Evaluation of 1, 5 -Anhydroglucitol as a Biomarker for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Patients without Overt Nephropathy

1,5-Anhydroglucitol (1,5-AG) is a non-fasting glycemic marker that responds to hyperglycemia excursions. The reduction in serum levels of 1,5-AG is associated with an increase in postprandial glycemia and glycosuria, phenomena that increase the risk and severity of diabetic complications. The objective is to assess the ability of 1,5-AG to discriminate type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients without overt kidney disease, for screening or diagnostic purposes. The Human Research Ethics Committee of Universidade Federal do Paraná (UFPR) approved the project. Serum samples from 567 individuals classified as healthy subjects (n = 291) and T2D (n = 276) with moderate glycemic control (HbA1c of 7-8%), matched by gender, were analyzed. Serum 1,5-AG levels were measured using an automated enzymatic method (GlycoMark, Inc.). Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis for 1,5-AG showed sensibility of 65.3% and specificity of 91.1% to detect T2D at cut-off point of 92 µmol/L. The results were similar to the groups' discrimination by glycemia (sensibility/specificity, 62.2%; 89.0%) at cut-off point of 6.3 mmol/L. HbA1c was the best discriminator (sensibility/specificity, 87.4%; 94.2%) at a cut-off point of 5.8% (40 mmol/mol). The serum 1,5-AG concentration was not able to discriminate T2D in the presence of moderate glycemic control with no overt nephropathy.

Valor pronóstico de los índices de severidad en las lesiones traumáticas de colon y recto / Prognostic value of severity indices in traumatic colon and rectal injuries

RESUMEN Introducción: Los índices de severidad en trauma son una serie de escalas que permiten describir la gravedad de un individuo traumatizado y se asocian con su pronóstico y probabilidad de sobrevida. Objetivo: Determinar el valor pronóstico de los índices de severidad anatómicos en la evolución de pacientes con lesiones traumáticas de colon y recto. Métodos: Se realizó un estudio observacional descriptivo y de corte transversal. Se incluyeron los pacientes con lesiones traumáticas de colon o recto intervenidos quirúrgicamente en cuatro hospitales de La Habana en el periodo 2008-2015. Los datos fueron recolectados de la historia clínica. Se utilizó análisis de distribución de frecuencias y las curvas de operación característica del receptor (curvas ROC). Resultados: La edad promedio de los pacientes 37,4 años (desviación estándar 13,6 años). Predominó el sexo masculino (76, 7 por ciento). De los 6 scores estudiados, solamente CIS Flint y COIS resultaron ser útiles para predecir sepsis de la herida quirúrgica. En la predicción de defunción, el área mayor bajo la curva correspondió a COIS (0,92), posteriormente le siguió NISS (0,86) y luego CIS Flint (0,81). Los puntos de corte óptimos calculados fueron: ( 3 para COIS, ( 24 para NISS y ( 2 para CIS Flint. Conclusiones: Se demuestra el valor de los índices COIS y Flint, para pronosticar la ocurrencia de complicaciones en los pacientes con lesiones traumáticas de colon y recto, y la utilidad de los diferentes índices, en el pronóstico de defunción(AU)

ABSTRACT Introduction: Trauma severity indices are a series of scales that describe the severity of a traumatized individual and are associated with their prognosis and probability of survival. Objective: To determine the prognostic value of anatomical severity indices in the evolution of patients with traumatic lesions of the colon and rectum. Methods: A descriptive observational and cross-sectional study was carried out. Patients with traumatic lesions of the colon or rectum who underwent surgery in four Havana hospitals in the period 2008-2015 were included. The data was collected from the medical history. Frequency distribution analysis and receiver characteristic operation curves (ROC curves) were used. Results: The average age of the patients 37.4 years (standard deviation 13.6 years). Male sex predominated (76.7 percent). Of the 6 scores studied, only CIS Flint and COIS were found to be useful in predicting sepsis of the surgical wound. In the prediction of death, the largest area under the curve corresponded to COIS (0.92), followed by NISS (0.86) and then CIS Flint (0.81). The calculated optimal cut-off points were: ( 3 for COIS, ( 24 for NISS and ( 2 for CIS Flint. Conclusions: The value of the COIS and Flint indices is demonstrated to predict the occurrence of complications in patients with traumatic lesions of the colon and rectum, and the usefulness of the different indices in the prognosis of death(AU)

Optimización del uso de las Placas de Inmunodifusión Radial Simple de la firma Siemens / Optimization of the usage of single radial immunodiffusion plates from Siemens

