Infodemia, salud mental, personas mayores: su caracterización en tiempos de pandemia covid-19 / Infodemia, mental health, older people: its characterization in times of the covid-19 pandemic / Infodemia, saúde mental, idosos: sua caracterização em tempos de pandemia da covid-19

Introducción: "Infodemia" define a aquella información que se divulga rápidamente y sin mayor evidencia, ocasionando desinformación y malos hábitos sanitarios. Objetivo: Caracterizar a las personas mayores con respecto a salud mental e infodemia. Materiales y métodos: estudio cuantitativo, descriptivo, transversal. Muestra no probabilística, conformada por 195 personas mayores, quienes respondieron cuestionario telefónico u online para: Infodemia, Escala de Estrés Percibido, Escala de Depresión Geriátrica Yesavage e Inventario de Ansiedad Generalizada. Previa aceptación de consentimiento informado. Estudio fue aprobado por Comité ético acreditado. Resultados: 58% fueron mujeres, 90% se encontraban jubilados y/o pensionados. El 65% percibía un sueldo igual o menor a US 300. El promedio de horas destinado a información por Covid-19 fue de 5±2,5. La mayoría se sintió afectado/a física y psicológicamente por las noticias. Casi el 30% de los encuestados refirió miedo y ansiedad frente al número de muertos e infectados. 65% se sintió estresado, 9% presentó depresión grave y 20% mostró ansiedad generalizada en este periodo. Discusión: la población mundial está envejeciendo y durante la pandemia fueron los más vulnerables a Covid-19. Este grupo se sintió afectado física y psicológicamente por la información recibida y por ello se requiere romper el ciclo de la desinformación, siendo los profesionales de enfermería los más idóneos para ello. Conclusiones: Las personas mayores se sintieron afectadas por la Infodemia. Se requiere del trabajo multidisciplinario para hacer frente a esta problemática, reforzando la alfabetización para la salud, como estrategia para que las personas mayores logren discriminar la exorbitante información de salud circulante.

Introduction: "Infodemic" defines information that is disseminated quickly and without further evidence, causing misinformation and bad health habits. Objective: Characterize older people with respect to mental health and infodemic. Materials and methods: quantitative, descriptive, cross-sectional study. Non-probabilistic sample, made up of 195 older people, who answered a telephone or online questionnaire for: Infodemic, Perceived Stress Scale, Yesavage Geriatric Depression Scale and Generalized Anxiety Inventory. Prior acceptance of informed consent. Study was approved by an accredited ethical committee. Results: 58% were women, 90% were retired and/or pensioners. 65% received a salary equal to or less than US 300. The average number of hours allocated to Covid-19 information was 5±2.5. The majority felt physically and psychologically affected by the news. Almost 30% of those surveyed reported fear and anxiety regarding the number of deaths and infections. 65% felt stressed, 9% presented severe depression and 20% showed generalized anxiety in this period. Discussion: The world's population is aging and during the pandemic they were the most vulnerable to Covid-19. This group felt physically and psychologically affected by the information received and therefore it is necessary to break the cycle of misinformation, with nursing professionals being the most suitable for this. Conclusions: Older people felt affected by the Infodemic. Multidisciplinary work is required to address this problem, reinforcing health literacy, as a strategy for older people to be able to discriminate the exorbitant circulating health information.

