Unplanned excision of soft tissue sarcomas of the musculoskeletal system. / Resección no planificada en sarcomas de partes blandas del aparato locomotor.

INTRODUCTION: The diagnosis process of soft tissue sarcomas of the musculoskeletal system (SPBAL) continues to be complex, with cases of unplanned excisions ("whoops" surgeries). This study evaluates the frequency of these type of procedures, trying to indentify patient characteristics, tumors, surgical treatment and final results. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 131 patients treated surgically between October 2018 and December 2021 of a SPBAL were retrospectively reviewed. Patients with SPBAL located in the viscera, mediastinum, heart, retroperitoneum, peritoneum and genital tract were excluded. Differences between patients with planned and unplanned excisions were assessed with chi2 tests and a Cox multivariate regression model. RESULTS: Unplanned excisions of SPBAL have taken place in 18% of the patients in our área, mainly in tumors of less than 5 cm and located superficial to the fascia. 29,2% of these patients did not have a previous imaging test. It has not been shown that a "whoops" surgery can lead to a decrease in survival or a higher rate of recurrences. CONCLUSIONS: We recommend carrying out an imaging test always prior to the removal of any type of soft tissue tumor, as well as adherence to the referral guidelines to reference centers.

[Translated article] Unplanned excision of soft tissue sarcomas of the musculoskeletal system.

INTRODUCTION: The diagnosis process of soft tissue sarcomas of the musculoskeletal system (SPBAL) continues to be complex, with cases of unplanned excisions ("whoops" surgeries). This study evaluates the frequency of these type of procedures, trying to identify patient characteristics, tumours, surgical treatment and final results. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 131 patients treated surgically between October 2018 and December 2021 of a SPBAL were retrospectively reviewed. Patients with SPBAL located in the viscera, mediastinum, heart, retroperitoneum, peritoneum and genital tract were excluded. Differences between patients with planned and unplanned excisions were assessed with Chi2 tests and a Cox multivariate regression model. RESULTS: Unplanned excisions of SPBAL have taken place in 18% of the patients in our area, mainly in tumours of less than 5cm and located superficial to the fascia. 29.2% of these patients did not have a previous imaging test. It has not been shown that a "whoops" surgery can lead to a decrease in survival or a higher rate of recurrences. CONCLUSIONS: We recommend carrying out an imaging test always prior to the removal of any type of soft tissue tumour, as well as adherence to the referral guidelines to reference centres.

[Epidemiological study on the impact of influenza vaccination on the clinical course of patients with COVID-19 and co-infection by both viruses in Gran Canaria, Spain]. / Estudio epidemiológico sobre el impacto de la vacunación antigripal en la evolución clínica de pacientes con COVID-19 y la coinfección por ambos virus en Gran Canaria, España.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the frequency of influenza and SARS-CoV-2 co-infections, as well as the differences in the course of disease (risk of mortality, hospital and intensive care admissions) in patients infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus in relation to flu vaccination status in the 2021-2022 season. METHODS: Population-based observational retrospective study in a cohort of 19,850 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 between June 1, 2021 and February 28, 2022 on the island of Gran Canaria. RESULTS: A total of 1,789 patients (9%) diagnosed with COVID-19 had received flu vaccinations. 13,676 people (68.9%) had a full course of COVID-19 vaccinations. In the period between June 1, 2021 and February 28, 2022, 8 cases of flu and COVID-19 coinfection were recorded. Hypertension (18.5%), asthma (12.8%) and diabetes (7.2%) were the most frequent comorbidities. There were 147 deaths (0.7%). Older patients ([OR] 1.11 95% CI 1.09-1.13) and people with cancer ([OR] 4.21 95% CI 2.58-6.89) had a higher risk of dying from COVID-19 (p<0.05). Female sex was noted as a protective factor ([OR] 0.61 95% CI 0.40-0.92). CONCLUSIONS: Old age, male sex and cancer were independent prognostic factors for mortality. Three doses of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines and influenza vaccines were highly effective in preventing COVID-19-related deaths and hospital admissions. These findings suggest that flu vaccination can help control the pandemic.

