ABSTRACT
Fear of hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia can lead to inappropriate diabetes self-management and untoward health outcomes. We report two patients, representative of these opposite conditions, who benefited from hybrid closed-loop technology. In the patient with fear of hypoglycemia, time in range improved from 26 to 56% and the patient did not present with severe hypoglycemia. Meanwhile, the patient with hyperglycemia aversiveness had a drastic reduction in time below range, from 19 to 4%. We conclude that hybrid closed-loop technology was an effective tool for improvement of glucose values in two patients with fear of hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia aversiveness, respectively.
Subject(s)
Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 , Hyperglycemia , Hypoglycemia , Humans , Blood Glucose , Blood Glucose Self-Monitoring , Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1/drug therapy , Fear , Hyperglycemia/prevention & control , Hypoglycemia/prevention & control , Hypoglycemic Agents/therapeutic use , Insulin/therapeutic use , Insulin Infusion SystemsABSTRACT
The development of inexpensive, fast, and reliable screening tests for COVID-19 is, as yet, an unmet need. The present study was aimed at evaluating the usefulness of serum arylesterase activity of paraoxonase-1 (PON1) measurement as a screening test in patients with different severity levels of COVID-19 infection. We included 615 COVID-19-positive patients who were classified as asymptomatic, mildly symptomatic, severely symptomatic, or fatally symptomatic. Results were compared with 50 healthy volunteers, 330 patients with cancer, and 343 with morbid obesity. Results showed PON1 activity greatly decreased in COVID-19 compared to healthy volunteers; a receiver operating characteristics plot showed a high diagnostic accuracy. The degree of COVID-19 severity did not influence PON1 levels. Our results indicated that PON1 determination was efficient for disease diagnosis, but not for prognosis. Furthermore, patients with obesity or cancer presented alterations similar to those of COVID-19 patients. As such, elevated levels of PON1 indicate the absence of COVID-19, but low levels may be present in various other chronic diseases. The assay is fast and inexpensive. We suggest that PON1 measurement could be used as an initial, high cut-off point screening method, while lower values should be confirmed with the more expensive nucleic acid amplification test.
Subject(s)
Aryldialkylphosphatase , COVID-19 , Aryldialkylphosphatase/blood , COVID-19/blood , COVID-19/diagnosis , COVID-19/enzymology , Carboxylic Ester Hydrolases , Humans , SerumABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies have been used in the study of the immune response in infected patients. However, differences in sensitivity and specificity have been reported, depending on the method of analysis. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of an algorithm in which a high-throughput automated assay for total antibodies was used for screening and two semi-automated IgG-specific methods were used to confirm the results, and also to correlate the analytical results with the clinical data and the time elapsed since infection. METHODS: We studied 306 patients, some hospitalized and some outpatients, belonging to a population with a high prevalence of COVID-19. One-hundred and ten patients were classified as SARS-CoV-2 negative and 196 as positive by polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: The algorithm and automated assay alone had a specificity and a positive predictive value of 100%, although the sensitivity and negative predictive value of the algorithm was higher. Both methods showed a good sensitivity from day 11 of the onset of symptoms in asymptomatic and symptomatic patients. The absorbance of the total antibodies was significantly higher in severely symptomatic than in asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic patients, which suggests the antibody level was higher. We found 15 patients who did not present seroconversion at 12 days from the onset of symptoms or the first polymerase chain reaction test. CONCLUSION: This study highlights the proper functioning of algorithms in the diagnosis of the immune response to COVID-19, which can help to define testing strategies against this disease.
