Towards the Recycling of Bio-Waste: The Case of Pontevedra, Spain (REVITALIZA)

Waste management is one of the main environmental problems that municipalities have to address. The fulfilment of the recycling objectives imposed by the European Community requires the segregation and treatment of the municipal bio-waste. Pontevedra Provincial Council started in 2015 an innovative plan, called REVITALIZA, for the recycling of bio-waste through the promotion of composting in municipalities. REVITALIZA, which is developed in different phases, advocates the implementation of local composting (home and community composting) and small composting facilities, so that the generation of waste and the economic and environmental costs of its collection and transport are reduced. The plan is a pioneer in the training of technical personnel in the area of bio-waste management. Currently, 36 municipalities are participating in REVITALIZA in different phases of the plan, committed to locally managing bio-waste

Correction : Chaparro et al. Incidence, Clinical Characteristics and Management of Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Spain: Large-Scale Epidemiological Study. J. Clin. Med. 2021, 10, 2885

The authors wish to make the following corrections to this paper [...]

Incidence, Clinical Characteristics and Management of Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Spain : Large-Scale Epidemiological Study

(1) Aims: To assess the incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in Spain, to describe the main epidemiological and clinical characteristics at diagnosis and the evolution of the disease, and to explore the use of drug treatments. (2) Methods: Prospective, population-based nationwide registry. Adult patients diagnosed with IBD-Crohn's disease (CD), ulcerative colitis (UC) or IBD unclassified (IBD-U)-during 2017 in Spain were included and were followed-up for 1 year. (3) Results: We identified 3611 incident cases of IBD diagnosed during 2017 in 108 hospitals covering over 22 million inhabitants. The overall incidence (cases/100,000 person-years) was 16 for IBD, 7.5 for CD, 8 for UC, and 0.5 for IBD-U; 53% of patients were male and median age was 43 years (interquartile range = 31-56 years). During a median 12-month follow-up, 34% of patients were treated with systemic steroids, 25% with immunomodulators, 15% with biologics and 5.6% underwent surgery. The percentage of patients under these treatments was significantly higher in CD than UC and IBD-U. Use of systemic steroids and biologics was significantly higher in hospitals with high resources. In total, 28% of patients were hospitalized (35% CD and 22% UC patients, p < 0.01). (4) Conclusion: The incidence of IBD in Spain is rather high and similar to that reported in Northern Europe. IBD patients require substantial therapeutic resources, which are greater in CD and in hospitals with high resources, and much higher than previously reported. One third of patients are hospitalized in the first year after diagnosis and a relevant proportion undergo surgery

The prognostic Role of hepatic venous pressure gradient in cirrhotic patients undergoing elective extrahepatic surgery

Background & aims: Surgery in cirrhosis is associated with a high morbidity and mortality. Retrospectively reported prognostic factors include emergency procedures, liver function (MELD/Child-Pugh scores) and portal hypertension (assessed by indirect markers). This study assessed the prognostic role of hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) and other variables in elective extrahepatic surgery in patients with cirrhosis. Methods: A total of 140 patients with cirrhosis (Child-Pugh A/B/C: 59/37/4%), who were due to have elective extrahepatic surgery (121 abdominal; 9 cardiovascular/thoracic; 10 orthopedic and others), were prospectively included in 4 centers (2002-2011). Hepatic and systemic hemodynamics (HVPG, indocyanine green clearance, pulmonary artery catheterization) were assessed prior to surgery, and clinical and laboratory data were collected. Patients were followed-up for 1 year and mortality, transplantation, morbidity and post-surgical decompensation were studied. Results: Ninety-day and 1-year mortality rates were 8% and 17%, respectively. Variables independently associated with 1-year mortality were ASA class (American Society of Anesthesiologists), high-risk surgery (defined as open abdominal and cardiovascular/thoracic) and HVPG. These variables closely predicted 90-, 180- and 365-day mortality (C-statistic >0.8). HVPG values >16 mmHg were independently associated with mortality and values ≥20 mmHg identified a subgroup at very high risk of death (44%). Twenty-four patients presented persistent or de novo decompensation at 3 months. Low body mass index, Child-Pugh class and high-risk surgery were associated with death or decompensation. No patient with HVPG 0.63 developed decompensation. Conclusions: ASA class, HVPG and high-risk surgery were prognostic factors of 1-year mortality in cirrhotic patients undergoing elective extrahepatic surgery. HVPG values >16 mmHg, especially ≥20 mmHg, were associated with a high risk of post-surgical mortality.Supported in part by grants from Ministerio de Educacion yCiencia (SAF-2016-75767-R), and from Instituto de Salud CarlosIII (PIE 15/00027). CIBERehd is funded by Instituto de Salud Car-los III. ER was recipient of a Río Hortega award (2012–2014),Instituto de Salud Carlos III

