Early interactions with newly diagnosed TB patients in hospital can support linkage to care.

BACKGROUND: In South Africa, failure to link individuals diagnosed with TB to care remains an important gap in the TB care cascade. Compared to people diagnosed at primary healthcare (PHC) facilities, people diagnosed in hospitals are more likely to require additional support to be linked with PHC TB treatment services. We describe a patient interaction process to support linkage to TB care. METHODS: We implemented a step-by-step early patient interaction process with 84 adults newly diagnosed with TB in one district hospital in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, South Africa (August 2020-March 2021). We confirmed patient contact details, provided TB and health information, shared information on accessing care at PHC facilities and answered patients' questions in their home language. RESULTS: Most patients (54/84, 64%) provided updated telephone numbers, and 19/84 (23%) reported changes in their physical address. Patients welcomed practical and health information in their home language. The majority (74/84, 88%) were linked to care after hospital discharge. CONCLUSIONS: A simple early patient interaction process implemented as part of routine care is a feasible strategy to facilitate early TB treatment initiation and registration.

CONTEXTE: En Afrique du Sud, l'incapacité à relier les personnes dont la TB a été diagnostiquée aux soins reste une lacune importante dans la cascade des soins antituberculeux. Comparativement aux personnes diagnostiquées dans les établissements de soins de santé primaires (PHC), les personnes diagnostiquées dans les hôpitaux sont plus susceptibles d'avoir besoin d'un soutien supplémentaire pour être reliées aux services de traitement de la TB des PHC. Nous décrivons un processus d'interaction avec le patient pour favoriser le lien avec les soins antituberculeux. MÉTHODES: Nous avons mis en œuvre un processus d'interaction précoce, étape par étape, avec 84 adultes chez qui la TB a été récemment diagnostiquée dans un hôpital de district de Khayelitsha, au Cap, en Afrique du Sud (août 2020­mars 2021). Nous avons confirmé les coordonnées des patients, fourni des informations sur la TB et la santé, partagé des informations sur l'accès aux soins dans les établissements de PHC et répondu aux questions des patients dans leur langue maternelle. RÉSULTATS: La plupart des patients (54/84 ; 64%) ont fourni des numéros de téléphone actualisés, et 19/84 (23%) ont signalé des changements dans leur adresse physique. Les patients ont apprécié les informations pratiques et ceux ayant trait à la santé dans leur langue maternelle. La majorité d'entre eux (74/84 ; 88%) ont été reliés aux soins après leur sortie de l'hôpital. CONCLUSIONS: Un processus simple d'interaction précoce avec le patient, mis en œuvre dans le cadre des soins de routine, est une stratégie réalisable pour faciliter l'initiation et l'enregistrement précoce du traitement de la TB.

Biogenic aldehyde determination by reactive paper spray ionization mass spectrometry.

Ionization of aliphatic and aromatic aldehydes is improved by performing simultaneous chemical derivatization using 4-aminophenol to produce charged iminium ions during paper spray ionization. Accelerated reactions occur in the microdroplets generated during the paper spray ionization event for the tested aldehydes (formaldehyde, n-pentanaldehyde, n-nonanaldehyde, n-decanaldehyde, n-dodecanaldehyde, benzaldehyde, m-anisaldehyde, and p-hydroxybenzaldehyde). Tandem mass spectrometric analysis of the iminium ions using collision-induced dissociation demonstrated that straight chain aldehydes give a characteristic fragment at m/z 122 (shown to correspond to protonated 4-(methyleneamino)phenol), while the aromatic aldehyde iminium ions fragment to give a characteristic product ion at m/z 120. These features allow straightforward identification of linear and aromatic aldehydes. Quantitative analysis of n-nonaldehyde using a benchtop mass spectrometer demonstrated a linear response over 3 orders of magnitude from 2.5 ng to 5 µg of aldehyde loaded on the filter paper emitter. The limit of detection was determined to be 2.2 ng for this aldehyde. The method had a precision of 22%, relative standard deviation. The experiment was also implemented using a portable ion trap mass spectrometer.

Hope thinking and past trauma mediate the relationships of body mass index with perceived mental health treatment need and mental health treatment use.

