Alternative and efficient one-pot three-component synthesis of substituted 2-aryl-4-styrylquinazolines/4-styrylquinazolines from synthetically available 1-(2-aminophenyl)-3-arylprop-2-en-1-ones: characterization and evaluation of their antiproliferative activities.

In this study, an alternative and efficient one-pot three-component synthesis approach to develop a new series of (E)-2-aryl-4-styrylquinazolines and (E)-4-styrylquinazolines is described. According to this approach, the target compounds were synthesized straightforward in high yields and in short reaction times from substituted 1-(2-aminophenyl)-3-arylprop-2-en-1-ones via its well-Cu(OAc)2-mediated cyclocondensation reactions with aromatic aldehydes or its well-catalyst-free cyclocondensation reactions with trimethoxy methane (trimethyl orthoformate), and ammonium acetate under aerobic conditions. This is an operationally simple, valuable, and direct method to synthesize 2-aryl- and non-C2-substituted quinazolines containing a styryl framework at C4 position from cheap and synthetically available starting materials. All the synthesized compounds were submitted to the US National Cancer Institute for in vitro screening. The bromo- and chloro-substituted quinazolines 5c and 5d displayed a potent antitumor activity against all the tested subpanel tumor cell lines with IC50 (MG-MID) values of 5.25 and 5.50 µM, and a low cytotoxic effect with LC50 (MG-MID) values of 91.20 and 84.67 µM, respectively, indicating a low toxicity of these compounds to normal human cell lines, as required for potential antitumor agents.

Usefulness of a virtual reality educational program for reducing preoperative anxiety in children: A randomised, single-centre clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Preoperative anxiety (PA) is common in children and has detrimental effects on surgical outcome. Strategies based on virtual reality (VR) have recently been introduced to address this problem. OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the usefulness of a virtual reality educational program (VREP) for reducing preoperative anxiety in elective low-complexity paediatric surgery. DESIGN: Randomised clinical trial. SETTING: Single tertiary centre in Barcelona, Spain. Between January 2019 and June 2022. PATIENTS: Children aged 3-13 years of age, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) I-II, scheduled for elective low-complexity surgery were enrolled in the study. INTERVENTION: Children were randomised into a control group (received oral/written information about the anaesthetic-surgical process, and patients and their parents remained in a playroom waiting for the surgery) or VREP (viewed a VR-based educational video on the surgical process, 7-10 days prior to surgery) using the MATLAB application. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: PA using the modified Yale Preoperative Anxiety Scale (mYPAS) during separation from parents. RESULTS: In total, 241 children aged 3-12 years of age were studied (120 patients with VREP and 121 controls). Randomisation eliminated the differences between the groups, except for a greater male presence in the VREP group (83.3% vs. 71.1%; P = 0.023). The mYPAS yielded was lower in the VREP group (29.2% vs. 83.5%; P < 0.001). Sex did not influence VREP-mediated decrease in PA (P < 0.001). In turn, VREP patients were more cooperative (Induction Compliance Checklist [ICC] score 0 points vs. 2 points; P < 0.001) during anaesthesia induction, presented less delirium (Pediatric Anesthesia Emergence Delirium [PAED] score 1 point vs. 3 points; P = 0.001) on leaving the recovery room, and experienced less pain upon arrival in the hospital ward (Wong-Baker Faces Pain Rating Scale: 0-points vs. 1 point; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The VREP-based prevention strategy reduced preoperative anxiety in children undergoing elective low-complexity surgery. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT03578393.

Self-Esteem and Coping Strategies in Adolescent Cancer Patients during the Period of Illness and Follow-Up.

