.59-0.87; p < 0.001) and higher risk of acute heart failure (aOR: 1.40; 1.12-1.72; p = 0.003), sepsis (aOR: 1.73; 1.33-2.54; p < 0.001), and readmission (aOR: 1.35; 1.03-1.83; p = 0.028). NC was associated with a higher case fatality rate (39.1% vs. 19.2%) in all age groups. IHM was significantly higher among NC patients (aOR: 2.07; 1.81-2.68; p < 0.001). Risk factors for increased IHM in NC patients were age, moderate/severe dependence, malignancy, dyspnea, moderate/severe ARDS, multiple organ dysfunction syndrome, and shock; odynophagia was associated with lower IHM. CONCLUSIONS: NC is associated with greater mortality and complications compared to CAC. Hospital strategies to prevent NC must be strengthened.

Regulation of the pyrimidine biosynthetic pathway by lysine acetylation of E. coli OPRTase.

The de novo pyrimidine biosynthesis pathway is an important route due to the relevance of its products, its implications in health and its conservation among organisms. Here, we investigated the regulation by lysine acetylation of this pathway. To this aim, intracellular and extracellular metabolites of the route were quantified, revealing a possible blockage of the pathway by acetylation of the OPRTase enzyme (orotate phosphoribosyltransferase). Chemical acetylation of OPRTase by acetyl-P involved a decrease in enzymatic activity. To test the effect of acetylation in this enzyme, K26 and K103 residues were selected to generate site-specific acetylated proteins. Several differences were observed in kinetic parameters, emphasizing that the kcat of these mutants showed a strong decrease of 300 and 150-fold for OPRTase-103AcK and 19 and 6.3-fold for OPRTase-26AcK, for forward and reverse reactions. In vivo studies suggested acetylation of this enzyme by a nonenzymatic acetyl-P-dependent mechanism and a reversion of this process by the CobB deacetylase. A complementation assay of a deficient strain in the pyrE gene with OPRTase-26AcK and OPRTase-103AcK was performed, and curli formation, stoichiometric parameters and orotate excretion were measured. Complementation with acetylated enzymes entailed a profile very similar to that of the ∆pyrE strain, especially in the case of complementation with OPRTase-103AcK. These results suggest regulation of the de novo pyrimidine biosynthesis pathway by lysine acetylation of OPRTase in Escherichia coli. This finding is of great relevance due to the essential role of this route and the OPRTase enzyme as a target for antimicrobial, antiviral and cancer treatments.

Pharmacological Chemolysis of Uric Acid Lithiasis in A Patient with Crohn's Disease.

Patients with chronic diarrhoea or ileostomies suffer from electrolyte and urinary disorders and are prone to developing uric acid or calcium oxalate stones. Evidence is lacking regarding the management of uric acid stones in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases. We present the case of a male patient with Crohn's disease and carrying an ileostomy. He was diagnosed with uric acid urolithiasis (stone size of 11 mm located in the left pyeloureteral junction) after presenting to the emergency room during an episode of left renal colic. Results of the 24-hour urinalysis showed an acidic pH (pH <5), consistent with hyperuricosuria. The suspicion of uric acid lithiasis was confirmed after performing an X-ray diffraction analysis of a lithiasic fragment that passed during acute renal colic. The patient was prescribed with urinary alkalinisers (medical treatment) and dietary recommendations. After 12 months of treatment and urine pH monitoring, the patient achieved complete chemolysis while maintaining the stability of his underlying Crohn's disease. The patient had no complications during follow-up, referring adequate gastrointestinal tolerance to treatment and denying side effects. The patient remains asymptomatic and is being followed-up on an outpatient basis. He continues on prophylactic treatment (Lit-Control® pH Up) to maintain the pH in the non-acidic range.

