Epithelial and stromal thickness profile and lens decentration in myopic orthokeratology / Perfil de espesor epitelial y estromal y descentrado del cristalino en ortoqueratología miope

Purpose: To study topographic epithelial and total corneal thickness changes in myopic subjects undergoing successful orthokeratology treatment in connection with the objective assessment of contact lens decentration. Methods: A prospective-observational and non-randomized study in 32 Caucasian myopic eyes undergoing Ortho-k for 3 months. Total, epithelial, and stromal thicknesses were studied before and after Ortho-k treatment, using optical coherence tomography with anterior segment application software. Central, paracentral, and mid-peripheral values are taken along 8 semi-meridians. Results: The central average total corneal thickness was 4.72 ± 1.04 μm thinner after Ortho-K. The paracentral corneal thickness showed no significant changes (p = 0.137), while the mid-peripheral corneal thickness was increased by 3.25 ± 1.6 μm associating this increase exclusively to the epithelial plot (p<0.001). When lens centration was assessed, a lens fitting decentration less than 1.0 mm was found for the whole sample, predominantly horizontal-temporal (87.5%) and vertical-inferior (50%) decentring. Corneal topographical analysis revealed a horizontal and vertical epithelial thickness asymmetric change profile with paracentral temporal thinnest values, and mid-peripheral nasal thickest values. Conclusions: The present study found a central corneal thinning induced by Ortho-k lenses in subjects with moderate myopia, only associated with a change in epithelial thickness, as well as mid-peripheral thickening, that seems to be mainly epithelial in origin. The authors also found a tendency of contact lens decentration toward temporal and inferior areas conditioning an asymmetric epithelial redistribution pattern.(AU)

Valoración multidisciplinar de las secuelas al mes del alta hospitalaria por neumonía grave COVID-19, ¿existen diferencias en función de la terapia respiratoria empleada durante su ingreso en Cuidados Intensivos? / Multidisciplinary approach of the sequelae one month after hospital discharge in patients with severe bilateral COVID-19 pneumonia, are there differences depending on the respiratory therapy used during admission to intensive care?

Objetivo Describir las secuelas al mes del alta hospitalaria en pacientes que precisaron ingreso en Cuidados Intensivos por neumonía grave COVID-19 y analizar las diferencias entre los que recibieron terapia exclusivamente con oxigenoterapia con alto flujo con respecto a los que precisaron ventilación mecánica invasiva (VMI). Diseño Estudio de cohorte, prospectivo y observacional. Ámbito Consulta multidisciplinar pos Cuidados Intensivos. Pacientes o participantes Pacientes que superaron el ingreso en la Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos (UCI) por neumonía grave COVID-19 desde abril 2020 hasta octubre 2021. Intervenciones Inclusión en el programa multidisciplinar pos UCI. Variables de interés principales Secuelas motoras, sensitivas, psicológicas/psiquiátricas, respiratorias y nutricionales tras el ingreso hospitalario. Resultados Se incluyeron 104 pacientes. 48 pacientes recibieron oxigenoterapia nasal de alto flujo (ONAF) y 56 VMI. Las principales secuelas encontradas fueron la neuropatía distal (33,9% VMI vs. 10,4% ONAF); plexopatía braquial (10,7% VMI vs. 0% ONAF); disminución de fuerza de agarre: mano derecha 20,67 kg (± 8,27) en VMI vs. 31,8 kg (± 11,59) en ONAF y mano izquierda 19,39 kg (± 8,45) en VMI vs. 30,26 kg (± 12,74) en ONAF; y balance muscular limitado en miembros inferiores (28,6% VMI vs. 8,6% ONAF). Las diferencias observadas entre ambos grupos no alcanzaron significación estadística en el estudio multivariable. Conclusiones Los resultados obtenidos tras el estudio multivariable sugieren no existir diferencias en cuanto a las secuelas físicas percibidas al mes del alta hospitalaria en función de la terapia respiratoria empleada, ya fuera ONAF o ventilación mecánica prolongada, si bien son precisos más estudios para poder obtener conclusiones al respecto (AU)

