Distended lacteals, described as expanded white villi in duodenum, are strongly indicative of primary intestinal lymphangiectasia. In the present study, we evaluated the significance of white spots present in the duodenal mucosa of dogs with lymphocytic plasmacytic enteritis (LPE). Fifty dogs with LPE were included in this study, and white spots were detected in the duodenal mucosa in 22 dogs during endoscopy. Hypoproteinemia was more frequent in dogs with white spots than in dogs without spots (p = 0.02). Serum protein and albumin concentration were significantly lower in LPE dogs with white spots (p = 0.038) compared to LPE dogs without white spots (p = 0.039). There was a significant correlation between white spots density and lymphatic dilatation histological scores (p = 0.023; rho = 0.481). These results suggest that the presence of white spots in the duodenal mucosa of dogs is not a finding exclusive for intestinal lymphangiectasia. Low serum protein and albumin concentrations together with lymphatic dilatation seem to be related to the presence of white spots in the duodenal mucosa of LPE dogs.
Animals ; Biopsy/veterinary ; Blood Proteins/metabolism ; Dog Diseases/blood/*pathology ; Dogs ; Duodenum/*pathology ; Endoscopy/veterinary ; Female ; Histocytochemistry/veterinary ; Intestinal Mucosa/*pathology ; Lymphangiectasis, Intestinal/blood/pathology/*veterinary ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Statistics, Nonparametric

OBJECTIVE: Most patients with recurrent wheezing are infants under 2 years of age. Clinical prediction models of the risk of receiving airway support during the hospital stay in this population have been poorly studied in tropical countries. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical predictors of hospitalization plus airway support among infants with recurrent wheezing evaluated in the emergency department in Colombia. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was performed. This study included all infants with two or more wheezing episodes who were younger than two years old in two tertiary centers in Rionegro, Colombia, between January 2019 and December 2019. The primary outcome measure was hospitalization plus any airway support. A multivariable logistic regression model was used to identify factors independently associated with hospitalization plus any airway support. RESULTS: A total of 85 infants were hospitalized plus any airway support, of whom 34(40%) were treated with high flow nasal canula, 2(2%) received non-invasive ventilation, 6(7%) were mechanically ventilated, and 43 (51%) received conventional oxygen therapy. The multivariable logistic regression model showed that predictors of hospitalization plus airway support included prematurity ( CONCLUSIONS The present study shows that prematurity, poor feeding, nasal flaring and/or grunting, and more than one previous episode of wheezing requiring hospitalization are independent predictors of hospitalization plus airway support in a population of infants with recurrent wheezing in the emergency department. More evidence must be collected to examine the results in other tropical countries.
Child, Preschool ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Recurrence ; Respiratory Sounds ; Retrospective Studies

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate the stability of prosthetic screws from three types of craniofacial prostheses retention systems (bar-clip, ball/O-ring, and magnet) when submitted to mechanical cycling. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twelve models of acrylic resin were used with implants placed 20 mm from each other and separated into three groups: (1) bar-clip (Sistema INP, São Paulo, Brazil), (2) ball/O-ring (Sistema INP), and (3) magnet (Metalmag, São Paulo, Brazil), with four samples in each group. Each sample underwent a mechanical cycling removal and insertion test (f=0.5 Hz) to determine the torque and the detorque values of the retention screws. A servo-hydraulic MTS machine (810-Flextest 40; MTS Systems, Eden Prairie, MN, USA) was used to perform the cycling with 2.5 mm and a displacement of 10 mm/s. The screws of the retention systems received an initial torque of 30 Ncm and the torque values required for loosening the screw values were obtained in three cycles (1,080, 2,160, and 3,240). The screws were retorqued to 30 Ncm before each new cycle. RESULTS: The sample was composed of 24 screws grouped as follows: bar-clip (n=8), ball/O-ring (n=8), and magnet (n=8). There were significant differences between the groups, with greater detorque values observed in the ball/O-ring group when compared to the bar-clip and magnet groups for the first cycle. However, the detorque value was greater in the bar-clip group for the second cycle. CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicate that all prosthetic screws will loosen slightly after an initial tightening torque, also the bar-clip retention system demonstrated greater loosening of the screws when compared with ball/O-ring and magnet retention systems.
Grassland ; Maxillofacial Prosthesis ; Prostheses and Implants* ; Prosthesis Failure ; Prosthesis Retention ; Torque

