Artificial Intelligence in Urology: Application of a Machine Learning Model to Predict the Risk of Urolithiasis in a General Population.

This research presents our application of artificial intelligence (AI) in predicting urolithiasis risk. Previous applications, including AI for stone disease, have focused on stone composition and aiding diagnostic imaging. AI applications centered around patient-specific characteristics, lifestyle considerations, and diet have been limited. Our study comprised a robust sample size of 976 Chilean participants, with meticulously analyzed demographic, lifestyle, and health data through a comprehensive questionnaire. We developed a predictive model using various classifiers, including logistic regression, decision trees, random forests, and extra trees, reaching high accuracy (88%) in identifying individuals at risk of kidney stone formation. Key protective factors highlighted by the algorithm include the pivotal role of hydration, physical activity, and dietary patterns that played a crucial role, emphasizing the protective nature of higher fruit and vegetable intake, balanced dairy consumption, and the nuanced impact of specific protein sources on kidney stone risk. In contrast, identified risk factors encompassed gender disparities with males found to be 2.31 times more likely to develop kidney stones than females. Thirst and self-perceived dark urine color emerged as strong predictors, with a significant increase in the likelihood of stone formation. The development of predictive tools with AI, in urolithiasis management signifies a paradigm shift toward more precise and personalized health care. The algorithm's ability to process extensive datasets, including dietary habits, heralds a new era of data-driven medical practice. This research underscores the transformative impact of AI in medical diagnostics and prevention, paving the way for a future where health care interventions are not only more effective but also tailored to individual patient needs. In this case, AI is an important tool that can help patients stay healthy, prevent diseases, and make informed decisions about their overall well-being.

Randomized waitlist-controlled trial of buried in treasures facilitated support groups and in-home uncluttering (BIT+) for hoarding disorder.

OBJECTIVE: The Buried in Treasures (BIT) workshop is a promising treatment for hoarding disorder (HD), though many participants struggle with home uncluttering. This randomized waitlist-controlled trial investigated the efficacy of a version of BIT, augmented with in-home uncluttering practice (BIT+). METHOD: Adults (N = 41) with hoarding disorder were recruited from the community and randomly assigned to BIT+ or waitlist. BIT+ consisted of 16 sessions of the BIT workshop and 10 uncluttering home visits over 18 weeks. Outcome measures included the Saving Inventory-Revised (self-report) and the Clutter Image Rating Scale (self and independent evaluator rated). Between group repeated measures analyses using general linear modeling examined the effect of BIT+ vs waitlist control on hoarding symptoms after 18 weeks. Within group analyses examined pre-post effects for all BIT+ participants combined after 18 weeks. RESULTS: After 18 weeks, BIT+ participants benefited significantly more than waitlist controls on hoarding severity with large effect size (Cohen's d = 1.5, p < .001). BIT+ was also associated with improvement reductions in hoarding symptoms, clutter, and functional impairment. CONCLUSIONS: The BIT+ intervention offers promise as a treatment option for hoarding. Adding in-home uncluttering practice may incrementally improve discarding practices. Future controlled trials are warranted.

Initial Experience in Urological Surgery with a Novel Robotic Technology: Magnetic-Assisted Robotic Surgery in Urology.

Introduction and objective: Magnetic-assisted robotic surgery (MARS) has been developed to maximize patient benefits of minimally invasive surgery while enhancing surgeon control and visualization. MARS platform (Levita Magnetics) comprises two robotic arms that provide control to an external magnetic controller and an off-the-shelf laparoscopic camera. Our aim was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the MARS platform in laparoscopic renal and adrenal procedure for the first time. Methods: This is a prospective, single-arm, open-label study (Clinical Trials Identifier: NCT05353777) including patients with renal or adrenal pathology analysis, submitted to laparoscopic procedure between April and June 2022. Patients were followed up to 30 days postoperatively. Preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative data were recorded. Polynomial regression was used to determine the learning curve for docking time. Results: Fifteen cases were performed using the MARS platform (three partial nephrectomies, five total nephrectomies for benign pathology analysis, four radical nephrectomies, and three adrenalectomies) corresponding to 10 women and 5 men (mean age, 55 years [18-77]; average body mass index, 29 cm/m2 [22-39]). No cases required conversion to open procedure and all patients were discharged on the first or second postoperative day. No complications or re-admissions were reported within the first 30 days. All oncologic cases had negative margins. Learning curve was achieved by the fourth case, diminishing docking time from 5.22 (2.6-11.5) to 2.68 minutes (2.1-3.8) (p = 0.002). The learning curve was fitted to a cubic regression (R2 = 0.714). Conclusion: This is the first clinical study demonstrating the safety and versatility of the MARS platform in urologic procedures. The robot was especially useful for tissue retraction, avoiding additional incisions and the need for a surgical assistant while increasing surgeon control and visualization. The learning curve was rapid, achieving a short docking time. MARS is a promising new technology that could be successfully evaluated in other surgeries.

