55 results match your criteria: "Santa Caterina Hospital[Affiliation]"

Multiple sclerosis disease-related knowledge measurement instruments show mixed performance: a systematic review.

J Clin Epidemiol

September 2022

Nursing Department, Faculty of Nursing, Universitat de Girona, Girona, Spain; Fundació Institut Universitari per a la recerca a l'Atenció Primària de Salut Jordi Gol i Gurina (IDIAPJGol), Barcelona, Spain; Gerència Territorial de Barcelona, Institut Català de la Salut, Barcelona, Spain. Electronic address:

Objectives: This review aimed to summarize the evidence on the measurement properties of available disease-related knowledge measurement instruments in people with multiple sclerosis.

Study Design And Setting: We performed a literature search in the MEDLINE (PubMed), CINAHL (EBSCOhost), and PsycINFO (EBSCOhost) databases from inception to February 10, 2021. Eligible studies were reports developing a disease-related knowledge measurement instrument or assessing one or more of its measurement properties.

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Is humoral and cellular response to SARS-CoV-2 vaccine modified by DMT in patients with multiple sclerosis and other autoimmune diseases?

Mult Scler

June 2022

Servei de Neurologia-Neuroimmunologia, Centre d'Esclerosi Múltiple de Catalunya (Cemcat), Vall d'Hebron Institut de Recerca, Vall d'Hebron Hospital Universitari, Departament de Medicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain Red Española de Esclerosis Múltiple (REEM), Barcelona, Spain.

Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates how disease-modifying therapies, specifically anti-CD20 treatments and sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor modulators (S1PRM), affect immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and other autoimmune diseases.
  • Researchers enrolled 457 patients and measured both humoral (antibody) and cellular (T-cell) immune responses before and after vaccination, finding that responses varied based on treatment type and duration.
  • Results indicate that while anti-CD20 and S1PRM treatments can reduce antibody responses, anti-CD20 patients may still generate T-cell responses even without detectable antibodies, highlighting the complexities of vaccine response in these populations.
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Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a respiratory condition during sleep caused by repeated pauses in breathing due to upper airway obstruction. It is estimated that OSA affects 30% of the population, but only 10% are well diagnosed due to the absence of a well-defined symptomatology and poor screening tools for early diagnosis. OSA is associated to an endothelial dysfunction inducing several biological responses such as hypoxia, hypercapnia and oxidative stress, among others.

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The effectiveness of noninvasive respiratory support in severe COVID-19 patients is still controversial. We aimed to compare the outcome of patients with COVID-19 pneumonia and hypoxemic respiratory failure treated with high-flow oxygen administered via nasal cannula (HFNC), continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) or noninvasive ventilation (NIV), initiated outside the intensive care unit (ICU) in 10 university hospitals in Catalonia, Spain. We recruited 367 consecutive patients aged ≥ 18 years who were treated with HFNC (155, 42.

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Post-COVID-19 patients show an increased endothelial progenitor cell production.

Transl Res

May 2022

Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Dr. Josep Trueta University Hospital of Girona, Santa Caterina Hospital of Salt and the Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBGI), Girona, Spain; Biomedical Research Networking Centre on Respiratory Diseases (CIBERES), Madrid, Spain. Electronic address:

SARS-CoV-2, the cause of COVID-19, has generated a global emergency. The endothelium is a target of SARS-CoV-2, generating endothelial dysfunction, an essential step for the development of cardiovascular complications. The number of endothelial progenitor cells acts as an indicator of vascular damage.

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Minimizing the risk of relapse is essential in multiple sclerosis (MS). As none of the treatments currently available are capable of completely preventing relapses, treatment of these episodes remains a cornerstone of MS care. The objective of this manuscript is to reduce uncertainty and improve quality of care of this neurological process.

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Linking In Vitro Models of Endothelial Dysfunction with Cell Senescence.

Life (Basel)

November 2021

Cardiology Department, Institute Clinic Cardiovascular (ICCV), Hospital Clinic, Institute d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), University of Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain.

Endothelial cell dysfunction is the principal cause of several cardiovascular diseases that are increasing in prevalence, healthcare costs, and mortality. Developing a standardized, representative in vitro model of endothelial cell dysfunction is fundamental to a greater understanding of the pathophysiology, and to aiding the development of novel pharmacological therapies. We subjected human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) to different periods of nutrient deprivation or increasing doses of HO to represent starvation or elevated oxidative stress, respectively, to investigate changes in cellular function.

