Significance of Pathologic Response in Patients With Early and Locally Advanced Breast Cancer Treated With Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in a Middle-Income Country. A Real-World Historical Cohort.

Purpose: Breast cancer (BC) is the most frequent neoplasm in women in Colombia and is associated with a higher mortality rate than in other countries and regions. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) has become a standard treatment in locally advanced BC and provides an opportunity to improve clinical outcomes in BC. This study aims to describe characteristics, treatment patterns, and outcomes after NACT in a cohort of Colombian patients with BC.

Germline mutations of breast cancer susceptibility genes through expanded genetic analysis in unselected Colombian patients.

Background: In Colombia and worldwide, breast cancer (BC) is the most frequently diagnosed neoplasia and the leading cause of death from cancer among women. Studies predominantly involve hereditary and familial cases, demonstrating a gap in the literature regarding the identification of germline mutations in unselected patients from Latin-America. Identification of pathogenic/likely pathogenic (P/LP) variants is important for shaping national genetic analysis policies, genetic counseling, and early detection strategies.

Ultrasound measurement of optic nerve sheath diameter in a healthy adult Colombian population.

Background: Measurement of the optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) provides a rapid, safe, and easy method for detecting increased intracranial pressure (ICP). However, the normal mean and upper limit values may vary according to sex, age, ethnicity, and ultrasound technique.

Aim: We aimed to obtain the mean ONSD in a healthy Colombian adult population and to correlate it with demographic and anthropometric measures.

Use of contact force technology for cardiac arrhythmia ablation in children.

Background: New techniques for cardiac arrhythmia ablation, such as contact force (CF) technology, have emerged recently. These catheters provide information about adequate tissue contact for optimal lesions. In adults, these techniques have shown greater accuracy, reduced arrhythmia recurrence and complications, and higher success rates.

Interaction Effect Between Hemoglobin and Hypoxemia on COVID-19 Mortality: an observational study from Bogotá, Colombia.

Purpose: We aimed to assess the effect of hemoglobin (Hb) concentration and oxygenation index on COVID-19 patients' mortality risk.

Patients And Methods: We retrospectively reviewed sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, laboratory findings, and clinical outcomes from patients admitted to a tertiary care hospital in Bogotá, Colombia, from March to July 2020. We assessed exploratory associations between oxygenation index and Hb concentration at admission and clinical outcomes.

Clinical characteristics and mortality associated with COVID-19 at high altitude: a cohort of 5161 patients in Bogotá, Colombia.

Background: There are few data on the clinical outcomes of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in cities over 1000 m above sea level (masl).

Objectives: To describe the clinical characteristics and mortality of patients with COVID-19 treated at a high complexity hospital in Bogotá, Colombia, at 2640 masl.

Methods: This was an observational study of a cohort including 5161 patients with confirmed COVID-19 infection from 19 March 2020 to 30 April 2021.

Genomic characterization of SARS-CoV-2 and its association with clinical outcomes: a 1-year longitudinal study of the pandemic in Colombia.

Objectives: This study aimed to explore associations between the molecular characterization of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) and disease severity in ambulatory and hospitalized patients in two main Colombian epicentres during the first year of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

Methods: In total, 1000 patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection were included in this study. Clinical data were collected from 997 patients, and 678 whole-genome sequences were obtained by massively parallel sequencing.

Diabetes Mellitus Type 1 has a Higher Impact on Corneal Endothelial Cell Density and Pachymetry than Diabetes Mellitus Type 2, Independent of Age: A Meta-Regression Model.

Purpose: Patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) often have keratopathy. However, the compromise of the corneal endothelium in type 1 DM (T1DM) and type 2 DM (T2DM) has so far not been well characterized.

Methods: We performed a systematic literature search to find articles on humans combining T1DM and/or T2DM and the corneal endothelium.

Gender and Polysomnographic Profiles Findings in Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome Patients Living in High Altitude.

Purpose: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common sleep disorder which prevalence is 22% in men and 17% in women. It is well described that females presented different clinical and polysomnographic characteristics compared with men. Those studies were performed in plain areas.

Impact of a pharmacist-based multidimensional intervention aimed at decreasing the risk of hyperkalemia in heart failure patients: A Latin-American experience.

Aims: Hyperkalemia is a potentially life-threatening condition associated with the use of heart failure (HF) medications, which can lead to increased morbidity and mortality. Novel approaches for hyperkalemia prevention are needed, especially in limited-resource settings. Despite multiple studies showing the beneficial impact of pharmaceutical-counseling in several outcomes, there is a knowledge-gap regarding its impact on hyperkalemia prevention.