Subject(s)
Algorithms , Antibodies, Viral/blood , COVID-19 Serological Testing/methods , COVID-19/diagnosis , Adult , Aged , Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic/blood , COVID-19/epidemiology , Female , Humans , Immunoassay/methods , Immunoglobulin G/blood , Male , Middle Aged , Predictive Value of Tests , Prevalence , Retrospective Studies , SARS-CoV-2/immunology , Sensitivity and SpecificityABSTRACT
Many countries have seen a two-wave pattern in reported cases of coronavirus disease-19 during the 2020 pandemic, with a first wave during spring followed by the current second wave in late summer and autumn. Empirical data show that the characteristics of the effects of the virus do vary between the two periods. Differences in age range and severity of the disease have been reported, although the comparative characteristics of the two waves still remain largely unknown. Those characteristics are compared in this study using data from two equal periods of 3 and a half months. The first period, between 15th March and 30th June, corresponding to the entire first wave, and the second, between 1st July and 15th October, corresponding to part of the second wave, still present at the time of writing this article. Two hundred and four patients were hospitalized during the first period, and 264 during the second period. Patients in the second wave were younger and the duration of hospitalization and case fatality rate were lower than those in the first wave. In the second wave, there were more children, and pregnant and post-partum women. The most frequent signs and symptoms in both waves were fever, dyspnea, pneumonia, and cough, and the most relevant comorbidities were cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and chronic neurological diseases. Patients from the second wave more frequently presented renal and gastrointestinal symptoms, were more often treated with non-invasive mechanical ventilation and corticoids, and less often with invasive mechanical ventilation, conventional oxygen therapy and anticoagulants. Several differences in mortality risk factors were also observed. These results might help to understand the characteristics of the second wave and the behaviour and danger of SARS-CoV-2 in the Mediterranean area and in Western Europe. Further studies are needed to confirm our findings.
Subject(s)
COVID-19/epidemiology , COVID-19/therapy , Hospitalization/statistics & numerical data , Aged , Comorbidity , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Pandemics , Spain/epidemiology , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The use of flash-glucose monitoring system FreeStyle Libre (FSL) has demonstrated benefits in metabolic control and quality of life in different populations with diabetes mellitus (DM), being funded in many countries. Due to this, DM subjects on hemodialysis (HD) are using FSL despite the accuracy in this population being unclear. The aims of the present study are to assess the accuracy of FSL in DM subjects on HD, its relationship to hydration status, and patient satisfaction. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A prospective study in 16 patients with DM in a chronic HD program was conducted. Interstitial glucose values from FSL during a 14-day period were compared to capillary glucose measurements obtained at the same time. Hydration status was measured via bioimpedance spectroscopy. Satisfaction with FSL was obtained from an ad hoc satisfaction questionnaire. RESULTS: A total of 766 paired interstitial and capillary glucose levels were analyzed. A correlation coefficient of 0.936 was determined and a mean absolute relative difference (MARD) value of 23%, increasing to 29% during HD. MARD was not related to hydration status. Interstitial glucose values were lower during HD (100.1 ± 17 mg/dL) than within the 12 hours after (125.1 ± 39 mg/dL; P = .012) and the days without HD (134.2 ± 32 mg/dL; P = .001). Subjects showed high satisfaction with FSL. CONCLUSION: The accuracy of FSL in DM patients on HD is lower than in other populations, especially during HD sessions and is not related with the hydration status. Despite this, the degree of patient satisfaction with FSL is very high.
Subject(s)
Blood Glucose Self-Monitoring , Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 , Blood Glucose , Glucose , Humans , Prospective Studies , Quality of Life , Renal DialysisABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: To characterize the clonal spread of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli isolates between different healthcare institutions in Catalonia, Spain. METHODS: Antimicrobial susceptibility was tested by disc diffusion. MICs were determined by gradient diffusion or broth microdilution. Carbapenemase production was confirmed by lateral flow. PCR and Sanger sequencing were used to identify the allelic variants of resistance genes. Clonality studies were performed by PFGE and MLST. Plasmid typing, conjugation assays, S1-PFGE plus Southern blotting and MinION Oxford Nanopore sequencing were used to characterize resistance plasmids. RESULTS: Twenty-nine carbapenem-resistant isolates recovered from three healthcare institutions between January and November 2016 were included: 14 K. pneumoniae isolates from a tertiary hospital in the south of Catalonia (hospital A); 2 K. pneumoniae isolates from a nearby healthcare centre; and 12 K. pneumoniae isolates and 1 E. coli isolate from a tertiary hospital in Barcelona (hospital B). The majority of isolates were resistant to all antimicrobial agents, except colistin, and all were NDM producers. PFGE identified a major K. pneumoniae clone (n = 27) belonging to ST147 and co-producing NDM-1 and CTX-M-15, with a few isolates also harbouring blaOXA-48. Two sporadic isolates of K. pneumoniae ST307 and E. coli ST167 producing NDM-7 were also identified. blaNDM-1 was carried in two related IncR plasmid populations and blaNDM-7 in a conjugative 50 kb IncX3 plasmid. CONCLUSIONS: We report the inter-hospital dissemination of XDR high-risk clones of K. pneumoniae and E. coli associated with the carriage of small, transferable plasmids harbouring blaNDM genes.
