Discussion of "Evidence-based Health Informatics: How Do We Know What We Know?".

This article is part of a For-Discussion-Section of Methods of Information in Medicine about the paper "Evidence-based Health Informatics: How Do We Know What We Know?" written by Elske Ammenwerth [1]. It is introduced by an editorial. This article contains the combined commentaries invited to independently comment on the Ammenwerth paper. In subsequent issues the discussion can continue through letters to the editor. With these comments on the paper "Evidence-based Health Informatics: How do we know what we know?", written by Elske Ammenwerth [1], the journal seeks to stimulate a broad discussion on the challenges of evaluating information processing and information technology in health care. An international group of experts has been invited by the editor of Methods to comment on this paper. Each of the invited commentaries forms one section of this paper.

Discussion of "Biomedical informatics: we are what we publish".

This article is part of a For-Discussion-Section of Methods of Information in Medicine about the paper "Biomedical Informatics: We Are What We Publish", written by Peter L. Elkin, Steven H. Brown, and Graham Wright. It is introduced by an editorial. This article contains the combined commentaries invited to independently comment on the Elkin et al. paper. In subsequent issues the discussion can continue through letters to the editor.

Record of Podisus nigrispinus (Dallas) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) preying on Metrogaleruca obscura Degeer (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae).

Asopines are predators of insects, with several species with potential as biocontrol agents of a number of pests. Metrogaleruca obscura (Degeer), a neotropical species of Galerucini, was introduced in Malaysia, Asia, and Mauritius, Africa, to control the spread of Cordia curassavica (Boraginaceae), a native plant of the neotropics. The occurrence of Podisus nigrispinus (Dallas) preying on M. obscura is recorded, and Cordia verbenacea (Boraginaceae) is mentioned as a host plant for M. obscura. A list of Chrysomelidae attacked by asopines in the neotropical region is also presented.

Vimentin expression and myofibroblast infiltration are early markers of renal dysfunction in kidney transplantation: an early stage of chronic allograft dysfunction?

INTRODUCTION: The objective of this study was to show the morphologic characteristics of allograft renal biopsies in renal transplant patients with stable renal function, which can potentially be early markers of allograft dysfunction, after 5 years of follow-up. METHODS: Forty-nine renal transplant patients with stable renal function were submitted to renal biopsies and simultaneous measurement of serum creatinine (Cr). Histology was evaluated using Banff scores, determination of interstitial fibrosis by Sirius red staining and immunohistochemical study of proximal tubule and interstitial compartment (using cytokeratin, vimentin, and myofibroblasts as markers). Biopsies were evaluated according to the presence or absence of the epitheliomesenchymal transition (EMT). The interstitial presence of myofibroblasts and tubular presence of vimentin was also analyzed simultaneously. Renal function was measured over the follow-up period to estimate the reduction of graft function. RESULTS: Median posttransplant time at enrollment was 105 days. Patients were followed for 64.3 ± 8.5 months. The mean Cr at biopsy time was 1.44 ± 0.33 mg/dL, and after the follow-up it was 1.29 ± 0.27 mg/dL. Nine patients (19%) had a reduction of their graft function. Eleven biopsies (22%) had tubulointerstitial alterations according to Banff score. Seventeen biopsies (34%) presented EMT. Fifteen biopsies (32%) had high interstitial expression of myofibroblasts and tubular vimentin. Using Cox multivariate analysis, HLA and high expression of interstitial myofibroblasts and tubular vimentin were associated with reduction of graft function, yielding a risk of 3.3 (P = .033) and 9.8 (P = .015), respectively. CONCLUSION: Fibrogenesis mechanisms occur very early after transplantation and are risk factors for long-term renal function deterioration.

Multiscale representation for automatic identification of structures in medical images.

The identification of structures is a key step in several applications of medical imaging. In this work we propose a method for the identification of structures using a multiscale approach with inclusion of a priori information about the searched objects. After describing the image structures in the multiscale representation, a matching step determines which structure most likely corresponds to the target. Patterns are generated by previous application of the method to a set of images. We present a prototype for identifying structures in 2D images. A set of experiments was carried out to evaluate the prototype leading to encouraging results.

Monitoring anti-HLA Class I IgG antibodies in renal transplant recipients.

