Frailty and genetic risk predict fracture after lung transplantation.

Fractures negatively impact quality of life and survival. We hypothesized that recipient frailty score and genetic profile measured before transplant would predict risk of fracture after lung transplant. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of bone mineral density (BMD) and fracture among lung transplant recipients at a single center. The association between predictors and outcomes were assessed by multivariable time-dependent Cox models or regression analysis. Among the 284 participants, osteoporosis and fracture were highly prevalent. Approximately 59% of participants had posttransplant osteopenia, and 35% of participants developed at least 1 fracture. Low BMD was associated with a polygenic osteoporosis risk score, and the interaction between genetic score and BMD predicted fracture. Pretransplant frailty was associated with risk for spine and hip fracture, which were not associated with chronic lung allograft dysfunction or death. Chest fractures were the most frequent type of fracture and conferred a 2.2-fold increased risk of chronic lung allograft dysfunction or death (time-dependent P < .001). Pneumonia, pleural effusions, and acute rejection frequently occurred surrounding chest fracture. Pretransplant frailty and recipient genotype may aid clinical risk stratification for fracture after transplant. Fracture carries significant morbidity, underscoring the importance of surveillance and osteoporosis prevention.

Nirmatrelvir/ritonavir Use With Tacrolimus in Lung Transplant Recipients: A Single-center Case Series.

BACKGROUND: Limited data and guidelines exist for using nirmatrelvir/ritonavir in solid organ transplant recipients stabilized on tacrolimus for the treatment of mild-to-moderate coronavirus disease. Concern exists regarding the impact of utilizing a 5-d course of nirmatrelvir/ritonavir with calcineurin inhibitors because of significant drug-drug interactions between ritonavir, a potent cytochrome P450 3A inhibitor, and other cytochrome P450 3A substrates, such as tacrolimus. METHODS: We report the successful use of nirmatrelvir/ritonavir in 12 outpatient lung transplant recipients with confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection stabilized on tacrolimus immunosuppression. All patients stopped tacrolimus and started nirmatrelvir/ritonavir 10 to 14 h after the last dose of tacrolimus. Tacrolimus was withheld and then reinitiated at a modified dose 48 h following the completion of nirmatrelvir/ritonavir therapy. Tacrolimus trough levels were checked during nirmatrelvir/ritonavir therapy and tacrolimus reinitiation. RESULTS: Ten (10/12) patients were able to resume their original tacrolimus dose within 4 d of completing nirmatrelvir/ritonavir therapy and maintain therapeutic levels of tacrolimus. No patients experienced tacrolimus toxicity or acute rejection during the 30-d postcompletion of nirmatrelvir/ritonavir therapy. CONCLUSIONS: In this cohort of lung transplant recipients on tacrolimus, we demonstrated that nirmatrelvir/ritonavir can be safely used with close monitoring of tacrolimus levels and appropriate dose adjustments of tacrolimus. Further confirmatory studies are needed to determine the appropriate use of therapeutic drug monitoring and tacrolimus dose following completion of nirmatrelvir/ritonavir in the solid organ transplant population.

To Anticoagulate or Not to Anticoagulate in COVID-19: Lessons after 2 Years.

A hypercoagulable state associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been well documented and is believed to be strongly supported by a proinflammatory state. The hypercoagulable state in turn results in increased incidence of arterial and venous thromboembolism (VTE) seen in hospitalized COVID-19 when compared with hospitalized non-COVID-19 patient cohorts. Moreover, patients with arterial or VTE and COVID-19 have higher mortality compared with COVID-19 patients without arterial or VTE. Prevention of arterial or VTE thus remains an essential question in the management of COVID-19 patients, especially because of high rates of reported microvascular and macrovascular thrombosis. This has prompted multiple randomized control trials (RCTs) evaluating different anticoagulation strategies in COVID-19 patients at various stages of the disease. Herein, we review findings from RCTs in the past 2 years of antithrombotic therapy in critically ill hospitalized patients, noncritically ill hospitalized patients, patients postdischarge from the hospital, and outpatients. RCTs in critically ill patients demonstrated therapeutic dose anticoagulation does not improve outcomes and has more bleeding than prophylaxis dose anticoagulant in these patients. Trials in noncritically ill hospitalized patients showed a therapeutic dose anticoagulation with a heparin formulation might improve clinical outcomes. Anticoagulation with a direct oral anticoagulant posthospital discharge may improve outcomes, although there is a large RCT in progress. Nonhospitalized COVID-19 patients have an insufficient burden of events to be candidates for antithrombotic therapy. Anticoagulation in pregnant and lactating patients with COVID-19, as well as antiplatelet therapy for COVID-19, is also reviewed.

Mechanisms and management of drug-induced hyperkalemia in kidney transplant patients.

