Effectiveness of methotrexate and leflunomide as corticoid-sparing drugs in patients with polymyalgia rheumatica.

Objectives: The need for glucocorticoid-sparing drugs (GCSD) remains an important issue and is an unmet need in the treatment of polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR). We therefore aimed to assess the effectiveness and safety of methotrexate (MTX) and of leflunomide (LEF) in daily clinical practice in PMR patients from Argentina. Methods: A multicentre and observational study (medical records review) of PMR patients seen between 2007 and 2023, who had at least three months of follow-up after starting a GCSD, either MTX or LEF, was performed. Results are expressed as medians and interquartile ranges [25th-75th (IQR)] for continuous variables and percentages for categorical ones. The two treatment groups were compared using χ2 test for categorical variables, Mann-Whitney U test for continuous variables and the log-rank test for time-to-event data. Crude and adjusted odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using logistic regression. In all cases, a p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: One-hundred and eighty-six patients (79% female) with a median age of 72 years (IQR, 65-77 years) were included. One-hundred and forty-three patients (77%) were prescribed MTX (15, IQR 10-15) and 43 (23%) LEF (20 mg, fixed dose). Flare-ups (relapses and recurrences) occurred in 13 patients (7%) and were comparable between both groups. Persistent GCSD intake was observed in 145 patients (78%). Glucocorticoid (GC) withdrawal was achieved in 67 of these 145 patients (46%) and this occurred more frequently in the LEF group (P = 0.001). Furthermore, time until prednisone discontinuation was shorter in the LEF-treated patients (4.7 months, IQR 3-20 on LEF versus 31.8 months, IQR 10-82 on MTX, P = 0.000). Remission was found more frequently in the LEF group (P = 0.003). In the multivariate analysis, the probability of remission was higher with LEF therapy (P = 0.010) and this finding persisted in the subgroup analysis who were followed up < 40 months (OR 3.12, 95% CI = 1.30-7.47, P = 0.011). Conclusions: This study demonstrated the clinical effectiveness of LEF and even its superiority in achieving remission when compared with MTX as GCSD in PMR patients. Further research is needed to support these findings.

The impact of the socioeconomic factor on Parkinson's disease medication adherence: a scoping review.

BACKGROUND: Therapeutic adherence is a decisive issue on chronic disease management in patients requiring long-term pharmacotherapy, such as Parkinson's disease (PD). Although it is well known that socioeconomic factor is a barrier to medication adherence in many chronic diseases, its impacts on PD still need to be investigated. OBJECTIVE: Explore what and how socioeconomic factors impact medication adherence in people with PD. METHODS: We carried out a scoping review across three databases to identify studies exploring what and how socioeconomic factors impact medication adherence in people with PD considering eight attributes: 1. educational level, 2. disease-related knowledge, 3. income, 4. cost of medication, 5. drug subsidy (meaning presence of subsidies in the cost of medication), 6. employability, and 7. ethnicity (black, indigenous, immigrants). RESULTS: Of the 399 identified studies (Embase = 294, Medline = 88, LILACS = 17), eight met inclusion criteria. We identified factors covering the eight attributes of socioeconomic impact, and all of them negatively impacted the medication adherence of people with PD. The most prevalent factor in the studies was low patient educational level (four studies), followed by costs of medications (three studies), income (three studies), and disease-related knowledge (three studies). Distinctly from most of the studies selected, one of them evidenced suboptimal adherence in individuals receiving the medication free of charge, and another one could not find correlation between suboptimal adherence and educational level. CONCLUSION: Socioeconomic factors negatively impact medication adherence in PD patients. This review provides basis for developing patient and population-based interventions to improve adherence to treatment in PD.

