Evaluación del espesor de la capa retiniana de fibras del nervio óptico en fumadores / Evaluation of the retinal nerve fiber layer thickness in smokers

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Nuevos horizontes para el tratamiento del glaucoma. I: neuroinflamación e inflamasomas / New horizons for the treatment of glaucoma. I: Neuroinflammation and inflammasomes

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Oxigenación con membrana extracorpórea en la disfunción primaria del injerto en trasplante bipulmonar pediátrico: a propósito de un caso / Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in primary graft dysfunction in a paediatric double lung transplant: presentation of a case

La disfunción primaria del injerto es la principal causa de morbimortalidad en el postoperatorio inmediato de los pacientes sometidos a trasplante pulmonar. Entre las opciones de tratamiento se encuentran las estrategias ventilatorias de protección pulmonar, el óxido nítrico, el surfactante pulmonar, así como medidas de soporte con dispositivo de membrana de oxigenación extracorpórea (ECMO), como puente a la recuperación de la función pulmonar o al retrasplante. Presentamos el caso de una niña de 9 años afectada de fibrosis quística y sometida a trasplante bipulmonar que en el postoperatorio inmediato presentó una disfunción primaria del injerto severa refractaria al tratamiento. Ante el desarrollo de disfunción multiorgánica se decidió el empleo de ECMO venoarterial (arteria pulmonar-aurícula derecha). La evolución posterior fue satisfactoria, permitiendo su retirada a los 5 días de postoperatorio. Actualmente la paciente vive libre de rechazo y con excelente calidad de vida tras 600 días de seguimiento (AU)

Primary graft dysfunction is a leading cause of morbimortality in the immediate postoperative period of patients undergoing lung transplantation. Among the treatment options are: lung protective ventilatory strategies, nitric oxide, lung surfactant therapy, and supportive treatment with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) as a bridge to recovery of lung function or re-transplant. We report the case of a 9-year-old girl affected by cystic fibrosis who underwent double-lung transplantation complicated with a severe primary graft dysfunction in the immediate postoperative period and refractory to standard therapies. Due to development of multiple organ failure, it was decided to insert arteriovenous ECMO catheters (pulmonary artery-right atrium). The postoperative course was satisfactory, allowing withdrawal of ECMO on the 5 th post-surgical day. Currently the patient survives free of rejection and with an excellent quality of life after 600 days of follow up (AU)

Diagnóstico tardío de sífilis congenita. Triada de Hutchinson que pasó desapercibida / Late diagnosis of congenital syphilis. Tirad hutchinson that go unn oticed

Introducción. La Triada de Hutchinson, típica de la sífilis congénita, consiste en la aparición en un mismo paciente de queratitis intersticial, sordera y alteraciones dentarias. Dichas manifestaciones, aparecen cuando el contagio se produce en el canal del parto, a partir de una embarazada infectada o inadecuadamente tratada. Caso clínico. Paciente varón de 59 años que acude por disminución de agudeza visual en ambos ojos desde hace años, hiperemia y picor. La mejor agudeza visual corregida (MAVC) del ojo derecho (OD) es 0,1 y de 0,6 en ojo izquierdo (OI). En el OD, se observa lesión leucomatosa paracentral con adelgazamiento estromal sublesional sin aspecto infeccioso activo, apreciando vasos sanguíneos no perfundidos confluentes al leucoma. En retina OD, aparecen áreas de atrofia coriorretiniana peripapilares y periféricas. Se realiza una exploración fisica general, que no revela ningún dato de interés salvo el uso de audífono en el pabellón auditivo derecho por sordera de causa desconocida y ciertas alteraciones dentarias como la malformación de los incisivos. Ante una supuesta Triada de Hutchinson no diagnosticada, solicitamos confirmación serológica para Lues, obteniendo valores positivos en las pruebas treponémicas y no treponémicas. El paciente sufre una sífilis congénita no tratada, por lo que se deriva al Servicio de infeccioso para recibir tratamiento con altas dosis de Penicilina G por vía intravenosa. Conclusiones. Para el diagnóstico de sífilis, es necesario un alto nivel de sospecha. Se trata de una enfermedad infecciosa prevalente e incidente que puede simular otras alteraciones oculares (AU)

