Non-Invasive Study of Intracranial Pressure in Pre- and Post-Chemotherapy Patients for the Treatment of Breast Neoplasia

Introduction: Breast cancer is the most common type among women and brings to them significant organic changes. A new intracranial pressure monitorization method consists of an external system of sensors that detects micrometric deformations on the cranial bones and transmits, in real-time, electrical signals that are visualized on a monitor. Objective: To identify changes in intracranial pressure due to chemotherapy connections through non-invasive methodology. Methods: The present study was conducted at Hospital Santa Casa de Misericordia in the city of Ponta Grossa, PR, Brazil in 2017. The variables P2/P1 ratio (ICP morphological evaluation), laboratory parameters, comorbidities, and clinical aspects of the volunteers were evaluated. The vascular toxicity of chemotherapy often causes endothelial dysfunction, resulting in a loss of vasodilation effects and suppresses anti-inflammatory and vascular repair functions. Results: The values of the P2/P1 ratio before and after chemotherapy were also compared between groups. A statistically significant difference was observed in the pre chemotherapy P2/P1 values compared to the post-chemotherapy values. Conclusion: Variations in ICP may occur in cancer patients. Further studies are necessary to evaluate if this change may contribute to the chemotherapy side effects occurrence.

Effect of non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors and protease inhibitors on serum levels of myeloperoxidase and C-reactive protein in HIV-infected individuals

Abstract It remains unclear whether increased inflammatory and cardiovascular risk biomarkers differ depending on the class of antiretroviral that is used. This study evaluated the plasma levels of inflammatory and cardiovascular risk biomarkers, such as MPO, hs-CRP, glucose, lipid profile, ALT (GPT), AST (GOT), urea and creatinine, as well as the blood count, of all the 164 participants in the study, either infected or un-infected with HIV. Thirty of the 104 HIV-infected individuals did not receive any antiretroviral; twenty-four of them were treated with non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor class; and fifty took protease inhibitors. The control group consisted of sixty non-HIV infected individuals. In the case of the HIV-infected volunteers, the CD4+ T lymphocyte counts and viral load were also analyzed. Regardless of the hematological and biochemical changes resulting from the antiretroviral therapy (ART), the MPO and hs-CRP values significantly increased for the HIV-infected individuals (treated or untreated), irrespective of the class of ART that was used. This is important because these biomarkers are designed to be predictors of the risk of cardiovascular disease. The results of this study provide supporting evidence for the hypothesis that HIV-infected individuals are at increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease related to chronic inflammations, despite virological control with ART, and regardless of the class of ART that is used.

Drug dosing using estimated glomerular filtration rate: Misclassification due to metamizole interference in a creatinine assay.

BACKGROUND: The estimated glomerular filtration rate is a rather important measurement for patients under intensive care, since they often receive several drugs, and impaired renal function may result in misleading dosing. The estimated glomerular filtration is derived from mathematical models using serum creatinine, a measurement that suffers interference of some drugs, such as metamizole. This study intended to evaluate the impact on patient stratification for dose adjustment of two antimicrobials (meropenem and vancomycin) caused by metamizole interference in creatinine measurement by dry chemistry. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted with a group of 108 hospitalized patients under metamizole prescriptions at fixed intervals. Serum creatinine concentrations were determined by enzymatic dry chemistry and Jaffé assays, and the estimated glomerular filtration rate was calculated through the CKD-EPI equation. Patients were stratified in groups according to their estimated glomerular filtration rate for drug dosing of vancomycin and meropenem. RESULTS: Creatinine values were significantly lower in measurements performed by the dry chemistry method in comparison to Jaffé assay (P < 0.0001) when patients are under metamizole treatment. A significant bias (-40.3%) was observed between those two methods, leading to a significant difference (P < 0.0001) in patient classification according to renal function using the CKD-EPI equation for dosing adjustment. CONCLUSIONS: During the validity of metamizole treatment, the stratification for drug dosing by the estimated glomerular filtration rate is not reliable if the creatinine measurement is done through dry chemistry. Clinical and laboratory staff must be aware of these limitations and cooperate to optimize pharmacotherapy.

