A scoring system to predict recurrence in breast cancer patients

Objective

Current breast cancer recurrence prediction models have limitations for clinical practice (statistical methodology, simplicity and specific populations). We therefore developed a new model that overcomes these limitations.

Peasant strategies for economic reproduction and malaria epidemiology in the ravines microregion of the Chiapas mountains, Mexico: a case study

The goal of this investigation was to establish an initial correlation between farming activities and malaria and to define risk factors and prevalence of the latter through an analysis of the integration of farm production strategies by members of an indigenous peasant community in the Chiapas mountains in Mexico. Information was obtained on places of work, land use, coffee, corn, and bean farming, and number of family members involved in farming activities, wage labor, and handicrafts production. Migration of farm workers to warmer climates was also analyzed. The study compared families with and without cases of malaria from 1987 to 1993 in the town of Yibeljoj, Chenalhó county. The most outstanding characteristics of this analysis were the following: strategies involving greater risk and prevalence of malaria were those which combined corn farming and wage labor; on the other hand, strategies in which handicraft production was the activity of primary or secundary importance were associated with few or no cases of the disease.     

Validity and reliability of the Spanish Version of the Psychological General Well-Being Index

The Psychological General Well-Being Index (PGWBI) was adapted for use in Spain. The American version was translated and back-translated independently by three bilinguals and the comprehensibility of a consensuated version was tested in a pilot study. The construct validity and internal consistency of the questionnaire were tested in 104 patients (52 high blood pressure patients attending a primary health care centre and 52 end-stage renal disease patients undergoing hemodialysis). Concurrently to the PGWBI, patients were administered the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) and three psychosocial categories of the Sickness Impact Profile (SIP-PD). Patients in the dialysis group were administered the PGWBI on two occasions, two weeks apart. The PGWBI was moderately to highly correlated with the GHQ-12 (r=-0.71) and with the SIP-PD (r=-0.69). Overall internal consistency as measured by Cronbach's coefficient was 0.94. By dimensions, PGWBI coefficients ranged from 0.56 (Self-control) to 0.88 (Anxiety). No differences were found in mean PGWBI scores between the two groups of patients studied. Two-week test-retest intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.76. the similarity of the operating characteristics supports the contention that the Spanish and American versions of the PGWBI are conceptually equivalent. More research is needed on the reliability and responsiveness of the different dimensions of the questionnaire. Our results suggest that only global scores should be used when making individual comparisons.This project was funded by Laboratorios ASTRA España SA.     

Mitis salivarius-bacitracin 10% sacarose agar for oral streptococci and Streptococcus mutans counts

The MSB Agar (mitis salivarius-bacitracin) 20% sacarose medium is frequently used for the isolation and count of total streptococci and Streptococcus mutans. Although it is considered a selective culture medium for this micro-organism, S. mutans recovery in this medium is much lower than in this Mitis Salivarius Agar (MSA). Because the number of S. mutans in saliva is used for estimating caries risk and activity from a microbiological stand point, the aim of this work was to find a modification of the MSB 20% sacarose medium so that it would offer not only selectivity in the isolation but also maximum recovery. This would detect people at risk more efficiency and would evaluate the preventive odontological treatments more accurately. The results show that: 1) the greatest recovery of total streptococci and S. mutans is obtained in the MSB 10% sacarose medium, 2) S. mutans must be incubated in aerobiosis and the total streptococci in a candle jar (10% CO2). MSB 10% sacarose medium is proposed as a choice medium for the microbiological estimation of cariogenic risk and activity, to detect infection levels and evaluate preventive odontological treatments.     

Familial aggregation of cardiovascular disease risk factors: the Cuenca Study

OBJECTIVE: The familial aggregation of lipid levels, blood pressure, and body mass index (BMI) was studied in schoolchildren in Cuenca, Spain. METHODS: A cross-sectional observation study was made of 307 schoolchildren of both sexes, age range 9-12 years, from three schools in Cuenca, Spain, and of 346 parents. Social and demographic variables, weight, height, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and fasting plasma concentrations of total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, and triglycerides were evaluated. RESULTS: The Spearman coefficients of correlation for total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and BMI for parents and daughters were 0.34-0.42 (P < 0.01). These coefficients of correlation for parents and sons were lower (P > 0.05). The coefficient of correlation for blood pressure in parents and sons was low (P < 0.05). None of the variables showed any coefficient of correlation between spouses. The sexual differences in the correlations between the levels of the different variables were confirmed by multiple regression analysis. Total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol levels and BMI accounted for larger percentages of variability in these parameters in daughters than in sons. The paternofilial aggregation of HDL-cholesterol and triglyceride levels was weak. The only variable that accounted for a significant variability in blood pressure (systolic and diastolic) was weight in children of both sexes. CONCLUSIONS: The familial aggregation of lipid levels and body mass index showed sex differences. The paternofilial aggregation of blood pressure was weak. There was no relation between spouses.     