Introdução: "Infodemia" define informações que são divulgadas rapidamente e sem maiores evidências, causando desinformação e maus hábitos de saúde. Os idosos foram os mais vulneráveis aos efeitos da Covid-19, pouco se sabe sobre a sua saúde mental e a infodemia neste período. Objetivo: Caracterizar os idosos quanto à saúde mental e à infodemia. Materiais e métodos: estudo quantitativo, descritivo, transversal. Amostra não probabilística, composta por 195 idosos, que responderam a questionário telefônico ou online de: Infodemia, Escala de Estresse Percebido, Escala de Depressão Geriátrica de Yesavage e Inventário de Ansiedade Generalizada. Aceitação prévia do consentimento informado. O estudo foi aprovado por um comitê de ética credenciado. Resultados: 58% eram mulheres, 90% eram aposentadas e/ou pensionistas. 65% recebiam um salário igual ou inferior a US$ 300. O número médio de horas destinadas à informação sobre a Covid-19 foi de 5±2,5. A maioria sentiu-se física e psicologicamente afetada pela notícia. Quase 30% dos entrevistados relataram medo e ansiedade em relação ao número de mortes e infecções. 65% sentiram-se estressados, 9% apresentaram depressão grave e 20% apresentaram ansiedade generalizada neste período. Discussão: A população mundial está envelhecendo edurante a pandemia eles eram os mais vulneráveis à Covid-19. Este grupo sentiu-se afetado física e psicologicamente pelas informações recebidas e por isso é necessário quebrar o ciclo de desinformação, sendo os profissionais de enfermagem os mais indicados para isso. Conclusões: Os idosos sentiram-se afetados pela Infodemia. É necessário um trabalho multidisciplinar para resolver este problema, reforçando a literacia em saúde, como estratégia para que os idosos consigam discriminar a exorbitante informação de saúde que circula.

Vertical preparation: a new technique for analogical and digital impressions.

The BOPT technique (Biologically Oriented Preparation Technique) was proposed by Loi et al. (1) and has become a popular form of vertical preparation for complete crowns with promising results. In this procedure, the clinician can operate on the gingival tissue during preparation and modify its structure in thickness and height by adding modifications on the provisional restoration. However, one of the main challenges in this technique is the transference of information about the gingival tissue to the laboratory technician, who will place the margin of the restoration randomly in a space determined by two marks on the working cast. The technique proposed enables the accurate transmission of the exact point where the margin of the restoration needs to be placed. Furthermore, it facilitates the recording of conventional impression materials and intraoral scanners due to the compression of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) tape into the sulcus, which allows to arrest bleeding or intracrevicular liquid and is easily registered irrespective of the method of impression used. Key words:Vertical preparation, BOPT, PTFE, emergence profile, digital impression, conventional impression.

Endodontic Rotary Files, What Should an Endodontist Know?

Clinicians should be aware of all the characteristics and capacities of the instruments that are possible to use when conducting a root canal treatment. The wide variety of nickel-titanium (Ni-Ti) rotary systems on the market and the lack of standardisation of this type of instrument makes the choice in each specific case difficult. Therefore, this review is intended to summarize the characteristics that should be taken into account when choosing one instrument over another. It will be essential to know characteristics, of alloy from which the instrument is made. Moreover, the geometry of the instrument will determine its behaviour, being the mass, the one that marks its resistance to a greater extent. The movement performed by the file is another of the fundamental keys to understand rotary instruments. In conclusion, when performing root canal treatment, the characteristics of the instrument and the tooth must be taken into account, and the operator's own limitations should be known. This paper provides the key points to keep in mind when making this type of treatment.

In Vitro Biocompatibility of Several Children's Toothpastes on Human Gingival Fibroblasts.

The European Academy of Paediatric Dentistry has recommended fluoride toothpastes from the eruption of the first teeth in children. Toothpastes stay in the mouth in contact with human gingival fibroblasts (hGFs) for a long time. Thus, the objective of this study was to compare the cytotoxicity of five different commonly used children's toothpastes: Oral B Kids +3 (Procter & Gamble, Alicante, Spain), Fluor Kin Calcium (Kin, Madrid, Spain), PHB Junior (PHB, Barcelona, Spain), Colgate +3 (Colgate Palmolive, Madrid, Spain) and Vitis Kids (Dentaid, Valencia, Spain) on hGFs. The children's toothpastes were exposed to hGFs at different concentrations (1:1, 1:2, 1:4). Afterwards, several tests were performed: MTT assays, cell cycle analyses, cell cytoskeleton staining assays, apoptosis/necrosis assays, and ICP-MS and ion chromatography. Oral B displayed the lowest cytotoxicity and was the toothpaste with the highest fluoride ion release; meanwhile, the other toothpastes were cytotoxic (*** p < 0.0001); Fluor Kin being the one with the lowest fluoride ion release. Among all the toothpastes analyzed, Oral B exhibited the best results in vitro in terms of biocompatibility. Future evaluations, both in vitro and in vivo, are required to confirm the biocompatibility of sodium lauryl sarcosinate and sodium lauryl sulfate containing toothpastes.