Objective To describe the sequelae one month after hospital discharge in patients who required admission to intensive care for severe COVID-19 pneumonia and to analyze the differences between those who received therapy exclusively with high-flow oxygen therapy compared to those who required invasive mechanical ventilation. Design Cohort, prospective and observational study. Setting Post-intensive care multidisciplinary program. Patients or participants Patients who survived admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) for severe COVID-19 pneumonia from April 2020 to October 2021. Interventions Inclusion in the post-ICU multidisciplinary program. Main variables of interest Motor, sensory, psychological/psychiatric, respiratory and nutritional sequelae after hospital admission. Results One hundred and four patients were included. 48 patients received high-flow nasal oxygen therapy (ONAF) and 56 invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV). The main sequelae found were distal neuropathy (33.9% IMV vs. 10.4% ONAF); brachial plexopathy (10.7% IMV vs. 0% ONAF); decrease in grip strength: right hand 20.67 kg (± 8.27) in VMI vs. 31.8 kg (± 11.59) in ONAF and left hand 19.39 kg (± 8.45) in VMI vs. 30.26 kg (± 12.74) in ONAF; and limited muscle balance in the lower limbs (28.6% VMI vs. 8.6% ONAF). The differences observed between both groups did not reach statistical significance in the multivariable study. Conclusions The results obtained after the multivariate study suggest that there are no differences in the perceived physical sequelae one month after hospital discharge depending on the respiratory therapy used, whether it was high-flow nasal oxygen therapy or prolonged mechanical ventilation, although more studies are needed to be able to draw conclusions (AU)

Multidisciplinary approach of the sequelae one month after hospital discharge in patients with severe bilateral COVID-19 pneumonia, are there differences depending on the respiratory therapy used during admission to intensive care?

OBJECTIVE: To describe the sequelae one month after hospital discharge in patients who required admission to Intensive Care for severe COVID 19 pneumonia and to analyze the differences between those who received therapy exclusively with high-flow oxygen therapy compared to those who required invasive mechanical ventilation. DESIGN: Cohort, prospective and observational study. SETTING: Post-intensive care multidisciplinary program. PATIENTS OR PARTICIPANTS: Patients who survived admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) for severe COVID 19 pneumonia from April 2020 to October 2021. INTERVENTIONS: Inclusion in the post-ICU multidisciplinary program. MAIN VARIABLES OF INTEREST: Motor, sensory, psychological/psychiatric, respiratory and nutritional sequelae after hospital admission. RESULTS: 104 patients were included. 48 patients received high-flow nasal oxygen therapy (ONAF) and 56 invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV). The main sequelae found were distal neuropathy (33.9% IMV vs 10.4% ONAF); brachial plexopathy (10.7% IMV vs 0% ONAF); decrease in grip strength: right hand 20.67kg (±8.27) in VMI vs 31.8kg (±11.59) in ONAF and left hand 19.39kg (±8.45) in VMI vs 30.26kg (±12.74) in ONAF; and limited muscle balance in the lower limbs (28.6% VMI vs 8.6% ONAF). The differences observed between both groups did not reach statistical significance in the multivariable study. CONCLUSIONS: The results obtained after the multivariate study suggest that there are no differences in the perceived physical sequelae one month after hospital discharge depending on the respiratory therapy used, whether it was high-flow nasal oxygen therapy or prolonged mechanical ventilation, although more studies are needed to be able to draw conclusions.

[Multidisciplinary approach of the sequelae one month after hospital discharge in patients with severe bilateral COVID-19 pneumonia, are there differences depending on the respiratory therapy used during admission to intensive care?] / Valoración multidisciplinar de las secuelas al mes del alta hospitalaria por neumonía grave COVID-19, ¿existen diferencias en función de la terapia respiratoria empleada durante su ingreso en Cuidados Intensivos?

