Inflammatory gene expression in adipose tissue according to diagnosis of anxiety and mood disorders in obese and non-obese subjects.

Psychiatric disorders have been widely reported to be associated with systemic inflammation upregulation and adiposity. However, there are no data that link adipose tissue inflammation to these mental disorders. The analysis of adipokines and inflammation-related markers in adipose tissue could help to elucidate the potential association between obesity and mental health. An observational study was conducted in samples of patients consisting of non-obese and obese subjects, who were diagnosed with anxiety or mood disorders. Gene expression of adiponectin (ADIPOQ), leptin (LEP) and inflammatory markers (IL6, IL1B, TNF, CCL2, CSF3, ITGAM, and PLAUR) were determined in visceral (VAT) and subcutaneous (SAT) adipose tissues. Our results showed that the gene expression of adipokines and inflammation-related markers was higher in the VAT and SAT of obese subjects compared with non-obese subjects. Regarding mental disorders, all the inflammatory genes in the VAT were significantly higher in non-obese subjects with anxiety or mood disorders than in subjects without mental disorders, except for TNF and ITGAM. Additionally, IL6 expression was significantly lower in SAT. In contrast, obese patients diagnosed with anxiety or mood disorders only showed significantly lower expression levels of IL1B in VAT and ADIPOQ in SAT when compared with obese subjects without mental disorders. These data suggest the potential involvement of VAT inflammation in anxiety and mood disorders, involving complex mechanisms which are strongly affected by obesity.

Age-specific excess mortality patterns and transmissibility during the 1889-1890 influenza pandemic in Madrid, Spain.

PURPOSE: Although the 1889-1890 influenza pandemic was one of the most important epidemic events of the 19th century, little is known about the mortality impact of this pandemic based on detailed respiratory mortality data sets. METHODS: We estimated excess mortality rates for the 1889-1890 pandemic in Madrid from high-resolution respiratory and all-cause individual-level mortality data retrieved from the Gazeta de Madrid, the Official Bulletin of the Spanish government. We also generated estimates of the reproduction number from the early growth phase of the pandemic. RESULTS: The main pandemic wave in Madrid was evident from respiratory and all-cause mortality rates during the winter of 1889-1890. Our estimates of excess mortality for this pandemic were 58.3 per 10,000 for all-cause mortality and 44.5 per 10,000 for respiratory mortality. Age-specific excess mortality rates displayed a J-shape pattern, with school children aged 5-14 years experiencing the lowest respiratory excess death rates (8.8 excess respiratory deaths per 10,000), whereas older populations aged greater than or equal to 70 years had the highest rates (367.9 per 10,000). Although seniors experienced the highest absolute excess death rates, the standardized mortality ratio was highest among young adults aged 15-24 years. The early growth phase of the pandemic displayed dynamics consistent with an exponentially growing transmission process. Using the generalized-growth method, we estimated the reproduction number in the range of 1.2-1.3 assuming a 3-day mean generation interval and of 1.3-1.5 assuming a 4-day mean generation interval. CONCLUSIONS: Our study adds to our understanding of the mortality impact and transmissibility of the 1889-1890 influenza pandemic using detailed individual-level mortality data sets. More quantitative studies are needed to quantify the variability of the mortality impact of this understudied pandemic at regional and global scales.

"Escala de ansiedad infantil de Spence" (Spence Children's Anxiety Scale, SCAS): fiabilidad y validez de la versión española / The Spence Children's Anxiety Scale (SCAS): reliability and validity of the Spanish version

Este estudio ha sometido a examen la fiabilidad y la validez de la "Escala de ansiedad infantil de Spence" (Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale, SCAS) en una muestra de 1636 estudiantes de 9 a 17 años de España. La consistencia interna (alfa de Cronbach) de la puntuación total ha sido de 0,92 y las de las subescalas han fluctuado entre 0,81 (pánico-agorafobia) a 0,61 (ansiedad de separación y miedo al daño físico). La fiabilidad test-restest (correlación intra-clase) de la puntuación total ha sido 0,61 y las de las subescalas han fluctuado entre 0,62 (Miedo al daño físico) y 0,51 (pánico-agorafobia). Todas las puntuaciones de la SCAS disminuyeron ligeramente del test al retest. Las puntuaciones de la SCAS han mostrado validez convergente al correlacionar alto con otras medidas de ansiedad, tanto generales como específicas de problemas concretos, y validez divergente al correlacionar bajo con medidas de trastornos distintos de la ansiedad, incluyendo la depresión. Se concluye que la SCAS es una prueba adecuada para evaluar en España los trastornos de ansiedad infanto-juveniles tal como aparecen en el DSM-IV (AU)

This study examined the reliability and validity of the Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale (SCAS) in a sample of 1,636 Spanish students 9-17 years old. The total-score internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha) was 0.92 and indices of subscales ranged from 0.81 (Panic-Agoraphobia) to 0.61 (Separation Anxiety and Physical Injury Fear). The test-retest reliability (intra-class correlation) was 0.61 and subscales ranged from 0.62 (Specific Phobias) to 0.51 (Panic-Agoraphobia). All scores decreased slightly from test to retest. SCAS scores showed convergent validity in their high correlation with general and specific anxiety measures. SCAS scores also showed divergent validity in their low correlation with several measures of non-anxiety disorders, including depression. It is concluded that the SCAS is a suitable tool to assess in Spanish children anxiety disorders as they are depicted in DSM-IV

Emotional processing in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

The aim of the present study was to investigate whether there are differences in emotional processing among people with obsessive-compulsive disorder, using Lang's dimensional model of emotions. A total of 22 individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder participated in the study and were compared to a control group (n=25). All participants assessed a set of photographs with emotional content (pleasant, neutral, unpleasant, and with obsessive-compulsive content) using the Self-Assessment Manikin pictorial scales for rating emotional valence (pleasant/unpleasant), arousal (calm/aroused) and dominance (controlling/controlled). The results show significant differences in the processing of emotional images among individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder and the high predictive value of dominance for diagnosis.