Introduction. The Hutchinson's Triad, typical of the congenital syphilis, consists of the appearance of the same patient of interstitial keratitis, deafness and dental alterations. The above mentioned manifestations, appear when the contagion takes place in the channel of the childbirth, from an infected or inadequately treated pregnant woman. Clinical case. 59-year-old patient male who comes for decrease of visual acuity in both eyes for years, hiperemia and irritation. The best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) right eye (OD) is 0,1 and of 0,6 in left eye (OI).In the OD, is observed a paracentral lesion by slimming stromal sublesional without infectious active aspect, estimating vessels withoutperfusion confluent to the leucoma. Areas of atrophy of retina appear in the right eye. There is realized a physical general exploration, which does not reveal any information of interest except the use of headphone in the auditory right pavilion for deafness of unknown reason and certain dental alterations as the malformation of the incisor teeth. A possible Hutchinson's Triad is suspected so we request analytical confirmation for syphilis obtaining positive values in treponemic test. The patient suffers a congenital not treated syphilis, for what it stems to the Service of infectiously to get treatment with high doses of intravenous Penicillin G (AU)

[Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in primary graft dysfunction in a paediatric double lung transplant: presentation of a case]. / Oxigenación con membrana extracorpórea en la disfunción primaria del injerto en trasplante bipulmonar pediátrico: a propósito de un caso.

Primary graft dysfunction is a leading cause of morbimortality in the immediate postoperative period of patients undergoing lung transplantation. Among the treatment options are: lung protective ventilatory strategies, nitric oxide, lung surfactant therapy, and supportive treatment with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) as a bridge to recovery of lung function or re-transplant. We report the case of a 9-year-old girl affected by cystic fibrosis who underwent double-lung transplantation complicated with a severe primary graft dysfunction in the immediate postoperative period and refractory to standard therapies. Due to development of multiple organ failure, it was decided to insert arteriovenous ECMO catheters (pulmonary artery-right atrium). The postoperative course was satisfactory, allowing withdrawal of ECMO on the 5th post-surgical day. Currently the patient survives free of rejection and with an excellent quality of life after 600 days of follow up.

Oxigenador de membrana extracorpóreo en el trasplante pulmonar / Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in lung transplantation

El uso de tecnologías extracorpóreas en el soporte cardiopulmonar se ha extendido en los últimos 20 años. Los dispositivos oxigenador de membrana extracorpóreo (ECMO) son los más utilizados y se emplean desde hace años en los programas de trasplante pulmonar. Sin embargo, hay pocos artículos con series amplias de resultados de ECMO. El empleo del ECMO en el fallo respiratorio, además de otorgar un soporte inmediato de oxígeno en pacientes severamente hipoxémicos y/o acidóticos, proporciona protección pulmonar ya que permite la disminución instantánea en las necesidades de presiones y FiO2 en el ventilador. Las complicaciones del uso de ECMO han ido minimizándose con las mejoras técnicas que presentan los últimos modelos de las asistencias, pero la insuficiencia renal, las infecciones, hemorragias y las complicaciones vasculares y mecánicas siguen siendo referidas en numerosos trabajos. Existen actualmente menos controversias en el empleo de la asistencia cardiorrespiratoria con ECMO como alternativa para pacientes descompensados que están en lista de espera, para el intraoperatorio y postoperatorio del trasplante pulmonar (AU)

The use of extracorporeal techniques in cardiopulmonary support has spread in the last 20 years. ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) devices are the most commonly employed option, and have been used for years in lung transplant programs. Nevertheless, few articles on the results of ECMO involving large numbers of cases have been published to date. The use of ECMO in respiratory failure affords immediate oxygen support in patients with severe hypoxia and/or acidosis, and moreover provides pulmonary protection, since it allows an instantaneous decrease in the ventilator pressure and FiO2 needs. The complications of ECMO have been minimized thanks to the technological improvements found in the latest devices, though renal failure, infections, bleeding, and vascular and mechanical complications are still reported in many studies. At present there is less controversy regarding the use of cardiorespiratory assists with ECMO as an alternative in decompensated patients who are on the waiting list, referred to the intra- and postoperative periods of lung transplantation (AU)

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in lung transplantation.

The use of extracorporeal techniques in cardiopulmonary support has spread in the last 20 years. ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) devices are the most commonly employed option, and have been used for years in lung transplant programs. Nevertheless, few articles on the results of ECMO involving large numbers of cases have been published to date. The use of ECMO in respiratory failure affords immediate oxygen support in patients with severe hypoxia and/or acidosis, and moreover provides pulmonary protection, since it allows an instantaneous decrease in the ventilator pressure and FiO2 needs. The complications of ECMO have been minimized thanks to the technological improvements found in the latest devices, though renal failure, infections, bleeding, and vascular and mechanical complications are still reported in many studies. At present there is less controversy regarding the use of cardiorespiratory assists with ECMO as an alternative in decompensated patients who are on the waiting list, referred to the intra- and postoperative periods of lung transplantation.

