Development and Preliminary Evaluation of a Rapid Oligochromatographic Assay for Specific Detection of New Human Influenza A H1N1 Virus

A new oligochromatographic assay, Speed-Oligo Novel Influenza A H1N1, was designed and optimized for the specific detection of the 2009 influenza A H1N1 virus. The assay is based on a PCR method coupled to detection of PCR products by means of a dipstick device. The target sequence is a 103-bp fragment within the hemagglutinin gene. The analytical sensitivity of the new assay was measured with serial dilutions of a plasmid that contained the target sequence, and we determined that down to one copy per reaction of the plasmid was reliably detected. Diagnostic performance was assessed with 103 RNAs from suspected cases (40 positive and 63 negative results) previously analyzed with a reference real-time PCR technique. All positive cases were confirmed, and no false-positive results were detected with the new assay. No cross-reactions were observed when other viral strains or clinical samples with other respiratory viruses were tested. According to these results, this new assay has 100% sensitivity and specificity. The turnaround time for the whole procedure was 140 min. The assay may be especially useful for the specific detection of 2009 H1N1 virus in laboratories not equipped with real-time PCR instruments

Open partial nephrectomy in renal cancer: a feasible gold standard technique in all hospitals

Introduction. Partial nephrectomy (PN) is playing an increasingly important role in localized renal cell carcinoma (RCC) as a true alternative to radical nephrectomy. With the greater experience and expertise of surgical teams, it has become an alternative to radical nephrectomy in young patients when the tumor diameter is 4 cm or less in almost all hospitals since cancer-specific survival outcomes are similar to those obtained with radical nephrectomy. Materials and Methods. The authors comment on their own experience and review the literature, reporting current indications and outcomes including complications. The surgical technique of open partial nephrectomy is outlined. Conclusions. Nowadays, open PN is the gold standard technique to treat small renal masses, and all nonablative techniques must pass the test of time to be compared to PN. It is not ethical for patients to undergo radical surgery just because the urologists involved do not have adequate experience with PN. Patients should be involved in the final treatment decision and, when appropriate, referred to specialized centers with experience in open or laparoscopic partial nephrectomies

Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in the elderly

The incidence of hypertension is high in the elderly and is present in 2/3 of the patients older than 65 years. Prevalence can reach 90% in patients older than 80 years. The presence of isolated systolic hypertension (ISH) is characteristic of this population. However, the prevalence of hypertension by ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) is not well known. In this study, we analyzed the special characteristics of hypertension in this population, giving special emphasis on ABPM readings

Genetic polymorphisms of RANTES, IL1-A, MCP-1 and TNF-A genes in patients with prostate cancer

BACKGROUND Inflammation has been implicated as an etiological factor in several human cancers, including prostate cancer. Allelic variants of the genes involved in inflammatory pathways are logical candidates as genetic determinants of prostate cancer risk. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether single nucleotide polymorphisms of genes that lead to increased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines are associated with an increased prostate cancer risk. METHODS A case-control study design was used to test the association between prostate cancer risk and the polymorphisms TNF-A-308 A/G (rs 1800629), RANTES-403 G/A (rs 2107538), IL1-A-889 C/T (rs 1800587) and MCP-1 2518 G/A (rs 1024611) in 296 patients diagnosed with prostate cancer and in 311 healthy controls from the same area. RESULTS Diagnosis of prostate cancer was significantly associated with TNF-A GA + AA genotype (OR, 1.61; 95% CI, 1.09-2.64) and RANTES GA + AA genotype (OR, 1.44; 95% CI, 1.09-2.38). A alleles in TNF-A and RANTES influenced prostate cancer susceptibility and acted independently of each other in these subjects. No epistatic effect was found for the combination of different polymorphisms studied. Finally, no overall association was found between prostate cancer risk and IL1-A or MCP-1 polymorphisms. CONCLUSION Our results and previously published findings on genes associated with innate immunity support the hypothesis that polymorphisms in proinflammatory genes may be important in prostate cancer development.