Subject(s)
Klebsiella Infections , Klebsiella pneumoniae , Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology , Clone Cells , Cross Infection/microbiology , Escherichia coli/genetics , Humans , Klebsiella Infections/epidemiology , Klebsiella pneumoniae/genetics , Microbial Sensitivity Tests , Multilocus Sequence Typing , Plasmids/genetics , Spain/epidemiology , beta-Lactamases/geneticsABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: In the care of women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), more attention is put on glycemic control than in factors such as gestational weight gain (GWG). We aimed to evaluate the rate of inadequate GWG in women with GDM, its clinical predictors and the association with pregnancy outcomes. METHODS: Cohort retrospective analysis. OUTCOME VARIABLES: GWG according to Institute of Medicine 2009 and 18 pregnancy outcomes. Clinical characteristics were considered both as GWG predictors and as covariates in outcome prediction. STATISTICS: descriptive, multinomial and logistic regression. RESULTS: We assessed 2842 women diagnosed with GDM in the 1985-2011 period. GWG was insufficient (iGWG) in 50.3%, adequate in 31.6% and excessive (eGWG) in 18.1%; length of follow-up for GDM was positively associated with iGWG. Overall pregnancy outcomes were satisfactory. GWG was associated with pregnancy-induced hypertension, preeclampsia, cesarean delivery and birthweight-related outcomes. Essentially, the direction of the association was towards a higher risk with eGWG and lower risk with iGWG (i.e., with Cesarean delivery and excessive growth). CONCLUSIONS: In this cohort of women with GDM, inadequate GWG was very common at the expense of iGWG. The associations with pregnancy outcomes were mainly towards a higher risk with eGWG and lower risk with iGWG.
ABSTRACT
According to recent literature, 95.4% of the Aeromonas strains associated with human clinical cases correspond to four species: Aeromonas caviae, Aeromonas dhakensis, Aeromonas veronii and Aeromonas hydrophila. However, other less prevalent species such as Aeromonas trota, are also described from clinical samples. Based on its low incidence, the latter species can be regarded as rare and it is the only Aeromonas species susceptible to ampicillin. From the taxonomic point of view, A. trota is considered a synonym of the species Aeromonas enteropelogenes. The objective of this study is to present a new clinical case associated with A. trota in order to increase the knowledge about this species. The strain was recovered from the feces of a 69-year-old patient with a diarrheal syndrome and peritoneal psammocarcinoma. The preliminary identification as Aeromonas sp. was obtained with the API 20E, but it was characterized as Aeromonas jandei and also as Aeromonas enteropelogenes with different scores with the matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight (MALDI-TOF). Based on the sequence of the rpoD gene, it was confirmed to be A. trota. The antimicrobial resistance pattern showed that the strain was susceptible to ampicillin, penicillins in combination with beta-lactamase inhibitors, quinolones, carbapenems, aminoglycosides and cephalosporins, except cephalothin. In conclusion, the recognition of an Aeromonas strain susceptible to ampicillin should alert the clinical microbiologist of the possible involvement of this rare species. Furthermore, the MALDI-TOF database should be updated indicating that the species A. enteropelogenes, is a synonym of A. trota.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Cutaneous phaeohyphomycosis is an emerging disease in immunocompromised patients, being Alternaria one of the most common genera reported as a causative agent. Species identification is not carried out mainly due to the complexity of the genus. Analysis of the ITS barcode has become standard for fungal identification, but in Alternaria it is only able to discriminate among species-groups or sections. METHODS: We present three cases of cutaneous infection caused by Alternaria isolates morphologically identified as belonging to section Infectoriae. They have been morphologically characterised and phylogenetically delineated with five molecular markers (ITS, ATPase, gapdh, rpb2 and tef1). RESULTS: Mycotic infections have been diagnosed by repeated cultures and histopathological examination in two of the cases. The polyphasic approach has allowed to delineate three new species of Alternaria section Infectoriae, that is A anthropophila, A atrobrunnea and A guarroi. ATPase has been the only locus able to discriminate most of the species (29 out of 31) currently sequenced in this section, including A infectoria the commonest reported species causing alternariosis. Susceptibility test showed different antifungal patterns for the three species, although terbinafine was the most active in vitro drug against these fungi. CONCLUSIONS: The ATPase gene is recommended as an alternative barcode locus to identify Alternaria clinical isolates in section Infectoriae. Our results reinforce the relevance of identification of Alternaria isolates at the species level and the necessity to carry out antifungal susceptibility testing to determine the most adequate drug for treatment.