Effectiveness of Different Irrigant Activation Systems on Smear Layer Removal: A Scanning Electron Microscopic Study.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of smear layer removal after the use of different irrigation methods (passive ultrasonic irrigation (PUI), continuous ultrasonic irrigation (CUI), apical negative pressure irrigation and conventional irrigation) using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) as an analytical tool. A total of 100 single-canal teeth were decoronated and randomly divided into five groups (n = 20) according to the irrigation method used: conventional irrigation with front outlet syringe, conventional irrigation with lateral outlet syringe, apical negative pressure irrigation (EndoVac), PUI with Irrisafe and CUI with ProUltra PiezoFlow ultrasonic irrigation needle. Root canal preparation was performed with the ProTaper Gold system up to the F4 instrument, and 5.25% NaOCl was used as an irrigant. After chemical-mechanical preparation, the roots were split longitudinally, and the coronal, middle and apical thirds were examined. SEM digital photomicrographs were taken at ×1000 magnification to evaluate the amount of smear layer in each root canal third; CUI significantly removed more smear layer than any other irrigant activation protocol (p < 0.05); CUI was more effective in removing the smear layer than the other irrigation protocols. However, none of the irrigation protocols were able to produce root canals completely free from smear layer.

[Cardiac arrhythmias and amyloidosis]. / Las arritmias en la amiloidosis cardiaca.

Cardiac amyloidosis (CA) is a form of cardiomyopathy characterized by the extracellular deposit of protein fibers in the myocardium, leading to the development of heart failure, arrhythmias, and electrical conduction system alterations. It is known that most cardiomyopathies have a close relationship with heart rhythm abnormalities, however, CA is specially related to different kinds of arrhythmias even in pre-diagnosis stages. Arrhythmias like atrial fibrillation are present in up to 70% of patients with CA associated with a high risk of cardioembolic complications independent of the risk stratification. Ventricular arrhythmias are frequent, but the use of implantable cardioverter defibrillator has not been demonstrated to improve survival. The Atrial-Ventricular node disease is also common, and is frequently associated with the implantation of a pacemaker, even in asymptomatic patients. In this review, we clarify the recommendations of the most current guidelines, summarize historical and contemporaneous data and describe evidence-based strategies for the management of arrhythmias and their complications in CA.

Treatment of adult, child and newborn cardiac arrest victims with COVID-19. Recommendations from the Interamerican Society of Cardiology / Sociedad Interamericana de Cardiología (SIAC), Mexican National Cardiologists Association / Asociación Nacional de Cardiólogos de México (ANCAM) and Mexican Society of Cardiology / Sociedad Mexicana de Cardiología (SMC).

