Posttransplantation anemia: relationship with inflammatory markers, oxidation, and prohepcidin levels.

BACKGROUND: Anemia frequently occurs after kidney transplantation, its origin is multifactorial. The objective of this study was to evaluate the frequency of anemia among kidney transplantation patients at 3 months after transplantation and its relationship to inflammatory, oxidative, and nutritional states. Furthermore, we determined serum prohepcidin, a precursor of hepcidin, the main hormone implicated in iron metabolism. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a transverse retrospective study in 130 patients who underwent kidney transplantation, including 89 men and 41 women. Patients were randomized according to the presence or absence of anemia at 3 months. The patients' inflammatory, oxidative, and nutritional states were evaluated as well as renal function and serum prohepcidin at 3 months. RESULTS: Twenty-four percent of the patients developed anemia at 3 months after transplantation. These patients presented with a greater inflammatory state, a poor nutritional status, and poor renal function. Serum prohepcidin was significantly lower compared with the transplantation patients who did not show anemia. CONCLUSIONS: Serum prohepcidin was significantly higher among kidney transplantation patients who did not develop anemia. The inflammatory state may be a determinant of the response to treatment with erythropoiesis-stimulating agents in anemic kidney transplant recipients.

De novo depression and anxiety disorders and influence on adherence during peginterferon-alpha-2a and ribavirin treatment in patients with hepatitis C.

BACKGROUND: Depression and anxiety have been associated with interferon treatment and low treatment adherence. AIM: To study the incidence and associated risk factors of depressive and anxiety disorders during pegylated interferon plus ribavirin and treatment adherence in a prospective cohort of 176 patients with chronic hepatitis C patients. METHODS: Patients were interviewed at baseline using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Mental Disorders and the Patient Health Questionnaire and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale were completed. Both questionnaires were completed also after 4, 12 and 24 weeks of treatment. RESULTS: De novo depressive and/or anxiety disorders were diagnosed in 53 (36%) patients, in whom antidepressants and/or anxiolytics were administered. Higher baseline depression-subscale score (OR = 27.8, 95% CI = 2.82-333), primary education level (OR = 3.1, 95% CI = 1.40-7.03) and being an immigrant (OR = 3.2, 95% CI = 1.12-9.47) were predictors of psychiatric disorders during anti-viral therapy. The percentage of patients with good adherence was lower in those with depression and/or anxiety (79% vs. 90%, P < 0.04). Only one patient (1%) discontinued treatment because of a major depressive episode. Depression and/or anxiety disorders had no effect on attainment of sustained virological response. CONCLUSION: Early detection and treatment of depressive and anxiety disorders favours good adherence to anti-viral treatment in hepatitis C.

Reduction in the prevalence and intensity of infection in Onchocerca volvulus microfilariae according to ethnicity and community after 8 years of ivermectin treatment on the island of Bioko, Equatorial Guinea.

Bioko is the only island known in the world with endemic onchocerciasis. The island's rural communities consist of villages and cocoa plantations inhabited by Bubi and Fang ethnic groups. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of 8 years of vertical ivermectin distribution on the prevalence and intensity of Onchocerca volvulus infection in the rural population by means of pre- (1989) and post-long term treatment (1998) epidemiological surveys. In both surveys, the entire population of 12 randomly selected communities (1723 and 1082 individuals) was examined. The mean ivermectin therapeutic coverage for the 8 years was 53.2%. Iliac crest skin snips were used for differential diagnosis between O. volvulus and Mansonella streptocerca. The crude O. volvulus infection prevalence before ivermectin intervention was 74.5% (1284/1723); after the intervention it was 38.4% (415/1082). The Community Microfilarial Load (CMFL) before and after ivermectin intervention was 28.29 microfilariae/snip vs. 2.32 microfilariae/snip. The reduction in prevalence and CMFL after eight annual rounds of ivermectin treatment corroborates the drug microfilaricidal activity and good tolerability. In the pre-treatment survey, the prevalence was higher in the Bubi group (77.1%, 1126/1461); post-treatment it was higher among the Fang (51.1%, 92/180). The reduction in prevalence and intensity of O. volvulus infection differed between ethnic groups and communities.

[Normal mandibular opening with articular block. Review of incidental findings]. / Apertura mandibular normal con bloqueo articular. Revisión a partir de un hallazgo casual.

After observing the existence of a case of articular blockade and normal aperture, we must ask ourselves if we can diagnose all such articular blockade following this example as a guide to predict articular blockades.

[Plastic facial prosthesis]. / Prótesis plástica facial.

