Understanding remission in real-world lupus patients across five European countries.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease associated with increased mortality and significant personal, psychological and socioeconomic consequences. An agreed definition of remission is needed and lacking. We sought to visualize 'remission in SLE' in European patients considered by their physicians to be 'in remission' by comparing the reported symptom burden as reported by treating physicians for patients considered to be 'in remission' and those not considered to be 'in remission'.

CD30 Expression by B and T Cells: A Frequent Finding in Angioimmunoblastic T-Cell Lymphoma and Peripheral T-Cell Lymphoma-Not Otherwise Specified.

CD30 expression in peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) and angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL) is currently of great interest because therapy targeting CD30 is of clinical benefit, but the clinical and therapeutic relevance of CD30 expression in these neoplasms still remains uncertain. The aim of this study was to better quantify CD30 expression in AITL and PTCL-not otherwise specified (NOS). The secondary objective was to determine whether CD30 cells exhibit a B-cell or a T-cell phenotype.

Clinical outcomes in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction treated with everolimus-eluting stents versus bare-metal stents (EXAMINATION): 5-year results of a randomised trial.

Background: Data for the safety and efficacy of new-generation drug-eluting stents at long-term follow-up, and specifically in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, are scarce. In the EXAMINATION trial, we compared everolimus-eluting stents (EES) with bare-metal stents (BMS) in an all-comer population with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. In this study, we assessed the 5-year outcomes of the population in the EXAMINATION trial.

[LIMB LENGH SHORTENING AFTER ARTERIAL CANNULATION IN INFANCY].

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between arterial cannulations and the development of limb length discrepancies in childhood or impaired growth of the proximal femur.

Material And Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on 300 children who required arterial cannulation and/or cardiac catheterisation during childhood in relation to congenital heart diseases. Seven of these patients were referred from the Paediatric Cardiology clinic due to a limb length discrepancy and/or proximal femoral deformities.

Infection is the major trigger of hemophagocytic syndrome in adult patients treated with biological therapies.

Introduction: Hemophagocytic syndromes (hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, HLH) are characterized by a wide range of etiologies, symptoms, and outcomes, but have a common etiopathogenic pathway leading to organ damage: an excessive inflammatory response. Biological therapies have been proposed as a therapeutic option for refractory HLH, but have also been related to the development of HLH in severe immunosuppressed patients.

Objectives And Methods: The purpose of this study was to analyze the clinical characteristics and outcomes of adult patients who developed HLH after receiving biological therapies.

Thyroid Pathology Findings in Cowden Syndrome: A Clue for the Diagnosis of the PTEN Hamartoma Tumor Syndrome.

Objectives: PTEN hamartoma tumor syndrome (PHTS) is a hereditary disorder caused by germline inactivating mutations of the PTEN gene. PHTS includes Cowden syndrome and Bannayan-Riley-Ruvalcaba syndrome. We describe how the peculiar pathologic and immunohistochemical thyroid features lead pathologists to suggest PHTS.

How are we treating our systemic patients with primary Sjögren syndrome? Analysis of 1120 patients.

Objective: To describe how systemic disease is treated in a large cohort of Spanish patients with primary Sjögren syndrome (pSS) in daily practice, focusing on the adequacy of therapies for the level of systemic activity measured by ESSDAI score.

Patients And Methods: By December 2014, our database included 1120 consecutive patients who fulfilled the 2002 classification criteria for SS. Therapeutic schedules were classified into 4 categories: no systemic therapies, hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and/or low dose glucocorticoids (GCS) (<20mg/day), high dose GCS (>20mg/day) and use of second-line therapies (immunosuppressive agents, intravenous immunoglobulins [IVIG] and/or rituximab [RTX]).

Multimodality functional imaging in radiation therapy planning: relationships between dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI, diffusion-weighted MRI, and 18F-FDG PET.

Objectives: Biologically guided radiotherapy needs an understanding of how different functional imaging techniques interact and link together. We analyse three functional imaging techniques that can be useful tools for achieving this objective.