Oxigenador de membrana extracorpóreo como sistema puente al trasplante cardíaco en un paciente con infarto agudo de miocardio tras cirugía de revascularización coronaria / No disponible

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[Global experience and results of heart transplantation]. / Experiência global e resultadod actuais do transplante cardíaco.

OBJECTIVES: This article summarizes the general experience and results achieved by heart transplantation during 19 years of activity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between 1987 and 2005, 439 heart transplantations and 24 cardiopulmonary transplantations were performed by the Cardiovascular Surgery Department of Hospital Universitario La Fe, Valencia, Spain. Indication variation over time, donor/receptor profiles, urgent vs. programmed transplantations and short/long term results over different periods of time were subject to analysis, while correlating the results with changes of surgical technique, myocardial protection and immunosuppression protocols. RESULTS: For the last 5 years, the number of heart transplantations remained stable at 30 cases per year. The most frequent etiology was ischaemic cardiopathy (41%); 25% of the emergency heart transplantations were carried out in patients with inotropic support, mechanical ventilation and/or intraaortic balloon pump contrapulsation. The early mortality rate was 8%, and 4,7% considering only the last period; the most frequent cause of death during the first postoperative month was acute graft failure, followed by infection. After the first year, graft vascular disease was the leading cause of mortality. Emergency transplantation and re-transplantation had a significantly higher mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Cardiac transplantation is the best treatment for terminal miocardiopathies. The early mortality rate was low. At present time, the number of heart transplantations became stable due to a low number of donors. In the future, better prevention and treatment of graft vascular disease shall be achieved in order to increase long-term survival. The comparative analysis of survival shows similar results to others published in the world scientific literature, including a continuing trend towards improving survival over the last years.

Increased expression of type 2 cytokines in chronic proliferative dermatitis (cpdm) mutant mice and resolution of inflammation following treatment with IL-12.

Chronic proliferative dermatitis (cpdm) is a spontaneous mutation that results in eosinophilic inflammation in multiple tissues, including the skin. To determine the mechanisms underlying the eosinophilic inflammation, the expression of cytokines in the skin was determined. There was increased expression of IL-4, IL-5, IL-13, and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor in the skin of cpdm/cpdm mice, and no change in IL-10 and TNF expression. Supernatants of cultured spleen cells of cpdm/cpdm mice contained an increased amount of IL-5 and IL-13, and a decreased amount of IFN-gamma. The ability of the cpdm/cpdm mice to mount a delayed-type hypersensitivity response was greatly reduced. These data are consistent with impaired type 1 and excessive type 2 cytokine production in cpdm/cpdm mice. The significance of this imbalanced cytokine production was evident in the efficacy of systemic treatment of cpdm/cpdm mice with IL-12. Mutant mice treated for 3 weeks with IL-12 had minimal changes in the skin as opposed to the severe dermatitis in mice treated with the vehicle. Treatment with IL-11, which opposes the effect of IL-12, had no effect.

Long-term clinical experience with the Omnicarbon prosthetic valve.

BACKGROUND: From February 1985 to December 1994, 781 Omnicarbon valve prostheses were implanted in 647 patients. These were 357 male and 290 female patients with a mean age of 53.5+/-10.5 years (range, 4 to 78 years). Before operation, 81% of the patients were in New York Heart Association class III or IV, 16% were in class II, and only 3% were in class I. METHODS: There were 227 aortic valve replacements (AVR) (35%), 286 mitral valve replacements (MVR) (44%), and 134 double-valve replacements (DVR) (21%) (AVR + MVR). Follow-up was 96.3% complete and consisted of 2,746 patient-years (mean follow-up, 4.6 years, and maximum follow-up, 10.7 years). RESULTS: Hospital mortality rates were 7.0% for AVR, 8.0% for MVR, and 8.2% for DVR. The annualized rate of anticoagulant-related hemorrhage was 0.8% per patient-year, and thromboembolism occurred at a rate of 0.7% per patient-year. No structural failure was observed during 10-year follow-up. Twenty-one instances of nonstructural dysfunction (two, pannus growth, and 19, dehiscence) of the Omnicarbon valve occurred in 20 patients, an incidence of 0.8% per patient-year. Hemolytic anemia was observed only in the presence of valvular dehiscence (6 of 19). Eight patients (0.3% per patient-year) had development of prosthetic valve endocarditis (4, AVR; 2, MVR; and 2 DVR). At the end of 10 years of follow-up, 91% of the survivors were in New York Heart Association class I or II. The overall survival rate at 10 years was 82.5%+/-2.6% (85.0%+/-3.9%, AVR; 81.0%+/-4.1%, MVR; and 82.5%+/-2.6%, DVR). Considering only valve-related deaths, the survival rate at 10 years was 91.9%+/-2.4% (90.0%+/-2.7%, AVR; 93.1%+/-3.8%, MVR; and 90.0%+/-1.8%, DVR). CONCLUSIONS: Clinical results over a 10-year follow-up are excellent with the Omnicarbon prosthesis.