La pandemia de COVID-19 ha infligido grandes estragos a la población y en especial al personal de salud. Los esfuerzos de reanimación exigen modificaciones potenciales de las guías internacionales existentes de reanimación cardiopulmonar (RCP) debido al elevado índice de contagiosidad del virus SARS-CoV-2. Se considera que hasta 15% de los casos de COVID-19 tiene una enfermedad grave y 5% padece un trastorno crítico con una mortalidad promedio del 3%, la cual varía según sean el país y las características de los pacientes. La edad y las comorbilidades como la hipertensión arterial, enfermedad cardiovascular, obesidad y diabetes incrementan la mortalidad hasta 24%. También se ha informado un aumento reciente del número de casos de paro cardíaco extrahospitalario (PCEH). Aunque el paro cardíaco (PC) puede ser efecto de factores diversos en estos pacientes, en la mayoría de los casos se ha demostrado que el origen es respiratorio, con muy pocos casos de causa cardíaca. Se debe considerar la indicación de iniciar o continuar las maniobras de RCP por dos razones fundamentales: la posibilidad de sobrevida de las víctimas, que hasta la fecha se ha registrado muy baja, y el riesgo de contagiar al personal de salud, que es muy alto.The COVID-19 pandemic is having a large impact on the general population, but it has taken a specially high toll on healthcare personnel. Resuscitation efforts require potential modifications of the present Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) international guidelines because of the transmissibility rate of the new SARS-CoV 2 virus. It has been seen that up to 15% of COVID-19 patients have a severe disease, 5% have a critical form of infection and the mean death rate is 3%, although there are significant differences according to the country that reports it and patients' baseline conditions that include age, presence of arterial hypertension, cardiovascular disease, diabetes or obesity. In these high risk subjects, mortality might go up to 24%. There are also reports of a recent increase in out-of-hospital cardiopulmonary arrest (OHCA) victims. Cardiac arrest (CA) in these subjects might be related to many causes, but apparently, that phenomenon is related to respiratory diseases rather than cardiac issues. In this context, the decision to start or continue CPR maneuvers has to be carefully assessed, because of the low survival rate reported so far and the high contagion risk among healthcare personnel.

Genome-wide association study of stage III/IV grade C periodontitis (former aggressive periodontitis) in a Spanish population.

AIM: To identify loci associated with stages III/IV, grade C periodontitis (PIII/IV-C) through a genome-wide association study (GWAS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: 441 Caucasian Spanish PIII/IV-C cases from the SEPA Network of Research Clinics and 1141 controls from the Banco Nacional de ADN were genotyped with "Axiom Spain Biobank Array," which contains 757836 markers, including rare and low-frequency Spanish variants. The analysis of the individual association and subsequently the gene-level analysis with Sequence Kernel Association Test (SKAT) were carried out adjusting for age, sex and PC1 covariates. Pathway Analysis was additionally performed with Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) software on the top associated genes. RESULTS: In the individual analyses, no genome-wide significant signals were detected. However, 8 SNPs of 8 loci reached suggestive evidence of association with PIII/IV-C, including FAT3 rs35709256, CSNK1G2 rs4807188, MYH13 rs2074872, CNTN2 rs116611488, ANTXR1 rs4854545, 8p23.2 rs78672540, ANGPT1 rs13439823 and PLEC rs11993287 (p < 5 × 10-6 ). SKAT analysis identified other interesting signals at CNTN2, FBXO44, AP1M2, RSPO4, KRI1, BPIFB1 and INMT, although their probability does not exceed the multiple-test correction. IPA indicated significant enrichment of pathways related to cAMP, IL-2, CD28, VDR/RXR and PI3K/Akt.  CONCLUSIONS: GWAS found no SNPs significantly associated with PIII/IV-C.

[Arrhythmias and Sudden Death Risk in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy]. / Arritmias y Riesgo de Muerte Súbita en Cardiomiopatía Hipertrófica.

The risk of sudden death in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is related to the presence of ventricular arrhythmias in most cases. Finding the best schemes to assess the probability of arrhythmic complications will remain a challenge for modern Cardiology. Meanwhile, the multifactorial approach is the best strategy to avoid the unnecessary implantation of devices such as the implantable cardioverter defibrillator. Although the electrocardiogram remains an excellent diagnostic tool, even before echocardiographic expression, it does not have a clear role as a risk factor. However, the identification of associated arrhythmias such as preexcitation or long QT and variants of presentation as apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, allows identifying patients with high probability of sudden death. During the last few years, cardiac resonance and quantification of intramyocardial fibrosis (the basic mechanism of ventricular arrhythmias) have gained an important role in the evaluation of these patients.In particular, pediatric patients must have an individualized approach due to the poor prognosis at early ages and the uncertain role of different tools for risk assessment and treatment.