Objective: To describe the sequelae one month after hospital discharge in patients who required admission to intensive care for severe COVID-19 pneumonia and to analyze the differences between those who received therapy exclusively with high-flow oxygen therapy compared to those who required invasive mechanical ventilation. Design: Cohort, prospective and observational study. Setting: Post-intensive care multidisciplinary program. Patients or participants: Patients who survived admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) for severe COVID-19 pneumonia from April 2020 to October 2021. Interventions: Inclusion in the post-ICU multidisciplinary program. Main variables of interest: Motor, sensory, psychological/psychiatric, respiratory and nutritional sequelae after hospital admission. Results: One hundred and four patients were included. 48 patients received high-flow nasal oxygen therapy (ONAF) and 56 invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV). The main sequelae found were distal neuropathy (33.9% IMV vs. 10.4% ONAF); brachial plexopathy (10.7% IMV vs. 0% ONAF); decrease in grip strength: right hand 20.67 kg (± 8.27) in VMI vs. 31.8 kg (± 11.59) in ONAF and left hand 19.39 kg (± 8.45) in VMI vs. 30.26 kg (± 12.74) in ONAF; and limited muscle balance in the lower limbs (28.6% VMI vs. 8.6% ONAF). The differences observed between both groups did not reach statistical significance in the multivariable study. Conclusions: The results obtained after the multivariate study suggest that there are no differences in the perceived physical sequelae one month after hospital discharge depending on the respiratory therapy used, whether it was high-flow nasal oxygen therapy or prolonged mechanical ventilation, although more studies are needed to be able to draw conclusions.

Reverse total shoulder arthroplasty for proximal humerus fractures: Primary or delayed after failed treatment?

BACKGROUND: Reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (RTSA) has recently become an option for the treatment of proximal humerus fractures (PHFs) or as a salvage procedure after failure of another treatment. The purpose of this study was to compare primary RTSA with delayed RTSA in the treatment of displaced PHFs. STUDY DESIGN & METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted on patients with PHFs who were treated between May 2013 and December 2021 with primary or delayed RTSA after failure of conservative treatment or osteosynthesis. Clinical data were withdrawn from our local computerized database. Complications, active range of motion, as well as the functional outcome were recorded at the end of the follow-up period. Differences between clinical outcomes were analyzed using a logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: A total of 70 individuals were included in this study (41 primary RTSA and 29 delayed RTSA). The mean of follow-up time was of 112 and 60 months, respectively. There were no differences between groups regarding fracture type according Neer Classification, ASA score or the presence of complications. Q-DASH and Oxford Shoulder scores were significantly better when patients underwent a primary RTSA (49.8 vs 31.4, p = 0.006 and 37.2 vs 27.5, p = 0.004 respectively). In addition, primary RTSA achieved more degrees of flexion and abduction than delayed RTSA (96.8 vs 72.9, p < 0.001 and 94.1 vs 69.3, p < 0.001 respectively). CONCLUSION: Primary RTSA for PHFs achieved better functional outcomes and a wider range of motion when compared with delayed RTSA. However, primary and delayed RTSA have similar complication and reintervention rates. LEVEL OF CLINICAL EVIDENCE: 3.

Mandibular bone regeneration with autologous adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells and coralline hydroxyapatite: experimental study in rats.

The purpose of this paper was to investigate the bone regeneration effect of autologous adipose tissue mesenchymal stem cells (ATMSC) in a small animal model. Twelve Wistar rats were given bilateral critical-size defects in the mandible. The defects were filled with coralline hydroxyapatite alone or combined with autologous undifferentiated ATMSC obtained from the dorsal fat pad. Studies were conducted at three and six weeks. Descriptive histology and histomorphometry revealed a significant (p < 0.05) increased bone regeneration values in the cell-treated defects at both three and six weeks. ATMSC promoted the formation of new bone in the central areas of the defects and in the scaffold micropores, both in a higher state of maturation. Autologous undifferentiated ATMSC enhanced bony healing of mandibular critical-size defects in rats when implanted with a coralline hydroxyapatite scaffold.