BACKGROUND: Excessive weight and obesity (EwO) are independent factors in the development of heart failure; they lead to a state of myocardiopathy via inflammatory and hormonal mechanisms. If excessively accumulated, epicardial fat favors a proinflammatory state. Ventricular asynchrony is a marker of heart failure progression and has been poorly studied in EwO. The objective was evaluate the relation between epicardial fat, body mass index (BMI) and mechanical synchrony measured by echocardiography, in healthy individuals with EwO. METHODS: We included 55 healthy individuals between the ages of 18 and 35, 17 had a BMI < 25 kg/m2 (30.9%) and 38 had a BMI > 25 kg/m2 (EwO group) (69.09%), anthropometric measurements, transthoracic echocardiogram and synchrony evaluation were obtained. RESULTS: Left atrial volume, telediastolic and telesystolic left ventricular volumes and the baseline volume of the right ventricle were greater in the EwO group (20 mL/m2 vs. 15 mL/m2, p = 0.001; 106 mL vs. 82 mL, p = 0.0149 vs. 32 mL, p = 0.001 and 34 mm vs. 31 mm, p = 0.02, respectively). The Yu index also correlated with epicardial fat, r = 0.53, p < 0.01, whereby the greater the amount of epicardial fat, the greater the dispersion timing of ventricular activation. The systolic synchrony index also correlated with the BMI, p = 0.01. CONCLUSION: Mechanical intraventricular asynchrony is associated to EwO and the amount of epicardial fat; hence, asynchrony may be one more factor leading to heart failure in EwO individuals.
Body Mass Index ; Cardiomyopathies ; Echocardiography ; Heart Failure ; Heart Ventricles ; Obesity* ; Pilot Projects*

Heterophilic antibodies are human immunoglobulins directed against various animal antigens. They can produce false-positive results in the analysis of different tumor markers, including prostate-specific antigen. This interference can lead to misdiagnosis, unnecessary tests, and overtreatment in some cases. We present herein the case of a 52-year-old man with repeated spurious elevation of prostate-specific antigen, reaching levels of 108.7 ng/mL, that were suspected to be caused by heterophilic antibodies. The interference was solved by changing the analysis technique. Real values of prostate-specific antigen were less than 1 ng/mL.
Antibodies, Heterophile/*immunology ; False Positive Reactions ; Humans ; Luminescence ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prostate-Specific Antigen/*blood ; Prostatic Neoplasms/blood/*diagnosis/immunology

PURPOSE: This study aimed to carry out a systematic review of studies in the literature comparing conventional imaging techniques with cone-beam computed tomography in terms of the role of these techniques for assessing any of the following periodontal conditions and parameters: infrabony defects, furcation involvement, height of the alveolar bone crest, and the periodontal ligament space. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Interventional and observational studies comparing conventional imaging techniques with cone-beam computed tomography were considered eligible for inclusion. The MEDLINE and Embase databases were searched for articles published through 2017. The PRISMA statement was followed during data assessment and extraction. RESULTS: The search strategy yielded 351 publications. An initial screening of the publications was performed using abstracts and key words, and after the application of exclusion criteria, 13 studies were finally identified as eligible for review. CONCLUSION: These studies revealed cone-beam computed tomography to be the best imaging technique to assess infrabony defects, furcation lesions, the height of the alveolar bone crest, and the periodontal ligament space.
Cone-Beam Computed Tomography ; Diagnosis, Oral ; Furcation Defects ; Mass Screening ; Periodontal Ligament ; Periodontics

