Nurses' perception about their role in reducing health inequalities in community contexts.

OBJECTIVE: to understand nurses' perception about their role in reducing health inequalities in community contexts. METHOD: a qualitative study with a phenomenological approach addressed from Heidegger's Interpretive Theory and the health inequality settings. A total of 18 in-depth interviews were conducted with nurses working in health institutions devoted to community interventions. The following five-phase process was adopted for the qualitative data analysis: Accumulation; Disassembling; Reassembling; Interpretation; and Conclusion. RESULTS: four main topics that nurses mobilize to mitigate health inequalities in community settings were identified, namely: Competences to create, operationalize, monitor and assess health policies; Leadership and management for health and care processes at the individual and collective levels; Professionals that devise care strategies; and Care approach based on characteristics of the territory. CONCLUSION: nurses perceive that their role contributes significantly to reducing health inequalities in community settings based on the creation, operationalization, monitoring and assessment of health policies. From the sociocultural, economic and political characteristics of the territory, they prioritize actions in disadvantaged human groups in order to improve access, opportunities, continuity and quality in health.

Natural Killer Cell Dysfunction In Human Bladder Cancer Is Caused By Tissue-Specific Suppression of SLAMF6 Signaling.

NK cells are innate lymphocytes critical for surveillance of viruses and tumors, however the mechanisms underlying NK cell dysfunction in cancer are incompletely understood. We assessed the effector function of NK cells from bladder cancer patients and found severe dysfunction in NK cells derived from tumors versus peripheral blood. While both peripheral and tumor-infiltrating NK cells exhibited conserved patterns of inhibitory receptor over-expression, this did not explain the observed defects in NK surveillance in bladder tumors. Rather, TME-specific TGF-ß and metabolic perturbations such as hypoxia directly suppressed NK cell function. Specifically, an oxygen-dependent reduction in signaling through SLAMF6 was mechanistically responsible for poor NK cell function, as tumor-infiltrating NK cells cultured ex vivo under normoxic conditions exhibited complete restoration of function, while deletion of SLAMF6 abrogated NK cell cytolytic function even under normoxic conditions. Collectively, this work highlights the role of tissue-specific factors in dictating NK cell function, and implicates SLAMF6 signaling as a rational target for immuno-modulation to improve NK cell function in bladder cancer.

Stratification of Patients with Renal Cell Carcinoma by the Abundance of Sarcomatoid Features Reveals Differences in Survival and the Underlying Pathobiology.

Sarcomatoid renal cell carcinoma (sRCC) is histologically heterogeneous, with variable sarcomatoid amounts intermixed within epithelial carcinoma. However, the current classification for this aggressive disease is homogeneous and agnostic to the sarcomatoid proportion. We investigated whether sRCC subclassification has prognostic value and can reveal the biology underlying dedifferentiation and its clinical aggressiveness. On the basis of the intratumoral abundance of sarcomatoid features, cases were classified as sarcomatoid-high (≥10% sarcomatoid features) or sarcomatoid-low (<10% sarcomatoid features) in a cohort of 104 consecutive patients with sRCC undergoing nephrectomy at a single center. In comparison to sarcomatoid-low patients (n = 52), sarcomatoid-high patients (n = 52) had significantly shorter overall survival (median 14.5 vs 62.9 mo; p < 0.001), which was confirmed on multivariable analysis, and significantly shorter median metastasis-free survival among patients with clinically localized disease (10.7 vs 39.0 mo; p = 0.043). Transcriptomic analyses of 45 sRCC tumors revealed significant upregulation of nine hallmark pathways related to cell cycle/proliferation, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, reactive oxidative species, and interferon-α signaling among sarcomatoid-high (n = 24) versus sarcomatoid-low (n = 21) tumors. Categorization into transcriptomic clusters revealed predominance of proliferative, inflammatory, and immune effector phenotypes among sarcomatoid-high tumors, versus a hypoxia/angiogenesis phenotype among sarcomatoid-low tumors. Overall, these findings indicate prognostic value for sRCC subclassification into high versus low sarcomatoid groups and highlight key biology underlying the differences in clinical outcomes. PATIENT SUMMARY: Sarcomatoid renal cell carcinoma (sRCC) is a highly aggressive form of kidney cancer. The percentage of sarcomatoid features varies among tumors, but sRCC is still defined as a single kidney cancer type. Our results show that grouping patients according to their percentage of sarcomatoid features improves prediction of whether their tumors will become metastatic or lethal, and reveal molecular differences that may be important for this disease. Future assignment of sRCC to high and low sarcomatoid groups may help in guiding research and patient management.