Subject(s)
Alternaria/classification , Alternariosis/microbiology , Adenocarcinoma/complications , Adenocarcinoma/radiotherapy , Aged , Alternaria/drug effects , Alternaria/genetics , Alternaria/isolation & purification , Alternariosis/complications , Antifungal Agents/pharmacology , Bayes Theorem , Consensus Sequence , Female , Humans , Immunosuppressive Agents/administration & dosage , Likelihood Functions , Lung Transplantation , Male , Middle Aged , Myocardial Ischemia/complications , Phenotype , Phylogeny , Prostatic Neoplasms/complications , Prostatic Neoplasms/radiotherapy , Sequence Alignment , Skin Ulcer/complications , Skin Ulcer/microbiology , Transplantation Immunology/immunologyABSTRACT
Bursitis is a common medical condition that can occur either with or without infection. We present a case of fungal olecranon bursitis in an immunocompetent individual caused by the new species Knoxdaviesia dimorphospora. It is a dematiaceous filamentous fungus characterized by the production of two different conidia: hyaline and cylindrical, which rise up from phialidic conidiogenous cells located in the upper part of differentiated and unbranched conidiophores, and pale brown and ellipsoidal conidia produced by phialidic conidiogenous cells which are born directly on hyphae. In addition to its morphological peculiarities, the novelty of the fungus was confirmed by sequence analysis of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions and D1/D2 domains of the 28S of the nuclear rRNA gene. The fungal infection was confirmed by cytological examination and repeated cultures. The infection was resolved by surgical debridement and drainage, and the patient presented a complete functional recovery 3 months later. The in vitro antifungal susceptibility to this new human opportunist is provided, terbinafine being the drug with the most potent activity.
Subject(s)
Ascomycota/isolation & purification , Bursitis/diagnosis , Bursitis/pathology , Mycoses/diagnosis , Mycoses/pathology , Olecranon Process/pathology , Ascomycota/classification , Ascomycota/cytology , Ascomycota/genetics , Bursitis/surgery , Cluster Analysis , Cytological Techniques , DNA, Fungal/chemistry , DNA, Fungal/genetics , DNA, Ribosomal/chemistry , DNA, Ribosomal/genetics , DNA, Ribosomal Spacer/chemistry , DNA, Ribosomal Spacer/genetics , Debridement , Drainage , Humans , Male , Microbiological Techniques , Microscopy , Middle Aged , Mycoses/surgery , Phylogeny , RNA, Ribosomal, 28S/genetics , Sequence Analysis, DNA , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The genus Arcobacter includes bacteria that are considered emergent pathogens because they can produce infections in humans and animals. The most common symptoms are bloody and non-bloody persistent diarrhea but cases with abdominal cramps without diarrhea or asymptomatic cases have also been described as well as cases with bacteremia. The objective was to characterize Arcobacter clinical strains isolated from the faeces of patients from three Spanish hospitals. METHODOLOGY: We have characterized 28 clinical strains (27 of A. butzleri and one of A. cryaerophilus) isolated from faeces, analysing their epidemiological relationship using the multilocus sequence typing (MLST) approach and screening them for their antibiotic susceptibility and for the presence of virulence genes.Results/Key findings. Typing results showed that only one of the 28 identified sequence types (i.e. ST 2) was already present in the MLST database. The other 27 STs constituted new records because they included new alleles for five of the seven genes or new combinations of known alleles of the seven genes. All strains were positive for the ciaB virulence gene and sensitive to tetracycline. However, 7.4â% of the A. butzleri and A. cryaerophilus strains showed resistance to ciprofloxacin. CONCLUSION: The fact that epidemiological unrelated strains show the same ST indicates that other techniques with higher resolution should be developed to effectively recognize the infection source. Resistance to ciprofloxacin, one of the antibiotics recommended for the treatment of Arcobacter intestinal infections, demonstrated in 10.7â% of the strains, indicates the importance of selecting the most appropriate effective treatment.
