Prostate health index (PHI) as an accurate prostate cancer predictor.

PURPOSE: This study aims to compare the ability of the PHI versus tPSA test to predict the presence of PCa in our population. METHODS: A prospective observational study was performed. We included patients with tPSA ≥ 2.5 ng/ml, biopsy naïve or previous negative biopsy, undergoing a blood test, which includes tPSA, fPSA, and p2PSA, and a prostate biopsy between March 2019 and March 2022. Patients with PCa found in the biopsy-Group A-were compared with patients with a negative biopsy result-Group B. Diagnostic accuracy of tPSA and PHI was assessed by receiver operating characteristic [ROC] curves and logistic regression. RESULTS: 140 men were included. Fifty-seven (40.7%) had a positive prostate biopsy result (Group A), and 83 (59.3%) had a negative biopsy result (Group B). The mean age was similar in both groups (mean ± standard deviation), 66.86 ± 6.61 years. No difference was found in the tPSA value between the groups (Group A PSA: 6.11 ng/ml (3.56-17.01); Group B: 6.42 ng/ml (2.46-19.45), p = 0.41). The mean value of PHI was statistically different between groups (Group A 65.50 (29-146) vs. Group B 48 (16-233), p = 0.0001). The area under the curve 0.44 for tPSA and 0.77 for PHI. The multivariate logistic regression model applied to PHI showed a significant increase in its predictive accuracy: 72.14% in the model without PHI, 76.09% with PHI. CONCLUSION: The PHI test improves PCa detection compared to tPSA in our population.

[Effect of thiazide therapy in the prophylaxis of calcium lithiasis]. / Efecto de las tiazidas en la profilaxis de la litiasis cálcica.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the role of thiazide therapy in the prevention of recurrent calcium nephrolithiasis, considering the hypocalciuric action of this drug. METHODS: A prospective study before and after treatment, with a 3-year follow-up, was carried out on 150 patients with recurrent calcium renal stone. The patients were divided into three groups: (A) no treatment, (B) treatment with thiazide 50 mg/day and (C) treatment with thiazide and potassium citrate. The treated groups were randomly assigned to the treatment arms. Control analytical tests and radiological assessments were performed regularly. RESULTS: Excellent results were achieved with thiazide therapy in regard to stone recurrence and changes in residual stone in comparison to the group of untreated patients (group A). The most common metabolic disorder was absorptive hypercalciuria type I. Most of the patients showed a single metabolic disorder. The side effects were generally not relevant. CONCLUSIONS: Thiazides should be considered as the first line of treatment in absorptive and excretory hypercalciuria. We believe that in unselected patients with calcium stone, thiazide therapy can be effective in its prevention. It is important to take into account the possible side effects of the drug and supplementation with potassium citrate for thiazide-induced hypocitraturia.

Jacalin, another marker for histiocytes in paraffin-embedded tissues.

Jacalin is a lectin which reacts with D-galactose. We have tested jacalin on 75 samples of different formalin- and alcohol-fixed tissues. A consistent cytoplasmic stain of the histiocytes was observed in paraffin-embedded tissues in all cases studied of reactive sinus histiocytosis, macrophages in clear centres of follicular hyperplasia, in tuberculosis granulomas and in osteoclast-like giant cells in a breast carcinoma. We failed to find any clear binding of jacalin to the cells of eosinophilic granulomas, giant cell tumors of tendon sheath, pleomorphic malignant fibrous histiocytomas, Hodgkin's disease, melanomas, nevi or signet ring cell carcinomas of the breast and stomach. It seems that jacalin is a good marker for free histiocytes/macrophages, not for fixed histiocytes and tumors related to them. This lectin might play a role in differential diagnosis with histiocyte mimicking processes.