Impact of medical comorbidity and risk of death in 680 patients with alcohol use disorders.

Background: The association between alcohol use disorders and increased risk of mortality is well known; however, there have been few systematic evaluations of alcohol-related organ damage and its impact on survival in younger alcoholics. Therefore, we assessed medical comorbidity with a clinical index to identify subgroups of alcoholic patients at high risk of premature death.

Methods: Hospital-based cohort of alcohol-dependent patients admitted for detoxification between 1999 and 2008 in Barcelona, Spain.

[Gender and liver, nutritional and metabolic alterations of severe alcoholism: a study of 480 patients].

Background And Objective: To analyze gender differences in the hepatic, nutritional and metabolic complications associated with alcoholism.

Patients And Methods: Cross-sectional study in alcoholic patients admitted to detoxification in two university hospitals of Barcelona between 1999 and 2006. During admission, co-morbidity prior to admission was assessed and blood samples to analyze biological markers were collected.

[Diversity of Legionella pneumophila in cooling towers: coculture kinetics and virulence studies].

Background: Legionella pneumophila (L. pneumophila) was isolated from three cooling towers involved in three community outbreaks of Legionnaireś disease. Each cooling tower had two different chromosomal DNA subtypes.

Hepatitis B virus serum profiles in injection drug users and rates of immunization over time in Barcelona: 1987-2006.

Unlabelled: Injection drug users are at increased risk for hepatitis B. Surveillance of the unexposed to infection and of the vaccinated is necessary to understand the impact of interventions. We aimed to analyze HBV serum profiles and rates of HBV vaccination over 20 years.

Differences in virological response to pegylated interferon and ribavirin between hepatitis C virus (HCV)-monoinfected and HCV-HIV-coinfected patients.

Background: Suboptimal doses of ribavirin have been suggested to explain the diminished efficacy of pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN) plus ribavirin in hepatitis C virus (HCV)-HIV-coinfected patients.

Methods: A cohort of 104 coinfected patients and an age-, sex- and genotype-matched cohort of HCV-monoinfected patients (n = 104) were compared. All patients received PEG-IFN-alpha2a 180 microg/week plus ribavirin 800-1,200 mg daily (HCV genotype 2/3 patients received 800 mg daily and those with genotype 1/4 received 1,000-1,200 mg daily) for 48 weeks (24 weeks for monoinfected patients with genotypes 2/3).

Accuracy of simple biochemical tests in identifying liver fibrosis in patients co-infected with human immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis C virus.

Background & Aims: We assessed the ability of 3 simple biochemical tests to stage liver fibrosis in patients co-infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV).

Methods: We analyzed liver biopsy samples from 324 consecutive HIV/HCV-positive patients (72% men; mean age, 38 y; mean CD4+ T-cell counts, 548 cells/mm(3)). Scheuer fibrosis scores were as follows: 30% had F0, 22% had F1, 19% had F2, 23% had F3, and 6% had F4.

Fatal fast-evolution of nasopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma in an HIV patient with EBV and HPV (-16 AND -33) in blood serum.

Our case illustrates the first report of an HIV-infected patient with a nasopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma with viremia by one Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and seropositivity by two high risk oncogenic human papilloma viruses (HPV)-types (HPV-16 and HPV-33), previous to his death. This patient presented a fatal fast-evolution.

[Asymmetric dimethylarginine as cardiovascular risk factor].

The amino acid L-arginine is the substrate for endothelial nitric oxide synthesis. The endothelium is capable of producing asymmetric dimethylargine (ADMA) (L-arginine methylated). ADMA is able to compete with L-arginine in nitric oxide (NO) production and inhibits oxide nitric synthase activity.

Genotypic variability and persistence of Legionella pneumophila PFGE patterns in 34 cooling towers from two different areas.

Genotypic variability and clonal persistence are important concepts in molecular epidemiology as they facilitate the search for the source of sporadic cases or outbreaks of legionellosis. We studied the genotypic variability and persistence of Legionella pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) patterns over time (period > 6 months) in 34 positive cooling towers from two different areas. In area A, radius of 70 km, 52 indistinguishable PFGE patterns were differentiated among the 27 cooling towers.

Liver enzyme alterations in HCV-monoinfected and HCV/HIV-coinfected patients.

