Utility of pulmonary ultrasound to identify interstitial lung disease in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Objectives: To analyze the diagnostic utility of lung ultrasound (US) to detect interstitial lung disease (ILD) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients comparing with high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) PATIENTS AND METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional, observational study in patients with RA-ILD (cases) controlled with a group of RA patients without ILD (controls) paired by sex, age, and time of disease evolution. Patients were assessed using HRCT, PFT, and US. The main variables were B-line number, evaluation of the lung-US score already described, pleural irregularities, and A pattern US lost.

Milk and Dairy Products Intake Is Related to Cognitive Impairment at Baseline in Predimed Plus Trial.

Scope: To examine the association between milk and dairy products intake and the prevalence of cognitive decline among Spanish individuals at high cardiovascular risk.

Methods And Results: Cross-sectional analyses are performed on baseline data from 6744 adults (aged 55-75 years old). Intake of milk and dairy products is estimated using a food frequency questionnaire grouped into quartiles.

Endoscopic intragastric injection of botulinum toxin A in obese patients on bariatric surgery waiting lists: A randomised double-blind study (IntraTox study).

Background & Aims: Several studies have evaluated the effect of intragastric injection of botulinum toxin A to treat obesity, achieving mixed results. Our objective is to determine the effect of intragastric botulinum toxin A on weight loss, satiety, biomarkers, and quality of life of obese patients prior bariatric surgery.

Methods: Design: single-centre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial in 52 obese patients on bariatric surgery waiting lists.

Identification and Characterization of IgE-Reactive Proteins and a New Allergen (Cic a 1.01) from Chickpea (Cicer arietinum).

Scope: Chickpea (Cicer arietinum) allergy has frequently been reported particularly in Spain and India. Nevertheless, chickpea allergens are poorly characterized. The authors aim to identify and characterize potential allergens from chickpea.

Non-anti-TNF biologic agents are associated with slower worsening of interstitial lung disease secondary to rheumatoid arthritis.

Objectives: To analyze the effect of disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) on the outcome of interstitial lung disease secondary to rheumatoid arthritis (RA-ILD).

Patients And Methods: We performed a multicenter, prospective, observational study of patients with RA-ILD receiving DMARDs between 2015 and 2017. The patients were assessed using high-resolution computed tomography and pulmonary function tests at baseline and at 24 months.

A new mutation in the PAX2 gene in a Papillorenal Syndrome patient.

Purpose: To present a new mutation in a patient with Papillorenal Syndrome (PAPRS).

Observations: PAPRS is an autosomal dominant disease that involves ocular and renal abnormalities. We present a patient with PAPRS with a genetically diagnosed PAX2 and new pathogenic mutation.

Relationship between glucose control, glycemic variability, and oxidative stress in children with type 1 diabetes.

Introduction: Few studies assessing the relationship between oxidative stress and glycemic variability in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) are available, and most of them reported no significant results.

Objective: To assess the relationship between glucose control, glycemic variability, and oxidative stress as measured by urinary excretion of 8-iso-prostanglandin F2-alpha (8-iso-PGF2α) in children with T1DM.

Materials And Methods: A cross-sectional study including 25 children with T1DM.

Multi-centre validation of a flow cytometry method to identify optimal responders to interferon-beta in multiple sclerosis.

Background And Objectives: Percentages of blood CD19+CD5+ B cells and CD8+perforin+ T lymphocytes can predict response to Interferon (IFN)-beta treatment in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients. We aimed to standardize their detection in a multicenter study, prior to their implementation in clinical practice.

Methods: Fourteen hospitals participated in the study.

An EAACI task force report: recognising the potential of the primary care physician in the diagnosis and management of drug hypersensitivity.

Adverse drug reactions include drug hypersensitivity reactions (DHRs), which can be immunologically mediated (allergy) or non-immunologically mediated. The high number of DHRs that are unconfirmed and often self-reported is a frequent problem in daily clinical practice, with considerable impact on future prescription choices and patient health. It is important to distinguish between hypersensitivity and non-hypersensitivity reactions by adopting a structured diagnostic approach to confirm or discard the suspected drug, not only to avoid life-threatening reactions, but also to reduce the frequent over-diagnosis of DHRs.

Tissue-Specific Phenotype and Activation of iNKT Cells in Morbidly Obese Subjects: Interaction with Adipocytes and Effect of Bariatric Surgery.