Introducción: La Inmunodifusión radial simple es una técnica con fundamento inmunológico confiable por su especificidad para la cuantificación de inmunoglobulinas principales y se emplea también para otras proteínas. Las placas de Inmunodifusión comerciales se ofertan con un número determinado de pocillos donde se coloca la muestra biológica que contiene la proteína a cuantificar. Objetivo: Evaluar la sensibilidad y la especificidad de la modificación introducida para optimizar el uso de las placas de inmunodifusión radial simple de la marca SIEMENS por aumento del número de muestras por placas. Material y Métodos: Se presenta una innovación que permite optimizar el área biológicamente activa de la placa no utilizada para emplearla para la cuantificación de otras muestras. Se realizan montajes paralelos de muestras de controles en los pocillos tradicionales y en los realizados en los espacios disponibles para cuantificar IgG y albúmina para suero y líquido cefalorraquídeo. Resultados: La sensibilidad del empleo por el método tradicional y por el nuevo no presenta diferencias significativas. En cuanto a la especificidad tampoco existen diferencias significativas menos en las placas para cuantificar albúmina en suero por lo que se recomienda diluir la muestra de suero antes de ser utilizada en el área disponible. En el caso de las placas NOR y LC Partigen® el número de muestras a ser beneficiadas con la cuantificación se duplica, pero de igual manera puede ser aplicada en otras placas de otras firmas comerciales. Conclusiones: Esta innovación permite hacer un uso óptimo de las placas de inmunodifusión con el consiguiente ahorro de material de importación y se puede aplicar fácilmente en todos los laboratorios del país(AU)

Introduction: Single radial immunodiffusion assay is a technique with immunological base, which is reliable because of its specificity in the quantification of main immunoglobulins, although it is also used for other proteins. Commercial immunodiffusion plates are offered with a determined number of holes where the biological samples containing protein to be quantified are placed. Objective: To evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of the modification implemented to optimize the usage of single radial immunodiffusion plates from Siemens by increasing the number of samples in the plates. Materials and Methods: An innovating procedure that allows to optimize the non-used biologically active area and use it in the quantification of other samples is presented. A parallel quantification of control samples from traditional holes and the other ones opened in available spaces was performed in order to quantify IgG and albumin in serum and in cerebrospinal fluid. Results: Sensitivity was not affected significantly between the normal plates and the usage of the new procedure. Regarding specificity, there are also no significant differences except in the plates used to quantify serum albumin; so, it is recommended to dilute serum samples before the application. In case of NOR and LC Partigens®, this proposed modification duplicates the number of samples to be quantified in each plate, but otherwise, it could be applied in other commercial immunoplates. Conclusions: This innovation allows to make an optimal usage of immunodiffusion plates with the consequent saving of import materials, which can be easily applied in all the laboratories of the country(AU)

Valor diagnóstico de variables lipídicas y antropométricas en las disfunciones metabólicas / Diagnostic value of lipid and anthropometric variables in metabolic dysfunctions / Valor diagnóstico de variáveis lipídicas e antropométricas nas disfunções metabólicas

El objetivo del estudio fue evaluar el desempeño de detección del índice de disfunción metabólica (IDM) construido a partir de los valores de circunferencia abdominal, triglicéridos e índice de masa corporal. Se estudiaron 829 sujetos (327 de sexo masculino, 60,4±19,8 años). Se establecieron los diagnósticos de resistencia a la insulina (RI), y síndrome metabólico según los criterios del HOMA-IR, NCEP-ATP III (SM) y NCEP-ATP III revisado (SM-R). Se usó el área bajo las curvas ROC (ABC), los puntos de corte óptimo (PCO), sensibilidad (SEN), especificidad (ESP), valor predictivo positivo y valor predictivo negativo (VPN) para la evaluación del desempeño del IDM. Se pudo constatar que el IDM tiene una capacidad de detección aceptable puesto que se observó un ABC>0,75 en todos los casos. Además, se encontraron valores mayores (p<0,01) de IDM en los grupos con SM, SM-R y RI en comparación con los grupos que no padecían las patologías. Adicionalmente, los PCO para la RI (IDM>21,01), SM (IDM>16,01) y el SM-R (IDM>19,51) reportaron valores de ESP, SEN, VPN mayores que 0,70. Por tanto, a partir de un índice compuesto por tres variables tomadas de un estudio médico de rutina, se pueden diagnosticar dos patologías que conllevan al desarrollo de la diabetes y enfermedades cardiovasculares.