Hyperkalemia is a common and potentially life-threatening complication following kidney transplantation that can be caused by a composite of factors such as medications, delayed graft function, and possibly potassium intake. Managing hyperkalemia after kidney transplantation is associated with increased morbidity and healthcare costs, and can be a cause of multiple hospital admissions and barriers to patient discharge. Medications used routinely after kidney transplantation are considered the most frequent culprit for post-transplant hyperkalemia in recipients with a well-functioning graft. These include calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs), pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) prophylactic agents, and antihypertensives (angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, beta blockers). CNIs can cause hyperkalemic renal tubular acidosis. When hyperkalemia develops following transplantation, the potential offending medication may be discontinued, switched to another agent, or dose-reduced. Belatacept and mTOR inhibitors offer an alternative to calcineurin inhibitors in the event of hyperkalemia, however should be prescribed in the appropriate patient. While trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (TMP/SMX) remains the gold standard for prevention of PCP, alternative agents (e.g. dapsone, atovaquone) have been studied and can be recommend in place of TMP/SMX. Antihypertensives that act on the Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System are generally avoided early after transplant but may be indicated later in the transplant course for patients with comorbidities. In cases of mild to moderate hyperkalemia, medical management can be used to normalize serum potassium levels and allow the transplant team additional time to evaluate the function of the graft. In the immediate post-operative setting following kidney transplantation, a rapidly rising potassium refractory to medical therapy can be an indication for dialysis. Patiromer and sodium zirconium cyclosilicate (ZS-9) may play an important role in the management of chronic hyperkalemia in kidney transplant patients, although additional long-term studies are necessary to confirm these effects.

Morfología glenoidea en la artrosis glenohumeral primaria: factores preoperatorios relevantes / Glenoid morphology in primary glenohumeral osteoarthritis; preoperatory relevant elements

El objetivo primario de esta revisión es realizar una actualización de los conceptos básicos relacionados a los cambios morfológicos glenoideos durante la artrosis glenohumeral primaria, métodos de medición relevantes y describir las modificaciones en la nueva clasificación de Gilles Walch. La medición de esos parámetros influyen en forma directa tanto en el acto quirúrgico dentro una prótesis de hombro como en los resultados clínicos post operatorios. Los diferentes métodos de medición descritos en la literatura han permitido evaluar la magnitud de esos fenómenos morfológicos y describir la "glenoides bicóncava", caracterizada por presentar 3 subtipos: la paleoglena, neoglena y la glena intermedia. A partir de esos conceptos, Walch en 1999 describe la clasificación de los cambios morfológicos glenoideos en artrosis primaria, la cual ha presentado una reciente modificación debido a la mala concordancia intra e interobservador de esa medición obtenida por varios investigadores, además de reconocer una carencia en la precisión para describir cada subtipo. A la fecha, diferentes autores investigan la influencia de esos factores morfológicos preoperatorios en los resultados post operatorios, y hasta que valor límite podrían guiar un tratamiento especifico. Conclusión: Enfatizamos que un análisis acabado y minucioso de la morfología glenoidea es importante para una adecuada planificación quirúrgica en artroplastia de hombro, ya que eso puede guiarnos en cuál técnica o implante puede ser el más adecuado para cada tipo de glenoides.

The main purpose of this review is to up date the basic concepts regarding the glenoid morphological changes in primary glenohumeral osteoarthritis, relevant measuring methods, and a description of the modifications in the Gilles Walch classification. The measurement of these parameters influences both surgical indications for total shoulder arthroplasty and the post op clinical outcomes. The different measuring methods described in literature have allowed to evaluate the magnitude of these morphological phenomena describing the "biconcave glenoid", which characteristically presents 3 subtypes: paleoglenoid, neoglenoid and intermediate glenoid. Based on these concepts, Walch classified the glenoid morphological changes in primary ostheoarthritis in 1999, which has been recently modified due to the poor inter-observer and intra-observer reliability described by a vast number of researchers, and also because of an observed lack of precision when describing each sub-type. Up to date, different authors are debating the influence of these pre operative morphological factors on the post op outcomes; and the cut-off value up to which this could lead to a specific treatment. As a conclusion, we emphasize that a deep and thorough analysis of the glenoid morphology is important for an adequate surgical planning of a shoulder arthroplasty, as this can guide us to the most adequate technique and type of implant for each type of glenoid.