Giant mature cystic teratoma of the mediastinum resected by VATS: a case report.

The incidence of mediastinal teratomas is low, it's important to recognize them between all the differential diagnoses for mediastinal tumors. The treatment is surgical resection. We report a giant mature cystic teratoma of the mediastinum in a 40-year-old woman. She presented with dyspnea, flu-like symptoms during the previous 5 days. An x-ray complemented with a chest CT scan showed a heterogeneous extrapulmonary multiloculated and predominantly fluid density tumor located at the left side of the mediastinum. The patient underwent resection by video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS). The tumor was 15 cm in diameter with a predominant cystic component. Histologic examination revealed a mature cystic teratoma. Treatment of these tumors should attempt a complete resection. Open approaches are painful, require a longer recovery and are associated with higher morbidity. VATS has been used to treat these tumors, demonstrating the same effectiveness and advantages over open procedures.

Enhanced diffuse optical tomographic reconstruction using concurrent ultrasound information.

Multimodal imaging is an active branch of research as it has the potential to improve common medical imaging techniques. Diffuse optical tomography (DOT) is an example of a low resolution, functional imaging modality that typically has very low resolution due to the ill-posedness of its underlying inverse problem. Combining the functional information of DOT with a high resolution structural imaging modality has been studied widely. In particular, the combination of DOT with ultrasound (US) could serve as a useful tool for clinicians for the formulation of accurate diagnosis of breast lesions. In this paper, we propose a novel method for US-guided DOT reconstruction using a portable time-domain measurement system. B-mode US imaging is used to retrieve morphological information on the probed tissues by means of a semi-automatical segmentation procedure based on active contour fitting. A two-dimensional to three-dimensional extrapolation procedure, based on the concept of distance transform, is then applied to generate a three-dimensional edge-weighting prior for the regularization of DOT. The reconstruction procedure has been tested on experimental data obtained on specifically designed dual-modality silicon phantoms. Results show a substantial quantification improvement upon the application of the implemented technique. This article is part of the theme issue 'Synergistic tomographic image reconstruction: part 2'.

Efecto del Sacubitril / Valsartan sobre las variables clínicas, de laboratorio y ecocardiográficas utilizadas para el control de la insuficiencia cardíaca con fracción de eyección del ventrículo izquierdo reducida (FEVIr) de los pacientes activos del Programa de Insuficiencia Cardíaca (PIC) del Hospital Clínica Bíblica / Effect of Sacubitril / Valsartan on the clinical, laboratory and echocardiographic variables used for the control of heart failure with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEFr) in active patients of the Heart Failure Program (HFP) of the Hospital Clínica Bíblica

Resumen Introducción y objetivos: La Insuficiencia Cardíaca (IC) es un síndrome frecuente en la población adulta. Sacubitril / Valsartán (S/V) es un tratamiento novedoso para esta patología. El presente estudio pretende analizar el efecto de este medicamento sobre las variables clínicas, de laboratorio y ecocardiográficas en pacientes con IC con FEVIr. Metodología: Se realizó un estudio observacional retrospectivo de los expedientes de los pacientes del PIC que tuvieran prescrito S/V. De estos, se recopilaron datos basales y de seguimiento de los principales parámetros de relevancia pronóstica, para estos pacientes. Luego se cuantificaron los cambios generados en el tiempo una vez establecido el tratamiento y se hicieron análisis estadísticos para validar si los cambios fueron significativos. Resultados: De la totalidad de pacientes del PIC, 27 cumplieron los criterios de inclusión, con una edad promedio de 70 años y en donde 37.0% se encontraron en la dosis meta después de un seguimiento promedio de 16.4 meses. A través del estudio fue posible encontrar una diferencia estadísticamente significativa para el cambio en la FEVI para 17 pacientes (p=0.016). En los pacientes en los que se pudo recopilar la información se observó que el NT-proBNP mejoró en un 68.75%, por su parte la caminata de 6 minutos mejoró en un 77.8%. Además, solamente 7.4% de los pacientes empeoraron en su escala funcional NYHA, 7.4% fallecieron y 3.7% sufrieron hospitalización durante el estudio. Conclusiones: Basados en los parámetros estudiados y a través de los cambios generados durante el tiempo de seguimiento, fue posible definir una mejoría en los pacientes tras el uso de S/V, asociado también a una baja mortalidad e incidencia de hospitalizaciones.

