Serum serotonin levels and bone in rheumatoid arthritis patients.

In rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a disease characterized by bone loss, increased levels of serotonin have been reported. Recent studies have demonstrated a role for circulating serotonin as a regulator of osteoblastogenesis, inhibiting bone formation. Thus, we measured serum serotonin levels (SSL) in a Portuguese sample of 205 RA patients and related these to anthropometric variables, disease parameters, serum bone biomarkers, and bone mineral density (BMD) assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry at several sites (total proximal femur, lumbar spine, left hand, and left second proximal phalange). SSL were inversely associated with body mass index (BMI) in RA women (r = - 0.218; p = 0.005), independent of exposure to biologics and/or bisphosphonates. Among biologic naïves, there was an inverse association between SSL and osteoprotegerin in RA women (r = - 0.260; p = 0.022). Serum ß-CTX and dickkopf-1 were strongly associated with SSL in RA men not treated with bisphosphonates (r = 0.590; p < 0.001/r = 0.387; p = 0.031, respectively). There was also an inverse association between SSL and sclerostin in RA men (r = - 0.374; p < 0.05), stronger among biologic naïve or bisphosphonates-unexposed RA men. In crude models, SSL presented as a significant negative predictor of total proximal femur BMD in RA women as well as in postmenopausal RA women. After adjustment for BMI, disease duration, and years of menopause, SSL remained a significant negative predictor of total proximal femur BMD only in postmenopausal RA women. Our data reinforce a role, despite weak, for circulating serotonin in regulating bone mass in RA patients, with some differences in terms of gender and anatomical sites.

Polyarticular lipoma arborescens--a clinical and aesthetical case.

Lipoma arborescens is a benign tumor, but it may be a reactive process to other disorders, and its clinical, analytical, radiological and ultrasound presentation may be redundant to any synovial tumor. Despite the characteristic feature on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the correct differential diagnosis in atypical presentation, and the need for timely removal of the lesion to prevent joint damage, forces, ultimately, to invasive procedures. The clinical case reported here, fourth described in English language publications on the polyarticular form, also presented other specificities related to one of the swellings, in the knee. Because of its atypical location in the popliteal fossa, recurrent episodes of joint effusion, personal history of knee trauma, pulmonary tuberculosis, and family history of rheumatoid arthritis required particular attention. This process was hampered by the refusal of knee (and ankle) surgery by the patient. He accepted surgical removal of the swellings of the wrists, for aesthetical reasons, with pathologic confirmation of the diagnosis, and clinical success in that location. MRI of the knee showed the typical image of lipoma arborescens, but also other changes that compromise the prognosis.

The virtual microbiome: A computational framework to evaluate microbiome analyses.

Microbiomes have been the focus of a substantial research effort in the last decades. The composition of microbial populations is normally determined by comparing DNA sequences sampled from those populations with the sequences stored in genomic databases. Therefore, the amount of information available in databanks should be expected to constrain the accuracy of microbiome analyses. Albeit normally ignored in microbiome studies, this constraint could severely compromise the reliability of microbiome data. To test this hypothesis, we generated virtual bacterial populations that exhibit the ecological structure of real-world microbiomes. Confronting the analyses of virtual microbiomes with their original composition revealed critical issues in the current approach to characterizing microbiomes, issues that were empirically confirmed by analyzing the microbiome of Galleria mellonella larvae. To reduce the uncertainty of microbiome data, the effort in the field must be channeled towards significantly increasing the amount of available genomic information and optimizing the use of this information.

Plastic degradation by insect hexamerins: Near-atomic resolution structures of the polyethylene-degrading proteins from the wax worm saliva.

