A randomized controlled study of socioeconomic support to enhance tuberculosis prevention and treatment, Peru.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of socioeconomic support on tuberculosis preventive therapy initiation in household contacts of tuberculosis patients and on treatment success in patients. METHODS: A non-blinded, household-randomized, controlled study was performed between February 2014 and June 2015 in 32 shanty towns in Peru. It included patients being treated for tuberculosis and their household contacts. Households were randomly assigned to either the standard of care provided by Peru's national tuberculosis programme (control arm) or the same standard of care plus socioeconomic support (intervention arm). Socioeconomic support comprised conditional cash transfers up to 230 United States dollars per household, community meetings and household visits. Rates of tuberculosis preventive therapy initiation and treatment success (i.e. cure or treatment completion) were compared in intervention and control arms. FINDINGS: Overall, 282 of 312 (90%) households agreed to participate: 135 in the intervention arm and 147 in the control arm. There were 410 contacts younger than 20 years: 43% in the intervention arm initiated tuberculosis preventive therapy versus 25% in the control arm (adjusted odds ratio, aOR: 2.2; 95% confidence interval, CI: 1.1-4.1). An intention-to-treat analysis showed that treatment was successful in 64% (87/135) of patients in the intervention arm versus 53% (78/147) in the control arm (unadjusted OR: 1.6; 95% CI: 1.0-2.6). These improvements were equitable, being independent of household poverty. CONCLUSION: A tuberculosis-specific, socioeconomic support intervention increased uptake of tuberculosis preventive therapy and tuberculosis treatment success and is being evaluated in the Community Randomized Evaluation of a Socioeconomic Intervention to Prevent TB (CRESIPT) project.

Evaluación de los resultados de la cura de incontinencia urinaria por técnica de Burch y cabestrillos suburetrales sin tensión

Objetivo: Evaluar los resultados positivos y negativos de la cirugía de incontinencia urinaria (IU) por técnica de colposuspensión de Burch y cabestrillos suburetrales sin tensión, tanto transobturatriz y tension-free vaginal tape, independientemente de las distintas mallas y tipos de agujas existentes en el mercado. Métodos: Se realizó un estudio no experimental, documental, retrospectivo, correlacional y longitudinal. La población estuvo constituida por la totalidad de pacientes con diagnóstico de incontinencia urinaria de esfuerzo, que acudieron a la consulta externa de cirugía General, Urología y Uroginecología del Hospital Dr. José Ignacio Baldó, entre enero 2002 y abril 2012. La muestra estuvo representada sólo por las pacientes que fueron sometidas a cura operatoria de IU por técnica de Burch o cabestrillos suburetrales sin tensión. Resultados: La proporción estimada de evoluciones satisfactorias con el uso de la técnica colposuspensión Burch fue de 87,9 % y con el uso de cabestrillos suburetrales sin tensión fue 97,3 %. La proporción de complicaciones transoperatorias en el caso de la técnica colposuspensión Burch alcanzó la cifra de 3,0 % y en el caso de cabestrillos suburetrales sin tensión fue de 10,8 %. La proporción de complicaciones postoperatorias en el caso de la técnica colposuspensión Burch alcanzó 33,3 % y en el caso de cabestrillos suburetrales sin tensión fue de 37,8 %. Conclusiones: No se encontraron diferencias estadísticamente significativas entre ambas técnicas quirúrgicas evaluadas en relación a proporción de evoluciones satisfactorias, complicaciones transoperatorias y postoperatorias.

Objective: To assess the positive and negative outcomes of both transobturator (TOT) and tension-free vaginal tape (TVT), regardless of the different meshes and existing types of needles on the market. Methods: A non-experimental, documentary, retrospective, correlational and longitudinal study was performed. The population was constituted by all patients diagnosed with stress urinary incontinence (SUI), who attended at General Surgery, Urology and Urogynaecology Service of the hospital Dr. Jose Ignacio Baldo, between January 2002 and April 2012. The sample was represented only by patients who underwent surgical cure of UI by Burch technique or tension-free suburethral slings. Results: The estimated proportion of satisfactory developments with the use of the Burch colposuspension technique was of 87.9% and with the use of tension-free suburethral slings was of 97,3%. The transoperative complications in Burch colposuspension technique was 3, 0 % and in tension-free suburethral slings was of 10.8%. The postoperative complications in the case of Burch colposuspension technique reached 33.3% and in the case of tension-free suburethral slings was 37.8%. Conclusions: No statistically significant differences were found between the two surgical techniques evaluated in relation to proportion of successful developments, transoperative and postoperative complications.

Hipertrofia mamaria juvenil: Revisión de la literatura. A propósito de un caso clínico

Se presenta el caso de una paciente de 22 años con hipertrofia mamaria bilateral, de gran tamaño. No presentaba tumor ni alteraciones hormonales. Fue intervenida quirúrgicamente y la evolución fue satisfactoria.

We report a case of a 22-year-old patient with massive Juvenile Breast Hypertrophy. No tumor or hormonal changes cause the disease. Was successfully treated with a breast reduction.

The economic effects of supporting tuberculosis-affected households in Peru.