Abstract Effect of Sacubitril / Valsartan on the clinical, laboratory and echocardiographic variables used for the control of heart failure with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEFr) in active patients of the Heart Failure Program (HFP) of the Hospital Clínica Bíblica Introduction and objectives: Heart failure (HF) is a common syndrome in the adult population. Sacubitril /Valsartan (S/V) is a novel treatment for this pathology. This study aims to analyze the effect of this medication on clinical, laboratory and echocardiographic variables in patients with HF and left ventricular eyección fracción reduced (LVEFr). Methodology: A retrospective observational study was conducted on patients records who are enrolled in the Heart Failure Program (HFP) and have been prescribed with S/V. For these patients, baseline and follow-up data was collected for relevant parameters. Changes over time were then quantified once the treatment with S/V was initiated, and a statistical analysis was conducted to validate whether the changes were significant. Results: Of all HFP patients, 27 met the inclusion criteria, with an average age of 70 years and where 37.0% of them were at the target dose after an average follow- up of 16.4 months. Through the study it was possible to find a statistically significant difference in a change for the ejection fraction in 17 patients (p.0.016). In patients with available clinical data, it was observed that NT-proBNP improved by 68.75%, meanwhile the 6-minute walk improved by 77.8%. In addition, only 7.4% of patients worsened their NYHA functional scale, 3.7% were hospitalized and 7.4% died during the time. Conclusions: Based on the studied parameters and throughout all the clinical changes during the follow-up time, it was possible to establish an improvement in patients after the S/V therapy, which is also associated with a low hospitalization incidence and a low mortality rate.

[What regulations have launched autonomous communities to going forward on patient safety culture in healthcare organizations?] / ¿Qué normativas han desarrollado las comunidades autónomas para avanzar en cultura de seguridad del paciente en sus organizaciones sanitarias?

INTRODUCTION: Patient Safety Culture is based on learning from incidents, developing preventive strategies to reduce the likelihood to happen and recognizing and accompanying those who have suffered unnecessary and involuntary harm derived from the health care received. To go ahead on patient safety culture entails facilitating the implementation of these behaviors and attitudes in healthcare professionals. Objective was to describe the regulations of some autonomous communities and national proposals for regulations changes. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Search of normative changes made in the autonomous communities of Catalonia, Navarra and the Basque Country. Proposals for legislative changes at national level were agreed. RESULTS: Activities and normative changes made in the autonomous communities of Catalonia, Navarre and the Basque Country are described and proposals for normative changes at the national level at short-term and long-term changes are made. In such a way that it is easier to advance in creating culture of patient safety in the whole National Health System CONCLUSION: Currently there is no global regulation that facilitates to advance in patient safety culture. Changes at the national legislation level are essential. It is at the Inter-territorial Council where the proposed legislative amendment should be defined, promoted by the representatives of the health systems of the autonomous communities.

Progression of micturition dysfunction associated with the development of heart failure in rats: Model of overactive bladder.