Post-mortem magnetic resonance imaging with computed tomography-guided biopsy for foetuses and infants: a prospective, multicentre, cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Post-mortem imaging has been suggested as an alternative to conventional autopsy in the prenatal and postnatal periods. Noninvasive autopsies do not provide tissue for histological examination, which may limit their clinical value, especially when infection-related morbidity and mortality are suspected. METHODS: We performed a prospective, multicentre, cross-sectional study to compare the diagnostic performance of post-mortem magnetic resonance imaging with computed tomography-guided biopsy (Virtopsy®) with that of conventional autopsy in foetuses and infants. Cases referred for conventional autopsy were eligible for enrolment. After post-mortem imaging using a computed tomography scanner and a magnetic resonance imaging unit, computed tomography-guided tissue sampling was performed. Virtopsy results were compared with conventional autopsy in determining the likely final cause of death and major pathologies. The primary outcome was the proportion of cases for which the same cause of death was determined by both methods. Secondary outcomes included the proportion of false positive and false negative major pathological lesions detected by virtopsy and the proportion of computed tomography-guided biopsies that were adequate for histological examination. RESULTS: Overall, 101 cases (84 fetuses, 17 infants) were included. Virtopsy and autopsy identified the same cause of death in 91 cases (90.1%, 95% CI 82.7 to 94.5). The sensitivity and specificity of virtopsy for determining the cause of death were 96.6% (95% CI 90.6 to 98.8) and 41.7% (95% CI 19.3 to 68.0), respectively. In 32 cases (31.7%, 95% CI 23.4 to 41.3), major pathological findings remained undetected by virtopsy, and in 45 cases (44.6%, 95% CI 35.2 to 54.3), abnormalities were diagnosed by virtopsy but not confirmed by autopsy. Computed tomography-guided tissue sampling was adequate for pathological comments in 506 of 956 biopsies (52.7%) and added important diagnostic value in five of 30 cases (16.1%) with an unclear cause of death before autopsy compared with postmortem imaging alone. In 19 of 20 infective deaths (95%), biopsies revealed infection-related tissue changes. Infection was confirmed by placental examination in all fetal cases. CONCLUSIONS: Virtopsy demonstrated a high concordance with conventional autopsy for the detection of cause of death but was less accurate for the evaluation of major pathologies. Computed tomography-guided biopsy had limited additional diagnostic value. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01888380).

Assessing microplastic ingestion and occurrence of bisphenols and phthalates in bivalves, fish and holothurians from a Mediterranean marine protected area.

Microplastic (MP) ingestion, along with accumulated plasticizers such as bisphenol A (BPA), bisphenol F (BPF), and bisphenol S (BPS), and phthalates represented by diethyl phthalate (DEP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP) and bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), were quantified in bivalves, fish, and holothurians collected from a coastal pristine area at the western Mediterranean Sea. MP ingestion in sediment-feeders holothurians (mean value 12.67 ± 7.31 MPs/individual) was statistically higher than ingestion in bivalves and fish (mean 4.83 ± 5.35 and 3 ± 4.44 MPs/individual, respectively). The main ingested polymers were polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene. The levels of BPS, BPF, and DEHP were highest in bivalves' soft tissue; BPA and DBP had the highest levels in the holothurians' muscle. In addition, the levels of all plasticizers assessed were lowest in fish muscle; only BPA levels in fish were higher than in bivalves, with intermediate values between those of bivalves and holothurians. This study provides data on exposure to MPs and plasticizers of different species inhabiting Cabrera Marine Protected Area (MPA) and highlights the differences in MP ingestion and levels of plasticizers between species with different ecological characteristics and feeding strategies.

ImprintSeq, a novel tool to interrogate DNA methylation at human imprinted regions and diagnose multilocus imprinting disturbance.

PURPOSE: Disruptions of genomic imprinting are associated with congenital imprinting disorders (CIDs) and other disease states, including cancer. CIDs are most often associated with altered methylation at imprinted differentially methylated regions (iDMRs). In some cases, multiple iDMRs are affected causing multilocus imprinting disturbances (MLIDs). The availability of accurate, quantitative, and scalable high-throughput methods to interrogate multiple iDMRs simultaneously would enhance clinical diagnostics and research. METHODS: We report the development of a custom targeted methylation sequencing panel that covered most relevant 63 iDMRs for CIDs and the detection of MLIDs. We tested it in 70 healthy controls and 147 individuals with CIDs. We distinguished loss and gain of methylation per differentially methylated region and classified high and moderate methylation alterations. RESULTS: Across a range of CIDs with a variety of molecular mechanisms, ImprintSeq performed at 98.4% sensitivity, 99.9% specificity, and 99.9% accuracy (when compared with previous diagnostic testing). ImprintSeq was highly sensitive for detecting MLIDs and enabled diagnostic criteria for MLID to be proposed. In a child with extreme MLID profile a probable genetic cause was identified. CONCLUSION: ImprintSeq provides a novel assay for clinical diagnostic and research studies of CIDs, MLIDs, and the role of disordered imprinting in human disease states.

Analysis of Regional Palliative Care Strategies: Do Health Policies Influence the Development of Assistance Coverage?

