Systemic lupus erythematosus in Spanish males: a study of the Spanish Rheumatology Society Lupus Registry (RELESSER) cohort.

Objective The objective of this study was to describe the demographic, clinical, and immunological manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in male patients. Methods A cross-sectional, multicenter study was carried out of 3651 patients (353 men, 9.7%, and 3298 women, 90.2%) diagnosed with SLE, included in the Spanish Rheumatology Society SLE Registry (RELESSER). Results Mean ages (18-92 years) of symptom onset were 37 (SD 17) years (men) and 32 (SD 14) years (women). Male/female ratio was 1/9. Age of onset of symptoms and age at diagnosis were higher in men than in women ( p < 0.001). Males were diagnosed earlier than females (p = 0.04) and had more cardiovascular comorbidities ( p < 0.001). Two hundred and thirty-six males (68%) with SLE required hospitalization in comparison with 1713 females (53%) ( p < 0.001). During follow-up, 208 patients died: 30 men (9.3%) and 178 women (5.9%) ( p = 0.02). As regards clinical manifestations, loss of weight ( p = 0.01), lymphadenopathies ( p = 0.02), and splenomegaly ( p = 0.02) were more common in male patients. Female patients were more likely to have inflammatory rash, alopecia, and arthritis ( p < 0.05). As for lung involvement, men with SLE had more pleural fibrosis ( p < 0.001) and pulmonary embolism ( p = 0.01). However, Raynaud's phenomenon was more common in women (35%) than in men (23.7%) ( p < 0.001); lupus nephritis was more common in men, being present in 155 (44.8%) of males versus 933 (29%) of females ( p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that SLE patients with a high Charlson index (more than 3 points) and age > 50 years had a higher mortality (odds ratios 3.6 and 2.1, respectively). Furthermore, SLE patients who developed pulmonary hemorrhage, pulmonary hypertension, psychiatric involvement, complement deficiency, and hemophagocytic syndrome also had higher mortality, regardless of gender. Conclusion Patients with SLE over the age of 50 years have an increased risk of mortality. In Caucasians, age at diagnosis and symptom onset is higher in men than in women. The diagnostic delay is shorter in men. Male SLE patients present more cardiovascular comorbidities, and also more serositis, adenopathies, splenomegaly, renal involvement, convulsion, thrombosis, and lupus anticoagulant positivity than women.

Recurrent wheezing and asthma after bocavirus bronchiolitis.

BACKGROUND: Human bocavirus (HBoV) was recently discovered and identified as an important cause of respiratory infection in young children. However, the relationship between HBoV-bronchiolitis and the development of recurrent wheezing has not yet been established. OBJECTIVE: We designed this study in order to describe the mid-term outcome, regarding the development of recurrent wheezing and asthma of HBoV-bronchiolitis patients and to compare it with RSV-bronchiolitis infants. METHODS: We studied 80 children (10 with HBoV and 70 with RSV infection), currently aged ≥4 years and previously hospitalised during the seasons 2004-2009 due to acute bronchiolitis. Epidemiological and clinical data were collected through structured clinical interviews at the follow-up visit. Spirometry and skin prick tests to common food and inhaled allergens were performed. RESULTS: All HBoV-patients developed recurrent wheezing and half of them had asthma at age 5-7 years. Almost 30% required hospital admission for recurrent wheezing. Asthma (odds ratio (OR)=1.28) and current asthma (OR=2.18) were significantly more frequent in children with HBoV-bronchiolitis than in RSV-bronchiolitis. FEV1 values were 99.2±4.8 in HBoV-group vs. 103±11 in RSV-group, p: 0.09. No differences were found with respect to allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, food allergy, proportion of positive prick tests, and family history of atopy or asthma. CONCLUSIONS: Severe HBoV-bronchiolitis in infancy was strongly associated with asthma at 5-7 years.

CCR5 deficiency predisposes to fatal outcome in influenza virus infection.

