[Estimates of Target Population for Pneumococcal Vaccination in People over 50 years in Catalonia and Spain].

Objective: Published data about prevalence of distinct risk condictions for pneumococcal disease is scarce. This study investigated the prevalence of distinct risk conditions for pneumococal disease in Catalonian adults and stimated the potential size of target population for pneumococcal vaccination in Catalonia and Spain.

Methods: Cross-sectional population-based study that included 2,033,465 individuals older than 49 years-old assigned to the Catalonian Health Institute (Catalonia, Spain) at 01/01/2015.

[Incidence and mortality of ischaemic stroke among people 60 years or older in the region of Tarragona, Spain].

Background: Population-based data available about the epidemiology of acute myocardial infarction is limited. This study investigated incidence and mortality from infarction among the general population over 60 years in Tarragona.

Methods: Cohort study that included 27,204 individuals ≥60 years assigned to nine Primary Care Centers in the Tarragones county (Catalonia, Spain), who were prospectively followed between 01/12/2008 and 30/11/2011.

Incidence and risk conditions of ischemic stroke in older adults.

Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate incidence and mortality from ischemic stroke in older adults with specific underlying chronic conditions, evaluating the influence of these conditions in developing stroke.

Materials & Methods: Population-based cohort study involving 27,204 individuals ≥60 years old in Southern Catalonia, Spain. All cases of hospitalization from ischemic stroke (confirmed by neuro-imaging) were collected from 01/12/2008 until 30/11/2011.

[Incidence and lethality of ischaemic stroke among people 60 years or older in the region of Tarragona (Spain), 2008-2011].

Introduction: Data available about the epidemiology of stroke is limited. This study investigated incidence and lethality of ischaemic stroke among the general population over 60 years in the region of Tarragona.

Patients And Methods: Population-based cohort study that included 27,204 individuals >= 60 years assigned to nine Primary Care Centers in the Tarragones county (Catalonia, Spain), who were prospectively followed between December 1st, 2008 and November 30th, 2011.

Oxidative stress markers in predicting response to treatment with ferric carboxymaltose in nondialysis chronic kidney disease patients.

Background: Nearly half of all non-dialysis chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients respond to iron therapy. Factors affecting anemia response to iron therapy are not well characterized. Oxidative stress (OS) is a recognized factor for anemia in CKD and promotes erythropoiesis stimulating agent (ESA) resistance; however, the influence in predicting response to intravenous (IV) iron has not been evaluated.

Effect of ferric carboxymaltose on serum phosphate and C-terminal FGF23 levels in non-dialysis chronic kidney disease patients: post-hoc analysis of a prospective study.

Background: Some parenteral iron therapies have been found to be associated with hypophosphatemia. The mechanism of the decrease in serum phosphate is unknown. The aim of this study is to examine the effect of IV ferric carboxymaltose(FCM) on phosphate metabolism and FGF23 levels in patients with chronic kidney disease(CKD).

Oxidative stress and other risk factors for white matter lesions in chronic hemodialysis patients.

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and promotes oxidative tress (OS), which has been implicated in the pathogenesis of white matter lesions (WML), a form of small-vessel cerebrovascular disease. The relationship between OS and WML in chronic hemodialysis (HD) patients has not yet been studied.

Methods: We studied 67 chronic HD patients, aged 40 - 65 years (average 54 years) without known cerebrovascular disease.

Acute and sub-acute effect of ferric carboxymaltose on inflammation and adhesion molecules in patients with predialysis chronic renal failure.

Background: Treatment with parenteral iron causes oxidative stress, inflammation and endothelial dysfunction. Ferric carboxymaltose (FCM) is a new preparation of non-dextran iron which, due to its pharmacokinetics and stability, may induce less toxicity than other iron molecules. The aim of this study was to analyse the effect of FCM on inflammation and adhesion molecules in chronic kidney disease (CKD).

In pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma blood concentrations of some organochlorine compounds and coffee intake are independently associated with KRAS mutations.

While KRAS activation is a fundamental initiating event in the aetiopathogenesis of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA), environmental factors influencing the occurrence and persistence of KRAS mutations remain largely unknown. The objective was to test the hypothesis that in PDA there are aetiopathogenic relationships among concentrations of some organochlorine compounds (OCs) and the mutational status of the KRAS oncogene, as well as among the latter and coffee intake. Incident cases of PDA were interviewed and had blood drawn at hospital admission (N = 103).

Psychopathology and personality traits in psychotic patients and their first-degree relatives.

Personality dimensions have been associated with symptoms dimensions in schizophrenic patients (SP). In this paper we study the relationships between symptoms of functional psychoses and personality dimensions in SP and their first-degree relatives (SR), in other psychotic patients (PP) and their first-degree relatives (PR), and in healthy controls in order to evaluate the possible clinical dimensionality of these disorders. Twenty-nine SP, 29 SR, 18 PP, 18 PR and 188 controls were assessed using the temperament and character inventory (TCI-R).

Correcting serum concentrations of organochlorine compounds by lipids: alternatives to the organochlorine/total lipids ratio.

Introduction: When studying the effects of organochlorine compounds (OCs) on human health it is common to correct serum concentrations of OC by total lipids (TL). However, the relationship between serum OCs and serum TL is far from established in many diseases, including several cancers. Our aim was to analyze the relationship between serum OC and TL in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA), and to explore several alternatives to perform the OC lipid correction.

Influence of tumor stage, symptoms, and time of blood draw on serum concentrations of organochlorine compounds in exocrine pancreatic cancer.

