RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: The intent of this study was to ascertain to what extent serum total calcium concentration (tCa) <7 mg/dL reflects hypocalcemia (defined by ionized calcium concentration [iCa] of < or = 1.12 mmol/L) in critically ill patients receiving specialized nutrition support. METHODS: Adult patients (> or = 18 years) admitted to the trauma, surgical, medical, burn, or neurosurgical intensive care units, trauma stepdown unit, or progressive care unit and referred to the nutrition support service were retrospectively identified for potential inclusion into the study. Serum chemistries, arterial blood gas measurements, nutrition markers, and serum iCa were simultaneously obtained from each patient approximately 1 day after initiation of specialized nutrition support. Patients with a serum creatinine > or = 2 mg/dL, hyperphosphatemia (> or = 6 mg/dL), severe hypomagnesemia (< or = 1.12 mg/dL), history of metabolic bone disease, or parathyroid disease were excluded from the analysis. RESULTS: One hundred ninety-five patients (91% who had multiple trauma, with a mean Injury Severity Score 31 +/- 13) were enrolled into the study. Specialized nutrition support was initiated 2.8 +/- 1.8 days and calcium status was studied 4.2 +/- 3.1 days after hospital admission, respectively. The majority (28 of 33, or 85%) of patients with a tCa <7 mg/dL were hypocalcemic compared with 33% (22 out of 66) of patients with a tCa of 7-7.4 mg/dL, and 11% (11 of 96) of those with a tCa of 7.5-7.9 mg/dL (p < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Critically ill patients with a serum total calcium concentration of <7 mg/dL have a high rate of hypocalcemia (iCa < or = 1.12 mmol/L). Hypocalcemia, defined as a serum iCa of < or = 1.12 mmol/L, occurs in 85% of acutely ill patients with a serum tCa <7 mg/dL.
Asunto(s)
Calcio/sangre , Enfermedad Crítica , Hipocalcemia/sangre , Apoyo Nutricional , Enfermedad Aguda , Adulto , Biomarcadores/sangre , Análisis Químico de la Sangre , Análisis de los Gases de la Sangre , Enfermedad Crítica/terapia , Diagnóstico Diferencial , Femenino , Humanos , Hipocalcemia/diagnóstico , Hipocalcemia/epidemiología , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Estudios Retrospectivos , Índice de Severidad de la EnfermedadRESUMEN
The molecular mechanisms underlying gametocytogenesis in malaria parasites are not understood. Plasmodium falciparum cdc2-related kinase 1 (pfcrk-1), a gene that is expressed predominantly in gametocytes, bears homology to the PITSLRE subfamily of cyclin-dependent kinases and has been hypothesized to function as a negative regulator of the cell cycle. We attempted to knock-out pbcrk-1, the P. berghei orthologue of pfcrk-1, but were unable to recover P. berghei parasites with a disrupted pbcrk-1 locus. In contrast, an integration event at this locus that did not result in a loss-of-function of the pbcrk-1 gene was readily observed. This strongly suggests that a functional pbcrk-1 gene product is essential to intraerythrocytic asexual multiplication.