Clinical Infections by Herpesviruses in Patients Treated with Valproic Acid: A Nested Case-Control Study in the Spanish Primary Care Database, BIFAP.

The objective of this study is to evaluate the risk of clinical infections by herpesviruses in patients exposed to valproic acid (VPA). We performed a case-control study nested in a primary cohort selected from the Spanish primary care population-based research database BIFAP (Base de datos para la Investigación Farmacoepidemiológica en Atención Primaria) over the period 2001-2015. The events of interest were those diseases caused by any herpesviruses known to infect humans.

Validation study of colorectal cancer diagnosis in the Spanish primary care database, BIFAP.

Purpose: To define and validate a case-finding algorithm to identify incident colorectal cancer (CRC) in the Spanish primary care database BIFAP.

Methods: All potential incident CRC cases recorded during the study period 2001 to 2014 among patients 20 to 89 years old were identified using a defined case-finding algorithm tailored to BIFAP database characteristics and based on codes plus text mining strategies. Potential CRC cases identified by the algorithm were classified into eight homogeneous groups according to recording characteristics.

Do case-only designs yield consistent results across design and different databases? A case study of hip fractures and benzodiazepines.

Background: The case-crossover (CXO) and self-controlled case series (SCCS) designs are increasingly used in pharmacoepidemiology. In both, relative risk estimates are obtained within persons, implicitly controlling for time-fixed confounding variables.

Objectives: To examine the consistency of relative risk estimates of hip/femur fractures (HFF) associated with the use of benzodiazepines (BZD) across case-only designs in two databases (DBs), when a common protocol was applied.

Hip/femur fractures associated with the use of benzodiazepines (anxiolytics, hypnotics and related drugs): a methodological approach to assess consistencies across databases from the PROTECT-EU project.

Background: Results from observational studies may be inconsistent because of variations in methodological and clinical factors that may be intrinsically related to the database (DB) where the study is performed.

Objectives: The objectives of this paper were to evaluate the impact of applying a common study protocol to study benzodiazepines (BZDs) (anxiolytics, hypnotics, and related drugs) and the risk of hip/femur fracture (HFF) across three European primary care DBs and to investigate any resulting discrepancies.

Methods: To measure the risk of HFF among adult users of BZDs during 2001-2009, three cohort and nested case control (NCC) studies were performed in Base de datos para la Investigación Farmacoepidemiológica en Atención Primaria (BIFAP) (Spain), Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) (UK), and Mondriaan (The Netherlands).

Effect of immigration background and country-of-origin contextual factors on adolescent substance use in Spain.

Purpose: The effects of adolescent- and parental-birthplace and country-of-origin contextual factors on substance use among adolescents with recent immigrant background (ARIBs) are poorly understood. We aimed to assess these effects and identify the main mediating factors in Spain.

Methods: Participants were 12,432 ARIBs (≥1 foreign-born parent) and 75,511 autochthonous adolescents from pooled 2006-2010 school surveys.

Bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw: an Italian post-marketing surveillance analysis.

Objective: Although bisphosphonate (BP)-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (BRONJ) is well recognized, little is known about it in terms of pathophysiology, epidemiology or management. We analyzed all suspected BRONJ reports sent to the Italian Pharmacovigilance Adverse Event Spontaneous Reporting System (Rete Nazionale Farmacovigilanza [RNF]) to determine their pattern and add new information about this relevant issue.

Research Design And Methods: All suspected BRONJ sent to the RNF between 2003 and 2011 were retrieved.

Characterization of a new experimental model of osteoporosis in rabbits.

To characterize an experimental model of osteoporosis in rabbits induced either by ovariectomy (OVX), glucocorticoids, or by a combination of both. Thirty-five rabbits were randomly allocated into five groups: bilateral OVX, daily methylprednisolone hemisuccinate (MPH) injections at a 1.5 mg/kg/day dose for 4 consecutive weeks (MPH group), or variable dose of MPH between 0.

Impact of antiretroviral therapy on viral tropism in HIV-infected patients followed longitudinally for over 5 years.

Background: Viral tropism plays a major role in HIV pathogenesis and may influence the activity of entry inhibitors. The impact of antiretroviral therapy use on the dynamics of viral tropism over time is still poorly understood.

Patients And Methods: HIV co-receptor usage was determined longitudinally for over 5 years in 237 plasma specimens collected from 73 distinct HIV-1-infected drug-naive individuals, 42 of whom initiated antiretroviral therapy thereafter and 31 who remained untreated.

[Mental health referrals of patients without diagnosable psychiatric pathology].

Objective: To analyze the characteristics of referral from primary health care to mental health of patients with no diagnosable mental disorder.

Methods: Consecutively and without exemptions, all persons attending for first-time consultation a mental health centre in the course of a year were clinically examined. We measured the incidence of conditions not attributable to a mental disorder using ICD-10 (Z codes).

Intratumoral lymphatic vessels and VEGF-C expression are predictive factors of lymph node relapse in T1-T4 N0 laryngopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

Background: The presence of intratumoral lymphatic vessels (ILVs) and the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor-C (VEGF-C) in tumour cells have been studied as markers of lymphangiogenesis in order to evaluate their role in metastatic dissemination in laryngopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

Methods: A retrospective study was performed in 76 patients of N0 laryngopharyngeal carcinoma. with variable tumour size (T1-T4), histological grade, and location (supraglottic, glottic and hypopharyngeal).