UNLABELLED: Greater body mass is associated with a greater risk of mental health conditions and more frequent mental health treatment use. However, factors that might influence perceived mental health treatment need and mental health treatment use among those of greater weight, including hope thinking, trauma history and perceived mental health treatment stigma, are not well understood. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine if hope thinking, trauma history and/or perceived mental health treatment stigma mediate the relationships of body mass index [BMI] with perceived mental health treatment need and mental health treatment use. METHOD: Primary care clinic patients in the Midwest United States (N = 196; BMI range = 18.5 to 47.0, mean = 29.26 ± 6.61, median = 27.90) were recruited to complete a battery of self-report measures that assessed perceived mental health treatment need, mental health treatment use, hope thinking (Trait Hope Scale), trauma history (a single-item traumatic event history screen from the posttraumatic stress disorder module of the Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition), and perceived mental health treatment stigma (Stigma Scale for Receiving Psychological Help). RESULTS: Reduced hope thinking and a greater incidence of past trauma accounted for greater perceived mental health treatment need and greater mental health treatment use among those of greater BMI. BMI was not related to perceived unmet mental health treatment need. CONCLUSION: Increased perceived mental health treatment need and mental health treatment use among those of greater BMI may be explained by lower hope thinking and a greater incidence of trauma in this population. Heavier patients may benefit from interventions designed to augment hope and address traumatic histories.

Progesterone downregulation of miR-141 contributes to expansion of stem-like breast cancer cells through maintenance of progesterone receptor and Stat5a.

Progesterone (P4) has emerged as an important hormone-regulating mammary stem cell (MaSC) populations. In breast cancer, P4 and synthetic analogs increase the number of stem-like cells within luminal estrogen receptor (ER)- and progesterone receptor (PR)-positive breast cancers. These cells gain expression of de-differentiated cell markers CD44 and cytokeratin 5 (CK5), lose luminal markers ER and PR, and are more therapy resistant. We previously described that P4 downregulation of microRNA (miR)-29a contributes to the expansion of CD44(high) and CK5(+) cells. Here we investigated P4 downregulation of miR-141, a member of the miR-200 family of tumor suppressors, in facilitating an increase in stem-like breast cancer cells. miR-141 was the sole member of the miR-200 family P4-downregulated at the mature miRNA level in luminal breast cancer cell lines. Stable inhibition of miR-141 alone increased the CD44(high) population, and potentiated P4-mediated increases in both CD44(high) and CK5(+) cells. Loss of miR-141 enhanced both mammosphere formation and tumor initiation. miR-141 directly targeted both PR and signal transducer and activator of transcription 5A (Stat5a), transcription factors important for MaSC expansion. miR-141 depletion increased PR protein levels, even in cell lines where PR expression is estrogen dependent. Stat5a suppression via small interfering RNA or a small-molecule inhibitor reduced the P4-dependent increase in CK5(+) and CD44(high) cells. These data support a mechanism by which P4-triggered loss of miR-141 facilitates breast cancer cell de-differentiation through deregulation of PR and Stat5a, two transcription factors important for controlling mammary cell fate.

Progestin suppression of miR-29 potentiates dedifferentiation of breast cancer cells via KLF4.

The female hormone progesterone (P4) promotes the expansion of stem-like cancer cells in estrogen receptor (ER)- and progesterone receptor (PR)-positive breast tumors. The expanded tumor cells lose expression of ER and PR, express the tumor-initiating marker CD44, the progenitor marker cytokeratin 5 (CK5) and are more resistant to standard endocrine and chemotherapies. The mechanisms underlying this hormone-stimulated reprogramming have remained largely unknown. In the present study, we investigated the role of microRNAs in progestin-mediated expansion of this dedifferentiated tumor cell population. We demonstrate that P4 rapidly downregulates miR-29 family members, particularly in the CD44(+) cell population. Downregulation of miR-29 members potentiates the expansion of CK5(+) and CD44(+) cells in response to progestins, and results in increased stem-like properties in vitro and in vivo. We demonstrate that miR-29 directly targets Krüppel-like factor 4 (KLF4), a transcription factor required for the reprogramming of differentiated cells to pluripotent stem cells, and for the maintenance of breast cancer stem cells. These results reveal a novel mechanism, whereby progestins increase the stem cell-like population in hormone-responsive breast cancers, by decreasing miR-29 to augment PR-mediated upregulation of KLF4. Elucidating the mechanisms whereby hormones mediate the expansion of stem-like cells furthers our understanding of the progression of hormone-responsive breast cancers.

