Clinical risk scores for predicting stroke-associated pneumonia: A systematic review.

Purpose: Several risk stratification scores for predicting stroke-associated pneumonia have been derived. We aimed to evaluate the performance and clinical usefulness of such scores for predicting stroke-associated pneumonia.

Method: A systematic literature review was undertaken in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement, with application of the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy-2 tool.

SEOM clinical guidelines in metastatic breast cancer 2015.

Metastatic breast cancer is essentially an incurable disease. However, recent advances have resulted in a significant improvement of overall survival. The SEOM guidelines are intended to make evidence-based recommendations on how to manage patients with metastatic breast cancer to achieve the best patient outcomes based on a rational use of the currently available therapies.

A European multicentre and open-label controlled randomized trial to evaluate the efficacy of Sequential treatment with TAcrolimus-Rituximab versus steroids plus cyclophosphamide in patients with primary MEmbranous Nephropathy: the STARMEN study.

Background: Patients with primary membranous nephropathy (MN) and persistent nephrotic syndrome have a high risk of progression to end-stage renal disease. The Ponticelli protocol (steroids with alkylating agents) is the most effective immunosuppressive therapy for this condition, but it has severe adverse effects. Tacrolimus and rituximab have demonstrated efficacy for remission of nephrotic syndrome in MN with a safer profile.

Diagnosis of Stroke-Associated Pneumonia: Recommendations From the Pneumonia in Stroke Consensus Group.

Background And Purpose: Lower respiratory tract infections frequently complicate stroke and adversely affect outcome. There is currently no agreed terminology or gold-standard diagnostic criteria for the spectrum of lower respiratory tract infections complicating stroke, which has implications for clinical practice and research. The aim of this consensus was to propose standardized terminology and operational diagnostic criteria for lower respiratory tract infections complicating acute stroke.

How is pneumonia diagnosed in clinical stroke research? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background And Purpose: Diagnosis of pneumonia complicating stroke is challenging, and there are currently no consensus diagnostic criteria. As a first step in developing such consensus-based diagnostic criteria, we undertook a systematic review to identify the existing diagnostic approaches to pneumonia in recent clinical stroke research to establish the variation in diagnosis and terminology.

Methods: Studies of ischemic stroke, intracerebral hemorrhage, or both, which reported occurrence of pneumonia from January 2009 to March 2014, were considered and independently screened for inclusion by 2 reviewers after multiple searches using electronic databases.

Evaluation of clinical and biological prognostic factors in relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma patients after previous treatment with rituximab and chemotherapy: results of the PRO-R-IPI study.

Introduction: Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is a heterogeneous entity, showing a highly variable outcome. In patients with DLBCL relapsed/refractory to first-line treatment with rituximab the usefulness of the revised International Prognostic Index (R-IPI) as a prognostic tool remains unexplored. Some biological parameters (B-cell lymphoma 6 [Bcl-6], Bcl-2, p53, and multiple myeloma 1 [MUM1]) and blood populations (lymphocyte and monocyte counts) have been described as International Prognostic Index-independent prognostic factors.

ACTG-HIV symptoms changes in patients switched to RPV/FTC/TDF due to previous intolerance to CART. Interim analysis of the PRO-STR study.

Introduction: Tolerability and convenience are crucial aspects for the long-term success of combined antiretroviral therapy (cART). The aim of this study was to investigate the impact in routine clinical practice of switching to the single tablet regimen (STR) RPV/FTC/TDF in patients with intolerance to previous cART, in terms of patients' well-being, assessed by several validated measures.

Methods: Prospective, multicenter study.

[Cost-utility analysis of triple therapy with telaprevir in treatment-naïve hepatitis C patients].

Introduction: The prevalence of Hepatitis C (HCV) in Spain is 2,5%, with a high morbimortality rate. Triple therapy based on telaprevir plus peginterferon/ribavirin ([T/PR]) has demonstrated to be an effective approach in treatment-naïve G1-HCV patients. This analysis evaluated, through a Markov model, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of triple therapy compared to peginterferon/ ribavirin ([PR]) alone in naïve patients depending on fibrosis stage, from the Spanish Healthcare Authorities perspective.

Varicella-zoster virus immunity among health care workers in Catalonia.

Objective: To determine varicella-zoster virus (VZV) immunity among healthcare workers (HCWs). Cross-sectional study.

Participants: HCWs attending voluntary periodic health examinations between June 2008 and December 2010.

Similar biological effect of high-dose oral versus intravenous methylprednisolone in multiple sclerosis relapses.

Unlabelled: Our aim was to investigate differences in immune mechanisms in multiple sclerosis (MS) relapse, after high-dose oral methylprednisolone (oMP) or intravenous methylprednisolone (ivMP). We measured serum cytokines (IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-17, TNF-α and IFN-γ) in 39 of 49 MS patients with moderate-severe relapse, whom were treated with ivMP or oMP in a placebo-controlled, non-inferiority clinical trial. We assessed these cytokine levels at baseline and at 1 and 4 weeks post-treatment.

Rat middle cerebral artery occlusion is not a suitable model for the study of stroke-induced spontaneous infections.

Background: Infections related to stroke-induced immunodepression are an important complication causing a high rate of death in patients. Several experimental studies in mouse stroke models have described this process but it has never been tested in other species such as rats.

Methods: Our study focused on the appearance of secondary systemic and pulmonary infections in ischemic rats, comparing with sham and naive animals.