First catheter ablations in the Ministry of Health system of Peru: Report of the initial experience.

BACKGROUND: In 2015, the Ministry of Health (MINSA) of Peru inaugurated the first national center for electrophysiology studies in a public tertiary referral hospital with the purpose to provide healthcare access to the most underserved population. This study aims to describe the rate of success and complications of catheter ablation in this center since its inception, as well as the demographic characteristics of these patients. METHODS: This study is descriptive and retrospective. We used the medical record of the patients who underwent catheter ablation (first-time and re-do procedure) in the center from July 2015 to February 2018. RESULTS: 55 catheter ablations were performed in 53 patients, who were 35 (±15) years old and 47% male. 63.6% had a full MINSA health coverage, while 16.4% and 20% had partial MINSA coverage and no health coverage, respectively. Atrio-ventricular reentrant tachycardia mediated by accessory pathways was the most common (76.4%) electrophysiology diagnosis. The overall immediate success rate was 96.4%. No complications were reported. CONCLUSIONS: The efficacy and safety of this procedure are comparable to international standards. The main limitations might be the insufficiency of resources and inadequate diffusion of our center activity.

Introduction of a prediction model to assigning periodontal prognosis based on survival time.

AIMS: To develop a prediction model for tooth loss due to periodontal disease (TLPD) in patients following periodontal maintenance (PM), and assess its performance using a multicentre approach. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A multilevel analysis of eleven predictors of TLPD in 500 patients following PM was carried out to calculate the probability of TLPD. This algorithm was applied to three different TLPD samples (369 teeth) gathered retrospectively by nine periodontist, associating several intervals of probability with the corresponding survival time, based on significant differences in the mean survival time. The reproducibility of these associations was assessed in each sample (One-way ANOVA and pairwise comparison with Bonferroni corrections). RESULTS: The model presented high specificity and moderate sensitivity, with optimal calibration and discrimination measurements. Seven intervals of probability were associated with seven survival time and these associations contained close to 80% of the cases: the probability predicted the survival time at this percentage. The model performed well in the three samples, as the mean survival time of each association were significantly different within each sample, while no significant differences between the samples were found in pairwise comparisons of means. CONCLUSIONS: This model might be useful for predicting survival time in different TLPD samples.

Assessment of time intervals in the pathway to oral cancer diagnosis in north-westerm Spain. Relative contribution of patient interval

Background: Despite continuous advances in diagnosis and therapy, oral cancers are mostly diagnosed at advanced stages with minor survival improvements in the last two decades. Both phenomena have been attributed to delays in the diagnosis. This study aims at quantifying the time elapsed until definitive diagnosis in these patients and the patient interval’s contribution. Material and Methods: A hospital-based, ambispective, observational study was undertaken on incident cases with a pathological diagnosis of oral squamous cell carcinoma recruited during 2015 at the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery services of CHUAC (A Coruña) and POVISA (Vigo) hospitals. Results: 74 consecutive oral cancer patients (59.5% males; median age: 65.0 years (IQ:57-74)) were studied. Most cases (52.7%; n=39) were at advanced stages (TNM III-IV) at diagnosis. The period since first sign/symptom until the patient seeks health care was the longest interval in the pathway to diagnosis and treatment (median: 31.5 days; IQR= 7.0 - 61.0) and represents >60% of the interval since symptom onset until referral to specialised care (pre-referral interval). The average interval assigned to the patient resulted to be relatively larger than the time elapsed since the patient is seen at primary care until a definitive diagnosis is reached (diagnostic interval). Median of the referral interval for primary care professionals: 6.5 days (IQR= 0.0 - 49.2) and accounts for 35% (19% - 51%) of the diagnostic interval. Conclusions: The patient interval is the main component of the pathway to treatment since the detection of a bodily change until the definitive diagnosis. Therefore, strategies focused on risk groups to shorten this interval should be implemented in order to ease an early diagnosis of symptomatic oral cancer (AU)

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Biochemical and Genetic Bases of Indole-3-Acetic Acid (Auxin Phytohormone) Degradation by the Plant-Growth-Promoting Rhizobacterium Paraburkholderia phytofirmans PsJN.

