A Latin American survey on demographic aspects of hospitalized, decompensated cirrhotic patients and the resources for their management.

INTRODUCTION & OBJECTIVES: Liver cirrhosis is a major cause of mortality worldwide. Adequate diagnosis and treatment of decompensating events requires of both medical skills and updated technical resources. The objectives of this study were to search the demographic profile of hospitalized cirrhotic patients in a group of Latin American hospitals and the availability of expertise/facilities for the diagnosis and therapy of decompensation episodes. METHODS: A cross sectional, multicenter survey of hospitalized cirrhotic patients. RESULTS: 377 patients, (62% males; 58±11 years) (BMI>25, 57%; diabetes 32%) were hospitalized at 65 centers (63 urbans; 57 academically affiliated) in 13 countries on the survey date. Main admission causes were ascites, gastrointestinal bleeding, hepatic encephalopathy and spontaneous bacterial peritonitis/other infections. Most prevalent etiologies were alcohol-related (AR) (40%); non-alcoholic-steatohepatitis (NASH) (23%), hepatitis C virus infection (HCV) (7%) and autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) (6%). The most frequent concurrent etiologies were AR+NASH. Expertise and resources in every analyzed issue were highly available among participating centers, mostly accomplishing valid guidelines. However, availability of these facilities was significantly higher at institutions located in areas with population>500,000 (n=45) and in those having a higher complexity level (Gastrointestinal, Liver and Internal Medicine Departments at the same hospital (n=22). CONCLUSIONS: The epidemiological etiologic profile in hospitalized, decompensated cirrhotic patients in Latin America is similar to main contemporary emergent agents worldwide. Medical and technical resources are highly available, mostly at great population urban areas and high complexity medical centers. Main diagnostic and therapeutic approaches accomplish current guidelines recommendations.

Acute pancreatitis in Chile: A multicenter study on epidemiology, etiology and clinical outcome. Retrospective analysis of clinical files.

BACKGROUND: Epidemiology of acute pancreatitis (AP) is variable in different geographical regions. OBJECTIVES: To compare etiology and severity of AP to published data from South America and the rest of world, study impact of demographical factors and treatment on its outcome in Chilean hospitals. METHODS: Multicenter observational study. Data of consecutive patients with AP were collected at the moment of discharge from 11 centers and retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: Data of 962 patients were included in the analysis, 447 men and 515 women. Mean age was 48,2 years. Biliary etiology was significantly more frequent in women (70%) than in men (52%). Conversely, alcohol was responsible for about 17% of AP in men but exceptional in women. Mild AP was seen in 73.4%, moderately severe in 14.1% and severe in 13%. The overall mortality was 2.5% (24 of 962): 0.3%, 3.1% and 15.1% in mild, moderately severe and severe cases, respectively. No difference was found in the mortality and severity of biliary versus alcoholic AP, while hypertriglyceridemia induced AP was more severe, without increased mortality. Severity and mortality increased with age. ERCP was performed in 16% of biliary pancreatitis. Adherence to main guidelines was heterogeneous: more than half of mild AP patients were admitted to critical care units and antibiotics were used in about 25% them. CONCLUSION: This is the first multicenter study in Chile on AP. When compared to literature, we found similar severity distribution and an acceptably low mortality. Biliary etiology was dominant, but alcohol was also important in men.

Th17 response and autophagy--main pathways implicated in the development of inflammatory bowel disease by genome-wide association studies.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an entity that mainly includes ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn´s disease (CD). Improved health care, diet changes, and higher industrialization are associated with an increase in IBD prevalence. This supports the central role of environmental factors in the pathology of this disease. However, IBD also shows a relevant genetic component as shown by high heritability. Classic genetic studies showed relevant associations between IBD susceptibility and genes involved in the immune response. This is consistent with prior theories about IBD development. According to these, contact of the immune system with a high number of harmless antigens from the diet and the bacterial flora should originate tolerance while preserving response against pathogens. Failure to achieve this balance may originate the typical inflammatory response associated with IBD. Recently, genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have confirmed the implication of the immune system, particularly the Th17 immune response, previously associated to other autoimmune diseases, and of autophagy. In this paper, the mechanisms involved in these two relevant pathways and their potential role in the pathogenesis of IBD are reviewed.