The objective of the study was to evaluate the performance of metabolic dysfunction index (MDI) detection constructed from the values of abdominal circumference, triglycerides and body mass index. A total of 829 subjects (327 males, 60.4±19.8 years), diagnosed with insulin resistance (IR) and metabolic syndrome according to the HOMA-IR, NCEP-ATP III (SM) and NCEP -ATP III revised (SM-R) criteria were studied. The area under the ROC curves (AUC), the optimal cut-off points (OCP), sensitivity (SEN), specificity (SPE), positive predictive value and negative predictive value (NPV) were used to evaluate the performance of the MDI. It was found that the MDI has an acceptable detection capacity since an AUC>0.75 was observed in all cases, and higher values (p<0.01) of MDI were found in the groups with SM, SM-R and IR compared to groups that do not suffer from the pathologies. Additionally, the OCPs for IR (MDI>21.01), SM (MDI>16.01) and SM-R (MDI>19.51) reported values of SPE, SEN, NPV greater than 0.70. Therefore, from an index composed of three variables taken from a routine medical study, two pathologies can be diagnosed that lead to the development of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

O objetivo do estudo foi avaliar o desempenho de detecção do índice de disfunção metabólica (IDM) construído a partir dos valores de circunferência abdominal, triglicerídeos e índice de massa corporal. Foram estudados 829 indivíduos (327 homens, 60,4±19,8 anos), estableceram-se os diagnósticos de resistência à insulina (RI) e síndrome metabólica de acordo com os critérios de HOMA-RI, NCEP-ATP III (SM) e NCEP-ATP III revisado (SM-R). A área sob as curvas ROC (ABC), os pontos de corte ótimo (PCO), sensibilidade (SEN), especificidade (ESP), valor preditivo positivo e valor preditivo negativo (VPN) foram utilizados para avaliar o desempenho do IDM. Verificou-se que o IDM possui uma capacidade de detecção aceitável, visto que uma ABC>0,75 foi observada em todos os casos. Valores maiores (p<0,01) de IDM foram encontrados nos grupos com SM, SM- R e RI em comparação com grupos que não sofrem com as patologias. Além disso, os PCOs para a RI (IDM>21.01), SM (IDM>16.01) e SM-R (IDM>19.51), relataram valores de ESP, SEN, VPN maiores que 0,70. Portanto, a partir de um índice composto por três variáveis de um estudo médico de rotina, duas patologias podem ser diagnosticadas que levam ao desenvolvimento de diabetes e doenças cardiovasculares.

Comparación de Índices Antropométricos para Agregación de Múltiples Factores de Riesgo en Adultos de Cuenca, Ecuador / Comparison Of Anthropometric Measures For Aggregation Of Multiple Risk Factors In Adults Of Cuenca, Ecuador

RESUMEN Objetivos. El objetivo de este estudio es comparar la capacidad predictiva de diferentes índices antropométricos en la determinación de la agregación de múltiples factores de riesgo (AMFR) en la población adulta de la ciudad de Cuenca, Ecuador. Materiales y métodos . Se realizó un estudio descriptivo transversal con un muestreo aleatorio multietápico en 318 sujetos adultos a quienes se les realizó una evaluación clínica, antropométrica y de laboratorio; siendo la circunferencia abdominal, índice de masa corporal (IMC) e índice cintura altura (ICA) los índices evaluados. La AMFR se definió como la presencia de ≥ dos componentes del síndrome metabólico (excluyendo circunferencia abdominal). Se realizaron curvas COR para determinar el área bajo la curva (ABC) para cada índice. Resultados. De los 318 individuos, un 54,1% (n=172) presentaron AMFR. Según los resultados obtenidos por curvas COR, la mayor capacidad predictiva en mujeres se observó con el IMC y el ICA (ABC: 0,751 y 0,750, respectivamente) mientras que en hombres la circunferencia abdominal y el ICA mostraron una capacidad predictiva similar (ABC=0,762). El análisis multivariante ajustado por sexo y edad mostró que el ICA elevado (OR: 2,53; IC95%: 1,12-5,71; p=0,026) fue el mejor predictor de AMFR, seguido por el IMC (OR: 2,15; IC95%: 1,19-3,88; p=0,010). Conclusiones. La capacidad predictiva de los índices antropométricos está influenciada por el sexo, no obstante, el ICA es el mejor predictor de la AMFR en la población de Cuenca.

ABSTRACT Objective . The aim of this study is to compare the predictive capacity of different anthropometric indices in multiple risk factors aggregation (MRFA) determination in the adult population from Cuenca city, Ecuador. Materials and Methods . A cross- sectional descriptive study was performed with a random multi-stage sampling in 318 adult subjects who underwent a clinical, anthropometric and laboratory evaluation; being the abdominal circumference, body mass index (BMI) and waist height index (WHtR) evaluated. MRFA was defined as the presence of ≥2 components of the metabolic syndrome (excluding abdominal circumference). ROC curves were plotted to determine the area under the curve (AUC) for each index. Results . Of the 318 individuals, 54.1% (n=172) presented MRFA. According to ROC curves, the highest predictive capacity in women was observed with BMI and WHtR (AUC: 0.751 and 0.750, respectively), while in men abdominal circumference and WHtR showed a similar predictive power (AUC: 0.762). The multivariate analysis adjusted for sex and age showed that high WHtR (OR: 2.53, 95% CI: 1.12-5.71, p=0.026) was the best predictor of MRFA, followed by BMI (OR: 2.15, 95% CI: 1.19-3.88, p=0.010). Conclusions . The predictive capacity of the anthropometric indexes is influenced by gender; nevertheless the WHtR is the best predictor of MRFA in our population.

