COVID-19 pandemic,as experienced in the surgical service of a district hospital in Spain

The coronavirus disease 2019, which is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, was first identified in December 2019 in Wuhan, China, and has since spread rapidly, evolving into a full-blown pandemic. We would like to report our experience after 1 year of this pandemic in the surgical service of a district hospital in Spain. There have been many changes (including new protocols) that our service and the hospital have undergone, to adapt to the new situation. We believe that this experience can be useful for other professionals who have lived and are living a similar situation.     

Treat-to-target strategy in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: Audit of adherence from real world clinical data

IntroductionThe current paradigm of the management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) recommends achieving a state of remission or low disease activity through the treat-to-target strategy. Our study assesses adherence to this strategy.MethodPatients with RA (ACR-EULAR 2010 criteria) were included. From each centre, 19 patients were randomly selected. Clinical histories (CH) were assessed by independent auditors, checking compliance with predefined quality criteria. The study was approved by ethics committees.ResultsWe included 856 patients (mean age 54 years; 71% women). The use of a combined index (CI) was recorded in 61% of cases. Visits were recorded every 4 weeks using a CI in 4% of CH while attempts were made to achieve remission. Monitoring of disease activity every 6–8 months after reaching the target was recorded in 73% of cases.ConclusionsThe implementation of the treat-to-target strategy is barely recorded in patients with RA in routine clinical practice.     

Genome-wide association analysis of dementia and its clinical endophenotypes reveal novel loci associated with Alzheimer's disease and three causality networks: The GR@ACE project

IntroductionLarge variability among Alzheimer's disease (AD) cases might impact genetic discoveries and complicate dissection of underlying biological pathways.MethodsGenome Research at Fundacio ACE ([email protected]) is a genome-wide study of dementia and its clinical endophenotypes, defined based on AD's clinical certainty and vascular burden. We assessed the impact of known AD loci across endophenotypes to generate loci categories. We incorporated gene coexpression data and conducted pathway analysis per category. Finally, to evaluate the effect of heterogeneity in genetic studies, [email protected] series were meta-analyzed with additional genome-wide association study data sets.ResultsWe classified known AD loci into three categories, which might reflect the disease clinical heterogeneity. Vascular processes were only detected as a causal mechanism in probable AD. The meta-analysis strategy revealed the ANKRD31-rs4704171 and NDUFAF6-rs10098778 and confirmed SCIMP-rs7225151 and CD33-rs3865444.DiscussionThe regulation of vasculature is a prominent causal component of probable AD. [email protected] meta-analysis revealed novel AD genetic signals, strongly driven by the presence of clinical heterogeneity in the AD series.     

Placental metal concentrations and birth outcomes: The Environment and Childhood (INMA) project

Objective

To examine the association of placental levels of arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), manganese (Mn), and chromium (Cr) with birth outcomes (birth weight, length, and head circumference, low birth weight [LBW], gestational age, preterm delivery, and small for gestational age [SGA]) in mother-child pairs from the Environment and Childhood (INMA) Project in Spain.

Maternal obesity and long-term neuropsychiatric morbidity of the offspring

Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics - To evaluate the long-term pediatric neuropsychiatric morbidity of children born to obese patients. A population-based cohort analysis was performed comparing...