Extracellular vesicles from biological fluids as potential markers in castration resistant prostate cancer.

PURPOSE: Extracellular vesicles (EV) secreted from cancer cells are present in various biological fluids, carrying distinctly different cellular components compared to normal cells, and have great potential to be used as markers for disease initiation, progression, and response to treatment. This under-utilised tool provides insights into a better understanding of prostate cancer. METHODS: EV from serum and urine of healthy men and castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) patients were isolated and characterised by transmission electron microscopy, particle size analysis, and western blot. Proteomic and cholesterol liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analyses were conducted. RESULTS: There was a successful enrichment of small EV/exosomes isolated from serum and urine. EV derived from biological fluids of CRPC patients had significant differences in composition when compared with those from healthy controls. Analysis of matched serum and urine samples from six prostate cancer patients revealed specific EV proteins common in both types of biological fluid for each patient. CONCLUSION: Some of the EV proteins identified from our analyses have potential to be used as CRPC markers. These markers may depict a pattern in cancer progression through non-invasive sample collection.

Anosognosia in hoarding disorder is predicted by alterations in cognitive and inhibitory control.

Insight impairment contributes significantly to morbidity in psychiatric disorders. The neurologic concept of anosognosia, reflecting deficits in metacognitive awareness of illness, is increasingly understood as relevant to psychopathology, but has been little explored in psychiatric disorders other than schizophrenia. We explored anosognosia as an aspect of insight impairment in n = 71 individuals with DSM-5 hoarding disorder. We used a standardized clutter severity measure to assess whether individuals with hoarding disorder underreport home clutter levels relative to independent examiners. We then explored whether underreporting, as a proxy for anosognosia, is predicted by clinical or neurocognitive behavioral measures. We found that individuals with hoarding disorder underreport their clutter, and that underreporting is predicted by objective severity of clutter. In an n = 53 subset of participants, we found that underreporting is predicted by altered performance on tests of cognitive control and inhibition, specifically Go/No-Go and Stroop tests. The relation of underreporting to objective clutter, the cardinal symptom of hoarding disorder, suggests that anosognosia may reflect core pathophysiology of the disorder. The neurocognitive predictors of clutter underreporting suggest that anosognosia in hoarding disorder shares a neural basis with metacognitive awareness deficits in other neuropsychiatric disorders and that executive anosognosia may be a transdiagnostic manifestation of psychopathology.

Membrane translocation and activation of GnRH receptor sensitize prostate cancer cells to radiation.

BACKGROUND: GnRH analogs are widely used as neoadjuvant agents for radiotherapy in prostate cancer (PCa) patients, with well-documented effects in reducing tumor bulk and increasing progression-free survival. GnRH analogs act locally in the prostate by triggering apoptosis of PCa cells via activation of the GnRH receptor (GnRHR). During PCa progression, the distribution of GnRHR within the cell is altered, with reduced expression in the cell membrane and remaining sequestered in the endoplasmic reticulum. Pharmacoperone IN3 is able to relocalize GnRHR to the cell membrane. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of radiation on PCa cells pretreated with leuprolide, alone or in combination with IN3, as radiosensitizers. MATERIAL AND METHODS: PC3 and human PCa primary cell cultures were treated with IN3 for 24 h, followed by different doses of leuprolide for 48 h and, finally, single doses of radiation (3, 6, and 9 Gy). After radiation, cell survival, apoptosis, cell cycle distribution, and colony growth were evaluated. RESULTS: Radiation reduced cell survival and increased apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. This effect was also directly related to leuprolide concentration. Pretreatment with IN3 enhanced apoptosis and decreased cell survival, also observing a higher proportion of cells arrested in G2. CONCLUSION: Neoadjuvant leuprolide increases radiation-mediated apoptosis of PCa cells. This effect was enhanced by pretreatment with pharmacoperone IN3. Clinical use of IN3 as a radiosensitizer combined with androgen deprivation therapy to improve survival of patients with PCa remains to be evaluated.

Prevalence and correlates of current suicide risk in an international sample of OCD adults: A report from the International College of Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders (ICOCS) network and Obsessive Compulsive and Related Disorders Network (OCRN) of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology.