Contribuciones empíricas para la validez de grupos contrastados de la Batería de Tareas de Autorregulación Cognitiva (TAC) / Empirical contributions for contrasting groups validity of the Tareas de Autorregulación Cognitiva (TAC) Battery

Los déficit de las funciones ejecutivas (FE) suelen estar presentes en el Trastorno por Déficit de Atención e Hiperactividad (TDAH). Distintos trabajos mostraron algunas falencias vinculadas a la medición de las FE, como la participación de otros procesos que no constituyen objeto de la evaluación. En el trabajo que se informa se analizaron las diferencias existentes en las FE de niños con y sin diagnóstico de TDAH y se buscó identificar y establecer aquellas variables con mayor poder discriminante para la probabilidad de pertenencia a ambos grupos. Se utilizaron las tareas de la batería denominada Tareas de Autorregulación Cognitiva (TAC), diseñadas ad-hoc para evaluar específica y relativamente en forma independiente cada FE. Se trabajó con una muestra de 49 niños escolarizados de 7 a 12 años de edad, de ambos géneros, divididos en dos grupos, uno clínico de 19 niños con diagnóstico de TDAH, con una media de edad igual a 9.84 años (DE = 1.83) y uno control de 30 niños sin diagnóstico de TDAH con una media de edad igual a 10.27 años (DE = .82), equiparados por género, edad, niveles socioeconómico y educacional. Los resultados mostraron que el análisis discriminante permitió clasificar correctamente al 98% de los participantes. Las tareas mejor discriminadas fueron la de Flexibilidad cognitiva y Control inhibitorio comportamental, con un 98.9% y 97.8%, respectivamente, de casos correctos. Esto muestra que la TAC constituye una batería con adecuada sensibilidad y especificidad para discriminar y detectar casos de TDAH con un elevado nivel de confiabilidad y porcentaje de correctos clasificados.

The executive functions (EF) multidimensional approaches state that EFs consist of a set of processes with relative autonomy and independence: working memory (WM), cognitive flexibility (CF), and inhibition. Regarding the inhibitory operation, three dimensions are distinguished, each with distinct operative features: perceptual, cognitive, and behavioral inhibition. Perceptual inhibition is the process that allows the focus on relevant environmental stimuli through the attenuation of the interference generated by other stimuli present in the context. Cognitive inhibition is involved in the decreased level of activation of the prepotent mental representations of intrusive and irrelevant to the achievement of current goals. Finally, behavioral inhibition handles suppress or cancel behaviors and strong, prepotent and un suitable behaviors. While this last type contributes to the inhibitory control of behavior, the other two processes (cognitive and perceptual inhibition) apply to cognition, as involved in regulating the perceptions and representations. Regarding executive operation in general, empirical evidence suggests that these dimensions are involved in such diverse fields as psychopathology, personality, emotion, attentional control and cognitive development. It has been found that deficits in EFs are usually present in the Attention Deficit Hyper activity Disorder (ADHD). The common practice of treating children with ADHD as an undifferentiated group of participants in behavioral and neuropsychological research may have adverse methodological consequences. Relying on group averaging in comparing the performance of ADHD and control groups may produce misleading results, as it conceals possible effects that may characterize some but not all ADHD participants. According to the previous assumptions, the objectives of this work were (1) analyzing the EF performance in children with or without diagnosed ADHD and (2) identifying and setting the variables with greater discriminant power between the normal and clinical groups. Battery tasks called Tareas de Autorregulación Cognitiva (TAC) ad-hoc and designed to assess EFs operation specifically and with relative independence with each other were used. The sample consisted of 49 school-attending children, aged 7-12 years, of both sexes, divided into two groups: (1) a clinical group of 19 children diagnosed with ADHD combined subtype (M age = 9.84 years, SD =1.83), and (2) a control group of 30 children without ADHD diagnosis (M age = 10.27 years, SD = .82), matched by gender, age, socioeconomic and educational level. By analyzing the results, significant differences were found between verbal and visuospatial WM, CF, behavioral and perceptual inhibition indices. Then, a discriminant analysis was made in order to use the index values with significant differences and make predictions about the probability of a subject to be a member of a certain criteria variable value (clinical or control group condition). Results show that discriminant analysis allows to correctly classifying 98% of the participants. The results indicated that the average RT of the mixed block (Cognitive Flexibility) and the Stop Signal RT (Behavioral Inhibition) are the indices with better sensitivity and specificity for detecting the presence of ADHD in this sample. Considering that the area under the curve indicates the probability to classify correctly a couple of healthy and ill individuals randomly selected, then it is possible to conclude that the values of Cognitive Flexibility and Behavioral Inhibitory control tasks had better discriminant power, as they correctly classified 98.9% and 97.8% of the total cases, respectively. This result shows that the TAC Battery presents adequate sensitivity and specificity to discriminate and detect ADHD with a high level of reliability and classification accuracy. Summarizing, we highlight the importance of having an assessment battery such as the totally computerized TAC, which allows the assessment of EFs independently, with an attractive design and straightforward administering and scoring procedures.

