Breastfeeding avoidance following psychological intimate partner violence during pregnancy: a cohort study and multivariate analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate if the experience of psychological intimate partner violence (IPV) adversely affects breastfeeding rates. DESIGN: A cohort study. SETTING: Maternities in 15 public hospitals, drawn using cluster sampling of obstetric services in Andalusia, Spain. POPULATION: A total of 779 consecutive mothers receiving antenatal care including ultrasound and giving birth during February-June 2010. METHODS: Trained midwives gathered IPV data using the Index of Spouse Abuse validated in the Spanish language (score ranges: 0-100, higher scores reflect more severe IPV; cut-off: psychological IPV = 25). Sociodemographic data including lack of kin support, and obstetric and neonatal outcomes were collected. Multivariate logistic regression estimated adjusted odds ratios (aOR), with 95% confidence intervals (CI), of the relationship between psychological IPV and breastfeeding, controlling for sociodemographic characteristics and obstetric complications. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Breastfeeding avoidance defined as lack of breastfeeding or pumping of breast milk to feed the new baby in the immediate post-partum period. RESULTS: Response rate was 92.2%. A total of 70% (n = 545) of women initiated breastfeeding. Psychological IPV, reported by 21.0% (n = 151), increased the odds of breastfeeding avoidance (aOR = 2.0; 95% CI = 1.2-3.3) adjusting for the presence of obstetric complications (aOR = 1.6; 95% CI = 1.0-2.4). CONCLUSIONS: Mothers with psychological IPV avoid breastfeeding. Clinicians should be aware of the risks to infant arising from this deficiency due to IPV in pregnancy. TWEETABLE ABSTRACT: Psychological intimate partner violence, reported by one in five mothers in this study, on average doubles the avoidance of breastfeeding.

[Drug-related mortality among inpatients admitted in Internal Medicine]. / Mortalidad hospitalaria asociada a medicamentos en un Servicio de Medicina Interna.

BACKGROUND: To analyze the mortality associated with prescriptions, the drugs most frequently involved and the associated risk factors in patients admitted to Internal Medicine. METHODS: A retrospective, observational study. The clinical records of adult patients who died consecutively in the department of Internal Medicine in a Spanish tertiary hospital over twenty-two months were reviewed. The main variable was the prevalence of hospital death suspected of being related to the medications administered during admission. RESULTS: Out of the 455 deaths analyzed, 22.2% were related to the medications received; in 55 cases (12.1%) the drugs were suspected of being the cause of death and in 46 cases (10.1%) of contributing to it. The most frequent diagnoses in cases of death associated with drugs were cardiac arrhythmia (23.7%), severe hemorrhage (19.8%) and aspiration pneumonia (12.8%). The drugs with the highest prevalence in deaths related to pharmacological treatment were an-tithrombotic drugs (23.7%), digoxin (21.7%), antipsychotics (17.8%) and benzodiazepines (14.8%). The only independent risk factor for mortality associated with treatment was the number of medications administered (OR=1.25, 95%CI: 1.14-1.37). No significant association was found with age, sex, number of pathologies or duration of hospital stay. CONCLUSION: A high percentage of deaths of patients admitted to Internal Medicine were considered related to the medications received. Antithrombotic drugs, digoxin and psychotropic drugs were the agents most frequently implicated. This mortality is independently and significantly associated with the number of medications administered.

[Association of age and sex with intensity of exposure to bicycle use in Spain, 1993-2009]. / Asociación de la edad y el sexo con la intensidad de la exposición al uso de la bicicleta en España, 1993-2009.

BACKGROUND: To estimate the association of age and sex with the intensity of exposure of cyclists in Spain, between 1993 and 2009, in a global way and for subtypes of use. METHODS: From the distribution of cyclists passively involved in collisions with other vehicles included in the register of the Spanish General Traffic Directorate between 1993 and 2009, we have estimated the increase in intensity of exposure by age groups and sex, for global exposure and for subtypes of exposure (e.g. riding with or without a helmet, or riding on an open road or in urban areas), using males aged 45-49 as a reference. RESULTS: Males have a greater exposure than females and this difference increases with age, although it has tended to decrease in recent years. In both sexes the exposure is greater in young people and goes down with age, while in males the excess in young people has disappeared in recent years. Regarding subtypes of use, female underexposure riding on an open road should be highlighted, as well as overexposure in both women and extreme age groups among non-helmet users. CONCLUSION: There is a close association of age and sex with the intensity of bicycle use, which changes depending on the type of use and the time period considered. Consequently, estimations of the effect of factors affecting the accident rate and the morbidity and mortality of cyclists in Spain have to be adjusted by the age and sex of the cyclist.