Noncoding RNA-related polymorphisms in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia susceptibility.

Background: Evidence for an inherited genetic risk for pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia has been provided in several studies. Most of them focused on coding regions. However, those regions represent only 1.

Pharmacogenetics of microRNAs and microRNAs biogenesis machinery in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Despite the clinical success of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) therapy, toxicity is frequent. Therefore, it would be useful to identify predictors of adverse effects. In the last years, several studies have investigated the relationship between genetic variation and treatment-related toxicity.

Are healthcare workers immune to rubella?

Healthcare workers (HCW) have high exposure to infectious diseases, some of which, such as rubella, are vaccine-preventable. The aim of this study was to determine the immunity of HCW against rubella. We performed a seroprevalence study using a self-administered survey and obtained blood samples to determine rubella Immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody levels in HCW during preventive examinations by five Primary Care Basic Prevention Units and six tertiary hospitals in Catalonia.

Arterial blood gas analysis of samples directly obtained beyond cerebral arterial occlusion during endovascular procedures predicts clinical outcome.

Unlabelled: Real-time intra-procedure information about ischemic brain damage degree may help physicians in taking decisions about pursuing or not recanalization efforts.

Methods: We studied gasometric parameters of blood samples drawn through microcatheter in 16 stroke patients who received endovascular reperfusion procedures. After crossing the clot with microcatheter, blood sample was obtained from the middle cerebral artery (MCA) segment distal to occlusion (PostOcc); another sample was obtained from carotid artery (PreOcc).

Successful embolization of a spontaneous mesocaval shunt using the Amplatzer Vascular Plug II.

A 48-year-old man with alcoholic liver cirrhosis and hepatic encephalopathy was found to have a large, spontaneous mesocaval shunt. The shunt was successfully occluded with the use of an Amplatzer Vascular Plug. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the use of this device to embolize a mesocaval shunt involving the superior mesenteric vein.

Therapeutic interventions and success in risk factor control for secondary prevention of stroke.

Objective: We sought to evaluate the success rates in achieving preventive therapeutic goals in patients who experienced an ischemic stroke (IS) and compare them with those achieved in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD).

Methods: This was an observational multicenter case-control study (3 patients with IS and one control subject with CAD) performed in 1444 primary health centers in Spain. Preventive therapeutic objectives according to American Heart Association guidelines were predefined.

Chemical burns: pathophysiology and treatment.

Chemical burns continue to pose a variety of dilemmas to the clinician managing such cases. Assessment of burn depth is often difficult and the decision whether to excise the wound early is not always clear-cut. In this updated review, common agents are classified and the basic principles of management and specific recommendations are examined.

Donor infection and transmission to the recipient of a solid allograft.

Transmission of infection from donor to recipient is a potential complication of transplantation. More data on this issue are needed to expand the insufficient donor pool. This study evaluates the incidence of donor nonviral infection, transmission from infected donors and the effect of donor infection on 30-day recipient survival.

Vitreous levels of erythropoietin in patients with macular oedema secondary to retinal vein occlusions: a comparative study with diabetic macular oedema.

Objective: In a recent study, we found high levels of erythropoietin (EPO) in patients with diabetic macular oedema (DME), suggesting a role of EPO in the pathogenesis of this condition. To investigate a possible relationship between EPO and other diseases causing macular oedema, we determined vitreous levels of this peptide in patients with macular oedema secondary to retinal vein occlusion (RVO) and compared them with levels in patients with DME and control patients.

Methods: Vitreous and serum samples were obtained from patients with macular oedema secondary to RVO, DME, epiretinal membrane, and macular hole (controls).

Requirement of the enzymatic and signaling activities of plasmin for phorbol-ester-induced scattering of colon cancer cells.

Colon cancer progression is associated with the activation of protein kinase C (PKC), the downregulation of functional E-cadherin and an increased expression of the serine protease urokinase (u-PA) and its receptor (u-PAR). HT29-M6 intestinal epithelial cells represent an in vitro model to study colon cancer progression. These cells are induced to scatter and to invade by phorbol esters.

Recurrent congenital heart block in neonatal lupus.

Congenital heart block (CHB) is the main complication of neonatal lupus (NL) and is strongly associated with the presence of anti-SSA/Ro and anti-SSB/La antibodies. The recurrence of CHB in subsequent pregnancies in mothers with these antibodies is uncommon, occurring in approximately 15% of cases. We describe here a case of recurrent CHB in a previously asymptomatic mother with Sjögren syndrome and discuss the current strategies for the prevention and treatment of CHB in NL.

Sequence analysis of the entire mitochondrial genome in Parkinson's disease.

The pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD) is largely unknown. Indirect evidence suggests that mutations in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) might play a role, but previous studies have not consistently associated any specific mutations with PD. However, these studies have generally been confined to limited areas of the mitochondrial genome.

Autosomal dominant limb-girdle muscular dystrophy: a large kindred with evidence for anticipation.

Background: Fourteen genetically distinct forms of limb-girdle muscular dystrophy (LGMD) have been identified, including five types of autosomal dominant LGMD (AD-LGMD).

Objective: To describe clinical, histologic, and genetic features of a large Spanish kindred with LGMD and apparent autosomal dominant inheritance spanning five generations.

Method: The authors examined 61 members of the family; muscle biopsies were performed on five patients.