Effect of hyponatremia on complications and prognosis in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstruc-tive pulmonary disease / 中国基层医药

Objective To observe the complications and mortality of hyponatremia in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.Methods The patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were selected and divided into non -hyponatremia group(252 cases)and hyponatremia group(65 cases).The differences in the general status,serum ions,blood gas,APACHE Ⅱ score,complications dur-ing the hospitalization,using of ventilator and mortality between the two groups were compared,and drew the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve,to acquire higher serum sodium cut -off values.Results In the hyponatremia group,the body weight was (68.3 ±14.4)kg,BMI was (25.5 ±4.9)kg/m2 ,those in the non -hyponatremia group were (74.9 ±15.9)kg and (28.2 ±5.3)kg/m2 respectively,there were statistically significant differences(t =2.009,8.494,all P <0.05).The incidence rate of pneumonia in the hyponatremia group was 23.1%,which was higher than 13.1% in the non -hyponatremia group(χ2 =4.007,P =0.045).The hospital days of the hyponatremia group was (13.1 ±8.9)d,which was longer than (7.8 ±4.9)d of the non -hyponatremia group(t =15.638,P =0.000).The invasive ventilation days of the hyponatremia group was (1.1 ±0.4)d,which was longer than (0.9 ± 0.1)d of the non -hyponatremia group(t =2.885,P =0.004).The non invasive ventilation days of the hyponatremia group was (3.1 ±0.8)d,which was longer than (0.8 ±0.3)d of the non -hyponatremia group (t =2.984,P =0.003).The hospital mortality rate of the hyponatremia group was 12.3%,which was higher than 3.1% of the non -hyponatremia group(χ2 =7.189,P =0.007).The 90 -day mortality rate of the hyponatremia group was 29.2%, which was higher than 15.1% of the non -hyponatremia group(χ2 =7.017,P =0.008).When the serum sodium cut-off value was 128.8mmol/L by drawing ROC curve,the mortality rate in patients with lower than this value was 26.3%,while the mortality rate in patients with higher than the value was 3.7%.Conclusion Hyponatremia is related with the severity and prognosis of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.It is most important to prevent and correct hyponatremia at early disease stage.

Punto de corte de circunferencia abdominal para el agrupamiento de factores de riesgo metabólico: una propuesta para la población adulta de Cuenca, Ecuador / Waist circumference cut-off point for metabolic risk factor aggregation: A proposal for the adult population of Cuenca, Ecuador

Antecedentes y objetivo: En la actualidad son pocos los estudios sobre circunferencia abdominal realizados en Ecuador. La presente investigación tiene como objetivo determinar sus puntos de corte en la población adulta de Cuenca, Ecuador. Metodología: Se realizó un estudio descriptivo, transversal, con un muestreo aleatorio y multietápico en 318 individuos adultos de ambos sexos. A los participantes se les realizó historia clínica con mediciones antropométricas y de laboratorio. Se construyeron curvas ROC para determinar los puntos de corte de circunferencia abdominal para el agrupamiento de factores de riesgo metabólico. Se emplearon los criterios IDF/NHLBI/AHA/WHF/IAS/IASO-2009, ATP-III y ALAD para definir el síndrome metabólico. Resultados: De los 318 sujetos, el 57,2% fueron mujeres, la presencia de agrupamiento de factores de riesgo metabólico se encontró en un 54,1% (n = 172). Al construir las curvas ROC se obtuvo un punto de corte de circunferencia abdominal de 91,5 cm para el sexo femenino (sensibilidad: 66,7%; especificidad: 62,7%) y 95,5 cm para el sexo masculino (sensibilidad: 71,2%; especificidad 68,3%). Empleando dichos puntos de corte, la prevalencia de obesidad abdominal para mujeres se ubicó en el 53,3% y para hombres en el 52,9%. Conclusiones: Los puntos de corte para circunferencia abdominal difieren de los propuestos para la población latinoamericana. Se propone que los puntos de corte para circunferencia abdominal sean de 91 cm para mujeres y 95 cm para hombres adultos de la ciudad de Cuenca. Es necesario unificar esfuerzos entre los diversos grupos de investigación de la región para establecer valores en común para Latinoamérica basados en los diversos reportes hasta la fecha.

