Factores de riesgo en población no VIH con tuberculosis en Uruguay / Risk factors in non-HIV population with tuberculosis in Uruguay / Fatores de risco na população não-HIV com tuberculose no Uruguai

Resumen: Objetivo: Describir las características de la población de personas de 18 años o más con tuberculosis (TB) no coinfectadas con Virus de la Inmunodeficiencia Humana (VIH) en Uruguay en el período del 1 de enero de 2016 al 31 de diciembre de 2017. Métodos: Se obtuvieron los datos de la base de datos anonimizada del registro nacional de TB perteneciente a la Comisión Honoraria de Lucha Antituberculosa y Enfermedades Prevalentes (CHLA-EP) para todos los casos de TB bacteriológicamente confirmada en el período del 1/1/16 al 31/12/17. Se excluyó a todos los individuos menores de 18 años y a todos aquellos con diagnóstico positivo para el VIH. Se clasificó a dichos individuos según el sector del sistema de salud de pertenencia. Se analizó la frecuencia y proporción de variables reconocidas como vinculadas a la enfermedad para cada subgrupo. Resultados: Se registraron 1129 casos. La tasa de incidencia de TB para la población de 18 años o más no infectada por el VIH fue de de 21,8 casos cada 100.000 habitantes para el año 2016. Se observó una proporción de factores de riesgo relacionados al medio socioeconómico de 43,8% del total de la población; estos predominaron en el sector público con un 57,4%. La pérdida de seguimiento para el sector público fue de 12,8%, mientras que en el sector privado fue de 3,0%. Se vió un porcentaje de fallecimiento de 38,8% entre los desocupados. Conclusiones: Los factores de riesgo socioeconómicos predominaron en el sector público de salud. Dentro de estos, la desocupación fue la de mayor proporción y se asoció con mayor porcentaje de fallecimiento y pérdida de seguimiento como resultado de tratamiento con respecto a la población general. La mayoría de los casos presentaron la forma pulmonar, y dentro de la extrapulmonar la más frecuente fue la pleural.

Abstract. Objective: To describe the characteristics of the population with tuberculosis (TB), over the age of 18, without HIV infection in Uruguay in the period between January 1st, 2016 and December 31st, 2017. Methods: Data of TB cases confirmed by sputum culture between 1/1/16 and 12/31/17 was obtained from the anonymized data base of the national register of TB, which belongs to CHLA-EP. Individuals younger than 18 or with HIV infection were excluded. Patients included in this study were organized in two groups according to the following criteria: belonging to public health care and belonging to private health care. Frequency and proportion of different variables related to TB were analyzed in those groups. Results: 1129 cases were analyzed. The incidence rate of TB amongst the population of non-HIV uruguayans over the age of 18 was 21.8 per 100,000 in 2016. Risk factors related to socioeconomic status were observed in a proportion of 43.8% of the total population; these were more prevalent within the subpopulation that received public health care, with a proportion of 57.4%. Loss of follow-up for the public health care sector was seen in 12.8% of cases, while the private sector presented 3.0%. The percentage of death among the unemployed was of 38.8%. Conclusion: Socioeconomic risk factors were predominantly superior among patients belonging to public health services. Moreover, unemployment was the most frequent factor within that category, and those who presented this factor had higher percentage of death and loss of follow up as the final outcome of treatment, compared to the general population. Pulmonary tuberculosis was the most frequent clinical form, followed by tuberculosis pleurisy as the main form of extra pulmonary tuberculosis.

Resumo: Objetivo: Descrever as características da população de 18 anos ou mais de idade com tuberculose (TB) não co-infectada pelo Vírus da Imunodeficiência Humana (HIV) no Uruguai no período de 1 de janeiro de 2016 a 31 de dezembro de 2017. Métodos: Os dados foram obtidos do banco de dados anonimizado do registro nacional de TB pertencente à Comissão Honorária de Tuberculose e Doenças Prevalentes (CHLA-EP) para todos os casos de TB bacteriologicamente confirmada no período de 1/1/16 a 31/12/17. Todos os indivíduos com menos de 18 anos e todos com diagnóstico positivo de HIV foram excluídos. Esses indivíduos foram classificados de acordo com o setor do sistema de saúde dos membros. A frequência e proporção de variáveis reconhecidas como ligadas à doença para cada subgrupo foram analisadas. Resultados: 1129 casos foram registrados. A taxa de incidência de TB na população de 18 anos ou mais de idade não infectada pelo HIV foi de 21,8 casos por 100.000 habitantes até 2016. Foi observada uma proporção de fatores de risco relacionados ao ambiente socioeconômico de 43,8. % da população total; estes predominaram no setor público com 57,4%. A perda de acompanhamento para o setor público foi de 12,8%, enquanto no setor privado foi de 3,0%. Uma taxa de mortalidade de 38,8% foi observada entre os desempregados. Conclusões: Os fatores de risco socioeconômico predominaram no setor de saúde pública. Entre eles, o desemprego foi a maior proporção e foi associado a um maior percentual de óbitos e perda de seguimento como resultado do tratamento em relação à população em geral. A maioria dos casos apresentava a forma pulmonar e, na extrapulmonar, a mais frequente era a pleural.