Under-recognition of chronic kidney disease in elderly outpatients.

The elderly are the fastest growing segment of the United States population. Age is a key predictor of chronic kidney disease (CKD). A major obstacle in the recognition of CKD in the elderly is the reliance on serum creatinine measurements as an estimation of glomerular filtration rate (GFR). We hypothesized that early stages of CKD would not be recognized by primary care clinicians providing care to elderly men in a highly structured setting. This study was a retrospective study of outpatients 70 years and older seen in VISN 9 at Veterans Administration Medical Centers from 1/1/2001 thru 12/31/2003. GFR was estimated using the MDRD formula. We abstracted demographic and medical data from the electronic medical record. The population consisted primarily of elderly white male (7,289 men; 91% Caucasian). In CKD Stage 2, 3, and 4, men had a diagnosis code reflecting kidney disease in 1.2%, 20%, and 74.6% of the charts. Despite declining kidney function, nephrology consults were requested in fewer than 5%. In summary, we have shown in a large outpatient population of elderly men that CKD is frequently under-recognized, but most pronounced in CKD Stages 2 and 3. Stages 2 and 3 may be the stages in which the most beneficial effects of interventions can be obtained.

Clinical background of women prescribed tibolone or combined estrogen + progestogen therapies: a UK MediPlus study.

OBJECTIVES: To describe and compare the history and clinical characteristics of women who were prescribed tibolone or one of the following combined estrogen + progestogen therapies (CEPT): sequential conjugated equine estrogens (CEE)/norgestrel, sequential CEE/medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA), continuous CEE/MPA or continuous estradiol/norethisterone acetate (NETA). METHODS: This was a descriptive study using MediPlus, a UK Primary Care database; 3762 women participated who, between July 1st, 1999 and June 30th, 2001, were prescribed either tibolone or one of the CEPT regimens mentioned above. Risk factors associated with endometrial cancer and breast cancer were assessed. RESULTS: The results of this study suggest that the clinical background of women who were prescribed tibolone differed from that of the women who were prescribed the combination products. More frequently than expected women who were most recently prescribed tibolone have a history of chronic breast disease, a personal history of breast cancer or a history of being prescribed (long-term) estrogen-only therapy. Furthermore, this group of women more frequently had hypertension and performed uterine procedures recorded in their medical records. This preferential prescribing of tibolone occurs at first-ever prescription of hormone therapy but is, in some instances, the underlying reason for switch behavior. CONCLUSION: In the UK, general practitioners seem to preferentially prescribe tibolone to women with an increased risk for breast and endometrial cancer, as compared to women being prescribed other CEPT products.

Hypertension as a risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in an elderly German population; the prospective STEPHY II study. Starnberg Study on Epidemiology of Parkinsonism and Hypertension in the Elderly.

AIM: To prospectively study the relationship between blood pressure levels and subsequent cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in a population aged 65 years and older. METHODS: Participants of the 1992 baseline survey of the population-based Starnberg Study on Epidemiology of Parkinsonism and Hypertension in the Elderly (STEPHY, 394 men and 588 women above age 65) were followed up for 3 years. Total mortality was assessed by official death data. Cardiovascular morbidity, that is, the occurrence of non-fatal events (new cases of acute myocardial infarction, angina pectoris, stroke, and heart failure) could be assessed in 681 of the 863 survivors by a second interview and analysis of general practitioners' records. The mortality and morbidity risks were compared for hypertensives (baseline blood pressure > or = 160/95 mmHg or antihypertensive treatment) and non-hypertensives. RESULTS: During follow-up a total of 55 men and 64 women died resulting in a 2.7-year cumulative mortality in this population of 12%. Mortality was higher in men (14%) than in women (11%). Hypertensives had no increased risk of death compared to non-hypertensives (adjusted relative risk (RR)=0. 92; 95% CI: 0.48-1.76 for men and RR=1.36; 95% CI 0.67-2.78 for women). This was confirmed in age-stratified analyses. However, among survivors hypertension was associated with a significantly higher occurrence of non-fatal cardiovascular events. After controlling for potentially confounding baseline conditions, the relative risk for any event (RR=1.44; 95% CI: 1.04-2.0) and, in particular, of acute myocardial infarction (RR=5.5; 95% CI: 1.6-18. 7) was raised among hypertensives. Higher rates for angina pectoris (RR=1.4; 95% CI: 0.9-2.4) and heart failure (RR 1.7; 95% CI: 0.9-2. 9) were of borderline significance. Positive risk associations were confined to the age group 65 to 75 years and not detected at higher ages. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates for a Central European population older than 65 years the impact of hypertension as a risk factor for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular morbidity. To address the issue that risk of death showed no significant relationship to blood pressure, a longer follow-up period might be necessary.