Avaliação da relação Triglicerídeo/HDL-C e da razão Neutrófilos/Linfócitos em idosos com e sem dislipidemia / Evaluation of Triglyceride/HDL-C and Neutrophil/Lymphocyte ratio in the elderly with and without dyslipidemia

RESUMO: Introdução: As doenças cardiovasculares(DCV)estão entre as principais causas de mortalidade entre idosos, sendo a dislipidemia um importante fator de risco. Além disso, a relação Triglicerídeo/HDL-C e a razão Neutrófilos/Linfócitos apresentam estreita relação com os fatores de riscos para DCV. Objetivo: Comparar as relações Triglicerídeo/HDL-C e Neutrófilos/Linfócitos na população idosa sem e com dislipidemia. Métodos: Estudo documental, transversal, retrospectivo, com abordagem quantitativa e comparativa. A amostra foi de conveniência e incluiu os 110 idosos residentes em uma Instituição de Longa Permanência de Idosos. Foram coletados dados do perfil lipídico, hemograma, idade e sexo. Os idosos foram divididos em dois grupos: Com Dislipidemia e Sem Dislipidemia. As relações Triglicerídeo/HDL-C e Neutrófilos/Linfócitos foram calculadas e comparadas. Os resultados foram apresentados como mediana e intervalo interquartil e analisados pelo teste de Mann-Whitney. As variáveis categóricas foram representadas como frequência absoluta (n) e relativa (%) e avaliadas pelo teste de Qui-Quadrado (X2). Utilizou-se o programa estatístico SPSS 20.0®e nível de significância < 0,05. Resultados: Foram selecionados 84 idosos com resultados do perfil lipídico e hemograma, sendo 56 (67%) idosos do sexo feminino e 28 (33%) do sexo masculino, com idade mediana de 75 (69-81) anos. O grupo Com Dislipidemia apresentou valores superiores para Triglicerídeo/HDL-C e para a relação Neutrófilos/Linfócitos não houve diferença estatística. Conclusão: A relação Triglicerídeo/HDL-C pode ser utilizada como uma medida preventiva de doenças cardiovasculares nos idosos participantes do estudo. Porém, a relação Neutrófilos/Linfócitos deve ser interpretada com cautela nos idosos que apresentam características particulares quanto ao desenvolvimento das DCV. (AU)

ABSTRACT: Introduction: Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading causes of mortality among the elderly, and dyslipidemia is an important risk factor. Moreover, the Triglyceride/HDL-C and Neutrophils/Lymphocytes ratios are closely related to CVD risk factors. Objective: Comparing the Triglyceride/HDL-C and Neutrophils/Lymphocytes ratios in elderlies' groups, with and without dyslipidemia. Methods: Documentary, cross-sectional, and retrospective study with a quantitative and comparative approach. The sample was of convenience and included 110 elderlies' residents in a Long-Term Care for Elderlies. Data on lipid profile, full blood count, age, and sex were obtained and the residents divided into two groups, With Dyslipidemia and Without Dyslipidemia. The Triglyceride/HDL-C and Neutrophils/Lymphocytes ratios for both groups were measured and compared. Results were presented as median and interquartile range and analyzed by the Mann-Whitney test. Categorical variables were represented as absolute (n) and relative (%) frequencies and evaluated by the Chi-square (X2). The statistical program SPSS 20.0® was used with a significance level p < 0,05. Results: Eighty-four elderlies with results of lipid profile and blood count were selected, 56 (67%) were female and 28 (33%) male, with a median age of 75 (69-81) years. The group With Dyslipidemia showed higher values for Triglyceride/HDL-C and Neutrophils/Lymphocytes ratios, there was no statistical difference between the groups studied. Conclusion: The Triglyceride/HDL-C ratio can be used as a preventive measure of cardiovascular diseases in the elderlies' participants of the study. However, the Neutrophils/Lymphocytes ratio should be interpreted with caution in the elderly, who have particular characteristics regarding the development of cardiovascular diseases. (AU)

Serum Myeloperoxidase, C-reactive Protein and α1-acid Glycoprotein: Insights about Cardiovascular Risk in End-stage Renal Disease.

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Elevated serum concentrations of myeloperoxidase (MPO) are associated with an increased risk of developing CVD. The objective of this study was to evaluate serum MPO levels, as well as other laboratory parameters, in individuals with ESRD, with and without CVD, undergoing hemodialysis. METHODS: 80 volunteers were admitted, divided into the following groups: control group (CON): 20 individuals without chronic kidney disease (CKD); ESRD group: 45 individuals with CKD stage V and ESRD/CVD group: 15 individuals with CKD stage V and with CVD. The following biomarkers were evaluated: MPO, High sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and α1-acid glycoprotein, following the manufacturer's guidelines in the package inserts. The data were processed through the statistical software SPSS 20.0®. RESULTS: The level of MPO for the CON group was 84 ng/mL (73-87 ng/mL), for the ESRD group 77 ng/mL (11-89 ng/mL) and for the ESRD/CVD group 21 ng/mL (8-47 ng/mL), with a significant statistical difference of the ESRD/CVD group from the CON and ESRD groups (p<0.001). For the parameters hs-CRP and α1-acid glycoprotein a statistical difference between the ESRD and ESRD/CVD groups from the CON group (p<0.0001) was observed, but not between the ESRD and ESRD/CVD groups. CONCLUSION: It is suggested that further studies should be performed to define the potential role of MPO as a cardiovascular risk marker for patients with ESRD on hemodialysis.

