Prevalence of cigarette smoking: a cross-sectional survey between individual and team sport athletes.

BACKGROUND: Studies on the relationship between sport and smoking among adolescents and young adults reported contradictory results: some findings indicate that sport is a protective factor against smoking initiation, while other studies documented the inclination to unhealthy habits among athletes. The aim of this study was to evaluate smoking prevalence in a sample of young athletes practicing team (football, basket) or individual (swim) sports. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study carried out in a convenience sample of athletes. METHODS: The survey was performed by a self-administered, anonymous questionnaire. RESULTS: The study included 327 athletes, 81.0% male, with an average age of 16 years; 36.7% play football, 31.8% basketball, and 31.5% swim. Smoking prevalence among participants was 16.8%. Basket and soccer players were 3 times more likely to be current smokers (20.1%), particularly those aged 16-18 years (35.9%), compared to swimmers (7.8%; in 16-18 year-old: 11.3%). Moreover, basket and soccer players were 7 times more likely to be smokers and to smoke before the practice session compared to swimmers. CONCLUSION: Smoking prevalence in all athletes was lower than that observed in youths. However, athletes of team sports were three times more likely to smoke than athletes of sprint and resistance sports. The reason is likely to be psychological: these sports, not focusing on the individual physical performance, allow athletes to feel less responsible for successes of their teams. It is essential to ensure a specific alliance for prevention between Health and Sport authorities, such as Federations and sporting societies, in order to develop interventions to inform athletes of team sports about the health and physical risks associated to smoking.

Alemtuzumab-induced thyroid events in multiple sclerosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: Autoimmune thyroid events (ATEs) are common side effects after alemtuzumab (ALZ) therapy in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Our purpose was to reach more robust evidence on prevalence and outcome of the spectrum of alemtuzumab-induced autoimmune thyroid events in patients with multiple sclerosis. METHODS: PubMed and Scopus were systematically searched through July 2019. Studies dealing with patients without personal history of thyroid dysfunctions and affected by MS treated with ALZ and reporting ATEs were selected. Data on prevalence and outcome of ATEs were extracted. A proportion of meta-analysis with random-effects model was performed. RESULTS: Considering the overall pooled number of 1362 MS patients treated with ALZ (seven included studies), a 33% prevalence of newly diagnosed ATEs was recorded. Among all ATEs, Graves' disease (GD) was the most represented [63% of cases, 95% confidence interval (CI) 52-74%], followed by Hashimoto thyroiditis (15%, 95% CI 10-22%). Interestingly, GD showed a fluctuating course in 15% of cases (95% CI 8-25%). Of all GD, 12% (95% CI 2-42%) likely had spontaneous remission, 56% (95% CI 34-76%) required only antithyroid drugs, 22% (95% CI 13-32%) needed additional RAI, and 11% (95% CI 0.9-29%) underwent definitive surgery. CONCLUSION: Among different categories of ATEs, Graves' hyperthyroidism was the most common thyroid dysfunction, occurring in more than half of cases. Antithyroid drugs should represent the first-line treatment for ALZ-induced GD patients. However, alemtuzumab-induced GD could not be considered as having a more favourable outcome than conventional GD, given the substantial chance to encounter a fluctuating and unpredictable course.

Increased thromboxane biosynthesis in patients with polycythemia vera: evidence for aspirin-suppressible platelet activation in vivo.

Increased thromboxane (TX) production and modified aspirin sensitivity has been detected in vitro in platelets isolated from patients with polycythemia vera. To verify the relevance of these capacity-related measurements to the actual rate of TXA2 biosynthesis in vivo and its suppression by oral aspirin, we have investigated the urinary excretion of major enzymatic metabolites of TXB2 in 17 patients with polycythemia vera and 23 gender- and age-matched controls. Urinary 11-dehydro-TXB2 and 2,3-dinor-TXB2 were measured by previously validated radioimmunoassays. In addition, urinary immunoreactive leukotriene (LT) E4 was measured to explore the 5-lipoxygenase pathway of arachidonate metabolism. Polycythemic patients had significantly (P < .001) higher excretion rates of both 11-dehydro-TXB2 (1,033 +/- 1,050 v 117 +/- 45 pmol/mmol creatinine; mean +/- SD) and 2,3-dinor-TXB2 (725 +/- 676 v 82 +/- 43 pmol/mmol creatinine) than controls. In contrast, urinary LTE4 was not significantly different. Enhanced metabolite excretion did not correlate with the platelet count or with the hematocrit value, and was not related to the current treatment or to a clinical history of thrombotic complications. Platelet TX receptor studies did not show any significant changes in the binding characteristics of two different ligands. A platelet-selective regimen of aspirin therapy (50 mg/d for 7 to 14 days) was associated with greater than 80% suppression in metabolite excretion in nine patients. These results are consistent with abnormal stimuli operating in polycythemia vera to induce a selective enhancement in the platelet biosynthesis of TXA2 without changes in receptor binding. This in vivo abnormality in platelet biochemistry can be largely suppressed by low doses of aspirin.

Influence of serum proteins on fructosamine concentration in multiple myeloma.

Serum fructosamine levels in 36 subjects with various types of multiple myeloma and in 64 normal controls were evaluated by means of a Nitroblue tetrazolium colorimetric assay. Only the IgA myeloma group showed significantly raised serum fructosamine values (P less than 0.001). In the IgG myeloma group, which showed a higher mean serum protein concentration, serum fructosamine levels were not significantly different from controls. The study shows that elevated IgA levels do influence serum fructosamine and this effect should be taken into due consideration in order to avoid possible misinterpretations in evaluating this widely used index of glucose metabolism.

Tremores durante anestesia peridural: influência da temperatura do anestésico local e dos líquidos infundidos / Shivering during epidural anesthesia: influence of local anesthesic and intravenous fluids temperature

Avaliou-se 72 pacientes submetidos a cirurgias ginecológicas a eficácia do aquecimento de soluçöes de expansäo volêmica e do anestésico local, na profilaxia dos tremores durante anestesia peridural. As pacientes foram divididas em quatro grupos: grupo I (controle): anestésico local e líquidos infundidos à temperatura ambiente; grupo II: anestésico local à temperatura ambiente e líquidos infundidos a 37ºC; grupo III: anestésico local a 37º e líquidos infundidos à temperatura ambiente; grupo IV: anestésico local e líquidos infundidos a 37ºC. O aquecimento isolado da soluçäo de anestésico local ou das soluçöes empregadas para expansäo volêmica näo reduziu a incidência de tremores. Entretanto, a utilizaçäo de ambas as soluçöes aquecidas reduziu significativamente a incidência de tremores de 44,5 por cento para 11 por cento (p < 0,05)

Meningeal hematopoiesis causing exophthalmus and hemiparesis in myelofibrosis: effect of radiotherapy. A case report.

Meningeal myeloid metaplasia (MM) is very rarely observed in patients with myelofibrosis. We report the occurrence of meningeal MM causing exophthalmus and fever in a patient with myelofibrosis secondary to polycythemia vera. A computerized tomography (CT) scan showed multiple intracranial and intraorbital enhancing masses. A needle aspirate of retrobulbar space confirmed the diagnosis of extramedullary hematopoiesis. The patient subsequently developed a rapidly worsening tumor-like syndrome with hemiparesis, aphasia, and loss of sphinteric control. The administration of radiotherapy caused a complete and stable regression of clinical symptoms and a marked reduction of MM masses.