Characterization of renal masses with MRI-based radiomics: assessment of inter-package and inter-observer reproducibility in a prospective pilot study.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate radiomics features' reproducibility using inter-package/inter-observer measurement analysis in renal masses (RMs) based on MRI and to employ machine learning (ML) models for RM characterization. METHODS: 32 Patients (23M/9F; age 61.8 ± 10.6 years) with RMs (25 renal cell carcinomas (RCC)/7 benign masses; mean size, 3.43 ± 1.73 cm) undergoing resection were prospectively recruited. All patients underwent 1.5 T MRI with T2-weighted (T2-WI), diffusion-weighted (DWI)/apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), and pre-/post-contrast-enhanced T1-weighted imaging (T1-WI). RMs were manually segmented using volume of interest (VOI) on T2-WI, DWI/ADC, and T1-WI pre-/post-contrast imaging (1-min, 3-min post-injection) by two independent observers using two radiomics software packages for inter-package and inter-observer assessments of shape/histogram/texture features common to both packages (104 features; n = 26 patients). Intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs) were calculated to assess inter-observer and inter-package reproducibility of radiomics measurements [good (ICC ≥ 0.8)/moderate (ICC = 0.5-0.8)/poor (ICC < 0.5)]. ML models were employed using reproducible features (between observers and packages, ICC > 0.8) to distinguish RCC from benign RM. RESULTS: Inter-package comparisons demonstrated that radiomics features from T1-WI-post-contrast had the highest proportion of good/moderate ICCs (54.8-58.6% for T1-WI-1 min), while most features extracted from T2-WI, T1-WI-pre-contrast, and ADC exhibited poor ICCs. Inter-observer comparisons found that radiomics measurements from T1-WI pre/post-contrast and T2-WI had the greatest proportion of features with good/moderate ICCs (95.3-99.1% T1-WI-post-contrast 1-min), while ADC measurements yielded mostly poor ICCs. ML models generated an AUC of 0.71 [95% confidence interval = 0.67-0.75] for diagnosis of RCC vs. benign RM. CONCLUSION: Radiomics features extracted from T1-WI-post-contrast demonstrated greater inter-package and inter-observer reproducibility compared to ADC, with fair accuracy for distinguishing RCC from benign RM. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Knowledge of reproducibility of MRI radiomics features obtained on renal masses will aid in future study design and may enhance the diagnostic utility of radiomics models for renal mass characterization.

Nurses' perception about their role in reducing health inequalities in community contexts / Percepção dos enfermeiros sobre o seu papel na redução das desigualdades em saúde em contextos comunitários / Percepción de enfermeros sobre su rol en la disminución de desigualdades en salud en contextos comunitarios

Abstract Objective: to understand nurses' perception about their role in reducing health inequalities in community contexts. Method: a qualitative study with a phenomenological approach addressed from Heidegger's Interpretive Theory and the health inequality settings. A total of 18 in-depth interviews were conducted with nurses working in health institutions devoted to community interventions. The following five-phase process was adopted for the qualitative data analysis: Accumulation; Disassembling; Reassembling; Interpretation; and Conclusion. Results: four main topics that nurses mobilize to mitigate health inequalities in community settings were identified, namely: Competences to create, operationalize, monitor and assess health policies; Leadership and management for health and care processes at the individual and collective levels; Professionals that devise care strategies; and Care approach based on characteristics of the territory. Conclusion: nurses perceive that their role contributes significantly to reducing health inequalities in community settings based on the creation, operationalization, monitoring and assessment of health policies. From the sociocultural, economic and political characteristics of the territory, they prioritize actions in disadvantaged human groups in order to improve access, opportunities, continuity and quality in health.

Resumo Objetivo: compreender a percepção dos enfermeiros sobre o seu papel na redução das desigualdades em saúde em contextos comunitários. Método: estudo qualitativo com abordagem fenomenológica abordado a partir da teoria interpretativista de Heidegger e das áreas das desigualdades em saúde. Foram realizadas 18 entrevistas em profundidade com enfermeiros que trabalham em instituições de saúde de intervenção comunitária. Para análise dos dados qualitativos foi adotado um processo de cinco fases: Acumulação, Desmontagem, Remontagem, Interpretação e Conclusão. Resultados: foram identificados quatro temas principais que mobilizam os enfermeiros para mitigar as desigualdades em saúde em ambientes comunitários: Competências para construir, operacionalizar, monitorar e avaliar políticas de saúde; Liderança e gestão de processos de saúde e cuidados em nível individual e coletivo; Profissionais que geram estratégias para o cuidado e Abordagem de cuidado baseada nas características do território. Conclusão: os enfermeiros percebem que o seu papel contribui significativamente para a redução das desigualdades em saúde em ambientes comunitários a partir da concepção, operacionalização, monitoramento e avaliação de políticas de saúde. Com base nas características socioculturais, econômicas e políticas do território, priorizam ações em grupos humanos desfavorecidos, a fim de melhorar o acesso, a oportunidade, a continuidade e a qualidade na saúde.