The importance of self-esteem during the course of oncological illness has been well-documented by some previous studies. However, data assessing its association with various coping strategies, especially considering the period of illness, are still scarce. The objective of this study is to analyze the differences in coping strategies among oncological adolescents, taking into account their self-esteem, illness period, age, and sex. A total of 201 oncological patients between the ages of 12 and 17 from three different Spanish cities were included in this study. All of them were asked to answer a tailored questionnaire, encompassing information about age, sex, and illness period. Additionally, the coping strategies were measured using the ACS scale, while self-esteem was evaluated using the SENA questionnaire. The results demonstrated that male adolescents and older individuals exhibited higher levels of self-esteem. The main coping strategies associated with higher self-esteem were "ignore the problem", "focus on positive", "physical recreation", and "wishful thinking" both during the treatment and the follow-up phases. We conclude that higher self-esteem is associated with some of the coping strategies such as "focus on positive", "ignore the problem", and "wishful thinking". Sociodemographic variables influence the relationship between self-esteem and coping strategies, but no differences were found regarding the period of illness.

Necroptosis blockade prevents lung injury in severe influenza.

Severe influenza A virus (IAV) infections can result in hyper-inflammation, lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome1-5 (ARDS), for which there are no effective pharmacological therapies. Necroptosis is an attractive entry point for therapeutic intervention in ARDS and related inflammatory conditions because it drives pathogenic lung inflammation and lethality during severe IAV infection6-8 and can potentially be targeted by receptor interacting protein kinase 3 (RIPK3) inhibitors. Here we show that a newly developed RIPK3 inhibitor, UH15-38, potently and selectively blocked IAV-triggered necroptosis in alveolar epithelial cells in vivo. UH15-38 ameliorated lung inflammation and prevented mortality following infection with laboratory-adapted and pandemic strains of IAV, without compromising antiviral adaptive immune responses or impeding viral clearance. UH15-38 displayed robust therapeutic efficacy even when administered late in the course of infection, suggesting that RIPK3 blockade may provide clinical benefit in patients with IAV-driven ARDS and other hyper-inflammatory pathologies.

The Septic Elbow Joint: Treatment Approaches for Improved Patient Outcomes.

Septic arthritis of the elbow is a serious problem requiring prompt, accurate diagnosis and urgent surgical intervention. Achieving successful patient outcomes depends heavily on early diagnosis and efficient streamlined surgical treatment. Essential tactics for treating the septic elbow joint include immediate joint irrigation and debridement in addition to administration of appropriate antibiotics. This comprehensive review delves into the cause of the septic elbow joint, identifies associated risk factors, and provides a comprehensive approach encompassing the diagnosis and treatment of the septic elbow. The aim of this review is to optimize patient care and outcomes.

XRN1 deletion induces PKR-dependent cell lethality in interferon-activated cancer cells.

Emerging data suggest that induction of viral mimicry responses through activation of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) sensors in cancer cells is a promising therapeutic strategy. One approach to induce viral mimicry is to target molecular regulators of dsRNA sensing pathways. Here, we show that the exoribonuclease XRN1 is a negative regulator of the dsRNA sensor protein kinase R (PKR) in cancer cells with high interferon-stimulated gene expression. XRN1 deletion causes PKR pathway activation and consequent cancer cell lethality. Disruption of interferon signaling with the JAK1/2 inhibitor ruxolitinib can decrease cellular PKR levels and rescue sensitivity to XRN1 deletion. Conversely, interferon-ß stimulation can increase PKR levels and induce sensitivity to XRN1 inactivation. Lastly, XRN1 deletion causes accumulation of endogenous complementary sense/anti-sense RNAs, which may represent candidate PKR ligands. Our data demonstrate how XRN1 regulates PKR and how this interaction creates a vulnerability in cancer cells with an activated interferon cell state.

Differences in efficacy and safety between intrathecal infusion devices in cancer pain.