ANTECEDENTES: A adesão à medicação é um componente crucial no manejo correto da doença de Parkinson (DP) e, embora esteja bem estabelecido que o fator socioeconômico é uma barreira à adesão medicamentosa em muitas doenças crônicas, seus impactos na DP ainda precisam ser investigados. OBJETIVO: Explorar quais são e como os fatores socioeconômicos afetam a adesão à medicação em pessoas com DP. MéTODOS: Realizamos uma revisão de escopo em três bases de dados para identificar estudos que explorassem quais e como os fatores socioeconômicos impactam na adesão à medicação em pessoas com DP, considerando oito atributos: 1. nível educacional, 2. conhecimento relacionado à doença, 3. renda, 4. custo de medicamentos, 5. subsídio de medicamentos (ou seja, presença de subsídios no custo dos medicamentos), 6. empregabilidade e 7. etnia (negra, indígena, imigrantes). RESULTADOS: Dos 399 estudos identificados (Embase = 294, Medline = 88, LILACS = 17), oito preencheram os critérios de inclusão. Identificamos fatores que abrangem os oito atributos de impacto socioeconômico e todos impactaram negativamente na adesão medicamentosa de pessoas com DP. Foram mais prevalentes o baixo nível educacional do paciente (quatro estudos), custos dos medicamentos, nível de renda e conhecimento relacionado à doença (três estudos cada). Diferentemente da maioria dos estudos selecionados, um deles evidenciou adesão subótima em indivíduos que receberam a medicação gratuitamente, e outro não encontrou correlação entre adesão subótima e nível educacional. CONCLUSãO: Fatores socioeconômicos impactam negativamente a adesão ao tratamento medicamentoso em pessoas com DP. Esta revisão fornece base para o desenvolvimento de intervenções baseadas em pacientes e populações no intuito de melhorar a adesão ao tratamento farmacológico de pessoas com DP.

The impact of the socioeconomic factor on Parkinson's disease medication adherence: a scoping review / O impacto do fator socioeconômico na adesão à medicação na doença de Parkinson: uma revisão de escopo

Abstract Background Therapeutic adherence is a decisive issue on chronic disease management in patients requiring long-term pharmacotherapy, such as Parkinson's disease (PD). Although it is well known that socioeconomic factor is a barrier to medication adherence in many chronic diseases, its impacts on PD still need to be investigated. Objective Explore what and how socioeconomic factors impact medication adherence in people with PD. Methods We carried out a scoping review across three databases to identify studies exploring what and how socioeconomic factors impact medication adherence in people with PD considering eight attributes: 1. educational level, 2. disease-related knowledge, 3. income, 4. cost of medication, 5. drug subsidy (meaning presence of subsidies in the cost of medication), 6. employability, and 7. ethnicity (black, indigenous, immigrants). Results Of the 399 identified studies (Embase = 294, Medline = 88, LILACS = 17), eight met inclusion criteria. We identified factors covering the eight attributes of socioeconomic impact, and all of them negatively impacted the medication adherence of people with PD. The most prevalent factor in the studies was low patient educational level (four studies), followed by costs of medications (three studies), income (three studies), and disease-related knowledge (three studies). Distinctly from most of the studies selected, one of them evidenced suboptimal adherence in individuals receiving the medication free of charge, and another one could not find correlation between suboptimal adherence and educational level. Conclusion Socioeconomic factors negatively impact medication adherence in PD patients. This review provides basis for developing patient and population-based interventions to improve adherence to treatment in PD.

Resumo Antecedentes A adesão à medicação é um componente crucial no manejo correto da doença de Parkinson (DP) e, embora esteja bem estabelecido que o fator socioeconômico é uma barreira à adesão medicamentosa em muitas doenças crônicas, seus impactos na DP ainda precisam ser investigados. Objetivo Explorar quais são e como os fatores socioeconômicos afetam a adesão à medicação em pessoas com DP. Métodos Realizamos uma revisão de escopo em três bases de dados para identificar estudos que explorassem quais e como os fatores socioeconômicos impactam na adesão à medicação em pessoas com DP, considerando oito atributos: 1. nível educacional, 2. conhecimento relacionado à doença, 3. renda, 4. custo de medicamentos, 5. subsídio de medicamentos (ou seja, presença de subsídios no custo dos medicamentos), 6. empregabilidade e 7. etnia (negra, indígena, imigrantes). Resultados Dos 399 estudos identificados (Embase = 294, Medline = 88, LILACS = 17), oito preencheram os critérios de inclusão. Identificamos fatores que abrangem os oito atributos de impacto socioeconômico e todos impactaram negativamente na adesão medicamentosa de pessoas com DP. Foram mais prevalentes o baixo nível educacional do paciente (quatro estudos), custos dos medicamentos, nível de renda e conhecimento relacionado à doença (três estudos cada). Diferentemente da maioria dos estudos selecionados, um deles evidenciou adesão subótima em indivíduos que receberam a medicação gratuitamente, e outro não encontrou correlação entre adesão subótima e nível educacional. Conclusão Fatores socioeconômicos impactam negativamente a adesão ao tratamento medicamentoso em pessoas com DP. Esta revisão fornece base para o desenvolvimento de intervenções baseadas em pacientes e populações no intuito de melhorar a adesão ao tratamento farmacológico de pessoas com DP.