Hypolipidemic and hypoglycemic activities of a oleanolic acid derivative from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Malva parviflora</Emphasis> on streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice

One new oleanolic acid derivative, 2α,3β,23α,29α tetrahydroxyolean-12(13)-en-28-oic acid (1) was isolated from the aerial parts of Malva parviflora. Their structure was characterized by spectroscopic methods. The hypolipidemic and hypoglycemic activities of 1 was analyzed in in streptozotocin (STZ)-nicotinamide-induced type 2 diabetes in mice (MD) and type 1 diabetes in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice (SD). Triterpene was administered orally at doses of 20 mg/kg for 4 weeks. Organ weight, body weight, glucose, fasting insulin, cholesterol-related lipid profile parameters, glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (SGOT), glutamate pyruvate transaminase (SGPT), serum alkaline phosphatase (SALP), glucokinase, hexokinase, glucose-6-phosphatase activities and glycogen in liver were measured after 4 weeks of treatment. The results indicated that 1 regulate glucose metabolism, lipid profile, lipid peroxidation, increased body weight, glucokinase and hexokinase activities inhibited triglycerides, total cholesterol, low density lipoproteins level, SGOT, SGPT, SALP, glycogen in liver and glucose-6-phosphatase. In addition, improvement of insulin resistance and protective effect for pancreatic β-cells, also 1 may changes the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokine (IL-6 and TNF-α levels) and enzymes (PAL2, COX-2, and LOX). The results suggest that 1 has hypolipidemic and hypoglycemic, anti-inflammatory, activities, improve insulin resistance and hepatic enzymes in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice.     

A Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra virgin olive oil or nuts improves endothelial markers involved in blood pressure control in hypertensive women

Purpose

Serum nitric oxide (NO) reduction and increased endothelin-1 (ET-1) play a pivotal role in endothelial dysfunction and hypertension. Considering that traditional Mediterranean diet (TMD) reduces blood pressure (BP), the aim of this study was to analyze whether TMD induced changes on endothelial physiology elements such as NO, ET-1 and ET-1 receptors which are involved in BP control.

Methods

Non-smoking women with moderate hypertension were submitted for 1 year to interventions promoting adherence to the TMD, one supplemented with extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) and the other with nuts versus a control low-fat diet (30 participants/group). BP, NO, ET-1 and related gene expression as well as oxidative stress biomarkers were measured.

Results

Serum NO and systolic BP (SBP) or diastolic BP (DBP) were negatively associated at baseline, as well as between NO and ET-1. Our findings also showed a DBP reduction with both interventions. A negative correlation was observed between changes in NO metabolites concentration and SBP or DBP after the intervention with TMD + EVOO (p = 0.033 and p = 0.044, respectively). SBP reduction was related to an impairment of serum ET-1 concentrations after the intervention with TMD + nuts (p = 0.008). We also observed changes in eNOS, caveolin 2 and ET-1 receptors gene expression which are related to NO metabolites levels and BP.

Conclusions

The changes in NO and ET-1 as well as ET-1 receptors gene expression explain, at least partially, the effect of EVOO or nuts on lowering BP among hypertensive women.

     

Chronic naltrexone suppresses platelet aggregation induced by adrenaline and 5-hydroxytryptamine in former heroin addicts

Summary Naltrexone, an opioid receptor antagonist, is used as an adjunct in the treatment of opiate addiction. In former heroin addicts, long-term treatment with naltrexone (350 mg/week for 5 months) resulted in suppression of adrenaline and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)-induced platelet aggregation. The results demonstrate that sustained blockade of opioid receptors can impair the functional expression of ₂-adrenoceptors and 5-HT₂ receptors in human platelets. These findings may have negative clinical implications in the treatment of opiate addiction with naltrexone.     

Sociodemographic and Personal Factors Related to Depressive Symptomatology in the Mexican Population Aged 12 to 65

Objective: To describe the prevalence of depressive symptoms in the Mexican population, aged 12 to 65 years, by identifying the main related socio-demographic and personal factors. Methods: Data are drawn from the National Survey on Addictions 2008 (ENA 2008), a random, probabilistic, multistage study. A randomly selected sub-sample of 22,962 persons answered the section on depressive symptomatology, measured with the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). Results: The total prevalence for depressive symptomatology was 5.1%; the prevalence was 7.5% for women and 2.5% for men. For women, more evidence of depressive symptoms was seen in the central region, whereas for men, symptoms were homogeneous across the country. Factors related to the presence of depressive symptoms include being divorced (in women) or widowed (in men), having lower educational attainment, perceiving one's place of residence as unsafe, displaying alcohol abuse or dependence, being a regular drug consumer (in men) and having been sexually abused (males and females). Conclusions: The regional distribution of depressive symptomatology in women indicates the need for region-specific prevention programs that take into account the different social problems that affect women's emotional well-being. More research is also needed to support the early identification and intervention of men suffering from depression.     

3D evaluation of maxillary arches in unilateral cleft lip and palate patients treated with nasoalveolar moulding vs. Hotz′s plate

To compare the three‐dimensional changes occurring in the maxillary arch during the use of modified pre‐surgical nasoalveolar moulding (PNAM) and Hotz′s plate. A clinical trial including 32 children with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP), 16 treated with Hotz′s plate and 16 with PNAM, was performed. Impressions of the maxillary arches were taken: A. prior to pre‐surgical orthopaedics, B. before cheiloplasty and C. after cheiloplasty. Models were digitised using a stereophotogrammetric instrument, and geodesic distances were calculated: anterior, canine and posterior widths of the arch, and lengths and cleft depths of the larger and shorter segments. The time and treatment effects were assessed by two‐factor anova . A significant effect of treatment was found for cleft depth at the larger segment: children treated with Hotz′s plate had significantly deeper cleft than children treated with PNAM. All distances significantly changed during time: the anterior and canine widths decreased, while the posterior width, the lengths and depths of the cleft segments increased. Significant treatment per time interactions was found. The anterior and canine widths reduced more with PNAM between time points A and B while Hotz's treatment was more effective between B and C. The shorter segment depth increased more between B and C with PNAM, and between A and B with Hotz's plate. During pre‐surgical orthopaedics, therapy with PNAM obtained the best results in reducing the width at the anterior segment of the cleft. This treatment gave a lower increase in cleft depth than treatment with Hotz′s plate.