BACKGROUND: Intrathecal infusion therapy is widely accepted for cancer pain patients when conventional analgesic treatments are not sufficient. There are different types of devices for carrying out this therapy: partially externalized devices (PED), used when life expectancy is under 3 months, and totally implanted devices (TID), when it is larger. Our objective is to compare the efficacy, functionality, and complication rate in both types. METHODS: We included 132 patients with mild-severe cancer pain, treated with intrathecal infusion therapy by fixed flow devices, PED, or TID, during the study time. Demographic, physical oncologic, and pain control data of the patients were recorded prior to starting therapy and at months 1, 3, and 6. Functionality status and complications were also collected from the patient's medical records and clinical files. RESULTS: Pain control improved after starting therapy, with an overall reduction of 4.75 points in VAS score at 1 month in the both groups, without significant differences between them, keeping it at 3 months and 6. 33.3% of the patients developed complications and were more frequent in the PED group, being catheter dislocation the most common. Patients with TID required more often hospital admission to solve the complication. CONCLUSIONS: Intrathecal infusion therapy has been shown to be a very effective and safe therapy for the treatment of moderate to severe oncologic pain. There are no significant differences between PED and TID in terms of degree of pain control, therapeutic success, efficacy on episodic or nocturnal pain, or the presence of serious complications.

Predictive factors for efficacy and safety of intrathecal infusion devices for oncological pain.

Introduction: In an important percentage of intrathecal infusion therapy, the pain after implantation of a spinal device does not improve. Our objective is to identify factors that can predict therapeutic success and complications, developing a predictive model based on univariate and multivariate analyses. Methods: Retrospective observational study, including 132 patients with oncological pain who were implanted with a fixed-flow device for intrathecal infusion. Four time points were established for data collection and, in addition to demographic and anthropometric data, variables related to oncologic pain pathology, initiation of therapy, pain control and complications were collected. Based on univariate and multivariate analyses, we performed predictive models on efficacy and complications. Results: The mean baseline pain intensity was VAS 7.78, and when comparing the values before implantation with those at month 1, we observed an overall decrease of 4.75 points, maintained at months 3 and 6. Nocturnal pain progressively decreased in incidence from 50.0% before implantation to 21.8%, 9.1% and 4.3% at 1, 3 and 6 months. Episodic pain was present in 90.1% of the patients before implantation (7.79 episodes/day), and at 6 months the incidence remained at 53.8%. Most of the patients (66.6%) had no complications related to therapy. We constructed a highly significant multivariate model for the efficacy of the therapy with a predictive capacity of 30.2% and composed of factors: absence of nocturnal pain before implantation and clinical improvement on day 2 after implant. Regarding the prediction of complications, it was not possible to achieve a significantly multivariate effective model. Conclusion: We identify two factors that predict therapeutic success in a multivariate model: the absence of nocturnal pain before implantation and the improvement of pain on the second day after implantation.

Metacarpal fractures.

Metacarpal fractures are common and can be functionally disabling. The majority are managed non-operatively. When surgical intervention is indicated, various methods of fixation are available with the utility of each being based on injury pattern, patient function and surgeon preference. Early mobilization, especially in case of open reduction and internal fixation, is a critical component of treatment to prevent stiffness and restore function. When possible, a fixation construct that can withstand the applied forces of early postoperative motion is chosen. We provide an updated description for diagnosis, treatment options and operative fixation for metacarpal fractures.

Systematic profiling of conditional pathway activation identifies context-dependent synthetic lethalities.

The paradigm of cancer-targeted therapies has focused largely on inhibition of critical pathways in cancer. Conversely, conditional activation of signaling pathways as a new source of selective cancer vulnerabilities has not been deeply characterized. In this study, we sought to systematically identify context-specific gene-activation-induced lethalities in cancer. To this end, we developed a method for gain-of-function genetic perturbations simultaneously across ~500 barcoded cancer cell lines. Using this approach, we queried the pan-cancer vulnerability landscape upon activating ten key pathway nodes, revealing selective activation dependencies of MAPK and PI3K pathways associated with specific biomarkers. Notably, we discovered new pathway hyperactivation dependencies in subsets of APC-mutant colorectal cancers where further activation of the WNT pathway by APC knockdown or direct ß-catenin overexpression led to robust antitumor effects in xenograft and patient-derived organoid models. Together, this study reveals a new class of conditional gene-activation dependencies in cancer.

