Validation of the usefulness of 2-dimensional strain parameters to exclude acute rejection after heart transplantation: a multicenter study.

Introduction And Objectives: Two-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography has emerged as a promising alternative to endomyocardial biopsy to rule out acute cellular rejection after orthotopic heart transplantation (OHT) in single center studies. In an original cohort, 15.5% and 17% of cutoff points for left ventricular global longitudinal strain (LVGLS) and free-wall right ventricular longitudinal strain, respectively, achieved 100% negative predictive value to exclude moderate or severe acute cellular rejection (ACR ≥ 2R).

First national survey of the diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection in Clinical Microbiology Laboratories in Spain.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to know, through a national survey, the methods and techniques used for the diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori (Hp) in the different Clinical Microbiology Services/Laboratories in Spain, as well as antibiotic resistance data.

Methods: The survey requested information about the diagnostic methods performed for Hp detection in Clinical Microbiology laboratories, including serology, stool antigen, culture from gastric biopsies, and PCR. In addition, the performance of antibiotic susceptibility was collected.

Using machine learning methods to determine a typology of patients with HIV-HCV infection to be treated with antivirals.

Several European countries have established criteria for prioritising initiation of treatment in patients infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) by grouping patients according to clinical characteristics. Based on neural network techniques, our objective was to identify those factors for HIV/HCV co-infected patients (to which clinicians have given careful consideration before treatment uptake) that have not being included among the prioritisation criteria. This study was based on the Spanish HERACLES cohort (NCT02511496) (April-September 2015, 2940 patients) and involved application of different neural network models with different basis functions (product-unit, sigmoid unit and radial basis function neural networks) for automatic classification of patients for treatment.

Fibroblast growth factor 23 predicts carotid atherosclerosis in individuals without kidney disease. The CORDIOPREV study.

Background: Fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) is a major determinant of mineral metabolism derangements and emerges as a possible risk factor underlying the negative cardiovascular outcome in CKD patients. However, its contribution in non-CKD individuals is less clear. This cross-sectional study investigated the associations between FGF23 and mineral metabolism parameters and with carotid atherosclerosis in a population at high cardiovascular risk with preserved renal function.

Ribavirin as a First Treatment Approach for Hepatitis E Virus Infection in Transplant Recipient Patients.

The hepatitis E virus (HEV) is the major cause of acute hepatitis of viral origin worldwide. Despite its usual course as an asymptomatic self-limited hepatitis, there are highly susceptible populations, such as those with underlying immunosuppression, which could develop chronic hepatitis. In this situation, implementation of therapy is mandatory in the sense to facilitate viral clearance.

Mutations in the Progesterone Receptor (PROGINS) May Reduce the Symptoms of Acute Hepatitis E and Protect Against Infection.

Background: Mutations in the progesterone receptor (PR) gene, PROGINS, have been studied in relation to hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection. Patients with the PROGINS gene may develop a worse clinical course of hepatitis E. The aim of our study was to evaluate the influence of PROGINS on the susceptibility to and the clinical course of HEV infection in HIV patients.

Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infected Patients are Not at Higher Risk for Hepatitis E Virus Infection: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection is the most common cause of acute hepatitis in the world. It is not well established whether people infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are more susceptible to infection with HEV than people not infected with HIV. Many studies have evaluated this relationship, although none are conclusive.

Hypervitaminosis D has no positive effects on goat tuberculosis and may cause chronic renal lesions.

Background: There is evidence for a link between vitamin D deficiency and active tuberculosis (TB). In human beings, several trials have evaluated the role of vitamin D supplementation in TB treatment with conflicting results. However, the role of vitamin D supplementation in animal TB control has received less attention.

Levels of Physical Activity, Obesity and Related Factors in Young Adults Aged 18-30 during 2009-2017.

Unlabelled: The objective of this study was to analyze the temporal trend of physical activity and bodymass index in young adults aged 18-30 in Spain and to ascertain their relationship withsociodemographic and psychosocial variables in the period of 2009-2017.

Methods: A descriptivestudy with a sample of 10,061 young adults aged 18-30 years was performed. The data wereobtained from the European Health Survey in Spain in 2009 and 2014 and the National HealthSurvey in 2011/2012 and 2017.

Ole e 15 and its human counterpart -PPIA- chimeras reveal an heterogeneous IgE response in olive pollen allergic patients.

Olive pollen is a major cause of immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated allergy in Mediterranean countries. It is expected to become a worldwide leading allergenic source because olive cultivation is increasing in many countries. Ole e 15 belongs to the cyclophilin pan-allergen family, which includes highly cross-reactive allergens from non-related plant, animal and mold species.

Evaluation of the immunogenicity and efficacy of BCG and MTBVAC vaccines using a natural transmission model of tuberculosis.

Effective vaccines against tuberculosis (TB) are needed in order to prevent TB transmission in human and animal populations. Evaluation of TB vaccines may be facilitated by using reliable animal models that mimic host pathophysiology and natural transmission of the disease as closely as possible. In this study, we evaluated the immunogenicity and efficacy of two attenuated vaccines, BCG and MTBVAC, after each was given to 17 goats (2 months old) and then exposed for 9 months to goats infected with M.

New insights into the sensitization to nonspecific lipid transfer proteins from pollen and food: New role of allergen Ole e 7.

Background: Ole e 7 is a nonspecific lipid transfer protein (nsLTP) from olive pollen, one of the main allergenic pollens worldwide. This allergenic nsLTP is responsible for severe symptoms in regions with high olive pollen exposure, where many Ole e 7-sensitized patients exhibit a co-sensitization to the peach nsLTP, Pru p 3. However, there is no evidence of cross-reactivity, which explains this observed co-sensitization.