Treatment with calcium antagonists does not increase the risk of fatal or non-fatal cancer in an elderly mid-European population: results from STEPHY II. Starnberg Study on Epidemiology of Parkinsonism and Hypertension in the Elderly.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the relationship between use of calcium antagonists and incidence of fatal or non-fatal cancer over 3 years in the Starnberg Study on Epidemiology of Parkinsonism and Hypertension in the Elderly (STEPHY) population. DESIGN: A prospective cohort study with follow-up analysis after 3 years. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In 1992 STEPHY workers investigated the total population aged > 65 years (n = 1190) of two villages in Bavaria, Germany. With 982 participants (response rate 83%) the prevalence of 'actual' hypertension (blood pressure > or = 160/95 mmHg or treatment) was 53%. Of all hypertensives (n = 491), 54% were being treated, 28% (n = 137) with calcium antagonists. Participants with a history of cancer or manifest cancer were excluded from further analysis. In 1995 in STEPHY II, the 3-year follow-up, we assessed total mortality (including cases of fatal cancer), cardiovascular events and cases of non-fatal cancer between 1992 and 1995. The evaluation included a second interview, use of case records of general practitioners and hospitals and analysis of the official death certificates. The total incidence of fatal and non-fatal cancer (a combined end point) was calculated for participants treated with calcium antagonists and those not taking calcium antagonists. RESULTS: Total mortality over 3 years was 12.1 % (n = 119). There were 22 deaths due to cancer and 75 cases of newly diagnosed non-fatal cancer. The combined incidence of fatal and non-fatal cancer (primary end point) was 10.9% (n = 15) for participants treated with calcium antagonists and 9.7% (n = 82) for those not taking calcium antagonists (odds ratio 1.12, 95% confidence interval 0.7-1.8). There was also no significant difference between the incidences of fatal cancer (2.2% in both groups), non-fatal cancer (12.5% for participants treated with calcium antagonists and 10.8% for those not taking calcium antagonists) and total mortality (14.6% for participants taking calcium antagonists and 11.7% for those not treated with calcium antagonists). CONCLUSION: Use of calcium antagonists does not increase the risk of fatal or non-fatal cancer over 3 years in an elderly mid-European population.

Effects of hormone replacement therapies on fibrinogen and plasma viscosity in postmenopausal women.

In women, cardiovascular morbidity and mortality sharply increase after the onset of menopause. There is substantial evidence that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) may decrease the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD); however, the mechanisms of this preventive effect are unclear. We investigated the association between HRT and plasma viscosity as well as fibrinogen levels in postmenopausal women of a population-based sample (n=300, age 52-65 years). A total of 94 women used HRT; of these, 50 took oestrogen monotherapy and 44 used oestrogen-progesterone combinations. HRT was associated with significantly lower fibrinogen concentrations (2.32 v 2.68 g/l, P<0.001) and decreased plasma viscosity (1.147 v 1.176 mPa/s, P=0.01). Multivariate analyses controlling simultaneously for the effects of age, smoking, body mass index, and use of diuretics confirmed decreased fibrinogen and plasma viscosity values in women using HRT. A trend towards lower plasma viscosity (1.139 v 1.160 mPa/s) and plasma fibrinogen (2.28 v 2.44 g/l) was observed in women on oestrogen-progesterone combinations as compared with oestrogen monotherapy users: however, after controlling for the above-mentioned variables these differences were not statistically significant. This study demonstrates decreased plasma viscosity in women on HRT. Improved rheology offers a mechanism by which HRT lowers the risk of CHD in postmenopausal women.