Unlabelled: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the most common blood-borne infection in developed countries and co-infection with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is frequent in individuals with history of injecting drug use (IDU).We aimed to analyze liver transaminases in HCV monoinfected and HCV/HIV co-infected patients to assess the effect of HIV infection on liver enzyme elevations.We studied 429 current IDUs admitted to substance abuse treatment (82.

Association between HIV replication and cholesterol in peripheral blood mononuclear cells in HIV-infected patients interrupting HAART.

Background: Cellular cholesterol is essential for HIV replication and may control HIV spread. HIV, in turn, appears to control cholesterol metabolism.

Objectives: To describe the relationships between serum lipids, cellular cholesterol and viral replication during highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) interruption.

Highly active antiretroviral therapy and incidence of cervical squamous intraepithelial lesions among HIV-infected women with normal cytology and CD4 counts above 350 cells/mm3.

Objectives: To provide evidence for the long-term effect of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) on the incidence of cervical squamous intraepithelial lesions (SILs) among HIV-positive women with normal cytology test and CD4 count above 350 cells/mm(3).

Patients And Methods: A retrospective cohort study was carried out in HIV-positive women with two consecutive normal cervical cytological tests (Papanicolaou test) and at least one subsequent test, without previous cervical history of SIL or cancer diagnosis, and with an immunological status >350 CD4 cells/mm(3). The patients were divided into two groups: treated with HAART (HAART group) or not treated with HAART (NO-HAART group), during the period of time between cytology tests included in the survival analysis and time until SIL.

[Clinical, echocardiographic and prognostic evaluation of atrial fibrillation in patients with heart failure].

Background And Objective: We aimed to assess the prevalence of atrial fibrillation (AF) in a general heart failure (HF) population admitted to a HF unit, analyze the parameters associated with AF, and evaluate its prognostic significance.

Patients And Method: 389 patients, 64 with AF at the first visit. Mean (SD) age was 65.

Evolution of cervical cytologic changes among HIV-infected women with normal cytology in the HAART era.

The influence of HAART on the evolution to cervical squamous intraepithelial lesions (SIL) among HIV(+) women with a normal cytological test in the HAART era was studied. A retrospective cohort study (1997-2005) of HIV-infected women treated with HAART was conducted. Those with a normal cervical cytology (Papanicolaou test) and at least one subsequent test were included.

Survival of HIV-infected injection drug users (IDUs) in the highly active antiretroviral therapy era, relative to sex- and age-specific survival of HIV-uninfected IDUs.

Background: In the era of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), it remains unclear whether human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected injection drug users (IDUs) have durations of survival similar to those for comparable HIV-uninfected IDUs. The goal of this study was to compare survival durations of HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected IDUs for the period 1987-2004.Methods.

Impact of copper and silver ionization on fungal colonization of the water supply in health care centers: implications for immunocompromised patients.

Copper and silver ionization is a well-recognized disinfection method to control Legionella species in water distribution systems in hospitals. These systems may also serve as a potential indoor reservoir for fungi. The prevalence of fungi was significantly lower in ionized than in nonionized water samples from health care facilities.

Does heart failure therapy differ according to patient sex?

Objectives: To assess differences in clinical characteristics, treatment and outcome between men and women with heart failure (HF) treated at a multidisciplinary HF unit. All patients had their first unit visit between August 2001 and April 2004.

Patients: We studied 350 patients, 256 men, with a mean age of 65 +/- 10.

Streptococcus pneumoniae and Legionella pneumophila pneumonia in HIV-infected patients.

We compared the epidemiological data, clinical features and mortality of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) by Streptococcus pneumoniae and Legionella in HIV-infected patients and determined discriminative features. An observational, comparative study was performed (January 1994 to December 2004) in 15 HIV patients with CAP by Legionella and 46 by S. pneumoniae.

Community-acquired legionella pneumonia in elderly patients: characteristics and outcome.

Objectives: To compare the risk factors, clinical and laboratory features, and outcome of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) caused by Legionella pneumophila in elderly (aged > or =65) and younger patients.

Design: Prospective enrollment of subjects with retrospective data analysis.

Setting: A 630-bed tertiary center in Badalona (Barcelona), Spain.

Hospital-acquired legionnaires disease in a university hospital: impact of the copper-silver ionization system.

We evaluated the impact of the copper-silver ionization system in a hospital where hyperendemic nosocomial legionellosis and was present and all previous disinfection measures had failed. After implementation of the copper-silver ionization system, environmental colonization with Legionella species decreased significantly, and the incidence of nosocomial legionellosis decreased dramatically, from 2.45 to 0.