Anti-HLA class I IgG antibodies play an important role in hyperacute rejection but the significance of its de novo appearance or increase in levels during the posttransplant period remains controversial. The purpose of this study was to determine the correlation between the anti-HLA class I IgG antibodies and posttransplant events during the first 4 months after renal transplantation. From 200 renal allograft recipients, 549 serum samples were retrospectively evaluated. Patients who experienced graft dysfunction confirmed by biopsy had three serum samples tested: before, during (within 24 hours), and after the event. The presence of anti-HLA antibodies was observed in recipients with chronic allograft nephropathy (60%); acute rejection (clinical criteria without biopsy 57.1%); rejection types IIA (7.1%), IIB (40%), and III (50%); borderline changes (42.8%); acute tubular necrosis (34.4%); infarction (25%); and no rejection (12.5%). We observed a high incidence of anti-HLA class I IgG antibodies during acute tubular necrosis, borderline changes, acute rejection types IIB and III, and chronic allograft nephropathy.

Expression of cyclooxygenases during renal allograft rejection.

The aim of this work was to determine the expression of cyclooxygenases (COX-1 and COX-2) during acute human renal allograft rejection. RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry were performed. The COX-2 mRNA was more abundant than COX-1 mRNA in the group with acute rejection (P <.001). The locations of COX-1 and COX-2 protein were consistent with the literature. Expression of COX-2 immunoreactive protein was higher in interstitial cells in the group with acute rejection than in the control group (P =.04). COX-2 protein was more abundant than COX-1 protein in the group with acute rejection, including podocytes (P <.001), proximal tubular cells (P <.001), collecting duct cells (P =.003), and interstitial cells (P <.001). In conclusion, COX-2 which is up-regulated during acute human renal allograft rejection, may play a role in renal inflammation.

Arterial wall damage caused by snaring of the coronary arteries during off-pump revascularization.

BACKGROUND: Anastomosis of a saphenous or mammary artery conduit to the coronary artery requires precise and reproducible microsurgical technique. Over the past 3 decades, the elective induction of cardiac arrest and circulatory support have provided the conditions suitable for microsurgical anastomosis to all coronary vessels. Beating heart coronary grafting was rejuvenated at our center in 1985 as an alternative to cardiopulmonary bypass and cardioplegic arrest. One of the requirements for off-pump grafting is local vascular control of the target vessel and prevention of bleeding into the field from the open coronary artery. The most common hemostasis technique in use today is the application of circumferential traction sutures and snares around the coronary artery. We performed a human cadaver study to evaluate the potential for local trauma to the native coronary artery caused by this method of hemostasis. METHODS: Our research team applied both 5-0 polypropylene and 2-0 polyester snares to the proximal and distal right coronary artery (RCA) and left anterior descending (LAD) in 25 isolated fresh human cadaver hearts. A total of 100 points of snare application to the native coronary vessels were induced and then investigated histologically, with hematoxylin-eosin, Weigert, and phosphotungstic hematoxylin staining. RESULTS: The results suggested a direct relationship between the severity of the arterial lesion induced by the snares and the degree of local atherosclerotic disease in the native coronary artery. Compression and buckling of the elastic lamellae with medial fractures (similar in nature to angioplasty but directed inward) were seen when snares were applied to a region with marked atherosclerotic disease. CONCLUSIONS: The application of snares to the coronary artery proximal and distal to the anastomotic site must be done with caution. In cases of marked atherosclerotic disease in the underlying coronary artery, a new intimal-medial lesion can occur with indiscriminate application of a tourniquet. This phenomenon may account for some of the reported cases of late peri-anastomotic or distal stenoses seen with off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting and significantly detract from the advantages offered by beating heart surgery. If one or both snares can be avoided entirely, or applied carefully to disease-free segments of the vessel, this problem may be avoided entirely.

The use of cyclosporine modifies the clinical and histopathological presentation of tuberculosis after renal transplantation.

