New spirometry recommendations from the Brazilian Thoracic Association - 2024 update.

The latest pulmonary function guideline from the Brazilian Thoracic Association was published in 2002, since which there have been updates to international guidelines (mainly those from the European Respiratory Society and the American Thoracic Society), as well as new national and international publications on various aspects of the performance, interpretation, and clinical implications of spirometry. Despite those updates, a careful analysis of what applies to the reality in Brazil is essential, because there have been studies that evaluated individuals who are representative of our population and who could show responses different from those of individuals in other regions of the world. This document is the result of the work of a group of specialists in pulmonary function who evaluated relevant scientific articles that could be applicable to the population of Brazil.

A comprehensive review of non-invasive optical and microwave biosensors for glucose monitoring.

Frequent glucose monitoring is essential for effective diabetes management. Currently, glucose monitoring is done using invasive methods such as finger-pricking and subcutaneous sensing. However, these methods can cause discomfort, heighten the risk of infection, and some sensing devices need frequent calibration.

2024 Standardization of Polysomnography Reports - A Consensus of the Brazilian Sleep Association.

 The absence of standardized reporting for sleep medicine exams across different laboratories can lead to misinterpretation, diagnostic inconsistencies, and suboptimal treatment strategies. This document seeks to establish guidelines for the development of sleep study reports, covering recordings from studies of types 1 to 4, and represents the official position of Associação Brasileira do Sono (ABS; Brazilian Sleep Association) on the standardization of polysomnography (PSG) and cardiorespiratory polygraphies.  The recommendations for the items to be reported in PSG records were developed by means of a Delphi study, comprised of two voting rounds.

Insights into the genetic landscape of pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas in a Brazilian cohort.

Objective: Germline and somatic drivers are identified in 30% and 40% of pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas (PPGLs), respectively. In this study, we investigated the genetic landscape of PPGLs in a Brazilian cohort.

Methods: We studied 182 index patients with PPGLs (116 females and 66 males), comprising 118 pheochromocytoma and 70 paraganglioma cases.

Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation in Elderly Patients in a Latin American Country: Analysis of 11 Year of Data from the Brazilian Registry SBTMO/CIBMTR.

This study analyzed recent changes in the utilization of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) for treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), and myeloproliferative diseases (MPDs) and the survival of HCT recipients ≥60 years of age in Brazil. This retrospective registry study included patients who received a first allogeneic HCT from any donor between 2012 and 2023. Of the 6657 patients, 444 (7%) were 60 years of age or older who received grafts from human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-matched related (42%) or unrelated (20%) donors or HLA-haploidentical donors (32%).

Potential protective role of interferon-induced protein with tetratricopeptide repeats 3 (IFIT3) in COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted a quest to understand why certain individuals remain uninfected or asymptomatic despite repetitive exposure to SARS-CoV-2. Here, we focused on six exposed females residing with their symptomatic and reinfected SARS-CoV-2 PCR-positive COVID-19 partners. Peripheral blood mononuclear cell samples from couples were analysed for poly (I:C)-induced mRNA expression of type I/III interferons and interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs).

Coexistent sickle cell anemia and autoimmune hemolytic anemia in two adolescents.

The development of alloantibodies or autoantibodies is a complication observed in sickle cell disease. Autoimmunization occurs in 7.6-12% of chronically or intermittently transfused patients with sickle cell disease; however, the clinical implications of autoAbs are unclear.

SGLT2 Inhibitors in Cardiovascular Medicine: Panacea or Pandora's Box?

Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) are antidiabetic agents that effectively lower blood glucose levels in patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM). Beyond their glycemic control properties, SGLT2 inhibitors have demonstrated significant cardiovascular benefits, including reductions in major adverse cardiovascular events. However, the limitations of the pivotal trials investigating these outcomes have not been fully explored.

Association between vaccination and persistent COVID-19-related symptoms among patients with mild Omicron infection: A prospective cohort study.

Background: While COVID-19 vaccination has been shown to reduce the risk of severe illness, its impact on the occurrence of persistent symptoms in patients with mild Omicron infection remains uncertain. Our objective was to investigate whether COVID-19 vaccination reduces the occurrence of persistent COVID-19-related symptoms 3 months after mild Omicron infection.

Methods: Multicenter prospective cohort study was conducted in Brazil between January 2022 and June 2023 when Omicron was predominant.

Validation of the Portuguese MDS-UPDRS: Challenges to Obtain a Scale Applicable to Different Linguistic Cultures.

Background: The MDS-UPDRS has been available in English since 2008, showing satisfactory clinimetric results and being proposed as the new official benchmark scale for Parkinson's disease (PD), being cited as a core instrument for PD in the National Institutes of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Common Data Elements program. For this reason, the MDS created guidelines for development of MDS-UPDRS official, clinimetrically validated translations.

Objective: This study presents the formal process used to obtain the officially approved Portuguese version of the MDS-UPDRS.