High Prevalence of Abnormal Ocular Surface Tests in a Healthy Pediatric Population.

Purpose: To describe ocular surface characteristics and tests' results in a healthy pediatric population.

Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study with 60 healthy children, obtaining consent, OSDI and screen use survey and conducting ocular surface tests. Statistical univariate analysis for categorical and quantitative variables was made.

Subcutaneous abatacept in rheumatoid arthritis: A real-life experience.

Objectives: To assess the effectiveness, safety, and drug survival of subcutaneous (SC) abatacept (ABA) in a cohort of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients in a real-world setting.

Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study from 2014 to 2018 in which patients with RA (1987 ACR criteria) were included. Patients were evaluated at a single rheumatology outpatient center in Bogotá, Colombia.

Endothelial dysfunction and arterial stiffness in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background And Aims: Non-invasive surrogates of cardiovascular (CV) disease such as endothelial dysfunction (ED) and peripheral arterial stiffness (AS) have been evaluated in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients. The aim of this study was to systematically review and meta-analyze reports of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in SLE patients, as measured by ED and AS.

Methods: Studies analyzing the relationship of SLE with ED (flow-mediated dilatation [FMD], nitroglycerin-mediated dilatation [NMD] and peripheral arterial tonometry [PAT]) and AS (augmentation index [AIx], pulse wave velocity [PWV]) were systematically searched for in PubMed, Cochrane library, EMBASE, VHL, SciELO and Web of Science databases.

Identifying the factors for improving quality of oral fluorescein angiography.

Aim: To evaluate the quality of oral fluorescein angiography (FA) in relation to food intake.

Methods: This is an observational, case-crossover study. We collected information from patients undergoing routine oral FA for retinal disease at the Shiley Eye Institute.

Peripheral mitochondrial function correlates with clinical severity in idiopathic Parkinson's disease.

Background: Parkinson's disease is an intractable disorder with heterogeneous clinical presentation that may reflect different underlying pathogenic mechanisms. Surrogate indicators of pathogenic processes correlating with clinical measures may assist in better patient stratification. Mitochondrial function, which is impaired in and central to PD pathogenesis, may represent one such surrogate indicator.

Geoepidemiology of Sjögren's syndrome in Latin America.

Objective: To evaluate the geoepidemiology of Sjögren's syndrome (SS) in Latin America.

Methods: This was a three phase study in which original data from a Colombian cohort of patients with SS is presented, followed by a systematic review of Colombian and Latin American studies. Lastly, the geoepidemiology of SS in Latin America was assessed by comparing the clinical characteristics of the region with those of the rest of the world by means of a meta-analysis approach.

Cytokine imbalance in patients with systemic sclerosis and resilience: the key role of interleukin-6.

Objectives: Resilience, the ability to respond positively to adverse events, may be influenced by long-term stressors and autoimmune/inflammatory conditions such as systemic sclerosis (SSc). Since the immune system plays a role in the development of resilience, we aimed to evaluate the relationship between a panel of cytokines and resilience in patients with SSc.

Methods: Thirty-five consecutive women with established SSc were involved in this exploratory study.

Prevalence of cervical HPV infection in women with systemic lupus erythematosus: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: The objectives of this systematic review and meta-regression were: 1) to compare the prevalence of cervical HPV infection between SLE patients and healthy controls and 2) to evaluate the relationship between cervical HPV infection and traditional and SLE-related risk factors for cervical HPV infection in these patients.

Methods: We conducted a systematic literature review (PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, Virtual Health Library and SciELO databases) following PRISMA guidelines and using meta-regression to investigate the pooled prevalence of cervical HPV infection in adult women with SLE. The articles included were independently evaluated by two investigators who extracted information on study characteristics, defined outcomes, risk of bias and summarized strength of evidence [Quality of evidence using the Oxford Centre for evidence-based medicine (EBM) Levels of Evidence].

Cluster analysis of autoimmune rheumatic diseases based on autoantibodies. New insights for polyautoimmunity.

Autoimmune diseases (ADs) are a chronic and clinically heterogeneous group of diseases characterized by share common immunopathogenic mechanisms and risk factors (i.e., the autoimmune tautology), which explain the fact that one AD may coexist with others (i.

Sjögren's Syndrome and Autoimmune Thyroid Disease: Two Sides of the Same Coin.

The coexistence of Sjögren's syndrome (SS) and autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD) has been documented. However, there is no consensus whether this coexistence should be considered as the same nosological condition or as polyautoimmunity. Thus, in this monocentric retrospective study, patients with SS alone (i.