Respuesta Th17 y autofagia: principales vías implicadas en enfermedad inflamatoria intestinal por los estudios de asociación de genoma completo. Nuevos factores implicados en la susceptibilidad a enfermedad inflamatoria intestinal / Th17 response and autophagy - main pathways implicated in the development of inflammatory bowel disease by genome-wide association studies: new factors involved in inflammatory bowel disease susceptibility

La enfermedad inflamatoria intestinal (EII) es una entidad que engloba principalmente a la colitis ulcerosa (CU) y la enfermedad de Crohn (EC). Las mejoras sanitarias, cambios en la alimentación y una mayor industrialización se han asociado con mayor prevalencia de EII lo que demuestra la gran importancia de diferentes factores ambientales en la etiopatogenia de esta patología. Sin embargo, la EII presenta al mismo tiempo un importante componente genético según demuestra su alta heredabilidad. Los estudios genéticos clásicos mostraron asociaciones con genes implicados en la respuesta inmune, consecuentes con las teorías expuestas sobre el desarrollo de la enfermedad en las que el contacto del sistema inmune del sistema digestivo con gran número de antígenos inocuos de la flora y de la dieta debe originar tolerancia, manteniendo al mismo tiempo la respuesta frente a los patógenos. Un desequilibrio en este sistema originaría la respuesta inflamatoria típica de la EII. Recientemente, estudios de asociación de genoma completo (GWAS) han confirmado esta implicación del sistema inmune, particularmente de la respuesta inmune Th17, relacionada también con otras patologías autoinmunes. Otro proceso fuertemente implicado por estos estudios es el de la autofagia. En este artículo se revisan los mecanismos involucrados en estas dos vías y su posible relación con la patogenia de la EII

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an entity that mainle includes ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease (CD). Improved health care, diet changes, and higher industrialization are associated with an increase in IBD prevalence. This supports the central role of environmental factors in the pathology of this disease. However, IBD also shows a relevant genetic component as shown by high heritability. Classic genetic studies showed relevant associations between IBD susceptibility and genes involved in the immune response. This is consistent with prior theories about IBD development. According to these, contact of the immune system with a high number of harmless antigens from the diet and the bacterial flora should originate tolerance while preserving response against pathogens. Failure to achieve this balance may originate the typical inflammatory response associated with IBD. Recently, genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have confirmed the implication of the immune system, particularly the Th17 immune response, previously associated to other autoimmune diseases, and of autophagy. In this paper, the mechanisms involved in these two relevant pathways and their potential role in the pathogenesis of IBD are reviewed

High prevalence of virulence-associated genotypes in Helicobacter pylori clinical isolates in the Region del Maule, Chile.

The prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection and the gastric cancer mortality rate in Chile are remarkably high. This study identified some virulence-associated genes in 78 H. pylori clinical isolates from dyspeptic patients from the Region del Maule, which is the region with the higher gastric cancer mortality rate in the country. The cagA, vacA and babA2 genes were detected in 94.9%, 100% and 97.4%, respectively. Two or more EPIYA C motifs were presented in 48.6% of cagA-positive strains, and this was associated with more severe histopathological findings in the gastric mucosa.

Hepatotoxicidad por drogas: reporte de un caso y revisión de literatura / Drug-induced liver injury: a case report and literature review

La Hepatotoxicidad por drogas se define como una lesión hepática asociada a deterioro de la función de éste órgano, secundaria a exposición a una droga u otro agente no infeccioso. Es un cuadro infrecuente, pero puede determinar graves lesiones hepáticas y una mortalidad considerable si no se detecta a tiempo. Es labor del clínico mantener un alto Índice de sospecha al enfrentarse a un paciente con alteraciones hepáticas de reciente comienzo y uso concomitante de medicamentos. En el presente articulo se expone el caso clínico de un paciente masculino, 48 años de edad, con Depresión Severa en tratamiento con Sertralina, Clonazepam, Risperidona, Lamotrigna y Acido Valproico. Ingresó al Hospital de Talca con diagnostico de Síndrome Colestásico cuyo estudio demostró serología para VHB y VHC negativa y ecotomografía abdominal normal. Presentó buena respuesta clínica y de laboratorio a la suspensión de las drogas. El cuadro fue compatible con Hepatotoxicidad por drogas.

Estudio microbiológico del ostion congelado / Microbiological study of frozen oysters

Se le hizo un estudio microbiológico a 79 muestras de ostiones congelados listos para el consumo, a las cuales se les realizaron las siguientes determinaciones: recuento de coliformes, recuento de coliformes fecales, determinación cuantitativa de Staphylococcus aureus determinación de Salmonella. Los valores obtenidos cumplimentaron los límites propuestos para el control de la calidad microbiológica de este producto, con excepción del 3,9

de lasmuestras en las cuales se obtuvo positividad de Salmonella

Estudio microbiológico del ostion congelado / Microbiological study of frozen oysters

Se le hizo un estudio microbiológico a 79 muestras de ostiones congelados listos para el consumo, a las cuales se les realizaron las siguientes determinaciones: recuento de coliformes, recuento de coliformes fecales, determinación cuantitativa de Staphylococcus aureus determinación de Salmonella. Los valores obtenidos cumplimentaron los límites propuestos para el control de la calidad microbiológica de este producto, con excepción del 3,9% de lasmuestras en las cuales se obtuvo positividad de Salmonella