Materials And Methods: The three different imaging modalities from one selected patient are ADC maps, DCE-MRI, and 18F-FDG PET/CT, because they are widely used and give a great amount of complementary information.

High-dose radiotherapy with short-term or long-term androgen deprivation in localised prostate cancer (DART01/05 GICOR): a randomised, controlled, phase 3 trial.

Background: The optimum duration of androgen deprivation combined with high-dose radiotherapy in prostate cancer remains undefined. We aimed to determine whether long-term androgen deprivation was superior to short-term androgen deprivation when combined with high-dose radiotherapy.

Methods: In this open-label, multicentre, phase 3 randomised controlled trial, patients were recruited from ten university hospitals throughout Spain.

Radial versus femoral access for angioplasty of ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction with second-generation drug-eluting stents.

Introduction And Objectives: Invasive and pharmacological treatment of ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction reduces the rate of ischemic events but not bleeding complications. The objective of this study was to compare clinical results and bleeding complications between femoral and radial access routes in patients with ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction.

Methods: An evaluation was performed of the population of the Examination study, a randomized, multicenter, clinical trial that included 1498 patients with ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction who underwent emergency angioplasty.

Everolimus-eluting stent versus bare-metal stent in elderly (≥75 years) versus non-elderly (<75 years) patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention: insights from the examination trial.

Background: The elderly (≥75years) constitute a high-risk subset of patients who continue to have a poorer prognosis than non-elderly (<75years). Whether the effects of everolimus-eluting stent (EES) in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) are independent of age has not been reported. We investigated the outcomes following primary PCI (PPCI) with bare-metal stent (BMS) or EES in elderly vs.

Systemic activity and mortality in primary Sjögren syndrome: predicting survival using the EULAR-SS Disease Activity Index (ESSDAI) in 1045 patients.

Objective: To score systemic activity at diagnosis and correlate baseline activity with survival in a large cohort of patients with primary Sjögren syndrome (SS).

Patients And Methods: We include 1045 consecutive patients who fulfilled the 2002 classification criteria for primary SS. The clinical and immunological characteristics and level of activity (EULAR-SS Disease Activity Index (ESSDAI) scores) were assessed at diagnosis as predictors of death using Cox proportional hazards regression analysis adjusted for age at diagnosis.

Blau syndrome: cross-sectional data from a multicentre study of clinical, radiological and functional outcomes.

Objective: To report baseline articular, functional and ocular findings of the first international prospective cohort study of Blau syndrome (BS).

Methods: Three-year, multicentre, observational study on articular, functional (HAQ, Childhood HAQ and VAS global and pain), ophthalmological, therapeutic and radiological data in BS patients.

Results: Baseline data on the first 31 recruited patients (12 females and 19 males) from 18 centres in 11 countries are presented.

Etiopathogenic role of surfactant protein d in the clinical and immunological expression of primary Sjögren syndrome.

Objective: To analyze the etiopathogenic role of genetic polymorphisms and serum levels of surfactant protein-D (SP-D) in primary Sjögren syndrome (pSS).

Methods: We analyzed 210 consecutive patients with pSS. SFTPD genotyping (M11T polymorphism rs721917) was analyzed by sequence-based typing and serum SP-D by ELISA.

The role of IL-33 in host response to Candida albicans.

Background: Interleukin (IL) 33 is a recently identified pleiotropic cytokine that influences the activity of multiple cell types and orchestrates complex innate and adaptive immune responses.

Methods: We performed an extensive review of the literature published between 2005 and 2013 on IL-33 and related cytokines, their functions, and their regulation of the immune system following Candida albicans colonization. Our literature review included cross-references from retrieved articles and specific data from our own studies.

Optimization in stent implantation by manual thrombus aspiration in ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction: findings from the EXAMINATION trial.

Background: Manual thrombus aspiration (TA) is effective to reduce the thrombus burden during primary percutaneous coronary intervention for ST-elevation myocardial infarction. The objective of this study is to assess the impact of manual TA on stent implantation during primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

Methods And Results: Population of the EXAMINATION trial (n=1498) was divided into 2 groups according to the use of TA.

