Regulación de la respuesta inflamatoria dependiente de citocinas / Regulation of the inflammatory response dependent on cytokines i: en

Las citocinas son hormonas proteicas que permiten la comunicación intercelular, estimulan la activación de receptores de membrana específicos, poseen funciones de diferenciación celular y proliferación, participan en la quimiotaxis, así como en el crecimiento y la modulación de la secreción de inmunoglobulinas; no obstante, su acción principal está dada por la regulación del mecanismo de la inflamación. Las principales citocinas encargadas de esto son las interleucinas 1, 8, 12 y 16; además del factor de necrosis tumoral alfa e interferones, todas ellas proinflamatorias. Las interleucinas 6 y 12 también actúan en la inmunidad específica.

Cytokines are protein hormones that allow the intercellular communication, stimulate the activation of specific membrane receptors, have cell differentiation functions and proliferation, participate in the chemotaxis, as well as in the growth and modulation of immunoglobulin secretion; nevertheless, their main action is given by the regulation of the inflammation mechanism. The main cytokines in charge of this are interleukins 1, 8, 12 and 16, besides the tumor necrosis factor alpha and interferons, all of them proinflammatory. Interleukins 6 and 12 also act in the specific immunity.

The Nanotechnology-Based Approaches against Kirsten Rat Sarcoma-Mutated Cancers.

Kirsten rat sarcoma (KRAS) is a small GTPase which acts as a molecular switch to regulate several cell biological processes including cell survival, proliferation, and differentiation. Alterations in KRAS have been found in 25% of all human cancers, with pancreatic cancer (90%), colorectal cancer (45%), and lung cancer (35%) being the types of cancer with the highest mutation rates. KRAS oncogenic mutations are not only responsible for malignant cell transformation and tumor development but also related to poor prognosis, low survival rate, and resistance to chemotherapy. Although different strategies have been developed to specifically target this oncoprotein over the last few decades, almost all of them have failed, relying on the current therapeutic solutions to target proteins involved in the KRAS pathway using chemical or gene therapy. Nanomedicine can certainly bring a solution for the lack of specificity and effectiveness of anti-KRAS therapy. Therefore, nanoparticles of different natures are being developed to improve the therapeutic index of drugs, genetic material, and/or biomolecules and to allow their delivery specifically into the cells of interest. The present work aims to summarize the most recent advances related to the use of nanotechnology for the development of new therapeutic strategies against KRAS-mutated cancers.

Solid Lipid Nanoparticles: Multitasking Nano-Carriers for Cancer Treatment.

Despite all the advances seen in recent years, the severe adverse effects and low specificity of conventional chemotherapy are still challenging problems regarding cancer treatment. Nanotechnology has helped to address these questions, making important contributions in the oncological field. The use of nanoparticles has allowed the improvement of the therapeutic index of several conventional drugs and facilitates the tumoral accumulation and intracellular delivery of complex biomolecules, such as genetic material. Among the wide range of nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems (nanoDDS), solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) have emerged as promising systems for delivering different types of cargo. Their solid lipid core, at room and body temperature, provides SLNs with higher stability than other formulations. Moreover, SLNs offer other important features, namely the possibility to perform active targeting, sustained and controlled release, and multifunctional therapy. Furthermore, with the possibility to use biocompatible and physiologic materials and easy scale-up and low-cost production methods, SLNs meet the principal requirements of an ideal nanoDDS. The present work aims to summarize the main aspects related to SLNs, including composition, production methods, and administration routes, as well as to show the most recent studies about the use of SLNs for cancer treatment.

Intracellular Delivery of Anti-Kirsten Rat Sarcoma Antibodies Mediated by Polymeric Micelles Exerts Strong In Vitro and In Vivo Anti-Tumorigenic Activity in Kirsten Rat Sarcoma-Mutated Cancers.

The Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene (KRAS) is one of the most well-known proto-oncogenes, frequently mutated in pancreatic and colorectal cancers, among others. We hypothesized that the intracellular delivery of anti-KRAS antibodies (KRAS-Ab) with biodegradable polymeric micelles (PM) would block the overactivation of the KRAS-associated cascades and revert the effect of its mutation. To this end, PM-containing KRAS-Ab (PM-KRAS) were obtained using Pluronic F127. The feasibility of using PM for antibody encapsulation as well as the conformational change of the polymer and its intermolecular interactions with the antibodies was studied, for the first time, using in silico modeling. In vitro, encapsulation of KRAS-Ab allowed their intracellular delivery in different pancreatic and colorectal cancer cell lines. Interestingly, PM-KRAS promoted a high proliferation impairment in regular cultures of KRAS-mutated HCT116 and MIA PaCa-2 cells, whereas the effect was neglectable in non-mutated or KRAS-independent HCT-8 and PANC-1 cancer cells, respectively. Additionally, PM-KRAS induced a remarkable inhibition of the colony formation ability in low-attachment conditions in KRAS-mutated cells. In vivo, when compared with the vehicle, the intravenous administration of PM-KRAS significantly reduced tumor volume growth in HCT116 subcutaneous tumor-bearing mice. Analysis of the KRAS-mediated cascade in cell cultures and tumor samples showed that the effect of PM-KRAS was mediated by a significant reduction of the ERK phosphorylation and a decrease in expression in the stemness-related genes. Altogether, these results unprecedently demonstrate that the delivery of KRAS-Ab mediated by PM can safely and effectively reduce the tumorigenicity and the stemness properties of KRAS-dependent cells, thus bringing up new possibilities to reach undruggable intracellular targets.

Avaliação do perfil epidemiológico das hepatites virais no Brasil - 2010 A 2021 / Evaluation of the epidemiological profile of viral hepatitis in Brazil - 2010 to 2021

As hepatites virais são doenças que apresentam elevado impacto de morbimortalidade no mundo, sendo assim, consideradas um grave problema para a saúde pública. Nos últimos anos o enfrentamento das hepatites virais tem sido um grande desafio, principalmente para os países com alta prevalência de vulnerabilidades sociais. Medidas de controle e prevenção da doença devem ser tomadas, por isso torna-se necessário a realização de estudos que contemplem conhecimentos sobre a dinâmica epidemiológica das hepatites para demonstrar sua importância em relação a saúde pública. Objetivo: O objetivo nesta pesquisa foi analisar o perfil epidemiológico das hepatites virais no Brasil, no período de 2010 a 2021. Método: Realizou-se um estudo transversal, descritivo, retrospectivo e qualiquantitativo que utilizou como unidades de análise as unidades federativas brasileiras. Os dados foram coletados a partir das informações disponíveis no site TABNET/DATASUS, DCCI, e a estimativa da população anual absoluta foi obtida no Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE). Resultados: No período analisado foram registrados 476.981 casos de hepatites virais no Brasil, destacando-se a notificação de casos de hepatite C, seguida pela hepatite B, A e D. Com relação a taxa de incidência, a Região Norte destacou-se para hepatite A e D, e a Região Sudeste para hepatite B e C. O sexo do indivíduo acometido em todos os tipos de hepatite virais analisados que se destacou foi o masculino, mas com pouca diferença do feminino. Foram registrados 25.553 óbitos, sendo 78,3% devido à hepatite C. A presente pesquisa nos permitiu concluir que o tipo de hepatite mais relatada no Brasil é a tipo C, assim como a que mais provoca óbitos. Todas as hepatites virais apresentaram queda nas notificações no ano de 2020 e 2021 e por isso este fato deve ser analisado pelos setores de vigilância pois pode se tratar de subnotificações, principalmente devido a situação do país neste período, que enfrentava a pandemia de COVID-19

Viral hepatitis is a disease with a high impact on morbidity and mortality worldwide and hence considered a serious problem for public health. Fighting viral hepatitis has been a major challenge in recent years, especially for countries with a high prevalence of social vulnerabilities. Measures to control and prevent the disease must therefore be taken, so studies that include knowledge about the epidemiological dynamics of hepatitis are warranted to demonstrate its importance to public health. In the objective of the present study was to analyze the epidemiological profile of viral hepatitis in Brazil in the period from 2010 to 2021. A cross-sectional, descriptive, retrospective, and qualitative-quantitative investigation was carried out using the federative units of Brazil as units of analysis. Data were collected from information available on the TABNET/DATASUS, DCCI website, and the absolute annual population estimate was obtained from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE). In the analyzed period, 476,981 cases of viral hepatitis were recorded in Brazil, the majority of which referred to hepatitis C, followed by hepatitis B, A, and D. As regards the incidence rate, the north region stood out with hepatitis A and D; and the southeast region with hepatitis B and C. Males prevailed between the genders of individuals affected, considering all types of viral hepatitis analyzed, but with little difference from females. A total of 25,553 deaths were recorded, 78.3% of which were due to hepatitis C. Conclusions: The present study allowed us to conclude that the most reported type of hepatitis in Brazil is type C, which is also the most death-causing. There was a drop in notifications of all viral hepatitis in 2020 and 2021, and this fact should be analyzed by surveillance sectors as it may be a situation of underreporting, due mainly to the COVID-19 pandemic crisis the country was facing in the period

18F-florbetapir PET as a marker of myelin integrity across the Alzheimer's disease spectrum.