INTRODUCTION: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), characterized by repetitive anxiety-inducing intrusive thoughts and compulsive behaviors, is associated with higher suicide ideation and suicide attempts than the general population. This study investigates the prevalence and the correlates of current suicide risk in adult outpatients in an international multisite cross-sectional sample of OCD outpatients. METHODS: Data were derived from the International College of Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders (ICOCS) network's cross-sectional data set (N = 409). Current suicide risk (assessed by Item C of the MINI) and diagnoses of psychiatric disorders were based on DSM-IV. Chi-squared test for categorical variables and t-test for continuous variables were used to make statistical inferences about main features associated with current suicide risk. P < .05 was considered as statistically significant. RESULTS: The prevalence of current suicidal risk was 15.9%, with equal likelihood in sociodemographic variables, including age and gender. Increased rates of major depression and generalized anxiety disorder were associated to higher current suicide risk. Current suicide risk was also associated with higher severity of OCD, depressive comorbidity, and higher levels of disability. There were no significant differences in treatment correlates-including type of treatment and psychiatric hospitalizations-between the groups of individuals with and without current suicide risk. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that current suicide risk is common in patients with OCD and associated with various forms of pathology. Our work also provides further empirical data to support what is already known clinically: a worse clinical picture characterized by a high severity of OCD, high distress related to obsessions and compulsions, and the presence of comorbidities such as major depression and generalized anxiety disorder should be considered as relevant risk factors for suicide risk.

Urinary extracellular vesicles: A position paper by the Urine Task Force of the International Society for Extracellular Vesicles.

Urine is commonly used for clinical diagnosis and biomedical research. The discovery of extracellular vesicles (EV) in urine opened a new fast-growing scientific field. In the last decade urinary extracellular vesicles (uEVs) were shown to mirror molecular processes as well as physiological and pathological conditions in kidney, urothelial and prostate tissue. Therefore, several methods to isolate and characterize uEVs have been developed. However, methodological aspects of EV separation and analysis, including normalization of results, need further optimization and standardization to foster scientific advances in uEV research and a subsequent successful translation into clinical practice. This position paper is written by the Urine Task Force of the Rigor and Standardization Subcommittee of ISEV consisting of nephrologists, urologists, cardiologists and biologists with active experience in uEV research. Our aim is to present the state of the art and identify challenges and gaps in current uEV-based analyses for clinical applications. Finally, recommendations for improved rigor, reproducibility and interoperability in uEV research are provided in order to facilitate advances in the field.

Examining subjective sleep quality in adults with hoarding disorder.

Hoarding disorder (HD), characterized by difficulty parting with possessions and functionally impairing clutter, affects 2-6% of the population. Originally considered part of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), HD became a distinct diagnostic entity in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) in 2013. While sleep impacts OCD, little is known about sleep in HD. As HD patients often report poor sleep in clinical settings, understanding global subjective sleep quality and disturbances may lead to novel therapeutic targets. To address this gap, the authors used a sample of convenience: an existing data set designed to screen research study eligibility and explore the psychopathology and phenomenology of OCD and HD. The data set included information collected from individuals with HD (n = 38), OCD (n = 26), and healthy participants (n = 22) about insomnia, sleep quality, and mood using interviews and structured instruments including the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS). In this data set, HD and OCD groups reported significantly greater insomnia symptoms and poorer sleep quality compared with healthy controls while controlling for depression, age, and gender. A sizable minority of HD and OCD individuals met criteria for comorbid sleep disorders. OCD and HD groups differed in delayed sleep phase prevalence. To our knowledge, this is the first study examining subjective sleep quality and insomnia in HD as compared to healthy individuals and those with OCD, while controlling for relevant clinical characteristics. Given that there are evidence-based treatments for insomnia and other sleep disorders, our study raises the possibility that treatment interventions targeting sleep may improve HD outcomes.

Social media recruitment for mental health research: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Social media holds exciting promise for advancing mental health research recruitment, however, the extent and efficacy to which these platforms are currently in use are underexplored. OBJECTIVE: A systematic review was conducted to characterize the current use and efficacy of social media in recruiting participants for mental health research. METHOD: A literature review was performed using MEDLINE, EMBASE, and PsychINFO. Only non-duplicative manuscripts written in the English language and published between 1/1/2004-3/31/2019 were selected for further screening. Data extracted included study type and design, participant inclusion criteria, social media platform, advertising strategy, final recruited sample size, recruitment location, year, monetary incentives, comparison to other recruitment methods if performed, and final cost per participant. RESULTS: A total of 176 unique studies that used social media for mental health research recruitment were reviewed. The majority of studies were cross-sectional (62.5%) in design and recruited adults. Facebook was overwhelmingly the recruitment platform of choice (92.6%), with the use of paid advertisements being the predominant strategy (60.8%). Of the reviewed studies, substance abuse (43.8%) and mood disorders (15.3%) were the primary subjects of investigation. In 68.3% of studies, social media recruitment performed as well as or better than traditional recruitment methods in the number and cost of final enrolled participants. The majority of studies used Facebook for recruitment at a median cost per final recruited study participant of $19.47. In 55.6% of the studies, social media recruitment was the more cost-effective recruitment method when compared to traditional methods (e.g., referrals, mailing). CONCLUSION: Social media appears to be an effective and economical recruitment tool for mental health research. The platform raises methodological and privacy concerns not covered in current research regulations that warrant additional consideration.