Reconstrucción de ligamento cruzado anterior con isquiotibiales manteniendo su inserción tibial / ACL reconstruction with hamstring autograft maintaining tibial insertion

Introducción: La no desinserción tibial de semitendinoso-recto interno (ST-RI) parece constituir una opción para evitar la necrosis avascular en el proceso de ligamentización. El objetivo de nuestro trabajo es hacer una comparación entre ST-RI desinsertado versus ST-RI no desinsertado. Materiales y métodos: estudio comparativo, prospectivo, randomizado, doble ciego, para el que se formaron dos grupos. El grupo de estudio, conformado por treinta y ocho pacientes con plástica de LCA sin desinserción tibial de ST-RI; el grupo de control, de treinta y nueve pacientes con desinserción tibial. Se realizaron evaluaciones de RM a los seis meses del postoperatorio, se evaluaron el Coeficiente Señal ruido (CS) y la orientación del neoligamento en planos sagital, coronal y axial. La valoración clínica, a través de IKDC, Tegner Lysholm y KT-1000, fue efectuada por médicos en forma ciega.Resultados: el CS valorado por RM a los seis meses mostró diferencias significativas entre el grupo de estudio (14.4) y el de control (24.9) con un valor p <0.001. No existieron diferencias en cuanto a la orientación del injerto entre ambos grupos, ni en el plano sagital, coronal, ni axial. En cuanto al IKDC y Tegner Lysholm, sin diferencias entre grupos a los nueve meses. En el KT-1000 tampoco se encontraron diferencias entre grupos (p = 0.518).Discusión: la no desinserción tibial de ST-RI es una opción válida que podría evitar la fase de necrosis avascular de la ligamentización. Nuestros resultados, sustentados en RM, nos estimulan a utilizarla como una opción con cierta ventaja biológica.

Introduction: Non disinsertion of hamstring autograft tendons may result in avoiding cellular necrosis at the early stage of ligamentization process. The aim of this study was to compare between disinserted vs non disinserted hamstring autograft. Materials and methods: in this prospective, double-blind, randomised controlled trial, two groups were created. In the study group, hamstring tendon retraction (n=39) was performed. In the control group, maintaining tibial insertion (n=38) harvesting technique was used. Patients were evaluated with MRI after six months of follow-up. Graft maturity was evaluated with the signal-to-noise quotient (SNQ) and graft direction and orientation with sagittal, coronal, and axial views. Clinical outcomes were assessment of IKDC, Tegner-Lisholm activity level score and KT-1000 evaluation from a blind ortopaedic surgeon.Results: signal-to-noise quotient (SNQ) was significantly lower in non disinserted hamstring group (study group 14.4 vs control group 24.9-p = 0.001). There were no differences in graft direction between both groups. KT-1000 measurements showed no difference, the same as clinical outcomes assessment of IKDC and Tegner-Lisholm scores.Discussion: non disinserting hamstring tendons autograft is a valid option and may avoid the necrosis phase in ligamentization process. Our results, sustained on MRI imaging encourage us to use it with some biological advantage.