PURPOSE: Recent evidence suggests that PET imaging with amyloid-ß (Aß) tracers can be used to assess myelin integrity in cerebral white matter (WM). Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by myelin changes that are believed to occur early in the disease course. Nevertheless, the extent to which demyelination, as measured with Aß PET, contributes to AD progression remains unexplored. METHODS: Participants with concurrent 18F-florbetapir (FBP) PET, MRI, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) examinations were included (241 cognitively normal, 347 Aß-positive cognitively impaired, and 207 Aß-negative cognitively impaired subjects). A subset of these participants had also available diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) images (n = 195). We investigated cross-sectional associations of FBP retention in the white matter (WM) with MRI-based markers of WM degeneration, AD clinical progression, and fluid biomarkers. In longitudinal analyses, we used linear mixed models to assess whether FBP retention in normal-appearing WM (NAWM) predicted progression of WM hyperintensity (WMH) burden and clinical decline. RESULTS: In AD-continuum individuals, FBP retention in NAWM was (1) higher compared with WMH regions, (2) associated with DTI-based measures of WM integrity, and (3) associated with longitudinal progression of WMH burden. FBP uptake in WM decreased across the AD continuum and with increasingly abnormal CSF biomarkers of AD. Furthermore, FBP retention in the WM was associated with large-calibre axon degeneration as reflected by abnormal plasma neurofilament light chain levels. Low FBP uptake in NAWM predicted clinical decline in preclinical and prodromal AD, independent of demographics, global cortical Aß, and WMH burden. Most of these associations were also observed in Aß-negative cognitively impaired individuals. CONCLUSION: These results support the hypothesis that FBP retention in the WM is myelin-related. Demyelination levels progressed across the AD continuum and were associated with clinical progression at early stages, suggesting that this pathologic process might be a relevant degenerative feature in the disease course.

Características clínico epidemiológicas de adolescentes femeninas con anemia / Epidemiological and clinical characteristics of female adolescents with anemia

Introducción: La adolescencia es una etapa de la vida con grandes cambios y mayor vulnerabilidad a riesgos para la salud. Entre los principales problemas de salud destacan los trastornos nutricionales, específicamente la anemia carencial. Objetivos: Determinar la prevalencia de anemia en adolescentes femeninas de un consultorio médico, describir características clínico epidemiológicas de adolescentes anémicas y la presencia de algunos factores que pudieran incidir en su ocurrencia. Métodos: Se realizó estudio descriptivo, observacional y transversal, en 76 adolescentes hembras de entre 11 a 19 años, del consultorio médico Nº 16 del Policlínico Ramón López Peña, Santiago de Cuba, desde marzo a diciembre de 2020. La muestra fue intencional, constituida por 45 adolescentes anémicas. Se estudió la edad, intensidad de la anemia, evaluación nutricional, hábitos tóxicos, edad de la menarquia, características de las menstruaciones, hábitos alimentarios, entre otros. Resultados: La prevalencia de anemia ferropénica fue de 59,2 por ciento. La edad media fue de 14,89 años; 15,6 por ciento de las adolescentes anémicas eran bajo peso y 20 por ciento tenían sobrepeso u obesidad; 73,3 por ciento tenía malos hábitos alimentarios, solo 24,4 por ciento recibió profilaxis con sales ferrosas. Además, destacó el sangrado menstrual abundante (22,3 por ciento) y la menarquia precoz (20 por ciento). Conclusiones: La anemia constituye un problema multifactorial con alta prevalencia en las adolescentes estudiadas. Se evidenció la presencia de varios factores de riesgo, como hábitos alimentarios inadecuados, malnutrición tanto por defecto como por exceso, menstruaciones abundantes y ausencia de profilaxis para la enfermedad(AU)