Evaluation of the clinical usefulness of a health-related quality of life questionnaire in patients with prostate cancer.

Objectives: The PROSQoLI questionnaire evaluates health related quality of life in patients with advanced prostate cancer. Although its utility in different clinical settings has never been assessed, its brevity and good measurement properties make its use recommendable in clinical practice. The objective is to evaluate the clinical usefulness of PROSQoLI in clinical treatment decision-making in patients with prostate cancer.

N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide and high-sensitivity troponin in the evaluation of acute chest pain of uncertain etiology. A PITAGORAS substudy.

Introduction And Objectives: High-sensitivity troponin assays have improved the diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome in patients presenting with chest pain and normal troponin levels as measured by conventional assays. Our aim was to investigate whether N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide provides additional information to troponin determination in these patients.

Methods: A total of 398 patients, included in the PITAGORAS study, presenting to the emergency department with chest pain and normal troponin levels as measured by conventional assay in 2 serial samples (on arrival and 6 h to 8h later) were studied.

Magnetic nanoparticle-based hyperthermia for cancer treatment.

Nanotechnology involves the study of nature at a very small scale, searching new properties and applications. The development of this area of knowledge affects greatly both biotechnology and medicine disciplines. The use of materials at the nanoscale, in particular magnetic nanoparticles, is currently a prominent topic in healthcare and life science.

Functional imaging in radiation therapy planning for head and neck cancer.

Functional imaging and its application to radiotherapy (RT) is a rapidly expanding field with new modalities and techniques constantly developing and evolving. As technologies improve, it will be important to pay attention to their implementation. This review describes the main achievements in the field of head and neck cancer (HNC) with particular remarks on the unsolved problems.

The EXAMINATION trial (Everolimus-Eluting Stents Versus Bare-Metal Stents in ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction): 2-year results from a multicenter randomized controlled trial.

Objectives: This study sought to assess the 2-year outcomes of the population included in the EXAMINATION (Everolimus-Eluting Stents Versus Bare-Metal Stents in ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction) trial beyond the 1-year prescription period of dual antiplatelet therapy.

Background: The EXAMINATION trial compared the performance of everolimus-eluting stents (EES) versus bare-metal stents (BMS) in an all-comer ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) population.

Methods: This was a multicenter, multinational, prospective, randomized, single-blind, controlled trial in patients with STEMI.

Comparison of newer-generation drug-eluting with bare-metal stents in patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction: a pooled analysis of the EXAMINATION (clinical Evaluation of the Xience-V stent in Acute Myocardial INfArcTION) and COMFORTABLE-AMI (Comparison of Biolimus Eluted From an Erodible Stent Coating With Bare Metal Stents in Acute ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction) trials.

Objectives: This study sought to study the efficacy and safety of newer-generation drug-eluting stents (DES) compared with bare-metal stents (BMS) in an appropriately powered population of patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).

Background: Among patients with STEMI, early generation DES improved efficacy but not safety compared with BMS. Newer-generation DES, everolimus-eluting stents, and biolimus A9-eluting stents, have been shown to improve clinical outcomes compared with early generation DES.

Biologics-induced autoimmune diseases.

Purpose Of Review: Biological agents are therapies designed to target a specific molecular component of the immune system, and are currently licensed for use in autoimmune rheumatic, digestive, dermatological and systemic diseases. However, their use has been linked with the paradoxical development of autoimmune processes.

Recent Findings: More than 1500 cases of autoimmune diseases induced by biologics have been reported, including a wide variety of both systemic (lupus, vasculitis, sarcoidosis, antiphospholipid syndrome and inflammatory myopathies) and organ-specific (interstitial lung disease, uveitis, optic neuritis, peripheral neuropathies, multiple sclerosis, psoriasis, inflammatory bowel disease and autoimmune hepatitis) autoimmune processes.