Síndrome de Gardner-Diamond. Presentación de un caso / Gardner-Diamond syndrome: A case report

RESUMEN El sindrome de Gardner- Diamond conocido también como púrpura psicógena o síndrome de autosensibilización eritrocitaria es muy poco frecuente. Se presenta el caso de un hombre de 50 años, blanco, ingresado en el Servicio de Medicina Interna del Hospital Clínico Quirúrgico Docente "Faustino Pérez Hernández" por síndrome febril agudo, cefalea holocraneana, epistaxis y hemolacria. En el examen físico realizado se notó la salida de lágrimas con sangre, por el ángulo interno de ambos ojos y epistaxis. La inyección intradérmica en la cara dorsal del muslo izquierdo de 0,1 mL de sangre autóloga, no indujo reacción equimótica. La inyección de 0,1 mL de solución salina al 0,9 % como control en el muslo contralateral resultó negativa. Sobre la base del examen clínico y otras pruebas, se concluyó como un Síndrome de Gardner-Diamond. Esta infrecuente enfermedad debe ser considerada en el diagnóstico diferencial de un síndrome purpúrico de etiología no bien precisada, fundamentalmente en pacientes con problemas psiquiátricos (AU).

ABSTRACT The Gardner-Diamond syndrome, also known as psychogenetic purpura or erythrocyte autosensitization syndrome is very few frequent. The case of a white patient aged 50 years is presented. He entered the Service of Internal Medicine of the Teaching Clinic-surgical Hospital "Faustino Pérez Hernández" because of an acute fever syndrome, holocraneal headache, epistaxis and haemolacria. At the physical examination it was stated the flow of tears with blood, through the internal angle of both eyes and epistaxis. The intradermal injection of 0.1 ml of autologous blood in the left thigh dorsal side did not induce an ecchymotic reaction. The injection of 0.1 ml of 0.9 % saline solution as control in the contralateral side was negative. On the basis of the clinical examination and other tests, the authors arrived to the conclusion it is a Gardner-Diamond syndrome. This infrequent disease should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a purpuric syndrome of non-good précised etiology, mainly in patients with psychiatric problems (AU).

Síndrome de Gardner-Diamond. Presentación de un caso / Gardner-Diamond syndrome: A case report

RESUMEN El sindrome de Gardner- Diamond conocido también como púrpura psicógena o síndrome de autosensibilización eritrocitaria es muy poco frecuente. Se presenta el caso de un hombre de 50 años, blanco, ingresado en el Servicio de Medicina Interna del Hospital Clínico Quirúrgico Docente "Faustino Pérez Hernández" por síndrome febril agudo, cefalea holocraneana, epistaxis y hemolacria. En el examen físico realizado se notó la salida de lágrimas con sangre, por el ángulo interno de ambos ojos y epistaxis. La inyección intradérmica en la cara dorsal del muslo izquierdo de 0,1 mL de sangre autóloga, no indujo reacción equimótica. La inyección de 0,1 mL de solución salina al 0,9 % como control en el muslo contralateral resultó negativa. Sobre la base del examen clínico y otras pruebas, se concluyó como un Síndrome de Gardner-Diamond. Esta infrecuente enfermedad debe ser considerada en el diagnóstico diferencial de un síndrome purpúrico de etiología no bien precisada, fundamentalmente en pacientes con problemas psiquiátricos.

ABSTRACT The Gardner-Diamond syndrome, also known as psychogenetic purpura or erythrocyte autosensitization syndrome is very few frequent. The case of a white patient aged 50 years is presented. He entered the Service of Internal Medicine of the Teaching Clinic-surgical Hospital "Faustino Pérez Hernández" because of an acute fever syndrome, holocraneal headache, epistaxis and haemolacria. At the physical examination it was stated the flow of tears with blood, through the internal angle of both eyes and epistaxis. The intradermal injection of 0.1 ml of autologous blood in the left thigh dorsal side did not induce an ecchymotic reaction. The injection of 0.1 ml of 0.9 % saline solution as control in the contralateral side was negative. On the basis of the clinical examination and other tests, the authors arrived to the conclusion it is a Gardner-Diamond syndrome. This infrequent disease should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a purpuric syndrome of non-good précised etiology, mainly in patients with psychiatric problems.

Comparative study of the removal of phenolic compounds by biological and non-biological adsorbents.

The ability of biological and non-biological adsorbents to remove 2-nitrophenol (2-NP) and 2-chlorophenol (2-CP) from aqueous solutions in batch experiments at room temperature was compared. The marine seaweeds Macrocystis integrifolia Bory (S1) and Lessonia nigrescens Bory (S2) were cross-linked with CaCl(2) to enhance their mechanical properties. Natural bentonite was chemically exchanged with hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (B1) and bencyltriethylammonium chloride (B2) to increase their affinity towards organic compounds as well. The adsorption capacity of all of the adsorbents strongly depends on solution pH, whereas equilibrium assays showed a mixed mechanism according to the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms. The maximum adsorption capacity of 2-NP follows the trend: S1>S2>B2>B1 within the range of 97.37 and 18.64 mg g(-1) whereas for 2-CP, it ranged between 24.18 and 9.95 mg g(-1) with the trend: S1>S2>B2 approximately B1. The importance of the octanol-water partition coefficient as the main factor on the adsorption of these compounds on two different kinds of adsorbents is discussed.