Tuberculosis is one of the most frequent opportunistic infections after renal transplantation and occurred in 30 of 1264 patients transplanted between 1976 and 1996 at Hospital São Paulo - UNIFESP and Hospital Dom Silvério, Brazil. The incidence of 2.4% is five times higher than the Brazilian general population. The disease occurred between 50 days to 18 years after the transplant, and had an earlier and worse development in patients receiving azathioprine, prednisone and cyclosporine, with 35% presenting as a disseminated disease, while all patients receiving azathioprine and prednisone had exclusively pulmonary disease. Ninety percent of those patients had fever as the major initial clinical manifestation. Diagnosis was made by biopsy of the lesion (50%), positivity to M. tuberculosis in the sputum (30%) and spinal cerebral fluid analysis (7%). Duration of treatment ranged from 6 to 13 months and hepatotoxicity occurred in 3 patients. The patients who died had a significant greater number of rejection episodes and received higher doses of corticosteroid. In conclusion, the administration of cyclosporine changed the clinical and histopathological pattern of tuberculosis occurring after renal transplantation.

[Polyalveolosis: pathogenesis of congenital lobar emphysema?]. / Polialveolose: patogênese do enfisema lobar congênito?

BACKGROUND: Congenital lobar emphysema is an unusual condition and its pathogenesis remains unknown. The variety of findings in pathology studies of the resected specimens led to increasing academic interest. About 50 per cent of the cases have no definitive diagnosis in pathology. The most recent theory proposes an increased number of alveoli within each acinus (polyalveolar lobe). PURPOSE: The aim of this paper is to report the morphometric measures of surgical specimens of 12 patients with congenital lobar emphysema, using the Emery and Mithal technique (radial alveolar count). METHODS: We made a case-control study, classifying the cases by age. Mann-Whitney's U test and linear regression techniques were used in data analysis: Mann-Whitney's U in comparing the cases and respective controls and linear regression to evaluate the influence of age in the measures found. RESULTS: The results revealed a significantly higher radial alveolar count than expected for the age group under 3 years; no difference was observed in the age group between 3 and 7 years and in children older than 7, the radial alveolar count was lower than expected. The normal development of the lung consists in an increasing number of alveoli increase from birth until adulthood, but this number remains constant, independent of age in congenital lobar emphysema. CONCLUSIONS: Such findings allow us to conclude that polyalveolar lobe can and must be diagnosed by a simple and practical method, such as the radial alveolar count, which decreases the incidence of the unknown etiology. The findings of an increased number of alveoli on patients younger than 3 is related to congenital lobar emphysema, since the number of alveoli does not increase in congenital lobar emphysema, just the opposite to what one would expect in the normal development of the lung.

[Sequential monitoring of renal transplant with aspiration cytology]. / Monitorização seqüencial do transplante renal com citologia aspirativa.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the utility of kidney aspiration cytology in the sequential monitorization of acute rejection in renal transplant patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Thirty patients were submitted to 376 aspirations. The clinical diagnoses were independently established. RESULTS: The representativity of the samples reached 82.7%. The total corrected increment index and the number of immunoactivated cells were higher during acute rejection as compared to normal allograft function, acute tubular necrosis, and cyclosporine nephrotoxicity. The parameters to the diagnosis of acute rejection were sensitivity: 71.8%, specificity: 87.3%, positive predictive value: 50.9%, negative predictive value: 94.9% and accuracy 84.9%. The false positive results were mainly related to cytomegalovirus infection or to the administration of OKT3. In 10 out of 11 false negative results incipient immunoactivation was present alerting to the possibility of acute rejection. CONCLUSIONS: Kidney aspiration cytology is a useful tool for the sequential monitorization of acute rejection in renal transplant patients. The best results are reached when the results of aspiration cytology are analyzed with the clinical data.

Monitorizaçäo seqüencial do transplante renal com citologia aspirativa / Sequential monitoring of renal transplant with aspiration cytology