Cultivated autologous limbal epithelial cell (CALEC) transplantation: Development of manufacturing process and clinical evaluation of feasibility and safety.

To treat unilateral limbal stem cell (LSC) deficiency, we developed cultivated autologous limbal epithelial cells (CALEC) using an innovative xenobiotic-free, serum-free, antibiotic-free, two-step manufacturing process for LSC isolation and expansion onto human amniotic membrane with rigorous quality control in a good manufacturing practices facility. Limbal biopsies were used to generate CALEC constructs, and final grafts were evaluated by noninvasive scanning microscopy and tested for viability and sterility. Cultivated cells maintained epithelial cell phenotype with colony-forming and proliferative capacities. Analysis of LSC biomarkers showed preservation of "stemness." After preclinical development, a phase 1 clinical trial enrolled five patients with unilateral LSC deficiency. Four of these patients received CALEC transplants, establishing preliminary feasibility. Clinical case histories are reported, with no primary safety events. On the basis of these results, a second recruitment phase of the trial was opened to provide longer term safety and efficacy data on more patients.

Concordancia entre cinco criterios de síndrome metabólico en adolescentes de una zona altoandina del Perú / Concordance between five criteria of metabolic syndrome in teenagers from a Peruvian high andes region

RESUMEN Objetivo. Determinar la concordancia entre cinco criterios diagnósticos de síndrome metabólico (SM) entre adolescentes residentes de una zona altoandina del Perú. Materiales y métodos. Se realizó un estudio transversal con datos secundarios de un estudio de intervención en dos escuelas públicas en el año 2019. Participaron 397 adolescentes que residen en la ciudad de Cajamarca ubicada en la región andina del Perú. Se aplicaron cinco criterios diagnósticos: Third Adult Treatment Panel (ATP-III) modificados por Cook, de la Federación Internacional de Diabetes (IDF), de la American Heart Association (AHA), de Ferranti, y de la Organización Mundial de Salud (OMS). Se estimaron las prevalencias puntuales y de intervalo con los cinco criterios. Se estimó el coeficiente de concordancia de Kappa con su respectivo intervalo de confianza al 95% (IC 95%). Resultados. El criterio de Ferranti identificó un 17,1% (IC 95%: 13,4 a 20,8) de adolescentes con SM, seguido del criterio de la ATP-III con 4,3% (IC 95%: 2,3 a 6,3); los demás criterios identificaron una menor frecuencia. La mejor concordancia fue encontrada entre los criterios de la AHA y la ATP-III (k = 0,905), los criterios de la OMS e IDF tuvieron un coeficiente de 0,628. Los cinco criterios coincidieron en clasificar como SM a seis adolescentes (1,5%). Conclusiones. Los criterios de la AHA y la ATP-III modificados por Cook tuvieron una concordancia casi perfecta, que se mantuvo en ambos sexos. Los criterios ATP-III, de Ferranti, IDF, AHA y OMS concuerdan en menos del 2% en identificar SM en el mismo grupo de adolescentes.

ABSTRACT Objective. To determine the concordance between five diagnostic criteria for metabolic syndrome (MS) among teenagers from a Peruvian high Andes region. Materials and methods. A cross-sectional study was carried out with secondary data from an intervention study in two public schools in 2019. We included 397 teenagers who lived in the city of Cajamarca, in the Andean region of Peru. We applied the criteria from the Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP-III) modified by Cook, the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), the American Heart Association (AHA), Ferranti, and the World Health Organization (WHO). The point prevalence and interval prevalence were estimated with the five criteria. The Kappa concordance coefficient with an 95% confidence interval (95%CI) was estimated. Results. The Ferranti criterion identified 17.1% (95%CI: 13.4 to 20.8) of teenagers with MS, followed by the ATP-III criterion with 4.3% (95%CI: 2.3 to 6.3); the other criteria identified a lower frequency. The best concordance was found between the AHA and ATP-III criteria (k = 0.905); the WHO and IDF criteria had a coefficient of 0.628. The five criteria coincided in classifying six adolescents (1.5%) as MS. Conclusions. The AHA and ATP-III criteria modified by Cook had almost perfect concordance, which was also found for both sexes. The ATP-III, Ferranti, IDF, AHA and WHO criteria agree in less than 2% when identifying MS in the same group of adolescents.