Introduction: Adolescence is a stage of life with many changes and greater vulnerability to health risks. Among the main health problems are nutritional disorders and, among them, deficiency anemia. Objectives: To determine the prevalence of anemia in female adolescents in a medical office, and to describe the clinical-epidemiological characteristics of anemic adolescents and the presence of some factors that could influence its occurrence. Methods: Was carried out a descriptive, observational and cross-sectional study in 76 female adolescents between 11 and 19 years old, from the Family Medical Clinic No. 16 of the Ramón López Peña Polyclinic, Santiago de Cuba, between March and December 2020. The sample was intentional, made up of 45 anemic adolescents. Were studied age, intensity of anemia, nutritional evaluation, toxic habits, age of menarche and characteristics of menstruation, eating habits, among others. Results: The prevalence of iron deficiency anemia was 59.2 percent . The mean age was 14.89 years; 15.6 percent of anemic adolescents were underweight and 20 percent were overweight or obese; 73.3 percent had bad eating habits, only 24.4 percent received prophylaxis with ferrous salts. In addition, heavy menstrual bleeding (22.3 percent ) and menarche before the age of 11 (20 percent ) stood out. Conclusions: Anemia constitutes a multifactorial problem with a high prevalence in the studied adolescents. The presence of several risk factors was evidenced, especially inadequate eating habits, malnutrition both by default and by excess, heavy menstruation and the absence of prophylaxis for the disease(AU)

Estimación del riesgo cardiovascular en adultos mayores con hipertensión arterial / Estimate of the cardiovascular risk in the elderly with hypertension

Introducción: La necesidad de disminuir la morbilidad y la mortalidad por enfermedades cardiovasculares y cerebrovasculares ha sido el principal motivo para enfocar el problema del control de la hipertensión arterial desde un punto de vista más integral. Objetivo: Estimar el riesgo cardiovascular en adultos mayores con hipertensión arterial atendidos en un área de salud. Métodos: Se realizó un estudio descriptivo y trasversal de 103 adultos mayores con hipertensión arterial, pertenecientes al Consultorio Médico de la Familia No. 23 del Policlínico Docente Ramón López Peña de Santiago de Cuba, desde enero hasta diciembre del 2019. Se estudiaron variables sociodemográficas (edad, sexo, color de la piel) y clínicas (clasificación y control de la enfermedad); además, se estimó el riesgo cardiovascular según la Guía cubana de diagnóstico, evaluación y tratamiento de la hipertensión arterial. Se utilizaron técnicas de la estadística descriptiva, tales como frecuencia absoluta y porcentaje, así como medidas de tendencia central. Resultados: Predominaron las mujeres, fundamentalmente de edades más avanzadas, y las personas con piel negra. Los factores de riesgo más frecuentes fueron alimentación deficiente, sedentarismo y diabetes mellitus. El riesgo cardiovascular moderado primó en 56,0 % de la población. Conclusiones: Los pacientes estudiados mostraron un riesgo de moderado a alto de presentar eventos cardiovasculares en los próximos años, elemento básico para la planificación e implementación de acciones preventivas y de control que, sin lugar a dudas, redundará en una disminución de la morbilidad y la mortalidad por enfermedades cardiovasculares y cerebrovasculares.

Introduction: The necessity to diminish the morbidity and mortality due to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases has been the main reason to focus the problem of hypertension control from a more comprehensive point of view. Objective: To estimate the cardiovascular risk in the elderly with hypertension assisted in a health area. Methods: A descriptive and cross-sectional study of 103 elderly with hypertension, belonging to the Doctor Family Office No. 23 of Ramón López Peña Teaching Polyclinic was carried out in Santiago de Cuba, from January to December, 2019. Some sociodemographic and clinical variables were studied (age, sex, color of the skin) and (classification and control of the disease) respectively; also, the cardiovascular risk was considered according to the Cuban guide of diagnosis, evaluation and treatment of hypertension. The techniques of the descriptive statistic were used, such as absolute frequency and percentage, as well as measures of central tendency. Results: There was a prevalence of women, fundamentally of more advanced ages, and people with black skin. The most frequent risk factors were poor feeding, physical inactivity and diabetes mellitus. The moderate cardiovascular risk prevailed in the 56.0 % of the population. Conclusions: The studied patients showed a moderate to high risk for presenting cardiovascular events in the next years, basic element for planning and implementing preventive and control actions that, undoubtedly, will rebound in a decrease of morbidity and mortality due to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.

White matter hyperintensities are associated with subthreshold amyloid accumulation.