Resumen Objetivo: comprender la percepción de los enfermeros sobre su rol en la disminución de desigualdades en salud en contextos comunitarios. Método: estudio cualitativo con enfoque fenomenológico abordado desde la teoría interpretativista de Heidegger y los ámbitos de las desigualdades en salud. Se realizaron 18 entrevistas a profundidad con enfermeros que se desempeñan en instituciones sanitarias de intervención comunitaria. Se adoptó el proceso de cinco fases para el análisis de datos cualitativos: Acumulación, Desmontaje, Reensamblaje, Interpretación y Conclusión. Resultados: se identificaron cuatro temas principales que movilizan los enfermeros para mitigar desigualdades en salud en escenarios comunitarios: Competencias para construir, operativizar, monitorear y evaluar la política de salud; Liderazgo y gestión de procesos de salud y del cuidado a nivel individual y colectivo; Profesionales generadores de estrategias para el cuidado y Enfoque de cuidado basado en características del territorio. Conclusión: los enfermeros perciben que su rol aporta de manera significativa a disminuir desigualdades en salud en escenarios comunitarios desde el diseño, la operación, el monitoreo y la evaluación de políticas de salud. A partir de las características socioculturales, económicas y políticas del territorio, priorizan acciones en grupos humanos en desventaja, a fin de mejorar el acceso, la oportunidad, la continuidad y la calidad en salud.

Experiencias en implementación de rutas integrales de atención en salud en Cauca. Un estudio cualitativo

Introducción: Las dinámicas poblacionales, la carga de enfermedad y los cambios estructurales político-económicos han impulsado al estado colombiano a buscar la integralidad en los procesos de atención en salud, en tal propósito definió la implementación de rutas integrales de atención en salud (RIAS). Objetivo: Comprender la percepción de la experiencia que tienen los líderes de proceso en entidades sanitarias referente a la implementación de las RIAS en Cauca, Colombia. Método: Estudio cualitativo, inductivo, con enfoque de fenomenología interpretativa. El grupo de estudio estuvo conformado por siete líderes de proceso de entidades sanitarias. Resultados: Los entrevistados sienten que la implementación es un proceso difícil, determinado por la voluntad y compromiso de los actores sanitarios. Los cambios de administración generan discontinuidades afectando avances en las rutas de la que ellos son responsables. Perciben desarticulación en la implementación, limitados recursos, deficiencia administrativa, de infraestructura y talento humano, principalmente especialistas en salud. Discusión: La percepción de las experiencias denota lo que varios autores han descrito en relación con tensiones en procesos de implementación y gestión en salud: inaccesibilidad, discontinuidad y fragmentación de servicios; débil autoridad sanitaria, enfoque curativo e intereses económicos. Conclusiones: Desde su experiencia, los líderes del proceso perciben las RIAS como un fundamento estratégico que favorece la atención integral en salud, sin embargo, existen vacíos en la implementación originados de procesos administrativos, financieros y del propio modelo de salud, restringiendo el cumplimiento del propósito para las cuales fueron creadas. A la vez, perciben sentimientos de impotencia y desesperanza, dificultades y tensiones en el ejercicio de la implementación.

Introduction: Population dynamics, disease burden and political-economic structural changes have prompted the Colombian state to seek comprehensiveness in health care processes, and to this end it defined the implementation of Integrated Health Care Routes (RIAS). Objective: To understand the perception of the experience of process leaders in health entities regarding the implementation of the RIAS in Cauca, Colombia. Method: Qualitative, inductive study with an interpretative phenomenology approach. The study group consisted of seven process leaders of health entities. Results: The interviewees feel that implementation is a difficult process, determined by the willingness and commitment of the health stakeholders. Changes in administration generate discontinuities affecting progress on the routes for which they are responsible. They perceive disarticulation in implementation, limited resources, administrative deficiencies, infrastructure and human talent, mainly health specialists. Discussion: The perception of the experiences denotes what several authors have described in relation to tensions in implementation and management processes in health: inaccessibility, discontinuity and fragmentation of services; weak health authority, curative approach and economic interests. Conclusions: From their experience, process leaders perceive the RIAS as a strategic foundation that favors comprehensive health care; however, there are gaps in the implementation caused by administrative and financial processes and the health model itself, restricting the fulfillment of the purpose for which they were created. At the same time, they perceive feelings of helplessness and hopelessness, difficulties and tensions in the implementation exercise.