Subject(s)
Arcobacter/drug effects , Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial/genetics , Feces/microbiology , Alleles , Anti-Infective Agents , Arcobacter/classification , Arcobacter/isolation & purification , Ciprofloxacin/pharmacology , DNA, Bacterial/isolation & purification , Humans , Multilocus Sequence Typing , Tetracycline/pharmacology , Virulence Factors/geneticsABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to assess the impact of the use of an automated bolus advisor (ABA) on glycemic control, quality of life, and satisfaction in adult patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus treated with multiple daily injections of insulin. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A crossover, prospective, randomized, controlled, multicenter study of 36 weeks duration was conducted. Patients were randomized to start in either control phase (CP) using a traditional blood glucose meter to calculate insulin doses (Accu-Chek(®) Aviva Nano; Roche Diagnostics, Indianapolis, IN) or intervention phase (IP) using an ABA meter (Accu-Chek Aviva Expert; Roche Diagnostics) and switched to the other phase after a washout period. Each phase was 12 weeks in duration. RESULTS: Significant glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) reduction was observed in both phases (CP, initial HbA1c of 8.05 ± 0.7%, final HbA1c of 7.59 ± 0.7% [P < 0.001]; IP, initial HbA1c of 8.13 ± 1%, final HbA1c of 7.61 ± 0.8% [P < 0.001]). Although the trend was to a higher HbA1c reduction in IP, no statistically significant differences were observed between phases (CP, HbA1c -0.39%; IP, HbA1c -0.52% [P = 0.8]). During IP, the number of daily glucose measurements was greater (4.28 ± 1.2 vs. 4.01 ± 1.1 [P < 0.006]), the rate of postprandial hypoglycemia was lower, and an improvement in quality of life and higher satisfaction were observed. CONCLUSIONS: In this first crossover study comparing the use of an ABA with the standard usual care, the use of an ABA was effective and well accepted. Furthermore, reduction in hypoglycemic events, improvement in adherence and quality of life, and higher treatment satisfaction were observed.
Subject(s)
Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1/drug therapy , Hypoglycemic Agents/administration & dosage , Insulin/administration & dosage , Adult , Cross-Over Studies , Female , Humans , Injections , Male , Middle Aged , Prospective StudiesABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: Identification of biochemical markers to diagnose bloodstream infections in patients with a central venous catheter (CVC) inserted is an active research pursuit. Paraoxonase-1 (PON1) is an enzyme participating in the innate immune system protecting against toxic substances and infectious agents. We investigated the relationships between serum PON1 alterations and the characteristics of infection in a group of patients with a CVC implant. METHODS: Patients (n=114) who had had an inserted CVC removed because of infection or because the usefulness was at an end, and 407 healthy volunteers were recruited. In all participants we measured serum PON1 lactonase and paraoxonase activities, PON1 concentration and genetic polymorphisms, together with levels of the chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 2 (CCL2), procalcitonin and C-reactive protein (CRP). RESULTS: Patients with an acute concomitant infection (ACI) had higher CCL2, CRP and procalcitonin concentrations than the control group, together with lower paraoxonase and lactonase activities and specific activities. The areas under the curve of the receiver operating characteristic plots for paraoxonase and lactonase specific activities in the discrimination between patients with or without and ACI were 0.81 (0.73-0.89) and 0.81 (0.71-0.89), respectively, indicating the high diagnostic accuracy of these parameters. CONCLUSION: This preliminary study suggests that the measurement of PON1 may be useful as a tool for the diagnosis of ACI in patients with an indwelling CVC.