Influenza epidemics affect all age groups, although children, the elderly and those with underlying medical conditions are the most severely affected. Whereas co-morbidities are present in 50% of fatal cases, 25-50% of deaths are in apparently healthy individuals. This suggests underlying genetic determinants that govern infection severity. Although some viral factors that contribute to influenza disease are known, the role of host genetic factors remains undetermined. Data for small cohorts of influenza-infected patients are contradictory regarding the potential role of chemokine receptor 5 deficiency (CCR5-Δ32 mutation, a 32 bp deletion in the CCR5 gene) in the outcome of influenza virus infection. We tested 171 respiratory samples from influenza patients (2009 pandemic) for CCR5-Δ32 and evaluated its correlation with patient mortality. CCR5-Δ32 patients (17.4%) showed a higher mortality rate than WT individuals (4.7%; P = 0.021), which indicates that CCR5-Δ32 patients are at higher risk than the normal population of a fatal outcome in influenza infection.

Hospital admission due to respiratory viral infections in moderate preterm, late preterm and term infants during their first year of life.

BACKGROUND: Respiratory viral infections are a major cause of hospitalisation in infants <1 year and might cause severe symptoms in preterm infants. Our aim was to analyse admissions due to respiratory infections in moderate, late and term infants, and to identify risk factors for hospitalisation in preterm versus term. METHODS: Prospective study in a cohort of moderate and late preterm, and term infants born between October/2011 and December/2012. Admissions due to respiratory infections during the first year of life were analysed and compared among moderate (32-33), late (34-36) and term infants. Sixteen respiratory viruses were detected by RT-PCR. Clinical data were collected. RESULTS: 30 (20.9%) out of 143 preterm infants required admission for respiratory infection, versus 129 (6.9%) of 1858 term infants born in the same period (p<0.0001, OR: 3.6 CI 2.0 to 5.0). Hospitalised children had a higher prevalence of hyaline membrane disease (HMD) at birth (p<0.001, OR: 7.7 CI: 2.121 to 27.954) and needed more mechanical ventilation (p<0.001, OR: 5.7 CI: 1.813 to 18.396). Virus was identified in 25/30 (83%) preterm babies, and in 110/129 (85%) term infants. The most frequent viruses in preterm infants were RSV (76%) rhinovirus (20%). Clinical and epidemiological characteristics among term and preterm infants were similar. CONCLUSIONS: The risk of respiratory admissions during the first year of life is up to 3.6 times higher in moderate and late preterm. Once admitted, clinical features of respiratory episodes requiring hospitalisation are similar among term and preterm infants. Hyaline membrane disease and mechanical ventilation were also risk factors for respiratory admissions.

Estimating influenza vaccine effectiveness in Spain using sentinel surveillance data.

We aimed to estimate influenza vaccine effectiveness (VE) against laboratory-confirmed influenza during three influenza seasons (2010/11 to 2012/2013) in Spain using surveillance data and to compare the results with data obtained by the cycEVA study, the Spanish component of the Influenza Monitoring Vaccine Effectiveness (I-MOVE) network. We used the test-negative case­control design, with data from the Spanish Influenza Sentinel Surveillance System (SISS) or from the cycEVA study. Cases were laboratory-confirmed influenza patients with the predominant influenza virus of each season, and controls were those testing negative for any influenza virus. We calculated the overall and age-specific adjusted VE. Although the number of patients recorded in the SISS was three times higher than that in the cycEVA study, the quality of information for important variables, i.e. vaccination status and laboratory results, was high in both studies. Overall, the SISS and cycEVA influenza VE estimates were largely similar during the study period. For elderly patients (> 59 years), the SISS estimates were slightly lower than those of cycEVA, and estimates for children (0­14 years) were higher using SISS in two of the three seasons studied. Enhancing the SISS by collecting the date of influenza vaccination and reducing the percentage of patients with incomplete information would optimise the system to provide reliable annual influenza VE estimates to guide influenza vaccination policies.

Y155H amino acid substitution in influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 viruses does not confer a phenotype of reduced susceptibility to neuraminidase inhibitors.