Itinerarios terapéuticos de mujeres migrantes con hipertensión arterial: miradas desde el proceso salud-enfermedad-atención / Therapeutic itineraries of migrant women with arterial hypertension: views from the health-disease-care process

Introducción: La hipertensión arterial (HTA) es un factor de riesgo de morbilidad y mortalidad a nivel global y la principal causa de muerte prematura, afecta en buena parte a mujeres. El propósito del estudio fue comprender cómo las mujeres migrantes (MM) con HTA configuran sus itinerarios terapéuticos (IT) en la búsqueda de atención sanitaria en Colombia, desde el proceso salud-enfermedad-atención. Métodos: Estudio cualitativo con enfoque de teoría fundamentada. Se realizaron 16 entrevistas y 2 grupos focales a MM con HTA en Popayán Colombia. Se realizó muestreo teórico intencionado hasta alcanzar la saturación teórica y la abstracción de categorías emergentes a través de codificación abierta, axial y selectiva. Resultados: La codificación abierta generó 1.135 códigos. La categoría principal emergente fue que los IT en la atención de la HTA están determinados por dinámicas sociales, culturales, políticas y económicas. Como subcategorías relacionadas emergieron: riesgos de enfermar por HTA configuran IT; surge heterogeneidad de recursos terapéuticos formales e informales para atender la enfermedad; existen determinantes de acceso al sistema sanitario; y movilización de diversas prácticas para el seguimiento y control del padecimiento. Conclusión: Las mujeres en situación de migración con HTA configuran IT para lograr la atención en salud no solo desde el sistema sanitario estatal, sino a partir de diversos elementos del orden social, cultural, político y económico. En esta medida, la HTA supera nominaciones mórbidas exclusivas de la biomedicina y de la relación médico-paciente, para abocarse y trascender hacia un padecimiento que exige resolver contingencias del contexto. (AU)

Introduction: Arterial hypertension (AH) is a global risk factor for morbidity and mortality and the main cause of premature death, largely affecting women. The purpose of the study was to understand how migrant women (MW) with AH configure their therapeutic itineraries (TI) in the search for health care in Colombia, from the health-disease-care process. Methods: Qualitative study with a grounded theory approach. 16 interviews and two focus groups were conducted with MW with AH in Popayán Colombia. Intentional theoretical sampling was carried out until reaching theoretical saturation and the abstraction of emerging categories through open, axial and selective coding. Results: Open coding generated 1,135 codes. The main emerging category was that TI in AH care are determined by social, cultural, political, and economic dynamics. As related subcategories emerged: the risks of getting sick from AH configure TI; heterogeneity of formal and informal therapeutic resources arises to attend to the disease; there are determinants of access to the health system; and mobilization of various practices for monitoring and control of the disease. Conclusion: Women in a situation of migration with AH configure TI to achieve health care not only from the state health system, but from various elements of the social, cultural, political and economic order. To this extent, AH goes beyond morbid nominations exclusive to biomedicine and the doctor-patient relationship, to address and transcend towards a condition that requires resolving contingencies of the context. (AU)

Risk Factors for Liver Fibrosis in Diabetic Patients with End-stage Renal Disease

Introduction: Liver cirrhosis is the fourth cause of death in the world. Fatty liver disease is the most common cause of chronic liver disease (CKD) in most countries. Identifying risk factors for liver fibrosis in a population with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) may facilitate early diagnosis of this complication and allow the activation of follow-up protocols to reduce morbidity and mortality in these patients. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional and analytical study was carried out. Patients on hemodialysis, older than 18 years with a diagnosis of diabetes mellitus and ESRD were included. The hypotheses were contrasted through the chi-square test and Student's T-test, as appropriate. Statistical significance was established at a p-value = 0.05. Results: A prevalence of significant liver fibrosis and cirrhosis of 17% was found. Factors associated with liver fibrosis were a history of cerebrovascular disease, peripheral vascular disease, body mass index (BMI), total cholesterol, glycosylated hemoglobin, sodium, and aspartate aminotransferase (AST). No relationship was observed between the NAFLD (non-alcoholic fatty liver disease) score, the APRI index (AST to Platelet Ratio Index), and fibrosis. Conclusion: The prevalence of significant liver fibrosis in patients with diabetes and ESRD is similar to that reported in other populations of patients with diabetes. However, some factors, such as BMI, could behave differently and favor the appearance of liver injury with lower degrees of obesity than previously reported in the literature.