The association between white matter hyperintensities (WMH) and amyloid accumulation over time in cognitively normal, amyloid-negative elderly people remains largely unexplored. In order to study whether baseline WMH were associated with longitudinal subthreshold amyloid accumulation, 159 cognitively normal participants from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative who were amyloid-negative at baseline were examined. All the participants underwent a T1 and a Fluid-Attenuated Inversion Recovery MRI scan at baseline. Amyloid PET imaging was performed at baseline and follow-up visits in 2-year intervals for up to 8 years. Partial volume correction was applied for quantifying cortical Standardised Uptake Value Ratios (SUVR). The associations between global and regional WMH burden and amyloid accumulation were assessed using linear mixed models adjusted by demographic characteristics and baseline SUVR. Partial volume correction increased the measured annual rate of change (+2.4%) compared to that obtained from non-corrected data (+0.5%). There were no significant correlations between baseline WMHs and baseline subthreshold cortical amyloid uptake. In a longitudinal analysis, increased baseline cortical SUVR and increased baseline burden of global (p â€‹= â€‹0.006), frontal (p â€‹= â€‹0.006), and parietal WMH (p â€‹= â€‹0.003) were associated with faster amyloid accumulation. WMH-related amyloid accumulation occurred in parietal, frontal, and, to a lesser extent, cingulate cortices. These results remained unchanged after a sensitivity analysis excluding participants with the highest cortical SUVRs. This is the first study to identify a specific spatial distribution of WMH which is associated with future amyloid accumulation in cognitively normal elderly subjects without PET-detectable amyloid pathology. These findings may have important implications in prevention trials for the early identification of amyloid accumulation.

Prolonged Migraine Stuttering Aura: Structural, Functional, and Video Neuroimaging Study of an Atypical Migraine Aura. A Case Report.

BACKGROUND: Stuttering is a disorder in the rhythm of speech characterized by an involuntary repetition, prolongation, and cessation of sounds. Neurogenic acquired stuttering is a very rare disorder which could result from different conditions with the involvement of several brain locations. CASE REPORT: A 16-year-old male presented to our Hospital with headache associated with blurred vision followed by right-sided facial and upper limb tingling, clumsiness of right arm, and a complete inability to formulate language which evolved in the next minutes into an intense speech disorder characterized by persistent stuttering. Urgent brain magnetic resonance imaging showed a prominence of venous vasculature in left hemisphere in susceptibility weighted imaging sequence. A fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography revealed a bilateral occipital, temporal, and parietal hypometabolism. With the suspicion of migraine aura, analgesic treatment was administered. Symptoms progressively resolved inside 10 hours. Five months later he experienced a similar episode. CONCLUSION: This case report represents a diagnostic challenge and suggests the inclusion of stuttering within the neurological manifestations of higher cortical dysfunction that can be found as a result of migraine aura.

Staging the cognitive continuum in prodromal Alzheimer's disease with episodic memory.

It is unclear whether episodic memory is an appropriate descriptor of the cognitive continuum in mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Here, we investigated the ability of episodic memory to track cognitive changes in patients with MCI with biomarker evidence of Alzheimer's disease (AD). We examined 387 MCI amyloid-positive subjects, cognitively staged as "early" or "late" on the basis of episodic memory impairment. Cross-sectional and longitudinal comparisons between these 2 groups were performed for each amyloid, tau, and neurodegeneration (AT(N)) profile. Cross-sectional analyses indicate that "early" MCI represents a transitional phase between normal cognition and "late" MCI in the AD biomarker pathway. After adjusting by confounders and levels of A, T, and (N), "late" MCI progressed significantly faster than "early" MCI only in profiles with both abnormal amyloid and tau markers (A+T+(N)- p < 0.05, A+T+(N)+ p < 0.001). Episodic memory staging is useful for describing symptoms in prodromal AD and complements the AT(N) profiles. Our findings might have implications for the Numeric Clinical staging scheme of the National Institute on Aging and Alzheimer's Association research framework.

Factores de riesgo asociados al bajo peso al nacer en la Policlínica "Ramón López Peña", Santiago de Cuba / Risk factors associated to low birth weight at "Ramón López Peña" Polyclinic, Santiago de Cuba

RESUMEN Introducción: el bajo peso al nacer (BPN) es una causa importante de morbimortalidad perinatal. En los últimos años, la Policlínica "Ramón López Peña" exhibe tasas elevadas, por encima de la media municipal y provincial. Objetivo: identificar los factores de riesgo asociados al bajo peso al nacer en el área de salud. Método: se realizó un estudio de casos y controles, en la policlínica "Ramón López Peña", de Santiago de Cuba, durante el período enero 2012 a diciembre 2016. La muestra fue de 30 casos y 90 controles que reunían los criterios de selección. Se estudiaron las variables sociodemográficas: edad materna y situación socioeconómica; nutricionales (evaluación nutricional inicial y ganancia ponderal), tabaquismo, enfermedades asociadas al embarazo y antecedentes obstétricos desfavorables. Se calculó el riesgo relativo (fuerza de asociación) a través de la razón de productos cruzados y el riesgo atribuible en expuestos porcentual como medida de impacto, con una significación del 5%. Resultados: las adolescentes tuvieron 3,34 veces más riesgo de tener hijo BPN. La evaluación nutricional inicial deficiente y la escasa ganancia de peso también mostraron asociación causal (OR=3,1 y 3,24, respectivamente). El tabaquismo obtuvo la mayor fuerza de asociación (OR=5,25). En las hipertensas la probabilidad fue 2,66 veces mayor y en las anémicas 2,56 veces más. Entre los antecedentes obstétricos, se observó asociación causal con la historia de otros hijos BPN y abortos habituales (OR= 3,24 y 2,56, respectivamente). Conclusiones: el embarazo precoz, los parámetros nutricionales deficientes, el tabaquismo, la combinación de dos o más enfermedades durante el embarazo y los antecedentes obstétricos desfavorables tuvieron fuerte asociación con el bajo peso al nacer.

