Afectación neurológica en el lupus eritematoso sistémico: Alteraciones en la neuroimagen y caracterización de la afectación del sistema nervioso periférico

[spa] Los síndromes neuropsiquiátricos son una complicación grave del lupus eritematoso sistémico (LES) que contribuyen de forma considerable a una disminución de la calidad de vida y a un aumento de la morbilidad y mortalidad de dichos pacientes. No obstante, su diagnóstico continúa siendo un desafío por la ausencia de una prueba de oro que permita la atribución correcta de estas manifestaciones a la enfermedad. La resonancia magnética nuclear (RM) es la prueba de imagen de elección en los casos de afectación neuropsiquiática de localización central, pero su validez e importancia en el diagnóstico del lupus neuropsiquiátrico (LESNP) está todavía por determinar. Por otra parte, la afectación del sistema nervioso periférico (SNP) en pacientes con LES es una complicación importante. Sin embargo, aún no ha sido bien caracterizada en el LES en términos de prevalencia, inicio, gravedad y asociaciones clínicas, inmunológicas y electrofisiológicas. En este contexto desarrollamos nuestro trabajo de investigación, objetivando que el patrón inflamatorio en la RM cerebral se asocia con más frecuencia con la presencia de un SLEDAI más elevado y niveles bajos de complementos. Esto apoya el hecho de que este patrón se relacione con el daño mediado por anticuerpos y citocinas, por lo que estos datos sugieren que el tratamiento en estos casos se debería basar en la administración de inmunosupresores. Además, el síndrome de mielopatía parece relacionarse con un patrón específico en la RM: lesiones inflamatorias o mixtas, un patrón focal y lesiones de localización infratentorial. No obstante, pese a que la RM es en la actualidad la técnica de imagen de elección en los pacientes con sospecha de LESNP, por sí sola no permite establecer un diagnóstico de certeza, aunque sí una aproximación diagnóstica. Respecto a la afectación del SNP en el LES es una afectación neuropsiquiátrica frecuente, afectando a uno de cada cinco pacientes con LES, aunque quizás se encuentra infradiagnosticada. La polineuropatía sensitivo- motora es la manifestación más frecuente. Además, los pacientes con afectación del SNP se diagnostican de LES a una edad más tardía, quizás este retraso en el diagnóstico del LES y por tanto en el inicio del tratamiento favorezca el desarrollo de esta afectación, que también se ha relacionado con la ausencia de compromiso hematológico a lo largo de la evolución del LES, aunque el significado clínico de este hallazgo aún esta por determinar. Sin embargo, se ha objetivado que no existe un patrón inmunológico característico de la afectación del SNP en el LES, pese a que algunos estudios lo relacionan con la presencia de anticuerpos antiSm, asociación que aún está por aclarar. En este sentido, esta tesis sirve para ampliar el conocimiento sobre las manifestaciones neuropsiquiátricas del LES y puede contribuir a un mejor control de las mismos. Además, este trabajo está en consonancia con muchos estudios que ponen de manifiesto que los actuales criterios clasificatorios de la ACR de 1999 del LESNP incluyen algunas manifestaciones del sistema nervioso central (SNC) como la cefalea, el deterioro cognitivo leve, la ansiedad y los trastornos del ánimo leve que no se relacionan con la actividad lúpica ni con parámetros inmunológicos. Sin embargo, no incluyen otras manifestaciones neurológicas como la neuropatía de fibra fina vinculada cada vez más al LES. Esto pone de manifiesto la necesidad de revisión de dichos criterios clasificatorios.[eng] Neuropsychiatric (NP) involvement is one of the leading morbidity and mortality causes in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients. However, the correct attribution of NP presentation in SLE or to an alternative etiology is a challenge for clinicians given the absence of "gold standard tests” for their diagnosis, although the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the preferred imaging procedure as it is a widely available test and allows the exclusion of other conditions causing NP symptoms. In addition, involvement of the peripheral nervous system (PNS) in patients with SLE is an important complication. However, it has not yet been well characterized in SLE in terms of prevalence, onset, clinical severity, immunological and electrophysiological associations. In this context we develop our research work, objectifying that the inflammatory pattern in the cerebral MRI is more frequently associated with the presence of a higher SLEDAI and low levels of complements. This supports the fact that this pattern is related to the damage mediated by antibodies and cytokines, so these data suggest that the treatment in these cases should be based on the administration of immunosuppressants. In addition, myelopathy syndrome seems to be related to a specific MRI pattern: inflammatory or mixed lesions, a focal pattern and infratentorial lesions. However, although MRI is currently the imaging technique of choice in patients with suspected LESNP, alone does not allow establishing of diagnosis certainty. Regarding the involvement of the SNP in SLE, it is a frequent neuropsychiatric affection affecting one in five patients with SLE, although it may be underdiagnosed. Sensory-motor polyneuropathy is the most frequent manifestation. In addition, patients with PNS involvement are diagnosed with SLE at older age, perhaps this delay with the diagnosis of SLE at the beginning of the treatment favors the development of this condition, which has also been related to the absence of hematological compromise throughout the evolution of SLE, although the clinical significance of this finding remains to be determined. However, it has been found that there is no immunological pattern characteristic to PNS involvement in SLE. This thesis broadens the knowledge about the neuropsychiatric manifestations of SLE and can contribute to a better control of SLE

