Carbohydrate antigen 125 predicts pulmonary congestion in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.

Carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA125) has long been used as an ovarian cancer biomarker. However, because it is not specific for ovarian cells, CA125 could also be used to monitor congestion and inflammation in heart disease. Acute heart failure (HF) is used to identify patients with a worse prognosis in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). We aimed to determine the association of CA125 with acute HF in STEMI and to compare CA125 with N-terminal pro brain natriuretic peptide (NTproBNP) with a cross-sectional study. At admission, patients were examined to define Killip class and then underwent coronary angioplasty. Blood samples, preferably taken in the hemodynamic ward, were centrifuged (1500 g for 15 min at ambient temperature) and stored at -80°C until biomarker assays were performed. Patients were divided into two groups according to the presence or absence of congestion. Patients in Killip class ≥II were in the congestion group and those with Killip

Carbohydrate antigen 125 predicts pulmonary congestion in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction

Carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA125) has long been used as an ovarian cancer biomarker. However, because it is not specific for ovarian cells, CA125 could also be used to monitor congestion and inflammation in heart disease. Acute heart failure (HF) is used to identify patients with a worse prognosis in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). We aimed to determine the association of CA125 with acute HF in STEMI and to compare CA125 with N-terminal pro brain natriuretic peptide (NTproBNP) with a cross-sectional study. At admission, patients were examined to define Killip class and then underwent coronary angioplasty. Blood samples, preferably taken in the hemodynamic ward, were centrifuged (1500 g for 15 min at ambient temperature) and stored at −80°C until biomarker assays were performed. Patients were divided into two groups according to the presence or absence of congestion. Patients in Killip class ≥II were in the congestion group and those with Killip <II in the absence of congestion group. We evaluated 231 patients. The mean age was 63.3 years. HF at admission was identified in 17.7% of patients. CA125 and NTproBNP levels were higher in patients with Killip class ≥II than those with Killip class <II (8.03 vs 9.17, P=0.016 and 772.45 vs 1925, P=0.007, respectively). The area under the receiver operator characteristic curve was 0.60 (95%CI 0.53−0.66, P=0.024) for CA125 and 0.63 (95%CI 0.56−0.69, P=0.001) for NTproBNP. There was no statistical difference between the curves (P=0.69). CA125 has similar use to NTproBNP in identifying acute HF in patients presenting with STEMI.

Calidad de vida en pacientes con enfermedad cardiovascular: análisis de trayectorias por sexo y síntomas depresivos / Quality of life in patients with coronary heart disease: trajectory analysis by sex and depression symptoms

OBJETIVOS:evaluar la trayectoria de la Calidad de Vida (CV) en pacientes con enfermedad cardiovascular (ECV), analizando la influencia que tienen el sexo y la depresión. METODOLOGIA:i se tomó una muestra de 100 pacientes con la enfermedad y se les aplicó el sf36 durante su hospitalización y cada seis meses durante dos años. Mediante análisis multinivel, se evaluó la trayectoria de la CV de estos pacientes y se analizó la influencia de la depresión, medida con el Cuestionario de salud del Paciente (PHQ-9) y el sexo, en el componente físico de la calidad de vida. RESULTADOS el componente físico de la CV tiende a mejorar en los pacientes con ECV a lo largo del tiempo, en el cual los hombres presentan mayores niveles que las mujeres. Los síntomas depresivos se asocian con menores puntuaciones en el momento del evento cardíaco, pero también afectan la trayectoria, produciendo un declive significativo en este componente, en comparación con los pacientes sin depresión. CONCLUSION la CV de los pacientes con ECV tiende a mejorar en los meses posteriores al evento cardíaco para luego estabilizarse. Esta trayectoria tiende al declive en pacientes depresivos y presenta diferencias por sexos, en la cual las mujeres presentan menores niveles de CV.

OBJECTIVE: to evaluate Quality of Life (QOL) trajectory in Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) patients by analyzing the influence of variables such as gender and depression. METHODOLOGY the sf-36 was administered to a sample of 100 CHD inpatients. Additionally, the same instrument was administered to them every 6 months for two years following hospital discharge. Multilevel analyses were used to analyze the QOL trajectory of these patients. Similarly, the influence of depression was measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), and patient sex was included in the physical component of the QOL. RESULTS : the physical component of the QOL of CHD patients tended to improve overtime, with men showing higher scores than women. Moreover, depression symptoms were associated with lower scores at the moment of the cardiac event, but they also affected trajectory by producing a significant decline in this component in comparison to patients without depression. CONCLUSION: the QOL of patients with CHD had a tendency improve and stabilize itself some months after the cardiac event. This trajectory tends to decline for depressed patients and is different for each sex, since women had lower levels of QOL.