Cambia el color y el riesgo… Nuevo escenario para el cáncer de próstata en Chile / Prostate cancer in african american immigrants in Chile

In 2017, migrants were 4.35% of the Chilean population, mainly from Peru and Colombia. From 2015, the amount of migrants from Central America, particularly from Haiti increased notably. This process changed the phenotype of the male population, increasing the proportion of black men, mainly between 20 and 50 years. Afro-descendant men have a higher risk for prostate cancer, and the tumor can appear as early as 40 years of age among them. This increase will have future repercussions on the public health system, since part of these men have low income and poor living conditions. Therefore, it is necessary to discuss early detection strategies focused on this population, including education for both patients and health professionals. This review includes data on the reality of migration in Chile and its impact on the health system. The higher incidence and mortality of prostate cancer in the migrant population is reviewed and risk-adjusted screening strategies are proposed.

Expressive innovation: How first-year college students introduced emoticons to the curriculum.

For the initiated, college may be remembered as a care-free and playful time. However, for contemporary college students the transition to college is challenging with only 1 in 3 returning for their second year of study, and the challenges are even greater for first-generation and low-income students. The interactive digital platform of the current study invited low-income first-year students to write about and reflect upon their transition to college. It was through the higher order cognitive process of writing, which involved deciding which words, symbols, and punctuation to use to express a particular thought to a particular audience, that the students made-sense of their experiences. Our analyses detail how students integrated new approaches for communicating their thoughts in writing and how these techniques changed over time. We show how first-year students used the affordances of the keyboard and an interactive blog to create a reflective and supportive digital writing style somewhere between the formality of the college essay and the freewheeling social media post. The emerging playful style was marked by the introduction of computer-mediated communication (CMC) cues typical of social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook, including emoticons and emojis, hashtags, repeated capital letters, repeated punctuation, and abbreviations such as lol, to the college course context. A path analysis of 209 blog posts and 161 comments over four time points, coupled with a qualitative case study showed that students developed their use of CMC cues first on the social level through comments and later on the individual level in their posts. Our analyses show how students integrated CMC cues to communicate humor and critique as they created a new genre of college writing. The social support and the CMC cues were concretely relevant to the students' development of knowledge and practice of what it meant to write in college and what it meant to become a college student.

[Prostate cancer in african american immigrants in Chile]. / Cambia el color y el riesgo Nuevo escenario para el cáncer de próstata en Chile.

In 2017, migrants were 4.35% of the Chilean population, mainly from Peru and Colombia. From 2015, the amount of migrants from Central America, particularly from Haiti increased notably. This process changed the phenotype of the male population, increasing the proportion of black men, mainly between 20 and 50 years. Afro-descendant men have a higher risk for prostate cancer, and the tumor can appear as early as 40 years of age among them. This increase will have future repercussions on the public health system, since part of these men have low income and poor living conditions. Therefore, it is necessary to discuss early detection strategies focused on this population, including education for both patients and health professionals. This review includes data on the reality of migration in Chile and its impact on the health system. The higher incidence and mortality of prostate cancer in the migrant population is reviewed and risk-adjusted screening strategies are proposed.

Augmenting Buried in Treasures with in-home uncluttering practice: Pilot study in hoarding disorder.

Hoarding disorder is characterized by difficulty parting with possessions and by clutter that impairs the functionality of living spaces. Cognitive behavioral therapy conducted by a therapist (individual or in a group) for hoarding symptoms has shown promise. For those who cannot afford or access the services of a therapist, one alternative is an evidence-based, highly structured, short-term, skills-based group using CBT principles but led by non-professional facilitators (the Buried in Treasures [BIT] Workshop). BIT has achieved improvement rates similar to those of psychologist-led CBT. Regardless of modality, however, clinically relevant symptoms remain after treatment, and new approaches to augment existing treatments are needed. Based on two recent studies - one reporting that personalized care and accountability made treatments more acceptable to individuals with hoarding disorder and another reporting that greater number of home sessions were associated with better clinical outcomes, we tested the feasibility and effectiveness of adding personalized, in-home uncluttering sessions to the final weeks of BIT. Participants (n = 5) had 15 sessions of BIT and up to 20 hours of in-home uncluttering. Reductions in hoarding symptoms, clutter, and impairment of daily activities were observed. Treatment response rate was comparable to rates in other BIT studies, with continued improvement in clutter level after in-home uncluttering sessions. This small study suggests that adding in-home uncluttering sessions to BIT is feasible and effective.