Association between soluble biomarkers - microbial translocation, inflammation and cardiovascular risk in HIV- infected individuals: a systematic review

Microbial translocation is associated with the increased risk of cardiovascular disease in HIV-infected individuals. There is scarce information regarding the possible associations between the biomarkers of microbial translocation, inflammation and cardiovascular risk that can be evaluated in clinical laboratories using plasma or serum samples. This systematic review was conducted according to the PRISMA protocol in order to verify the most used soluble biomarkers of microbial translocation, inflammation and cardiovascular risk, as well as possible associations between them, in HIV-infected individuals. A search was performed using the Medline, Scopus and Web of Science databases to identify existing studies regarding the relationship between microbial translocation biomarkers, inflammation and cardiovascular risk in HIV-infected patients. Eleven articles that presented soluble biomarkers of microbial translocation (LPS, rDNA, sCD14, LBP and EndoCAb) were selected. The most frequently evaluated soluble biomarker was sCD14, followed by LPS; the latter were associated with some lipid profile parameters. This systematic review considered soluble blood biomarkers that can be utilized in laboratory diagnosis. The aim was to identify the interconnection between microbial translocation, inflammation and cardiovascular risk. Despite the fact that a large number of inflammation and cardiovascular risk biomarkers have been previously reported, it was noted that important markers involved in the pathophysiology of cardiovascular diseases need to be included in future research.

Influência do tempo de centrifugação em testes de coagulação: tempo de protrombina e tempo de tromboplastina parcial / Influence of the centrifuge time in coagulation tests: prothrombin time and partial thromboplastin time

Objetivo: Analisar os testes de coagulação: tempo de protrombina (TP) e tempo de tromboplastina parcial (TTP) em diferentes tempos de centrifugação da amostra da biológica, com relação ao protocolo padrão do Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI). Métodos: As amostras foram divididas em cinco alíquotas de 1 mL. Foi realizada a centrifugação em 15, 10, 5, 2 e 1 minuto, com velocidade de 1500 g. O TP e TTP foram imediatamente analisados em aparelho automatizado. Os plasmas foram analisados para presença de elementos residuais: eritrócitos, leucócitos e plaquetas. Resultados: Observou-se alteração dos valores do TP nos tempos de centrifugação 10, 5, 2 e 1 minuto e do TTP em 5, 2 e 1 minuto, com relação ao protocolo padrão. Na interpretação de Bland Altman, observou-se um viés significativo do limite clínico aceitável para o TP e para o TTP em todos os tempos de centrifugação, com relação ao protocolo padrão. Apenas no tempo de centrifugação de 15 minutos não foram encontradas células residuais nas amostras analisadas. Conclusão: O tempo de centrifugação de 15 minutos é o ideal para remoção completa das células sanguíneas residuais e para garantia da confiabilidade dos resultados dos testes de coagulação TP e TTP.

Objective: To analyze the coagulation tests: prothrombin test (PT) and partial thromboplastin time (PTT) in different centrifugation times of the sample, in relation to the standard protocol of the Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI). Methods: The selected samples were splitted up into five aliquots of 1 mL. Centrifugation of these aliquots was carried out at 15, 10, 5, 2 and 1 minute at 1500 g. The PT and PTT were analyzed in an automated apparatus. The plasmas were analyzed for presence of residual elements: erythrocytes, leukocytes and platelets. Results: The results showed a change in the values of PT at the 10, 5, 2 and 1 minute centrifugation times and the PTT at 5, 2 and 1 minutes, relative to the standard protocol. In the interpretation of Bland Altman, a significant bias of the acceptable clinical limit for TP and TTP at all centrifugation times was observed, relative to the standard protocol. Only in the 15 minute centrifugation time no residual cells were found in the analyzed samples. Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that the 15-minute centrifugation time is ideal for complete removal of residual blood cells and to ensure the reliability of the results of the PT and PTT coagulation

Controle interno de qualidade em citopatologia: o dilema da subjetividade / Internal quality control in cytopathology: the subjectivity dilemma