Objetivo. Avaliar a utilidade da citologia aspirativa renal convencional na monitorizaçao seqüencial da rejeiçao aguda de transplantes renais. Material e Método. 376 punçoes aspirativas renais em 30 pacientes transplantados. Os diagnósticos das situaçoes clínicas em que as aspiraçoes foram feitas foram estabelecidos de maneira independente. Resultados. Na avaliaçao seqüencial "cega" obteve-se 82,7 por cento de representatividade das amostras. Encontraram-se aumentos significativos do incremento corrigido total (ICT) e dos números de células imunoativas por lâminas nos episódios de rejeiçao aguda quando comparados aos valores obtidos durante os períodos de funçao estável do enxerto, necrose tubular aguda e nefrotoxicidade por ciclosporina. Os parâmetros diagnósticos para rejeiçao aguda foram: sensibilidade: 71,8 por cento; especificidade: 87,3 por cento; valor preditivo positivo: 50,9 por cento; valor preditivo negativo: 94,4 por cento; e acurácia: 84,9 por cento. Os resultados falsos-positivos para rejeiçao foram devidos, principalmente, a infecçao citomegálica ou subseqüentes ao uso de OKT3 para tratamento de episódios de rejeiçao aguda celular. Em 10 dos 11 resultados falsos-negativos, encontrou-se o diagnóstico de imunoativaçao incipiente, que deve ser considerado como um alerta para a possibilidade de rejeiçao aguda. Conclusoes. A citologia aspirativa renal é um método útil na monitorizaçao seqüencial da rejeiçao aguda no paciente transplantado renal. Os melhores resultados sao obtidos quando os dados da citologia aspirativa sao interpretados juntamente com o quadro clínico.

Polialveolose: patogênese do enfisema lobar congênito? / Polyalveolosis: pathogenesis of congenital lobar emphysema?

Introduçao. O enfisema lobar congênito é doença rara, cuja patogênese permanece desconhecida. O interesse acadêmico reside na falta de uniformidade dos achados anatomopatológicos. Em cerca de 50 por cento, nao se consegue definir a lesao anatomopatológica. A teoria mais recente relaciona esta doença com um número aumentado de alvéolos dentro de cada ácino pulmonar. Objetivo. O objetivo deste trabalho é efetuar uma revisao do estudo anatomopatológico original de 12 crianças com diagnóstico de enfisema lobar congênito, procurando, mediante método quantitativo, pesquisar a presença do aumento do número de alvéolos no ácido pulmonar. Método. Os autores realizaram um estudo caso-controle pareado pela idade. O número de alvéolos em cada ácino pulmonar foi pesquisado pela técnica da contagem radial de alvéolos. Para comparar as medidas obtidas nos casos e seus respectivos controles, utilizaram a prova U de Mann-Whitney Regressao linear avaliou a influência da idade sobre as medidas. Resultados. Encontraram um número elevado de alvéolos nos portadores de enfisema lobar congênito operados com idade inferior a 3 anos, um número semelhante entre as idade de 3 e 7 anos e um número diminuído a partir dessa idade. Na criança normal, ocorre um aumento no número de alvéolos com o aumento da idade. No enfisema lobar congênito, esse número se mantém praticamente constante, independente da idade. Conclusao. Os achados permitiram concluir que: o lobo polialveolar pode ser diagnosticado por um método simples e prático como a contagem radial de alvéolos, colaborando para diminuir a freqüência de casos de etiologia desconhecida, um número de alvéolos maior que o esperado para idade encontra-se associado ao enfisema lobar congênito no paciente (operado) antes dos 3 anos de idade e que, ao contrário do que ocorre no pulmao normal, no lobo acometido por enfisema lobar congênito nao ocorre aumento no número de alvéolos com o aumento na idade.

Ligation of the left renal vein in epm1-Wistar rats: functional and morphologic alterations in the kidneys, testes and suprarenal glands.

OBJECTIVE: The ligation of the left renal vein (LLVR) in man is a controversial procedure in view of the risks of lesion to the renal parenchyma. With the objective of studying the morphologic and functional alterations caused by these lesions, we conducted experimental research with rats. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 64 male adult EPM1-WISTAR rats were used, divided into 8 groups-4 for LLRV and four for control. Each LLRV group and corresponding control group were sacrificed progressively on the 7th, 15th, 30th and 60th day after the initial surgery. RESULTS: We found morphofunctional alterations only in animals that underwent LLRV in the four periods of sacrifice. The proteinuria creatinine in serum, testosterone in serum and serum corticosterone in serum showed practically no alteration in relation to the normal values for rats. Statistically significant severe histological lesions were found in the kidneys and testes of the LLRV groups. Lesions in the suprarenal glands were also present in these groups, but no sufficient to demonstrate statistical significance. CONCLUSION: Based on these results we can conclude that the ligation of the left renal vein is a procedure of high risk in these animals.