Representaciones sociales de los adolescentes acerca del riesgo de contraer VIH / Social representations of adolescents about HIV contraction risk

Objetivo: comprender las representaciones sociales del VIH a través de las percepciones,creencias y actitudes de adolescentes escolarizados en los grados 9°, 10° y 11° de bachillerato. Materiales y métodos: se aplicó a los participantes una entrevista semi-estructurada, teniendo en cuenta los criterios de objetivación y anclaje, para identificar el proceso de formación de las representaciones sociales, y las dimensiones de información, campo de representación y actitudes, tomando como base teórica lo planteado por Serge Moscovici y Jodelet, y los aportes de Mora al estudio de las representaciones sociales. Resultados: percepción de deterioro progresivo (físico, social y familiar), rechazo, discriminación y estigmatización; creencias de diminución de calidad de vida, muerte rápida, mayor en quienes tienen relaciones sexuales de riesgo; actitudes de rechazo hacia los portadores y personas promiscuas. Las representaciones sociales del riesgo de contraer VIH se organizan en torno a conceptos poco fundamentados acerca de la enfermedad, prejuicios relacionados con el rechazo, y la evitación del contacto, e ideas erradas acerca del contagio. Conclusiones: la objetivación está relacionada con el contexto social y educativo, así la representación se ve mediada por el conocimiento especializado y sentido común. En el anclaje prevalece la actitud de rechazo ante la transmisión, lo cual restringe la familiarización con la enfermedad, limita el contacto y la aceptación gradual de la persona contagiada. Las creencias-erróneas sobre formas de contagio, producen actitudes de rechazo, porque a los adolescentes se les dificulta hacer habitual lo extraño (anclaje)..(AU)

Objective: understand the social representations of HIV through the perceptions, beliefs and attitudes of adolescents schooled in grades 9, 10 and 11 of high school. Materials and methods: participants were applied a semi-structured interview, taking into account criteria of objectification and anchoring, to identify the process of formation of social representations, and the dimensions of information, representation field and attitudes, taking as a theoretical basis Serge Moscovici's and Jodelet's approaches and contributions of Mora to the study of social representations. Results: perception of progressive deterioration (physical, social and family), rejection, discrimination and stigmatization; beliefs of decreased quality of life, rapid death, higher in those who have risk sexual relations; attitudes of rejection towards the HIV carriers and promiscuous people. Social representations of the risk about contracting HIV are organized around poorly informed concepts about the disease, biases related to rejection and avoidance of contact, and misconceptions about contagion. Conclusions: objectification is related to the social and educational context, so representation is mediated by specialized knowledge and common sense. In anchorage, attitude of rejection before transmission prevails, which restricts the familiarization with the disease, limits the contact and the gradual acceptance of infected person. Misconceptions about forms of contagion, produce rejection attitudes, because adolescents find it difficult to make habitual strange things anchoring)..(US)

Prevalencia de microdeleciones del cromosoma Y en hombres chilenos infértiles / Y chromosome microdeletion prevalence in infertile Chilean men

Objetivo. El objetivo de este estudio es determinar la prevalencia de microdeleciones del cromosomaY en hombres chilenos infértiles. Material y métodos. Se incluyeron 102 hombres con diagnóstico de azoospermia u oligozoospermia severa que consultaron en la Unidad de Andrología por infertilidad. Se llevó a cabo análisis de microdeleciones de la región del factor de azoospermia (AZF) del cromosomaY a través de reacción en cadena de la polimerasa, utilizando ADN genómico extraído de leucocitos de sangre periférica. Cada paciente fue analizado utilizando sequence tagged sites para las regiones AZFa, AZFb y AZFc. Resultados. Sesenta y siete pacientes presentaron azoospermia y 35 oligozoospermia severa. Se encontraron microdeleciones del cromosomaY en el 9,8% de los pacientes. La mutación más prevalente fue AZFc, afectando al 3,9% de la muestra, seguida por AZFbc (2,9%), AZFa (2,0%) y AZFb (1,0%). Solo los hombres azoospérmicos presentaron las mutaciones. Conclusiones. La prevalencia de microdeleciones del cromosomaY en hombres chilenos infértiles es similar a la presentada en estudios internacionales. Estas mutaciones deben ser buscadas cuando se enfrenta a un paciente infértil con alteraciones cuantitativas severas del seminograma, ya que AZFa y AZFb están asociados con ausencia completa de gametos viables, y la portación de AZFc tiene importantes consecuencias en el potencial de fertilidad de la descendencia masculina (AU)