Heart failure (HF) has a strong association with the development of lower urinary tract symptoms, especially overactive bladder (OAB); although this condition remains poorly investigated. In this study, we assess the aortocaval fistula (ACF) model as a novel experimental model of micturition dysfunction, associated with HF, focused on the molecular and functional studies to evaluate the autonomic nervous system and urinary bladder remodeling. Male rats were submitted to ACF for HF induction. Echocardiography, cystometric, histomorphometry and molecular analysis, as well as concentration-response curves to carbachol and ATP and frequency-response curves to electrical field stimulation (EFS) were evaluated in Sham and HF (4- and 12-weeksendpoint) groups. Compared to SHAM, HF groups exhibited progressive increases in the left ventricle (LV) mass and fractional shortening which indicates cardiac dysfunction, although HF was characterized only after 12 weeks by the reduced ejection fraction. For micturition function, HF groups presented increased non-voiding contractions (NVC) and decreased bladder capacity; however, when comparing HF groups, these urinary parameters were significantly impaired over the weeks (12-weeks). The contractile responses induced by CCh, ATP and EFS were greater in detrusor muscle (DSM) from HF rats. mRNA expression for muscarinic receptors (M2 and M3) was higher in DSM only after 12 weeks of ACF, in addition to MMP9 and TGF-beta. Histomorphometric revealed increased urothelium thickness in both HF groups, whereas DSM thickness occurred only after 12 weeks. Thus, the ACF model induced cardiac dyfunction with progressive micturition dysfunction over the weeks, characterized by increased DSM contractile mechanisms as well as extracellular matrix remodeling in the urinary bladder, representing a useful tool to evaluate the OAB associated with HF.

Clinical and urodynamic impact of detrusor overactivity in women with overactive bladder. / Repercusión clínica y urodinámica de la presencia de hiperactividad del detrusor en mujeres con vejiga hiperactiva.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical and urodynamic differences (associated with the presence or absence of detrusor overactivity [DO]) in women with overactive bladder (OAB) referred to Functional Urology and Urodynamic Units in Spain. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Observational, cross-sectional, multicenter and prospective study conducted in Spain in women with clinical diagnosis of OAB, who had been referred to urodynamic study (UDS) of which centralized reading was performed. Patients completed the 3-day voiding diary (DM3d) with the PPIUS scale (Patient Perception of Intensity of Urgency Scale), the B-SAQ (Bladder Self-Assessment Questionnaire) and the OABq-SF (Overactive Bladder Questionnaire Short Form). The questionnaires and UDS variables of women with OAV, with or without DO, were compared using the Mann-Whitney test (continuous variables) and the chi-square test (χ2) (categorical variables). RESULTS: A total of 247 women with OAB were evaluated, and 103 of them had DO. According to the presence or absence of DO, significant differences were observed in the number of episodes of urge urinary incontinence (UUI), urinary frequency, nocturia, mean micturition volume and number of pads (P<.05 for all comparisons). A higher percentage of patients with OAB and DO presented reduced bladder capacity, urgency, urge urinary incontinence (UUI) and lower volume for first voiding desire, strong desire to void and maximum cystomanometric capacity in UDS compared with patients without DO (P<.05 for all comparisons). The only significant differences between both groups were regarding the B-SAQ symptoms scale (P=.011). CONCLUSIONS: The presence of DO in women with OAB is related to a more severe alteration of the bladder filling phase.

Aromatase inhibitors in premenopausal women with breast cancer: the state of the art and future prospects.

Approximately 11% of patients with breast cancer (bca) are diagnosed before menopause, and because in most of those patients the tumour expresses a hormone receptor, treatment with endocrine interventions can be applied in any setting of disease (early or advanced). In the past, hormonal treatment consisted only of the estrogen receptor modulator tamoxifen, associated with luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (lhrh); more recently, aromatase inhibitors (ais) have come into widespread use. The ais interfere with the last enzymatic step of estrogen synthesis in which androgens are converted into estrogens. Initially, the ais were used alone in postmenopausal patients to prevent disease recurrence, but together with lhrh analogs, they can be used in premenopausal patients to produce better estrogen suppression than can be achieved with tamoxifen plus a lhrh analog. Using a systematic review of the scientific literature (prospective and retrospective studies), we set out to assess the efficacy of ais compared with other endocrine therapy in various disease settings (neoadjuvant, adjuvant, metastatic).

Effect of Moringa oleifera consumption on diabetic rats.