Impact of a 'school-based' nutrition intervention on anthropometric parameters and the metabolic syndrome in Spanish adolescents.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: In adolescents, overweight and obesity are associated with an increased cardiovascular risk. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of a school-based nutritional education program (NEP) on lifestyle changes in Spanish adolescents. METHODS: We selected 263 secondary school students (127 males) aged 12-16 years from Granada (Spain), who were followed up throughout 1 school year (2009-2010). At the beginning and end of the school year, data were gathered on the food consumption frequency, and anthropometric and biochemical profile. The NEP comprised a class on nutritional recommendations every 15 days, and administration of a daily breakfast of 275-350 kcal. RESULTS: After the intervention, the prevalence of overweight and obesity decreased among both male and female students (p < 0.001) and there was also a global reduction in the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome (MS) from 32.2 to 19.7% (p < 0.001); in addition, body mass index was significantly decreased in normal weight, overweight and obesity groups (p = 0.001 and p = 0.02, respectively), and high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol and lean body mass was increased in all groups (p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: The NEP achieved a medium-term reduction in the prevalence of overweight and obesity and had a significant and positive effect on MS components in all groups.

Sperm chromatin structure assay and classical semen parameters: systematic review.

The present study is based on a PubMed search and compares the clinical validity of classical semen parameters (CSP) and the sperm chromatin structure assay (SCSA) in different clinical contexts. The PubMed database was searched using keywords on the sperm diagnostic test for pregnancy in three clinical scenarios: (i) couples attempting to conceive; (ii) couples who had been attempting to conceive for 12months without success; and (iii) couples treated with intrauterine insemination (IUI). There was a considerable heterogeneity among the studies included. For couples attempting to conceive following a SCSA that produced an abnormal result, the likelihood of male factor infertility ranged from a pre-test value of 7.5% to a post-test value of 32.1% [95% confidence interval (CI) 15.7-54.5], while after CSP with an abnormal result, the post-test probability was 17.3% (95% CI 11.8-24.5). For a pre-test prevalence of male factor infertility of 50%, the post-test probability of male factor infertility after an abnormal test is very similar for both SCSA and CSP. In couples treated with IUI, the clinical validity of SCSA is higher than that of sperm morphology alone, but not enough to introduce SCSA as a test in male infertility work-up.

[Effects of contrast, eccentricity and position in the detection of visual stimuli in humans]. / Efectos del contraste, excentricidad y posicion en la deteccion de estimulos visuales en humanos.

INTRODUCTION: Contrast, eccentricity and position of stimuli used on research of attention in human vision strongly vary among studies. AIM. To study how contrast, eccentricity and position affects detection of stimuli in humans. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: In adults with normal vision, we measured response times to stimuli (gray circles of 0.5 masculine of diameter) presented at random at eight polar coordinates, in three eccentricities with respect of fixation point (2.15, 3.83 and 5.53 masculine) and with three levels of contrast (6, 16 and 78%). RESULTS: Stimuli with eccentricity of 5.38 masculine and 6% of contrast showed the longest response times. In all eccentricities studied, longer response times were found with stimuli of 6% of contrast. Response times of stimuli of 16% and 78% of contrast showed similar response times in all eccentricities studied. Response times founded at eight polar coordinates were heterogeneous at eccentricities of 2.15 and 5.53 masculine, but not at 3.83 masculine. CONCLUSIONS: Contrast is the factor that most influence detection of visual stimuli used in this study, particularly at the biggest eccentricity employed. Response times among polar coordinates are also affected by eccentricities of 2.15 and 5.53 masculine, suggesting that distance of stimuli to fixation point is critical for visual detection of stimuli.

