Obesity,dyslipidemia, and high blood pressure are associated with cardiovascular risk,determined using high-sensitivity C-reactive protein concentration,in young adults

ObjectiveFew studies have investigated the relationships between high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) concentration and conventional cardiometabolic markers in young adults. The aim of this study was to characterize the cardiometabolic profile of young adults who are at high cardiovascular risk, according to hs-CRP concentration.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted in 300 young adults (18 to 30 years old) from southern Mexico (n = 150 normal-weight and n = 150 obese). Their circulating lipid and glucose concentrations were measured using colorimetric enzymatic assays, and their hs-CRP, ApoA, and ApoB concentrations were measured using turbidimetric assays.ResultsThe most prevalent abnormalities in the participants with high cardiovascular risk, determined using an hs-CRP >28.57 nmol/L, were high waist circumference (85.7%), obesity (83.9%), high low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (64.3%), low high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (50%), Apo B in the highest tertile (39.3%), hypertriglyceridemia (35.7%), and high blood pressure (30.4%). In addition, there were strong associations between hs-CRP >28.57 nmol/L and obesity (odds ratio [OR] = 13.9), high waist circumference (OR = 8.0), hypertriglyceridemia (OR = 4.0), high blood pressure (OR = 3.4), hypercholesterolemia (OR = 2.8), and Apo B in the highest tertile (OR = 2.4).ConclusionThe principal cardiometabolic alterations associated with high cardiovascular risk, determined using hs-CRP, are obesity, dyslipidemia, and high blood pressure in young adults.     

Highly Discriminatory Variable-Number Tandem-Repeat Markers for Genotyping of Trichophyton interdigitale Strains

Trichophyton interdigitale is the second most frequent cause of superficial fungal infections of various parts of the human body. Studying the population structure and genotype differentiation of T. interdigitale strains may lead to significant improvements in clinical practice. The present study aimed to develop and select suitable variable-number tandem-repeat (VNTR) markers for 92 clinical strains of T. interdigitale. On the basis of an analysis of four VNTR markers, four to eight distinct alleles were detected for each marker. The marker with the highest discriminatory power had eight alleles and a D value of 0.802. The combination of all four markers yielded a D value of 0.969 with 29 distinct multilocus genotypes. VNTR typing revealed the genetic diversity of the strains, identifying three populations according to their colonization sites. A correlation between phenotypic characteristics and multilocus genotypes was observed. Seven patients harbored T. interdigitale strains with different genotypes. Typing of clinical T. interdigitale samples by VNTR markers displayed excellent discriminatory power and 100% reproducibility.     

Gut Microbiome and Organ Fibrosis

Fibrosis is a pathological process associated with most chronic inflammatory diseases. It is defined by an excessive deposition of extracellular matrix proteins and can affect nearly every tissue and organ system in the body. Fibroproliferative diseases, such as intestinal fibrosis, liver cirrhosis, progressive kidney disease and cardiovascular disease, often lead to severe organ damage and are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, for which there are currently no effective therapies available. In the past decade, a growing body of evidence has highlighted the gut microbiome as a major player in the regulation of the innate and adaptive immune system, with severe implications in the pathogenesis of multiple immune-mediated disorders. Gut microbiota dysbiosis has been associated with the development and progression of fibrotic processes in various organs and is predicted to be a potential therapeutic target for fibrosis management. In this review we summarize the state of the art concerning the crosstalk between intestinal microbiota and organ fibrosis, address the relevance of diet in different fibrotic diseases and discuss gut microbiome-targeted therapeutic approaches that are current being explored.     

Sonication did not provide reliability to Maki technique for catheter related bloodstream infection diagnosis

ObjectiveThe aim of our study was to analyze sonication and Maki techniques for diagnosis of catheter tip colonization and catheter-related bloodstream infection (CRBSI) on patients admitted to ICU.Material and methodsObservational and prospective study in one Intensive Care Unit. Patients with some central venous catheter (CVC) at least for 7 days and catheter-related infection (CRI) suspicion (new episode of fever or sepsis) were included. We performed Maki technique followed by sonication of catheter tip. We compared area under the curve (AUC) of Maki, sonication, and techniques combination to diagnosis catheter tip colonization and CRBSI.ResultsWe included 94 CVC from 87 CRI suspicion episodes. We found 14 cases of catheter tip colonization and 10 cases of CRBSI. Of the 14 catheter tip colonization cases, 7 (50.0%) were detected by Maki and sonication techniques, 6 (42.9%) were detected only by Maki technique, and 1 (7.1%) was detected only by sonication technique. Of the 10 CRBSI, 6 (60.0%) were detected by Maki and sonication techniques, 4 (40.0%) were detected only by Maki technique, and any only by sonication technique. We found higher AUC in Maki technique than in sonication technique to diagnosis of CRBSI (p=0.02) and to diagnosis of catheter tip colonization (p=0.03). No significant differences were found in AUC between Maki technique and combination techniques for diagnosis of catheter tip colonization (p=0.32) and of CRBSI (p=0.32).Conclusion.:Sonication did not provide reliability to Maki technique for diagnosis of catheter tip colonization and CRBSI.     

Spontaneous rapid regression of a juvenile primary aneurysmal bone cyst of the skull: A case report and literature review

Aneurysmal bone cyst (ABC) is a benign lesion that often starts off the metaphysis of long bones and which, as it grows, may blow out bone. Only 3%-6% of cases are located in the skull. Spontaneous recovery has been reported. These cases occur more often in adults and in pelvic locations. Spontaneous regression at the skull level remains a very rare entity and few cases were described in the literature. Here, the authors report another case of spontaneous rapid regression of ABC of the skull in a 7-year-old boy revealed by gradually increasing painless hard swelling in the right frontal bone region with rapid spontaneous regression within 15 days. The authors will also proceed with an overview concerning this rare entity.     

Elevated postmortem ethanol concentrations in an insulin-dependent diabetic

A 54-year-old woman (165 cm, 37 kg) was found dead in her home during a welfare check after not having been seen for at least three days. The body showed clear evidence of decomposition. Her head was in what appeared to be a pool of blood. The residence was clean, neat, and showed no evidence of violence. Insulin was found in the refrigerator, and syringes were in the kitchen cabinet. In agreement with these physical findings, her clinical history indicated that she suffered insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Autolytic changes were noticed at autopsy, and no obvious cause of death was demonstrated. The autopsy heart blood sample screened negative for cocaine and/or metabolite (benzoylecgonine), phenethylamines, opiates, and barbiturates by radioimmunoassay. The alcohol concentration was 0.51 g/dL in the blood, 0.04 g/dL in the brain, 0.08 g/dL in the liver, and 0.05 g/dL in the urine, and acetone levels were 42 mg/dL, 53 mg/dL, 14 mg/dL, and 19 mg/dL, respectively. Isopropanol was also present in all samples analyzed. The cause of death was ruled as metabolic acidosis due to diabetes mellitus. Possible bacterial postmortem production of ethanol is considered as an explanation for the increased concentration of ethanol found in the postmortem heart blood.