Plastic waste management is a pressing ecological, social, and economic challenge. The saliva of the lepidopteran Galleria mellonella larvae is capable of oxidizing and depolymerizing polyethylene in hours at room temperature. Here, we analyze by cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) G. mellonella's saliva directly from the native source. The three-dimensional reconstructions reveal that the buccal secretion is mainly composed of four hexamerins belonging to the hemocyanin/phenoloxidase family, renamed Demetra, Cibeles, Ceres, and a previously unidentified factor termed Cora. Functional assays show that this factor, as its counterparts Demetra and Ceres, is also able to oxidize and degrade polyethylene. The cryo-EM data and the x-ray analysis from purified fractions show that they self-assemble primarily into three macromolecular complexes with striking structural differences that likely modulate their activity. Overall, these results establish the ground to further explore the hexamerins' functionalities, their role in vivo, and their eventual biotechnological application.

Coronary artery calcium score in female rheumatoid arthritis patients: Associations with apolipoproteins and disease biomarkers.

AIMS AND METHODS: In rheumatoid arthritis (RA), cardiovascular (CV) comorbidities are a major cause of mortality. Coronary Calcium Score (CCS) assessed by computed tomography has been associated with RA prognosis. In this work, we aimed to assess CCS in female RA patients and determine CCS association with different clinical, laboratory and imaging disease parameters. RESULTS: We evaluated 60 female patients, with a mean age of 53.6 ± 10.4 years, a mean Disease Activity Score of 28 joints (DAS28) (4v) and Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) of 4.542 ± 1.317 and 1.488 ± 0.631, respectively, and a disease duration of 14.7 ± 10.3 years. Mean CCS value was 35.192 ± 117.786. CCS > 10 was significantly associated with CV risk factors (age: odds ratio [OR] = 1.120; P = .002, body mass index [BMI] ≥ 25 kg/m2 : OR = 0.271; P = .025, high-density lipoprotein [HDL]: OR = 0.011; P = .025, low-density lipoprotein/ HDL ratio: OR = 2.084; P = .030, apolipoprotein A1 [ApoA1]: OR = 0.965; P = .014, apolipoprotein B/ApoA1 [ApoB/ApoA1] ratio: OR = 59.834; P = .011, homocysteine: OR = 1.287; P = .045, diabetes: OR = 10.400; P = .043, and anti-diabetic therapy: OR = 10.667, P = .041), disease parameters (C-reactive protein [CRP]: OR = 1.038; P = .046, DAS[4v]: OR = 1.900; P = .009, DAS28[4v; CRP]: OR = 1.700; P = .019, DAS[3v]: OR = 1.947; P = .010, DAS28[3v; CRP]: OR = 1.696; P = .022, HAQ: OR = 3.299; P = .023, erosion score: OR = 1.015; P = .012, and total modified Sharp/van der Heijde Score: OR = 1.008; P = .035), biomarkers (osteoprotegerin: OR = 1.505; P = .022), and bone mineral density (femoral: OR = 0.005; P = .018, lumbar spine: OR = 0.001; P = .002, left hand: OR = 7.9 × 10-9 ; P = .005, and osteoporosis: OR = 6.628; P = .007). After adjustment for age and BMI, significant associations were maintained with ApoA1, ApoB/ApoA1 ratio, homocysteine, CRP, DAS(4v), DAS(4v; CRP), DAS(3v) and DAS(3v; CRP). A sensitivity analysis undertaken after excluding the 6 diabetics yielded similar results. CONCLUSIONS: Our work reinforces the hypothesis that in RA, CCS may be a useful tool in CV risk assessment, particularly valuable in poorer controlled patients with certain lipoprotein profiles.

Myocardial Perfusion in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients: Associations with Traditional Risk Factors and Novel Biomarkers.