Objective. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of Ychromosome microdeletions in infertile Chilean men. Material and methods. A group of 102 infertile men with azoospermia or severe oligozoospermia were screened while attending a fertility clinic for microdeletions in the azoospermia factor (AZF) region of Ychromosome by multiplex polymerase chain reaction. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood samples. Each patient was analysed for the presence of sequence tagged sites in the AZFa, AZFb, and AZFc regions. Results. Azoospermia and severe oligozoospermia was found in 67 and 35 patients, respectively. Microdeletions were found in 9.8% of patients. The most prevalent mutation was AZFc, affecting 3.9% of the sample. This was followed by AZFbc with 2.9%, AZFa with 2.0%, and AZFb with 1.0%. Only azoospermic men were found to have these genetic alterations. Conclusions. Prevalence of Ychromosome microdeletions in infertile Chilean men is similar to the prevalence presented in international studies. As AZFa and AZFb mutations are associated with complete absence of viable gametes, and AZFc has important consequences in the fertility potential of the offspring, these mutations have to be searched when presented with an infertile patient with severe sperm alterations (AU)

Exosomes from bulk and stem cells from human prostate cancer have a differential microRNA content that contributes cooperatively over local and pre-metastatic niche.

The different prostate cancer (PCa) cell populations (bulk and cancer stem cells, CSCs) release exosomes that contain miRNAs that could modify the local or premetastatic niche. The analysis of the differential expression of miRNAs in exosomes allows evaluating the differential biological effect of both populations on the niche, and the identification of potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets. Five PCa primary cell cultures were established to originate bulk and CSCs cultures. From them, exosomes were purified by precipitation for miRNAs extraction to perform a comparative profile of miRNAs by next generation sequencing in an Illumina platform. 1839 miRNAs were identified in the exosomes. Of these 990 were known miRNAs, from which only 19 were significantly differentially expressed: 6 were overexpressed in CSCs and 13 in bulk cells exosomes. miR-100-5p and miR-21-5p were the most abundant miRNAs. Bioinformatics analysis indicated that differentially expressed miRNAs are highly related with PCa carcinogenesis, fibroblast proliferation, differentiation and migration, and angiogenesis. Besides, miRNAs from bulk cells affects osteoblast differentiation. Later, their effect was evaluated in normal prostate fibroblasts (WPMY-1) where transfection with miR-100-5p, miR-21-5p and miR-139-5p increased the expression of metalloproteinases (MMPs) -2, -9 and -13 and RANKL and fibroblast migration. The higher effect was achieved with miR21 transfection. As conclusion, miRNAs have a differential pattern between PCa bulk and CSCs exosomes that act collaboratively in PCa progression and metastasis. The most abundant miRNAs in PCa exosomes are interesting potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets.

Utilidad del tacto rectal en pacientes con cáncer de próstata y antígeno prostático menor a 4 ng/ml / Usefulness of DRE in patients with prostate cancer and PSA less than 4ng / ml

Actualmente la necesidad de incorporar el tacto rectal en protocolos de tamizaje ha sido tema de debate. Existe una gran proporción de cáncer de próstata (CaP) que son diagnosticados solo con tacto rectal (TR) sospechoso, aportando además importante información pronostica. En nuestro trabajo, evaluaremos la utilidad que tiene el tacto rectal sospechoso en aquellos pacientes con cáncer de próstata y APE < 4 ng/ml. MATERIALES Y MÉTODOS: Se realiza un estudio transversal y se registran pacientes de un hospital público que fueron controlados entre los años 2010 y 2012 con sospecha de CaP. Resultados: De un total de 268 pacientes que fueron sometidos a biopsia prostática por sospecha de CaP se obtuvo lo siguiente: 8 pacientes con APE < 2.5 ng/ml. cuya media de edad fue 70 años (61-82;7.4), destacó que el 87.5 por ciento tenía TR alterado y un 25 por ciento se confirmó cáncer, otorgando al TR una sensibilidad de 100 por ciento y valor predictivo positivo (VPP) 28.5 por ciento. 17 pacientes con APE 2.5-4.0 ng/ml. cuya media de edad fue 64.7 años (55-74;6.9), en donde un 29.4 por ciento tenía TR alterado y en un 35.3por ciento se confirmó cáncer, la sensibilidad del TR resultó 33por ciento y el VPP de 40 por ciento. 243 pacientes con APE 4.1-10 ng/ml. cuya media de edad fue 66.7 años (44-84;7.1), tenían TR alterado en 17.3porciento y confirmación de cáncer en un 27.3 por ciento, la sensibilidad del TR fue un 28.3 por ciento y el VPP 38 por ciento. CONCLUSIONES: La probabilidad de tener cáncer prostático con tacto rectal alterado es mayor a medida que aumenta el APE, destacando un VPP de 28.5 por ciento y VPN de un 100 por ciento en pacientes con APE < 2.5por ciento. En los pacientes con APE de 2.5-4.0 ng/ ml., el tacto rectal obtiene un VPP 40 por ciento y VPN 66.6 por ciento. Estos valores sugieren que aún es importante realizar el TR de manera rutinaria, ya que aproximadamente un tercio tendrá o desarrollara un cáncer de próstata.