Acute and Long-Term Scar Characterization of Venous Ethanol Ablation in the Left Ventricular Summit.

BACKGROUND: Venous ethanol ablation (VEA) can be effective for ventricular arrhythmias from the left ventricular summit (LVS); however, there are concerns about excessive ablation by VEA. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to delineate and quantify the location, extent, and evolution of ablated tissue after VEA as an intramural ablation technique in the LVS. METHODS: VEA was performed in 59 patients with LVS ventricular arrhythmias. Targeted intramural veins were selected by electrograms from a 2F octapolar catheter or by guide-wire unipolar signals. Median ethanol delivered was 4 mL (IQR: 4-7 mL). Ablated areas were estimated intraprocedurally as increased echogenicity on intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) and incorporated into 3-dimensional maps. In 44 patients, late gadolinium enhancement cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaged VEA scar and its evolution. RESULTS: ICE-demonstrated increased intramural echogenicity (median volume of 2 mL; IQR: 1.7-4.3) at the targeted region of the 3-dimensional maps. Post-ethanol CMR showed intramural scar of 2.5 mL (IQR: 2.1-3.5 mL). Early (within 48 hours after VEA) CMR showed microvascular obstruction (MVO) in 30 of 31 patients. Follow-up CMR after a median of 51 (IQR: 41-170) days showed evolution of MVO to scar. ICE echogenicity and CMR scar volumes correlated with each other and with ethanol volume. Ventricular function and interventricular septum remained intact. CONCLUSIONS: VEA leads to intramural ablation that can be tracked intraprocedurally by ICE and creates regions of MVO that are chronically replaced by myocardial scar. VEA scar volume does not compromise septal integrity or ventricular function.

Combination ATR (ceralasertib) and PARP (olaparib) Inhibitor (CAPRI) Trial in Acquired PARP Inhibitor-Resistant Homologous Recombination-Deficient Ovarian Cancer.

PURPOSE: Addition of ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3-related kinase inhibitors (ATRi) to PARP inhibitors (PARPi) overcomes PARPi resistance in high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) cell and mouse models. We present the results of an investigator-initiated study of combination PARPi (olaparib) and ATRi (ceralasertib) in patients with acquired PARPi-resistant HGSOC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Eligible patients had recurrent, platinum-sensitive BRCA1/2 mutated or homologous recombination (HR)-deficient (HRD) HGSOC and clinically benefited from PARPi (response by imaging/CA-125 or duration of maintenance therapy; > 12 months first-line or > 6 months ≥ second-line) before progression. No intervening chemotherapy was permitted. Patients received olaparib 300 mg twice daily and ceralasertib 160 mg daily on days 1 to 7 of a 28-day cycle. Primary objectives were safety and objective response rate (ORR). RESULTS: Thirteen patients enrolled were evaluable for safety and 12 for efficacy; 62% (n = 8) had germline BRCA1/2 mutations, 23% (n = 3) somatic BRCA1/2 mutations, and 15% (n = 2) tumors with positive HRD assay. Prior PARPi indication was treatment for recurrence (54%, n = 7), second-line maintenance (38%, n = 5) and first-line treatment with carboplatin/paclitaxel (8%, n = 1). There were 6 partial responses yielding an ORR of 50% (95% confidence interval, 0.15-0.72). Median treatment duration was 8 cycles (range 4-23+). Grade (G) 3/4 toxicities were 38% (n = 5); 15% (n = 2) G3 anemia, 23% (n = 3) G3 thrombocytopenia, 8% (n = 1) G4 neutropenia. Four patients required dose reductions. No patient discontinued treatment due to toxicity. CONCLUSIONS: Combination olaparib and ceralasertib is tolerable and shows activity in HR-deficient platinum-sensitive recurrent HGSOC that benefited and then progressed with PARPi as the penultimate regimen. These data suggest that ceralasertib resensitizes PARPi-resistant HGSOCs to olaparib, warranting further investigation.

