[Analysis of pre-ablative and preoperative thyroglobulin in differentiated thyroid cancer].

Background: The measurement of plasma thyroglobulin (Tg) is widely used in the monitoring of differentiated thyroid cancer (CDT). In recent years, its value as a prognostic marker prior to ablation with radioiodine has increased, demonstrating its high negative predictive value. Recent studies indicate that a wide variety of factors could potentially influence pre-ablative Tg values, including residual tumor burden and stimulation modality.

Prevalence and mortality of heavy drinkers in a general medical hospital unit.

This study was performed in order to analyse the prevalence, clinical characteristics and mortality of heavy drinkers among hospitalized patients during a 2-year period. Chronic excessive alcohol consumption (daily intake >80 g of ethanol for males and >40 g for females) was found in 278 of 2913 hospital admissions and was strongly associated with the male sex (90.69%).

[The efficacy of antiretroviral treatment in patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection. A study of 807 patients].

Background: The natural history of HIV infection and its related diseases has changed after the introduction of new potent antiretroviral therapies (HAART). We have performed this study to analyse in our hospital the natural history of HIV infection in relation to the therapeutics advances.

Patients And Methods: We have exhaustively revised the clinic records of all the 807 adult HIV-infected patients followed at the HUC from January 1985 to December 1999.

Relative and combined effects of ethanol and protein deficiency on bone histology and mineral metabolism.

This study was performed to analyze the relative and combined effects of ethanol and protein deficiency on bone histology and mineral metabolism in 4 groups of 7 animals each which were pair-fed during 8 weeks with 1) a nutritionally adequate diet; 2) a 36% (as energy) ethanol containing isocaloric diet; 3) a 2% protein, isocaloric diet; and 4) a 36% ethanol 2% protein isocaloric diet, respectively, following the Lieber-DeCarli model. Another group of five rats were fed ad libitum the control diet. The first and second lumbar vertebrae were removed after sacrifice, and processed for histomorphometrical analysis of undecalcified bone samples.