In Spain, health competencies are decentralized, and each autonomous community implements its own plans. Our aim is to determine if the existence of regional palliative care plans implies an improvement in health care coverage. We reviewed regional palliative care plans published in Spain and analyzed the following variables: number and profile of palliative care resources, guidelines and objectives of implementation of resources of these plans, and compliance with European standards. The publication of regional plans is associated with an increase in specific resources in the following years. From 2004 to 2009, the implementation of plans in 6 autonomous communities was associated with an increase in palliative care resources compared to those without a strategy (odds ratio: 1.58, P = .02) or with a settled plan (odds ratio: 1.40, P = .07). The same phenomenon was observed between 2009 and 2015 in 4 autonomous communities and 2 autonomous cities compared with those without a strategy (odds ratio: 2.49, P = .001) and those that implemented a plan before 2009 (odds ratio: 2.62, P < .001). Updating and evaluating these regional plans are also associated with the growth of palliative care resources.

Assessing Liver Fibrosis Using the FIB4 Index in the Community Setting.

Liver disease is frequently asymptomatic, challenging early identification in the primary care setting. The fibrosis 4 (FIB4) index is a liver fibrosis biomarker that is a potential alternative to liver biopsy for diagnosing and managing liver disease. This study aimed to calculate the FIB4 index for screening individuals at high risk of liver disease at the community level. This was a retrospective real-world study analyzing blood and serum test results from a central laboratory. The primary outcome was the number of individuals within each risk category for hepatic fibrosis: high risk (FIB4 ≥ 3.25) and low risk (FIB4 < 1.3). The analysis included samples from 31,753 patients, of which 18,102 were aged 40 to 75 years. In these patients, the FIB4 index had been explicitly requested in 1852 (10.2%) cases and estimated ad hoc in the rest. Of the 263 (1.5%) cases with FIB4 ≥ 3.25, the FIB4 index was requested in 46 (17.5%), and 52 (19.8%) showed evidence of liver fibrosis in their medical records, while the rest did not report any data regarding liver fibrosis. FIB4 is a simple score that can play a role as a "red flag" for early identification of patients at high risk of advanced liver fibrosis and their referral to specialized care.

Abscesos Hepáticos Piógenos Múltiples: ¿Una Patología Superada O Un Reto Médico Vigente?: Un Caso A Recordar

El absceso hepático piógeno es una patología que aún en nuestros días supone un reto médico, ya que su curso clínico suele ser grave, el diagnóstico frecuentemente tardío y la mortalidad elevada. En las últimas décadas hemos asistido a diversos avances, como la introducción de los antibióticos de amplio espectro y el desarrollo de técnicas de imagen e intervencionistas que han mejorado la eficacia diagnóstica y el pronóstico de esta patología. Pese a ello, la presencia de abscesos hepáticos piógenos múltiples no es una patología superada y presentamos un caso clínico que ilustre esta patología y justifique que ha de tenerse en cuenta en el arsenal diagnóstico para poder tratarlo precozmente y disminuir así su alta morbimortalidad. (provisto por Infomedic International)

Pyogenic liver abscess is a pathology that still poses a medical challenge today, since its clinical course is usually severe, diagnosis is often late, and mortality is high. In recent decades we have witnessed several advances, such as the introduction of broad-spectrum antibiotics and the development of imaging and interventional techniques that have improved the diagnostic efficacy and prognosis of this pathology. Despite this, the presence of multiple pyogenic liver abscesses is not a pathology that has been overcome and we present a clinical case that illustrates this pathology and justifies that it must be considered in the diagnostic arsenal in order to treat it early and thus reduce its high morbimortality. (provided by Infomedic International)

Liver transplantation in the Intensive Care Unit: twenty years experience in a center medium income on Peru / Trasplante hepático en la Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos: veinte años de experiencia en un centro de mediano ingreso en el Perú

