Differential biomarker profiles between unprovoked venous thromboembolism and cancer.

BACKGROUND: The relationship between cancer and venous thromboembolic disease (VTD) are complex because the activated coagulation factors are not only involved in thrombosis but also in malignant processes, such as angiogenesis and metastasis. OBJECTIVE: To compare phenotypes of extracellular vesicles (EVs), and levels of D-dimer, soluble P-selectin (sP-selectin) and antigenic tissue factor (TF) between unprovoked VTD patients, who did not develop cancer during one-year follow-up, and those with advanced stage of cancer but not associated with VTD. METHODS: A prospective study in which we included 138 unprovoked VTD patients and 67 advanced cancer patients, who did not develop thrombosis. Levels of EVs of different cellular origin (platelet, endothelium and leukocyte), EVs positive for tissue factor (TF) and P-selectin glycoprotein ligand 1 were quantified by flow cytometry. D-dimer, soluble P-selectin (sP-selectin) and antigenic TF were determined by ELISA. RESULTS: TF-positive EVs, D-dimer, and sP-selectin were markedly elevated in unprovoked VTD patients compared to cancer patients without association with thrombosis. CONCLUSIONS: Levels of TF-positive EVs, D-dimer and sP-selectin are able to discriminate between unprovoked VTD patients not related to cancer and cancer patients not associated with VTD. These results could lead to the application of EVs as biomarkers of both diseases. Key messages: Circulating EVs, specifically TF-positive EVs, in combination with plasmatic markers of hypercoagulable states, such as D-dimer, sP-selectin and antigen TF, are able to discriminate between cancer patients without thrombosis and patients with unprovoked VTD. Research fields could be opened. Future studies will assess if these biomarkers together serve as predicting thrombotic events in cancer populations.

[Evaluation of a computer predictive model to stratify risk and site of care in community acquired pneumonia]. / Utilidad de un modelo informatizado para estratificación de riesgo y decisión de lugar de tratamiento en la neumonía de la comunidad.

BACKGROUND: CAP is a common disorder with a great variability in clinical practice. The decision regarding the appropriate site of care is the most important for the level of treatment and costs. Recently a hospital in our region ( Hospital de Galdakao) developed a prediction rule based on the Pneumonia Severity Index (PSI) plus some additional criteria (hypoxemia <60, shock, previous correct treatment failure, social problems or inability to maintain oral intake, pleural effusion or unstable comorbidities) with an easy computer program to classify patients to be hospitalized or not. OBJECTIVE: Evaluate that computer program in the emergency department of our hospital. RESULTS: We included between December 02 and December 04,662 prospective patients with CAP admitted to our emergency department, 58 had a different final diagnosis. 285 (47%) were treated on outpatient basis. Readmission rate was 6%. There was no mortality in this group. 319 (53%) patients were hospitalized, 97 were PSI low risk patients (I-II), 61 of them were admitted to hospital because additional criteria. 45% of these "low risk patients" had significant complications. These results are similar to those obtained in Galdakao* CONCLUSIONS: The application of this computer risk stratifying program to assess admission to hospital in CAP is simple useful, secure and can be export to different settings. Additional criteria to PSI are necessary to detect low risk patients that complicate.

Pulmonary carcinosarcoma: a case study and review of the literature.

A case report of pulmonary carcinosarcoma and a review of the literature is presented. This is the only case where diagnosis has been obtained by thin needle percutaneous biopsy.