Association of Early Kidney Allograft Failure with Preformed IgA Antibodies to β2-Glycoprotein I

In the current immunosuppressive therapy era, vessel thrombosis is the most common cause of early graft loss after renal transplantation. The prevalence of IgA anti–β₂-glycoprotein I antibodies (IgA-aB2GPI-ab) in patients on dialysis is elevated (>30%), and these antibodies correlate with mortality and cardiovascular morbidity. To evaluate the effect of IgA-aB2GPI-ab in patients with transplants, we followed all patients transplanted from 2000 to 2002 in the Hospital 12 de Octubre prospectively for 10 years. Presence of IgA-aB2GPI-ab in pretransplant serum was examined retrospectively. Of 269 patients, 89 patients were positive for IgA-aB2GPI-ab (33%; group 1), and the remaining patients were negative (67%; group 2). Graft loss at 6 months post-transplant was significantly higher in group 1 (10 of 89 versus 3 of 180 patients in group 2; P=0.002). The most frequent cause of graft loss was thrombosis of the vessels, which was observed only in group 1 (8 of 10 versus 0 of 3 patients in group 2; P=0.04). Multivariate analysis showed that the presence of IgA-aB2GPI-ab was an independent risk factor for early graft loss (P=0.04) and delayed graft function (P=0.04). There were no significant differences regarding patient survival between the two groups. Graft survival was similar in both groups after 6 months. In conclusion, patients with pretransplant IgA-aB2GPI-ab have a high risk of early graft loss caused by thrombosis and a high risk of delayed graft function. Therefore, pretransplant IgA-aB2GPI-ab may have a detrimental effect on early clinical outcomes after renal transplantation.     

硒蛋白P在直肠癌中的表达及临床意义

目的应用免疫组织化学染色的方法检测硒蛋白P在直肠癌组织中的表达,以探讨其与直肠癌发生的关系及临床意义。方法收集山西大医院2013年6月至2014年5月间行手术治疗并经病理证实的60例直肠癌组织、40例直肠腺瘤组织、40例正常直肠组织,应用SABC法检测上述组织中硒蛋白P的表达情况,结果依据阳性细胞百分率和染色强度进行评价,三组间样本率的比较采用无序行×列表?2检验(α=0.05),两组间样本率的比较采用独立样本?2检验(α=0.016 7),硒蛋白的表达与直肠癌临床病理参数的关系采用四格表?2检验(α=0.05)进行分析。结果硒蛋白P在正常直肠组织、直肠腺瘤组织、直肠癌组织中的表达阳性率分别为82.5%(33/40)、70.0%(28/40)、45.0%(27/60),组间差异有统计学意义(?2=15.680,P<0.001),癌组织与正常组织、腺瘤组织间差异显著(?2=14.063,P<0.001;?2=6.061,P=0.015);硒蛋白的表达与肿瘤大小、是否浸润浆膜有关(P<0.05),与性别、年龄、淋巴结有无转移、肿瘤细胞分化程度、TNM分期无关(P>0.05)。结论硒蛋白在直肠癌中低表达,对直肠癌的发生发展具有重要作用,有望为直肠癌的治疗提供新思路。     

Efectividad de un nuevo modelo de derivación telefónica compartida entre atención primaria y atención hospitalaria

Aim

The purpose of this study is to find out whether telephone referral from Primary Health Care to Internal Medicine Consult manages to reduce waiting days as compared to traditional referral. This study also aims to know how acceptable is the telephone referral to general practitioners and their patients.

Ultrasound-Assist Extrusion Methods for the Fabrication of Polymer Nanocomposites Based on Polypropylene/Multi-Wall Carbon Nanotubes

Isotactic polypropylenes (iPP) with different melt flow indexes (MFI) were used to fabricate nanocomposites (NCs) with 10 wt % loadings of multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) using ultrasound-assisted extrusion methods to determine their effect on the morphology, melt flow, and electrical properties of the NCs. Three different types of iPPs were used with MFIs of 2.5, 34 and 1200 g/10 min. Four different NC fabrication methods based on melt extrusion were used. In the first method melt extrusion fabrication without ultrasound assistance was used. In the second and third methods, an ultrasound probe attached to a hot chamber located at the exit of the die was used to subject the sample to fixed frequency and variable frequency, respectively. The fourth method is similar to the first method, with the difference being that the carbon nanotubes were treated in a fluidized air-bed with an ultrasound probe before being used in the fabrication of the NCs with no ultrasound assistance during extrusion. The samples were characterized by MFI, Optical microscopy (OM), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), electrical surface resistivity, and electric charge. MFI decreases in all cases with addition of MWCNTs with the largest decrease observed for samples with the highest MFI. The surface resistivity, which ranged from 10¹³ to 10⁵ Ω/sq, and electric charge, were observed to depend on the ultrasound-assisted fabrication method as well as on the melt flow index of the iPP. A relationship between agglomerate size and area ratio with electric charge was found. Several trends in the overall data were identified and are discussed in terms of MFI and the different fabrication methods.     

Bifid mandibular canal.

PURPOSE: To determine the incidence and characteristics of bifid mandibular canals. METHODS: A retrospective study was performed using panoramic radiographs of 2012 patients subjected to dental treatment in the Dental Clinic of the Valencia University Dental School (Valencia, Spain) between 1996 and 1999. The goal was to investigate the presence of double mandibular canals. RESULTS: The extraoral panoramic radiographs revealed a total of 7 images suggestive of bifid canals. Mandibular computed tomography revealed the existence of this anatomic variant in 2 of 3 patients. An analysis was performed on the incidence of this type of image in extraoral panoramic radiography, its possible interpretations, and the clinical implications of bifid mandibular canals. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, 0.35% of canals were bifid. All cases were in women.