The End TB Strategy mandates that no tuberculosis (TB)-affected households face catastrophic costs due to TB. However, evidence is limited to evaluate socioeconomic support to achieve this change in policy and practice. The objective of the present study was to investigate the economic effects of a TB-specific socioeconomic intervention.The setting was 32 shantytown communities in Peru. The participants were from households of consecutive TB patients throughout TB treatment administered by the national TB programme. The intervention consisted of social support through household visits and community meetings, and economic support through cash transfers conditional upon TB screening in household contacts, adhering to TB treatment/chemoprophylaxis and engaging with social support. Data were collected to assess TB-affected household costs. Patient interviews were conducted at treatment initiation and then monthly for 6 months.From February 2014 to June 2015, 312 households were recruited, of which 135 were randomised to receive the intervention. Cash transfer total value averaged US$173 (3.5% of TB-affected households' average annual income) and mitigated 20% of households' TB-related costs. Households randomised to receive the intervention were less likely to incur catastrophic costs (30% (95% CI 22-38%) versus 42% (95% CI 34-51%)). The mitigation impact was higher among poorer households.The TB-specific socioeconomic intervention reduced catastrophic costs and was accessible to poorer households. Socioeconomic support and mitigating catastrophic costs are integral to the End TB strategy, and our findings inform implementation of these new policies.

STAT3, p38 MAPK, and NF-kappaB drive unopposed monocyte-dependent fibroblast MMP-1 secretion in tuberculosis.

Tissue destruction characterizes infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). Type I collagen provides the lung's tensile strength, is extremely resistant to degradation, but is cleaved by matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-1. Fibroblasts potentially secrete quantitatively more MMP-1 than other lung cells. We investigated mechanisms regulating Mtb-induced collagenolytic activity in fibroblasts in vitro and in patients. Lung fibroblasts were stimulated with conditioned media from Mtb-infected monocytes (CoMTb). CoMTb induced sustained increased MMP-1 (74 versus 16 ng/ml) and decreased tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP)-1 (8.6 versus 22.3 ng/ml) protein secretion. CoMTb induced a 2.7-fold increase in MMP-1 promoter activation and a 2.5-fold reduction in TIMP-1 promoter activation at 24 hours (P = 0.01). Consistent with this, TIMP-1 did not co-localize with fibroblasts in patient granulomas. MMP-1 up-regulation and TIMP-1 down-regulation were p38 (but not extracellular signal-regulated kinase or c-Jun N-terminal kinase) mitogen-activated protein kinase-dependent. STAT3 phosphorylation was detected in fibroblasts in vitro and in tuberculous granulomas. STAT3 inhibition reduced fibroblast MMP-1 secretion by 60% (P = 0.046). Deletion of the MMP-1 promoter NF-κB-binding site abrogated promoter induction in response to CoMTb. TNF-α, IL-1ß, or Oncostatin M inhibition in CoMTb decreased MMP-1 secretion by 65, 63, and 25%, respectively. This cytokine cocktail activated the same signaling pathways in fibroblasts and induced MMP-1 secretion similar to that induced by CoMTb. This study demonstrates in a cellular model and in patients with tuberculosis that in addition to p38 and NF-κB, STAT3 has a key role in driving fibroblast-dependent unopposed MMP-1 production that may be key in tissue destruction in patients.

Improved diagnosis of pleural tuberculosis using the microscopic- observation drug-susceptibility technique.

Tests for pleural tuberculosis are insensitive and expensive. We compared nonproprietary microscopic-observation drug-susceptibility (MODS) culture with Löwenstein-Jensen culture for evaluation of pleural specimens. MODS culture was associated with greatly increased diagnostic sensitivity and shorter time to diagnosis, compared with Löwenstein-Jensen culture (sensitivity of culture of biopsy specimens, 81% vs.51%; time to diagnosis, 11 days vs. 24 days; P < .001). The MODS technique is inexpensive, allows drug-susceptibility testing, and is a considerably improved diagnostic method for pleural tuberculosis.

Hyperendemic human and porcine Taenia solium infection in Perú.

The prevalence and characteristics of human taeniasis/cysticercosis and porcine cysticercosis were assessed in an endemic area of the Peruvian highlands. Individuals from 10 communities had stool examinations (N = 2,951) and serologic testing for Taenia solium antibodies (N = 2,583). The total porcine population present (N = 703) was also examined by serology. Cysticercosis is hyperendemic in this area and is associated with an important number of seizure cases. Human seroprevalence by village ranged from 7.1-26.9% (mean, 13.9%). Seroprevalence was higher among individuals with a history of seizures but not in those reporting a history of headache or intestinal taeniasis. Prevalence of taeniasis ranged from 0-6.7% (median, 2.5%). Coproantigen detection found 2.4 times more taeniasis cases than did microscopy (direct and after concentration). Age distribution for taeniasis showed a peak at younger ages than for seroprevalence. Porcine seroprevalence ranged from 42-75%. Random effects logistic regression models for human seropositivity demonstrated both in-house clustering of cases and a large increase in risk associated with a tapeworm carrier in the house. Besides confirming the close relationship between taeniasis and cysticercosis cases, this large-scale field study demonstrated early age of tapeworm and cysticercosis infections in humans, and short duration of taeniasis infections.