ABSTRACT Liver transplantation is the major treatment for end-stage liver disease. Postoperative care is a great challenge to reduce morbidity and mortality in patients. In this sense, management in the liver ICU allows hemodynamic management, coagulation monitoring, renal support, electrolyte disturbances, respiratory support and early weaning from mechanical ventilation and evaluation of the liver graft. Objective: The present study shows the results of the management of liver transplant patients in 20 years of experience in a transplant center in a low- to middle-income country. Materials and methods: The medical records of 273 adult patients in the ICU in the immediate postoperative liver transplant were reviewed, from March 20, 2000 to November 30, 2020, including the effect of the pandemic caused by COVID-19. Liver-kidney, retransplanted, SPLIT, and domino transplant patients were excluded. Results: The most frequent etiology for LTx was NASH (35%), the mean age was 49 years, MELD Score ranged 15 - 20 (47.5%), 21 - 30 (46%) > 30 (6.2%). ICU pre transplant stay 7%, average ICU stay: 7.8 days. APACHE average admission: 14.9 points. Weaning extubation of 91.8% patients in ICU and Fast Track in 8.2%. The most frequent respiratory complication was atelectasis 56.3%, pneumonia (31.3%); AKI 1 (60.9%), and 11.1% with hemodyalisis support (AKI3). Immunosuppression: Tacrolimus (8.9%). Post-operative ICU mortality was 6.2%. Conclusions: The management of liver transplantation in the ICU is essential to achieve optimal results in patients who present advanced liver disease and require advanced life support in the immediate postoperative period and thus optimize graft survival.

RESUMEN El trasplante de hígado es el principal tratamiento para la enfermedad hepática en etapa terminal. El cuidado postoperatorio es un gran desafío para disminuir la morbimortalidad en los pacientes. En este sentido, el manejo en la UCI hepática permite manejo hemodinámico, monitoreo de coagulación, soporte renal, alteraciones electrolíticas, soporte respiratorio y destete temprano de ventilación mecánica y evaluación del injerto hepático. Objetivo: El presente estudio muestra los resultados del manejo de pacientes trasplantados de hígado en 20 años de experiencia en un centro de trasplante en un país de ingresos bajos a medios. Materiales y métodos: Se revisaron las historias clínicas de 273 pacientes adultos en UCI en el posoperatorio inmediato de trasplante hepático, desde el 20 de marzo de 2000 hasta el 30 de noviembre de 2020, incluyendo el efecto de la pandemia provocada por el COVID-19. Se excluyeron los pacientes con trasplante de hígado-riñón, retrasplantados, SPLIT y dominó. Resultados: La etiología más frecuente para LTx fue NASH (35%), la edad promedio fue de 49 años, MELD Score varió 15 - 20 (47,5%), 21 - 30 (46%) > 30 (6,2%). Estancia pretrasplante en UCI 7%, estancia media en UCI: 7,8 días. Admisión media APACHE: 14,9 puntos. Extubación weaning del 91,8% de los pacientes en UCI y Fast Track en el 8,2%. La complicación respiratoria más frecuente fue atelectasia 56,3%, neumonía (31,3%); FRA 1 (60,9%) y 11,1% con soporte de hemodiálisis (FRA 3). Inmunosupresión: Tacrolimus (8,9%). La mortalidad postoperatoria en la UCI fue del 6,2%. Conclusiones: El manejo del trasplante hepático en UCI es fundamental para lograr resultados óptimos en pacientes que presentan enfermedad hepática avanzada y requieren soporte vital avanzado en el postoperatorio inmediato y así optimizar la supervivencia del injerto.

Retinal lipemia as expression of hyperchylomicronemia syndrome.

CASE DESCRIPTION: Case of lipemia retinalis secondary to hyperchylomicronemia in a 40-year-old man with a history of total body irradiation and immunosuppressive treatment that was attended in this hospital due to decreased visual acuity and abdominal pain. CLINICAL FINDINGS: Hyperchylomicronemia caused the development of acute pancreatitis and lipemia retinalis. The latter is an infrequent ocular manifestation that reflects excessive triglyceride blood levels in the organism (>2,000 mg/dL). Lipemia retinalis is characterized by the accumulation of chylomicrons in the retinal vessels, which gives them a white and creamy appearance in direct retinal ophthalmoscopy. The initial clinical suspicion of hyperchylomicronemia was based on the visualization of the supernatant in the analytical tube. TREATMENT AND RESULT: In the absence of definitive biochemical results, and owing to the need for special processing of the sample, lipid-lowering treatment and serum therapy were established after ophthalmological confirmation of lipemia retinalis, with subsequent full recovery of visual acuity. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Given the initial difficulty to determine the accurate triglyceride levels in this kind of patient, early visualization of milky-colored retinal vessels on a salmon-colored eye fundus can help develop an early clinical suspicion of severe hyperchylomicronemia and contribute to limit the severity of complications.