Testing of Diagnostic Methods for Detection of Influenza Virusfor Optimal Performance in the Context of an Influenza Surveillance Network

Influenza surveillance networks must detect early the viruses that will cause the forthcoming annual epidemics and isolate the strains for further characterization. We obtained the highest sensitivity (95.4%) with a diagnostic tool that combined a shell-vial assay and reverse transcription-PCR on cell culture supernatants at 48 h, and indeed, recovered the strain

Peritoneal carcinomatosis from a small bowel carcinoid tumour

BACKGROUND. Peritoneal carcinomatosis from a gastrointestinal carcinoid tumour is rare and the long-term management and prognosis have not been clearly defined. The natural history is different from gastrointestinal adenocarcinoma, although its capacity to invade regional lymph nodes and generate distal metastasis can make the management more complex. Whilst the development of carcinomatosis is uncommonly reported, it may be higher than expected. CASE PRESENTATION A 63 years-old woman underwent emergency surgery in 1993 for right iliac fossa pain and a mass that was found to be an ileal carcinoid tumour. Over the next ten years, further surgery was required for disseminated disease with peritoneal carcinomatosis and liver metastasis. Systemic chemotherapy had little effect, although Somatostatin was used effectively to relieve symptoms caused by the disseminated disease (flushing and diarrhoea). CONCLUSION. Peritoneal carcinomatosis from carcinoid tumours is not well documented in the literature. Aggressive surgery must be performed in order to control the disease since chemotherapy has not been reported to be effective. With repeated surgery long-term survival can be achieved in these patients.

Interrupción voluntaria del embarazo : Andalucía 1997 : evolución de la incidencia de I.V.E. 1991-1998 : distribución de las I.V.E. en los distritos sanitarios 1998

En port.: Unidad Estadística. Publicado en la página web de la Consejería de Salud: www.juntadeandalucia.es/salud (Consejería de Salud / Profesionales / Estadísticas Sanitarias / Estadísticas de interrupción voluntaria del embarazo > Acceso a las Estadisticas de Interrupción Voluntaria del Embarazo)

Toscana virus in Spain

Toscana virus (TOSV, Phlebovirus, family Bunyaviridae) infection is one of the most prevalent arboviruses in Spain. Within the objectives of a multidisciplinary network, a study on the epidemiology of TOSV was conducted in Granada, in southern Spain. The overall seroprevalence rate was 24.9%, significantly increasing with age. TOSV was detected in 3 of 103 sandfly pools by viral culture or reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction from a region of the L gene. Nucleotide sequence homology was 99%-100% in TOSV from vectors and patients and 80%-81% compared to the Italian strain ISS Phl.3. Sequencing of the N gene of TOSV isolates from patients and vectors indicated 87%-88% and 100% homology at the nucleotide and amino acid levels, respectively, compared to the Italian strain. These findings demonstrate the circulation of at least 2 different lineages of TOSV in the Mediterranean basin, the Italian lineage and the Spanish lineage.

Estadísticas vitales, distribución espacial y tendencia de la mortalidad por cáncer y otras causas : Andalucía, 1976-1996

En port.: Unidad Estadística

Interrupción voluntaria del embarazo : Andalucía 1996 : evolución de la incidencia de I.V.E. : años 1991-1997 : (1997 datos provisionales]

En port.: Unidad Estadística

Hemoterapia : proceso de soporte

Publicado en la página web de la Consejería de Salud: www.juntadeandalucia.es/salud (Consejería de Salud / Profesionales / Nuestro Compromiso por la Calidad / Procesos de Soporte)

Cefaleas : proceso asistencial integrado

Proceso asistencial integrado. Publicado en la página web de la Consejería de Salud: www.juntadeandalucia.es/salud (Consejería de Salud / Profesionales / Nuestro Compromiso por la Calidad / Procesos Asistenciales Integrados)

Plan Integral de Tabaquismo de Andalucía 2005-2010 : Sistema Sanitario Público de Andalucía

Publicado en la página web de la Consejería de Salud: www.juntadeandalucia.es/salud (Consejería de Salud / Ciudadanía / Quiénes somos / Planes y Estrategias)

Técnicas de imagen : proceso de soporte

Publicado en la página web de la Consejería de Salud: www.juntadeandalucia.es/salud (Consejería de Salud / Profesionales / Nuestro Compromiso por la Calidad / Procesos de Soporte)

Estadística hospitalaria andaluza : (E.E.S.R.I.) : [estadística de establecimientos sanitarios con régimen de internado : 1999]

Datos a 31 de diciembre del año 1999. Publicado en la página web de la Consejería de Salud: www.juntadeandalucia.es/salud (Consejería de Salud / Profesionales / Estadísticas Sanitarias / Estadísticas Hospitalarias / Estadísticas Hospitalarias de Andalucía