Resultado de la implantación de consultas telemáticas en cirugía ortopédica y traumatología durante la pandemia COVID-19 / Result of the implementation of telematic consultations in orthopaedic surgery and traumatology during COVID-19 laparoscopic surgery

La pandemia COVID ha hecho de las consultas telemáticas una herramienta básica en la práctica diaria. El objetivo principal del estudio es valorar los resultados de la aplicación de consultas telemáticas para limitar la movilidad de los pacientes. Son objetivos operativos: proponer un plan de consultas, conocer cómo limita la asistencia a las consultas, definir qué patologías se benefician más con este plan. MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: Se propone un esquema con la creación de consultas previas a las agendadas para valorar idoneidad y posibilidad de realizarla en acto único no presencial. RESULTADOS: Se han realizado 5.619 consultas con una falta de respuesta telefónica del 19%. El 74% de los pacientes fueron resueltos de forma virtual. Existe diferencia entre unidades, siendo más probable la respuesta telefónica para las consultas de unidad, OR = 0,60 o de traumatología general, OR = 0,67 y menos para los derivados desde urgencias. El 20% de las consultas no se acompañaban de pruebas complementarias. Las consultas de traumatología general, OR = 0,34, control postoperatorio, OR = 0,49, y unidades, OR = 0,40, cumplieron mejor este requisito. De los pacientes restantes, las consultas de traumatología general, OR = 0,50, y las derivadas a unidades, OR = 0,54 fueron las que más se resolvieron sin acudir presencialmente. CONCLUSIONES: Se han resuelto de forma no presencial el 74% de los pacientes que atendieron a la llamada telefónica. El 20% de los pacientes acuden a la visita sin pruebas complementarias. Las consultas de seguimiento de osteosíntesis y postoperatorio de cirugía artroscópica son las que más precisan de ser realizadas de forma presencial

The COVID pandemic has made telematic consultations a basic tool in daily practice. AIMS: The main objective of the study is to assess the results of the application of telematic consultations to limit the mobility of patients. The operational objectives are; to propose a consultation plan, to know how attendance limits consultations and to define which pathologies benefit the most from this plan. METHODS: A scheme is proposed with the creation of pre-scheduled clinic to assess suitability and the possibility of carrying them out in a single non face-to-face act. RESULTS: Phone call to 5,619 patients were made with a lack of response of 19%. The cases of 74% of the patients that answered were resolved virtually. There is a difference between units, obtaining a higher answering rate from patients appointed to specific clinic units, OR = 0.60, or to general trauma ones, OR = 0.67. The lowest answering rate was obtained from those derived from the emergency department. Twenty per cent of the consultations were not accompanied by complementary tests that would have favored the resolution in a single act. The general trauma consultations, OR = 0.34, postoperative control, OR = 0.49, and specific unit ones, OR = 0.40, were the ones that better met this requirement. Out of the remaining patients, the general trauma consultations, OR = 0.50, and those referred to units, OR = 0.54, were the ones that had a higher resolution rate without in- person consultation. CONCLUSIONS: The cases of 74% of the patients who answered the phone call were resolved virtually. Cases of 20% of the patients cannot be solved in a single act because they are derived without complementary tests. Osteosynthesis and postoperative arthroscopic follow-up consultations are the ones that need to be carried out in person the most

Result of the implementation of telematic consultations in orthopaedic surgery and traumatology during COVID-19 laparoscopic surgery. / Resultado de la implantación de consultas telemáticas en cirugía ortopédica y traumatología durante la pandemia COVID-19.