Complicaciones postoperatorias en fractura de órbita: experiencia en el Hospital del Trabajador de Santiago

Objetivo: Describir la experiencia del equipo de cirugía maxilofacial del Hospital del Trabajador en el manejo de las fracturas de órbita. Materiales y Método: Estudio retrospectivo de 42 pacientes consecutivos operados por fractura de órbita en el Servicio de Cirugía Maxilofacial del Hospital del Trabajador entre enero de 2016 y diciembre de 2017. Se tabularon datos demográficos, información del trauma, tipo de fractura, fracturas asociadas, tratamiento y seguimiento. Resultado: De los 42 pacientes, la mayoría eran hombres (73,8%) con edad promedio de 40 ± 12,24 años. Los principales síntomas al ingreso fueron equimosis (64,3%), edema periocular (54,8%), hemorragia subconjuntival (33,3%) y diplopía (26,2%). La pared orbitaria más frecuentemente afectada fue el piso de la órbita (85,7%). Las fracturas se presentaron de forma aislada en 35,7% de los casos y asociada a otra fractura de la cara en 64,3%. Post cirugía, la tasa de complicación fue de 16,7%, producto de diplopía y enoftalmos leves que solo requirieron tratamientos conservadores para su resolución. Discusión: La baja tasa de complicaciones se debe a la experiencia del equipo médico con un seguimiento a largo plazo, la medición de volúmenes orbitarios, imagenología intraoperatoria, utilización de malla prefabricada y asistencia endoscópica. Conclusiones: Un adecuado diagnóstico y evaluación son fundamentales para el tratamiento de la fractura de órbita. Los datos demográficos, las características de las fracturas y las complicaciones descritas fueron muy similares a lo reportado por otras experiencias, mientras que la tasa de complicaciones fue menor.

Aim: To describe the experience of the Maxillofacial Surgical team of Hospital del Trabajador de Santiago in the management of orbital fractures. Materials and Methods: Retrospective study of 42 patients operated consecutively between January of 2016 and November of 2017 at Hospital del Trabajador de Santiago by the Maxillofacial Surgery team due to orbital fracture. The demographic data was tabulated and then a comparison between isolated and combined orbital fractures was made. Results: Of 42 patients most were men (73.8%) with an average age of 40±12.24 years. At admission the main symptoms were ecchymosis (64.3%), periorbital edema (54.8%), subconjunctival hemorrhage (33.3%) and diplopia (26.2%). The most frequently affected orbital wall was the floor (85.7%). Isolated fractures accounted for 35.7% of the cases and those associated with other facial fractures for 64.3%. The postoperative complication rate was 16.7% due to diplopia and enophthalmos. Both complications were mild and only required conservative management. Discussion: The low complication rate might be due to the experience of the surgical team in the management of orbital fractures, long-term following, orbital volume measurements, intraoperative imaging, the use of prefabricated mesh and endoscopic guidance. Conclusión: An adequate diagnosis and evaluation are fundamental for orbital fracture treatment. Demographic data, fracture characteristics and the complications described were similar to those reported by other studies, while the rate of complications was lower than those experiences.

Enhanced thrombin generation detected with ST-Genesia analyzer in patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma.

