Infección y enfermedad tuberculosa en relación con concentraciones plasmáticas de vitamina D / Tuberculosis: Plasma levels of vitamin D and its relation with infection and disease

Fundamento y objetivo: La vitamina D (vitD) interviene en el metabolismo fosfocálcico y la enfermedad ósea, pero también en procesos inflamatorio-infecciosos como la tuberculosis. En el presente estudio se evalúan aspectos clínicos y epidemiológicos de enfermos e infectados por Mycobacterium tuberculosis en quienes se obtuvieron concentraciones plasmáticas de vitD para determinar si existe relación entre el déficit de vitD y el riesgo de desarrollar tuberculosis activa, especialmente las formas más graves. Método: Estudio observacional retrospectivo que incluyó a 86 pacientes con tuberculosis activa y 80 contactos con infección latente, visitados en una unidad especializada, en un período de 2 años. Resultados: Al comparar enfermos con infectados, el déficit de vitD (valores de vitD < 10 ng/ml; odds ratio [OR] 2,02; intervalo de confianza del 95% [IC 95%] 1,04-3,93), el sexo varón (OR 1,9; IC 95% 0,96-3,71) y la raza no caucásica (OR 0,7; IC 95% 0,34-1,42) fueron los factores independientemente asociados al diagnóstico de tuberculosis. Conclusión: A pesar del limitado número de sujetos estudiados, se ha detectado una asociación entre el déficit grave de vitD y la forma de presentación de la tuberculosis (AU)

Background and objective: Vitamin D (vitD) is involved in the phosphor-calcium metabolism and bone pathology, but also in inflammatory and infectious processes such as tuberculosis. The present study evaluates the clinical and epidemiological aspects of active tuberculosis cases and latently infected contacts in whom plasma concentrations of vitD were obtained to determine whether the deficiency of vitD is a risk factor to develop active tuberculosis, especially the more severe forms. Method: Observational, retrospective study that included 86 tuberculosis patients and 80 contacts with latent infection in a 2-year period. Results: When comparing active tuberculosis cases with latent infection contacts, deficiency of vitD (vitD levels <10 ng/mL, odds ratio [OR]: 2.02, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.04 to 3.93), male sex (OR: 1.9, 95% CI: 0.96 to 3.71) and non-white race (OR: 0.7, 95% CI: 0.34 to 1.42) were factors independently associated with the diagnosis of tuberculosis. Conclusion: Despite the limited number of subjects studied, there was a association between severe deficit of vitD and the presentation of tuberculosis (AU)

[Tuberculosis: plasma levels of vitamin D and its relation with infection and disease]. / Infección y enfermedad tuberculosa en relación con concentraciones plasmáticas de vitamina D.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Vitamin D (vitD) is involved in the phosphor-calcium metabolism and bone pathology, but also in inflammatory and infectious processes such as tuberculosis. The present study evaluates the clinical and epidemiological aspects of active tuberculosis cases and latently infected contacts in whom plasma concentrations of vitD were obtained to determine whether the deficiency of vitD is a risk factor to develop active tuberculosis, especially the more severe forms. METHOD: Observational, retrospective study that included 86 tuberculosis patients and 80 contacts with latent infection in a 2-year period. RESULTS: When comparing active tuberculosis cases with latent infection contacts, deficiency of vitD (vitD levels <10 ng/mL, odds ratio [OR]: 2.02, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.04 to 3.93), male sex (OR: 1.9, 95% CI: 0.96 to 3.71) and non-white race (OR: 0.7, 95% CI: 0.34 to 1.42) were factors independently associated with the diagnosis of tuberculosis. CONCLUSION: Despite the limited number of subjects studied, there was a association between severe deficit of vitD and the presentation of tuberculosis.

Características de los pacientes con tuberculosis ingresados desde urgencias en un hospital universitario: estudio comparativo 1996-2006 / Characteristics of patients with tuberculosis admitted from emergency department in a University Hospital: comparative study 1996-2006

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Medical assessment in drug addicts: reliability and validity of the Cumulative Illness Rating Scale (Substance Abuse version).

OBJECTIVE: To adapt the Cumulative Illness Rating Scale for its use in substance abuse patients (CIRS-SA) and to assess the reliability, internal consistency, and validity of the instrument. METHOD: One-hundred outpatients of both sexes, 62 men and 38 women, with a mean (SD) age of 32.4 (7.9) years (range 19-57), all of them fulfilling the DSM-IV criteria for any substance abuse disorder. Internal consistency was calculated with Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Test-retest and interrater reliability was assessed with the intraclass correlation coefficient and Wilcoxon z. Validity of the scale was assessed with Kendall's tau correlation coefficient. RESULTS: The final CIRS-SA version had a total of 13 items. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.57. All intraclass correlation coefficients were above 0.7, and some items showed exact coincidence. The stability of the CIRS-SA scale in a 1-month test re-test reassessment was demonstrated. The CIRS-SA score showed a significant correlation with all consultant scores. CONCLUSION: CIRS-SA is a reliable and valid instrument to assess and to determine systematically the physical condition of substance abusers in whom infections, particularly by the HIV, are highly prevalent.

[Cardiovascular disease in HIV-infected patients on highly active antiretroviral therapy]. / Enfermedad cardiovascular sintomática en pacientes infectados por el virus de la inmunodeficiencia humana que reciben tratamiento antirretroviral de gran actividad.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Our goal was to assess the main characteristics of cardiovascular disease in HIV-infected patients on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). PATIENTS AND METHOD: Retrospective analysis of the clinico-epidemiological characteristics of 16 HIV-infected patients treated with HAART who had suffered a cardiovascular event from a 1,459 patients' cohort. RESULTS: Clinical presentation of cardiovascular disease was an acute coronary syndrome in 12 cases, ischemic stroke in 2 and peripheral vascular disease in 2. Patients included in the study had a mean of 3.2 cardiovascular risk factors, smoking and low HDL levels being the more prevalent risk factors. Eight (50%, 95% CI, 25-75%) patients fulfilled the criteria of metabolic syndrome. The mean CD4 count was 548 x 10(6)/l. CONCLUSIONS: HIV-infected patients on HAART ha-ve a high cardiovascular risk. A strict management of modifiable risk factors must be warranted in these patients.