BACKGROUND: Therapeutic use of leaves of M. oleifera has been evaluated in diabetes because of its possible capacity to decrease blood glucose and lipids concentration after ingestion, as result of the polyphenols content and others compounds. Nevertheless most results have been obtain from leaf extract, therefore this study would use leaf powder as the regular way of consumption of population to know effects over toxicity glucose, triglycerides, cholesterol, corporal weight, and predominant groups of microbiota. METHODS: Powdered leaf was administrated in different doses to know toxicity and genotoxicity using LD50 and micronuclei assay. Hyperglycemia was induced by alloxan on Sprague Dawley rats. Glucose and body weight were measured once a week meanwhile cholesterol and triglycerides were analyzed at the end of the study by commercial kits. Different organs were examined by hematoxylin-eosin technique. Lactic acid bacteria and Enterobacteriaceae were enumerated from stool samples. RESULTS: The tested doses revealed no lethal dose and no significant differences in genotoxicity parameter. The consumption of the leaves showed a hypoglycemic effect (< 250 mg/dL in diabetic M. oleifera treated group), however in corporal weight showed an increased (> 30 g over no M. oleifera treated groups). There was no change in enumeration of lactic acid bacteria (8.4 CFU/g) but there were differences in the predominance of type of lactobacillus and enterobacteria enumeration. CONCLUSIONS: These results help to increase information over the most popular use of M. oleifera and its safety. However there are needed more studies over the hypoglycemic mechanisms and effects over intestinal microbiota.

Validation of the Spanish version of the Bladder Pain/Interstitial Cystitis-Symptom Score (BPIC-SS) questionnaire. A useful tool for the diagnosis of bladder pain syndrome. / Validación de la versión española del cuestionario Bladder Pain/Interstitial Cystitis-Symptom Score (BPIC-SS). Un instrumento útil para el diagnóstico del síndrome de dolor vesical.

OBJECTIVES: Validation of the Spanish version of the Bladder Pain/Interstitial Cystitis-Symptom Score (BPIC-SS) questionnaire to evaluate its utility for the diagnosis of Bladder Pain Syndrome (BPS) patients in the Female and Urodynamics Urology Functional Units in Spain. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The Spanish adaptation of the BPIC-SS questionnaire was evaluated in 243 BPS patients. EQ-5D-5L, Patient Perception of Bladder Condition (PPBC) and global impression questionnaire (CGI-S) were collected. Consistency, test-retest reliability in patients without clinical changes at 15 days, criterion validity and sensitivity to change were assessed in BPS patients with clinical changes at 6 months. The cut-off point for discriminating BPS patients from other similar pathologies (Hyperactive Bladder or other urinary pathologies) was analysed using ROC curve. RESULTS: Mean (SD) BPIC-SS score (0-38) was 16.2 (12.0) points. Cronbach's alpha was 0.92 and intraclass coefficient correlation (ICC) was 0.82, ranging from 0.5-0.9 per item. Convergent validity determined a Spearman correlation of 0.63 with PPBC and -0.40 with EQ-5D-5L Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and the effect size obtained in patients who improved their clinical status was 1.9. A score greater than or equal to 12 points in the BPIC-SS has been established as the best cut-off point for the diagnosis of BPS (87.5% sensitivity and 91.9% specificity). CONCLUSIONS: The Spanish version of the BPIC-SS is a valid and reliable instrument for the diagnosis and follow-up of patients with BPS in Spain.

Cervical cancer cells suppress effector functions of cytotoxic T cells through the adenosinergic pathway.

BACKGROUND: The expression of CD73 in tumor cells plays a significant role in the production of adenosine (Ado) that suppresses antitumor effector cells. METHODS: In this study we analyzed the capability of HPV-positive (HPV+) cervical cancer (CeCa) cell lines CaSki, SiHa, HeLa, and RoVa; and HPV-negative (HPV-) cell lines C33A and ViBo to produce Ado and inhibit effector functions of CD8+ T cells. RESULTS: HPV+ CeCa cells expressed significantly higher levels of CD73 in the membrane (p<0.01) than HPV- CeCa cells and this expression was associated with the production of larger amounts of Ado (>400µM) compared to HPV-CeCa cells (<200µM) in the presence of AMP, as well asa stronger inhibition of (>50%) proliferation, activation, and cytotoxic activity of CD8+ T cells via interaction with A2A adenosine receptor. We also provide evidence that silenced E6/E7 expression in CeCa cells, strongly reduced its CD73 expression level and its capability to generate Ado. CONCLUSION: This results suggest that HPV infection, which is associated with more than 99% of CeCa cases, may present an increased constitutive expression of CD73 in cervical neoplasia to contribute to the suppression of the immune response mediated by the production of large amounts of Ado.