Several bacteria use the plant hormone indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) as a sole carbon and energy source. A cluster of genes (named iac) encoding IAA degradation has been reported in Pseudomonas putida 1290, but the functions of these genes are not completely understood. The plant-growth-promoting rhizobacterium Paraburkholderia phytofirmans PsJN harbors iac gene homologues in its genome, but with a different gene organization and context than those of P. putida 1290. The iac gene functions enable P. phytofirmans to use IAA as a sole carbon and energy source. Employing a heterologous expression system approach, P. phytofirmans iac genes with previously undescribed functions were associated with specific biochemical steps. In addition, two uncharacterized genes, previously unreported in P. putida and found to be related to major facilitator and tautomerase superfamilies, are involved in removal of an IAA metabolite called dioxindole-3-acetate. Similar to the case in strain 1290, IAA degradation proceeds through catechol as intermediate, which is subsequently degraded by ortho-ring cleavage. A putative two-component regulatory system and a LysR-type regulator, which apparently respond to IAA and dioxindole-3-acetate, respectively, are involved in iac gene regulation in P. phytofirmans These results provide new insights about unknown gene functions and complex regulatory mechanisms in IAA bacterial catabolism. IMPORTANCE: This study describes indole-3-acetic acid (auxin phytohormone) degradation in the well-known betaproteobacterium P. phytofirmans PsJN and comprises a complete description of genes, some of them with previously unreported functions, and the general basis of their gene regulation. This work contributes to the understanding of how beneficial bacteria interact with plants, helping them to grow and/or to resist environmental stresses, through a complex set of molecular signals, in this case through degradation of a highly relevant plant hormone.

[High sensitivity T troponin and CA-125 as prognostic biomarkers in patients with end stage renal disease in hemodialysis]. / Troponina T ultrasensible y CA125 como marcadores pronóstico en pacientes con enfermedd renal terminal en hemodialisis.

INTRODUCTION: The end stage renal disease confers a high morbidity and mortality risk, mainly due to cardiovascular disease. The cardiac T troponin and carbohydrate antigen-125 (CA-125) are useful biomarkers to determine cardiovascular prognosis in order to start preventive treatment in the high risk patients. METHODS: We included patients with end stage renal disease in hemodialysis treatment. Plasma high sensitivity cardiac T troponin (hs-TNT) and CA-125 were measured at the beginning of follow up. The patients with clinical evidence of an acute myocardial infarction were excluded. Twelve month after the measurement of the biomarkers the patients were called to assess the occurrence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and hospitalizations for any reason. RESULTS: Eighty seven patients were included. The mean age was 5815 years, and 76% were male. The hs-TNT was elevated in 95.4% of the patients and the median value was 49 ng/l (15.3 - 214.1). CA-125 median value was 13.7 U/ml (6.1 - 52.7). The patients that presented a MACE had higher CA-125 (p< 0.03) and hs-TNT (p <0.001); and all of them had a troponin value ≥ 69.37 ng/l. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of high hs-TNT was 95.4% and of CA-125 10%. MACE were significantly higher in patients with elevated biomarkers, conferring them prognostic utility in this group of patients.

Early oral cancer diagnosis: The Aarhus statement perspective. A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Mortality is linked to diagnostic intervals in certain cancers. As symptom perception is conditioned by tumor site, a specific study on oral cancer is needed. METHODS: This study's inclusion criteria were original data, symptomatic primary oral squamous cell carcinoma, and exposure of interest, diagnostic interval, or diagnostic delay. The outcome of interest was survival and disease stage. A meta-analysis was undertaken to investigate the relationship between intervals to diagnosis, TNM classification, and survival in oral cancer. RESULTS: Regarding referral delay, the results present no heterogeneity and showed a risk increase in mortality of 2.48 (range = 1.39-4.42). The larger the diagnostic delay, the more advanced the stage at diagnosis. High quality studies reveal a higher risk increase than low quality studies (odds ratio [OR] = 2.44; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.36-4.36 vs OR = 1.53; 95% CI = 1.26-1.86). CONCLUSION: A longer time interval from first symptom to referral for diagnosis is a risk factor for advanced stage and mortality of oral cancer. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 38: E2182-E2189, 2016.