Background: Knowledge is scant on the relationships between pathophysiologic processes common during cancer progression and changes in blood concentrations of organochlorine compounds (OCs).

Objective: To analyze the influence of tumor stage, cancer symptoms, and time of blood extraction on serum concentrations of OCs in exocrine pancreatic cancer (EPC).

Methods: Subjects were 144 incident cases of EPC prospectively recruited in eastern Spain.

Lifetime history of alcohol consumption and K-ras mutations in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

Background: In pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA), evidence on the etiopathogenic role of alcohol consumption in the occurrence of K-ras mutations is scant, and the role of alcohol in pancreatic carcinogenesis is not well established. We analyzed the relation between lifetime consumption of alcohol and mutations in codon 12 of the K-ras oncogene in patients with PDA.

Methods: Incident cases of PDA were prospectively identified and interviewed face-to-face during hospital admission about lifetime alcohol consumption and other lifestyle factors.

Staphylococcus epidermidis: a differential trait of the fecal microbiota of breast-fed infants.

Background: Breast milk is an important source of staphylococci and other bacterial groups to the infant gut. The objective of this work was to analyse the bacterial diversity in feces of breast-fed infants and to compare it with that of formula-fed ones. A total of 23 women and their respective infants (16 breast-fed and 7 formula-fed) participated in the study.

Exocrine pancreatic cancer clinical factors were related to timing of blood extraction and influenced serum concentrations of lipids.

Objective: Disease-induced changes in blood concentrations of lipids may bias etiologic studies. We analyzed the influence of clinical factors and timing of blood extraction on serum concentrations of cholesterol and triglycerides in exocrine pancreatic cancer (EPC).

Study Design And Setting: Subjects were 144 incident cases of EPC prospectively recruited in five teaching hospitals in eastern Spain.

Lifetime history of tobacco consumption and K-ras mutations in exocrine pancreatic cancer.

Objectives: We analyzed the relation between mutations in codon 12 of the K-ras oncogene and lifetime consumption of tobacco in patients with exocrine pancreatic cancer (EPC).

Methods: Incident cases of EPC were prospectively identified and interviewed during hospital admission about smoking and other factors. Exact logistic regression was used to compare EPC cases (N = 107) with and without K-ras mutations (case-case study).

The influence of lipid and lifestyle factors upon correlations between highly prevalent organochlorine compounds in patients with exocrine pancreatic cancer.

We aimed to analyse the influence of cholesterol and triglycerides, and of tobacco, coffee and alcohol consumption upon correlations between serum concentrations of organochlorine compounds (OCs) in patients with exocrine pancreatic cancer (EPC). Incident cases of EPC diagnosed in eastern Spain were prospectively identified (N=144). OCs were analysed by high-resolution gas chromatography with electron-capture detection.

Sustained and selective attention deficits as vulnerability markers to psychosis.

The first descriptions of schizophrenia emphasized attention problems patients with schizophrenia have but recent results evidence that other psychotic disorders share them. We compared the performance in sustained and selective attention between psychotic patients (P), their healthy first degree relatives (R) and healthy volunteers (C) to prove whether these alterations could be an endophenotype of vulnerability to psychosis. We also compared the performance of schizophrenic patients (SZP) and that of patients with other functional psychoses (OP) in order to prove whether these alterations are specific of any psychotic disorder.

M129V variation in the prion protein gene and psychotic disorders: relationship to neuropsychological and psychopathological measures.

The methionine/valine polymorphism at position 129 in the prion protein gene, PRNP M129V, is a known risk factor for Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD). Psychiatric manifestations including psychosis are common in the early phase of CJD and it has therefore been hypothesized that the prion protein could be involved in psychotic disorders. Moreover, among the various hypothesized functions of the prion protein, a role in synaptic activity has been described.

Exocrine pancreatic cancer: symptoms at presentation and their relation to tumour site and stage.

Introduction: The need to detect pancreatic cancer at earlier stages is undisputed. We recorded the signs and symptoms of patients presenting with exocrine pancreatic cancer and evaluated their association with clinical characteristics such as tumour site and disease stage.

Patients And Methods: All patients (n = 185) with exocrine pancreatic cancer newly diagnosed at five general hospitals in Eastern Spain were prospectively recruited over 5 years.

Persistent toxic substances and public health in Spain.

In Spain, there are substantial gaps in available information about contamination of food, humans, and the environment by persistent toxic substances (PTSs), although studies have shown detectable concentrations of DDE, PCBs, hexachlorobenzene, or hexachlorocyclohexane in 80-100% of the population. Spain will soon try to implement the Stockholm treaty on persistent organic pollutants (POPs). A country that ratifies the treaty is required to develop a National Implementation Plan (NIP).

Coffee drinking: the rationale for treating it as a potential effect modifier of carcinogenic exposures.

Clinical and epidemiological studies on cancer etiology seldom treat coffee drinking as a potential effect modifier. Yet caffeine exerts significant effects upon a large variety of physiologic, cellular and molecular systems. Caffeine, 'the world's most popular drug', is also a fundamental research tool, widely used in clinical studies on drug metabolism, and in experimental studies on cell cycle checkpoints, DNA repair, and apoptosis, among many other.

Exploring environmental causes of altered ras effects: fragmentation plus integration?

Mutations in ras genes are the most common abnormality of oncogenes in human cancer and a major example of activation by point mutation. Experimental and epidemiological studies support the notion that Ki-ras activation and expression may be chemically related. We discuss the potential role of several environmental compounds in the induction or promotion of ras mutations in humans, with a focus on exocrine pancreatic cancer, the human tumor with the highest prevalence at diagnosis of Ki-ras mutations.