Background and objective: Few studies have been conducted on waist circumference in Ecuador. This research aims to determine the cut-off points of waist circumference in an adult population from Cuenca City, Ecuador. Methodology: A cross-sectional, descriptive study, with a multistage random sampling was carried out on 318 adults of both sexes. Participants underwent a medical examination, with anthropometric and laboratory measurements. ROC curves were plotted to determine the waist circumference cut-offs for multiple risk factor aggregation. The IDF/NHLBI/AHA/WHF/IAS/IASO 2009, ATP-III and ALAD criteria were used to define metabolic syndrome. Results: Of the 318 subjects, 57.2% were women. The presence of multiple risk factor aggregation was found in 54.1% (n = 172). ROC curves showed waist circumference cut-offs of 91.5 cm for females (sensitivity: 66.7%; specificity: 62.7%) and 95.5 cm for males (sensitivity: 71.2%, specificity 68.3%). Using these cut-offs the prevalence of abdominal obesity was 53.3% for women, and 52.9% for men. Conclusions: The cut-offs for waist circumference differ from those proposed for the Latin American population. A waist circumference cut-off of 91 cm for women and 95 cm for men from Cuenca city is suggested. It is necessary to unify efforts among the various research groups in the region to establish common values for Latin America based on the different reports to date.

Utilidad de la escala clínica de Rockall en la hemorragia digestiva alta no varicosa / Usefulness of Rockall clinical score in upper non variceal gastrointestinal bleeding

Introducción: la escala clínica de Rockall se utliza para clasificar la hemorragia digestiva alta en individuos atendiendo al riesgo de presentar sangrado activo, que necesiten de la realización urgente de la endoscopia digestiva. Objetivo: evaluar, la eficacia de la escala clínica de Rockall para identificar a los pacientes que requieren terapéutica endoscópica. Métodos: se realizó un estudio prospectivo. Se calculó el índice clínico de Rockall según escala homónima. Se realizó endoscopia de urgencia y terapéutica hemostática a pacientes con sangrado activo o reciente. La eficacia de este proceder se determinó mediante el análisis por curva de escala clínica de Rockall, índice de Youden y cálculo de sensibilidad y especificidad del mejor punto de corte. Resultados: incluidos 118 pacientes, 22 de los cuales (18,6 por ciento) recibieron terapéutica endoscópica por presentar sangrado activo o reciente. Índice clínico de Rockall con una media de 1,79 puntos. Riesgo alto 83 pacientes (70,3 por ciento) y bajo 35 casos (29,7 por ciento). La capacidad predictiva excelente, con valor del área bajo la curva = 0,960 (IC 95 por ciento: 0,904-1,017); punto de corte igual a 1 ( índice de Youden = 0,971) con una sensibilidad de 97 por ciento y de especificidad de 71 por ciento. Conclusiones: la escala clínica de Rockall puede ser utilizada con seguridad para la toma de decisiones en relación con la realización urgente de la endoscopia en el paciente con hemorragia digestiva alta no varicosa(AU)

Introduction: the clinical Rockall score serves to stratify the individuals with non variceal upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage depending on the risk of presenting active bleeding and therefore, they urgently need digestive endoscopy. Objective: to evaluate the effectiveness of the Rockwall clinical score in identifying patients who need therapeutic endoscopy. Methods: a prospective study with calculation of the Rockall clinical score according to a homonymous scale. Performance of urgent endoscopy and of therapeutic hemostatic endoscopy in patients with active or recent bleeding. Determination of efficacy through the analysis of ROC curves, Youden´s index and calculation of sensibility and specificity of the best cutoff point. Results: one hundred and eighteen patients were included, 22 of whom (18.6 percent) received therapeutic endoscopy to manage active or recent bleeding. Rocwall clinical score reached a mean of 1.79 points. It was found that 83 (70.3 percent) were high and 35 (29.7 percent) low risk patients. The predictive capacity was excellent, being the ABC= 0.960 (95 percent CI: 0,904-1,017). The cutoff point was 1 (J= 0.971) with 97 percent sensibility and 71 percent specificity. Conclusions: the Rockall clinical score can be safely used to make a decision on the urgent performance of endoscopy in patients with non-variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding(AU)

Evaluating the value of CEA and CA153 during follow-up in HER-2 overexpressing breast cancer u-sing ROC curves / 实用肿瘤学杂志