Efectos del contraste, excentricidad y posición en la detección de estímulos visuales en humanos / Effects of contrast, eccentricity and position in the detection of visual stimuli in humans

Introducción. Los estudios en humanos sobre percepción visual espacial tienen en común proyectar estímulos en laretina central, pero difieren notablemente en cuanto a su contraste, excentricidad y posición en el campo visual. Objetivo. Estudiar los efectos del contraste, excentricidad y posición en la detección de estímulos visuales presentados en la retina central humana. Sujetos y métodos. Se estudiaron los tiempos de respuesta, en personas con visión normal, a la presentación de estímulos (círculos grises de 0,5º de diámetro) presentados al azar en ocho coordenadas polares, con tres excentricidades (2,15,3,83 y 5,53º) y tres niveles de contraste (6, 16 y 78%). Resultados. Los estímulos presentados a 5,53º de excentricidad y contraste del 6% mostraron los tiempos de respuesta más elevados. Con este contraste, los tiempos de respuesta fueron mayores en todaslas excentricidades estudiadas. Por el contrario, con contrastes del 16 y 78%, los tiempos de respuesta fueron similares en las tres excentricidades. Para las ocho coordenadas polares, los tiempos de respuesta fueron homogéneos en la excentricidad de 3,83º y mostraron mayor variabilidad en las excentricidades de 2,15 y 5,53º. Conclusiones. De los tres factores analizados,el contraste es determinante en la detección de estímulos, especialmente en la excentricidad mayor. La posición también influye cuando los estímulos se presentan con excentricidades pequeñas o grandes, lo que sugiere que la distancia de los estímulos respecto al punto de fijación es crítica en la detección visual en este tipo de estudios

Introduction. Contrast, eccentricity and position of stimuli used on research of attention in human vision strongly vary among studies. Aim. To study how contrast, eccentricity and position affects detection of stimuli in humans. Subjects and methods. In adults with normal vision, we measured response times to stimuli (gray circles of 0.5º of diameter) presented at random at eight polar coordinates, in three eccentricities with respect of fixation point (2.15, 3.83 and 5.53º) and with three levels of contrast (6, 16 and 78%). Results. Stimuli with eccentricity of 5.38º and 6% of contrast showed the longest response times. In all eccentricities studied, longer response times were found with stimuli of 6% of contrast. Response times of stimuliof 16% and 78% of contrast showed similar response times in all eccentricities studied. Response times founded at eight polar coordinates were heterogeneous at eccentricities of 2.15 and 5.53º, but not at 3.83º. Conclusions. Contrast is the factor thatmost influence detection of visual stimuli used in this study, particularly at the biggest eccentricity employed. Response times among polar coordinates are also affected by eccentricities of 2.15 and 5.53º, suggesting that distance of stimuli to fixationpoint is critical for visual detection of stimuli

La variabilidad de los tratamientos dentales en una población militar española y su importancia para la estimación de la probabilidad de identificación dental / The diversity of dental clinical features in an Spanish military population and its implications for dental identification

La identificación dental se consigue cuando del procesode comparación de los datos dentales antemortem y postmortemse concluye que existen coincidencias suficientes, yninguna discrepancia absoluta, que permitan al odontólogoforense alcanzar un grado de certeza suficiente para establecerla identidad entre el cadáver y los datos clínicos dentalesdel paciente. Sin embargo, una de las principales dificultadescon las que se encuentra la identificación dental es la escasezde datos epidemiológicos sobre la distribución de frecuenciasde las diversas situaciones clínicas (patologías y tratamientos),para cada pieza dentaria en poblaciones de distintoorigen, por lo que no es posible, hasta el momento presente,estimar el grado de probabilidad en una identificacióndental. Con la finalidad de contribuir al conocimiento de ladiversidad de las distintas situaciones clínicas dentales de lapoblación española, se ha desarrollado una base de datoscon las características clínicas de cada pieza dentaria en unapoblación militar que comprende un total de 2091 individuos.Se presentan los resultados encontrados, empleando un sistemade codificación detallado y otro genérico, de los posiblestratamientos dentales y se obtienen conclusiones sobrelas frecuencias y distribución de las patologías y tratamientosdentales. Se concluye la importancia de la existencia deestas bases de datos para la estimación de la probabilidad deidentificación dental(AU)

Dental identification is established when dentalantemortem data are compared to postmortem dental chartsand a high number of coincidences are found. Moreover, if anydiscrepancies are detected, they have to be explained.Therefore, they are some limitations to achieving a consistentdental identification probability due to the fact that there arenot enough epidemiological data bases about dentaltreatments or dental pathologies for each tooth obtained fromdifferent origin populations where we could estimateaccurately the likehood ratio for a dental identification. In orderto contribute to a better understanding of dental characteristicsin Spain, a dental data base from an Spanish military populationhas been constructed. A codification system has beendeveloped and 2091 cases have been introduced into thesystem. Results presented in this paper shown the frequenciesand distributions of dental treatments and pathologies in thepopulation explored. It is concluded that it is of greatimportance the development of those dental data bases forapplication on estimation of probabilities for dentalidentification(AU)

