Combining Pentoxifylline With Vedolizumab for Crohn's Disease: Results of a Randomised, Placebo-controlled Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The efficacy of current biologics may be limited by targeting only one pathway. Pentoxifylline [PTX] interferes with tumour necrosis factor [TNF] gene expression. We performed a randomised, placebo-controlled pilot study to determine if PTX plus vedolizumab [VDZ] in patients with Crohn's disease [CD] is safe and improves response compared with VDZ monotherapy. METHODS: Thirty adult patients with active CD were randomised to VDZ/PTX or VDZ/placebo and followed for 24 weeks. Endoscopic activity and inflammatory cytokines were measured at baseline and Week 24. Descriptive statistics were used to determine estimates of effect. RESULTS: Demographics were similar but baseline disease activity was higher in the VDZ/PTX group. There was no difference in clinical remission at Week 14 (60.0% vs 66.67%, odds ratio [OR] 0.76, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.16, 3.51) or steroid-free clinical remission at Week 24 in patients receiving VDZ/PTX. Improved clinical response was noted in the VDZ/PTX group at Weeks 6, 14, and 24 [Week 6: 20% vs 6.67%, Week 14: 26.67% vs 6.67%, Week 24: 40% vs 20%]. The rate of endoscopic remission was similar between the groups [40% vs 33.33%], with a greater mean decrease in Simple Endoscopic Score-CD [SES-CD] and C-reactive protein [CRP] with VDZ/PTX [SES-CD -3.17 vs -0.15, CRP -5.56 vs 0.46]. An increase in serum TNF-α concentration was observed with VDZ/placebo group; PTX mitigated this effect. No serious adverse events occurred. CONCLUSIONS: VDZ/PTX did not provide benefit over VDZ monotherapy in clinical or endoscopic remission but appeared to improve clinical response and was safe. These data should inform a fully powered study.

Situación laboral de odontólogos egresados de la Universidad de Antioquia antes y durante la pandemia por la COVID-19, periodo 2015(1)-2019(2) / Labor situation of dentists graduated from the Universidad de Antioquia before and during the pandemic COVID-19, period 2015(1)-2019(2)

Objetivo: reconocer y determinar las condiciones laborales de los odontólogos de la Facultad de Odontología de la Universidad de Antioquia en las cohortes de egresados del periodo 2015(1)-2019(2), antes y durante la pandemia por la COVID-19. Métodos: estudio descriptivo transversal abordado a partir de una muestra representativa de 142 odontólogos. Esta fue obtenida de las bases de datos proporcionadas por el Observatorio Estudiantil de dicha facultad. Resultados: se encontró que durante la pandemia el 13,5% de encuestados perdió su empleo, el 75% manifestó reducción en su salario y el 10,5% interrumpió su afiliación al régimen de prestaciones sociales. Conclusiones: si bien, la situación laboral de los odontólogos antes de la pandemia por la COVID-19 era precaria, esta se agravó durante la misma en los aspectos que ya venían siendo críticos en relación con temas salariales y prestacionales, en específico el tipo de contratación, los tiempos de inserción laboral, la duración de los contratos y la afiliación a la seguridad social y al régimen prestacional.

Objective: to recognize and determine the working conditions of the dentists of the Faculty of Dentistry of the University of Antioquia in the 2015(1)-2019(2) cohorts of graduates before and during the Covid-19 pandemic. Methods: cross-sectional descriptive study approached from a representative sample of 142 dentists obtained from the databases provided by the Student Observatory of that faculty. Results: it was found that during the pandemic 13.5% of respondents were unemployed, 75% reported a reduction in salary and 10,5% interrupted their affiliation to the social benefits system. Conclusions: although the employment situation of dentists before the Covid-19 pandemic was precarious, these deteriorating conditions worsened during the pandemic in aspects that were already critical in relation to salary and benefits: type of contract, time of employment, duration of contracts, affiliation to the social security and benefits system.

Reclassifying Pseudopolyps in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Histologic and Endoscopic Description in the New Era of Mucosal Healing.

INTRODUCTION: In this study, we identify the frequency of pseudopolyps (PPs) with normal histology and their association to surrounding tissue. METHODS: Patients were enrolled in a study identifying endoscopic characteristics of PPs (n = 29) or were collected as part of our IBD biobank (n = 16). Statistical analysis included Stata v.15.0. chi-square and Student t-test. RESULTS: A total of 45 patients with 117 PP biopsies were identified. More patients with healed PP were in endoscopic remission compared with those with inflammatory PP (82.6% vs 17.4%, respectively). CONCLUSION: This is the first study to find mucosal healing of PPs and its association with deep remission.

Evaluation of PTA-derived ruthenium(II) and iridium(III) quinoline complexes against chloroquine-sensitive and resistant strains of the Plasmodium falciparum malaria parasite.

Cationic 1,3,5­triaza­phosphaadamantane (PTA) quinoline ruthenium(II) and iridium(III) complexes were successfully synthesized and characterized using standard spectroscopic and analytical techniques. The complexes were evaluated for their in vitro antiplasmodial activities against the chloroquine-sensitive (CQS) NF54 and chloroquine-resistant (CQR) K1 strains of the Plasmodium falciparum species of the malaria parasite and were found to exhibit good activities in the sensitive strain but moderate activities in the resistant strain, suggesting a resistance mechanism similar to chloroquine (CQ). Selected samples were screened for their ability to inhibit synthetic haemozoin formation and were found to be inhibitors with similar activity to CQ. The complexes also exhibit moderate to low cytotoxicity when evaluated against the Chinese Hamster Ovarian (CHO) cell-line in vitro, suggesting selectivity towards the malaria parasite rather than mammalian cells.

Effects of internal rigid fixation on mandibular development in growing rabbits with mandibular fractures.

PURPOSE: The aim of this research was to determine whether rigid internal fixation interferes with mandibular growth and development in growing New Zealand white rabbits with induced mandibular fractures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ten 3-month-old New Zealand white rabbits were included in the study. Surgical fractures were performed in the right mandibular bodies of the 10 rabbits. These fractures were reduced with internal rigid fixation by use of a 1.0-mm titanium system, taking the contralateral left mandibular bodies as the control group. We obtained radiographs preoperatively and at 1, 2, and 3 months postoperatively. Predetermined cephalometric points were used to measure and compare jaw growth. The protocol was approved by the Bioethics Committee of Universidad El Bosque, Bogotá, Colombia. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences between the experimental and control groups (P = .95). Mandibular growth in the studied rabbits was not affected by the use of internal rigid fixation. CONCLUSIONS: The use of internal rigid fixation for the treatment of induced mandibular fractures in growing rabbits did not alter the normal process of growth and development. The findings of this study should lead to investigations using larger samples and to long-term prospective follow-up studies of children who have undergone open reduction and internal rigid fixation.