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Biomedical subjects

J Sola

Publications and source records attributed to J Sola.

86 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

Preoperative values of CA 15-3 and CEA as prognostic factors in breast cancer: a multivariate analysis.

The role of circulating tumor markers in providing prognostic information has not been widely studied. In the current study, serum levels of the carbohydrate antigen 15-3 (CA 15-3) and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) were determined preoperatively in 364 breast cancer patients with no clinical signs of metastasis. The prognostic relevance of these markers for recurrence (175/364) and death of disease (104/175) was determined by Cox multivariate analysis, including the comparison with classical prognostic factors. High levels of both tumor markers were associated with aneuploid tumors with high S-phase fraction and high ornithine decarboxylase activity. CA 15-3 was highly associated with the number of positive lymph nodes and peritumoral lymphatic or blood vessel invasion. No significant associations were found between CEA or CA 15-3 levels and histologic grade, necrosis and steroid receptor status. In univariate analysis, preoperative values, using optimum cutoff values of CA 15-3 (40 U/ml) and CEA (6 ng/ml), were statistically significant for relapse-free survival and overall survival. In multivariate analysis, only node status, DNA ploidy and ornithine decarboxylase activity were independent predictors for relapse-free survival; the estrogen receptor status was a predictor of overall survival. In node-negative patients, ornithine decarboxylase activity was the only factor selected for relapse-free survival. In node-positive patients, the number of lymph nodes and DNA ploidy were the only variables selected for relapse-free survival or overall survival. Estrogen receptor and ornithine decarboxylase activity were excluded for relapse-free survival, but were significant prognostic factors for overall survival.

Adult↗

[Epidemiological surveillance of HIV/Aids infections in Navarra between 1985 and 2002].

In the year 1985, the first cases of Aids were diagnosed in Navarra. Since then and until December 2002, according to the notifications received, 2,329 persons with HIV have been counted, of whom 1,538 were from Navarra and 791 temporary residents in this autonomous community. In recent years, the incidence of new diagnoses of HIV infection and cases of Aids has shown a clear tendency to fall in Navarra. The decrease in cases has been very important amongst the users of intravenous drugs, while the cases amongst homo/bisexuals and cases related to heterosexual transmission have remained fairly stable. In the 1999-2002 period, the cases of infection through a sexual relationship have been more numerous than the cases registered in users of intravenous drugs. The proportion of cases in persons originating from countries with a high endemicity is increasing, coming to represent about 25% of the new cases of infection in the 2000-2002 period. The follow up of the 1,538 HIV patients of Navarra has shown that, at the end of 2002, death had occurred in 39.5% of cases, and it was possible to confirm that 55% were still alive. With regard to their relation to the health services, it has been found that of the 847 patients who are still living, the great majority (80%) are being attended to by the Infectious Services of the Hospital of Navarre and another 9.4% in the Internal Medicine Services of the Garcia Orcoyen and Reina Sofia Hospitals.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

[Bacterial infections in patients infected by HIV].

Individuals infected by the human immuno deficiency are more prone to suffering certain bacterial infections in the course of their clinical evolution. The agents involved in these infections are: Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella spp and Campylobacter spp, which occasion an increase in morbidity and mortality. With a lower frequency, but with an equal morbidity and mortality, infections have been found caused by Rhodococcus equi, Nocardia spp and Bartonella spp. Even though all of them account for a selective impairment of immunodeficiency in one way or another, their incidence varies. Other factors such as degree of immuno suppression, habits, social and geographic living environment could be important. In general, there is a lack of chemoprophylactic strategies for their prevention. Early diagnosis and correct treatment could have important advantages for the quality of life and survival of these patients

English Abstract↗

[Epidemiological surveillance of HIV/AIDS in Navarra].

More than fifteen years have passed since the first cases of AIDS were diagnosed in Navarra in 1985. According to the notifications received from then until December 2001, 2,400 people have been counted with HIV infection, of whom approximately 700 have developed AIDS, and 565 have died of AIDS or other causes. The incidence of new infections by HIV, cases of AIDS and deaths related to the latter, have shown a clear tendency to decline in Navarra in recent years. The decrease in cases is very important amongst the users of intravenous drugs, while the cases amongst masculine homo/bisexuals and amongst persons infected following a heterosexual encounter have remained fairly stable. For the first time, starting in 1999, persons infected through a sexual encounter are higher than the users of parenteral drugs. There has been an increase in the proportion of cases of AIDS and infection in persons originating from countries where the disease is endemic, accounting for over 23% of new cases of infection in the years 2000 and 2001. The figures for Navarra also reflect the important reduction of cases of AIDS and AIDS-related deaths since the introduction of more efficient anti-retroviral treatments in 1996. The strategies for the detection of HIV infection in persons who have maintained risk practices is important if we consider that in the years 2000 and 2001, there was a simultaneous diagnosis of infection and disease in one in every five patients. This implies that these persons did not benefit from treatments in the same way as they would have if the diagnosis had been made earlier.