[Adverse drug reactions in patients visiting a general hospital: a meta-analysis of results]. / Reacciones adversas a medicamentos en pacientes que acudieron a un hospital general: un meta-análisis de resultados.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to present the results of a meta-analysis on adverse drug reactions (ADR) in spanish patients admitted to hospital and presenting to emergency department over the past 20 years. PATIENTS AND METHODS: An exhaustive review was undertaken of relevant articles in the IME (Spanish Medical Index) and MEDLINE databases and published between 1985 and 2006, rigorously selecting 12 out of 30 publications after applying inclusion and exclusion criteria. Information was required on: symptomatology, prognosis, type, drugs involved, imputability and admissions for ADR; and factors associated with ADR onset, e.g., age, sex, number of drugs, previous history of ADR, method used for ADR detection, and length of study period. A random-effects model (DerSimonian and Laird) and the STATA 9.1 programme were used for the meta-analysis. RESULTS: The combined estimation of the percentage of Spanish patients with ADR was 13% (95% CI); with severe ADR, 12 % (95% CI) and with fatal ADR, 0.1% (95% CI). ADR diagnosis was definite in 36% (95% CI), probable in 49.6% (95% CI), and type A in 71% (95% CI) of cases. Among patients in the Emergency Department for ADR, 5.1% (95% IC) were hospitalized. No association was found with number of prescriptions or previous history. Association was established with advanced age and female sex. Digestive, skin, nervous and cardiovascular systems were those most affected by ADR. The drugs most frequently implicated included NSAIDs, digoxin, IACE, calcium antagonists, furosemide, i.v. metamizol, antidiabetics, benzodiazepines, adrenergic bronchodilators and classic antipsychotics. CONCLUSIONS: ADRs constitute a major medical and economic problem with aspects that have yet to be defined. Greater efforts are warranted to unify criteria for the publication of results in observational studies on ARD and to determine the role played by some factors associated with their onset, e.g., sex, previous history and comorbidities.

Variables del comportamiento en la anorexia infantil: propuesta de una escala de valoración / Variables in the behaviour of infant anorexia: Proposal for a scale of evaluations

Objetivo: Determinar los factores asociados conla anorexia infantil y construir un instrumento de valoraciónde fácil aplicación para su discriminación.Material y método: Se estudiaron 220 niños deedades entre 2 y 4 años, 30 con trastorno grave dela conducta alimentaria, 40 con trastorno leve y 150sanos. Se elaboró una escala compuesta por 91items agrupados en 16 subescalas, valorándoseconducta alimentaria y factores del comportamientodel niño, actitud de los padres ante la alimentacióndel niño y aspectos relacionales y emocionales entreambos.Resultados: La consistencia interna de las subescalasosciló entre 0,63 y 0,90, con unas correlacionesentre clases de 0,95-0,99. El análisis factorialeliminó 12 items; los 79 items restantes quedarondistribuidos en 27 nuevas subescalas, las cuales establecíandiferencias entre los tres grupos. Mediantela discriminación lineal de Fisher la escala quedó reducidaa 22 items, consiguiéndose un nivel muy altode clasificaciones correctas.Conclusión: Se propone una escala de fácil aplicaciónpara detectar precozmente la anorexia infantil

Objetive: To determine de factors related to infantanorexia, to construct an instrument of evaluationseasy to apply and which would facilitate the discriminationthereof.Material and method: 220 children between 2and 4 years were examined, 30 of which had seriousdisorder of eating habits, 40 with slight disorder and150 were completely sane. A scale composed of 91items was produced and assembled into 16 subscales,in which the following was evaluated: eating habits,factors in the behaviour of the child, parents´actitude towards the nourishment of the child andthe emotional aspects and relationship betweenboth.Results: The internal consistency on the subscalesranged from 0,63 to 0,90, with correlations betweenclasses of 0,95-0,99. The factorial analysis eliminated12 items, the remaining 79 items were distributedinto 27 new subscales, which set up the differencesbetween the groups. By means of Fisher´slineal discrimination, the scale was reduced to 22items obtaining thus a high level of correct classifications.Conclusion: A scale which is easy to apply is hereproposed in order to detect infant anorexia at anearly stage (AU)