The COVID pandemic has made telematic consultations a basic tool in daily practice. AIMS: The main objective of the study is to assess the results of the application of telematic consultations to limit the mobility of patients. The operational objectives are; to propose a consultation plan, to know how attendance limits consultations and to define which pathologies benefit the most from this plan. METHODS: A scheme is proposed with the creation of pre-scheduled clinic to assess suitability and the possibility of carrying them out in a single non face-to-face act. RESULTS: Phone call to 5,619 patients were made with a lack of response of 19%. The cases of 74% of the patients that answered were resolved virtually. There is a difference between units, obtaining a higher answering rate from patients appointed to specific clinic units, OR = 0.60, or to general trauma ones, OR = 0.67. The lowest answering rate was obtained from those derived from the emergency department. Twenty per cent of the consultations were not accompanied by complementary tests that would have favored the resolution in a single act. The general trauma consultations, OR = 0.34, postoperative control, OR = 0.49, and specific unit ones, OR = 0.40, were the ones that better met this requirement. Out of the remaining patients, the general trauma consultations, OR = 0.50, and those referred to units, OR = 0.54, were the ones that had a higher resolution rate without in- person consultation. CONCLUSIONS: The cases of 74% of the patients who answered the phone call were resolved virtually. Cases of 20% of the patients cannot be solved in a single act because they are derived without complementary tests. Osteosynthesis and postoperative arthroscopic follow-up consultations are the ones that need to be carried out in person the most.

MS tools for a systematic approach in survey for carotenoids and their common metabolites.

Metabolism of the carotenoids in humans is often reserved to bioconversion of provitamin A carotenoids in retinoids and oxidative/degradative products arising from enzymatic eccentric cleavage, yielding apo-carotenoids. Nevertheless, additional metabolic routes should be available, and some of the structures of those metabolites have only been anticipated. The identification of carotenoids and their metabolites is commonly performed by HPLC coupled to MS. The acquisition of MS data in different instrumental modes and hardware configurations allows the detailed structural description of the target compound. Indeed, the MS data of carotenoids and their metabolites available in literature could be collected in a database to automatically perform a screening of the theoretical MS data included in the database with the MS experimental values. This review describes the required fundamentals for a systematic pursuit of carotenoids and their metabolites. Highlights on the use of appropriate hyphenated HPLC-MS systems and the requirements for the identification are discussed, while the application of software tools to apply filtering rules and the implementation of post-processing workflow, which uses two orthogonal criteria for the identification from the mass spectra data, are described.

El radiodiagnóstico ante la violencia de género: un tema de actualidad a tener en cuenta / Domestic violence: a current issue to take into account in diagnostic imaging

La violencia de género es en la actualidad un tema de gran repercusión política y social. Su incidencia real es difícil de determinar debido al entorno en el que se produce y al escaso número de denuncias. Por otra parte, la violencia, en todas sus formas, supone un importante problema de salud pública. Describimos un caso de maltrato doméstico en una mujer joven con una presentación inusual; fenómenos tromboembólicos en distintas localizaciones. Queríamos incidir en que en algunos casos es necesario pensar en la posibilidad del maltrato a la hora de establecer el diagnóstico, tanto por parte del personal sanitario en general como por el especialista en diagnóstico por imagen. Esto puede ser decisivo para determinar los casos existentes, disminuir las secuelas y poder contribuir a tiempo a las denuncias pertinentes (AU)

Domestic violence is currently an issue of great political and social importance. The real incidence of domestic violence is difficult to determine due to the environment where it takes place and the reluctance of victims to report abuse. On the other hand, all types of violence represent an important public health problem. We report the case of a young woman who presented with thromboembolic phenomena at different sites due to domestic violence. We emphasize that it is necessary for radiologists and other healthcare professionals to consider the possibility of domestic violence when establishing the diagnosis. This can be important for determining the incidence of abuse, diminishing its sequela, and help increase its reporting (AU)

Mastocitoma solitario / Solitary mastocytoma

La mastocitosis consiste en una proliferación anormal de mastocitos en los tejidos, y el mastocitoma solitario es una de las formas más frecuentes. La evolución tiende a la curación espontánea, si bien un mínimo porcentaje de mastocitomas solitarios requieren extirpación quirúrgica (AU)

Mastocytosis is abnormal proliferation of tissue mast cells, being solitary mastocytoma the most common. Evolution tends to spontaneous healing, although a small percentage of solitary mastocytoma require surgical removal (AU)

