Clinical and subclinical cardiovascular disease in female SLE patients: Interplay between body mass index and bone mineral density

Background and aims

Since accelerated atherosclerosis has been reported in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), predictive biomarkers of cardiovascular disease (CVD) are needed. Among non-traditional risk factors, bone mineral density (BMD) has been related to CVD. However, its role in SLE remains controversial. This study aims to analyze the associations of subclinical atherosclerosis with traditional and non-traditional CV risk factors.

A population-based analysis of pediatric breast cancer

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to evaluate trends in demographics and outcomes of pediatric breast cancer in a United States population-based cohort.

Congenital high airway obstruction syndrome (CHAOS): Natural history,prenatal management strategies,and outcomes at a single comprehensive fetal center

PurposeCongenital high airway obstruction syndrome (CHAOS) is a devastating fetal condition of complete airway discontinuity resulting in significant hydrops and extreme lung hyperplasia. It is universally fatal with survival reported only in the rare spontaneous fistulization or EXIT intervention (Ex Utero Intrapartum Treatment). Even in these cases, mortality remains high, and current investigations are targeting prenatal interventions. This report describes our experience with management and fetal interventions for CHAOS, including laser laryngotomy.MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed all patients diagnosed with CHAOS at a single academic institution between 2006 and 2017.ResultsFifteen patients were identified. Eight had obstruction at the trachea and seven at the larynx. In the laryngeal obstructions, three expired shortly after birth, and one survived after spontaneous fistulization and subsequent EXIT to tracheostomy. The remaining three underwent in-utero treatment with laser laryngotomy. One had preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM), delivered 3 days post-operatively, and died. Two underwent EXIT to tracheostomy with one surviving to discharge and is currently 2 years old.ConclusionOur study demonstrates the outcomes of a large series of patients diagnosed with CHAOS. While mortality remains high, options for fetal intervention are being explored to allow alterations in the prenatal natural history and improve postnatal outcomes.Type of StudyRetrospective Treatment Study.Level of EvidenceLevel IV.     

Knowledge of the Brain Death Concept in Dominican Immigration Residents in Spain and Florida

The Latin American population has a double way of immigration, one toward the United States by proximity and another toward Spain by sociocultural affinity. This population increase is affecting organ donation and transplantation in receiving countries.

Patterns in metabolite profile are associated with risk of more aggressive prostate cancer: A prospective study of 3,057 matched case–control sets from EPIC

Metabolomics may reveal novel insights into the etiology of prostate cancer, for which few risk factors are established. We investigated the association between patterns in baseline plasma metabolite profile and subsequent prostate cancer risk, using data from 3,057 matched case–control sets from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC). We measured 119 metabolite concentrations in plasma samples, collected on average 9.4 years before diagnosis, by mass spectrometry (AbsoluteIDQ p180 Kit, Biocrates Life Sciences AG). Metabolite patterns were identified using treelet transform, a statistical method for identification of groups of correlated metabolites. Associations of metabolite patterns with prostate cancer risk (OR_1SD) were estimated by conditional logistic regression. Supplementary analyses were conducted for metabolite patterns derived using principal component analysis and for individual metabolites. Men with metabolite profiles characterized by higher concentrations of either phosphatidylcholines or hydroxysphingomyelins (OR_1SD = 0.77, 95% confidence interval 0.66–0.89), acylcarnitines C18:1 and C18:2, glutamate, ornithine and taurine (OR_1SD = 0.72, 0.57–0.90), or lysophosphatidylcholines (OR_1SD = 0.81, 0.69–0.95) had lower risk of advanced stage prostate cancer at diagnosis, with no evidence of heterogeneity by follow-up time. Similar associations were observed for the two former patterns with aggressive disease risk (the more aggressive subset of advanced stage), while the latter pattern was inversely related to risk of prostate cancer death (OR_1SD = 0.77, 0.61–0.96). No associations were observed for prostate cancer overall or less aggressive tumor subtypes. In conclusion, metabolite patterns may be related to lower risk of more aggressive prostate tumors and prostate cancer death, and might be relevant to etiology of advanced stage prostate cancer.