Prevalencia de malos tratos en mujeres que consultan al médico de familia / Prevalence of domestic violence among women consulting their family doctors

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Atención Primaria asignada y uso de la urgencia hospitalaria / Primary Care pattern and hospital emergency department use

Objetivos: Analizar la relación existente entre el tipo de Atención Primaria que el paciente tiene asignada (centro de salud o centro no reconvertido) y el uso de un Servicio de Urgencias Hospitalario. Métodos: Diseño: estudio transversal. Período de estudio: 1 noviembre2000 a 31 octubre 2001. Entorno: Área de Urgencias del Hospital Médico Quirúrgico 'Ruiz de Alda', Granada. Población de estudio: Muestra aleatoria estratificada por semanas y días de todos los usuarios del servicio de urgencias, mayores de 14 años y pertenecientes a la población de referencia. Se recogió información sobre variables demográficas, hora y forma de acceso a la urgencia, tipo, características y utilización de la atención primaria asignada, modalidad de derivación a urgencias, motivo de consulta y adecuación de la urgencia. Se han calculado OR crudas, estratificadas y ajustadas para estudiar la asociación entre tipo de atención primaria: Centro de Salud o Centro No Reconvertido y la inadecuación de la consulta a urgencias. Resultados y conclusión: La atención primaria en centros no reconvertidos se asoció con una frecuencia de uso inadecuado de la urgencia1,27 veces mayor que la atención en centros de salud (IC95%=1,01-1,59). Esta asociación aumentó al estratificar por determinadas variables, siendo más elevada en los estratos ligados a una mayor utilización de los servicios de atención primaria, lo que podría suponer mejor capacidad resolutiva para los centros de salud respecto a los centros no reconvertidos (AU)

Aims: To analyze the relationships between Primary Care Pattern(reformed health centre or traditional ambulatory centre) and the utilization of the Hospital Emergency Department. Methods: Design: Cross sectional study. Study period: From November1, 2000 to October 31, 2001. Setting: Emergency Department, Granada Hospital Ruiz de Alda. Study population: Radon sample stratified by week and day of the week chosen between all patients 14 years and oldest attended at the Emergency Department. Variables: Socio-demographic characteristics, time and reasons of the attending, pattern of primary care assigned, frequency and type of primary care consultation, whether patients attended on the own initiative or they are referral by primary care physicians, and if the ED use is appropriate based on explicit criteria. We estimated the crude and stratified odds ratio between primary care pattern and inappropriate use of the ED. Results and Conclusion: Primary care in traditional ambulatory centres was associated with greater frequency of inappropriate ED use (OR1.27; IC95%=1.01-1.59). This figure increased when data were stratified by other variables. The bigger associations were for population strata with high service utilization. This could meant reformed primary care centre have better decisive ability (AU)

Comparing the likelihood ratios of two binary diagnostic tests in the presence of partial verification.

The comparison of the efficiency of two binary diagnostic tests requires one to know the disease status for all patients in the sample, by applying a gold standard. In two-phase studies the gold standard is not applied to all patients in a sample, and the problem of partial verification of the disease arises. At present, one of the approaches most used for comparing two binary diagnostic tests are the likelihood ratios. In this study, the maximum likelihood estimators of likelihood ratios are obtained. The tests of hypothesis to compare the likelihood ratios of two binary diagnostic tests when both are applied to the same random sample in the presence of verification bias are deduced, and simulation experiments are performed in order to investigate the asymptotic behaviour of the tests of hypothesis. The results obtained have been applied to the study of Alzheimer's disease.

[Use of the Goldberg General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) to detect psychosocial problems in the family physician's office]. / Utilización del Cuestionario General de Salud de Goldberg (GHQ-28) en la detección de los problemas psicosociales en la consulta del médico de familia.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the usefulness of the 28-item Goldberg General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) in identifying psychosocial problems, and to determine how the questionnaire scores are related to stressful life events (SLE), use of health services, and individual variables (age, sex, employment status, socioeconomic group, and educational level). DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Almanjayar Health Center in the city of Granada, Southern Spain. PARTICIPANTS: 314 patients more than 18 years of age, selected by systematic sampling at an on-demand health center. MAIN MEASURES: Each patient completed the GHQ-28 during the course of a personal interview, and scores of 8 or higher were considered to indicate psychosocial problems. Score on the Social Readjustment Rating Scale of Holmes and Rahe (stressful life events during the previous year) was also recorded, as were socioeconomic group, educational level, employment status and use of services (number of visits to the doctor during the previous year). All variables were subjected to descriptive analysis and their associations with the GHQ-28 score were tested with the chi-squared test. Multivariate analysis was used to identify categories that showed an independent association with high scores on the GHQ-28. RESULTS: The variables associated with a greater likelihood of psychosocial problems were female sex (OR, 2.15; CI, 1.14-4.04) and high levels of stress (OR, 2.65; CI, 1.50-4.68). Both showed a statistically significant association with the GHQ-28 score after multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: The GHQ-28 is a potentially useful instrument to detect psychosocial problems in the family physician's office, and can aid in the subsequent identification and qualitative evaluation of patients.