Lupus en Argentina. Pacientes no respondedores al tratamiento estándar y belimumab como posible opción. Datos del registro RELESSAR / Lupus in Argentina. Non-responders to standard treatment and belimumab as a possible option. RELESSAR record data

Introducción: el lupus es una enfermedad compleja y varias veces de difícil abordaje. Alcanzar la remisión es uno de los objetivos, incorporando opciones terapéuticas. Objetivos: describir las características generales de los pacientes según el estado de la enfermedad y el uso de belimumab. Materiales y métodos: estudio de corte transversal, registro RELESSAR. Se definió el estado de la enfermedad como: remisión: SLEDAI=0 y sin corticoides; baja actividad de la enfermedad: SLEDAI >0 y ≤4 y sin corticoides; control no óptimo: SLEDAI >4 y cualquier dosis de corticoides. Resultados: se incluyeron 1.277 pacientes, 23,4% en remisión, 12,6% en baja actividad y 63,8% con control no óptimo. En este último grupo eran más jóvenes y con menor duración de la enfermedad; presentaban mayores índices de actividad y cronicidad, y mayor empleo de inmunosupresores. Solo el 22,3% de los pacientes con criterio potencial de uso de belimumab (lupus eritematoso sistémico activo a pesar del tratamiento estándar) lo recibía en ese momento. Las variables asociadas a hospitalizaciones fueron: terapia con corticoides, ciclofosfamida y mayor SLICC. Conclusiones: se refleja la complejidad del manejo de estos pacientes y se visualizan aspectos estructurales como la desigualdad. El uso del belimumab resultaría beneficioso en los pacientes seleccionados.

Introduction: lupus is a complex disease and often difficult to approach. Achieving remission is one of the objectives, incorporating therapeutic options. Objectives: to describe the characteristics of the patients and the use of belimumab, according to the status of the disease. Materials and methods: cross-sectional study. Patients of the RELESSAR registry. Stratification: Remission: SLEDAI=0 and without corticosteroids. Low disease activity SLEDAI> 0 and ≤4 and without corticosteroids and non-optimal control: SLEDAI> 4 and any dose of corticosteroids. Results: a total of 1,277 patients were included, 23.4% in remission, 12.6% in low disease activity and 63.8% in non-optimal control. The last group was younger and had a shorter duration of the disease. They had higher activity and chronicity indices and greater use of immunosuppressants. Only 22.3% of the patients with potential criteria for the use of belimumab (activity disease despite standard treatment) were receiving it. The variables associated with hospitalizations were: corticosteroids, cyclophosphamide and higher SLICC. Those associated with severe infection: mycophenolate mofetil, azathioprine, corticosteroids, and higher SLICC. Conclusions: the complexity of the management of these patients is reflected, visualizing structural aspects such as inequality. The use of belimumab could be beneficial in selected patients.

Lupus en Argentina. Pacientes no respondedores al tratamiento estándar y belimumab como posible opción. Datos del registro RELESSAR / Lupus in Argentina. Non-responders to standard treatment and belimumab as a possible option. RELESSAR record data

Introducción: el lupus es una enfermedad compleja y varias veces de difícil abordaje. Alcanzar la remisión es uno de los objetivos, incorporando opciones terapéuticas. Objetivos: describir las características generales de los pacientes según el estado de la enfermedad y el uso de belimumab. Materiales y métodos: estudio de corte transversal, registro RELESSAR. Se definió el estado de la enfermedad como: remisión: SLEDAI=0 y sin corticoides; baja actividad de la enfermedad: SLEDAI >0 y ≤4 y sin corticoides; control no óptimo: SLEDAI >4 y cualquier dosis de corticoides. Resultados: se incluyeron 1.277 pacientes, 23,4% en remisión, 12,6% en baja actividad y 63,8% con control no óptimo. En este último grupo eran más jóvenes y con menor duración de la enfermedad; presentaban mayores índices de actividad y cronicidad, y mayor empleo de inmunosupresores. Solo el 22,3% de los pacientes con criterio potencial de uso de belimumab (lupus eritematoso sistémico activo a pesar del tratamiento estándar) lo recibía en ese momento. Las variables asociadas a hospitalizaciones fueron: terapia con corticoides, ciclofosfamida y mayor SLICC. Conclusiones: se refleja la complejidad del manejo de estos pacientes y se visualizan aspectos estructurales como la desigualdad. El uso del belimumab resultaría beneficioso en los pacientes seleccionados.

