Should MASP-2 Deficiency Be Considered a Primary Immunodeficiency? Relevance of the Lectin Pathway.

Mannose-binding lectin (MBL)-associated serine protease-2 (MASP-2) is an indispensable enzyme for the activation of the lectin pathway of complement. Its deficiency is classified as a primary immunodeficiency associated to pyogenic bacterial infections, inflammatory lung disease, and autoimmunity. In Europeans, MASP-2 deficiency, due to homozygosity for c.

[Analysis of the current situation and outlook of thoracic surgery].

Objective: The objective of this descriptive study was to analyze the current situation and forecast the future requirements for specialists in thoracic surgery, taking into account the number of doctors entering and those possibly leaving this specialty.

Material And Methods: The data for this study were taken from the Spanish Society of Pulmonology and Thoracic Surgery (SEPAR) (n=304), Thoracic Surgeons' Club (n=122), and the Spanish Council of Medical Associations (n=225). We also took into account the current number of resident surgeons (n=84).

[Indicators of severity in chest trauma].

Objective: We undertook a review of patients with chest trauma attended between January 1992 and June 2005 in order to establish severity criteria in these cases.

Patients And Methods: During the study period, 1,772 cases (1,346 [76%] males) were treated, with ages ranging from 7 to 98 years (mean, 46.4 years).

Type of resection and prognosis in lung cancer. Experience of a multicentre study.

Objective: Analysis of prognosis of the different types of resections for lung cancer defined by the Bronchogenic Carcinoma Cooperative Group of the Spanish Society of Pneumology and Thoracic Surgery (GCCB-S).

Methods: From October 1993 to September 1997, 2994 patients with bronchogenic carcinoma who underwent thoracotomy were prospectively recruited by the GCCB-S. Prior to recruitment, the GCCB-S had defined two types of non-resectional operations (diagnostic and exploratory thoracotomies) and three types of resections (complete-CR-: free resection margins, mediastinal nodal dissection, no extracapsular nodal involvement, no involvement of most distant removed nodes; relatively incomplete-RIR-: free resection margins, no mediastinal nodal dissection, unremoved nodes, involvement of most distant removed nodes, positive pleural effusion with no pleural implants; and incomplete-IR-: positive resection margins, extracapsular nodal involvement, unremoved positive nodes, positive pleural effusion with pleural implants).