Three-dimensional printing in healthcare / Impresión 3D en cuidado de la salud

ABSTRACT This work aims to briefly present the cutting edge of 3D printing innovation in healthcare. This technology is used for surgical planning, medical education, bioprinting of tissues, and medical equipment spare parts in fields like pharmacology, prosthetics, surgery, and regenerative medicine. A review of the last decade was made in the search engines of PubMed and Espacenet. Three authors reviewed titles, abstracts, and keywords separately to identify studies appropriate to the topic. After the initial examination, complete texts of identified relevant studies were obtained and classified according to the authors. Results were synthesized in a narrative literature review. The revision showed that 3D printing has become of common use in the healthcare system since it allows medical personnel to implement customized solutions for each patient, thus reducing the probability of a false diagnostic or treatment. Major applications among the advantages and disadvantages of 3D printing in healthcare were presented. Nowadays, the main challenge in 3D printing is the cost of the equipment and its manufacturing. In the future, the challenges in cost could be reduced, but processing requirements and limited materials may still need further work.

RESUMEN Este artículo pretende mostrar breve y rápidamente la vanguardia del empleo de la impresión 3D en salud. La impresión 3D se utiliza para planificación quirúrgica, educación médica, bioimpresión de tejidos e impresión de repuestos de equipos médicos en campos como farmacología, prótesis, cirugía, ingeniería de tejidos y medicina regenerativa. Se realizó una revisión de publicaciones en la última década en los motores de búsqueda PubMed y Espacenet. Tres autores examinaron de forma independiente títulos y resúmenes para identificar estudios relevantes. Se obtuvieron los textos completos y se clasificaron de acuerdo con todos los autores. Los resultados se sintetizaron en una revisión narrativa de la literatura. La revisión mostró que la impresión 3D se ha vuelto de uso común en el sistema de atención médica, ya que permite al personal médico implementar soluciones personalizadas para cada paciente, lo que reduce la probabilidad de un diagnóstico o tratamiento falso. Se presentaron las principales aplicaciones, así como ventajas y desventajas de la impresión 3D en salud. Hoy en día, el principal desafío en la impresión 3D es el costo del equipo y su fabricación. En el futuro, los desafíos en costos podrían reducirse, pero los desafíos de procesamiento y materiales requieren mayor desarrollo.

Familial comedones. Evidence for autosomal dominant inheritance.

Thirteen members of a family had multiple comedones. Three other relatives were also ascertained to be affected. This peculiar dermatosis affected both sexes and was present in one individual as young as 10 years of age. The lesions were more numerous in male family members, increasing in number with age. The pedigree showed a definite pattern of autosomal dominant inheritance.

[Effect of potassium iodide on the immune response in the sporotrichosis.]. / Efecto del yoduro de potasio sobre la respuesta inmune en la esporotricosis.

Potassium iodide (KI), the specific treatment for sporotrichosis, apparently does not have a direct action on Sporothrix schenckii. The spontaneous healing and the variability of the clinical presentation in the disease have strengthened the idea that the KI rather interacts with the immune response of the host. The phagocytic process is inefficient in individuals with sporotrichosis in whom the microbicidal mechanism of halogenation fails to control the disease. There is evidence that blocking of free radicals decreases in the presence of KI. Humoral and cellular immunity are present in sporotrichosis but its participation is uncertain; it is yet to be determined if in this mycosis the KI influences other processes or factors of immune response.

Hereditary multiple benign cystic epithelioma (multiple trichoepithelioma) with onset at early age.

A mother and a daughter affected with multiple trichoepithelioma were studied. The age of onset of the symptomatology in both was 7-years-old, the daughter being more severely affected than the mother at this age. This early age of onset is an exceptional observation which could be explained by maternal imprinting.

[Leukocyte phagocytic activity in gerbils with experimental sporotrichosis treated with potassium iodide]. / Estudio de la actividad fagocítica de los leucocitos de gerbiles con esporotricosis experimental tratados con ioduro de potasio.

One effective treatment against sporotrichosis is the oral administration of potassium iodide (KI). It is not known how it works, and also it is not known if this substance has some effect on the microbicidal activity of polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) and macrophages. In this work the phagocytic activity of gerbils treated with KI was studied. Gerbils cured within 62 days of treatment with KI, their PMN and macrophages showed an increased ability for reducing nitroblue-tetrazolium (NBT); myeloperoxidase activity was decreased in PMN. These results were the expected in any chronic infection and demonstrates that KI effectiveness on the experimental sporotrichosis works by an independent mechanism of phagocytosis.

[Evaluation of immune response in experimental sporotrichosis using T and B lymphocyte count]. / Evaluación de la respuesta inmune en la esporotricosis experimental por el cuanteo de linfocitos T y B.

The effector cells of the immune response are involved in the clinical course of bacterial, viral and mycotic infections. Previous publications have reported that some mycotic infections, including sporotrichosis, can produce a negative modulation of the immune response unfavorable for the host. In this work T and B lymphocytes capable to form direct and indirect rosettes respectively with sheep erythrocytes in gerbils with experimental sporotrichosis, were measured. It was found a significant rise in the number to T and B lymphocytes which means normal immunological reactivity. These results are not in accordance with the idea that sporotrichosis can depress the immune response of the host.