Introduction: lupus is a complex disease and often difficult to approach. Achieving remission is one of the objectives, incorporating therapeutic options. Objectives: to describe the characteristics of the patients and the use of belimumab, according to the status of the disease. Materials and methods: cross-sectional study. Patients of the RELESSAR registry. Stratification: Remission: SLEDAI=0 and without corticosteroids. Low disease activity SLEDAI> 0 and ≤4 and without corticosteroids and non-optimal control: SLEDAI> 4 and any dose of corticosteroids. Results: a total of 1,277 patients were included, 23.4% in remission, 12.6% in low disease activity and 63.8% in non-optimal control. The last group was younger and had a shorter duration of the disease. They had higher activity and chronicity indices and greater use of immunosuppressants. Only 22.3% of the patients with potential criteria for the use of belimumab (activity disease despite standard treatment) were receiving it. The variables associated with hospitalizations were: corticosteroids, cyclophosphamide and higher SLICC. Those associated with severe infection: mycophenolate mofetil, azathioprine, corticosteroids, and higher SLICC. Conclusions: the complexity of the management of these patients is reflected, visualizing structural aspects such as inequality. The use of belimumab could be beneficial in selected patients.

Eukaryotic initiation factor 4A (eIF4A) during viral infections.

The helicase eIF4A is part of the cellular eIF4F translation initiation complex. The main functions of eIF4A are to remove secondary complex structures within the 5'-untranslated region and to displace proteins attached to mRNA. As intracellular parasites, viruses regulate the processes involved in protein synthesis, and different mechanisms related to controlling translation factors, such as eIF4A, have been found. The inhibitors of this factor are currently known; these substances could be used in the near future as part of antiviral pharmacological therapies in instances of replication cycles in which eIF4A is required. In this review, the particularities of how some viruses make use of this initiation factor to synthesize their proteins are discussed.

Reliability of OMERACT ultrasound elementary lesions in gout: results from a multicenter exercise.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the reliability of the outcome measures in rheumatology (OMERACT) definitions for ultrasound (US) elementary lesions in gout through an image reading exercise. Images from patients with gout (static images and videos) were collected. As an initial step, we carried out a image reading exercise within the experts of the Pan-American League of Associations for Rheumatology (PANLAR) US Study Group (n = 16). The following step consisted in a web-based exercise with the participation of larger number of sonographers (n = 63) from different centers. Images were rated evaluating the presence/absence of any US elementary lesion. Inter- and intra-reader reliabilities were analyzed using kappa coefficients. Participants were stratified according to their level of experience. In the first exercise, inter-reader kappa values were 0.45 for aggregates, 0.57 for tophus, 0.69 for erosions, and 0.90 for double contour (DC). Intra-reader kappa values were 0.86, 0.76, 0.80, and 0.90, respectively. The web-based exercise showed inter-reader kappa values for aggregates, tophus, erosions, and DC of 0.42, 0.49, 0.69, and 0.79, respectively. The intra-reader kappa values were 0.62, 0.69, 0.77, and 0.85, respectively. Reliability was not influenced by the sonographer's level of experience. The reliability of the new OMERACT US definitions for elementary lesions in gout ranged from moderate to excellent, depending on the type of lesion.

Motorcycle That See: Multifocal Stereo Vision Sensor for Advanced Safety Systems in Tilting Vehicles.

Advanced driver assistance systems, ADAS, have shown the possibility to anticipate crash accidents and effectively assist road users in critical traffic situations. This is not the case for motorcyclists, in fact ADAS for motorcycles are still barely developed. Our aim was to study a camera-based sensor for the application of preventive safety in tilting vehicles. We identified two road conflict situations for which automotive remote sensors installed in a tilting vehicle are likely to fail in the identification of critical obstacles. Accordingly, we set two experiments conducted in real traffic conditions to test our stereo vision sensor. Our promising results support the application of this type of sensors for advanced motorcycle safety applications.

