Immune recovery among Romanian HIV/AIDS patients receiving darunavir/ritonavir or darunavir/cobicistat regimens in cART management: A three-year study

Approximately two-thirds of Romanian HIV patients were parenterally infected with the F subtype of HIV in early childhood. They are now in the context of immunological aging, with immunosuppression posing an additional challenge in developing the most effective and well-tolerated regimens. The risk of an improper immune recovery is higher in these patients than in newly diagnosed patients. The primary goal of this retrospective study was to conduct a comparative analysis of the immune recovery, measured at three time points, on 462 HIV-infected patients who were registered at the “Matei Balş National Institute of Infectious Diseases”, Bucharest, Romania, between 2018 and 2021, as follows: darunavir (DRV) 600 mg plus ritonavir (RTV) 100 mg (twice daily) was given to 384 patients, while DRV 800 mg plus cobicistat (COBI) 150 mg was given to 78 patients (once daily). The immune response was assessed by counting T lymphocytes, CD4 count cells/mm3, and the CD4/CD8 lymphocyte count ratio. Additionally, the study assessed the relationship between the immune and virological responses to therapy. Using various statistical tests, the results revealed that the immune response is normal in both groups, but with a statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) for the DRV/c group. Statistical associations between RNA viral plasma load and immune response (CD4 count and CD4/CD8 ratio) were assessed at all three visits and showed an insignificant association for the first two time points; however, at the final visit, the outcomes changed and reached statistical significance for both groups

Mindful Eating Questionnaire: Validation and Reliability in Romanian Adults

Mindful eating may play an important role in long-term weight maintenance. In interventions aiming at weight reduction, increasing the levels of mindful eating was associated with higher levels of success and lower levels of weight rebound in the long run. This study aimed to determine the validity and reliability of a mindful eating questionnaire for Romanian adults using Framson&rsquo;s Mindful Eating Questionnaire (MEQ). To calculate the internal (n = 495) and external (n = 45) reliability, a general population sample was taken. Construct validity was assessed using the &ldquo;known groups&rdquo; method: dietitians (n = 70), sports professionals (n = 52), and individuals with overweight and obesity (n = 200). Convergent validity tested the association between the MEQ score and demographic characteristics of the total sample (n = 617). The internal (0.72) and external (0.83) reliability were adequate. Dietitians and sports professionals had overall lower scores, meaning more mindful eating compared to the group of individuals with overweight and obesity. The lower mindful eating practice was associated with the presence of excess weight, suboptimal health status perception, higher levels of stress and younger age. The Romanian version of the MEQ is a reliable and valid tool for measuring mindfulness of eating in adults

Consequences of analgesics use in early pregnancy: Results of tests on mice

International audienceSelf-medication during pregnancy continues to be an issue in developing countries due topoor medical education. The most commonly used drugs are analgesics, mainlyacetaminophen (paracetamol, APAP) and, to a lesser extent, ketoprofen (KPF). The aim of thestudy was to establish whether there are consequences of accidental use of these two drugsduring early embryogenesis. The experimental study was performed on 30 pregnant whitemice, divided into three groups: a first group to which APAP was administered, a secondgroup to which KPF was administered, and group 3 as a control group. At delivery, the babymice were examined, and after their first parturition, they were taken into study and examinedaccording to the established protocol. Macroscopic and microscopic examinations of the liverand kidney were performed; liver and renal changes were recorded. Regarding the fertility,the number of fetuses born to mothers that were administered APAP and KPF correspondedto the normal values recorded in this species. Microscopic changes that were found in thekidney were as follows: APAP group necrosis of the urinary tube, vascular congestions andvascular disorders; KPF group ectasia, especially in the medullary cavity. Microscopichepatic changes showed in the APAP group vascular congestions, vascular disorders andhemosiderin deposits in the Kupffer cells; in the KPF group were found discrete vasculardisorders consisting in sinusoidal capillary ectasia and vascular congestions, as well as thepresence of lymphocyte conglomerates. The aforementioned lesions indicate hepatic and renaldistress with variable degrees of severity, but they appear to be reversible (the longer the timefrom the maximum effect of the drug the lower its toxicity)

What antibiotics for what pathogens? The sensitivity spectrum of isolated strains in an intensive care unit

International audienceAntibiotic sensitivity spectrum of isolated strains differs according to hospital departments, the hospitals themselves, and countries. Discrepancies also exist in terms of antibiotic use and dosage. The aim of the present study is to compare the antibacterial agents, the types of infections, the number and type of pathogens, and the sensitivity to antibiotics used in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Emergency Clinical County Hospital of Oradea, Romania. Over a one-year period, data were gathered from the pharmacy computer system and medical records of inpatients. WHO Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC)/defined daily doses (DDD) methodology was used to assess drug administration data, and antibiotic use was expressed as DDD/1000 PD (patient days). The antibiotic susceptibility of isolated strains was expressed through the cumulative antibiogram. The overall consumption of antimicrobial agents was 1247.47 DDD/1000 PD. The most common drugs used were cephalosporins andfluoroquinolones (52.97% of the total). Ceftriaxone was the most commonly used, followed by levofloxacin

No-Reflow after PPCI—A Predictor of Short-Term Outcomes in STEMI Patients

The no-reflow phenomenon following primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) in acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients is a predictor of unfavorable prognosis. Patients with no-reflow have many complications during admission, and it is considered a marker of short-term mortality. The current research emphasizes the circumstances of the incidence and complications of the no-reflow phenomenon in STEMI patients, including in-hospital mortality. In this case-control study, conducted over two and a half years, there were enrolled 656 patients diagnosed with STEMI and reperfused through PPCI. Several patients (n = 96) developed an interventional type of no-reflow phenomenon. One third of the patients with a no-reflow phenomenon suffered complications during admission, and 14 succumbed. Regarding complications, the majority consisted of arrhythmias (21.68%) and cardiogenic shock (16.67%). The anterior localization of STEMI and the left anterior descending artery (LAD) as a culprit lesion were associated with the highest number of complications during hospitalization. At the same time, the time interval &gt;12 h from the onset of the typical symptoms of myocardial infarction (MI) until revascularization, as well as multiple stents implantations during PPCI, correlated with an increased incidence of short-term complications. The no-reflow phenomenon in patients with STEMI was associated with an unfavorable short-term prognosis