Currently the need to include a rectal examination in screening protocols has been the subject of debate. There is a large proportion of prostate cancer (CaP) who are diagnosed only with suspicious digital rectal examination (DRE), also providing important prognostic information. In our work, we will evaluate the usefulness suspicious digital rectal examination in patients with prostate cancer and PSA <4 ng / ml. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted and a public hospital patients who were followed between 2010 and 2012 with suspected PCa are recorded. RESULTS: From the 268 patients who underwent prostate biopsy for suspected CaP the following was obtained: From 8 patients with PSA <2.5 ng / ml. whose average age was 70 years (61-82; 7.4), it was noted that 87.5 percent had altered DRE and in 25 percent cancer is confirmed, giving DRE a 100 percent sensitivity and a positive predictive value of (PPV) 28.5 percent. 17 patients with APE 2.5-4.0 ng / ml. whose mean age was 64.7 years (55-74; 6.9), where 29.4 percent had altered DRE and in 35.3 percent cancer is confirmed, the sensitivity of DRE was 33 percent and a PPV of 40 percent. 243 patients with APE 4.1-10 ng/ml. whose mean age was 66.7 years (44-84; 7.1) DRE was altered in 17.3 percent and confirmation of cancer was 27.3 percent, sensitivity was 28.3 percent and PPV 38 percent. CONCLUSIONS: The chance of having prostate cancer with altered DRE is greater with increasing PSA, highlighting a PPV of 28.5 percent and NPV of 100 percent in patients with PSA <2.5 percent. In patients with PSA of 2.5-4.0 ng / ml., DRE get a PPV 40 percent and NPV 66.6 percent. These values suggest that it is still important to the TR routinely, because approximately one third have or develop prostate cancer.

Evaluación de la calidad de vida en pacientes con cáncer de próstata tratados mediante prostatectomía radical: estudio prospectivo y resultados a dieciocho meses de seguimiento / Evaluation of quality of life in patients with prostate cancer treated with radical prostatectomy: prospective study and results after eighteen months of follow-up

El cáncer de próstata (CaP) representa un grave problema de salud en el mundo occidental. Actualmente se dispone de diferentes alternativas terapéuticas para el cáncer localizado, por lo que cobra gran importancia la calidad de vida (CDV) de los pacientes. Nuestro objetivo consistió en evaluar la CDV de los pacientes con cáncer de próstata localizado antes y después de ser tratados mediante prostatectomía radical (PR). Estudio de cohorte abierta prospectivo. Se incluyeron pacientes sometidos a PR por CaP localizado en el servicio de Urología de dos instituciones de salud. Se evaluaron parámetros de CDV mediante la aplicación del cuestionario UCLA-PCI previo al tratamiento, y luego de la cirugía a los 3, 6, 9, 12 y 18 meses. Se compararon los puntajes obtenidos mediante U Mann Whitney, estableciendo como significativo un p < 0,05. Mediante análisis multivariado se estudiaron factores protectores para recuperar al menos un 70 por ciento de la función inicial. Fueron incluidos cincuenta y cinco pacientes con un seguimiento mínimo de doce meses. La media de edad fue de 65.3 años (rango 44-78; DE: 7.8). En la evaluación de los 3 meses, se obtuvo una caída significativa en la función urinaria (80 v/s 59; p<0.001) y sexual (53 v/s 24; p<0.001) con respecto al basal. La función intestinal no sufrió un detrimento significativo durante todo el tiempo de evaluación. Tanto la función urinaria (59 v/s 69.1; p=0.03) y sexual (24 v/s 33.8; p=0.02) muestran una recuperación significativa a los 18 meses, con respecto a la caída evidenciada al tercer mes. El análisis multivariado determinó que la edad, el nivel de APE, el no recibir radioterapia postoperatoria y la preservación de haces neurovascualres (HNV) constituyen factores protectores para presentar un deterioro menor al 30 por ciento de la función sexual y urinaria inicial. Las funciones urinaria y sexual presentan una caída significativa en pacientes sometidos a PR, sin embargo tienden a recuperarse...