Aneuploidy identification in pre-B acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients at diagnosis by Multiplex Ligation-dependent Probe Amplification (MLPA).

Three-quarters of the patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), show numerical or structural chromosomal alterations, which are important factors in leukemogenesis. The use of Multiplex Ligation-dependent Probes Amplification (MLPA) has been mainly limited for searching copy number alterations of genes, suggesting that MLPA could detect numerical alterations in cancer. However, the use of MLPA in pediatrics to analyze subtelomeric sequences for aneuploidy detection has not been considered in previous studies. The aim of this study was to identify aneuploidy for the first time using MLPA and correlate the results with karyotype and DNA-index (DI), from preB ALL patients. Forty-two bone marrow samples were analyzed by cytogenetics and flow cytometry to determine the DI. The chromosomal gains and/or losses were detected by the SALSA MLPA P036 Subtelomere Mix 1 probemix®. The chromosomal number matched in 36 out of 42 samples between MLPA and karyotype (R2=0.7829, p=3.7×10-10), 18/42 between MLPA and DI (R2=0.1556, p=0.023), and 20/42 between karyotype and DI (R2=0.1509, p=0.015). MLPA results correlated with karyotype and DI. The use of MLPA led us to identify a gained marker chromosome. Our results indicate that MLPA could be a useful and fast alternative tool for aneuploidy identification in pediatric leukemia.

Platelet-Rich Plasma for the Treatment of Photodamage of the Skin of the Hands. / Plasma rico en plaquetas en el tratamiento del fotodaño cutáneo en las manos.

BACKGROUND: Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) provides growth factors that stimulate fibroblast activation and induce the synthesis of collagen and other components of the extracellular matrix. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of PRP in the treatment of photodamage of the skin of the hands. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Experimental study enrolling persons with photoaged skin on the dorsum of the hands (Glogau photoaging scale, type III, or Fitzpatrick wrinkle classification, type II) were included between August 2012 and January 2013. A histological comparison was made of skin biopsies taken before and after the application of PRP to the skin of the dorsum of the hands. RESULTS: The mean (SD) age of the 18 women enrolled was 47.9 (4.3) years. Histological analysis showed an increase in the number of fibroblasts (P<.001), number of vessels (P<.001), and collagen density (P=.27). These changes produced significant improvements in the Fitzpatrick wrinkle and elastosis scale (P<.001) and in the Glogau photoaging scale (P=.01). CONCLUSIONS: PRP induced a reduction in the manifestations of skin aging, including an improvement in wrinkles and elastosis.

Phosphorylated mTOR is associated to androgen receptor expression in early triple-negative breast cancer.

The significance of phosphorylated mTOR (p-mTOR) expression is unknown in triple-negative breast carcinoma (TNBC). The aims of the present study were to assess the expression of p-mTOR in early TNBC and to evaluate possible correlations between androgen receptor (AR) expression, clinicopathological parameters and disease outcome. Between January 2009 and December 2013, all consecutive patients who were diagnosed and completed the treatment of invasive TNBC at our institution were eligible for this analysis. Patients with stage IV disease were excluded. The evaluation of p-mTOR immunohistochemical staining was semi-quantitatively considering both the percentage of positive tumor cells (range, 0-100%) and staining intensity (range, 0-3+). Ninety-eight TNBC patients were included. Approximately 33% of cases were p-mTOR positive and there was no association between positive immunostaining for p-mTOR and DFS (p=0.74) and OS (p=0.81). p-mTOR positivity was associated with small tumor size (p=0.03) and AR expression (p=0.04). High expression of p-mTOR may drive tumor proliferation in almost one third of TNBC. The biological association between mTOR activation and AR pathway suggests that there may exist a subgroup of TNBC in which the combination of both AR antagonism and mTOR inhibition should have a synergistic effect on cell growth and tumor progression.