Effectiveness, safety/tolerability of OBV/PTV/r ± DSV in patients with HCV genotype 1 or 4 with/without HIV-1 co-infection, chronic kidney disease (CKD) stage IIIb-V and dialysis in Spanish clinical practice - Vie-KinD study.

Background And Aims: Limited data are available on the effectiveness and tolerability of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) therapies in the real world for HCV-infected patients with comorbidities. This study aimed to describe the effectiveness of OBV/PTV/r ± DSV (3D/2D regimen) with or without ribavirin (RBV) in HCV or HCV/HIV co-infected patients with GT1/GT4 and CKD (IIIb-V stages), including those under hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis in routine clinical practice in Spain in 2015.

Material And Methods: Non-interventional, retrospective, multicenter data collection study in 31 Spanish sites.

Evaluation of hepatitis C viral RNA persistence in HIV-infected patients with long-term sustained virological response by droplet digital PCR.

Several studies have reported the persistence of HCV RNA in liver and/or peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in spite of undetectable viremia in patients who have achieved sustained virological response (SVR). This event, defined as occult HCV infection, remains controversial and low titers of persistent virus may be underestimated because it has not yet been analyzed by a highly sensitive test such as droplet digital PCR (ddPCR). This method provides an alternate ultra-sensitive detection technique for very low numbers of copies of viral RNA or DNA.

Disability for basic and instrumental activities of daily living in older individuals.

Aims: To know the prevalence, associated factors and temporal trends of disabilities for basic and instrumental activities of daily living in older people in Spain from 2009 to 2017.

Background: Disability in older people is associated with health problems, increased health costs and low quality of life. There are no updated data in Spain with a representative sample about disability.

Hepatitis E Infection in HIV-Infected Patients.

Background: The hepatitis E virus (HEV) represents a major cause of acute hepatitis worldwide. The majority of HEV cases occur in low-income countries, mainly Asia and Africa, where HEV causes large outbreaks associated with the consumption of contaminated water and high mortality in specific populations. In high-income countries, HEV infection is considered a zoonotic disease that is linked to the consumption of contaminated food.

Genetic markers of lipid metabolism genes associated with low susceptibility to HCV infection.

Due to the relation between lipids and Hepatitis C virus (HCV) life-cycle, we aimed to explore the existence of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with low susceptibility to HCV-infection within lipid metabolism genes. This was a case-control study in three phases: (I) allelic frequencies of 9 SNPs within 6 genes were compared in 404 HCV-infected patients and 801 population controls; (II) results were validated in 602 HCV-infected individuals and 1352 controls; (III) results were confirmed in 30 HCV-exposed uninfected (EU) individuals. In phase I, only the LDLRAP1-rs4075184-A allele was differentially distributed in patients and controls (358 of 808 alleles [44.

A genome-wide association study on low susceptibility to hepatitis C virus infection (GEHEP012 study).

Background: A low proportion of individuals repeatedly exposed to the hepatitis C virus (HCV) remain uninfected. This condition could have a genetic basis but it is not known whether or not it is mainly driven by a high-penetrance common allele.

Objective: To explore whether low susceptibility to HCV infection is mainly driven by a high-penetrance common allele.

A lateral flow assay for the rapid diagnosis of Mycobacterium bovis infection in wild boar.

The native Eurasian wild boar (Sus scrofa) is a reservoir of Mycobacterium bovis, the causative agent of animal tuberculosis (TB), a chronic disease in livestock, companion animals and wild mammals. Cases of M. bovis infection in wild boar or feral pig have been reported worldwide, making early detection a priority in the eradication of the disease.

The impact of hip fracture on health-related quality of life and activities of daily living: the SPARE-HIP prospective cohort study.

Purpose: The medical morbidity and mortality associated with neck of femur fractures is well-documented, whereas there is limited data for patient-reported outcomes. The aim of this study was to characterize the impact of neck of femur fractures on activities of daily living and patient-reported health-related quality of life.

Methods: Design and participants: Multicentric prospective cohort study.

Evolution of alcohol and tobacco consumption in young people in Spain, after the law 42/2010 against smoking: 2011-2014.

The objective of the study was to evaluate alcohol and tobacco consumption in young people in Spain, after Law 42/2010, during the interval of 2011-2014. The sample consisted of 3270 young people aged between 15 and 24 years who completed the National Survey of Health in Spain (ENSE) of 2011 and the European Survey of Health in Spain (EESE) of 2014. Variables: consumption, type of tobacco, attempts to quit smoking, consumption and type of alcoholic beverage, binge drinking, and sociodemographic variables.

Parenteral drug use as the main barrier to hepatitis C treatment uptake in HIV-infected patients.

Objectives: Our objective was to identify patient factors associated with being untreated for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in HIV-coinfected patients.

Methods: A prospective longitudinal study was carried out. HIV-infected patients with active chronic HCV infection included in the HERACLES cohort (NCT02511496) constituted the study population.

A new test to detect antibodies against Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex in red deer serum.

Red deer (Cervus elaphus) farming is a growing economic activity worldwide. However, the capacity of this species to act as reservoir of animal tuberculosis (TB) poses a threat to other wildlife and to livestock. Diagnostic assay accuracy in this species is therefore highly relevant for prevention and control measures.

Health Professionals Who Suffer Intimate Partner Violence: A Descriptive, Multicenter, and Cross-Sectional Study.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to know who are the people who assist women, who work as a health professional in the Spanish Public Health System, when they suffer intimate partner violence (IPV).

Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional, multicenter study was conducted. The participants were female health professionals (N = 794) working within the Spanish Public Health System.