The issue of how to identify newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM) patients requiring thromboprophylaxis remains unsolved. Several changes in thrombin generation (TG)-derived parameters have been described in multiple myeloma (MM) patients recently. Assessment of prothrombotic risk with a fully automated TG analyzer could reduce interlaboratory variability. Our objective was to determine whether ST-Genesia® could reveal a hypercoagulable state in NDMM compared to healthy controls. We conducted a multicenter observational study of NDMM requiring initial treatment to compare TG parameters obtained with ST-Genesia® analyzer and ST-ThromboScreen® reagent with a control group. Clinical data were obtained from medical records and blood samples were collected before initial anti-myeloma therapy. A thrombophilia panel was performed in all patients. Compared to age- and sex-matched controls (n = 83), NDMM patients (n = 83) had significantly higher peak height, higher velocity index, shorter time-to-peak and lower percentage of endogenous thrombin potential (ETP) inhibition after adding thrombomodulin (TM) (ETP%inh). NDMM on prophylactic low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) showed reduced both peak height and velocity index compared to NDMM who had not yet started VTE prophylaxis, similar to that of controls. Moreover, partial correction of ETP%inh was observed in MM patients on LMWH. The presence of a thrombophilia did not modify the TG phenotype. Untreated NDMM patients showed an enhanced TG, regardless of their thrombophilia status. They generate a higher peak of thrombin, take less time to produce it, and exhibit resistance to TM inhibition. Our findings suggest that standard prophylactic dose of LMWH may reduce TG at levels of healthy controls.

Resistance exercise and low-level laser therapy improves grip strength and morphological aspects in the ankle joint of Wistar rats with experimental arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory disease mainly affecting synovial joints. Photobiomodulation through low-level laser therapy (LLLT) and resistance exercise may improve the inflammatory process. Therefore, we analyzed the effects of resistance exercise, LLLT, and the combination of both treatments on hind paw grip strength and ankle joint histomorphometric aspects of Wistar rats subjected to experimental RA. A total of 64 male Wistar rats were divided into eight groups: control, control LLLT, control exercise, control LLLT and exercise, arthritis, arthritis LLLT, arthritis exercise, and arthritis LLLT and exercise groups. The experimental RA was induced by a complete Freund's adjuvant injection into the knee joint cavity. Climbing exercises and LLLT (660 nm; 5 J/cm2 per point) were performed as the treatment. In addition, muscle strength was evaluated using the grip strength test, and morphometric evaluations were performed on the ankle joint. Generalized mixed models and multivariate analysis of variance tests were used for statistical analysis. Statistical significance was set at a p-value of .05. Arthritis LLLT, exercise, and LLLT and exercise had positive effects on grip strength between the groups (F[7.56] = 5.8, p < .004) and within the groups (F[4.3] = 9.9, p < .002) throughout the evaluations. Morphometry revealed degenerative lesions in the ankle joint as subintima with angiogenesis, inflammatory cells, flocculated articular cartilage, chondrocyte disorganization, and pannus in the arthritis group (p < .001). The treated groups exhibited morphological characteristics similar to those of the control group. LLLT and resistance exercise restored muscle strength and morphological aspects of the ankle joint in rats with experimentally induced RA.

La ecografía de glándulas salivales en el diagnóstico del síndrome de Sjögren / Ultrasound of the salivary glands in the diagnosis of Sjögren´s syndrome

Objetivo: describir los hallazgos ecográficos en las glándulas salivares para el diagnóstico del síndrome de Sjögren primario. Metodología: se realizó una revisión narrativa de la literatura, con búsqueda en bases de datos seleccionando los principales artículos de revisión e investigaciones originales en español e inglés publicados en los últimos 20 años. Resultados: los hallazgos confirman el valor diagnóstico de la ecografía como estudio no invasivo de las glándulas salivares. Conclusión: la ecografía de glándulas salivares es un método útil y confiable para el diagnóstico del síndrome de Sjögren.

Objective: to describe salivary glands ultrasonography findings for the diagnosis of primary Sjögren ́s syndrome. Methodology: a narrative review of the literature by a database search selecting the main original review and research articles published in the last 20 years in Spanish and English. Results: findings confirm ultrasonography diagnostic value as a non-invasive method for salivary glands evaluation. Conclusion: sonographic evaluation of the salivary glands is a useful and reliable method for diagnosing Sjögren ́s syndrome.