English Abstract↗

[Progress in the control of HIV infection and AIDS in Navarre, 1985-2003].

The epidemiological situation of HIV infection and AIDS in Navarre in 2003 is reviewed. Up until December 2003, 1,610 HIV infections had been diagnosed in residents of Navarre, of whom 41% had died. The new diagnoses of HIV fell by some 81% between 1993 and 2003, a year in which 28 cases were diagnosed (4.8 per 100,000 inhabitants). The fall basically occurred in infections in injection drug users, since the cases due to sexual transmission had remained stable. Over half of the infections diagnosed in the period 2000-2003 (58%) were attributable to heterosexual transmission, 18% occurred in parenteral drug users and 12% in homosexual men. Thirty-three percent were persons originally from other countries. The incidence of AIDS fell from 75 cases in 1996 to 20 in 2003, and mortality from 65 to 8 cases, respectively. In the 2000-2003 period, the average annual incidence of AIDS was 4.2 per 100,000 inhabitants and the average annual rate of mortality was 1.6 per 100,000 inhabitants. At the end of 2003, there were 902 living persons with a diagnosis of HIV monitored by the health system (1.6 known infections per 1,000 inhabitants). In 2003, 65% of the youths aged between 15 and 29 referred to coital sexual relations, a higher percentage than in previous years, but their level of information on the prevention of AIDS was acceptable. It is necessary to insist on prevention and to adapt this to the new situation.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

[Evolution of the epidemiological characteristics of tuberculosis in Navarra (1994-2003)].

AIM: To describe the changes in the incidence and the epidemiological profile of tuberculosis in Navarra. METHODS: The cases of tuberculosis in the 1994-2003 period were analysed. Cases reported to the system of obligatory notifiable diseases, completed with the microbiological diagnoses and the cases collected in other health registers. RESULTS: The incidence of tuberculosis fell from 21 per 100,000 inhabitants in the five-year period 1994-1998 to 16 per 100,000 in 1999-2003. In both periods the number of cases in men doubled that in women, and the maximum incidence occurred in the age groups from 25 to 44 and over 65 years of age. The diagnoses of tuberculosis in persons with HIV infection fell from 15.1% to 6.6% and those in immigrants rose from 2.2% to 21.3%. Somewhat over 3% of the cases had received prior anti-tuberculosis treatment and about 6% showed resistance to some medicine, without significant differences between periods. The proportion of potentially transmissible tuberculosis (73%) underwent no significant changes, nor did that of those with positive sputum bacilloscopy. The number of outbreaks (groupings of two or more cases) rose from 18 to 26 and the percentage of cases secondary to another recent case rose from 3.6% to 10.1% (p<0,001). In the 1999-2003 period, pulmonary localisation occurred in isolated form in 67.7% of the patients, and in combination with other localisations in another 5.1%. The isolated pleural form appeared in 9.9% and the meningeal form in 1.5%. CONCLUSION: There has been an advance in the control of tuberculosis although its incidence is still high with respect to other European countries. Control of imported cases is one of the challenges to be faced in coming years, without neglecting control measures in the autochthonous population.

Adolescent↗

External fixation of femoral shaft fractures in children: enhanced stability with the use of an auxiliary pin.

From 1989 through 1994, we used a monolateral external fixator (Orthofix) to treat 39 femur fractures in 37 patients. The average age of the patients was 9.5 years (range, 5+11 to 18+8 years); 38 fractures were closed, and one was a grade I (Gustillo-Anderson classification) open fracture. Twenty-two fractures were treated by using the standard Orthofix pin configuration with two or three pins held in the pin clamps both above and below the fracture. We treated the remaining 16 fractures identically, except for the addition of an auxiliary pin, which was secured to the body of the fixator by using wire and methylmethacrylate. All patients were followed up to union and fixator removal at a mean of 97 days after fixator placement (range, 50-175 days). Thirty-one (84%) patients were followed up for 1 year after injury. Six of 22 femurs without an auxiliary pin required remanipulation for loss of reduction. Only one of 16 femurs treated with an auxiliary pin required remanipulation. Four of 22 femurs without an auxiliary pin went on to malunion. No femur with an auxiliary pin went on to malunion.

