Bovine lactoferrin for the prevention of COVID-19 infection in health care personnel: a double-blinded randomized clinical trial (LF-COVID).

Lactoferrin (LF) has in vitro antiviral activity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This study aimed to determine the effect of bovine lactoferrin (bLF) in the prevention of SARS-CoV-2 infection in health care personnel. A randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted in two tertiary hospitals that provide care to patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection in Lima, Peru. Daily supplementation with 600 mg of enteral bLF versus placebo for 90 days was compared. Participants were weekly screened for symptoms suggestive of SARS-CoV-2 infection and molecular testing was performed on suspected episodes. A serological test was obtained from all participants at the end of the intervention. The main outcome included symptomatic and asymptomatic cases. A sub-analysis explored the time to symptomatic infection. Secondary outcomes were the severity, frequency, and duration of symptomatic infection. The study was prematurely cancelled due to the availability of vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 in Peru. 209 participants were enrolled and randomized, 104 received bLF and 105 placebo. SARS-CoV-2 infection occurred in 11 (10.6%) participants assigned to bLF and in 9 (8.6%) participants assigned to placebo without significant differences (Incidence Rate Ratio = 1.23, 95%CI 0.51-3.06, p-value = 0.64). There was no significant effect of bLF on time to symptomatic infection (Hazard Ratio = 1.61, 95%CI 0.62-4.19, p-value = 0.3). There were no significant differences in secondary outcomes. A significant effect of bLF in preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection was not proven. Further studies are needed to assess the effect of bLF supplementation on SARS-CoV-2 infection.Clinical trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04526821, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04526821?term=LACTOFERRIN&cond=COVID-19&cntry=PE&city=Lima&draw=2&rank=1 .

Diagnosis and clinical implications of vascular calcification of chronic kidney disease in Mexico / Diagnóstico e implicaciones clínicas de la calcificación vascular de la enfermedad renal crónica en México

Vascular calcification (VC), it is a clinical condition highly associated to Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), CKD patients had as a primary death cause, the cardiovascular disease (CVD), among many non-traditional factors for CKD appears VC. The pathogenesis of VC it´s multifactorial and it´s in short terms a change of muscle vessels cells to a bone cell; this transformation it´s close related to Chronic Kidney Disease-Bone Metabolism Disorder (CKD-BMD), Vitamin D, phosphorus, calcium and parathyroid hormone are close related to VC. The diagnosis of VC can be done by different methods from Electron Beam Computed Tomography to plain X ray studies; there are many scores base on plain X ray studies that can predict mortality in patients with VC. In our setting there is scarce information regarding VC in dialysis patients, the available information show a higher frequency (~50%) and severe; predictors to the VC in our setting are: age, serum HDL and alkaline phosphatase. It is necessary in the primary care setting the evaluation of VC in order to prevent it appearing. There is not an effective treatment to VC so it´s necessary search for strategies to prevent it.

La calcificación vascular es un problema asociado a la ERC, los pacientes con ERC tienen como primera causa de muerte la enfermedad cardiovascular (ECV); entre los múltiples factores de riesgo no tradicionales de ECV se encuentra la calcificación vascular (CV). La patogenia de la CV es multifactorial, y se puede resumir en un cambio en el fenotipo de las células del músculo liso vascular, dicho cambio es a volverse células de tipo óseo. El diagnóstico de la CV puede llevarse a cabo mediante varios métodos, desde la tomografía computarizada por emisión de electrones (EBCT), hasta métodos como las placas simples de rayos X. En el caso de nuestro país hay pocos estudios que hayan evaluado la CV de pacientes en diálisis, donde la frecuencia es muy alta (~50%) y desafortunadamente grave; los predictores de presencia de CV que han sido evaluados en nuestro medio son: la edad, las concentraciones séricas de HDL y las concentraciones de fosfatasa alcalina. Es necesario que en el primer nivel de atención se evalúe la presencia de CV con el objeto de prevenir el desarrollo y agravamiento de los pacientes. Aunque no existe un tratamiento efectivo para el manejo de la CV es necesario buscar medidas de prevención en su desarrollo.