Sedentary behaviour patterns and arterial stiffness in a Spanish adult population - The EVIDENT trial.

OBJECTIVE: Arterial stiffness is a contributor to the development of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. The aim of the study was to analyse the relationship between sedentary behaviour and arterial stiffness in a Spanish adult population. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 1365 subjects belonging to the EVIDENT project. Physical activity and sedentary behaviour were measured objectively over 7 days using ActiGraph accelerometers. Thresholds of 10 consecutive minutes were used to estimate the daily sedentary time in bouts ≥10 min. Each interruption in sedentary time (counts/min ≥100) was considered a break. Arterial stiffness was evaluated using the B-pro device through the following indicators: radial Augmentation Index (rAIx), Ambulatory Arterial Stiffness Index (AASI), and central and peripheral pulse pressure (PP). RESULTS: We found a positive relationship between central and peripheral pulse pressure (office, 24 h, awake and sleep PP) and total sedentary time. These arterial stiffness parameters were also associated with sedentary time in bouts ≥10 min. Significance disappeared in both cases, however, after adjusting for MVPA and breaks per sedentary hour. Adults who reported fewer breaks per sedentary hour (25th percentile < 2 n/day) had higher levels of AASI, awake and sleep PP. CONCLUSIONS: In a medium-sized sample of adult attenders of community clinics our data showed that it seems to be important to avoid prolonged uninterrupted periods of sedentary time.

A new automated flow cytometry data analysis approach for the diagnostic screening of neoplastic B-cell disorders in peripheral blood samples with absolute lymphocytosis.

Currently, multiparameter flow cytometry immunophenotyping is the selected method for the differential diagnostic screening between reactive lymphocytosis and neoplastic B-cell chronic lymphoproliferative disorders (B-CLPD). Despite this, current multiparameter flow cytometry data analysis approaches still remain subjective due to the need of experienced personnel for both data analysis and interpretation of the results. In this study, we describe and validate a new automated method based on vector quantization algorithms to analyze multiparameter flow cytometry immunophenotyping data in a series of 307 peripheral blood (PB) samples. Our results show that the automated method of analysis proposed compares well with currently used manual approach and significantly improves semiautomated approaches and, that by using it, a highly efficient discrimination with 100% specificity and 100% sensitivity can be made between normal/reactive PB samples and cases with B-CLPD based on the total B-cell number and/or the sIgkappa+/sIglambda+ B-cell ratio. In addition, the method proved to be able to detect the presence of pathologic neoplastic B-cells even when these are present at low frequencies (<5% of all lymphocytes in the sample) and in poor-quality samples enriched in 'noise' events.

Banco público de sangre de cordón umbilical / A public cord blood bank. Programs for related and unrelated transplantation

La sangre de cordón umbilical (SCU) ofrece una fuente rica de células progenitoras hematopoyéticas para trasplante de médula ósea (TMO). En el año 1996 comenzó en nuestro Hospital un programa relacionado de Banco De SCU. Este programa permite que familias con un niño que padece una enfermedad tratable con TMO almacene la SCU de un hermano por nacer para su futuro uso. En este tabajo presentamos nuestra experiencia de más de 8 años. Uno de nuestros objetivos ha sido comparar retrospectivamente carecterísticas de los donantes y unidades de SCU según el tipo de parto (vaginal Vs. cesárea). Desde marzo de 1996 hasta noviembre de 2004 se inscribieron 106 familias. Características de las unidades: volumen colectado 113 más o menos 36 ml; volumen preservado 76 más menos 28 ml; células nucleadas totales 10 más menos 5 por 108 cél.; células CD34 más 2,41 más menos 2,31 por 106 cél. La dosis de células nucleadas fue mayor a 2 por 107 por Kg. de receptor para el 93 por ciento de las unidades almacenadas. Las colectas provenientes de partos por cesárea no difieren significativamente de los partos vaginales. Recientemente, el programa no relacionado ha sido aprobado y recibió apoyo financiero del Ministerio de Salud de la Nación para adquirir nuevo equipamiento. Este programa tiene como objetivo colectar y preservar unidades de SCU donadas de manera altruista, que quedan disponibles para su uso en TMO alogeneicos en pacientes que no poseen otro donante compatible. El funcionamiento de este Banco nos permitirá aumentar la oferta internacional de unidades con perfil HLA latinoamericano hispano, escaso en los registros existentes en la actualidad.