Are automatic systems the future of motorcycle safety? A novel methodology to prioritize potential safety solutions based on their projected effectiveness.

OBJECTIVE: Motorcycle riders are involved in significantly more crashes per kilometer driven than passenger car drivers. Nonetheless, the development and implementation of motorcycle safety systems lags far behind that of passenger cars. This research addresses the identification of the most effective motorcycle safety solutions in the context of different countries. METHODS: A knowledge-based system of motorcycle safety (KBMS) was developed to assess the potential for various safety solutions to mitigate or avoid motorcycle crashes. First, a set of 26 common crash scenarios was identified from the analysis of multiple crash databases. Second, the relative effectiveness of 10 safety solutions was assessed for the 26 crash scenarios by a panel of experts. Third, relevant information about crashes was used to weigh the importance of each crash scenario in the region studied. The KBMS method was applied with an Italian database, with a total of more than 1 million motorcycle crashes in the period 2000-2012. RESULTS: When applied to the Italian context, the KBMS suggested that automatic systems designed to compensate for riders' or drivers' errors of commission or omission are the potentially most effective safety solution. The KBMS method showed an effective way to compare the potential of various safety solutions, through a scored list with the expected effectiveness of each safety solution for the region to which the crash data belong. A comparison of our results with a previous study that attempted a systematic prioritization of safety systems for motorcycles (PISa project) showed an encouraging agreement. CONCLUSIONS: Current results revealed that automatic systems have the greatest potential to improve motorcycle safety. Accumulating and encoding expertise in crash analysis from a range of disciplines into a scalable and reusable analytical tool, as proposed with the use of KBMS, has the potential to guide research and development of effective safety systems. As the expert assessment of the crash scenarios is decoupled from the regional crash database, the expert assessment may be reutilized, thereby allowing rapid reanalysis when new crash data become available. In addition, the KBMS methodology has potential application to injury forecasting, driver/rider training strategies, and redesign of existing road infrastructure.

Short-term efficacy to conventional blind injection versus ultrasound-guided injection of local corticosteroids in tenosynovitis in patients with inflammatory chronic arthritis: A randomized comparative study.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the short-term efficacy of conventional blind injection (CBI) versus ultrasound-guided injection (USGI) of corticosteroids (CS) injection in tenosynovitis in patients with chronic arthritis and to investigate if the USGI is a less painful procedure and if there are differences in the changes of US findings during the post injection follow-up. METHODS: Patients presenting tenosynovitis requiring CS injection were involved. After clinical and US evaluation, patients were randomized to receive CBI or USGI. Efficacy of procedure was assessed by the improvement in both Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) and pain visual analogue scale (VAS), including procedure-VAS global-VAS and local-VAS, after 1 and 4 weeks post-procedure. Power Doppler (PD) and greyscale (GS) US findings were also object of the follow-up. CBI or USGI under an aseptic technique were performed according the local guidelines using 20mg of methylprednisolone acetate. RESULTS: A total of 114 patients were randomized to receive CBI (54 patients) or USGI (60 patients) procedure. No significant difference was observed in terms of gender, age and pain duration among CBI and USGI groups at baseline. USGI proved to be significantly less painful than CBI (P=0.0001). AUC analysis showed that during the follow up visits, the USGI procedure had significantly better response in HAQ, local-VAS and global-VAS (P=0.0001, P=0.012 and P=0.0001 respectively) compared to CBI. During the follow up period, a significant greater reduction in the PD scores was found in the USGI group compared to the CBI group (P=0.0002), whereas no statistical differences were found in the GS findings between the groups (P=0.5627). CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrates superiority of USGI over CBI for CS injections in painful tenosynovitis, having better short-term outcomes measured by functional, clinical and US scores. These data support the use of USGI for tenosynovits in typical inpatient and/or outpatient in rheumatological practices.