The Y155H amino acid substitution in the neuraminidase gene (NA) has previously been associated with highly reduced inhibition by neuraminidase inhibitors in the seasonal H1N1 influenza A virus which circulated in humans before the 2009 pandemic. During the 2012/13 epidemic season in Spain, two A(H1N1) pdm09 viruses bearing the specific Y155H substitution in the NA were detected and isolated from two patients diagnosed with severe respiratory syndrome and pneumonia requiring admission to the intensive care unit. Contrary to what was observed in the seasonal A(H1N1) viruses, neither of the Y155H A(H1N1) pdm09 viruses described here showed a phenotype of reduced inhibition by NAIs as determined by the neuraminidase enzyme inhibition assay (MUNANA). High-throughput sequencing of the NA of both Y155H viruses showed that they were composed to >99% of H155 variants. We believe that this report can contribute to a better understanding of the biological significance of amino acid substitutions in the neuraminidase protein with regard to susceptibility of influenza viruses to neuraminidase inhibitors. This is of critical importance for optimal management of influenza disease patients.

Influenza vaccine effectiveness in Spain 2013/14: subtype-specific early estimates using the cycEVA study.

Adjusted early estimates of the 2013/14 influenza vaccine effectiveness (VE) in Spain for all age groups was 35% (95% CI: -9 to 62), 33% (95% CI: -33 to 67) and 28% (95% CI: -33 to 61) against any influenza virus type, A(H1N1)pdm09 and A(H3N2) viruses, respectively. For the population targeted for vaccination, the adjusted VE was 44% (95% CI: -11 to 72), 36% (95% CI: -64 to 75) and 42% (95% CI: -29 to 74), respectively. These preliminary results in Spain suggest a suboptimal protective effect of the vaccine against circulating influenza viruses.

Viral infections of the central nervous system in Spain: a prospective study.

The aim of the study was to determine the incidence of viruses causing aseptic meningitis, meningoencephalitis, and encephalitis in Spain. This was a prospective study, in collaboration with 17 Spanish hospitals, including 581 cases (CSF from all and sera from 280): meningitis (340), meningoencephalitis (91), encephalitis (76), febrile syndrome (7), other neurological disorders (32), and 35 cases without clinical information. CSF were assayed by PCR for enterovirus (EV), herpesvirus (herpes simplex [HSV], varicella-zoster [VZV], cytomegalovirus [CMV], Epstein-Barr [EBV], and human herpes virus-6 [HHV-6]), mumps (MV), Toscana virus (TOSV), adenovirus (HAdV), lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV), West Nile virus (WNV), and rabies. Serology was undertaken when methodology was available. Amongst meningitis cases, 57.1% were characterized; EV was the most frequent (76.8%), followed by VZV (10.3%) and HSV (3.1%; HSV-1: 1.6%; HSV-2: 1.0%, HSV non-typed: 0.5%). Cases due to CMV, EBV, HHV-6, MV, TOSV, HAdV, and LCMV were also detected. For meningoencephalitis, 40.7% of cases were diagnosed, HSV-1 (43.2%) and VZV (27.0%) being the most frequent agents, while cases associated with HSV-2, EV, CMV, MV, and LCMV were also detected. For encephalitis, 27.6% of cases were caused by HSV-1 (71.4%), VZV (19.1%), or EV (9.5%). Other positive neurological syndromes included cerebellitis (EV and HAdV), seizures (HSV), demyelinating disease (HSV-1 and HHV-6), myelopathy (VZV), and polyradiculoneuritis (HSV). No rabies or WNV cases were identified. EVs are the most frequent cause of meningitis, as is HSV for meningoencephalitis and encephalitis. A significant number of cases (42.9% meningitis, 59.3% meningoencephalitis, 72.4% encephalitis) still have no etiological diagnosis.

The protective effect of a 17°C holding time on boar sperm plasma membrane fluidity after exposure to 5°C.