Patients, who present severe facial defects, become the most disturbing challenge of prosthodontia. In this cases, with extensive loose of substance, some times other therapies, are contraindicated. In this paper, we review the procedures to make facial prostheses.

[Determination of kinesiographic parameters in phonation]. / Determinación de patrones kinesiográficos en la fonacíon.

We have registered mandibular movements produced during the reading of a text in spanish with a Sirognathograph in a random sample of 71 subjects, aged between 24 and 35, on the three planes of space. The obtained curves have allowed to measure 7 variables in order to define the characteristics of mandibular movements during speech. The results demonstrate that determinant planes for this purpose are sagittal and frontal.

Initiation, changes in use and effectiveness of highly active anti-retroviral therapy in a cohort of injecting drug users.

The prevalence of anti-retroviral therapy (ART) use over time and the incidence of AIDS in a cohort of HIV-seroconverting injecting drug users (IDUs) were assessed by means of a hospital-based study of IDUs with a well documented date of HIV infection. Use of ART and clinical endpoints were assessed by hospital records. Three calendar periods (before 1992, 1992-6 and 1997-2000) were defined as corresponding to modalities of ART available. Prevalence of ART usage in each calendar period, changes in medication and, hazard of AIDS in patients reaching the same duration of HIV infection at different calendar periods were analysed. In total, 132 IDUs with a median age of 23 years at seroconversion were followed up for 6.8 years (median) (range 0.2-15.7). At the end of the study, 58 patients (44%) had developed AIDS. Before the introduction of highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) 12% of patients were on ART. Starting in 1997, an increasing proportion were receiving HAART with a prevalence of 39.5% by January 2000. Taking 1992-6 as the reference category the relative hazard of AIDS during 1997-2000 was 0.42 (95% CI, 0.1-1.1) (P = 0.09). A 40% penetration of HAART in a cohort of IDUs with known dates of seroconversion resulted in a 58 % reduction of the hazard of AIDS.

[Removable partial denture. A variation on the gauge used in design]. / Prótesis parcial removible. Una variación de la galga utilizada en diseño.

In this article we describe a modification of the gauge of the surveyor in such a way that we can measure the height of the retention arms' slide area over the abutment teeth, in order to obtain the same height in the reciprocal arm slide area to avoid the jiggle movements of the abutment teeth during the removal and insertion.

Liberación de mercurio por parte de las obturaciones de amalgama dental: tipo, cantidad, método de determinación y posibles efectos adversos / No disponible

Las obturaciones dentales de amalgama constituyen la fuente principal de exposición permanente de bajo nivel al vapor de mercurio (Hg°) y al mercurio inorgánico (Hg(II)) para la población general. La dosis de mercurio absorbido procedente de la amalgama es de 2.7 μg/día/persona para una cantidad promedio de 7.4 obturaciones. Si esta cantidad consistiera enteramente en mercurio inorgánico (Hg(II)), estaría muy por debajo de la cifra de 15 μg/día para una persona de 65 kg que la OMS considera como ingesta tolerable de mercurio inorgánico. En el caso de una exposición permanente a la misma cantidad, pero de vapor de mercurio (Hg0), se obtendría una concentración de 0.18 mg/m3 que puede compararse con la concentración de referencia de la EPA de 0.3 mg/m3 o con el nivel de riesgo mínimo de la ATSDR de 0.2 mg/m3. Varios estudios clínicos longitudinales y aleatorizados han evaluado la relación entre la concentración urinaria de mercurio y la exposición al mercurio procedente de las obturaciones dentales de amalgama en niños, particularmente vulnerables al Hg0, así como los posibles efectos neurológicos de tal exposición. La concentración promedio de mercurio en orina en los niños tratados con amalgama, con un promedio de 18,7 superficies obturadas, aumentó hasta un pico de 3.2 μg/L a los 2 años de iniciado el tratamiento y a los 7 años de seguimiento había descendido hasta los niveles basales y no se detectó ninguna alteración en las distintas exploraciones de monitorización neuropsicológica. De la misma manera, diversas investigaciones epidemiológicas no han aportado ninguna evidencia del papel de la amalgama en la posible causa o exacerbación de trastornos degenerativos como la esclerosis lateral amiotrófica, la enfermedad de Alzheimer, la esclerosis múltiple o el Parkinson. La extracción de las obturaciones de amalgama produce un aumento transitorio de los niveles de mercurio en sangre inmediatamente después de extraer las obturaciones de amalgama, pero de pequeña magnitud y que se normaliza a los 100 días, por lo que el efecto del dique de goma tiene una relevancia toxicológica menor. La conclusión de esta revisión es que la amalgama dental continúa siendo un excelente material de obturación (AU)

No disponible