4EBP1 Is Dephosphorylated by Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) requires protein biosynthesis machinery to generate progeny. There is evidence that RSV might alter some translation components since stress granules are formed in their host cells. Consistent with these observations, we found that RSV induces dephosphorylation of 4EBP1 (eIF4E-binding protein), an important cellular translation factor. Our results show no correlation between the 4EBP1 dephosphorylation time and the decrease in the global rate of protein synthesis. Interestingly, treatment with rapamycin stimulates virus generation. The results suggest that RSV is a virus that still contains unknown mechanisms involved in the translation of their mRNAs through the alteration or modification of some translation factors, such as 4EBP1, possibly to favor its replicative cycle.

Viral coinfection in acute respiratory infection in Mexican children treated by the emergency service: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Acute respiratory infections (ARIs) cause illness. Children under five years of age are highly vulnerable to these infections. Viral coinfection or multiple viral infection is a variable that can have a significant impact on the evolution of these diseases. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was carried out in Mexican children (under five years of age) who had an ARI and who were treated by an emergency service in a hospital in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. The viral etiology, as well as the presence of multiple viral infections, was determined. A structured questionnaire was used to obtain demographic and clinical information. Odds ratio (OR) was calculated, and univariate and multivariate analyses using logistic regression were performed. RESULTS: In the study population, metapneumovirus (hMPV) was the most frequent virus (22%), followed by adenovirus (hAD) (16%), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) (14%), rhinovirus (hRV) (12%), bocavirus (hBoV) (9%), influenza virus (IF) (7%), and parainfluenza (PIF) (4%). The frequency of viral coinfections was 31.62%, and multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that hMPV, RSV, PIF, and hBoV were independently associated with multiple viral infection. No difference was found in the clinical manifestation of children with simple and multiple infections. Simple hMPV infection was associated with patients who presented with severe ARI. Using a multivariate analysis, we found that overcrowding is associated with coinfection when the viral etiology was hRV (OR = 2.56, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.07 to 6.13), IF (OR = 2.56, 95% CI 1.07 to 6.13), PIF (OR = 2.96, 95% CI 1.15 to 7.65), hAD (OR = 2.56, 95% CI 1.07 to 6.13), and hBoV (OR = 2.9, 95% CI 1.14 to 7.34). CONCLUSIONS: Viral coinfections are frequent in children requiring treatment by an emergency service. However, the severity of ARI is similar to that of children with a simple infection. The hMPV is common and may confer a significant disease burden in the Mexican population. Finally, overcrowding is a housing characteristic that favors the development of coinfections.

Clinical and immunogenetic characterization in psoriatic arthritis patients.

In psoriatic arthritis (PsA), genetic factors play a substantial role in disease susceptibility as well as in its expression. This study aims to determine the distribution of class I and class II HLA antigens in PsA patients and secondly to analyze the influence of genetic factors in the clinical expression of the disease. Consecutive PsA patients (CASPAR criteria) with less than 1 year of disease duration were included. Sociodemographic and clinical data were recorded. Blood samples were obtained, DNA was extracted by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and class I (A, B, and C) and class II (DR) HLA antigens were determined by oligotyping. A control group of 100 nonrelated healthy controls from the general population served as control. p values were corrected (pc) according to the number of alleles tested. A total of 73 patients were included, 37 were females (50.7 %) with a median disease duration of 72 months (interquartile range (IQR) 24-149). Thirty-three patients (45.2 %) had a family history of psoriasis. When analyzing all the class I and class II HLA antigens, a significantly higher frequency of B38 (odds ratio (OR) 2.95, p = 0.03) and Cw6 (OR 2.78, p = 0.009) was found in PsA patients compared to the control group. On the contrary, the HLA-A11 (OR 0.14, p = 0.04) and B7 (OR 0.31, p = 0.03) were significantly more frequent among healthy controls. Furthermore, B18 was significantly more frequent in patients with early arthritis onset (less than 40 years): seven patients (22.6 %) with early onset compared to two patients (4.8 %) with late onset (p = 0.03). No association between HLA-B27 and spondylitis or HLA-DR4 with polyarticular involvement was observed. The HLA-B38 and Cw6 alleles are associated with a greater PsA susceptibility in Argentine population.