Retinal lipemia as expression of hyperchylomicronemia syndrome / Lipemia retinalis como manifestación de un síndrome de hiperquilomicronemia

Abstract Case description: Case of lipemia retinalis secondary to hyperchylomicronemia in a 40-year-old man with a history of total body irradiation and immunosuppressive treatment that was attended in this hospital due to decreased visual acuity and abdominal pain. Clinical findings: Hyperchylomicronemia caused the development of acute pancreatitis and lipemia retinalis. The latter is an infrequent ocular manifestation that reflects excessive triglyceride blood levels in the organism (>2,000 mg/dL). Lipemia retinalis is characterized by the accumulation of chylomicrons in the retinal vessels, which gives them a white and creamy appearance in direct retinal ophthalmoscopy. The initial clinical suspicion of hyperchylomicronemia was based on the visualization of the supernatant in the analytical tube. Treatment and result: In the absence of definitive biochemical results, and owing to the need for special processing of the sample, lipid-lowering treatment and serum therapy were established after ophthalmological confirmation of lipemia retinalis, with subsequent full recovery of visual acuity. Clinical relevance: Given the initial difficulty to determine the accurate triglyceride levels in this kind of patient, early visualization of milky-colored retinal vessels on a salmon-colored eye fundus can help develop an early clinical suspicion of severe hyperchylomicronemia and contribute to limit the severity of complications.

Resumen Descripción del caso: Caso de lipemia retinalis secundaria a hiperquilomicronemia en varón de 40 años con antecedentes de irradiación corporal total y medicación inmunosupresora que acude al hospital por disminución de agudeza visual y dolor abdominal. Hallazgos clínicos: La hiperquilomicronemia contribuyó al desarrollo de pancreatitis aguda y lipemia retinalis. Esta última es una manifestación ocular infrecuente que refleja unos parámetros excesivos de triglicéridos en el organismo (>2,000 mg/dL). La Lipemia Retinalis consiste en la acumulación de quilomicrones en los vasos retinianos lo que les confiere un aspecto blanco y cremoso en la oftalmoscopia retiniana directa. La sospecha clínica inicial de hiperquilomicronemia se produjo por la visualización de sobrenadante en el tubo analítico. Tratamiento y resultado: Sin tener resultados definitivos bioquímicos, por necesidad de procesamiento especial de la muestra, se instauró tratamiento hipolipemiante y sueroterapia tras la confirmación oftalmológica de Lipemia Retinalis con recuperación total de la agudeza visual. Relevancia clínica: Dada la dificultad inicial para determinar las cifras reales de triglicéridos en este tipo de pacientes, la visualización precoz de vasos retinianos de color lechoso sobre lecho de color asalmonado en el fondo de ojo puede ser de ayuda para elaborar una sospecha clínica temprana de hiperquilomicronemia severa que contribuya a limitar la gravedad de las complicaciones.

Primer reporte de Candida auris en Perú

Candida auris es un hongo emergente, con gran relevancia en corto tiempo, como problema de salud pública mundial. Se reporta por primera vez en el Perú la presencia de Candida auris en 3 pacientes adultos internados en un hospital nacional de alta complejidad en el último trimestre del año 2020, durante la pandemia COVID-19. Los pacientes fueron hospitalizados en UCI; sin embargo, solo en 2 pacientes se aisló dicho germen durante su internamiento en UCI. Los pacientes tuvieron varias comorbilidades y tiempos prolongados de hospitalización desde su admisión hasta tener el primer cultivo positivo a C. auris. Todos los pacientes adquirieron una infección nosocomial bacteriana en algún momento de su hospitalización y recibieron antibióticos de amplio espectro. Todas las cepas aisladas fueron resistentes a fluconazol. El equipo de control de infecciones del hospital reforzó las medidas de contención y el Ministerio de Salud del Perú emitió una alerta epidemiológica.

Candida auris is an emerging fungus that has gained great relevance as a global public health problem in a short time. The presence of Candida auris in 3 adult patients admitted to a national hospital of high complexity in the last quarter of 2020 in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic is reported for the first time in Peru. The patients were hospitalized in the ICU, however, this germ was isolated in only 2 patients while they were hospitalized in the ICU. The patients had various comorbidities and long hospitalization times from admission to having their first culture positive for C. auris. All patients acquired a bacterial nosocomial infection at some point during their hospitalization and received broad-spectrum antibiotics. All isolates were resistant to fluconazole. The hospital's infection control team reinforced containment measures and the Ministry of Health of Peru issued an epidemiological alert.

Sophisticated viral quasispecies with a genotype-related pattern of mutations in the hepatitis B X gene of HBeAg-ve chronically infected patients.