Objective To explore the value of carcinoembryonic antigen ( CEA) and cancer antigen 153 ( CA153 ) in detecting tumor recurrences and to establish the optimal operating point of diagnosis of recurrences in HER-2 overexpressing breast cancer using ROC curves .Methods A total of 127 HER -2 overexpressing breast cancer patients was enrolled into this study and subdivided into two groups ,the recurrence group and the non-recurrence group .We created a ROC curve and found out the optimal operating point .Then we compared the advantage of detecting recurrences between optimal operating point in the ROC curve and the diagnostic point that we usually used .Results The recurrence groups showed significantly higher CEA and CA 153 levels than the non-recurrence groups(P<0.0001).The area under the curve(AUC)of the CEA and CA153 were 0.752 and 0.820 respectively and the optimal operating point were 3.5 ng/mL and 17.89 U/mL,respectively.The sensitivi-ties of the optimal operating point of CEA and CA 153 were 46.15%and 65.38%respectively,and the specifici-ties were 97.33%and 89.33%, respectively.Conclusion CEA and CA153 process medium value for detecting recurrences in HER-2 overexpressing breast cancer .

Clinical significance of low triiodothyronine syndrome in critical patients and triiodothyronine impact on evaluation of prognosis / 中华急诊医学杂志

Objective To identify the clinical significance of low triiodothyronine syndrome and the potential impact of triiodothyronine (T3) on prognosis in critical patients.Methods A total of 150 critically ill patients enrolled from October 2012 to April 2013 were divided into two groups,namely low thyroidhormone group (n =38,group A) and normal T3 group (n =112,group B).APACHE Ⅱ scores of patients were recorded at admission and thyroid hormone levels were measured on the first and the third day after admission.Then the survival state of 28-day in each group was observed and then the relationship between prognosis and T3 levels was analyzed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.Results About 25.3％ of 150 critical patients were suffered from low thyroidhormone syndrome and the mortality rate in this group was 42.1％,which was much higher than 29.5％ in normal T3 group.There was no difference in prediction of death rate analyzed by ROC curve between the T3 level and APACHE Ⅱ scores.The area under curve of T3 level was 0.768 (95％ CI:0.701-0.835) and APACHE Ⅱ was 0.783 (95％CI:0.719-0.846).Best cut-off value of T3 level was 0.41 ng/mL resulting in 76.6％ sensitivity and 78.4％ specificity.Conclusions Critically ill patients complicated with low thyroidhormone syndrome has poor prognosis and T3 may be a predictive marker in evaluating the prognosis of critically ill patients.

Efecto de diferentes métodos de puntuación sobre la fiabilidad, validez y puntos de corte de la escala de depresión del centro para estudios epidemiológicos (CES-D) / Effect of different scoring methods on the reliability, validity, and cut points of the center for epidemiologic studies depression scale (CES-D)

Este estudio compara el efecto de cuatro métodos de puntuación para la Escala de Depresión del Centro para Estudios Epidemiológicos (CES-D), sobre la fiabilidad, validez concurrente, puntos de corte, sensibilidad, especificidad y fiabilidad de clasificación de la escala. La CES-D fue puntuada utilizando el método "ordinal" convencional, dos métodos binarios ("presencia" y "persistencia" de los síntomas) y un nuevo sistema de puntuación "semanal". A partir de análisis psicométricos y de curvas ROC, realizados sobre una muestra normativa (n=1143) y clínica (n=44), se encontró que los métodos "ordinal" y "semanal" se desempeñan mejor en la detección de depresión. Por otro lado, el método por "persistencia" de los síntomas mostró el peor desempeño. En general, los resultados muestran que el método de puntuación tiene efecto en la fiabilidad y validez de la CES-D.

This study compare the effect of four scoring methods for the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) on score reliability, concurrent validity, cut points, sensibility, specificity and classifica-tion reliability of the scale. The CES-D was scored using the conventional "ordinal" method, two binary methods ("presence" and "persistence" of symptoms) and a new "weekly" scoring system. On the basis of both psychometric analysis and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, performed on normative (n=1143) and clinical (n=44) samples, it was found that the "ordinal" and "weekly" methods performed best in detecting depression. On the other hand, the "persistence" of symptoms method resulted in worse performance. Overall, the results indícate that the scoring method has an effect on the reliability and validity of the CES-D.