Background: The immune response of visceral adipose tissue (VAT) in obesity, in particular the role of invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells, has not yet been fully elucidated.

Objective: To characterize iNKT cells and its activation status in VAT and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) in morbidly obese subjects (MO), and to analyze their association with metabolic parameters.

Subjects And Methods: Twenty non-obese and 20 MO subjects underwent Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) and were studied before and 6 months after RYGB.

Update on Quinolone Allergy.

Purpose Of Review: Quinolones are a group of synthetic antibiotics widely use as first-line treatment for many infections. There has been an increase in the incidence of hypersensitivity reactions to quinolones in recent years, likely due to increased prescription. The purpose of this review is to summarize the clinical pictures, the methods used for diagnosing and the management of allergic reactions to quinolones.

Adherence of rheumatoid arthritis patients to biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs: a cross-sectional study.

The aims of this study were to evaluate adherence of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients to biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs), identify potential risk factors, and analyze the discriminative ability of the Morisky-Green test (MGT) to detect bDMARD nonadherence. One hundred and seventy-eight adult RA patients treated with bDMARDs were included. Adherence was measured using the medication possession ratio (MPR) of the previous 6 months.

Selenium, selenoproteins and selenometabolites in mothers and babies at the time of birth.

The deficiency of Se, an essential micronutrient, has been implicated in adverse pregnancy outcomes. Our study was designed to determine total serum Se, selenoproteins (extracellular glutathione peroxidase (GPx-3), selenoprotein P (SeP)), selenoalbumin (SeAlb) and selenometabolites in healthy women and their newborns at delivery. This cross-sectional study included eighty-three healthy mother-baby couples.

Approach to the diagnosis of drug hypersensitivity reactions: similarities and differences between Europe and North America.

Unlabelled: Drug hypersensitivity reactions (DHRs) affect an unknown proportion of the general population, and are an important public health problem due to their potential to cause life-threatening anaphylaxis and rare severe cutaneous allergic reactions. DHR evaluations are frequently needed in both ambulatory and hospital settings and have a complex diagnosis that requires a detailed clinical history and other tests that may include in vitro tests and in vivo procedures such as skin tests and drug provocation tests. Although over the years both European and U.

Hypersensitivity Reactions to Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are one of the leading causes of hypersensitivity reactions to drugs, and they are classified in two groups: those induced by nonspecific immunological mechanisms (non-allergic or cross-intolerance (CI) reactions), or by specific immunological mechanisms (allergic or selective reactions (SR)). The pathogenesis of CI is associated with their pharmacological activity (COX-1 inhibition), with symptoms due to an imbalance in the arachidonic acid pathway, independently of their chemical structure. SRs are mediated by specific IgE- or by a T-cell response and can be induced by a single NSAID or a class of chemically related NSAIDs, with patients tolerating chemically unrelated compounds.

The pro-/anti-inflammatory effects of different fatty acids on visceral adipocytes are partially mediated by GPR120.

Purpose: This study examines whether G-protein coupled receptor 120 (GPR120) is involved in the pro-/anti-inflammatory effects of different types of fatty acids (FAs) in human visceral adipocytes, and whether these effects may be altered in obesity, a state with a chronic inflammation.

Methods: Pro-/anti-inflammatory effects of palmitic, oleic, linoleic and docosahexaenoic acids on human visceral adipocytes were tested in mature adipocytes from non-obese and morbidly obese (MO) subjects. Also, the effects of these FAs were tested when the GPR120 gene was silenced.

Iodine status and thyroid function among Spanish schoolchildren aged 6-7 years: the Tirokid study.

I deficiency is still a worldwide public health problem, with children being especially vulnerable. No nationwide study had been conducted to assess the I status of Spanish children, and thus an observational, multicentre and cross-sectional study was conducted in Spain to assess the I status and thyroid function in schoolchildren aged 6-7 years. The median urinary I (UI) and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels in whole blood were used to assess the I status and thyroid function, respectively.

Hypoxia is associated with a lower expression of genes involved in lipogenesis in visceral adipose tissue.

Background: A key role for HIF-1α in the promotion and maintenance of dietary obesity has been proposed. We analyzed the association between hypoxia and de novo lipogenesis in human adipose tissue.

Methods: We studied HIF-1α mRNA and protein expression in fasting status in visceral adipose tissue (VAT) from non-obese and morbidly obese subjects, and in VAT from wild-type and ob/ob C57BL6J mice in both fasting and feeding status.