The holding time (HT) is the period during which an ejaculate, either in a raw or diluted state, is held at 17°C before further processing for cold-storage. In boars, the HT positively influences select sperm quality parameters of semen cooled from 15 to 5°C, a range in temperature during which plasma membrane remodeling occurs. Objective insight into the effect of HT on plasma membrane organization remains unknown. Therefore, the present work sought to elucidate if HT contributes to minimizing alterations in boar sperm plasma membrane fluidity at the initial step of the cooling process in a cryopreservation practice (holding at 5°C) and in relation with select sperm quality parameters. Nineteen ejaculates from five boars were collected and processed according to different treatments: T1) Fresh diluted semen, 0h at 17°C; T2) Fresh diluted semen, 24h at 17°C (HT); T3) Sperm from T1 in a lactose-egg yolk (LEY) extender, 3h at 5°C; T4) Sperm from T2 in LEY, 3h at 5°C; T5) Sperm from T1 in LEY, 24h at 5°C; T6) Sperm from T2 in LEY, 24h at 5°C. Sperm motility was assessed using CASA, and sperm plasma membrane integrity and fluidity were evaluated by flow cytometry with dual labeling (M540/YO-PRO®-1). Results demonstrated that the lack of exposure to a HT (T5) results in reduced sample motility compared to those having a HT (T6), with sperm exposed to HT exhibiting less plasma membrane fluidity. Collectively, these results provide empirical evidence that incorporation of a HT in semen processing protects boar sperm against cold injury through maintenance of lipid architecture of the plasma membrane.

Population susceptibility to North American and Eurasian swine influenza viruses in England, at three time points between 2004 and 2011.

Age-stratified sera collected in 2004, 2008 and 2010 in England were evaluated for antibody to swine influenza A(H3N2) and A(H1N1) viruses from the United States or Europe as a measure of population susceptibility to the emergence of novel viruses. Children under 11 years of age had little or no measurable antibody to recent swine H3N2 viruses despite their high levels of antibody to recent H3N2 seasonal human strains. Adolescents and young adults (born 1968­1999) had higher antibody levels to swine H3N2 viruses. Antibody levels to swine H3N2 influenza show little correlation with exposure to recent seasonal H3N2 (A/Perth/16/2009) strains, but with antibody to older H3N2 strains represented by A/Wuhan/359/1995. Children had the highest seropositivity to influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 virus, and young adults had the lowest antibody levels to A/Perth/16/2009. No age group showed substantial antibody levels to A/Aragon/RR3218/2008, a European swine H1N1 virus belonging to the Eurasian lineage. After vaccination with contemporary trivalent vaccine we observed evidence of boosted reactivity to swine H3N2 viruses in children and adults, while only a limited boosting effect on antibody levels to A/Aragon/RR3218/2008 was observed in both groups. Overall, our results suggest that different vaccination strategies may be necessary according to age if swine viruses emerge as a significant pandemic threat.

[Non-invasive diagnosis of prostate cancer: serum and urine markers]. / Diagnóstico no invasivo del cáncer de próstata; marcadores séricos y en orina.

The great number of biomarkers basic research is presenting in different clinical scenarios of prostate cancer demands the scientific community rigor in their molecular and clinical development for the selection of those which could supply diagnostic and prognostic information for the established nomograms of clinical-pathological factors. Prostate cancer, due to its prevalence and heterogeneity, needs a more directed diagnosis, characterization of malignant potential and monitoring of its multiple therapies. In this review article we try to go over the recent incorporation of new serum and urine markers in the clinical management of this tumor, emphasizing those with greater clinical development.

Early estimates of the effectiveness of the 2011/12 influenza vaccine in the population targeted for vaccination in Spain, 25 December 2011 to 19 February 2012.

We present early estimates of influenza vaccine effectiveness (VE) in the population targeted for vaccination, during 25 December 2011 to 19 February 2012. The adjusted VE was 55% (95% CI: 3 to 79) against any type of influenza virus and 54% (95% CI: 1 to 79) against influenza A(H3N2) virus. This suggests a moderate protective effect of the vaccine in the targeted population in a late influenza epidemic with limited match between vaccine and circulating strains.