Objetivo: O objetivo desse estudo foi realizar o monitoramento interno de qualidade em citopatologia cervicovaginal em amostras coletadas no período de 2013 e 2014 e identificar possíveis resultados falso-negativos, relacionando-os com os exames obtidos pelo Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS). Métodos: Foram analisados 313 esfregaços cervicovaginais pelo método de Papanicolaou nos anos de 2013 e 2014. O controle interno de qualidade foi realizado pela revisão de 100% dos esfregaços. As amostras com resultados discordantes entre a análise citológica pelo Projetopap e controle interno de qualidade foram reavaliadas por uma equipe de quatro citologistas. Resultados: Das 313 amostras analisadas pelo SUS, 100% foram NILM; pelo Projetopap, 309 (98,8%) foram NILM, uma (0,3%) AIS e três (0,9%) insatisfatórias. No controle interno de qualidade foram: 260 (83,1%) NILM, 44 (14%) amostras insatisfatórias, sete (2,3%) ASC-US, uma (0,3%) LSIL e uma (0,3%) AIS. Conclusão: O estudo ressalta a importância de um sistema de controle de qualidade em citopatologia e alerta para a possibilidade de emissão de laudos falso-negativos.

Análise comparativa de contagens de plaquetas entre metodologias de impedância e óptica em amostras de sangue de indivíduos hospitalizados / Comparative analysis of platelet count between electrical impedance and optical platelet count methods in blood samples from hospitalized individuals

Objetivo: Comparar resultados de contagens plaquetárias de indivíduos hospitalizados realizadas por impedância (PLT-I) e metodologia óptica fluorescente (PLT-O). Métodos: Em estudo retrospectivo, foram avaliados dados sequenciais arquivados de contagens plaquetárias de trezentos indivíduos adultos hospitalizados, incluindo casos de anemias microcíticas e hemolíticas, neoplasias hematológicas, entre outras doenças. Todos os casos continham contagens de plaquetas PLT-I e PLT-O realizadas no equipamento Sysmex XE-5000. Resultados: Não houve diferença significativa entre os valores de contagens plaquetárias entre a PLT-I e PLT-O (p=0,614). Quando avaliamos os valores de plaquetas entre diferentes grupos em relação às metodologias, não houve diferença entre as contagens plaquetárias naqueles com VCM abaixo de 80 fL (p=0,936), VCM abaixo de 70 (p=0,821), plaquetas abaixo de 100×109/L (p=0,369) e plaquetas abaixo de 50×109/L (p=0,314). Além disso, a correlação entre PLT-I e PLT-O foi forte. Conclusão: Os valores de contagens plaquetárias, provenientes de pacientes não saudáveis, realizadas no analisador XE-5000 pelos métodos óptico e impedância, mostraram forte correlação e boa concordância.

Changes of metabolic and inflammatory markers in HIV infection: glucose, lipids, serum Hs-CRP and myeloperoxidase.

OBJECTIVE: HIV infection is exacerbated through additional pro-atherogenic mechanisms related to the processes of immune activation, inflammation, coagulation, and the modification of lipoproteins (e.g., particles of high density lipoprotein), contributing to increased cardiovascular risk. The aim of this study was to analyze the serum concentrations of myeloperoxidase (MPO) and other laboratory parameters in HIV-infected patients treated or not with antiretroviral drugs compared to non-infected individuals. MATERIALS/METHODS: The study included 154 volunteers: 47 non-infected individuals (control group - CON), 27 infected and untreated individuals (NTARV group) and 80 treated individuals (TARV group). We analyzed the counts of CD4+ lymphocytes and the viral load of the infected patients, along with the blood count, fasting glucose, total serum cholesterol (CHOL), HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, MPO and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP) of all study participants. RESULTS: There were significant increases in glucose, CHOL, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides in the TARV group and significant reductions in the levels of HDL cholesterol for the TARV and NTARV groups. Significantly elevated levels of Hs-CRP were observed only in the TARV group, while levels of MPO were significantly higher in the TARV and NTARV groups compared to the control group. A correlation of MPO with Hs-CRP (r=0.21, p=0.032) was observed for HIV-infected patients, but MPO did not correlate significantly with the other analyzed parameters. CONCLUSIONS: The investigation of early biomarkers for cardiovascular risk evaluation, such as MPO, contributes to the clinical monitoring of HIV-infected individuals. The serum levels of MPO correlated with Hs-CRP and were high in HIV-infected individuals, indicating a possible predictor of cardiovascular events in these patients.