Introduction. Cardiovascular (CV) diseases are a major cause of death in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. Novel biomarkers [B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP); osteoprotegerin (OPG)/receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappa B ligand (RANKL) ratio; and dickkopf-1 (DKK-1)] have been used in CV risk assessment. We analysed, in established RA patients, the presence of silent myocardial ischemia and its association with clinical variables, BNP, and bone and atheroma biomarkers. Methods. From a single-center tertiary referral hospital, RA patients asymptomatic for CV disease were submitted to myocardial perfusion scintigraphy (MPS) under adenosine stress and biomarkers measurements. Logistic regression was used to estimate crude odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results. In 189 patients, perfusion defects were frequent (25%) and associated with BNP ≥ 100 pg/mL (OR = 5.68; 95% CI: 2.038-15.830), fourth log OPG/RANKL ratio quartile (OR = 2.88; 95% CI: 1.091-7.622), and DKK-1 ≥ 133 pmol/L (OR = 2.69; 95% CI: 1.058-6.840). Similar associations were confirmed in those with C-reactive protein > or ≤ 3 mg/L. No relationship was found with the majority of traditional CV factors nor with disease variables. Conclusions. Our results corroborated the hypothesis that MPS could reveal subclinical CV dysfunction, supported the utility of BNP measurements as a screening tool, and put in perspective the potential usefulness of complementary approaches in CV risk assessment in RA patients.

SLC19A1 80G allele as a biomarker of methotrexate-related gastrointestinal toxicity in Portuguese rheumatoid arthritis patients.

AIM: The aim of our study was to characterize the association of clinicopathological variables and the SLC19A1/RFC-1 G80A polymorphism in methotrexate (MTX)-related toxicity in Portuguese patients with rheumatoid arthritis. PATIENTS & METHODS: The study included 233 consecutively recruited patients with rheumatoid arthritis under MTX treatment. The SLC19A1 G80A polymorphism was evaluated by PCR-RFLP. RESULTS: Statistical analysis revealed that SLC19A1 80G carriers had increased risk of gastrointestinal toxicity (odds ratio [OR]: 2.61, p = 0.019) and that regular folic acid supplementation was associated with both overall and gastrointestinal toxicity protection (OR: 0.15, p < 0.001 and OR: 0.19, p < 0.001, respectively). Multivariate analysis confirmed the association of SLC19A1 80G and regular folic acid supplementation to gastrointestinal toxicity (OR: 5.53 and 0.13, respectively). Moreover, a multivariate Cox regression model demonstrated a higher risk of earlier gastrointestinal toxicity in SLC19A1 80G carriers (hazard ratio: 3.63, p = 0.002). CONCLUSION: SLC19A1 G80A genotyping may be a useful tool for clinicians to identify patients at higher risk for developing gastrointestinal toxicity related to MTX treatment.

Fibroma de Células Gigantes en Lactante Mayor / Giant Cell Fibroma in Older Infant. A Case Report

RESUMEN: El fibroma de células gigantes es considerado un tumor benigno no neoplásico de la mucosa oral. Este aparece en las primeras tres décadas de la vida, siendo relativamente raro en pacientes pediátricos. Puede encontrarse principalmente en la encía mandibular, mostrando predilección por el sexo femenino. Clínicamente se presenta como un crecimiento indoloro, de base sésil o pediculado, que generalmente se confunde con otras lesiones de tipo fibrosas como los fibromas de irritación. Histológicamente, se distingue por presentar fibroblastos estrellados con la presencia de células gigantes multinucleadas cerca de la lámina del epitelio. Presentamos el caso de una paciente femenino de un año de edad la cual presenta crecimiento nodular indoloro en relación con una superficie del paladar de 51 y 61. Teniendo en cuenta el tamaño y la ubicación de la lesión, se realizó escisión, biopsia y se envió para análisis histopatológico que confirmó la lesión como fibroma de células gigantes.

ABSTRACT: The giant cell fibroma is a benign nonneoplastic fibrous tumor of the oral mucosa. It occurs in the first three decades of life and is relatively rare in pediatric patients. It can be found predominantly in the mandibular gingiva, showing predilection for females. Clinically it presents as a painless, sessile, or pedunculated growth which is usually mistaken for other fibrous lesions like irritation fibroids. Histologically it is distinguished by the presence of stellated fibroblasts along with multinucleated giant cells near the epithelial sheet. We present a case where a one-year-old female patient presented with a painless nodular growth in relation to a palatesurface of 51 and 61. Considering the size and location of the lesion, excision and biopsy were performed and sent for histopathological analysis which confirmed the lesion as giant cell fibroma.