Bovine fetal DNA in the maternal circulation: Applications and implications.

OBJECTIVE: The main aim of the present study was to detect bovine fetal DNA in the maternal circulation, a relatively unexplored subject in the literature. STUDY DESIGN: DNA was extracted from blood of 84 primipara cows (Bos indicus) at different gestational ages (30-270 days) and from 100 adult animals (50 males and 50 non-pregnant cows). The samples were analyzed using PCR with primers for TSPY gene. RESULTS: Molecular results matched the fetal phenotypic gender in all 47 male and 37 female fetuses, including early pregnancy, and in control animals. CONCLUSIONS: These results evidence a bovine transplacental fetal DNA passage.

The association between quality of life, depressive symptoms and glycemic control in a group of type 2 diabetes patients.

AIMS: Several studies have demonstrated worse perception of quality of life (QoL) among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The purpose of our study was to assess QoL in a clinical sample of patients with T2DM and its association with depressive symptoms and glycemic control. METHODS: One hundred outpatients from a sequential sample underwent clinical and psychiatric evaluation. The Problem Areas of Diabetes scale (PAID) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) were used to assess, respectively, QoL and the presence of overall psychopathology. The levels of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) were used as the main parameter of glycemic control. RESULTS: The perception degree of the QoL related with diabetes was associated with the severity of depressive symptoms (r=0.503; p<0.001), but not with HbA1c levels (p=0.117). However, the severity of general psychopathology, evaluated through the BDI scores, predicted the metabolic control, measured by HbA1c levels, among the patients in our sample (r=0.233; p=0.019). CONCLUSIONS: In our study, PAID was a valuable tool for the evaluation of QoL in T2DM and the screening of depressive symptoms. However, no correlation observed between PAID scores and HbA1c levels. Self-perception evaluation of T2DM patient can help to identify susceptible subjects to current depression.

A crucial role for TNF-alpha in mediating neutrophil influx induced by endogenously generated or exogenous chemokines, KC/CXCL1 and LIX/CXCL5.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Chemokines orchestrate neutrophil recruitment to inflammatory foci. In the present study, we evaluated the participation of three chemokines, KC/CXCL1, MIP-2/CXCL2 and LIX/CXCL5, which are ligands for chemokine receptor 2 (CXCR2), in mediating neutrophil recruitment in immune inflammation induced by antigen in immunized mice. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: Neutrophil recruitment was assessed in immunized mice challenged with methylated bovine serum albumin, KC/CXCL1, LIX/CXCL5 or tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha. Cytokine and chemokine levels were determined in peritoneal exudates and in supernatants of macrophages and mast cells by elisa. CXCR2 and intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) expression was determined using immunohistochemistry and confocal microscopy. KEY RESULTS: Antigen challenge induced dose- and time-dependent neutrophil recruitment and production of KC/CXCL1, LIX/CXCL5 and TNF-alpha, but not MIP-2/CXCL2, in peritoneal exudates. Neutrophil recruitment was inhibited by treatment with reparixin (CXCR1/2 antagonist), anti-KC/CXCL1, anti-LIX/CXCL5 or anti-TNF-alpha antibodies and in tumour necrosis factor receptor 1-deficient mice. Intraperitoneal injection of KC/CXCL1 and LIX/CXCL5 induced dose- and time-dependent neutrophil recruitment and TNF-alpha production, which were inhibited by reparixin or anti-TNF-alpha treatment. Macrophages and mast cells expressed CXCR2 receptors. Increased macrophage numbers enhanced, while cromolyn sodium (mast cell stabilizer) diminished, LIX/CXCL5-induced neutrophil recruitment. Macrophages and mast cells from immunized mice produced TNF-alpha upon LIX/CXCL5 stimulation. Methylated bovine serum albumin induced expression of ICAM-1 on mesenteric vascular endothelium, which was inhibited by anti-TNF-alpha or anti-LIX/CXCL5. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS: Following antigen challenge, CXCR2 ligands are produced and act on macrophages and mast cells triggering the production of TNF-alpha, which synergistically contribute to neutrophil recruitment through induction of the expression of ICAM-1.