Tumor phyllodes de mama / Breast phyllodes tumor

Introducción: El tumor phyllodes de mama es un tipo de lesión fibroepitelial de la mama poco frecuente, con distintas formas de presentación clínica, con un amplio marco de presentación tanto clínica como comportamiento biológico.Las formas menos agresivas o benignas presentan un comportamiento similara la evolución de los fibroadenomas; sin embargo, las formas malignas suelenpresentar un comportamiento más agresivo. El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar la frecuencia, métodos de detección, clasificación, terapéutica y evolución de los tumores phyllodes. Material y método: Estudio retrospectivo descriptivo, realizado durante el período comprendido entre junio de 2000 y junio de 2010, se operaron en el Servicio de Ginecología y Obstetricia del Policlínico Neuquén, 132 pacientes con diagnóstico de tumoresfibroepiteliales de mama, de los cuales 14 casos tuvieron en el estudio de la pieza operatoria diagnóstico anatomopatológico de tumor phyllodes.Utilizando los criterios histológicos de la OMS, se los dividió en benignos,borderline y malignos; de ellos, resultaron 13 benignos y 1 maligno. Resultados: La incidencia de esta entidad fue del 10,6%. La edad promedio fue 28,2 años (rango 15 a 45 años). El motivo de consulta en todos los casos fue tumor palpable de crecimiento rápido. De los 14 casos, 13/132 fueron histológicamente benignos (92,85%) y 1/132 maligno (7,14%), siendo el tamaño tumoral patológico promedio de 2,75 cm (rango 1,5-4,0 cm). El diagnóstico de certeza sólo lo dio el examen anatomopatológico diferido de la pieza quirúrgica. La terapéutica fue quirúrgica en la totalidad de los casos, se efectuó escisión quirúrgica de la lesión para las formas benignas y se efectuó ampliación quirúrgica, radioterapia y quimioterapia, en la forma maligna. Hasta la fecha todas las pacientes benignas se encuentran libres de enfermedad.

Tumor phyllodes de mama / Breast phyllodes tumor

Introducción: El tumor phyllodes de mama es un tipo de lesión fibroepitelial de la mama poco frecuente, con distintas formas de presentación clínica, con un amplio marco de presentación tanto clínica como comportamiento biológico.Las formas menos agresivas o benignas presentan un comportamiento similara la evolución de los fibroadenomas; sin embargo, las formas malignas suelenpresentar un comportamiento más agresivo. El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar la frecuencia, métodos de detección, clasificación, terapéutica y evolución de los tumores phyllodes. Material y método: Estudio retrospectivo descriptivo, realizado durante el período comprendido entre junio de 2000 y junio de 2010, se operaron en el Servicio de Ginecología y Obstetricia del Policlínico Neuquén, 132 pacientes con diagnóstico de tumoresfibroepiteliales de mama, de los cuales 14 casos tuvieron en el estudio de la pieza operatoria diagnóstico anatomopatológico de tumor phyllodes.Utilizando los criterios histológicos de la OMS, se los dividió en benignos,borderline y malignos; de ellos, resultaron 13 benignos y 1 maligno. Resultados: La incidencia de esta entidad fue del 10,6%. La edad promedio fue 28,2 años (rango 15 a 45 años). El motivo de consulta en todos los casos fue tumor palpable de crecimiento rápido. De los 14 casos, 13/132 fueron histológicamente benignos (92,85%) y 1/132 maligno (7,14%), siendo el tamaño tumoral patológico promedio de 2,75 cm (rango 1,5-4,0 cm). El diagnóstico de certeza sólo lo dio el examen anatomopatológico diferido de la pieza quirúrgica. La terapéutica fue quirúrgica en la totalidad de los casos, se efectuó escisión quirúrgica de la lesión para las formas benignas y se efectuó ampliación quirúrgica, radioterapia y quimioterapia, en la forma maligna. Hasta la fecha todas las pacientes benignas se encuentran libres de enfermedad.(AU)