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High-quality RNA improves sensitivity of SARS-CoV-2 detection by colorimetric RT-LAMP.

Exp Biol Med (Maywood)

February 2022

Cardiovascular Genetics Center, Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica de Girona Dr. Josep Trueta (IdIBGi), 17190 Salt, Spain.

The global SARS-CoV-2 pandemic requires a rapid, reliable, and user-friendly diagnostic test to help control the spread of the virus. Reverse transcription and quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) is currently the gold standard method for SARS-CoV-2 detection. Here, we develop a protocol based on reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) and demonstrate increased sensitivity of this technique using fresh RNA extracts compared to RNA samples subjected to freezing/thawing cycles.

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Background: An association has been found between the presence of lipid-specific oligoclonal IgM bands (LS-OCMB) in cerebrospinal fluid and a more severe clinical multiple sclerosis course.

Objective: To investigate lipid-specific oligoclonal IgM bands as a prognostic biomarker of cognitive impairment in the early stages of multiple sclerosis.

Methods: Forty-four patients underwent neuropsychological assessment at baseline and 4 years.

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Multiple Sclerosis Progression Discussion Tool Usability and Usefulness in Clinical Practice: Cross-sectional, Web-Based Survey.

J Med Internet Res

October 2021

Centre for Neuromuscular and Neurological Disorders, Western Australian Neuroscience Research Institute, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia.

Background: A digital tool, Multiple Sclerosis Progression Discussion Tool (MSProDiscuss), was developed to facilitate discussions between health care professionals (HCPs) and patients in evaluating early, subtle signs of multiple sclerosis (MS) disease progression.

Objective: The aim of this study is to report the findings on the usability and usefulness of MSProDiscuss in a real-world clinical setting.

Methods: In this cross-sectional, web-based survey, HCPs across 34 countries completed an initial individual questionnaire (comprising 7 questions on comprehensibility, usability, and usefulness after using MSProDiscuss during each patient consultation) and a final questionnaire (comprising 13 questions on comprehensibility, usability, usefulness, and integration and adoption into clinical practice to capture the HCPs' overall experience of using the tool).

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Derivation and characterisation of endothelial cells from patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension.

Sci Rep

September 2021

Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Servei de Pneumologia, Hospital Clínic-Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi I Sunyer (IDIBAPS), University of Barcelona, Villarroel, 170, 08036, Barcelona, Spain.

Pulmonary endarterectomy (PEA) resected material offers a unique opportunity to develop an in vitro endothelial cell model of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). We aimed to comprehensively analyze the endothelial function, molecular signature, and mitochondrial profile of CTEPH-derived endothelial cells to better understand the pathophysiological mechanisms of endothelial dysfunction behind CTEPH, and to identify potential novel targets for the prevention and treatment of the disease. Isolated cells from specimens obtained at PEA (CTEPH-EC), were characterized based on morphology, phenotype, and functional analyses (in vitro and in vivo tubule formation, proliferation, apoptosis, and migration).

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The high infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 makes it essential to develop a rapid and accurate diagnostic test so that carriers can be isolated at an early stage. Viral RNA in nasopharyngeal samples by RT-PCR is currently considered the reference method although it is not recognized as a strong gold standard due to certain drawbacks. Here we develop a methodology combining the analysis of from human nasopharyngeal (NP) samples by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) with the use of machine learning (ML).

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Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is a form of pulmonary hypertension characterized by the presence of fibrotic intraluminal thrombi and causing obliteration of the pulmonary arteries. Although both endothelial cell (EC) dysfunction and inflammation are linked to CTEPH pathogenesis, regulation of the basal inflammatory response of ECs in CTEPH is not fully understood. Therefore, in the present study, we investigated the role of the nuclear factor (NF)-κB pro-inflammatory signaling pathway in ECs in CTEPH under basal conditions.

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Background: To determine whether severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2, the cause of COVID-19 disease) exposure in pregnancy, compared to non-exposure, is associated with infection-related obstetric morbidity.

Methods: We conducted a multicentre prospective study in pregnancy based on a universal antenatal screening program for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Throughout Spain 45 hospitals tested all women at admission on delivery ward using polymerase-chain-reaction (PCR) for COVID-19 since late March 2020.

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Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is a vascular disease characterized by the presence of organized thromboembolic material in pulmonary arteries leading to increased vascular resistance, heart failure and death. Dysfunction of endothelial cells is involved in CTEPH. The present study describes for the first time the molecular processes underlying endothelial dysfunction in the development of the CTEPH.