Traumatismo craneoencefálico en un servicio de urgencias / Traumatic brain injury in our emergency service

Introducción: El traumatismo craneoencefálico (TCE) es una patología importante en pediatría por su frecuencia y por la carga asistencial que conllevan sus secuelas. Objetivo: Conocer las características epidemiológicas de los pacientes con TCE atendidos en el Servicio de Urgencias Pediátricas del Nuevo Hospital «Río Hortega» de Valladolid, tras la reciente instauración de un nuevo protocolo de manejo del TCE. Material y métodos: Realizamos un estudio descriptivo, longitudinal y observacional, durante un periodo de 6 meses, en el que se incluyeron 127 pacientes que presentaron TCE como diagnóstico. Los datos se recogieron mediante un cuestionario preestablecido. Resultados: La media de edad de los pacientes era de 3,13 años, y en su mayoría eran varones (55,9%). La causa más frecuente de TCE fue la caída accidental. La aparición de clínica es más habitual en niños mayores de 2 años. La mayoría de los casos se clasificaron como leves (94,5%) y sólo se prescribieron 4 ingresos hospitalarios; no se registró ningún fallecimiento; la tomografía computarizada se realizó en un 8,9% de los casos. Conclusión: Los resultados obtenidos en este estudio son similares a los hallados en la bibliografía, aunque observamos una menor morbimortalidad asociada y una menor indicación de pruebas diagnósticas. La exploración neurológica inicial y el cálculo de la escala de Glasgow en los pacientes con TCE siguen siendo las principales herramientas para establecer la prioridad en su manejo diagnóstico-terapéutico y su pronóstico (AU)

Introduction: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an important pathology in pediatrics due to its frequency and the associated care burden to managing the derivate consequences. Target: To determinate the epidemiological characteristics of TBI patients treated in the Pediatric Emergency Service of the new "río Hortega" Hospital of Valladolid, after the recent establishment of a new TBI management protocol. Material and methods: We carried out a longitudinal observational descriptive study which included 127 patients, over a period of six months, who had been diagnosed with TBI, taking the data from a predefined questionnaire. Results: The average age of the patients was 3.13 years, mostly male (55.9%). The most common cause was the accidental fall. The clinical appearance is more frequent in children older than two years. Most of the cases were classified as mild (94.5%). Only four hospital admissions were prescribed. No deaths were recorded. The CT was performed in 8.9% of the cases. Conclusion: The results obtained in this study are similar to the one found in the bibliography. Although we get a lower mortality and morbidity rate and a minor indication of diagnostic tests. Initial neurological exploration and the calculation of the Glasgow Score are still the main tools to set the priority in its therapeutic management and prognosis (AU)

[Domestic violence: a current issue to take into account in diagnostic imaging]. / El radiodiagnóstico ante la violencia de género: un tema de actualidad a tener en cuenta.

Domestic violence is currently an issue of great political and social importance. The real incidence of domestic violence is difficult to determine due to the environment where it takes place and the reluctance of victims to report abuse. On the other hand, all types of violence represent an important public health problem. We report the case of a young woman who presented with thromboembolic phenomena at different sites due to domestic violence. We emphasize that it is necessary for radiologists and other healthcare professionals to consider the possibility of domestic violence when establishing the diagnosis. This can be important for determining the incidence of abuse, diminishing its sequela, and help increase its reporting.

Histochemical changes in muscle of rats exposed subchronically to low doses of heavy metals.

Heavy metals are ubiquitous in the environment and exposure through food and water as well as occupational sources can constitute a potential threat to human health. The mechanisms of heavy metal damage include the production of free radicals that alter mitochondrial activity, affecting cellular types like neurons and muscular fibres. We examined whether rats exposed subchronically via drinking water to low doses of heavy metals can produce alterations in muscle. Results showed that the proportion of ragged red fibres increased in muscle of rats exposed to lead and thallium, likewise slight changes in enzymatic activity of muscular fibres were also observed.

