Systematic Analysis of Transrectal Prostate Biopsies Using an Ink Method and Specific Histopathologic Protocol: A Prospective Study

Background. Transrectal prostate biopsy is the standard protocol for the screening for prostate cancer. It helps to locate prostatic adenocarcinoma and plan treatment. However, the increasing number of prostate biopsies leads to considerably greater costs for the pathology laboratories. In this study, we compare the traditional method with an ink method in combination with a systematic histopathologic protocol. Methods. Two hundred consecutive transrectal prostate biopsy specimens were received from the radiology department. They were separated into two groups: one hundred were processed as six different specimens in the usual manner. The other one hundred were submitted in six containers, the apex, base, and middle section of which were stained different colours. The samples subject to the ink method were embedded in paraffin and placed in two cassettes which were sectioned using a specific protocol. Results. The comparative study of the nonink and ink methods for histopathologic diagnosis showed no statistical differences as far as diagnostic categories were concerned (P  value < .005). The number of PIN diagnoses increased when the ink method was used, but no statistical differences were found. The ink method led to a cost reduction of 48.86%. Conclusions. Our ink method combined with a specific histopathologic protocol provided the same diagnostic quality, tumor location information as the traditional method, and lower pathology expenses

La escuela de formación del profesorado "Blanquerna" : una experiencia de educación personalizada

"Gobierno de España. Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte"

Complete Loss of EPCAM Immunoexpression Identifies EPCAM Deletion Carriers in MSH2-Negative Colorectal Neoplasia

The use of epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EPCAM) immunohistochemistry (IHC) is not included in the colorectal cancer (CRC) screening algorithm to detect Lynch syndrome (LS) patients. The aim of the present study was to demonstrate that EPCAM IHC is a useful tool to guide the LS germ-line analysis when a loss of MSH2 expression was present. We retrospectively studied MSH2 and EPCAM IHC in a large series of 190 lesions composed of malignant neoplasms (102), precursor lesions of gastrointestinal (71) and extra-gastrointestinal origin (9), and benign neoplasms (8) from different organs of 71 patients suspicious of being LS due to MSH2 alterations. LS was confirmed in 68 patients, 53 with MSH2 mutations and 15 with EPCAM 3'-end deletions. Tissue microarrays were constructed with human normal tissues and their malignant counterparts to assist in the evaluation of EPCAM staining. Among 154 MSH2-negative lesions, 17 were EPCAM-negative, including 10 CRC and 7 colorectal polyps, and 5 of them showed only isolated negative glands. All lesions showing a lack of EPCAM expression belonged to patients with EPCAM 3'-end deletions. EPCAM IHC is a useful screening tool, with 100% specificity to identify LS patients due to EPCAM 3'-end deletions in MSH2-negative CRC and MSH2-negative colorectal polyps

Preferències dels estudiants en relació al tema d’estudi del TFG de Farmàcia (UB)

Podeu consultar la Vuitena trobada de professorat de Ciències de la Salut completa a: http://hdl.handle.net/2445/66524El TFG del grau de farmàcia UB es porta a terme en el marc d’un àmbit docent principal i integra coneixements de com a mínim, dos àmbits docents addicionals atès la seva funció integradora. En el moment de definir les directrius i organització de l’assignatura, es van establir a la Facultat de Farmàcia 27 àmbits docents. Tanmateix, les característiques del TFG quan a tipus de projectes o estudis es van establir inicialment en base a tres opcions..

Impact of immigration on the cost of emergency visits in Barcelona (Spain)

BACKGROUND: The impact of immigration on health services utilisation has been analysed by several studies performed in countries with lower levels of immigration than Spain. These studies indicate that health services utilisation is lower among the immigrant population than among the host population and that immigrants tend to use hospital emergency services at the expense of primary care. We aimed to quantify the relative over-utilisation of emergency services in the immigrant population. METHODS: Emergency visits to Hospital del Mar in Barcelona in 2002 and 2003 were analysed. The country of origin, gender, age, discharge-related circumstances (hospital admission, discharge to home, or death), medical specialty, and variable cost related to medical care were registered. Immigrants were grouped into those from high-income countries (IHIC) and those from low-income countries (ILIC) and the average direct cost was compared by country of origin. A multivariate linear mixed model of direct costs was adjusted by country of origin (classified in five groups) and by the individual variables of age, gender, hospital admission, and death as a cause of discharge. Medical specialty was considered as a random effect. RESULTS: With the exception of gynaecological emergency visits, costs resulting from emergency visits by both groups of immigrants were lower than those due to visits by the Spanish-born population. This effect was especially marked for emergency visits by adults. CONCLUSION: Immigrants tend to use the emergency department in preference to other health services. No differences were found between IHIC and ILIC, suggesting that this result was due to the ease of access to emergency services and to lack of knowledge about the country's health system rather than to poor health status resulting from immigrants' socioeconomic position. The use of costs as a variable of complexity represents an opportunistic use of a highly exhaustive registry, which is becoming ever more frequent in hospitals and which overcomes the lack of clinical information related to outpatient activity

Occupational exposure to pesticides and endometrial cancer in the Screenwide case-control study

Background: Endometrial cancer is the most common gynaecological tumour in developed countries and disease burden is expected to increase over the years. Identifying modifiable risk factors may help developing strategies to reduce the expected increasing incidence of these neoplasms. Objective: This study evaluates the association between occupational exposure to pesticides and endometrial cancer using data from a recent case-control study in Spain. Methods: The analyses included data from 174 consecutive incident endometrial cancer cases and 216 hospital controls frequency-matched by age. Data were collected through structured epidemiological questionnaires and exposure to pesticides was assessed using a Spanish job-exposure matrix (MatEmESp). Results: Overall, 12% of controls and 18% of cases were occupationally exposed to pesticides. We observed a positive association between occupational exposure to pesticides and endometrial cancer (OR = 2.08; 95% CI = 1.13-3.88 compared to non-exposed). In general, exposures that occurred farther in the past were significantly associated with endometrial cancer. Exposure to insecticides, fungicides and herbicides were positively associated with endometrial cancer (OR = 2.08; 95% CI = 1.13-3.88, OR = 4.40; 95% CI = 1.65-13.33, and OR = 5.25; 95% CI = 1.84-17.67, respectively). The agricultural, poultry and livestock activities scenario was associated with endometrial cancer (OR = 4.16; 95% CI = 1.59-12.32), while the cleaning exposure scenario was not (OR = 1.22; 95% CI = 0.55-2.67). Conclusions: Assessment of occupational exposure to pesticides assessed using a Spanish job-exposure matrix revealed a positive association with endometrial cancer. The elucidation of the role of pesticide compounds on endometrial cancer should shed a light on the aetiology of this tumour

Evaluación de los aprendizajes a las asignaturas de practicas externas del grado de ciencia y tecnología de los alimentos y del máster de desarrollo e innovación de alimentos

Memòria final del projecte d'innovació docent 2019pid-ub/008 del Grup d’innovació docent consolidat NUTRICIOPRACTICA-RiDoR (GINDO-UB/167)El objetivo principal de este proyecto de innovación docente ha sido diseñar instrumentos para evaluar el aprendizaje durante la formación práctica de los estudiantes de Prácticas Externas del grado de Ciencia y Tecnología de los Alimentos (CTA) y del Máster de Desarrollo e Innovación De Alimentos (DIA)