Oral vaccination of animals with antigens encapsulated in alginate microspheres.

Most infectious diseases begin at a mucosal surface. Prevention of infection must therefore consider ways to enhance local immunity to prevent the attachment and invasion of microbes. Despite this understanding, most vaccines depend on parenterally administered vaccines that induce a circulating immune response that often does not cross to mucosal sites. Administration of vaccines to mucosal sites induces local immunity. To be effective requires that antigen be administered often. This is not always practical depending on the site where protection is needed, nor comfortable to the patient. Not all mucosal sites have inductive lymphoid tissue present as well. Oral administration is easy to do, is well accepted by humans and animals and targets the largest inductive lymphoid tissue in the body in the intestine. Oral administration of antigen requires protection of antigen from the enzymes and pH of the stomach. Polymeric delivery systems are under investigation to deliver vaccines to the intestine while protecting them from adverse conditions that could adversely affect the antigens. They also can enhance delivery of antigen specifically to the inductive lymphoid tissue. Sodium alginate is a readily available, inexpensive polymer that can be used to encapsulate a wide variety of antigens under mild conditions. Orally administered alginate microspheres containing antigen have successfully induced immunity in mice to enteric (rotavirus) pathogens and in the respiratory tract in cattle with a model antigen (ovalbumin). This delivery system offers a safe, effective means of orally vaccinating large numbers of animals (and perhaps humans) to a variety of infectious agents.

Induction of pulmonary immunity in cattle by oral administration of ovalbumin in alginate microspheres.

Respiratory infectious diseases are an important cause of economic losses to the cattle industry. There is a need for an effective, easy to administer vaccine to the critical bacterial pathogens that cause pneumonia in cattle. An orally administered vaccine could be given to a large number of animals without significant stress to the animals and with minimal labor. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the oral administration of a model antigen (ovalbumin) in alginate microspheres could induce pulmonary immunity in cattle. Calves were vaccinated orally with ovalbumin (OVA) following either a subcutaneous (s.c.) or oral priming dose of OVA. Calves primed and boostered by oral administration (oral/oral) of OVA encapsulated in alginate microparticles had increased numbers of antigen-specific IgA ASCs (ASCs) in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluids. Calves that received a s.c. priming followed by an oral booster inoculation (s.c./oral) of OVA in alginate microspheres had a greater number of anti-OVA IgA, IgG1 and IgG2 ASCs in BALF. S.c./oral calves also had increased numbers of anti-OVA IgG1 ASCs in peripheral blood whereas oral/oral calves had none. S.c./oral calves had increased anti-OVA IgG1, IgG2, and IgA titers in BALF, and IgG1 and IgG2 in serum compared to both oral/oral and sham vaccinated calves. These results indicate that oral administration of antigen encapsulated in alginate microspheres results in a mucosal immune response in the respiratory tract of cattle. Furthermore, s.c. priming both enhanced the IgA response and stimulated an IgG1 and IgG2 response not seen in oral/oral calves. The difference in antibody isotype results suggest that design of the vaccination protocol can direct antibody responses as needed for a specific immunization program.