Role of age and comorbidities in mortality of patients with infective endocarditis

[Purpose]: The aim of this study was to analyse the characteristics of patients with IE in three groups of age and to assess the ability of age and the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) to predict mortality. [Methods]: Prospective cohort study of all patients with IE included in the GAMES Spanish database between 2008 and 2015.Patients were stratified into three age groups:<65 years,65 to 80 years,and ≥ 80 years.The area under the receiver-operating characteristic (AUROC) curve was calculated to quantify the diagnostic accuracy of the CCI to predict mortality risk. [Results]: A total of 3120 patients with IE (1327 < 65 years;1291 65-80 years;502 ≥ 80 years) were enrolled.Fever and heart failure were the most common presentations of IE, with no differences among age groups.Patients ≥80 years who underwent surgery were significantly lower compared with other age groups (14.3%,65 years; 20.5%,65-79 years; 31.3%,≥80 years). In-hospital mortality was lower in the <65-year group (20.3%,<65 years;30.1%,65-79 years;34.7%,≥80 years;p < 0.001) as well as 1-year mortality (3.2%, <65 years; 5.5%, 65-80 years;7.6%,≥80 years; p = 0.003).Independent predictors of mortality were age ≥ 80 years (hazard ratio [HR]:2.78;95% confidence interval [CI]:2.32–3.34), CCI ≥ 3 (HR:1.62; 95% CI:1.39–1.88),and non-performed surgery (HR:1.64;95% CI:11.16–1.58).When the three age groups were compared,the AUROC curve for CCI was significantly larger for patients aged <65 years(p < 0.001) for both in-hospital and 1-year mortality. [Conclusion]: There were no differences in the clinical presentation of IE between the groups. Age ≥ 80 years, high comorbidity (measured by CCI),and non-performance of surgery were independent predictors of mortality in patients with IE.CCI could help to identify those patients with IE and surgical indication who present a lower risk of in-hospital and 1-year mortality after surgery, especially in the <65-year group

Treatment with tocilizumab or corticosteroids for COVID-19 patients with hyperinflammatory state: a multicentre cohort study (SAM-COVID-19)

Objectives: The objective of this study was to estimate the association between tocilizumab or corticosteroids and the risk of intubation or death in patients with coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) with a hyperinflammatory state according to clinical and laboratory parameters. Methods: A cohort study was performed in 60 Spanish hospitals including 778 patients with COVID-19 and clinical and laboratory data indicative of a hyperinflammatory state. Treatment was mainly with tocilizumab, an intermediate-high dose of corticosteroids (IHDC), a pulse dose of corticosteroids (PDC), combination therapy, or no treatment. Primary outcome was intubation or death; follow-up was 21 days. Propensity score-adjusted estimations using Cox regression (logistic regression if needed) were calculated. Propensity scores were used as confounders, matching variables and for the inverse probability of treatment weights (IPTWs). Results: In all, 88, 117, 78 and 151 patients treated with tocilizumab, IHDC, PDC, and combination therapy, respectively, were compared with 344 untreated patients. The primary endpoint occurred in 10 (11.4%), 27 (23.1%), 12 (15.4%), 40 (25.6%) and 69 (21.1%), respectively. The IPTW-based hazard ratios (odds ratio for combination therapy) for the primary endpoint were 0.32 (95%CI 0.22-0.47; p < 0.001) for tocilizumab, 0.82 (0.71-1.30; p 0.82) for IHDC, 0.61 (0.43-0.86; p 0.006) for PDC, and 1.17 (0.86-1.58; p 0.30) for combination therapy. Other applications of the propensity score provided similar results, but were not significant for PDC. Tocilizumab was also associated with lower hazard of death alone in IPTW analysis (0.07; 0.02-0.17; p < 0.001). Conclusions: Tocilizumab might be useful in COVID-19 patients with a hyperinflammatory state and should be prioritized for randomized trials in this situatio

Usefulness of clinical data and rapid diagnostic tests to identify bacterial etiology in adult respiratory infections

Respiratory tract infections are a common complaint and most of them, such as common cold and laryngitis, are viral in origin, so antibiotic use should be exceptional. However, there are other respiratory tract infections (sinusitis, pharyngitis, lower respiratory tract infections, and exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) where a bacterial etiology is responsible for a non-negligible percentage, and antibiotics are often empirically indicated. The aim of the study is to identify the strength of the data obtained from the symptoms, physical examination and rapid diagnostic methods in respiratory infections in which antibiotic use is frequently proposed in order to improve diagnosis and influence the decision to prescribe these drugs. The review concludes that history, physical examination and rapid tests are useful to guide the need for antibiotic treatment in diseases such as acute sinusitis, acute pharyngitis, exacerbation of lower respiratory tract infection and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. However, no isolated data is accurate enough by itself to confirm or rule out the need for antibiotics. Therefore, clinical prediction rules bring together history and physical examination, thereby improving the accuracy of the decision to indicate or not antibiotics