Spontaneous clearance of chronic hepatitis C is rare in HIV-infected patients after effective use of combination antiretroviral therapy.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the rate of spontaneous resolution of chronic hepatitis C (CHC) infection in a cohort of HIV-infected patients. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 509 HIV-infected patients with chronic HCV infection was performed at two reference hospitals in Andalusia. The main variable of the study was spontaneous clearance of CHC, defined as a negative HCV RNA result after at least two previous quantitative measurements of HCV RNA separated by a minimum of 12 months. RESULTS: Of 509 patients, 3 (0.59%; 95% CI: 0.15%-1.6%) experienced spontaneous clearance of CHC. After combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) initiation, two of three cases experienced an increased CD4+ count, coinciding with HCV viral clearance. All patients were IL28B CC carriers, 2 were co-infected with HCV genotype 3 (the HCV genotype of the remaining patient was not available). CONCLUSIONS: Spontaneous clearance of CHC is a rare event in the context of HIV/HCV co-infected patients and may be associated with the effective use of cART and thus HIV suppression.

Liver stiffness predicts variceal bleeding in HIV/HCV-coinfected patients with compensated cirrhosis.

BACKGROUND: A liver stiffness below 21 kPa has a high negative predictive value to exclude the presence of esophageal varices at risk of bleeding in HIV/hepatitis C virus (HCV)-coinfected patients. Consequently, upper gastrointestinal endoscopy (UGE) for the screening of esophageal varices could be avoided in these patients. However, this strategy has not been widely accepted due to concerns about its safety. OBJECTIVE: To assess the ability of liver stiffness to predict the risk of portal hypertensive gastrointestinal bleeding (PHGB) in HIV/HCV-coinfected patients with compensated cirrhosis. METHODS: Prospective study of 446 HIV/HCV-coinfected patients with a new diagnosis of cirrhosis and no previous decompensation. All patients underwent a UGE for the screening of esophageal varices at entry in the cohort before November 2009. From this date, UGE was not recommended in patients with liver stiffness below 21 kPa. The time from diagnosis of cirrhosis to the emergence of PHGB was evaluated. RESULTS: After a median (quartile1-quartile3) follow-up of 49 (25-68) months, 15 (3.4%, 95% confidence interval 1.7-5%) patients developed a first PHGB episode. In all cases, baseline liver stiffness was at least 21 kPa. Thus, the negative predictive value of a liver stiffness below 21 kPa to predict PHGB during follow-up was 100%. At the time of the bleeding episode, liver stiffness was above this threshold in all patients. CONCLUSIONS: Liver stiffness identifies HIV/HCV-coinfected patients with compensated cirrhosis with a very low risk of PHGB. In fact, no individual with liver stiffness below 21 kPa developed this outcome. Our results confirm that UGE can be safely spared in patients with liver stiffness below 21 kPa.

Estudio de la estructura genética poblacional del S Mutans en niños / Update: study of the population genetic structure of S Mutans in children

Streptococcus mutans ha sido identificado como el principal agente etiológico de la caries dental. A pesar los avances en la odontología preventiva, continúa siendo una de las enfermedades mediadas por el biofilm más prevalentes en el ser humano. Si bien en lo últimos años su prevención se ha centrado en la implementación de medidas como el control de placa o la aplicación de flúor, el estudio de las características genéticas propiedades y composición del biofilm ha hecho que aparezcan nuevos conocimientos sobre la etiología y prevención de dicha patología. Es por esto que el objetivo de este estudio es realizar una puesta al día actualizada sobre la distribución de los distintos serotipos de S. mutans y su relación con la caries dental en la población infantil (AU)

Streptococcus mutans has been identified as the main etiological agent related to dental caries. Despite the development of preventive dentistry, dental caries is still regarded as one of the most prevalent biofilm-mediated human diseases. Although its prevention has been focused on measures such as plaque control or fluoride application, research on biofilm properties, genetic characteristics and composition has caused new knowledge about etiology and prevention of this patology. The aim of this research is to develop an update about the distribution of different serotypes of S. mutans and its association with dental caries in children (AU)

Detection of archaeological forgeries of Iberian lead plates using nanoelectrochemical techniques. The lot of fake plates from Bugarra (Spain).

Identification of forgeries is of considerable interest in studies of archaeological signariums and written Iberian artifacts, elements of capital importance for the knowledge of that culture, because there are many Iberian inscribed lead plate counterfeits circulating in the market and among many museum funds. A case study of identification of forgeries of archaeological lead using voltammetry of microparticles (VMP) and scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM), aided by conventional optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM/EDX) is described. The electrochemical methods are essentially non-invasive so can be applied to samples of nanoscopic size. Application to the authentication of five lead plates found in the archaeological site of Los Villaricos-Torralba (Bugarra, Spain) is described.