Hierarchy of Carbon Source Utilization in Soil Bacteria: Hegemonic Preference for Benzoate in Complex Aromatic Compound Mixtures Degraded by Cupriavidus pinatubonensis Strain JMP134.

Cupriavidus pinatubonensis JMP134, like many other environmental bacteria, uses a range of aromatic compounds as carbon sources. Previous reports have shown a preference for benzoate when this bacterium grows on binary mixtures composed of this aromatic compound and 4-hydroxybenzoate or phenol. However, this observation has not been extended to other aromatic mixtures resembling a more archetypal context. We carried out a systematic study on the substrate preference of C. pinatubonensis JMP134 growing on representative aromatic compounds channeled through different catabolic pathways described in aerobic bacteria. Growth tests of nearly the entire set of binary combinations and in mixtures composed of 5 or 6 aromatic components showed that benzoate and phenol were always the preferred and deferred growth substrates, respectively. This pattern was supported by kinetic analyses that showed shorter times to initiate consumption of benzoate in aromatic compound mixtures. Gene expression analysis by real-time reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) showed that, in all mixtures, the repression by benzoate over other catabolic pathways was exerted mainly at the transcriptional level. Additionally, inhibition of benzoate catabolism suggests that its multiple repressive actions are not mediated by a sole mechanism, as suggested by dissimilar requirements of benzoate degradation for effective repression in different aromatic compound mixtures. The hegemonic preference for benzoate over multiple aromatic carbon sources is not explained on the basis of growth rate and/or biomass yield on each single substrate or by obvious chemical or metabolic properties of these aromatic compounds.

Renal dysfunction and intragraft proMMP9 activity in renal transplant recipients with interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy.

Chronic renal allograft injury is reflected by interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy (IF/TA) and by the accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM). Metalloproteinases (MMPs) are renal physiologic regulators of ECM degradation. Changes in MMPs expression or activity may disturb ECM turnover leading to glomerular scarring and worsening renal function. Our goal was to investigate intragraft MMP2 and MMP9 activities and their correlation with renal dysfunction. Plasma MMP2 and MMP9 activities were analyzed as noninvasive markers of renal allograft deterioration. Transplanted patients were biopsied and histopathologically characterized as IF/TA+ or IF/TA-. Renal function was evaluated by serum creatinine, glomerular filtration rate (GFR) estimated by Modification of Diet in Renal Disease equation and urinary protein/creatinine ratio. Kidney and plasma MMP2 and MMP9 activities were analyzed by zymography. A significant renal dysfunction was observed in IF/TA+ patients. Intragraft proMMP9 showed a significant higher activity in IF/TA+ than in IF/TA- samples and was inversely correlated with the GFR. Intragraft proMMP2 activity tended to increase in IF/TA+ samples, although no statistic significance was reached. Circulating proMMP2 and proMMP9 activities did not show significant differences between groups. Our data provide evidence that correlates intragraft proMMP9 activity with the fibrotic changes and renal dysfunction observed in IF/TA.

Uremic pruritus in hemodialysis patients: treatment with desloratidine versus gabapentin.

