Role of chemerin in the control of glucose homeostasis.

Chemerin is an adipokine produced by the white adipose tissue and other tissues, which plays various roles in the pathogenesis of inflammatory and metabolic diseases in multiple organs. The present review aims at gathering scientific evidence reported in the last ten years, concerning the relationship of chemerin with alterations of glycaemic control, such as insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes and gestational diabetes in humans. Although the vast majority of the studies have shown a positive correlation between the chemerin level and a bad glycaemic control, a general consensus has not been reached. The reported results come from case-control and observational longitudinal studies, thereby limiting their interpretation. In fact, it cannot be stated whether insulin resistance and diabetes lead to an increase in chemerin levels or, on the contrary, if high levels of chemerin contribute to an impaired glycaemic control. Elevated levels of circulating chemerin are also associated with gestational diabetes mellitus. Chemerin gene polymorphisms could be proposed as mediators of glucose-related diseases. Nevertheless, to date very little is known about their implication in glucose metabolism. With regard to the mechanisms of action, chemerin impairs insulin cascade signaling by acting on several proteins of this cascade and by inducing inflammation.

Has the adipokine profile an influence on the catch-up growth type in small for gestational age infants?

Infants born small for gestational age (SGA) are at increased risk of perinatal morbidity, persistent short stature, and metabolic alterations in later life. Moreover, the post-natal growth pattern of SGA infants may be an important contributor to health outcomes later in life, which can be influenced by adipokines. The aims of this study were to compare plasma adipokine profiles (leptin, adiponectin, vaspin, chemerin, and nephroblastoma overexpressed (NOV/CCN3)) among SGA newborns aged 3 months, with low, normal, or high catch-up, to search for potential differences between males and females and to analyze the evolution of several adipokines in plasma from SGA newborns between 3 and 24 months. This prospective, longitudinal study was addressed in SGA Caucasian subjects at Hospital Universitario de Álava-Txagorritxu. We observed that infants with fast catch-up showed significantly lower birth weight than the other two groups. As far as adipokines are concerned, they could have an influence on catch-up type because differences among the three experimental groups were found. It may be proposed that health prognoses in infants with slow and fast catch-up are opposite, not only in adulthood but also during their first months. Finally, adipokine evolution patterns during the first 24 months of age differ, depending on the adipokine, and 24-month-old males show lower levels of leptin, adiponectin, and omentin than females.

Antipsicóticos atípicos en pacientes ancianos con demencia: la polémica continúa / Atypical antipsychosis drugs in elderly patients with dementia: the polemic continues

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[Resistance to antiretroviral therapy]. / Resistencias al tratamiento antirretroviral.

OVERVIEW: After some time under treatment, HIV+ patients have a virologic failure rate of 50%, being development of resistance to therapy responsible for up to 80% of the virologic failure. In addition, resistance rates in naive patients is around 10% in developed countries. Inherent characteristics of HIV (replication cycle, viral subtype), of patients (therapy compliance, intra-/interindividual variability, genetic polymorphisms), and of therapy (genetic barrier to drug resistance, inhibitory ratio, drug interactions) are the factors involved in the development of resistance, and their interpretation requires to be studied. Resistance identification will be carried out using genotypical and/or phenotypical methods, and their adequacy has been validated by various expert panels on resistance. The role of the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic monitoring of antiretroviral therapy is also crucial within the field of resistance, and concerns us directly as pharmacists. Finally, understanding the resistance patterns of currently available or experimental antiretroviral drug families will provide the necessary tools to prevent and/or manage their development. OBJECTIVES: To know and understand the mechanisms and patterns of resistance for each antiretroviral family. To identify factors involved in the development of resistance to ART, and to interpret various resistance tests. SEARCH STRATEGY: Studies were identified using Medline, the Cochrane database of systemic reviews, abstracts from international meetings on AIDS, Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, international meetings on resistance to antiretrovirals, and product monographs from January 1999 to February 2004. SELECTION CRITERIA: To be eligible, studies had to describe viral genome mutations responsible for resistance or hypersusceptibility to ART in relation to precipitating factors. Papers describing resistance identification techniques were also selected. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: In all, 1,083 full articles and 64 abstracts and communications at international meetings were retrieved, of which 74 articles and 20 abstracts met the inclusion criteria for our review. PRIMARY RESULTS: Of the 94 reports selected, 86 discussed factors involved in the development of resistance and resistance test interpretation. The remaining 8 reports focused on resistance patterns to the various antiretroviral drug families. Every article described the enzymatic mechanisms induced by mutations responsible for resistance or hypersusceptibility to each antiretroviral family, the classification and nomenclature for each mutation, and the influence of each mutation on the success or failure of patient treatment. REVIEWER S CONCLUSIONS: Knowledge of the mechanisms and patterns of resistance to each antiretroviral family will allow us to overall understand the evolution and outcome of treatment for any given patient. Only thus shall we be able to play an integral role in the therapy of patients.

[Assessing an automated dispensation system in the emergency department of a level III-hospital]. / Evaluación de un sistema automático de dispensación en el Servicio de Urgencias de un hospital de tercer nivel.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this work was to describe and to assess an automated drug dispensing system in the emergency department of a level-III hospital. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sequential implementation of PyxisA(R) commenced in July 2001 in a number of Emergency areas. The addition of a Medanalistâ system speeds up the evaluation of generated information. Analysed variables were classified as: a) logistic: workload distribution; b) financial: cost per emergency patient attended; c) number of pharmaceutical procedures. Statistical descriptors were analysed using the SPSS 10.0 software. RESULTS: 1. Logistic: increased workload in PD and decreased Emergency staff calls. 2. Financial: Consumption in the emergency department was reduced by 12% in 2001. In addition, the number of applications for drugs not included within the hospital formulary decreased. CONCLUSION: The main benefit of this system is the information it provides on drug use. However, the fact that this projectâs implementation increased workload in our department, and that a definitive set-up would require a pharmacy assistant staff member should be considered. Regarding this memberâs work, at least a half-day commitment during implementation stages would be needed to direct this change in mentality. Once the system is set up, time is needed to review and monitor previous day activities, and to analyse generated information monthly.