A randomized study of nutritional supplementation in patients with unilateral wet age-related macular degeneration

The purpose of this study is evaluate the efficacy and safety of medicinal products containing the original Age-Related Eye Disease group (AREDS) formulation at doses approved in Europe (EU, control group; n = 59) with a product that adds DHA, lutein, zeaxanthin, resveratrol and hydroxytyrosol to the formula (intervention group; n = 50). This was a multicenter, randomized, observer-blinded trial conducted in patients aged 50 years or older diagnosed with unilateral exudative Age related Macular Degeneration AMD. At month 12, the intervention did not have a significant differential effect on visual acuity compared with the control group, with an estimated treatment difference in Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) of −1.63 (95% CI −0.83 to 4.09; p = 0.192). The intervention exhibited a significant and, in most cases, relevant effect in terms of a reduction in some inflammatory cytokines and a greater improvement in the fatty acid profile and serum lutein and zeaxantin concentration. In patients with unilateral wet AMD, the addition of lutein, zeaxanthin, resveratrol, hydroxytyrosol and DHA to the AREDS EU recommended doses in the short-term did not have a differential effect on visual acuity compared to a standard AREDS EU formula but, in addition to improving the fatty acid profile and increasing carotenoid serum levels, may provide a beneficial effect in improving the proinflammatory and proangiogenic profile of patients with AMD.The research was funded by Laboratorios Théa (Barcelona, Spain) and by research grants from the “Instituto de Salud Carlos III/European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)” and RD16/0008/0011, OFTARED: Enfermedades oculares: “Prevención, detección precoz, tratamiento y rehabilitación de las patologías oculares”.Peer reviewe

Intra-graft expression of genes involved in iron homeostasis predicts the development of operational tolerance in human liver transplantation

Following organ transplantation, lifelong immunosuppressive therapy is required to prevent the host immune system from destroying the allograft. This can cause severe side effects and increased recipient morbidity and mortality. Complete cessation of immunosuppressive drugs has been successfully accomplished in selected transplant recipients, providing proof of principle that operational allograft tolerance is attainable in clinical transplantation. The intra-graft molecular pathways associated with successful drug withdrawal, however, are not well defined. In this study, we analyzed sequential blood and liver tissue samples collected from liver transplant recipients enrolled in a prospective multicenter immunosuppressive drug withdrawal clinical trial. Before initiation of drug withdrawal, operationally tolerant and non-tolerant recipients differed in the intra-graft expression of genes involved in the regulation of iron homeostasis. Furthermore, as compared with non-tolerant recipients, operationally tolerant patients exhibited higher serum levels of hepcidin and ferritin and increased hepatocyte iron deposition. Finally, liver tissue gene expression measurements accurately predicted the outcome of immunosuppressive withdrawal in an independent set of patients. These results point to a critical role for iron metabolism in the regulation of intra-graft alloimmune responses in humans and provide a set of biomarkers to conduct drug-weaning trials in liver transplantation

Prospective multicenter clinical trial of immunosuppressive drug withdrawal in stable adult liver transplant recipients