Prostate cancer continues to be a major public health problem in both industrialized and developing countries worldwide. Use of PSA has increased significantly the number of tumors diagnosed in early stages. Men undergo different therapeutics methods can generally expect excellent long-term survival, thus consideration of health related quality of life (HRQOL) after treatment is of great importance. Our objective was to evaluate HRQOL after radical prostatectomy in men with localized prostate cancer. Prospective cohort study with duration of two years (study ongoing). A total of 52 patients undergoing radical prostatectomy were prospectively enrolled at two institutions (Clinica Las Condes and Hospital San Borja, Santiago, Chile) between august 2011 and January 2012. HRQOL parameters were evaluated (sexual potency, urinary continence and bowel function) by applying the UCLA-PCI questionnaire before treatment and after surgery at 3 and 6 months. T-student was used to compare means. A p value <0.05 was considered statistically significant Results: A total of fifty two patients were recruited with a minimum follow up of nine months. The mean age was 65.6 years (range 44-78, SD: 8.5). The evaluation conducted at three months showed a significant decline in urinary function (74.7 v / s 58.4, P = 0.046) and sexual (55.9 v / s 19.2; p = 0,001) compared to baseline. The domain assessed that showed the highest decline in three months evaluation, was the sexual function, showing a fall of 78.2 percent compared to baseline. Of the three domains evaluated, urinary function (74.7 v / s 73.1, P = 0.83) and bowel function (80.1 v / s85.8, P = 0.86) showed a significant recovery at six months, with respect to the initia measurement. Sexual function when measured at six months showed a significant recovery in the three months evaluation (55.9 v / s 40, p = 0.048); however, did not reach the baseline.Although there is a pronounced worsening in three months evaluation, the...

Vaporización fotoselectiva prostática con láser greenlight: ¿existen más complicaciones en pacientes octogenarios? / Photoselective prostatic vaporization with greenlight laser: are there more complications in octogenarians?

Durante décadas la resección transuretral de próstata (RTU) se ha considerado el tratamiento de elección para la hiperplasia prostática benigna (HPB) sintomática. Los efectos adversos se reportan entre un 7 a 14 por ciento de los pacientes. Desde la introducción de la vaporización fotoselectiva prostática (VFSP) con láser GreenLight® su uso se ha propagado extensamente reportándose similar efectividad y mayor seguridad. Por otra parte, en los últimos años ha aumentado importantemente el número de procedimientos en octogenarios. Hoy se operan pacientes más añosos y con más comorbilidades. El objetivo de nuestro estudio fue evaluar si los pacientes octogenarios sometidos a VFSP con láser GreenLight® presentan más complicaciones que los menores de 80 años. Material y métodos: Estudio retrospectivo, de casos y controles. Se incluyeron pacientes con HPB sintomática sometidos a VFSP con láser GreenLight® entre los años 2005 y 2012. Se registró número de comorbilidades, número de fármacos, riesgo ASA y tiempo quirúrgico. Como complicaciones se consideró fiebre, requerimiento de transfusión, retención aguda de orina, estenosis de cuello, síntomas irritativos vesicales y otras. Se utilizó t-student y chi-cuadrado para comparar los grupos. Se obtuvo Odds ratio (OR) para las complicaciones. Resultados: Se incluyeron en el estudio 104 pacientes, 33 de ellos tenían 80 años o más. No existieron diferencias significativas entre los grupos. La estadía hospitalaria fue mayor en los pacientes octogenarios (60h vs 26h, p<0,001, IC 95 por ciento 14,9-54,2). No se encontraron diferencias significativas en cuanto a las complicaciones (36,4 por ciento vs 23,9 por ciento, p=0,24) con un OR de 1,82 (IC 95 por ciento 0,74 - 4.44).Conclusiones: Los octogenarios sometidos a VFSP con láser GreenLight® no presentan más complicaciones que aquellos de menor edad por lo que éste tratamiento podría considerarse como una alternativa segura y razonable para este grupo de pacientes...

For decades, transurethral resection of prostate (TURP) has been considered the treatment of choice for symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Adverse effects were reported between 7-14 percent of patients. Since the introduction Photoselective vaporization of the prostate (VFSP) with GreenLight ® laser its use has spread widely with similar effectiveness and increased safety being reported. Moreover, in recent years the number of procedures in octogenarians have significantly increased. Today more elderly patients with comorbidities are operated. The aim of our study was to evaluate whether octogenarians undergoing VFSP with GreenLight ® laser present more complications than those under 80.Methods: A retrospective, case-control study. Patients with symptomatic BPH that underwent GreenLight ® laser VFSP between 2005 and 2012 were included. Number of comorbidities, number of medications, ASA risk and operative time were recorded. As complications we considered: fever, transfusion requirements, acute urinary retention, bladder neck stenosis, bladder irritative symptoms and others. T-student and chi-square test were used to compare the groups. Odds ratio (OR) was obtained for complications. Results: The study included 104 patients, 33 of them were 80 years or older. There were no significant differences between groups. The hospital stay was higher in octogenarians (60h vs 26h, p <0.001, 95 percent CI 14.9 to 54.2). No significant differences were found in terms of complications (36.4 percent vs 23.9 percent, p = 0.24) with an OR of 1.82 (95 percent CI 0.74 - 4.44).Conclusions: Octogenarians undergoing VFSP with GreenLight ® laser did not have more complications than those younger patients, so this treatment could be considered as a safe and reasonable alternative for this group of patients...