[Arthritis and clinical history]. / A artrite e a história clínica.

In front of a patient with arthritis, clinical good-sense tells that the most probable diagnosis are the most prevalent ones. Nevertheless, we have to exclude a multiplicity of other aetiologies, less frequent, but with highest implications in the therapeutic conduct. Infections by Brucella and by Borrelia are rare causes of chronic arthritis, yet are diagnosis to consider, even when the clinical manifestations aren't the most typical, as there still exist endemic areas in Portugal. Here we report two clinical cases about patients with arthritis for more than one year, subject to ineffective exams ant treatments. Only the clinical history could put on evidence clinical-epidemiological data, suggestive of Brucellosis and Lyme Disease, namely the professional contact with infected animals, and the history of probable erythema migrans, that pointed toward the correct diagnosis. So, with directed therapeutic, there was complete resolution of the inflammatory symptoms.

Optimized feature subsets for epileptic seizure prediction studies.

The reduction of the number of EEG features to give as inputs to epilepsy seizure predictors is a needed step towards the development of a transportable device for real-time warning. This paper presents a comparative study of three feature selection methods, based on Support Vector Machines. Minimum-Redundancy Maximum-Relevance, Recursive Feature Elimination, Genetic Algorithms, show that, for three patients of the European Database on Epilepsy, the most important univariate features are related to spectral information and statistical moments.

Vasculitic neuropathy.

Vasculitic neuropathy corresponds to the occurrence of vasculitis at the level of vasa nervorum, resulting in ischemic damage of the peripheral nerve and axonal degeneration. Vasculitic neuropathy commonly occurs in association with systemic diseases and may be the initial manifestation or arise in the course of established disease. Although rare, vasculitis can be confined to the peripheral nervous system - non-systemic vasculitic neuropathy. This paper aims to review the classification, diagnosis and treatment of vasculitic neuropathy.

Portuguese guidelines for the use of biological agents in rheumatoid arthritis - October 2011 update.

The authors present the revised version of the Portuguese Society of Rheumatology (SPR) guidelines for the treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) with biological therapies. In these guidelines the criteria for introduction and maintenance of biological agents are discussed as well as the contraindications and procedures in the case of nonresponders. Biological treatment (with a tumour necrosis factor antagonist, abatacept or tocilizumab) should be considered in RA patients with a disease activity score 28 (DAS 28) equal to or greater than 3.2 despite treatment with at least 20mg-weekly-dose of methotrexate (MTX) for at least 3 months or, if such treatment is not possible, after 3 months of other conventional disease modifying drug or combination therapy. A DAS 28 score between 2.6 and 3.2 with a significant functional or radiological deterioration under treatment with conventional regimens could also constitute an indication for biological treatment. The treatment goal should be remission or, if that is not achievable, at least a low disease activity, defined by a DAS28 lower than 3.2, without significative functional or radiological worsening. The response criteria, at the end of the first 3 months of treatment, are a decrease of at least 0.6 in the DAS28 score. After 6 months of treatment res­ponse criteria is defined as a decrease greater than 1.2 in the DAS28 score. Non-responders, in accordance to the Rheumatologist's clinical opinion, should try a switch to another biological agent (tumour necrosis factor antagonist, abatacept, rituximab or tocilizumab).

[Practical guide for the use of biological agents in rheumatoid arthritis - December 2011 update]. / Guia prático de utilização de terapêuticas biotecnológicas na artrite reumatóide - actualização de Dezembro 2011.

The authors review the practical aspects of biological therapy use for rheumatoid arthritis patients, commenting safety issues before and after treatment initiation and the best treatment strategies to optimize efficacy.

Compliance in gout patients.