Abstract Introduction: low birth weight (LBW) is considered indeed, one of the most important causes of perinatal morbidity and mortality. Last few years "Ramón López Peña policlinic" from Santiago de Cuba have shown high rates over half of Santiago de Cuba municipality and province. Objective: to identify risk factors associated to LBW in "Ramón López Peña" policlinic, Santiago de Cuba. Method: controls related to LBW and observational- analytical study was made at "Ramón López Peña" policlinic, in Santiago de Cuba, during January 2012 to December 2016. Sample was 30 cases and 90 controls with selection criteria. We studied socio-demographic variables (mother´s age and socioeconomic situation), nutritionals (initial nutritional evaluation and ponder earn), smoking, associated diseases during pregnancy and obstetrics history. We calculated the relative risk (association weight) through ratio odds, and the attributable risk in porcentual exposited as impact measure; we considered a signification of 5%. Results: teenagers probabilities to deliver a LBW were 3.34 more. Nutritional deficiency and low ponder earn showed causal association (OR=3.1 y 3.24, respectively). Smoking habit showed a higher weight association (OR=5.25), together with hypertensive, which probability was 2.66 times higher and 2.56 more in anemic mothers. Regarding obstetrics history, we observed a causal association with previous LBW and abortion history (OR= 3.24 y 2.56). Conclusions: teenagers´ pregnancy, nutritional disorders, smoking habit, combination of 2 diseases or more during the pregnancy (mainly anemia and hypertension), abortion history and previous LBW, possessed a very close association with LBW.

Prediction of Alzheimer's disease dementia with MRI beyond the short-term: Implications for the design of predictive models.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) volumetric measures have become a standard tool for the detection of incipient Alzheimer's Disease (AD) dementia in mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Focused on providing an earlier and more accurate diagnosis, sophisticated MRI machine learning algorithms have been developed over the recent years, most of them learning their non-disease patterns from MCI that remained stable over 2-3 years. In this work, we analyzed whether these stable MCI over short-term periods are actually appropriate training examples of non-disease patterns. To this aim, we compared the diagnosis of MCI patients at 2 and 5 years of follow-up and investigated its impact on the predictive performance of baseline volumetric MRI measures primarily involved in AD, i.e., hippocampal and entorhinal cortex volumes. Predictive power was evaluated in terms of the area under the ROC curve (AUC), sensitivity, and specificity in a trial sample of 248 MCI patients followed-up over 5 years. We further compared the sensitivity in those MCI that converted before 2 years and those that converted after 2 years. Our results indicate that 23% of the stable MCI at 2 years progressed in the next three years and that MRI volumetric measures are good predictors of conversion to AD dementia even at the mid-term, showing a better specificity and AUC as follow-up time increases. The combination of hippocampus and entorhinal cortex yielded an AUC that was significantly higher for the 5-year follow-up (AUC = 73% at 2 years vs. AUC = 84% at 5 years), as well as for specificity (56% vs. 71%). Sensitivity showed a non-significant slight decrease (81% vs. 78%). Remarkably, the performance of this model was comparable to machine learning models at the same follow-up times. MRI correctly identified most of the patients that converted after 2 years (with sensitivity >60%), and these patients showed a similar degree of abnormalities to those that converted before 2 years. This implies that most of the MCI patients that remained stable over short periods and subsequently progressed to AD dementia had evident atrophies at baseline. Therefore, machine learning models that use these patients to learn non-disease patterns are including an important fraction of patients with evident pathological changes related to the disease, something that might result in reduced performance and lack of biological interpretability.

