Differences in clinical manifestations and increased severity of systemic lupus erythematosus between two groups of Hispanics: European Caucasians versus Latin American mestizos (data from the RELESSER registry).

Background: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is regarded as a prototype autoimmune disease because it can serve as a means for studying differences between ethnic minorities and sex. Traditionally, all Hispanics have been bracketed within the same ethnic group, but there are differences between Hispanics from Spain and those from Latin America, not to mention other Spanish-speaking populations.

Objectives: This study aimed to determine the demographic and clinical characteristics, severity, activity, damage, mortality and co-morbidity of SLE in Hispanics belonging to the two ethnic groups resident in Spain, and to identify any differences.

Experience with Sunitinib in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) patients: pooled analysis from 3 Spanish observational prospective studies.

Background: A pivotal, randomized, phase III trial demonstrated a statistically significant superiority of sunitinib over interferon-α in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) patients.

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of sunitinib in patients with advanced or mRCC in routine clinical practice.

Methods: Retrospective pooled analysis of clinical data from three observational and prospective studies carried out between 2007 and 2011 in 33 Spanish hospitals.

Cardiovascular Events in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A Nationwide Study in Spain From the RELESSER Registry.

This article estimates the frequency of cardiovascular (CV) events that occurred after diagnosis in a large Spanish cohort of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and investigates the main risk factors for atherosclerosis. RELESSER is a nationwide multicenter, hospital-based registry of SLE patients. This is a cross-sectional study.

Comprehensive description of clinical characteristics of a large systemic lupus erythematosus cohort from the Spanish Rheumatology Society Lupus Registry (RELESSER) with emphasis on complete versus incomplete lupus differences.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease characterized by multiple organ involvement and pronounced racial and ethnic heterogeneity. The aims of the present work were (1) to describe the cumulative clinical characteristics of those patients included in the Spanish Rheumatology Society SLE Registry (RELESSER), focusing on the differences between patients who fulfilled the 1997 ACR-SLE criteria versus those with less than 4 criteria (hereafter designated as incomplete SLE (iSLE)) and (2) to compare SLE patient characteristics with those documented in other multicentric SLE registries.RELESSER is a multicenter hospital-based registry, with a collection of data from a large, representative sample of adult patients with SLE (1997 ACR criteria) seen at Spanish rheumatology departments.

Absence of cardiovascular effects on young adults exposed in utero to ritodrine: a long-term follow-up.

Objective: To determine, using echocardiographs, if young adults exposed in uterus to Ritodrine have long-term cardiovascular effects.

Study Design: Retrospective follow-up study. Young adults between the ages of 22- and 26-years-old.

Bioinformatics approach to mRNA markers discovery for detection of circulating tumor cells in patients with gastrointestinal cancer.

Background: Detection of tumor cells in the blood, or minimal deposits in distant organs as bone marrow, could be important to identify cancer patients at high risk of relapse or disease progression. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of tissue or tumor selective mRNA is the most powerful tool for the detection of this circulating or occult metastatic cells. Our study aims to identify novel gastrointestinal cancer-specific markers for circulating tumor cell detection.

Segmental heterogeneity in Bcl-2, Bcl-xL and Bax expression in rat tubular epithelium after ischemia-reperfusion.

Aims: Studies in rats with bilateral clamping of renal arteries showed transient Bcl-2, Bcl-xL and Bax expression in renal tubular epithelium following ischemia-reperfusion. However, current data on the preferential localization of specific mRNAs or proteins are limited because gene expression was not analysed at segmental level. This study analyses the mRNA expression of Bcl-2, Bcl-xL and Bax in four segments of proximal and distal tubules localized in the renal cortex and outer medulla in rat kidneys with bilateral renal clamping for 30 min and seven reperfusion times versus control animals without clamp.

The anteromedial thigh flap as a training model of a perforator flap in rat.

