Jaccoud's Arthropathy Secondary to Leprosy.

Jaccoud's arthropathy is a deforming, non-erosive form of arthritis initially described in patients with rheumatic fever. However, it has been recently observed more frequently in those with systemic lupus erythematosus. Cases of Jaccoud's arthropathy have also been described to be associated with other conditions.

Restless Legs Syndrome in Dialysis Patients: Does the Dialysis Modality Influence Its Occurrence and Severity?

Background: Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is more prevalent in chronic kidney patients than in the general population, but it is often diagnosed late and its predictors are unknown.

Purpose: To diagnose RLS in a group of chronic kidney patients on dialysis, determine its frequency and severity, compare the prevalence and severity of the condition among dialytic modalities, and identify possible predictive factors in this population.

Methods: An observational and cross-sectional study with 326 patients who had been on dialysis for more than 3 months, 241 on hemodialysis (HD) and 85 on automatic peritoneal dialysis (APD), using the criteria established by the International Study Group on RLS for the diagnosis and the RLS Rating Scale to determine its severity.

Main mental disorders in crack-cocaine users treated at Psychosocial Care Centers for Alcohol and Drugs in the city of Recife, Brazil.

Introduction:: Brazil's Northeast region has the highest crack-cocaine consumption in the country. Crack-cocaine has more intense effects than cocaine powder and can cause greater chemical dependence. Psychosocial Care Centers for Alcohol and Drugs (CAPSad) are public health services that provide treatment for drug dependence.

Noninvasive positive pressure ventilation after extubation: features and outcomes in clinical practice.

Objective: To describe post-extubation noninvasive positive pressure ventilation use in intensive care unit clinical practice and to identify factors associated with noninvasive positive pressure ventilation failure.

Methods: This prospective cohort study included patients aged ≥ 18 years consecutively admitted to the intensive care unit who required noninvasive positive pressure ventilation within 48 hours of extubation. The primary outcome was noninvasive positive pressure ventilation failure.

Noninvasive positive-pressure ventilation in clinical practice at a large university-affiliated Brazilian hospital.

Objectives: To describe noninvasive positive-pressure ventilation use in intensive care unit clinical practice, factors associated with NPPV failure and the associated prognosis.

Methods: A prospective cohort study.

Results: Medical disorders (59%) and elective surgery (21%) were the main causes for admission to the intensive care unit.

Green tea polyphenols inhibit testosterone production in rat Leydig cells.

This study investigated the acute effects of green tea extract (GTE) and its polyphenol constituents, (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) and (-)-epicatechin (EC), on basal and stimulated testosterone production by rat Leydig cells in vitro. Leydig cells purified in a Percoll gradient were incubated for 3 h with GTE, EGCG or EC and the testosterone precursor androstenedione, in the presence or absence of either protein kinase A (PKA) or protein kinase C (PKC) activators. The reversibility of the effect was studied by pretreating cells for 15 min with GTE or EGCG, allowing them to recover for 1 h and challenging them for 2 h with human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), luteinizing hormone releasing hormone (LHRH), 22(R)-hydroxycholesterol or androstenedione.