Adolescent↗

[Imaging techniques for axillary lymph node staging in breast cancer].

The axillary lymph node status is the most important prognostic factor in breast cancer, and the axillary dissection as the gold standar for staging. It requires radical surgery, which is accompanied by importants postoperaive problems. Axillary lymph nodes can be imaged with a wide variety of available diagnostic radiological test (ultrasonography, mammography, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging). In these anatomic imaging, the limph nodes whit metastatic disease appear dense, enlarged or spiculated. Difficulties arise, not in visualization of the axillary lymph nodes, but in reliably separating normal from those involved with metastatic disease. Radionucleide studies and positron emisión tomography provide biochemical information, but are limited by resolution constrains.

Axilla↗

[Comparative study between 10 and 20 mg of cetirizine in the symptomatic treatment of seasonal allergic rhinoconjunctivitis].

Our patients with seasonal allergic rhinoconjunctivitis usually present severe clinical symptoms. A single daily dose of cetirizine 10 mg might be insufficient for these patients. To investigate this hypothesis we compared clinical efficacy and adverse side effects between two daily doses of cetirizine, 10 and 20 mg. We designed a comparative open randomized study, including 38 patients, with hay fever sensitized to local pollens (grass, olive, parietaria judaica, chenopodium album, artemisia vulgaris and plantago lanceolata) diagnosed by clinical history and a positive skin prick test (wheal > 3 mm), 20 women and 18 men, aged 17 to 57 years (x: 31.32 +/- 9.73), living in the same geographic area. Randomly, after a week run in period, 21 subjects received a daily dose of cetirizine 10 mg during 2 weeks, and the other 17 received 10 mg twice a day. The symptomatic score used was based on: sneezes number, nasal itching, nasal secretion, nasal congestion, ocular itching, lacrimation, weight gain, sedation and additional methylprednisolone usage. All symptoms were scored on a 0-3 scale (0: absent; 1: mild; 2: moderate; 3: severe). A mean 8 points daily score during the previous week was required for recruitment. Nasal eosinophilia was determined at baseline and at the end of treatment. The study was conducted in may 1992. We did not find significant differences between the two groups, except in sneezes number and sedation. Both groups improved their symptoms, in comparison with the basal week (p < 0.01) and reduced their oral steroid use (p < 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗

[Comparative study] of beclomethasone and budesonide, with same posology (400 micrograms every 12 hours), in the control of cortico-dependent intrinsic asthma].

Inhaled steroids have rendered an undoubtful benefit in the control of airway inflammation of the asthmatic patients. Our objective was to compare clinical efficacy between budesonide (BUD) and beclomethasona depropionate (BDP), when administered at equal doses (800 micrograms/24 hours). A two ways crossed open clinical trial was designed. Thirty-three steroid dependent chronic asthmatic patients (18 females, 15 males) were included. Ages ranged from 29 to 73 years (mean = 52.5 +/- 11.7). All subjects suffered a severe asthma, with several years of activity (mean = 11.7 +/- 7.8), insufficiently controlled by inhaled steroids and bronchodilators, who required regular systemic steroids supply. The parameters compared were: the patients subjective symptoms punctuation (cough, expectoration, thoracic noises, exercise induce dyspnea and dyspnea at rest), salbutamol needs (number of inhalations/day), additional prednisone needs, sputum eosinophil counts, FEV1 measurement and inespecific bronchial reactivity control (PD20 methacoline). After a baseline week patients received one of the drugs for 6 weeks and, after a lavage week, the other drug was administered for another 6 weeks. All patients improved with both therapies. We got the following conclusions: 1) a significative decrease in salbutamol (p < 0.05-0.001) and prednisone needs (p < 0.05-0.001); 2) this decrease has been more important during BUD therapy, although without significative differences; 3) no significant variations in sputum eosinophils, FEV1 or bronchial reactivity were observed; 4) both drugs, when administered at equal doses, have probed to be equally effective in severe steroid dependent asthma control.

Adult↗