INTRODUCTION: Uremic pruritus is common among dialysis patients. Effective treatments are not readily available. Early evidence with antihistamines and gabapentin indicate variable effects. OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy and side effects of gabapentin and desloratadine in patients with dialysis pruritus. METHODS: Prospective, open-label, cross-over clinical trial in 22 patients on chronic hemodialysis with sustained pruritus over a period of at least 60 days. After a one-week run-in period, we assigned patients to three weeks of either gabapentin 300 mg thrice weekly or desloratadine 5 mg thrice weekly. After a one-week washout period, each patient crossed-over to the alternate regimen for three more weeks. The primary endpoint of the study was the change in the visual analogue pruritus score (VAS). RESULTS: Nineteen subjects completed the two treatment blocks and were available for analysis. VAS scores decreased with both treatments (5.95 to 4.6 with gabapentin, p = 0.07; 5.89 to 3.4 with desloratadine, p = 0.004), but only desloratadine reached statistical significance. There were no differences when comparing the final pruritus score with gabapentin and desloratadine (4.6 versus 3.4, p = 0.16) Excessive sedation was common with gabapentin. Desloratadine was well tolerated. CONCLUSION: Desloratadine provides significant relief of uremic pruritus compared with no therapy. gabapentin has marginal efficacy. Desloratadine is better tolerated than gabapentin.

Uremic pruritus in hemodialysis patients: treatment with desloratidine versus gabapentin / Prurido urêmico em pacientes em hemodiálise: tratamento com desloratidina versus gabapentina

INTRODUCTION: Uremic pruritus is common among dialysis patients. Effective treatments are not readily available. Early evidence with antihistamines and gabapentin indicate variable effects. OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy and side effects of gabapentin and desloratadine in patients with dialysis pruritus. METHODS: Prospective, open-label, cross-over clinical trial in 22 patients on chronic hemodialysis with sustained pruritus over a period of at least 60 days. After a one-week run-in period, we assigned patients to three weeks of either gabapentin 300 mg thrice weekly or desloratadine 5 mg thrice weekly. After a one-week washout period, each patient crossed-over to the alternate regimen for three more weeks. The primary endpoint of the study was the change in the visual analogue pruritus score (VAS). RESULTS: Nineteen subjects completed the two treatment blocks and were available for analysis. VAS scores decreased with both treatments (5.95 to 4.6 with gabapentin, p = 0.07; 5.89 to 3.4 with desloratadine, p = 0.004), but only desloratadine reached statistical significance. There were no differences when comparing the final pruritus score with gabapentin and desloratadine (4.6 versus 3.4, p = 0.16) Excessive sedation was common with gabapentin. Desloratadine was well tolerated. CONCLUSION: Desloratadine provides significant relief of uremic pruritus compared with no therapy. gabapentin has marginal efficacy. Desloratadine is better tolerated than gabapentin.

INTRODUÇÃO: Prurido urêmico é comum entre pacientes em diálise. Tratamentos eficazes não estão disponíveis até o momento. Provas recentes com anti-histamínicos e gabapentina indicam vários efeitos. OBJETIVO: Comparar a eficiência e os efeitos colaterais da gabapentina e da desloratadina em pacientes com prurido na diálise. MÉTODOS: Estudo prospectivo, aberto e comparativo com 22 pacientes em hemodiálise crônica com prurido constante durante um período de pelo menos 60 dias. Após uma semana, submetemos os pacientes a três semanas de gabapentina 300 mg, três vezes por semana, ou desloratadina 5 mg três vezes por semana. Após um período de eliminação de uma semana, os pacientes trocaram de regime por mais três semanas. O objetivo primário do estudo foi a mudança na escala visual analógica (EVA) de prurido. RESULTADOS: Dezenove indivíduos completaram os dois tratamentos e foram submetidos à análise. Os escores da EVA caíram com ambos os tratamentos (5,95 para 4,6 com gabapentina, p = 0,07; 5,89 para 3,4 com desloratadina, p = 0,004), mas somente a desloratadina teve significância estatística. Nenhuma diferença foi observada ao comparar o escore final do prurido com gabapentina e desloratadina (4,6 versus 3,4, p = 0,16). Excesso de sedação foi comum com gabapentina. A desloratadina teve alto nível de tolerância. CONCLUSÃO: A desloratadina dá alívio significante do prurido urêmico quando comparada a nenhum tratamento. A gabapentina tem eficiência marginal. A desloratadina tem maior nível de tolerância em relação à gabapentina.