Gastric damage and granulocyte infiltration induced by indomethacin in tumour necrosis factor receptor 1 (TNF-R1) or inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) deficient mice.

BACKGROUND: Tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) is involved in non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug induced gastropathy. Nitric oxide (NO) is a mediator of gastrointestinal mucosal defence but, paradoxically, it also contributes to mucosal damage. AIMS: We optimised the C57BL/6 mouse model of indomethacin induced gastropathy to evaluate the role of TNF-alpha and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) generated NO in gastric damage and granulocyte infiltration using tumour necrosis factor receptor 1 (TNF-R1-/-) or iNOS (iNOS-/-) deficient mice. METHODS: Different doses of indomethacin (2.5, 5, 10, 20 mg/kg) were administered and animals were assessed 6, 12, or 24 hours later. Gastric damage was measured by the sum of all erosions in the gastric mucosa, and gastric granulocyte infiltration was determined by myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity. Other groups of wild-type mice received thalidomide, dexamethasone, fucoidin, L-NAME, or 1400W, and then indomethacin was administered. Additionally, indomethacin was administered to TNF-R1-/- or iNOS-/-. Gastric damage and MPO activity were evaluated 12 hours later. RESULTS: Indomethacin induced dose and time dependent gastric damage and increase in MPO activity in wild-type mice, with the greatest effect at a dose of 10 mg/kg and after 12 hours. Treatment with thalidomide, dexamethasone, or fucoidin reduced gastric damage and MPO activity induced by indomethacin. After indomethacin administration, TNF-R1-/- had less gastric damage and MPO activity than controls. Genetic (knockout mice) or pharmacological (1400W and L-NAME) inhibition of iNOS activity reduced indomethacin induced gastric damage, despite no reduction in MPO activity. CONCLUSION: TNF-alpha, acting via TNF-R1, is involved in indomethacin induced gastric damage and granulocyte infiltration. Furthermore, iNOS generated NO is involved in gastric damage induced by indomethacin.

Effect of one booster dose in antirabies vaccination.

The antibody response obtained after one booster dose of rabies vaccine prepared in suckling mice brains at Serviço de Saúde Pública da Cidade do Rio de Janeiro is described. Four prime vaccinal groups were used: group I, persons who had received 16 doses 10 years before this investigation; group II, persons who had received 5 doses of the vaccine 10 years before; group III, persons who had received 9 doses 5 years before; and group IV, persons who had received 16 doses 5 years before. One booster dose of the vaccine was administered to all persons involved in the study. Blood samples were collected before vaccination (day 0), then 7 and 30 days after vaccination. Antibody titres were determined by seroneutralization test in mice (SWM). The results demonstrated that all persons who had been treated with 5, 9 or 16 doses of the vaccine 5 to 10 years before had their antibody titres increased on the 7th and 30th days after one booster dose.

Estudo experimental da resposta imune na vacinaçäo anti-rábica / Experimental study of immune responses in rabies vaccination

Este trabalho teve o objetivo de estudar a resposta imune, humoral e celular, em coelhos vacinados contra raiva, em esquema de sete doses consecutivas e dois reforços. A avaliaçäo da resposta imune humoral foi feita através da prova de soroneutralizaçäo e a resposta imune celular através da reaçäo intradérmica

Tumores intracavitarios del corazón / Intracavitary tumors of the heart

Se analizaron los cuadros clínicos y los signos ecocardiográficos de los 12 casos con tumores intracavitarios del corazón, estudiados en el Laboratorio de Ecocardiografía del Hospital de Clínicas en los últimos 10 años. Sobre la base de su localización se describieron los hallazgos y se confrontaron con los de la literatura mundial. Finalmente se puso énfasis en la contribución del ecocardiograma para su diagnóstico, pronóstico y conducta terapéutica

Tumores intracavitarios del corazón / Intracavitary tumors of the heart

Se analizaron los cuadros clínicos y los signos ecocardiográficos de los 12 casos con tumores intracavitarios del corazón, estudiados en el Laboratorio de Ecocardiografía del Hospital de Clínicas en los últimos 10 años. Sobre la base de su localización se describieron los hallazgos y se confrontaron con los de la literatura mundial. Finalmente se puso énfasis en la contribución del ecocardiograma para su diagnóstico, pronóstico y conducta terapéutica (AU)