Proyecto ' Escuela virtual europea : emigración en Europa, minorías y prejuicios'

Comunicación en la que se presenta el proyecto 'Escuela virtual europea : emigración en Europa, minorías y prejuicios'. Iniciativa desarrollada dentro del marco del Programa Sócrates, Comenius, acción 1 en colaboración con centros de Reino Unido, Polonia, Alemania, República Checa, Eslovaquia y Grecia. Los objetivos del proyecto son: investigar las migraciones y minorías en Extremadura, buscando interconexiones con otros países, analizar problemas comunes, educar a los alumnos en la tolerancia y el respeto a otras formas de vida, emplear las nuevas tecnologías como forma de comunicación entre los centros y fomentar la interculturalidad como forma de enriquecimiento personal y colectivo.ExtremaduraES

Role of age and comorbidities in mortality of patients with infective endocarditis.

The aim of this study was to analyse the characteristics of patients with IE in three groups of age and to assess the ability of age and the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) to predict mortality. Prospective cohort study of all patients with IE included in the GAMES Spanish database between 2008 and 2015.Patients were stratified into three age groups: A total of 3120 patients with IE (1327  There were no differences in the clinical presentation of IE between the groups. Age ≥ 80 years, high comorbidity (measured by CCI),and non-performance of surgery were independent predictors of mortality in patients with IE.CCI could help to identify those patients with IE and surgical indication who present a lower risk of in-hospital and 1-year mortality after surgery, especially in th

Prosthetic Valve Candida spp. Endocarditis: New Insights Into Long-term Prognosis—The ESCAPE Study

International audienceBackground: Prosthetic valve endocarditis caused by Candida spp. (PVE-C) is rare and devastating, with international guidelines based on expert recommendations supporting the combination of surgery and subsequent azole treatment.Methods: We retrospectively analyzed PVE-C cases collected in Spain and France between 2001 and 2015, with a focus on management and outcome.Results: Forty-six cases were followed up for a median of 9 months. Twenty-two patients (48%) had a history of endocarditis, 30 cases (65%) were nosocomial or healthcare related, and 9 (20%) patients were intravenous drug users. "Induction" therapy consisted mainly of liposomal amphotericin B (L-amB)-based (n = 21) or echinocandin-based therapy (n = 13). Overall, 19 patients (41%) were operated on. Patients <66 years old and without cardiac failure were more likely to undergo cardiac surgery (adjusted odds ratios [aORs], 6.80 [95% confidence interval [CI], 1.59-29.13] and 10.92 [1.15-104.06], respectively). Surgery was not associated with better survival rates at 6 months. Patients who received L-amB alone had a better 6-month survival rate than those who received an echinocandin alone (aOR, 13.52; 95% CI, 1.03-838.10). "Maintenance" fluconazole therapy, prescribed in 21 patients for a median duration of 13 months (range, 2-84 months), led to minor adverse effects.Conclusion: L-amB induction treatment improves survival in patients with PVE-C. Medical treatment followed by long-term maintenance fluconazole may be the best treatment option for frail patients

Contemporary use of cefazolin for MSSA infective endocarditis: analysis of a national prospective cohort

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the real use of cefazolin for methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) infective endocarditis (IE) in the Spanish National Endocarditis Database (GAMES) and to compare it with antistaphylococcal penicillin (ASP). Methods: Prospective cohort study with retrospective analysis of a cohort of MSSA IE treated with cloxacillin and/or cefazolin. Outcomes assessed were relapse; intra-hospital, overall, and endocarditis-related mortality; and adverse events. Risk of renal toxicity with each treatment was evaluated separately. Results: We included 631 IE episodes caused by MSSA treated with cloxacillin and/or cefazolin. Antibiotic treatment was cloxacillin, cefazolin, or both in 537 (85%), 57 (9%), and 37 (6%) episodes, respectively. Patients treated with cefazolin had significantly higher rates of comorbidities (median Charlson Index 7, P <0.01) and previous renal failure (57.9%, P <0.01). Patients treated with cloxacillin presented higher rates of septic shock (25%, P = 0.033) and new-onset or worsening renal failure (47.3%, P = 0.024) with significantly higher rates of in-hospital mortality (38.5%, P = 0.017). One-year IE-related mortality and rate of relapses were similar between treatment groups. None of the treatments were identified as risk or protective factors. Conclusion: Our results suggest that cefazolin is a valuable option for the treatment of MSSA IE, without differences in 1-year mortality or relapses compared with cloxacillin, and might be considered equally effective