Background: Perforator flap surgery is a complex surgery that is based on the use of a highly precise microsurgical technique that differs slightly from a conventional free flap, especially the intramuscular dissection of the pedicle. Herein, we report a new model of a perforator flap in rat, the anteromedial thigh flap, as a teaching model of a perforator flap. It is based on a constant musculocutaneous perforator that arises from the muscular vessels for the gracilis muscle.

Steroid-free immunosuppression for pancreas-after-liver transplantation.

Simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation is presently a well-accepted procedure for patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus and renal failure. However, experiences with combined pancreas and liver transplantation are scarce, a few data are available about the best immunosuppression for these patients. We report our experience with two patients who received a pancreas after liver transplantation for long-standing insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, with steroid-free immunosuppression based on daclizumab, tacrolimus, and mycophenolate mofetil.

Benefits of recombinant activated factor VII in complicated liver transplantation.

Introduction: Recombinant activated factor VII (rFVIIa, NovoSeven, NovoNordiskA/S, Bagsvaerd, Denmark) has shown benefits in hemophilic patients and recently in transplant recipients. This study presents our experiences with rFVIIa in complicated liver transplant recipients.

Methods: From May 2001 to August 2004, rFVIIa was administered to 7 patients undergoing liver transplantation.

Long-term results for liver transplantation from non-heart-beating donors maintained with chest and abdominal compression-decompression.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to evaluate long-term results after liver transplantation from non-heart-beating donors (NHBD) using the method of chest and abdominal compression-decompression to maintain donors.

Methods: From December 1995 to November 2004, 10 NHBD were identified and maintained by means of the method of chest and abdominal compression-decompression until family and judicial permission were granted. Nine donors were Maastricht type II and one was type IV.

Independent predictors of renal dysfunction after heart transplantation in patients with normal pretransplant renal function.

Background: Renal dysfunction (RD) is a common complication after heart transplantation (HT), but predictors of post-HT RD have not been clearly identified.

Methods: We studied 262 HT patients (mean age 54 years, 221 men) with normal baseline renal function. Potential risk factors examined were age, sex, pre-HT ischemic cardiomyopathy, pre- and post-HT diabetes mellitus, pre- and post-HT arterial hypertension, initial immunosuppressive protocol (before 1998 [high cyclosporine, azathioprine, and prednisone] vs after 1998 [low cyclosporine, mycophenolate mofetil, and prednisone]), occurrence of rejection episodes > or =ISHLT Grade 3A, and creatinine level 1 month after HT.

Treatment of postoperative pain for burn patients with intravenous analgesia in continuous perfusion using elastomeric infusors.

Introduction: Postoperative pain after surgery with patients suffering from burns tends to be moderate or severe, and its treatment requires a combination of high-strength analgesics (opioids) with others having different action mechanisms according to the concept of multimodal analgesia.

Aims: In this article we propose the use of continuous intravenous analgesia with morphine using elastomeric infusors at fixed dose for the treatment of this kind of pain. An evaluation is made of its analgesic efficacy, side effects and level of satisfaction.

Histological features with clinical impact in chronic allograft nephropathy: review of 66 cases.

Unlabelled: The histological features of chronic allograft nephropathy (CAN) are variable, since it is related to multiple donor and recipient factors. The main histological parameters in CAN are interstitial fibrosis, tubular atrophy, chronic vasculopathy and glomerulosclerosis. There have been many attempts to relate chronic deterioration of renal function with histologic features.

Renal dysfunction after orthotopic heart transplantation: incidence, natural history, and risk factors.

Background: Renal dysfunction is a common complication after orthotopic heart transplantation (HT). The importance of factors other than exposure to immunosuppressive drugs is unclear. The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence and natural history of renal dysfunction following heart transplantation, and to evaluate a number of variables as risk factors for this condition.

Hypotension, acidosis and vasodilation syndrome after heart transplant: incidence, risk factors, and prognosis.

Background: HAV syndrome, the combination of hypotension, acidosis and vasodilation (HAV), is a serious postoperative complication after heart transplantation (HT). Its etiology and prognosis are poorly understood.

Aim: To determine the incidence and prognosis of post-HT HAV syndrome and examine possible risk factors.