INTRODUCTION: Despite its relative high prevalence,potential devastating clinical consequences and socio-economic impact, the existence of effective drugs to treat it, and the well recognised direct relation between acute flares and treatment interruptions and its resumption, gout is still often considered the chronic disease with the worst rate of adherence to therapy. The reason for this is unknown. We proposed to thoroughly evaluate a subgroup of patients, aiming at identifying the clinical features predictive of non-compliance, and 5 different ways to assess those. METHODS: We analysed a number of clinical, analytical and ultrasound data relating to 34 gout patients (according to the Wallace-ARA diagnostic criteria for gout 1977 and the EULAR recommendations for gout diagnosis 2006), which were followed in a specialized rheumatology consultation as part of an ongoing study for ultrasound validation in gout. To assess non-compliance, we compared the prevalence of each one of these clinical features with 5 outcomes (2 of which related to "non-compliance": self-report of non-adherence to therapy and missing consultation, and 3 other outcomes related to "non-response": gout flare(s), final serum uric acid (sUA) ≥ 6 mg/dL, and no sonographic improvement) registered during a 1 year of follow-up assessment. RESULTS: We have found an association between younger age, higher body mass index, previous treatment with urate lowering drugs, self-report of previous non-compliance, nephrolithiasis and hyperuricosuria and the "outcomes of non-compliance". These patients tended to be less often treated with NSAID and allopurinol, and more often treated with corticosteroid and benzbromarone during the 1 year follow-up. They have also presented higher rate of gout flares and final sUA. Evaluating the 3 "outcomes of non-response", we have noticed a tendency for association with long disease duration, self-report of previous non-compliance (frequently attributed to gout flare), higher initial sUA and kidney failure. These patients tended to be less often treated with NSAID, and more often treated with allopurinol. Gout flare correlated to self-report of non-compliance and no sonographic improvement. Sonographic non response also correlated to higher final sUA. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows an association between some clinical features and non-compliance, but above all, and unlike the majority of other studies, it has found a correlation between non-compliance with possible causes of worst response or lower rate of treatment, such as hyperuricosuria, nephrolithiasis, kidney failure, and contraindication for NSAID treatment. The data which is based on a comprehensive and detailed clinical assessment, might point out hidden elements, which might go beyond the visible non-compliance, contributing to the frequent lack of control of the disease.

[Hospitalization of patients with systemic sclerosis: characteristics of a population]. / Hospitalização de doentes com Esclerose Sistémica: caracterização de uma população.

OBJECTIVES: The authors propose to characterize a population in the area of reference of the Hospital de São João (HSJ) in Oporto, with severe manifestations of Systemic Sclerosis (SS), and need of hospitalization in this institution. Given the lack of data referring to SS in inpatient set (and its inexistence in Portugal), this elements may obviate a parallelism with populations described in other countries, or even identify specificities of this population, that in the future, can be important to study measures directed to optimizing their care, in Portugal. METHODS: The cases were collected from a computerized database containing all discharge registers of the Rheumatology Department of HSJ from 1/1/2003 to 31/12/2008 (6 years), diagnosed of SS (ICD9-CM code of 710,1). All the 40 inpatient records, reporting to 25 patients, were submitted to medical review, and for each of them, fulfilled a clinical protocol, focusing on multiple epidemiological and clinical characteristics, relative to evolution, manifestations and therapies, reason and outcome of hospitalization, and co-morbidities. RESULTS: The characteristics found in this population approach, globally, to the ones described previously, in other countries. However, the prevalence and severity of the cutaneous lesions suggest a higher impact of the cutaneous attainment in this casuistic. It would be of all interest to develop studies that could properly evaluate this observation. DISCUSSION: It is essential to profoundly know the disease, and the individual and population particularities, so we can act adequately. This study may have put on evidence some problems that, in the future, will probably have major impact on personal life and public health care resources in Portugal. They reflect direct and indirect costs, explained by the high rate of recurrent and long hospitalizations, making use of more expensive diagnostic tests and treatments, and the risk of higher morbidity. Early intervention may be modifying of the natural course of the disease in the long term.