Patients with HBeAg-negative chronic infection (CI) have not been extensively studied because of low viremia. The HBx protein, encoded by HBX, has a key role in viral replication. Here, we analyzed the viral quasispecies at the 5' end of HBX in CI patients and compared it with that of patients in other clinical stages. Fifty-eight HBeAg-negative patients were included: 16 CI, 19 chronic hepatitis B, 16 hepatocellular carcinoma and 6 liver cirrhosis. Quasispecies complexity and conservation were determined in the region between nucleotides 1255 and 1611. Amino acid changes detected were tested in vitro. CI patients showed higher complexity in terms of mutation frequency and nucleotide diversity and higher quasispecies conservation (p < 0.05). A genotype D-specific pattern of mutations (A12S/P33S/P46S/T36D-G) was identified in CI (median frequency, 81.7%), which determined a reduction in HBV DNA release of up to 1.5 log in vitro. CI patients showed a more complex and conserved viral quasispecies than the other groups. The genotype-specific pattern of mutations could partially explain the low viremia observed in these patients.

A Compressive Review about Taxol®: History and Future Challenges.

Taxol®, which is also known as paclitaxel, is a chemotherapeutic agent widely used to treat different cancers. Since the discovery of its antitumoral activity, Taxol® has been used to treat over one million patients, making it one of the most widely employed antitumoral drugs. Taxol® was the first microtubule targeting agent described in the literature, with its main mechanism of action consisting of the disruption of microtubule dynamics, thus inducing mitotic arrest and cell death. However, secondary mechanisms for achieving apoptosis have also been demonstrated. Despite its wide use, Taxol® has certain disadvantages. The main challenges facing Taxol® are the need to find an environmentally sustainable production method based on the use of microorganisms, increase its bioavailability without exerting adverse effects on the health of patients and minimize the resistance presented by a high percentage of cells treated with paclitaxel. This review details, in a succinct manner, the main aspects of this important drug, from its discovery to the present day. We highlight the main challenges that must be faced in the coming years, in order to increase the effectiveness of Taxol® as an anticancer agent.

Data preprocessing workflow for exhaled breath analysis by GC/MS using open sources.

The noninvasive diagnosis and monitoring of high prevalence diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, cancers and chronic respiratory diseases are currently priority objectives in the area of health. In this regard, the analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) has been identified as a potential noninvasive tool for the diagnosis and surveillance of several diseases. Despite the advantages of this strategy, it is not yet a routine clinical tool. The lack of reproducible protocols for each step of the biomarker discovery phase is an obstacle of the current state. Specifically, this issue is present at the data preprocessing step. Thus, an open source workflow for preprocessing the data obtained by the analysis of exhaled breath samples using gas chromatography coupled with single quadrupole mass spectrometry (GC/MS) is presented in this paper. This workflow is based on the connection of two approaches to transform raw data into a useful matrix for statistical analysis. Moreover, this workflow includes matching compounds from breath samples with a spectral library. Three free packages (xcms, cliqueMS and eRah) written in the language R are used for this purpose. Furthermore, this paper presents a suitable protocol for exhaled breath sample collection from infants under 2 years of age for GC/MS.

Novel variant in the CNNM2 gene associated with dominant hypomagnesemia.

The maintenance of magnesium (Mg2+) homeostasis is essential for human life. The Cystathionine-ß-synthase (CBS)-pair domain divalent metal cation transport mediators (CNNMs) have been described to be involved in maintaining Mg2+ homeostasis. Among these CNNMs, CNNM2 is expressed in the basolateral membrane of the kidney tubules where it is involved in Mg2+ reabsorption. A total of four patients, two of them with a suspected disorder of calcium metabolism, and two patients with a clinical diagnosis of primary tubulopathy were screened for mutations by Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS). We found one novel likely pathogenic variant in the heterozygous state (c.2384C>A; p.(Ser795*)) in the CNNM2 gene in a family with a suspected disorder of calcium metabolism. In this family, hypomagnesemia was indirectly discovered. Moreover, we observed three novel variants of uncertain significance in heterozygous state in the other three patients (c.557G>C; p.(Ser186Thr), c.778A>T; p.(Ile260Phe), and c.1003G>A; p.(Asp335Asn)). Our study shows the utility of Next-Generation Sequencing in unravelling the genetic origin of rare diseases. In clinical practice, serum Mg2+ should be determined in calcium and PTH-related disorders.