[Predictive variables of early mortality after orthotopic heart transplant in adults]. / Variables predictoras de mortalidad precoz tras el trasplante cardíaco ortotópico en adultos.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study was to analyze some variables of donors, recipients and surgical procedures in order to discover factors that could predict mortality during the early stage (< 30 days) of orthotopic heart transplants. MATERIAL AND METHOD: 125 consecutive orthotopic heart transplants in adults were analyzed. The average age was 51 +/- 11 (range: 12-67), 109 (87%) were men, 16 were women (13%). Two groups were compared: 15 patients who died within 30 days after heart transplant and 110 who survived during that period. Immunosuppressive protocol: preoperative: Cyclosporin + Azathioprine. Intraoperative: Methylprednisolone Postoperative: Methylprednisolone (first 24 h), antilymphocyte monoclonal antibodies (7-10 days after heart transplant) + Cyclosporin + Azathioprine + Corticoids. The following parameters of the recipient were analyzed: sex, age, weight, size, thoracic perimeter, pretransplant cardiopathy, previous thoracic operations, functional stage or need for catecholamines during the days prior to the transplant, pulmonary artery pressure and resistance, history of systemic arterial hypertension, elevation of creatinine, blood type, urgent transplant indication, receptor/donor weight relationship. The following parameters of donors and operation were analyzed: sex, age, weight, thoracic perimeter, period in intensive care unit, dose of dopamine and dobutamine, blood type, origin of the organ, cause of death, ischaemia time, cardiopulmonary by-pass time and cardioplegia type. RESULTS: The rate of early mortality was 12%. The univariate analysis showed differences in: prior cardiovascular surgery, receptor blood type, need for urgent transplantation, pulmonary artery resistance > 2.5 Wood Units, cardiopulmonary by-pass time, weight relationship between receptor and donor. The death cause of the donor proved significant. On multivariate analysis, the following parameters independently predicted early mortality: history of operation with extracorporeal circulation, high pulmonary artery resistance, urgent transplant, receptor/donor weight relation and time of extracorporeal circulation. CONCLUSIONS: We believe that the results of our experience can help to stratify the risk in the orthotopic heart transplant recipient and even to contraindicate the procedure in some cases showing an accumulation of poor prognostic factors in borderline recipients.

[Nocturnal hypoxemia after abdominal surgery: associated factors and usefulness of oxygen therapy]. / Hipoxemia nocturna después de cirugía abdominal: factores asociados y rol de la oxigenoterapia.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative nocturnal hypoxemia (PONH) is a main factor in the genesis of respiratory, cardiac and neurologic complications after surgery. AIM: To describe the phenomenon of PONH after elective laparoscopy and laparotomy, and to evaluate the usefulness of oxygen therapy in its prevention. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Fifteen elective patients (6 M, 9 F, 51 +/- 8 years old) scheduled for laparotomy (n = 8) or laparoscopy (n = 7) were studied. Ventilatory parameters and pulse oximetry were measured pre and postoperatively. Patients were randomly assigned to receive oxygen by nasal cannula either during the first or the second postoperative night. RESULTS: PONH (SatO2 < 85) developed in seven patients (47%), of which four had undergone laparoscopic surgery. PONH was more frequent in mildly obese patients and those presenting preoperative hypoxemia (p = 0.03). Peak Flow was lower in patients presenting PONH (p = 0.04). In five patients, PONH was associated with significant tachycardia. Oxygen administration was associated with a higher SatO2 and prevented PONH in 6/7 patients. CONCLUSIONS: PONH is a common event in patients older than 40 years scheduled for open or laparoscopic abdominal surgery, and develops more frequently in those with preoperative nocturnal hypoxemia and greater ventilatory impairment. PONH can be prevented, most of the time, with oxygen administration.

[Heart angiosarcoma and heart transplantation. Report of a case]. / Angiosarcoma cardíaco y trasplante cardíaco. A propósito de un caso.

We present the case of a 29-year-old women with a cardiac primary angiosarcoma diagnosis. The initial symptom was a cardiac tamponade. The tests for screening metastasis proved negative. She was preoperatively treated with chemotherapy, followed by a heart transplant. There were no incidents related to surgery nor to the transplant except for a rejection in the second week biopsy. Four weeks after the transplant, the patient had a sudden dyspnea, the radiological tests confirmed the existence of a massive pleural overflow and lung and pleural metastasis. All types of therapeutical approaches were rejected except for pleurodesis. The patient died 60 days after the heart transplant.

Systemic and pulmonary immune response to intrabronchial administration of ovalbumin in calves.

Local immunization of the respiratory tract may be the best way to achieve protection against respiratory pathogens. In order to do so successfully, it is important to fully understand how the immune response to antigen administered via the respiratory route develops. We studied the respiratory and systemic immune response after subcutaneous (SC) and intrabronchial (IB) inoculation of calves with ovalbumin (OVA). Eight calves received two SC inoculations of OVA and eight other calves received two SC and three additional IB inoculations of OVA. The occurrence of OVA-specific antibodies and antibody-secreting cells (ASC) was measured over time using isotype-specific enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and ELISPOT. SC immunization of calves did not result in OVA-specific IgA in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid. Subcutaneous priming followed by intrabronchial challenge caused an initial IgG1 response in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, followed by a large IgA response. The presence of IgG1-ASCs indicated that the IgG1 was at least partially locally produced. Most of the OVA-specific IgA in the BAL fluid was secreted by pulmonary ASCs as indicated by the large number of IgA-ASCs in BAL samples and the low serum level of OVA-specific IgA. Antigen-specific IgG1 ASCs were detectable among peripheral mononuclear cells after culture with OVA.