[Vitamin D measurement in Portuguese patients with fragility fractures]. / Níveis séricos de vitamina D em portugueses com fracturas de fragilidade.

OBJECTIVES: Osteoporosis is a «silent epidemic¼, resulting from a combination of many possible causal and risk factors, which prevalence depend on particular features of the population. The authors propose to characterize some of these elements, with special attention to vitamin D (vitD) levels, in a Portuguese population at risk, selected on the basis of a history of prior fragility fracture. METHODS: Participants were selected from the computerized list of discharges from all hospitalized patients in a Central Hospital in Oporto, between the dates 1/1/2002 and 31/12/2004, with the diagnosis of low-impact fracture of the wrist. They were invited to a reassessment of their risk of fracture, after 5 to 7 years from that event. For each one, a protocol was completed, focusing on clinical, epidemiological, laboratorial, radiological and densitometric parameters. RESULTS: In this population, as expected, there was a high rate of osteoporosis risk factors, which may explain the also high rate of subsequent osteoporotic fractures. Among others, early menopause, low intake of calcium and protein, levels of vitD generally inadequate and low frequency of osteopo-rosis treatment were noticed. DISCUSSION: The widespread insufficiency of vitD, described in other populations, mostly from the Northern countries, was also found here, supporting the suspicion that also in Portugal low vitD levels could be prevalent, despite the supposed regular sun exposure. These and other observations in this series, to be proven in directed studies, should, meanwhile, raise the levels of awareness of the community, but particularly health professionals and policymakers of public health, in a matter with a strong impact on individual and collective health in the country.

Amyloidosis secondary to rheumatic diseases - 16 cases.

INTRODUCTION: Secondary amyloidosis (SA) results of tissue deposition of an acute phase reactant protein produced by chronic inflammation. Its incidence appears to be declining, following the improvement of medical care to primary diseases. Our aim is to assess a group of Portuguese patients with amyloidosis secondary to inflammatory rheumatic diseases, and their evolution over the past 10 years. METHODS: The study comprised 16 patients with SA confirmed by tissue biopsy, hospitalized in the Rheumatology Department of Hospital São João in Oporto in the last 10 years. We made a protocol on epidemiological, clinical and analytical data focusing the rheumatic disease and SA, and possible elements of connection between them. RESULTS: Of the 16 patients, mainly women (81,2%), with mean age at entry of 56 years, 68,8% had rheumatoid arthritis. Amyloidosis was diagnosed in average at 13,5 years of primary rheumatic disease, and its main manifestation was kidney involvement, which together with infection and orthopaedic surgery or its complications, were the leading causes of hospitalization. In this time interval, 6 patients died. They were older, with longer duration and lower rate of treatment of the primary rheumatic disease, and had SA diagnosed 1,5 years before death (different of the 5 years of those that still alive). They had higher rate of gastrointestinal, neurological and serious kidney involvement, and hospitalizations. CONCLUSIONS: Improving medical care in rheumatic inflammatory diseases has reduced the incidence of SA. Also, biotherapy appears to be achieving positive results in established amyloidosis, whatever the mechanisms involved. Our data, on Portuguese patients, seems to follow this trend.

Portuguese guidelines for the use of biological agents in rheumatoid arthritis - March 2010 update.

The authors present the revised version of the Portuguese Society of Rheumatology (SPR) guidelines for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with biological therapies. In these guidelines the criteria for introduction and maintenance of biological agents are discussed as well as the contraindications and procedures in the case of non-responders. Biological treatment should be considered in RA patients with a disease activity score 28 (DAS 28) superior to 3.2 despite treatment with 20mg/week of methotrexate (MTX) for at least 3 months or, if such treatment is not possible, after 6 months of other conventional disease modifying drug or combination therapy. A DAS 28 score between 2.6 and 3.2 with a significant functional or radiological deterioration under treatment with conventional regimens could also constitute an indication for biological treatment. The treatment goal should be remission or, if that is not achievable, at least a low disease activity, characterized by a DAS28 lower than 3.2, without significative functional or radiological worsening. The response criteria, at the end of the first 3 months of treatment, are a decrease of 0.6 in the DAS28 score. After 6 months of treatment response criteria is defined as a decrease of more than 1.2 in the DAS28 score. Non-responders, in accordance to the Rheumatologist's clinical opinion, should try a switch to another biological agent (tumour necrosis factor antagonist, abatacept, rituximab or tocilizumab).