The Role of Serum Pepsinogen in Detection of Gastric Cancer

PURPOSE: This study was done to determine the usefulness of serum pepsinogen (PG) levels as a screening method for gastric cancer, and to assess the relationships between serum PG and clinicopathologic factors of gastric adenocarcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Serum PG concentrations were measured in 94 subjects who were classified into (a) a control group (50 subjects) without abnormal endoscopic finding on a health checkup, or (b) a gastric cancer group (44 subjects) who had surgery at Daegu Catholic University Hospital between Nov. 2008 and May 2009. Receiver operator characteristic curves were utilized to select the most suitable test. Using different cutoff points, sensitivity and specificity were calculated. We compared preoperative serum PG levels with several clinicopathologic findings for patients with gastric adenocarcinoma. RESULTS: The Serum PG I:II ratio was the most useful as a screening test. The sensitivity and specificity of PG screening for gastric cancer were, respectively, 81.8% and 82%. The cut off point correlated with the type of intestinal cancer (Lauren classification; P=0.003), tumor stage (P=0.001), and gastric adenocarcinoma with peritumoral chronic atrophic gastritis (P=0.036). CONCLUSION: Serum PG levels were found to be a potentially useful screening test and to correlate with clinicopathologic factors in gastric cancer patients. But, in order to use serum PG found in a health checkup for gastric cancer as a clinical application a large scale study is recommended.

Triglyceride as an optimal index of serum lipids predictor of insulin resistance in normoglycemic subjects / 中国实用内科杂志

Objective To investigate the optimal index of serum lipids to predict insulin resistance(IR) in subjects with normal fasting plasma glucose(FPG).Methods In Nor 2003-11 the 1002 subjects with FPG

Las curvas ROC y las medidas de detectabilidad para la validación de predictores del rendimiento docente / Roc curves and detectibility measures for the validation of educational achievement predictors

Se introducen las conocidas curvas ROC (relative operating characteristic) y sus medidas de detectatibilidad asociadas, para la validación de varios predictores del rendimiento académico. Se hace énfasis en las ventajas de este instrumento sobre otras medidas clásicas conocidas como la sensibilidad y la especificidad, para comparar la efectividad de diferentes variables con fines pronósticos. Se exponen algunos resultados relacionados con el fundamento, la interpretación y las expresiones para el cálculo de las diferentes medidas de detectabilidad y se ilustra la aplicación de estas medidas para mostrar las ventajas del índice académico sobre las pruebas de ortografía en el pronóstico del aprovechamiento docente en la enseñanza médica superior.

The well-know ROC curves (relative operating characteristic) and their associated detectability measures, are introdced for the validation of several predictors of the academic achievement. Emphasis is made on the advantages of this instrument over other know classic measures, as sensitivity and specificity, to compare the effectiveness of several variables with prognostic purposes. Several results related with the foundation, interpretation and expressions for calculating the different detectability measures, are exposed, and the application of these measures is illustrated, to show the advantages of the academic index over the orthography tests in the prognostic of the educational achievement in the superior medical education.

Al rescate de las pruebas de nivel de entrada como predictores del rendimiento en la enseñanza médica superior / Retrieval of the college admision tests as achievement predictors in superior medical education

Se reúnen una serie de evidencias dispersas en artículos anteriores y se aportan otras nuevas, basadas en la aplicación de las curvas ROC (relative operating characteristic) para mostrar la conveniencia de utilizar las llamadas "pruebas de nivel de entrada" como predictores del aprovechamiento docente. Las curvas ROC demuestran que estas pruebas pueden ser mejores predictores que algunos de los bien conocidos, como el índice académico o las pruebas de ortografía. Debido a que exploran áreas del conocimiento muy específicas y directamente asociadas con las disciplinas del plan de estudio, estas pruebas podrían servir como complemento valioso de los exámenes de ingreso, y como un elemento adicional para identificar estudiantes de bueno y de mal pronóstico en cada asignatura.

A series of scattered evidences in previous articles, is collected, and some new evidences are furnished, based in the application of ROC curves (relative operating characteristic), to show the convenience of using the so called "college admission tests" as educational achievement predictors. ROC curves demonstrate that these tests may be better predictors that some, very well known, as the academic index or the orthography tests. Due to the fact that they explore very specific areas of knowledge, directly associated with the disciplines of the curriculum, these tests could be used as valuable complements of the admission tests, and as an additional element to identify the students with a good or a poor prognostic in each subject.

Impact of clinical history on film interpretation

We performed a study to determine whether clinical history gives a positive or negative influence on X-ray film interpretation. One hundred and nine patient's radiograms, consisting of 55 normal and 54 abnormal cases (136 abnormalities), were interpreted twice by three pairs of residents in radiology and a pair of qualified radiologists, without clinical history first and with clinical history next. The interpreters recorded diagnosis and confidence level of normal or abnormal findings on a six-point scale. Analysis of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves showed that knowledge of clinical history improved diagnostic accuracy. Residents, especially beginners, should be advised to obtain clinical history whenever they read radiograms.