The value of CT in rectal villous tumors.

Computed tomography of 13 patients with villous rectal tumors was reviewed. Five tumors were benign, eight were malignant. All five benign lesions demonstrated homogeneous focal colonic wall thickening of less than 2 cm. Seven of the eight malignant lesions demonstrated focal colonic wall thickening greater than 2 cm. "Fronds," characterized by contrast within the interstices of the lesion, were seen in three malignant lesions. In the remaining five malignant lesions, three had a polypoid appearance, one had low attenuation regions, and one had focal rectal wall thickening. Computed tomography upstaged two carcinomas, downstaged two carcinomas, and accurately staged four carcinomas. Our experience shows (a) CT can demonstrate the classic fronds of villous tumors; (b) benign villous tumors tend to be less than 2 cm and are nonspecific in appearance; (c) biopsy is necessary to differentiate small malignant lesions from benign lesions; and (d) CT is inaccurate in staging local invasion of malignant villous tumors.

Dynamic hepatobiliary scan appearance of hepatocellular carcinoma.

A case of hepatocellular carcinoma demonstrating increased Tc-99m DISIDA concentration on both dynamic and static scans of the liver is presented.

Struma ovarii: hyperthyroidism in a postmenopausal woman.

A rare case of struma ovarii producing hyperthyroidism in a postmenopausal woman is reported. The ovarian tumor demonstrated uptake of both [99mTc]pertechnetate and 131I, allowing preoperative diagnosis of the condition. In females with unexplained hyperthyroidism and low 131I uptake by the cervical thyroid gland, imaging of the pelvis should be considered.

Fractures of the acetabulum. A retrospective analysis.

A roentgenographic analysis of 204 acetabular fractures is presented. In addition, 64 displaced fractures (43 treated surgically) are evaluated clinically and roentgenographically (average follow-up period, 3.7 years). Most fractures can be adequately evaluated from anteroposterior and oblique roentgenograms of the pelvis. The roentgenographic and clinical results correlate closely. Fractures must be reduced to a displacement of 3 mm or less, in addition to congruent reduction of the femoral head with the weight-bearing dome of the acetabulum, to achieve a satisfactory clinical result. Most displaced fractures involve the weight-bearing dome and require surgery. With an intact weight-bearing dome, nonoperative treatment is considered. Quantification of this dome with three measurements termed the medial, anterior, and posterior roof arc obtained from the standard roentgenograms is valuable in determination of appropriate treatment for displaced acetabular fractures.

Costs in anesthesia: an international survey.

The actual commercial costs of oxygen, nitrous oxide, halothane, enflurane, two narcotic analgesics, two muscle relaxants, soda lime, an oxygen analyzer, a capnograph, a journal and a textbook were obtained from twenty-nine countries and compared. Marked variations were found, ranging from one to several fold. Although in some instances the possible reasons for excessive costs were obvious (distance, importation taxes, postage, inflation and local manufacturing, etc.), in others no apparent justification for such disparity could be determined.

Distribution of radiolabeled endotoxin with particular reference to the eye: concise communication.

A single systemic injection of endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide or LPS) reproducibly induces a cellular infiltrate in the uveal tract of the rat eye within 24 hr. Other organs are not comparably sensitive to systemic endotoxin. One hypothesis to explain this unique sensitivity is that endotoxin is preferentially bound by ocular tissue. We tested this hypothesis by studying the distribution in the rat of intravenously injected endotoxin that had been radiolabeled with Tc-99m or P-32. With either radionuclide the concentration of endotoxin per gram of tissue at a variety of times after injection ranging from 5 min to 3 hr and 45 min, was markedly less in the eye than in liver, kidney, or spleen. A study with radiolabeled albumin indicated that these differences could not be ascribed solely to the organ's blood volume. They demonstrate, therefore, that the eye does not preferentially bind endotoxin, and they are compatible with the hypothesis that endotoxin's ocular effects are indirectly mediated.