Estructura factorial y fiabilidad de la adaptación española de la Escala Obsesivo-Compulsiva de Yale-Brown para niños y adolescentes en su versión de autoinforme (CY-BOCS-SR) / Factor structure and reliability of the Spanish adaptation of the Children’s Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale - Self Report (CY-BOCS-SR)

El objetivo de la presente investigación ha sido adaptar a nuestro medio la «Children’s Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale - Self Report» (CY-BOCS-SR), una de las escalas más utilizadas para evaluar los comportamientos obsesivo-compulsivos. Para ello, tras traducirla, se han estudiado su invarianza factorial en niños y niñas, su fiabilidad y su relación con la edad. Por último, se presentan sus datos normativos. La muestra ha estado compuesta por 1.706 niños y adolescentes de la población general. Los resultados muestran que la composición factorial de la CY-BOCS-SR no se ajusta bien a la forma tradicional de corregirla distinguiendo tres escalas: severidad de la obsesión, severidad de la compulsión y puntuación total. La validez factorial y la fiabilidad de las escalas mejoran notablemente si los ítems relacionados con la resistencia a la obsesión y la compulsión se consideran como un factor distinto. Se concluye que la versión española que se presenta posee características psicométricas semejantes a las de la versión original inglesa (AU)

The aim of this study was the adaptation to Spanish of the «Children’s Yale–Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale - Self Report» (CY-BOCS-SR), one of the most frequently utilized scales in the assessment of obsessive-compulsive behaviors. After its translation to Spanish, its factor invariance in boys and girls, reliability, and relationship with the children’s age were examined. Lastly, normative data for this Spanish version are presented. The sample comprised 1,706 children and adolescents from the general population. Results show that the factor composition of the CY-BOCS-SR does not present a very good fi t to the usual scoring of three scales were observed: Obsession Severity, Compulsion Severity, and total score. Results also show that the factor validity and reliability of the CY-BOCS-SR improve remarkably if items related to Resistance to Obsessions and Compulsions are considered a different factor from Severity. It is concluded that the Spanish version of the CY-BOCS-SR has similar psychometric characteristics as the original English version (AU)

[Factor structure and reliability of the Spanish adaptation of the Children's Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale--Self Report (CY-BOCS-SR)]. / Estructura factorial y fi abilidad de la adaptación española de la Escala Obsesivo-Compulsiva de Yale-Brown para niños y adolescentes en su versión de autoinforme (CY-BOCS-SR).

The aim of this study was the adaptation to Spanish of the «Children's Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale--Self Report¼ (CY-BOCS-SR), one of the most frequently utilized scales in the assessment of obsessive-compulsive behaviors. After its translation to Spanish, its factor invariance in boys and girls, reliability, and relationship with the children's age were examined. Lastly, normative data for this Spanish version are presented. The sample comprised 1,706 children and adolescents from the general population. Results show that the factor composition of the CY-BOCS-SR does not present a very good fit to the usual scoring of three scales were observed: Obsession Severity, Compulsion Severity, and total score. Results also show that the factor validity and reliability of the CY-BOCS-SR improve remarkably if items related to Resistance to Obsessions and Compulsions are considered a different factor from Severity. It is concluded that the Spanish version of the CY-BOCS-SR has similar psychometric characteristics as the original English version.

Telepatología estática / Static telepathology

La telepatología es la transmisión de imágenes digitales de anatomía patológica por sistemas de telecomunicación, y con fines de consulta, diagnóstico, investigación, o docencia. La telepatología estática utiliza imágenes fijas, mientras que la dinámica se basa en el envió de imágenes obtenidas mediante videocámara. La telepatología estática comienza con la selección por un patólogo de las imágenes demostrativas de una lesión. Posteriormente las imágenes deben ser procesadas y comprimidas, lo que permite mejorar su calidad diagnóstica y, fundamentalmente su tamaño, para que puedan ser enviadas de forma efectiva por vías de comunicación con anchos de banda limitados. En este artículo se analizan todas estas etapas y sus aspectos técnicos. En la actualidad, la telepatología estática cuenta con un papel dentro de la patología diagnóstica, aunque este papel es todavía limitado. En otros campos, como la docencia, foros de discusión y consulta de imágenes de casos, la telepatología estática cuenta con una amplia aceptación (AU)

Infección cutánea por Mycobacterium marinum. Descripción de tres casos y revisión de la literatura / Cutaneous infections by Mycobacterium marinum. Report of three cases and review of the literature

Mycobacterium marinum es un microorganismo que produce infecciones cutáneas y de partes blandas. Suele ser el resultado de la inoculación externa de heridas en contacto con agua contaminada de piscinas y acuarios. Solamente es patógeno en piel erosionada, por tanto las localizaciones más frecuentes son los lugares expuestos a traumatismos. Presentamos tres casos de infección cutánea causada por Mycobacterium marinum. En el cultivo de un fragmento de biopsia se obtuvo crecimiento de Mycobacterium marinum en los tres casos. Los pacientes recibieron tratamiento antibiótico con distinta respuesta al tratamiento. Discutimos las características de la infección cutánea causada por esta micobacteria, así como la necesidad de tenerla presente en nuestro diagnóstico diferencial para realizar un adecuado diagnóstico y tratamiento, evitando de este modo la aparición de complicaciones (AU)