Effects of ionizing radiation and temperature on uranyl silicates: soddyite (UO2)2(SiO4)(H2O)2 and Uranophane Ca(UO2)2(SiO3OH)2·5H2O.

The stability of soddyite under electron irradiation has been studied over the temperature range of 25-300 °C. At room temperature, soddyite undergoes a crystalline-to-amorphous transformation (amorphization) at a total dose of 6.38 × 10(8) Gy. The electron beam irradiation results suggest that the soddyite structure is susceptible to radiation-induced nanocrystallization of UO(2). The temperature dependence of amorphization dose increases linearly up to 300 °C. A thermogravimetric and calorimetric analysis (TGA-DSC) combined with X-ray diffraction (XRD) indicates that soddyite retains its water groups up to 400 °C, followed by the collapse of the structure. Based on thermal analysis of uranophane, the removal of some water groups at relatively low temperatures provokes the collapse of the uranophane structure. This structural change appears to be the reason for the increase of amorphization dose at 140 °C. According to the results obtained, radiation field of a nuclear waste repository, rather than temperature effects, may cause changes in the crystallinity of soddyite and affect its stability during long-term storage.

Effectiveness of the 2010/11 seasonal trivalent influenza vaccine in Spain: preliminary results of a case-control study.

We present preliminary results of a case-control study to estimate influenza vaccine effectiveness in Spain, from week 50 of 2010 to week 6 of 2011. The adjusted effectiveness of the vaccine in preventing laboratory-confirmed influenza due to any type of influenza virus was 50% (95% CI: -6 to 77%) for the trivalent seasonal vaccine and 72% (95% CI: 7 to 92%) for both trivalent seasonal and monovalent pandemic vaccines, suggesting a protective effect of seasonal vaccination lower than that reported for the previous season.

Detection of new respiratory viruses in hospitalized infants with bronchiolitis: a three-year prospective study.

AIM: We have designed a study with the objective of describing the clinical impact of other viruses different from the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in hospitalized infants with bronchiolitis. METHODS: A 3 year prospective study was conducted on infants admitted to the Paediatrics Department of the Severo Ochoa Hospital (Spain). We studied the frequency of 16 respiratory viruses. Clinical characteristics of RSV-only infections were compared with other single agent viral infections. RESULTS: Positive results were confirmed in 275 (86.5%) of the 318 children studied. A single virus was detected in 196 patients and 79 were dual or multiple viral infections. RSV was detected in 61.3% of total bronchiolitis. Rhinovirus (RV) was 17.4% of the identified virus, followed by human bocavirus (HBoV), adenovirus and metapneumovirus (hMPV). Only RV, HBoV and hMPV were significant as single infections. RSV patients were younger than HBoV (p > 0.0001) and hMPV (p = 0.025). Seasonality was clearly different between them. Children with RSV infection needed treatment in the intensive care unit more frequently than others. CONCLUSIONS: In hospitalized infants, RSV was the most frequent agent in bronchiolitis in winter, but other viruses were present in 47% of the patients. RV, HBoV and hMPV had a significant proportion of single infections. Clinical characteristics were similar amongst them, but seasonality was clearly different.

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding dengue, chikungunya, and Zika in Cali, Colombia.