Subject(s)
Aryldialkylphosphatase/metabolism , Central Venous Catheters/adverse effects , Infections/enzymology , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Prospective StudiesABSTRACT
OBJETIVOS: Conocer en un grupo de pacientes con diabetes tipo 1 (DM1) de larga evolución la prevalencia de complicaciones tardías y su relación con el control glucémico desde el diagnóstico, así como la prevalencia y control de los factores de riesgo cardiovascular (FRCV). MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: Pacientes con comienzo de DM1 entre 1985 y 1994, seguidos en nuestro centro. Se recogieron datos antropométricos, de control glucémico, complicaciones crónicas y FRCV al comienzo y anualmente, mediante revisión de la historia clínica. Se realizó además una visita con examen físico y extracción de muestra de sangre. RESULTADOS: Participaron 77 pacientes (46 varones, edad 47 ± 8,5 años, tiempo de evolución 22,4 ± 2,2 años). Dieciséis pacientes (20,4%) desarrollaron retinopatía, 8 (10,4%) nefropatía, 12 (15,6%) polineuropatía y 3 (3,9%) macroangiopatía. Presentaban hipertensión arterial, dislipidemia y obesidad un 28,6, un 46,8 y un 20,8%, respectivamente. El 22,1% de ellos eran sedentarios y el 35,1%, fumadores. La hemoglobina glucosilada (HbA1c) media durante todo el período de seguimiento fue 7,2 ± 0,8%, en los primeros 5 años 6,4 ± 1,2% y en la visita del estudio 7,6 ± 1,1%. El 70% de los pacientes se mantuvieron dentro de objetivos en los primeros 5 años, el 45% en los 5 años siguientes y alrededor del 25% a partir de los 10 años de evolución. Los pacientes sin complicaciones tenían mejor control glucémico global (HbA1c7,0 ± 0,7% vs. 7,6 ± 0,9%; p = 0,003) y en los primeros 5 años (HbA1c 6,1 ± 0,9 vs. 7,0 ± 1,4%; p = 0,001). CONCLUSIÓN: La prevalencia de complicaciones a los 20 años en pacientes con DM1 bien controlados desde el diagnóstico es baja y está relacionada con el control glucémico global durante el seguimiento y los primeros años de la enfermedad. La prevalencia de fumadores es elevada. OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence of chronic complications in a group of patients with long duration type 1 diabetes (DM1), and their relationship with glycemic control since diagnosis of disease, as well as control and prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF)
OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence of chronic complications in a group of patients with long duration type 1 diabetes (DM1), and their relationship with glycemic control since diagnosis of disease, as well as control and prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF). MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included patients diagnosed in our center between 1985 and 1994 and followed-up until the present. Anthropometric data, glycemic control, chronic complications, and CVRF were collected from medical records at baseline and annually. A visit was made that included a physical examination and complete blood analysis. RESULTS: A total of 77 patients were studied (46 males, and mean age 47 ± 8.5 years, duration of follow-up, 22.4 ± 2.2 years). Sixteen patients (20.4%) developed retinopathy, 8 (10.4%) nephropathy, 12 (15.6%) polyneuropathy, and 3 (3.9%) macroangiopathy. Hypertension, dyslipidemia and obesity were found in 28.6%, 46.8% and 20.8%, respectively, and 22.1% were sedentary, and 35.1% were smokers. Mean glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) during the entire follow-up was 7.2 ± 0.8%. In the first five years it was 6.4 ± 1.2% and at the study visit, it was 7.6 ± 1.1%. More than two-thirds (70%) of patients remained on target in the first five years, with 45% in the next five years, and about 25% from years 10 to 22. Patients with no complications showed better glycemic control during the entire follow-up (HbA1c 7.0 ± 0.7% vs. 7.6 ± 0.9%; P=.003), and also in the first five years (HbA1c 6.1 ± 0.9 vs. 7.0 ± 1.4%; P=.001). CONCLUSION: Prevalence of complications after 20 years of follow-up in well controlled DM1 since diagnosis is low, and is related to the overall glycemic control during follow-up and in the early years of the disease. The prevalence of smoking is high
Subject(s)
Female , Humans , Male , Glycemic Index , Glycemic Index/genetics , Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1/blood , Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1/metabolism , Obesity, Abdominal/metabolism , Cardiovascular Abnormalities/pathology , Diabetic Retinopathy/blood , Glycemic Index/ethnology , Glycemic Index/physiology , Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1/complications , Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1/urine , Obesity, Abdominal/pathology , Cardiovascular Abnormalities/complications , Diabetic Retinopathy/genetics , Spain/ethnologyABSTRACT
No disponible
Subject(s)