Secundum Regulam: cuidados y asistencia a enfermos y ancianos en las reglas monásticas hispano-visigodas / Secundum Regulam: care for the sick and elderly in Hispanic-Visigoth monastic rules

Las reglas elaboradas para organizar la vida cotidiana en las comunidades monásticas que proliferaron en torno al Mediterráneo durante la Antigüedad Tardía son una privilegiada fuente de información para conocer cuáles eran las circunstancias en las que vivían los enfermos y los ancianos durante ese periodo. El objetivo de este trabajo es utilizarlas para conocer mejor cuál era la situación de estos dos colectivos a finales de la Hispania tardoantigua. Las cuatro reglas monásticas conservadas se elaboraron en un arco cronológico que abarca desde la segunda mitad del siglo VI hasta un periodo similar del siglo VII, coincidiendo en gran medida con la duración del reino hispano-visigodo de Toledo. Con su lectura se puede constatar la importancia de la asistencia social entre los cometidos habituales de los distintos monasterios que las tomaron por norma, ocupando un lugar fundamental los cuidados y las atenciones brindados a enfermos y ancianos. En todas ellas se muestra cómo se organizaban para cumplir tales cometidos y cómo se alteraban las normas de convivencia vigentes con la intención de ofrecerles los cuidados oportunos. Se observa igualmente qué tipo de alimentación se consideraba útil como medicina, cómo se debía tratar a los enfermos en lugares físicamente separados del recinto monástico y quiénes eran los más aptos para ocuparse de ellos. Asimismo, se aprecia cómo tales cuidados no se dispensaban únicamente a los miembros de las comunidades, sino que se hacían extensivos a personas del exterior. Se documenta, además, cómo en la zona noroccidental se había extendido la práctica de que los ancianos ingresaran en los monasterios llevados sobre todo por las emergencias propias de una edad avanzada

Rules for the organization of daily life in the monastic communities that proliferated around the Mediterranean during Late Antiquity are a privileged source of information on the life circumstances of sick and elderly people during this period. The objective of this study was to use this information to determine the situation of these two populations at the end of Late Antique Hispania. The four monastic rules preserved were formulated during a chronological period extending from the second half of the 6th century to the second half of the 7th century, largely coinciding with the duration of the Hispanic-Visigoth Kingdom of Toledo. They reveal the importance of social welfare among the habitual duties of the different monasteries, which adopted them as rules. In this way, these monasteries became vital places for the care of the sick and elderly. The rules show how they were organized to carry out these duties and how restrictions on cohabitation could be modified to enable the delivery of appropriate care. They also reveal the type of food considered medicinally useful, the requirement to treat the sick in places physically separated from the monastic area, and the most appropriate people to provide care. The rules also establish that this care was offered not only to members of their community but also to outsiders. The practice of admitting elderly people into monasteries became extensive in the North-West area, largely for the health emergencies that characterize old age

[Osteoporotic fractures in pregnancy - conjunction of factors?]. / Osteoporose fracturária na gravidez - conjunção de factores?

Pregnancy-associated osteoporosis is rare and self--limiting. We report two clinical cases, with beginning of back pain during a 1st pregnancy. In the 1st case, the pain became severe after a fall, and she had other risk factors of fracture, like low calcium intake, and a treatment with thyroid hormones for weight loss. In the 2nd case, we did not find any. Both were diagnosed of osteoporosis by bone densitometry and radiology (multiple vertebral compression fractures). They had a favorable progression with life-style measures, calcium and vitamin D supplementation, and oral biphosphonate in the 2nd case. Nevertheless, both still suffer the impact.