Lifelong immunosuppression increases morbidity and mortality in liver transplantation. Discontinuation of immunosuppressive drugs could lessen this burden, but the safety, applicability, and clinical outcomes of this strategy need to be carefully defined. We enrolled 102 stable liver recipients at least 3 years after transplantation in a single-arm multicenter immunosuppression withdrawal trial. Drugs were gradually discontinued over a 6 to 9-month period. The primary endpoint was the development of operational tolerance, defined as successful immunosuppressive drug cessation maintained for at least 12 months with stable graft function and no histopathologic evidence of rejection. Out of the 98 recipients evaluated, 57 rejected and 41 successfully discontinued all immunosuppressive drugs. In nontolerant recipients rejection episodes were mild and resolved over 5.6 months (two nontolerant patients still exhibited mild gradually improving cholestasis at the end of follow-up). In tolerant recipients no progressive clinically significant histological damage was apparent in follow-up protocol biopsies performed up to 3 years following drug withdrawal. Tolerance was independently associated with time since transplantation (odds ratio [OR] 1.353; P = 0.0001), recipient age (OR 1.073; P = 0.009), and male gender (OR 4.657; P = 0.016). A predictive model incorporating the first two clinical variables identified subgroups of recipients with very high (79%), intermediate (30%-38%), and very low (0%) likelihood of successful withdrawal. Conclusion: When conducted at late timepoints after transplantation, immunosuppression withdrawal is successful in a high proportion of carefully selected liver recipients. A combination of clinical parameters could be useful to predict the success of this strategy. Additional prospective studies are now needed to confirm these results and to validate clinically applicable diagnostic biomarkers. (Hepatology 2013;58:1824-1835)

Bacterial infections in patients with acute variceal bleeding in the era of antibiotic prophylaxis.

BACKGROUND & AIMS Antibiotic prophylaxis reduces the risk of infection and mortality in patients with cirrhosis and acute variceal bleeding (AVB). This study examines the incidence of, and risk factors for, bacterial infections during hospitalization in patients with AVB on antibiotic prophylaxis. METHODS A post hoc analysis was performed using the database of an international, multicenter, observational study designed to examine the role of pre-emptive transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunts in patients with cirrhosis and AVB. Data were collected on patients with cirrhosis hospitalized for AVB (n = 2,138) from a prospective cohort (October 2013-May 2015) at 34 referral centers, and a retrospective cohort (October 2011-September 2013) at 19 of these centers. The primary outcome was incidence of bacterial infection during hospitalization. RESULTS A total of 1,656 patients out of 1,770 (93.6%) received antibiotic prophylaxis; third-generation cephalosporins (76.2%) and quinolones (19.0%) were used most frequently. Of the patients on antibiotic prophylaxis, 320 patients developed bacterial infection during hospitalization. Respiratory infection accounted for 43.6% of infections and for 49.7% of infected patients, and occurred early after admission (median 3 days, IQR 1-6). On multivariate analysis, respiratory infection was independently associated with Child-Pugh C (odds ratio [OR] 3.1; 95% CI 1.4-6.7), grade III-IV encephalopathy (OR 2.8; 95% CI 1.8-4.4), orotracheal intubation for endoscopy (OR 2.6; 95% CI 1.8-3.8), nasogastric tube placement (OR 1.7; 95% CI 1.2-2.4) or esophageal balloon tamponade (OR 2.4; 95% CI 1.2-4.9). CONCLUSION Bacterial infections develop in almost one-fifth of patients with AVB despite antibiotic prophylaxis. Respiratory infection is the most frequent, is an early event after admission, and is associated with advanced liver failure, severe hepatic encephalopathy and use of nasogastric tube, orotracheal intubation for endoscopy or esophageal balloon tamponade. LAY SUMMARY Bacterial infections develop during hospitalization in close to 20% of patients with acute variceal bleeding despite antibiotic prophylaxis. Respiratory bacterial infections are the most frequent and occur early after admission. Respiratory infection is associated with advanced liver disease, severe hepatic encephalopathy and a need for a nasogastric tube, orotracheal intubation for endoscopy or esophageal balloon tamponade