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Around two percent of asymptomatic women in labor test positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in Spain. Families and care providers face childbirth with uncertainty. We determined if SARS-CoV-2 infection at delivery among asymptomatic mothers had different obstetric outcomes compared to negative patients.

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Endothelial Dysfunction in Pulmonary Hypertension: Cause or Consequence?

Biomedicines

January 2021

Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Laboratory for CardioVascular Cell Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a rare, complex, and progressive disease that is characterized by the abnormal remodeling of the pulmonary arteries that leads to right ventricular failure and death. Although our understanding of the causes for abnormal vascular remodeling in PAH is limited, accumulating evidence indicates that endothelial cell (EC) dysfunction is one of the first triggers initiating this process. EC dysfunction leads to the activation of several cellular signalling pathways in the endothelium, resulting in the uncontrolled proliferation of ECs, pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells, and fibroblasts, and eventually leads to vascular remodelling and the occlusion of the pulmonary blood vessels.

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Radiologically isolated syndrome: targeting miRNAs as prognostic biomarkers.

Epigenomics

December 2020

Department of Neurology, Girona Neuroimmunology & Multiple Sclerosis Unit, Dr. Josep Trueta University Hospital & Santa Caterina Hospital, Girona/Salt-Spain; Neurodegeneration & Neuroinflammation Group, Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBGI), 17190 Salt, Spain.

Some clinical and biological characteristics have been described as prognostic factors for clinical conversion into clinically definite multiple sclerosis in radiologically isolated syndrome (RIS) population. The aim of this study was to assess signatures of circulating miRNAs in those patients according to their conversion status after 5 years of follow-up. OpenArray plates assessing 216 miRNA candidates were run in 15 RIS patients, and their relative abundances were analyzed.

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Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), a new strain of a virus that presents 79% genetic similarity to the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus, has been recently recognized as the cause of a global pandemic by the World Health Organization, implying a major threat to world public health. SARS-CoV-2 infects host human cells by binding through the viral spike proteins to the ACE-2 (angiotensin-converting enzyme 2) receptor, fuses with the cell membrane, enters, and starts its replication process to multiply its viral load. Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was initially considered a respiratory infection that could cause pneumonia.

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The recent appearance of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection has led to the publication of the first evidence on gastrointestinal symptoms (GIS), the possible enteric involvement of the virus and the detection of RNA in stool, with its possible implication in the fecal-oral transmission of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We aimed to conduct a systematic review to describe the epidemiological scientific evidence on GIS, enteric involvement and fecal excretion of SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA and to discuss the possible fecal-oral transmission pathway of COVID-19.

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Article Synopsis
  • Mutations in the BMPR2 gene lead to hereditary pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), while non-hereditary PAH involves disruptions in the TGF-β/BMP signaling pathway affecting BMPR2 activity.
  • Current research using animal models (like monocrotaline and Sugen-Hypoxia) aims to understand BMPR2 signaling's role and potential for reversing PAH, but these models may not accurately reflect the disease progression seen in humans.
  • A study analyzing BMPR2 expression in lung tissues of PAH patients compared to rats with induced PAH found that expression levels of BMPR2 and its active form (pSmad1/5/8) were unchanged in lung tissue from hereditary PAH patients.
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Epidemiology of NMOSD in Catalonia: Influence of the new 2015 criteria in incidence and prevalence estimates.

Mult Scler

December 2018

Center of Neuroimmunology, Laboratory of Advanced Imaging in Neuroimmunological Diseases, Hospital Clinic of Barcelona and Institut d'Investigacions Biomediques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.

Background: Population-based studies on neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) are limited, and it is unclear whether the rates have changed with the implementation of the new 2015 criteria.

Objectives: To estimate the incidence and prevalence of NMOSD in Catalonia (Spain), using both the 2006 and the 2015 criteria.

Methods: In this clinic-based retrospective study, patients diagnosed with NMOSD between 2006 and 2015 were identified using multiple sources, including direct contact to all Catalan hospitals, identification of cases through the Catalan Health Surveillance System, and registry of antibodies to aquaporin-4 (AQP4-IgG) and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG-IgG) in a reference laboratory.

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Background: According to cross-sectional studies, there is an association between anosognosia in people with dementia and caregiver's burden and depression. Anosognosia in patients may be a cause of caregiver burden and depression. However, variability in caregiver anosognosia ratings may exist as caregivers with burden and depression may have a more pessimistic view of the patients' health.

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