Humans , Female , Middle Aged , Daptomycin/pharmacokinetics , Drug Resistance, Microbial , Enterococcus faecium/pathogenicity , Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections/drug therapy , Sepsis/drug therapy , Critical Illness , Postoperative ComplicationsABSTRACT
Introducción. La capacidad de Neisseria gonorrhoeae para desarrollar mecanismos de resistencia hace necesaria una evaluación constante de la eficacia de los tratamientos disponibles. Métodos. Estudio retrospectivo de las cepas aisladas en la Región Sanitaria del Camp de Tarragona entre 2004 y 2013. Resultados. La tasa de resistencia a ciprofloxacino fue del 48,2%. No se aisló ninguna cepa resistente a ceftriaxona ni espectinomicina. Conclusión. En nuestra área, ceftriaxona constituye la mejor opción terapéutica en el tratamiento de la infección gonocócica no complicada (AU)
Introduction. The ability of Neisseria gonorrhoeae to develop resistance mechanisms needs a constant assesment of the efficacy of the available treatments. Methods. A retrospective study was conducted on strains isolated in the Health Region of Camp de Tarragona between 2004 and 2013. Results. The rate of resistance to ciprofloxacin was about 48.2%. No ceftriaxone or spectinomycin resistant strain was isolated. Conclusion. In our area, ceftriaxone is the best therapeutic option in the treatment of uncomplicated gonorrhea (AU)
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Female , Adult , Drug Resistance , Drug Resistance, Microbial , Meningococcal Infections/diagnosis , Meningococcal Infections/drug therapy , Neisseria , Neisseria/isolation & purification , Neisseria/pathogenicity , Neisseria gonorrhoeae , Neisseria gonorrhoeae/isolation & purification , Ceftriaxone , Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use , Retrospective Studies , Penicillin Resistance , Tetracycline ResistanceSubject(s)
Bronchitis/microbiology , Mycobacterium/isolation & purification , Sputum/microbiology , Humans , Male , Young AdultSubject(s)
Bronchitis, Chronic/microbiology , Mycobacterium Infections/diagnosis , Mycobacterium/isolation & purification , Sputum/microbiology , Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology , Female , Humans , Microbial Sensitivity Tests , Middle Aged , Mycobacterium/classification , Mycobacterium/drug effects , Mycobacterium Infections/microbiologyABSTRACT
The property of many bacteria to form biofilms constitutes a major health problem. Bacteria living in biofilms have a very high resistance to antibiotics. Biofilms may develop at a certain locations with the participation of secreted molecules, termed quorum-sensing signals, when a sufficient density of bacterial growth occurs. In Gram-negative bacteria, acyl homoserine lactones (AHL) have been identified as major quorum-sensing signals. The paraoxonases (PONs) constitute a family of enzymes comprising 3 members (PON1, PON2, and PON3) that have lactonase activity and are able to hydrolyze AHL. In this minireview, we summarize some existing basic knowledge on PON genetics, biochemistry, and function and describe recent research that reports evidence of the important roles that they may play in the organism's defense against biofilm formation. Finally, we propose some lines of future research that could be very productive.
Subject(s)
Aryldialkylphosphatase/metabolism , Gram-Negative Bacteria/growth & development , Gram-Negative Bacteria/metabolism , Quorum Sensing/physiology , Acyl-Butyrolactones/metabolism , Animals , Aryldialkylphosphatase/genetics , Biofilms/growth & development , Gram-Negative Bacteria/chemistry , Gram-Negative Bacteria/genetics , Humans , Quorum Sensing/geneticsABSTRACT
We have determined the in vitro activities of amphotericin B (AMB), voriconazole, posaconazole (PSC), itraconazole (ITC), ravuconazole, terbinafine, and caspofungin against five strains of Cunninghamella bertholletiae and four of Cunninghamella echinulata. The best activity was shown by terbinafine against both species (MIC range = 0.3 to 0.6 µg/ml) and PSC against Cunninghamella bertholletiae (MIC = 0.5 µg/ml). We have also evaluated the efficacies of PSC, ITC, and AMB in neutropenic and diabetic murine models of disseminated infection by Cunninghamella bertholletiae. PSC at 40, 60, or 80 mg/kg of body weight/day was as effective as AMB at 0.8 mg/kg/day in prolonging survival and reducing the fungal tissue burden in neutropenic mice. PSC at 80 mg/kg/day was more effective than AMB at 0.8 mg/kg/day in reducing the fungal load in brain and lung of diabetic mice. Histological studies revealed an absence of fungal elements in organs of mice treated with either AMB at 0.8 mg/kg/day or PSC at 60 or 80 mg/kg/day in both models. ITC showed limited efficacy in both models. PSC could be a therapeutic option for the treatment of systemic infections caused by Cunninghamella bertholletiae.