From MASLD to PAD: Looking for Cardiovascular Disease Starting from Metabolic Status.

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is still the least studied and evaluated form in clinical practice among atherosclerotic pathologies, despite the increased mortality and comorbidities related to it. The relationship between steatotic liver disease and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease has been extensively documented. The purpose of this work is to perform a review of the evidence linking NAFLD or MASLD to PAD, and examine possible clinical scenarios that arise from this new terminology.

Antimicrobial Peptide Delivery Systems as Promising Tools Against Resistant Bacterial Infections.

The extensive use of antibiotics during recent years has led to antimicrobial resistance development, a significant threat to global public health. It is estimated that around 1.27 million people died worldwide in 2019 due to infectious diseases caused by antibiotic-resistant microorganisms, according to the WHO.

Aquaporins in Biliary Function: Pathophysiological Implications and Therapeutic Targeting.

Aquaporins (AQPs) are transmembrane proteins permeable to water and a series of small solutes. AQPs play a key role in pathways of hepatobiliary secretion at the level of the liver, bile ducts, and gallbladder. AQP8 and -9 are pivotal in facilitating the osmotic water movement of hepatic bile, which is composed of 95% water.

Early Diagnostic Prediction of Infective Endocarditis: Development and Validation of EndoPredict-Dx.

Background: Infective endocarditis is a life-threatening disease with diverse clinical presentations, making diagnosis challenging and requiring a range of complementary tests. The level of suspicion, based on clinical judgment, guides decisions regarding the initiation of empirical treatment and the selection of appropriate diagnostic tools. This study aimed to develop and validate the EndoPredict-Dx score for early prediction of infective endocarditis diagnosis.

Imported Cutaneous Leishmaniasis from Peru Caused by in a Brazilian Patient: Case Report and In Vitro Drug Susceptibility Analysis.

In South America, cutaneous leishmaniasis is caused by several species of the parasite of the genus . Here, we describe an imported case of cutaneous leishmaniasis acquired in Peru by a Brazilian patient during her travel to Iquitos. Infection by parasites was confirmed by histopathologic examination, and the patient was treated with pentavalent antimony (Pentostam), without clinical response.

Medical Treatment of Acromegaly: What's New?

Acromegaly is a chronic and progressive disorder caused by growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) excess, responsible for the onset of multiple systemic complications. Targets of acromegaly treatment are the normalization of hormonal (GH/IGF-1) parameters, the removal/reduction/stabilization of the pituitary mass, the control of existing conditions, and the prevention of new ones, so to improve quality of life and normalize life expectancy. Patients often require a multimodal therapeutic approach, including surgery, medical therapy, and radiotherapy, that allows disease cure/control in the majority of the cases.

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.

Research techniques to expand the diagnosis, macroelimination, and microelimination of hepatitis C in local contexts.

Background: Local studies are essential to determine the prevalence and risk factors of hepatitis C.

Methods: We conducted a mixed methods study aimed at strengthening hepatitis C elimination efforts in Brazil, with concomitant triangulation of techniques and integration of qualitative and quantitative approaches.

Results: The study resulted in the development of the following technical-technological products: a) institutional documents, b) organization of committees, c) mobilization strategies, d) models for improving intersectoral awareness, e) decision-making flowcharts, f) forms, and g) health service protocols and search strategies.

Long-term Follow-up of Patients Undergoing Nephrectomy for Urolithiasis.

Purpose: This prospective study aimed to identify risk factors associated with progression to stage 3 chronic kidney disease (CKD) and the occurrence of kidney stone formation or growth following nephrectomy for urolithiasis.

Materials And Methods: From January 2006 to May 2013, patients undergoing nephrectomy for urolithiasis were enrolled. Renal function was assessed using estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) via the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration equation, while kidney stone events were detected using computed tomography.

Comparison of Morphological and Functional MRI Assessments of Periprostatic Fat for Predicting Prostate Cancer Aggressiveness.

Purpose: The objective of this study was to evaluate whether morphological (linear measurements) and functional (ADC value) assessments of periprostatic fat can predict the aggressiveness of prostate cancer (PCa) over a 5-year follow-up period.

Material And Methods: This retrospective study included patients with histologically proven PCa who underwent 3.0T MRI between July 2016 and June 2018.

Reproducibility and Treatment Effect on Office and Ambulatory Pressure Relation.

Background: In the absence of outcome-based ambulatory blood pressure (BP) trails hypertension guidelines provide 24-hour mean BP values corresponding to trial-validated office BP values. Data are shown for untreated and treated patients together, but whether corresponding ambulatory values are similar in untreated and treated hypertensives and reproducible at yearly measurements during treatment is undefined.

Methods: In 2397 patients of the ELSA (European Lacidipine Study on Atherosclerosis) and PHYLLIS (Plaque Hypertension Lipid-Lowering Italian Study) trials, we calculated the office and 24-hour BP relationship according to the linear regression model, with office systolic BP as the independent variable, at baseline and yearly during a 3-year treatment.

Comparison between PCR-RFLP and sequencing techniques in the analysis of Paracoccidioides spp. biodiversity: limitations and insights into species and variant differentiation.

Background: The study of Paracoccidioides spp. faces significant challenges due to limitations inherent in the molecular biology techniques employed. Recently, new species were described whose geographical and genetic distributions were investigated.

Burden of disease attributable to risk factors: Estimates of the Global Burden of Disease from 1990 to 2021.

Objectives: Analyze the burden of diseases attributable to risk factors (RF) in Brazil according to age, sex, and Brazilian states between 1990 and 2021.

Methods: This study used data from the Global Burden of Disease study 1990 to 2021. The metrics used in this analysis included: mortality rates, disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) and Summary Exposure Value (SEV).

Dermatoses in patients with inflammatory bowel disease under tumor necrosis factor-alpha inhibitors treatment.

Introduction: Tumor necrosis factor-alpha inhibitor (anti-TNF-α) agents are essential in treating inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). Their use, however, may cause dermatoses. This study aims to characterize the dermatoses in IBD patients on anti-TNF-α therapy.

The role for ω-3 polyunsaturated and short chain fatty acids in hypertension: An updated view on the interaction with gut microbiota.

As of 2024, arterial hypertension is still considered the leading modifiable cardiovascular risk factor and, due to high rates of undertreatment and poor blood pressure control, the major contributor to human morbidity and mortality. Development of new treatment options and better interventions in lifestyle correction have become a priority of experimental and clinical research. In the last decades, dietary supplementation of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω-3 PUFAs) and generation of gut microbiota-derived short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) have surged as potential and promising interventions for hypertension and cardiovascular prevention.

Evaluation of COVID-19 cases treated in the intensive care unit in a coastal city hospital during the pandemic.

SARS-CoV-2 is a novel coronavirus that infects the respiratory tract and was the causing agent of COVID-19, declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization on March 11, 2020. Several studies have been carried out to understand the pathophysiology of the disease, immune reactions, and risk factors that could aggravate the condition and predict the prognosis of patients. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the most prevalent laboratory data of hospitalized patients associated with discharge or death.