Short communication: Biological and genetic characterization of HIV type 1 subtype B and nonsubtype B transmitted viruses: usefulness for vaccine candidate assessment.

Due to the extraordinary degree of genetic diversity of HIV-1 and the structural complexity of its envelope glycoproteins, designing an effective vaccine is difficult, requiring the development of viral reagents to assess vaccine-elicited neutralizing antibodies. The aim of this study was to improve on our previously developed panel of HIV-1 strains of different genetic forms, focusing on strains from acute and recently acquired infections as the most representative of the transmitted viruses. HIV-1 primary isolates were expanded in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Viral stocks of 40 ml each were produced. Syncytium-inducing (SI) phenotype, coreceptor use, and TCID(50)/ml were determined. Near full-length HIV-1 genomes were amplified by RT-nested PCR in four overlapping segments. Phylogenetic analyses were performed with neighbor-joining trees and bootscanning. Forty-four HIV-1 strains were included in the panel. Twenty-four (54.1%) strains were from early infections (16 acute and 8 recent); of them, 21 (87%) were sexually transmitted. NSI/R5 phenotype was detected in 37 (84.1%) viruses and SI/R5,X4 in another 7 (15.9%). TCID(50)/ml ranged between 10(4) and 10(6.6). Twelve different genetic forms constituted this panel: subtypes A1, B, C, F1, and G; circulating recombinant forms CRF02_AG, CRF14_BG, and CRF24_BG; and unique recombinant forms CRF02_AG/A3, BF1, CRF12_BF/B, and DF1G. In conclusion, in this study, we report the development of a comprehensive and well-characterized panel of HIV-1 isolates for assessing neutralization in HIV vaccine research. This panel is available for distribution through the Programme EVA Centre for AIDS Reagents, National Institute for Biological Standard and Control (NIBSC).

Aged garlic extract delays the appearance of infarct area in a cerebral ischemia model, an effect likely conditioned by the cellular antioxidant systems.

Experimental evidence has shown that some garlic-derived products have a protective effect against ischemic brain injury. The present study was designed to investigate the effect of aged garlic extract (AGE), establish the therapeutic window, and determine its protective mechanism in a cerebral ischemia model. Animals were subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) for 2h and treated with 1.2ml/kg body wt.(i.p.) of AGE 30min before, at the beginning of (0R), or 1h after reperfusion. The 0R treatment significantly reduced the size of the infarct area after 2h of reperfusion. Repeated doses subsequent to the 0R treatment (at 1, 2, or 3h after reperfusion) had no effect on the temporal window of protection. The protective 0R treatment with AGE prevented the increase in nitrotyrosine and the decrease in total superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and extracellular superoxide dismutase activities induced by MCAO. These data indicate that AGE delays the effects of ischemia/reperfusion-induced neuronal injury. However, this treatment itself was not associated with a noticeable improvement in the neurological outcome, or with an effect on the inflammatory response. We conclude that the neuroprotective effect of AGE in the 0R treatment might be associated with control of the free-radical burst induced by reperfusion, preservation of antioxidant enzyme activity, and the delay of other pathophysiological processes.

Incidence of non-B subtypes of HIV-1 in Galicia, Spain: high frequency and diversity of HIV-1 among men who have sex with men.

An increase in HIV transmission among men who have sex with men (MSM) has been reported in eight regions of Spain from 2003 to 2007. In order to study the incidence of HIV-1 genetic forms in Galicia, northwest of Spain, in particular the spread of HIV-1 variants among MSM, 93 newly diagnosed HIV-1 patients, including those with acute and recently acquired infections, were studied for a year from August 2008 to August 2009. Thirty eight (41%) were MSM. Of them, nine (24%) were infected by non-B viruses, including seven different genetic forms. The analysis of transmission clusters showed that 23 (60%) MSM grouped in different clusters and mostly in large clusters. Resistance mutations were detected in six (16%) MSM.