Programa educativo sobre el embarazo no deseado dirigido a las adolescentes / Unplanned pregnancy in adolescence. Educational program for female teenagers

Introducción: debido a las consecuencias significativas para la madre y su hijo, el embarazo en la adolescencia constituye un problema de salud. Objetivo: evaluar la efectividad de un programa educativo que modifique el conocimiento sobre el embarazo en la adolescencia. Método: se realizó un estudio de intervención educativa desde septiembre del 2016 hasta febrero del 2017, con 46 adolescentes del sexo femenino, atendidas en el consultorio médico de la familia #18, del Policlínico Ramón López Peña, en Santiago de Cuba. El mismo consta de 3 etapas: diagnóstica, de intervención y de evaluación. El instrumento evaluador se aplicó antes y después de desarrollar dicho programa, el cual se impartió durante la etapa de intervención. Se calculó la frecuencia absoluta y el porcentaje, y se empleó el test de McNemar para validar los resultados. Resultados: la edad media fue de 16,2 años; el 63% solteras y el 37% casadas. Otro 73,9% tenían vida sexual activa y un 23,5% no usaban métodos anticonceptivos. Después de la intervención, los conocimientos de dichas adolescentes sobre el embarazo mejoraron significativamente. Conclusiones: mediante este programa educativo se logró mejorar el conocimiento sobre el embarazo en la adolescencia, por lo que se consideró efectivo dicho programa.

Introduction: unplanned pregnancy in adolescence is a health problem. Consequences are serious for the adolescent mother and her baby. Objective: to evaluate the effectiveness of an educational program about unplanned pregnancy in adolescence. Method: a 3 stages educational intervention: diagnosis, intervention and evaluation of 46 female teenagers, assisted between September 2016 and February 2017, at family doctor's office #18 from Ramón López Peña Polyclinic, Santiago de Cuba. The evaluation instrument was applied before and after developing the educational program, which was imparted during the intervention stage. The information was resummed through the absolute frequency, percentage and the Mc Nemar test. Results: average age was 16.2 years, 63% were single and 37% married. A 73.9% had an active sex life and 23.5% did not use contraception. Teenagers´ knowledge about pregnancy was significantly improved after intervention stage. Conclusions: this educational program increased knowledge about unplanned pregnancy among participants, so it was considered effective.

Salud sexual y reproductiva en adolescentes de un consultorio médico / Sexual and reproductive health in adolescents of a doctor's office

Se realizó un estudio descriptivo y transversal de 54 adolescentes con vida sexual activa, pertenecientes al consultorio médico No 15 del Policlínico Ramón López Peña de Santiago de Cuba, desde marzo del 2016 hasta igual mes del 2017, con vistas a describir las características de su salud sexual y reproductiva. Se estudiaron variables, tales como edad de inicio de relaciones sexuales, uso de métodos de protección, satisfacción sexual, antecedentes de infecciones de transmisión sexual y número de embarazos, partos, abortos e hijos. Se comprobó la existencia de comportamientos inadecuados que afectaron la esfera de la salud de estos adolescentes. El inicio precoz de las relaciones coitales desprotegidas, el cambio frecuente de pareja sexual, la elevada frecuencia de embarazos, abortos, partos e infecciones de transmisión sexual, fueron elementos negativos que demostraron la existencia de una baja percepción de los riesgos a los cuales se exponían(AU)

A descriptive and cross-sectional study of 54 adolescents with active sexual life, belonging to the doctor's office No 15 of Ramón López Peña Polyclinic was carried out in Santiago de Cuba, from March, 2016 to the same month in 2017, aimed at describing the characteristics of their sexual and reproductive health. Some variables were studied, such as age of beginning sexual relationships, use of protection methods, sexual satisfaction, history of sexually transmitted infections and number of pregnancies, childbirths, abortions and children. The existence of inadequate behaviors that affected these adolescents health sphere was proven. The early beginning of the unprotected sexual relationships, frequent change of sexual partner, high frequency of pregnancies, abortions, childbirths and sexually transmitted infections, were negative elements that demonstrated the existence of a low perception of the risks to which they were exposed(AU)

Salud sexual y reproductiva en adolescentes de un consultorio médico / Sexual and reproductive health in adolescents of a doctor's office