Introducción: la cirrosis hepática es la cuarta causa de muerte en el mundo. Actualmente, la enfermedad hepática por depósito de grasa es la causa más frecuente de hepatopatía crónica en la mayoría de los países. La identificación de factores de riesgo para la presencia de fibrosis hepática en una población con enfermedad renal crónica terminal puede facilitar el diagnóstico temprano de esta complicación y permitir la activación de protocolos de seguimiento para disminuir la morbimortalidad en estos pacientes. Metodología: se realizó un estudio de corte transversal y analítico. Se incluyeron pacientes en hemodiálisis, mayores de 18 años con diagnóstico de diabetes mellitus y de enfermedad renal crónica terminal. El contraste de hipótesis se realizó a través de la prueba de chi cuadrado y la T de Student, según correspondiera. La significación estadística se estableció con un valor p = 0,05. Resultados: se observó una prevalencia de fibrosis hepática significativa y cirrosis del 17%. Los factores asociados a la presencia de fibrosis hepática fueron los antecedentes de enfermedad cerebrovascular, la enfermedad vascular periférica, el índice de masa corporal (IMC), el colesterol total, la hemoglobina glicosilada, el sodio y el aspartato-aminotransferasa (AST). No se observó relación entre el puntaje de NAFLD (enfermedad del hígado graso no alcohólico), el índice APRI (AST to Platelet Ratio Index) y la presencia de fibrosis. Conclusión: la prevalencia de fibrosis hepática significativa en pacientes con diabetes y ERCT es similar a la reportada en otras poblaciones de pacientes con diabetes. Sin embargo, algunos factores, como el IMC, podrían comportarse de forma diferente y favorecer la aparición de lesión hepática con grados menores de obesidad a los reportados previamente en la literatura.

Quality and Content Concordance of International Clinical Guidelines on Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy Using the AGREE II Instrument: An Updated Systematic Review.

Utilization of high-quality clinical practice guidelines has the potential to positively impact health outcomes. This study aimed to assess the quality and content concordance of national and international recommendations on hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDPs). Searches were conducted of the MEDLINE database and reference lists generated from national and international agencies. Covidence software was used for the management of the systematic review process, the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation II (AGREE II) tool was used to assess guidelines for quality, and three reviewers independently screened records. The research team identified and screened a total of 399 records of which 10 were deemed high quality. Guidelines were assessed and compared regarding the treatment, prevention, and categorization of disorders. The quality of guidelines varied across different domains, with significant variation in domain scores even within individual guidelines. Not all recommendations showed a high level of methodologic rigor, and the highest-rated guidelines were from the American Heart Association, the World Health Organization, and South Africa national guidelines. Classification of hypertension differed among the guidelines, particularly in defining chronic hypertension, severe hypertension, and preeclampsia. Prevention modalities varied across guidelines, with recommendations for aspirin, calcium supplementation, and against the use of certain approaches. Treatment modalities highlighted the importance of delivery as the definitive way to terminate hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, with other management strategies provided for symptom control. The variability in guidelines and consensus statements across different contexts may reflect regional differences in healthcare practices, available resources, and research evidence. There is potential to harmonize guidelines for HDP globally while considering the unique needs of individual countries. Where guidelines may be synthesized and condensed into an accessible format, doing so could improve their use in clinical decision-making.

Does testosterone replacement therapy increase the risk of conversion to treatment in patients with prostate cancer on active surveillance?

PURPOSE: We aimed to evaluate the impact of testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) in patients with localized prostate cancer (CaP) who elected active surveillance (AS). METHODS: A retrospective review of our CaP database was performed. Patients who received TRT while on AS were identified and were matched to a cohort of patient on AS while not on TRT (1:3) using propensity score matching. Treatment-free survival (TFS) was computed using Kaplan Meier method. Multivariable Cox regression model was used to evaluate variables associated with treatment. RESULTS: Twenty-four patients in the TRT group were matched to 72 patients without TRT. Median follow-up was 5.82 years (IQR 3.27-9.30). There was no significant difference in conversion to treatment (24% vs. 21%, P = 1.00) There was no significant difference in TFS (log rank P = 0.87). Prostate specific antigen (PSA) density was the only variable associated TFS (HR 1.08, 95%CI 1.03-1.13, P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: TRT was not associated with conversion to treatment in this matched analysis among patients with localized prostate cancer on AS.