Cerebral blood flow abnormalities in neurologically asymptomatic patients with primary antiphospholipid syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate cerebral blood flow abnormalities in primary antiphospholipid syndrome (PAPS) patients without ongoing neurological manifestations. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We included 28 PAPS patients and 28 healthy controls. Carotid Doppler ultrasound, and echocardiographic evaluation were done. Transcranial Doppler ultrasonography measured mean flow velocity (MFV) in the carotid siphon, middle, anterior, posterior, intracranial vertebral arteries, and basilar artery (11 cerebral arteries). Results were considered abnormal when the MFV was out of the normal range according to age and/or flow asymmetry and/or more than four arterial segments affected. RESULTS: The mean age of patients was 41.4 ± 11.2 and 39.3 ± 8.6 years in controls. Disease duration was 11 ± 2.7 years. A significant increase in MFV in 7/11 cerebral arteries in PAPS patients, mainly in the middle and anterior cerebral arteries was found compared with controls. A significant association between lupus anticoagulant, history of stroke and obesity with a greater number of affected arteries was found. We did not find an association between MFV and abnormal echocardiography, arterial hypertension and carotid intima-media thickness. CONCLUSIONS: Asymptomatic patients with PAPS can have significantly increased MFVs. These alterations may be the consequence of accelerated atherosclerosis, PAPS vasculopathy or both. Whatever the cause, these findings can represent a risk for stroke in PAPS patients that needs the trial of other therapeutic options.

[Staging gastritis with the OLGA system: prevalence of advanced stages of gastric atrophy in Mexican patients]. / Estadificación de la gastritis con el sistema OLGA; prevalencia de estadios avanzados de atrofia gástrica en pacientes mexicanos.

INTRODUCTION: Gastric adenocarcinoma of intestinal type is preceded by inflammation, which produces mucosal atrophy and intestinal metaplasia, progressing eventually to dysplasia and invasive cancer. Recently an international group, the Operative Link on Gastritis Assessment (OLGA) proponed a staging system for gastric biopsies. OBJECTIVE: To recognize the distribution of advanced stages of gastric mucosal atrophy in Mexican patients with dyspepsia according to the OLGA system. METHODS: We apply the OLGA system for cancer risk (Stages 0 to IV) to 322 gastric biopsies from consecutive patients with dyspepsia. Using the Sydney protocol, we recorded the presence of atrophy, dysplasia and the relationship with ulcer disease. We report the stage of atrophy for each region and the Helicobacter pylori infection status. RESULTS: We documented 72 (22.4%) cases with atrophy, 50 of them (69.4%) were metaplastic-type. Overall, nine biopsies (2.78%) were stage III (all of them with metaplastic-type atrophy) and there was not stage IV cases. We did not find high-grade dysplasia or intramucosal carcinoma. In 8 of subjects with stage III, we observed low-grade dysplasia. We documented gastric ulcer in 5 patients with stage II, 60% of them with associated low-grade dysplasia. Five patients with duodenal ulcer were found in stages 0 and I. CONCLUSIONS: We found low prevalence of advanced stages of mucosal gastric atrophy among patients with dyspepsia. However we recognized 9 patients with stage III according to OLGA system worthy of follow-up because the high risk for developing gastric cancer.

[Concordance between pathologists in the diagnosis of gastric atrophy according with the OLGA system]. / Concordancia en el diagnóstico de atrofia gástrica entre patólogos según el sistema OLGA.

BACKGROUND: The intestinal gastric cancer is preceded by a sequence of pathological changes whose link is mucosal atrophy. The modified Sydney system for atrophy is a parameter not reproducible among pathologists. AIM: To know the interobserver variability using the OLGA system (Operative Link on Gastritis Assessment). METHODS: We selected 116 histologic slides. Sixty cases of both types of atrophy and 56 without atrophy were included. Three general pathologists, interested in gastrointestinal biopsies independently review the slides and established a diagnosis. For statistical analyses we employed singles frequencies in order to describe the individual diagnosis and the kappa test for evaluate the concordance between 2 and 4 observers with 2 and 3 categories. RESULTS: The global concordance has a kappa index of 0.48 (IC 95% 0.4-0.57). When we compared two pathologists the kappa index varies from 0.82(IC 95% 0.73-0.91) to 0.36 (IC 95% 0.22-0.5). The consensus among three pathologists was achieved in 25 out 30 slides in the metaplastic variety and 11 out 30 for the non-metaplastic type. The concordance for the atrophy scale has a kappa index between 0.2 and 0.5. CONCLUSION: The problematic atrophic evaluation with the Sydney system justify every effort to improve the interobserver evaluation. The OLGA system seems reproducible, although laborious,it requires a careful application, but with daily practice it could be applied easier. The clinician acceptation becomes crucial.

[Assessment of the knowledge of GINA in physicians of different levels of attention]. / Evaluación del conocimiento de la GINA en médicos de diferentes niveles de atención.

BACKGROUND: Asthma has a growing prevalence all over the world. GINA guidelines had improved diagnostic and therapeutic asthma approach, but it is not enough. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the knowledge about GINA in physicians of first, second and third care level. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: Physicians working in first, second and third care level, from medical units related to the Centro Medico Nacional La Raza answered a 19 items questionnaire about GINA. Results were analyzed with Kruskal-Wallis, Pearson's correlation and U of Mann-Whitney tests. RESULTS: We included 179 physicians with an age average of 43 years; 99 or them were 99 females and 80 males. According to medical specialty, Allergy and Immunology had 145 points; Pneumology, 136; Pediatrics, 122; Family Medicine, 81 and Internal Medicine, 78. We found a statistical difference between these specialties (p < 0.0001). Doctors from third and second care level had a higher and significative scoring than first care level colleagues (p < 0.005). We did not find differences between labor years, working schedule and gender with GINA knowledge scoring. CONCLUSIONS: There are differences in GINA knowledge between medical specialties and care level.