Se realizó un estudio descriptivo y transversal de 54 adolescentes con vida sexual activa, pertenecientes al consultorio médico No 15 del Policlínico Ramón López Peña de Santiago de Cuba, desde marzo del 2016 hasta igual mes del 2017, con vistas a describir las características de su salud sexual y reproductiva. Se estudiaron variables, tales como edad de inicio de relaciones sexuales, uso de métodos de protección, satisfacción sexual, antecedentes de infecciones de transmisión sexual y número de embarazos, partos, abortos e hijos. Se comprobó la existencia de comportamientos inadecuados que afectaron la esfera de la salud de estos adolescentes. El inicio precoz de las relaciones coitales desprotegidas, el cambio frecuente de pareja sexual, la elevada frecuencia de embarazos, abortos, partos e infecciones de transmisión sexual, fueron elementos negativos que demostraron la existencia de una baja percepción de los riesgos a los cuales se exponían

A descriptive and cross-sectional study of 54 adolescents with active sexual life, belonging to the doctor's office No 15 of Ramón López Peña Polyclinic was carried out in Santiago de Cuba, from March, 2016 to the same month in 2017, aimed at describing the characteristics of their sexual and reproductive health. Some variables were studied, such as age of beginning sexual relationships, use of protection methods, sexual satisfaction, history of sexually transmitted infections and number of pregnancies, childbirths, abortions and children. The existence of inadequate behaviors that affected these adolescents health sphere was proven. The early beginning of the unprotected sexual relationships, frequent change of sexual partner, high frequency of pregnancies, abortions, childbirths and sexually transmitted infections, were negative elements that demonstrated the existence of a low perception of the risks to which they were exposed

Salud sexual en ancianos de un consultorio médico de la familia / Sexual health in elderly from a family doctor´s office

Se realizó un estudio observacional, descriptivo y transversal de 85 ancianos con pareja sexual estable, pertenecientes al Consultorio Médico de la Familia No. 1 del Policlínico Docente Ramón López Peña de Santiago de Cuba, durante el periodo de marzo a diciembre de 2016, con vistas a describir algunas características de la salud sexual en ellos. Existió un predominio del sexo femenino, el grupo etario de 60-69 años, el estado conyugal casado o en unión consensual. De manera general, los integrantes de la serie manifestaron tener deseo y satisfacción durante sus relaciones sexuales, las cuales consideraban importantes, aunque la frecuencia y el tipo de actividad sexual, así como el deseo e interés por estas difirieron según la edad, el género y el estado conyugal. Finalmente, se pudo afirmar que la sexualidad se mantiene durante esta etapa de la vida sin que disminuya la satisfacción sexual(AU)

An observational, descriptive and cross-sectional study of 85 elderly with stable sexual partner, belonging to the Family Doctor´s Office No. 1 of Ramón López Peña Teaching Polyclinic was carried out in Santiago de Cuba, from March to December, 2016, aimed at describing some characteristics of sexual health in them. There was a prevalence of the female sex, 60-69 age group and married or consensual union as marital status. In a general way, the members of the series manifested to have desire and satisfaction during their sexual relationships, which considered important, although the frequency and type of sexual activity, as well as the desire and interest for them differed according to the age, gender and marital status. Finally, it could be stated that sexuality remains during this period of life without decreasing sexual satisfaction(AU)

Salud sexual en ancianos de un consultorio médico de la familia / Sexual health in elderly from a family doctor´s office

Se realizó un estudio observacional, descriptivo y transversal de 85 ancianos con pareja sexual estable, pertenecientes al Consultorio Médico de la Familia No 1 del Policlínico Docente Ramón López Peña de Santiago de Cuba, durante el periodo de marzo a diciembre de 2016, con vistas a describir algunas características de la salud sexual en ellos. Existió un predominio del sexo femenino, el grupo etario de 60-69 años, el estado conyugal casado o en unión consensual. De manera general, los integrantes de la serie manifestaron tener deseo y satisfacción durante sus relaciones sexuales, las cuales consideraban importantes, aunque la frecuencia y el tipo de actividad sexual, así como el deseo e interés por estas difirieron según la edad, el género y el estado conyugal. Finalmente, se pudo afirmar que la sexualidad se mantiene durante esta etapa de la vida sin que disminuya la satisfacción sexual

An observational, descriptive and cross-sectional study of 85 elderly with stable sexual partner, belonging to the Family Doctor´s Office No 1 of Ramón López Peña Teaching Polyclinic was carried out in Santiago de Cuba, from March to December, 2016, aimed at describing some characteristics of sexual health in them. There was a prevalence of the female sex, 60-69 age group and married or consensual union as marital status. In a general way, the members of the series manifested to have desire and satisfaction during their sexual relationships, which considered important, although the frequency and type of sexual activity, as well as the desire and interest for them differed according to the age, gender and marital status. Finally, it could be stated that sexuality remains during this period of life without decreasing sexual satisfaction