Dengue fever (DENF), chikungunya (CHIK), and Zika are responsible for the majority of the burden caused by vector-borne diseases (VBDs); which are produced by viruses primarily transmitted by the Aedes mosquito. Aedes have become prolific in urban areas due to a combination of climate change, rapid urbanization, increased human mobility, and globalization, causing the three VBDs to emerge in novel regions. Community knowledge can provide detailed insights about the spatial heterogeneity of disease risk and rates within a particular region, improving public health interventions. Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice (KAP) surveys are used to shed light on at-risk communities' understanding of the vector, the pathogen, prevention and treatment strategies. Little is known how KAP varies among diseases, and among neighborhoods within a city. Understanding KAP variation among co-circulating VBDs at a fine-level, especially differences between endemic and emerging diseases, can improve targeted interventions, education programs, and health policy. We administered KAP surveys to 327 individuals in healthcare centers and selected neighborhoods in Cali, Colombia in June 2019. We utilized generalized linear models (GLMs) to identify significant predictors of KAP. Our findings suggest that knowledge is related to community characteristics (e.g. strata), while attitudes and practices are more related to individual-level factors. Access to healthcare also forms significant predictor of residents participating in preventative practices. The results can be leveraged to inform public health officials and communities to motivate at-risk neighborhoods to take an active role in vector surveillance and control, while improving educational and surveillance resources in Cali, Colombia.

Exploring neutron capture therapy with 33S and 10B.

The 33S(n,α)30Si reaction was proposed as cooperative neutron capturer to 10B(n,α)7Li in Neutron Capture Therapy (NCT). At that moment, the available 33S(n,α)30Si cross-section data were scarce and discrepant in key energy ranges for its use in NCT. Since then, three experiments have been carried out at n_TOF facility at CERN and at Institut Laue-Langevin. These new data are used for the calculation of the dose rate on ICRU-4 tissue by using kerma factors, a simplified model of tissue and a 13.45 keV neutron beam, energy of the most important 33S(n,α)30Si resonance. A significant enhancement of the dose rate due to the presence of 33S is shown. In spite of the limitations, the cooperative action of 33S and 10B is an interesting possibility to be studied for accelerator-based neutron sources with non-moderated neutrons.

The immune status against tetanus and diphtheria in healthcare workers in Catalonia.

The objective was to investigate the immune status against tetanus and diphtheria of healthcare workers in Catalonia. A cross-sectional multicentre study was conducted in seven health centres. Blood samples were obtained, and demographic and clinical variables collected. 509 health workers were included. The prevalence of protective antibodies against tetanus was 94.7% (95% CI: 92.3-96.4) overall and 85.1% (95% CI: 74.5-92.0) in workers aged ≥55 years. The prevalence of protective antibodies against diphtheria was 68.6% (95% CI: 64.3-72.5%) overall and 29.7% (95% CI: 19.9-41.6) in workers aged ≥55 years. Protection against tetanus in healthcare workers is high, but should be improved in workers aged ≥55 years. Protection against diphtheria has improved in healthcare workers over the past decade (68.6% vs 46.5%) but should be improved in all ages, especially in workers aged ≥55 years.

Diagnostic benefits of adding EspC, EspF and Rv2348-B to the QuantiFERON Gold In-tube antigen combination.

Interferon (IFN)-γ release assays (IGRAs) are used to diagnose latent tuberculosis (TB) infection (LTBI). To improve the accuracy of these tests, different approaches, such as alternative cytokine detection and using different antigens, are considered. Following this purpose, this study aims to evaluate the addition of EspC, EspF and Rv2348-B to those present in the QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube (QFN-G-IT). We included 115 subjects: 74 active TB patients, 17 LTBI individuals and 24 healthy controls. Whole blood samples were collected in QFN-G-IT and in-house tubes containing different combinations of EspC, EspF and Rv2348-B, together with ESAT-6, CFP-10, and TB7.7. After overnight incubation at 37 ºC, plasma was harvested and IFN-γ quantified. IFN-γ levels in the QFN-G-IT and in-house tubes correlated very good (Spearman Rho(r) > 0.86). In-house antigen combinations distinguished healthy individuals from those with active TB and LTBI (specificities and sensitivities higher than 87.5% and 96.3%, respectively [AUC > 0.938]). Adding EspC, EspF and Rv2348-B, increased the sensitivity of the test, being the addition of EspC and Rv2348-B the combination that yielded a higher sensitivity with no specificity loss. Addition of these antigens could improve diagnosis in patients with impaired or immature immune response who are at high risk of developing TB.