No abstract available.
Patch Tests

Purpose: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is more prevalent in men than women, but the mechanisms responsible for this are not fully understood. We aimed to evaluate differences in trimethylamine (TMA), a microbial metabolite and its oxidized form, trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), which is thought to promote atherosclerosis, between men and women with coronary heart disease (CHD), using as a reference a non-CVD population. Materials and Methods: This study was carried out within the framework of the CORDIOPREV study (NCT00924937; June 19, 2009), a clinical trial which included 827 men and 175 women with CHD, with a non-CVD population of 375 individuals (270 men and 105 women) as a reference group. Plasma TMA and TMAO were measured by HPLC-MS/MS. The carotid study was ultrasonically assessed bilaterally by the quantification of intima-media thickness of both common carotid arteries (IMT-CC). Results: We found higher TMAO levels and TMAO/TMA ratio in CHD men than CHD women (p=0.034 and p=0.026, respectively). No TMA sex differences were found in CHD patients. The TMA and TMAO levels and TMAO/TMA ratio were lower, and no differences between sexes were found in the non-CVD population. TMAO levels in CHD patients were consistent with higher IMT-CC and more carotid plaques (p=0.032 and p=0.037, respectively) and lower cholesterol efflux in CHD men than CHD women (p<0.001). Conclusions Our results suggest that CHD men have augmented TMAO levels compared with CHD women, presumably as a consequence of higher rate of TMA to TMAO oxidation, which could be associated with CVD, as these sex differences are not observed in a non-CVD population.

Purpose: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is more prevalent in men than women, but the mechanisms responsible for this are not fully understood. We aimed to evaluate differences in trimethylamine (TMA), a microbial metabolite and its oxidized form, trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), which is thought to promote atherosclerosis, between men and women with coronary heart disease (CHD), using as a reference a non-CVD population. Materials and Methods: This study was carried out within the framework of the CORDIOPREV study (NCT00924937; June 19, 2009), a clinical trial which included 827 men and 175 women with CHD, with a non-CVD population of 375 individuals (270 men and 105 women) as a reference group. Plasma TMA and TMAO were measured by HPLC-MS/MS. The carotid study was ultrasonically assessed bilaterally by the quantification of intima-media thickness of both common carotid arteries (IMT-CC). Results: We found higher TMAO levels and TMAO/TMA ratio in CHD men than CHD women (p=0.034 and p=0.026, respectively). No TMA sex differences were found in CHD patients. The TMA and TMAO levels and TMAO/TMA ratio were lower, and no differences between sexes were found in the non-CVD population. TMAO levels in CHD patients were consistent with higher IMT-CC and more carotid plaques (p=0.032 and p=0.037, respectively) and lower cholesterol efflux in CHD men than CHD women (p<0.001). Conclusions Our results suggest that CHD men have augmented TMAO levels compared with CHD women, presumably as a consequence of higher rate of TMA to TMAO oxidation, which could be associated with CVD, as these sex differences are not observed in a non-CVD population.

Purpose: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is more prevalent in men than women, but the mechanisms responsible for this are not fully understood. We aimed to evaluate differences in trimethylamine (TMA), a microbial metabolite and its oxidized form, trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), which is thought to promote atherosclerosis, between men and women with coronary heart disease (CHD), using as a reference a non-CVD population. Materials and Methods: This study was carried out within the framework of the CORDIOPREV study (NCT00924937; June 19, 2009), a clinical trial which included 827 men and 175 women with CHD, with a non-CVD population of 375 individuals (270 men and 105 women) as a reference group. Plasma TMA and TMAO were measured by HPLC-MS/MS. The carotid study was ultrasonically assessed bilaterally by the quantification of intima-media thickness of both common carotid arteries (IMT-CC). Results: We found higher TMAO levels and TMAO/TMA ratio in CHD men than CHD women (p=0.034 and p=0.026, respectively). No TMA sex differences were found in CHD patients. The TMA and TMAO levels and TMAO/TMA ratio were lower, and no differences between sexes were found in the non-CVD population. TMAO levels in CHD patients were consistent with higher IMT-CC and more carotid plaques (p=0.032 and p=0.037, respectively) and lower cholesterol efflux in CHD men than CHD women (p<0.001). Conclusions Our results suggest that CHD men have augmented TMAO levels compared with CHD women, presumably as a consequence of higher rate of TMA to TMAO oxidation, which could be associated with CVD, as these sex differences are not observed in a non-CVD population.