Carotenoids co-localize with hydroxyapatite, cholesterol, and other lipids in calcified stenotic aortic valves. Ex vivo Raman maps compared to histological patterns.

Unlike its application for atherosclerotic plaque analysis, Raman microspectroscopy was sporadically used to check the sole nature of bioapatite deposits in stenotic aortic valves, neglecting the involvement of accumulated lipids/lipoproteins in the calcific process. Here, Raman microspectroscopy was employed for examination of stenotic aortic valve leaflets to add information on nature and distribution of accumulated lipids and their correlation with mineralization in the light of its potential precocious diagnostic use. Cryosections from surgically explanted stenotic aortic valves (n=4) were studied matching Raman maps against specific histological patterns. Raman maps revealed the presence of phospholipids/triglycerides and cholesterol, which showed spatial overlapping with one another and Raman-identified hydroxyapatite. Moreover, the Raman patterns correlated with those displayed by both von-Kossa-calcium- and Nile-blue-stained serial cryosections. Raman analysis also provided the first identification of carotenoids, which co-localized with the identified lipid moieties. Additional fit concerned the distribution of collagen and elastin. The good correlation of Raman maps with high-affinity staining patterns proved that Raman microspectroscopy is a reliable tool in evaluating calcification degree, alteration/displacement of extracellular matrix components, and accumulation rate of different lipid forms in calcified heart valves. In addition, the novel identification of carotenoids supports the concept that valve stenosis is an atherosclerosis-like valve lesion, consistently with their previous Raman microspectroscopical identification inside atherosclerotic plaques.

Costs and quality of life associated with acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding in the UK: cohort analysis of patients in a cluster randomised trial.

OBJECTIVES: Data on costs associated with acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding (AUGIB) are scarce. We provide estimates of UK healthcare costs, indirect costs and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) for patients presenting to hospital with AUGIB. SETTING: Six UK university hospitals with >20 AUGIB admissions per month, >400 adult beds, 24 h endoscopy, and on-site access to intensive care and surgery. PARTICIPANTS: 936 patients aged ≥18 years, admitted with AUGIB, and enrolled between August 2012 and March 2013 in the TRIGGER trial of AUGIB comparing restrictive versus liberal red blood cell (RBC) transfusion thresholds. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Healthcare resource use during hospitalisation and postdischarge up to 28  days, unpaid informal care, time away from paid employment and HRQoL using the EuroQol EQ-5D at 28  days were measured prospectively. National unit costs were used to value resource use. Initial in-hospital treatment costs were upscaled to a UK level. RESULTS: Mean initial in-hospital costs were £2458 (SE=£216) per patient. Inpatient bed days, endoscopy and RBC transfusions were key cost drivers. Postdischarge healthcare costs were £391 (£44) per patient. One-third of patients received unpaid informal care and the quarter in paid employment required time away from work. Mean HRQoL for survivors was 0.74. Annual initial inhospital treatment cost for all AUGIB cases in the UK was estimated to be £155.5 million, with exploratory analyses of the incremental costs of treating hospitalised patients developing AUGIB generating figures of between £143 million and £168 million. CONCLUSIONS: AUGIB is a large burden for UK hospitals with inpatient stay, endoscopy and RBC transfusions as the main cost drivers. It is anticipated that this work will enable quantification of the impact of cost reduction strategies in AUGIB and will inform economic analyses of novel or existing interventions for AUGIB. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ISRCTN85757829 and NCT02105532.

Study of the viability and adhesion of osteoblast cells to bone cements mixed with hydroxyapatite at different concentrations to use in vertebral augmentation techniques.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to compare the biocompatibility and the effect in osteoblasts of polymethyl methacrylate alone, and mixed with hydroxyapatite in different concentrations of 5, 10, 15 and 20%, without exceeding 20%, as it can alter mechanical properties of the composite. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Experimental study comparing osteoblast response to Polymethyl methacrylate alone and with hydroxyapatite in different concentrations. RESULTS: Composites at 15 and 20% obtained better osteoblast response, with higher osteoblastic activity markers, and lower apoptosis markers. Electron microscopy images show improved adhesion of osteoblasts.