Sleep prediction using data from oximeter, accelerometer and snoring for portable monitor obstructive sleep apnea diagnosis.

The aim of this study was to build and validate an artificial neural network (ANN) algorithm to predict sleep using data from a portable monitor (Biologix system) consisting of a high-resolution oximeter with built-in accelerometer plus smartphone application with snoring recording and cloud analysis. A total of 268 patients with suspected obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) were submitted to standard polysomnography (PSG) with simultaneous Biologix (age: years; body mass index: , apnea-hypopnea index [AHI]: events/h). Biologix channels were input features for construction an ANN model to predict sleep.

Real-world evidence of survival outcomes in breast cancer subtypes after neoadjuvant chemotherapy in a Brazilian reference center.

Background: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC), traditionally used for locally advanced disease, is now applied for operable disease, particularly to treat aggressive breast cancer (BC). This study aimed to characterize the pathological complete response (pCR) and its relationship with overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) among BC patients receiving NAC in a Brazilian public reference center, as well as the association between pCR and BC subtypes.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study used a comprehensive BC database from a Brazilian women's health reference center, including patients diagnosed between 2011 and 2020 who underwent NAC.

EARLY OUTCOMES OF ROBOTIC ENHANCED VIEW TOTALLY EXTRAPERITONEAL VENTRAL HERNIA REPAIR: A SINGLE-CENTER EXPERIENCE.

Background: Incisional hernia (IH) is an abdominal wall defect due to a previous laparotomy, and surgical repair is the only treatment. IH has a negative impact on patients' quality of life. In the last decades, the approach has improved from open to laparoscopic and robotic surgery with the objective of promoting better abdominal wall function after reconstruction.

Molecular identification of Histoplasma capsulatum in patients with disseminated histoplasmosis and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.

Histoplasmosis is caused by the fungus Histoplasma capsulatum and is often fatal for individuals with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Delayed diagnosis is a major factor in worsening coinfection, as it can be mistaken for other diseases. Thus, rapid identification of Histoplasma in immunocompromised patients is essential.

Time series analysis: trend in late maternal mortality in Brazil, 2010-2019.

To analyze the temporal trend of the late maternal mortality ratio (LMMR) in Brazil and its geographic regions in the period from 2010 to 2019, an ecological time series study was conducted. Data related to late maternal mortality from information systems of the Brazilian Ministry of Health were used. Statistical analysis used Prais-Winsten autoregressive models.

Diffusion tensor metrics, motor and non-motor symptoms in de novo Parkinson's disease.

Introduction: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by dopaminergic neurons' degeneration of the substantia nigra, presenting with motor and non-motor symptoms. We hypothesized that altered diffusion metrics are associated with clinical symptoms in de novo PD patients.

Methods: Fractional Anisotropy (FA) and Mean (MD), Axial (AD), and Radial Diffusivity (RD) were assessed in 55 de novo PD patients (58.

Role of Dapagliflozin in Ischemic Preconditioning in Patients with Symptomatic Coronary Artery Disease-DAPA-IP Study Protocol.

Ischemic preconditioning (IP) is a powerful cellular protection mechanism. The cellular pathways underlying IP are extremely complex and involve the participation of cell triggers, intracellular signaling pathways, and end-effectors. Experimental studies have shown that sodium-glucose transport protein 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors promote activation of 5'-adenosine monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK), the main regulator of adenosine 5'-triphosphate homeostasis and energy metabolism in the body.

Factors associated with mortality of patients with COVID-19 on invasive mechanical ventilation: A retrospective cohort study in a university hospital in Northeastern Brazil.

The aim of this study is to identify the factors associated with mortality in patients with COVID-19 undergoing invasive mechanical ventilation at a university hospital in Northeastern Brazil. This is a retrospective cohort from April to August 2020 through an analysis of medical records, considering the demographic profile, comorbidities, complications, supports, respiratory and laboratory parameters. A total of 65 patients required invasive mechanical ventilation, of which 64.

High Positive End-expiratory Pressure (PEEP) with Recruitment Maneuvers versus Low PEEP during General Anesthesia for Surgery: A Bayesian Individual Patient Data Meta-analysis of Three Randomized Clinical Trials.

Background: The influence of high positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) with recruitment maneuvers on the occurrence of postoperative pulmonary complications after surgery is still not definitively established. Bayesian analysis can help to gain further insights from the available data and provide a probabilistic framework that is easier to interpret. The objective was to estimate the posterior probability that the use of high PEEP with recruitment maneuvers is associated with reduced postoperative pulmonary complications in patients with intermediate-to-high risk under neutral, pessimistic, and optimistic expectations regarding the treatment effect.

Multifactorial assessment of braking time predictors in a driving simulator among older adults according to gender.

Context: Vehicle driving depends on the integration of motor, visual, and cognitive skills to respond appropriately to different situations that occur in traffic.

Objectives: To analyze a model of performance predictor for braking time in the driving simulator, using a battery of tests divided by gender.

Methods: Selected were 100 male drivers with a mean age of 72.