Patients Age 40 Years and Younger With Multiple Myeloma Have the Same Prognosis as Older Patients: An Analysis of Real-World Patients' Evidence From Latin America.

PURPOSE: Multiple myeloma (MM) is a highly heterogeneous, incurable disease most frequently diagnosed in the elderly. Therefore, data on clinical characteristics and outcomes in the very young population are scarce. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We analyzed clinical characteristics, response to treatment, and survival in 103 patients with newly diagnosed MM age 40 years or younger compared with 256 patients age 41-50 years and 957 patients age 51 years or older. RESULTS: There were no statistical differences in sex, isotype, International Scoring System, renal involvement, hypercalcemia, anemia, dialysis, bony lesions, extramedullary disease, and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). The most used regimen in young patients was cyclophosphamide, bortezomib, dexamethasone, followed by cyclophosphamide, thalidomide, dexamethasone and bortezomib, thalidomide, dexamethasone. Of the patients age 40 years or younger, only 53% received autologous stem-cell transplant (ASCT) and 71.1% received maintenance. There were no differences in overall survival (OS) in the three patient cohorts. In the multivariate analysis, only high LDH, high cytogenetic risk, and ASCT were statistically associated with survival. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, younger patients with MM in Latin America have similar clinical characteristics, responses, and OS compared with the elderly.

Regenerating effect of hyaluronic acid on circumferential bone defects in wistar albino rats / Efecto regenerador del ácido hialurónico en defectos óseos circunferenciales en ratas albinas wistar

Objective: To determine the regenerating effect of hyaluronic acid on circumferential bone defects in albino Wistar rats. Material and Methods: An experimental type study was designed and carried out with 15 albino male Wistar rats, 4 months old and weighing between 250 and 350 grams. Two circumferential bone defects 3mm in diameter and 0.8mm deep were created in the calvaria of the parietal bone (on both sides of the midline). One defect was filled with a demineralized bone matrix (control group); while the other defect was filled with the combination of a demineralized bone matrix plus hyaluronic acid (experimental group). Five experimental rats were euthanized at 30, 60 and 90 days after surgery and they were histologically evaluated following the parameters proposed by Heiple. Results: The experimental group presented a better degree of bone regeneration at 30 and 60 postoperative days. Conclusion: Hyaluronic acid is effective in bone regeneration of circumferential bone defects.

Objetivo: Determinar el efecto regenerador del ácido hialurónico en defectos óseos circunferenciales en ratas albinas Wista. Material y Métodos: Se diseñó un estudio de tipo experimental y se trabajó con 15 ratas albinas Wistar (todas macho) de 4 meses de edad y con un peso entre 250 a 350 gr. Se crearon en todas 2 defectos óseos circunferenciales de 3mm de diámetro y 0.8 mm de profundidad en la calota del hueso parietal (a ambos lados de la línea media). Un defecto fue rellenado con una matriz ósea desmineralizada (grupo control); mientras que el otro defecto fue rellenado con la combinación de una matriz ósea desmineralizada más el ácido hialurónico (grupo experimental). Se realizó la eutanasia a 05 ratas de experimentación a los 30, 60 y 90 días postquirúrgicos y se evaluaron histológicamente siguiendo los parámetros propuestos por Heiple. Resultados: El grupo experimental presentó un mejor grado de regeneración ósea en los 30 y 60 días postoperatorios. Conclusiones: El ácido hialurónico es eficaz en la regeneración ósea de defectos óseos circunferenciales.

Different outcomes for transplant-eligible newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients in Latin America according to the public versus private management: a GELAMM study.

The aim of this study was to describe clinical and survival characteristics of transplant-eligible multiple myeloma (MM) patients in Latin America (LA), with a special focus on differences between public and private healthcare facilities. We included 1293 patients diagnosed between 2010 and 2018. A great disparity in outcomes and survival between both groups was observed. Late diagnosis and low access to adequate frontline therapy and ASCT in public institutions probably explain these differences. Patients treated with novel drug induction protocols, followed by autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) and maintenance, have similar overall survival compared to that published internationally.

Estudio comparativo metalográfico de la velocidad de corrosión de tres aleaciones a base de cobre utilizadas en prótesis fija / A metalographic comparative study of the corrosion velocity among three brands of copper alloys used in fixed prosthesis

El propósito de este estudio fue comparar la microestructura externa y el comportamiento corrosivo de tres aleaciones a base de cobre (Cu-Al-Ni, Cu-Zn-Al-Ni y Cu-Zn). Se prepararon muestras de aleaciones a base de cobre de 2 mm. de espesor por 15 mm. de diámetro de tres marcas comerciales conocidas. Los especímenes fueron analizados al microscopio óptico de matalografía y sometidos a pruebas electroquímicas de resistencia a la polarización, en saliva artificial. Al comparar la microestructura externa de las tres aleaciones sometidas a enfriamiento a temperatura medio ambiente (E.T.M.A.), con la microestructura de las enfriadas bruscamente al agua (E.B.A.), se encontraron cambios cualitativos en la microestructura de las tres aleaciones. No se encontró diferencia estadísticamente significativa de resistencia a la corrosión y velocidad de corrosión entre la aleación Cu-Al-Ni y la aleación Cu-Zn-Al-Ni sometidas a E.T.M.A. La aleación Cu-Zn demostró un comportamiento diferente a las otras dos aleaciones