Utilización del Cuestionario General de Salud de Goldberg (GHQ-28) en la detección de los problemas psicosociales en la consulta del médico de familia / Use of the Goldberg General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) to detect psychosocial problems in the family physician's office

Objetivo. Analizar el valor del Cuestionario General de Salud de Goldberg de 28 ítems (GHQ-28) para identificar problemas psicosociales (PPS), relacionándolo con los acontecimientos vitales estresantes (AVE), la utilización de servicios y las variables individuales (edad, sexo, actividad, nivel socioeconómico y cultural).Diseño. Estudio transversal. Emplazamiento. Centro de Salud de Almanjayar, Granada. Participantes. Un total de 314 pacientes mayores de 18 años seleccionados por muestreo sistemático en consulta a demanda. Mediciones principales. Cada paciente realizó una entrevista y cumplimentó el GHQ-28 (las puntuaciones 8 se consideraron indicativas de problemas psicosociales), y se valoraron la Escala de Reajuste Social de Holmes y Rahe (acontecimientos vitales estresantes en el último año), el nivel socioeconómico, el nivel cultural, la actividad y la utilización de los servicios sanitarios (número de consultas en el último año). Se realizó un análisis descriptivo de cada variable y su asociación con el GHQ-28 mediante el test de la 2. Para determinar qué categorías se asociaban de manera independiente con las puntuaciones altas de GHQ se hizo un análisis multivariable. Resultados. Las variables estudiadas que se asocian con mayor probabilidad de presentar problemas psicosociales son el sexo femenino (odds ratio [OR] = 2,15; intervalo de confianza [IC] del 95 por ciento, 1,14-4,04) y la presencia de altos niveles de estrés (OR = 2,65; IC del 95 por ciento, 1,50-4,68), que mantendrían una relación estadísticamente significativa con las puntuaciones del GHQ una vez se han tenido en cuenta todas las variables. Conclusiones. GHQ puede ser un buen detector de problemas psicosociales en la consulta del médico de familia y ayudar a la posterior identificación y estudio cualitativo de los pacientes (AU)

Influence of age, sex, and hepatitis C virus infection on peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets in stable kidney transplantation.

BACKGROUND: Young age and hepatitis C virus infection (HCVI) are believed to be risk factors in kidney transplantation recipients. The first group is treated empirically with an intensive immunosuppressive regimen, because it is considered to have high immune alloreactivity. The other cohort usually receives a less intensive regimen to avoid excessive immunosuppressive effects. Our aim was to investigate the influence of age, sex, and HCVI on immune status in stable kidney transplant recipients through measurement of peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets. METHODS: Absolute CD3+, CD3+, CD4+, CD3+, CD8+, CD19+, CD16+ CD3- lymphocyte counts and CD4/CD8 ratios were assessed at five time points in 65 stable kidney allograft patients over 12 months. The subsets were compared according to age, sex, and HCVI of the recipients. RESULTS: An inverse association was observed between recipient age and absolute CD19+ and CD3+ CD4+ lymphocyte counts, which was significant at all time points with respect to CD19+ counts, and at three time points with respect to CD3+ CD4+ counts. A significant positive association was observed between recipient age and absolute CD3- CD16+ lymphocyte counts at three time points. Female recipients showed significantly lower CD3+ CD8+ counts and significantly higher CD4/CD8 ratios than male recipients at four time points. HCVI recipients showed significantly lower CD16+ CD3- counts at four time points. CONCLUSIONS: We observed links between immune status and age, sex and HCVI in stable kidney transplant recipients that could offer new insights into recommendations for maintenance immunosuppression.