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Study objective Different behaviors are considered important factors that may influence a healthy lifestyle. Given this fact, we aim to analyze the relationship between moderate-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), sleep time, and sedentary time, with cardiometabolic outcomes in adolescents. Methods Cross-sectional study, with 152 eutrophic and healthy adolescents. The behavioral variables were collected objectively and the arterial thickness was measured through ultrasound. Blood variables (LDL, TG, HDL, glucose, and insulin) were collected in a private laboratory. To analyze the data, the Student t test and Kruskal-Wallis test were used to compare the groups. All analyses adopted p < 0.05. Results Girls who demonstrated better combined behaviors, presented significant results for TG (p = 0.045), BP (p = 0.016), and cardiovascular score (p = 0.049) when compared to their peers. Furthermore, the practice of physical activity combined with sufficient sleep time was associated with lower values of arterial thickening (p = 0.017). Conclusions In view of the results presented, it is possible to state that the aggregation of behaviors was more consistent in females and that the practice of physical activity and adequate sleep time can reflect on cardiovascular health., Author(s): Andrea Wigna [sup.1] , Jacqueline B Urban [sup.1] , Wésley Torres [sup.1] , Lucas G Moraes-Chagas [sup.1] , Jefferson S Dias [sup.1] , David S Nunes [sup.1] , Veronica [...]

Background: The optimal duration of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) treatment for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains to be determined. Treatment durations in cornerstone phase 3 clinical trials vary between a fixed 2-year duration and pursuit until disease progression. Clinical practices may thus differ according to the attending physician. Objectives: Here we provide real-world data about treatment decisions at 2 years, with subsequent clinical outcomes. Design and Methods: This multicentric observational study included patients with advanced NSCLC whose disease was controlled after 2 years of pembrolizumab or nivolumab. The primary outcome was the decision to discontinue ICI treatment or not, along with factors motivating this decision. Secondary outcomes included progression-free survival (PFS) (according to treatment continuation or not) and adverse events. Results: A total of 91 patients were included, of which 60 (66%) had been pre-treated. The programmed death-ligand 1 expression level was ⩾50% in 43 patients (47%). In 61 patients (67%), ICI was continued after 2 years of treatment. This decision was significantly associated with the care center (p < 0.001) but neither with the tumor response at 2 years, as evaluated by CT scan or PET scan, nor with clinical status, immune-related adverse events, or previous locally treated oligo-progressive disease under ICI. Two years after the 2-year decision, PFS was 68.5%, [95% confidence interval (CI) (53.3–88.0)] in the 'ICI discontinuation' group and 64.1% [95% CI (51.9–79.2)] in the 'ICI pursuit' group; hazard ratio for relapse was 1.14 [95% CI (0.54–2.30), p = 0.77]. The overall survival rate at 24 months after discontinuation was 89.2% [95% CI (78.4–100)] for the 'discontinuation' group and 93.1% [95% CI (85.8–100)] for the 'pursuit' group. Given insufficient power, overall survival could not be compared. Conclusion: The decision to continue ICI or not after 2 years of treatment depends mainly on the care center and does not seem to impact survival. Larger, randomized data sets are required to confirm this result. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A abordagem do derrame pleural parapneumónico complicado, em idade pediátrica, permanece controversa. As opções terapêuticas incluem antibioticoterapia e drenagem pleural contínua, instilação intrapleural de fibrinolíticos, videotoracoscopia e toracotomia com descorticação. O objectivo deste estudo foi rever, avaliar e actualizar a abordagem ao derrame pleural complicado. Procedeu-se à revisão retrospectiva dos processos clínicos das crianças internadas na UPP por derrame pleural complicado entre 1992 e 2003. Foram incluídos 25 doentes, com idade média (±DP): 37,4 (± 37,0) meses, sendo 15/25 (60%) do sexo masculino. A identificação do agente foi possível em 17/25 (68%) casos [S. Aureus 6/17 (35%), St. pneumoniae 5/17 (29%)], no líquido pleural em 16/17 (94%) casos. Todos os doentes realizaram toracocentese e antibioticoterapia sistémica. A drenagem pleural contínua foi instituída em 22/25 (88%) casos com duração média (±DP): 14,2 (± 7,8) dias; em 1 caso houve instilação de fibrinolíticos intrapleurais e em 11/25 (44%) realizou-se toracotomia com descorticação. Um doente foi submetido a videotoracoscopia primária. A duração média de internamento (±DP) foi de 30,4 (± 15,1) dias e não ocorreram óbitos. A experiência do centro é determinante na abordagem escolhida e na rapidez de actuação. Provavelmente ambas influenciam o prognóstico imediato.Pediatric management of complicated pleural effusion (CPE) remains controversial. Different approaches include antibiotics and chest tube drainage alone or the use of fibrinolitics, videothorascoscopy (VTC) and surgical decortication through thoracotomy. The aim of the present study was to review, evaluate and update technical approach to CPE. We retrospectively reviewed the clinical files of children admitted to the Pediatric Respiratory Ward between 1992 and 2003 with the diagnosis of CPE. Twenty-five patients were included [15 male (60%)]. Mean (±SD) age was 37,4 (±37,0) months. Bacteria were identified in 17/25 (68%) [S. aureus in 6/17 (35%), St. pneumoniae in 5/17 (29%)], 16/17 (94%)in the pleural fluid. Twenty-five children were treated with antibiotics and thoracocentesis (100%). Chest tube drainage was required in 22/25 (88%) with mean (±DP) duration of 14,2 (±7,8) days. Fibrinolitics were employed in 1 only case and surgical decortication in 11/25 (44%). One patient (4%) was submitted to primary VTC. Median length of stay was 30,4 (±15,1) days and no deaths were recorded. Center skills in CPE management are critical on the choice of the technique and the timing of approach. This seems to influence immediate prognosis

Resumo: A abordagem do derrame pleural parapneumónico complicado, em idade pediátrica, permanece controversa. As opções terapêuticas incluem antibioticoterapia e drenagem pleural contínua, instilação intrapleural de fibrinolíticos, videotoracoscopia e toracotomia com descorticação. O objectivo deste estudo foi rever, avaliar e actualizar a abordagem ao derrame pleural complicado. Procedeu-se à revisão retrospectiva dos processos clínicos das crianças internadas na UPP por derrame pleural complicado entre 1992 e 2003. Foram incluídos 25 doentes, com idade média (±DP): 37,4 (± 37,0) meses, sendo 15/25 (60%) do sexo masculino. A identificação do agente foi possível em 17/25 (68%) casos [S. aureus6/17 (35%), St. pneumoniae 5/17 (29%)], no líquido pleural em 16/17 (94%) casos. Todos os doentes realizaram toracocentese e antibioticoterapia sistémica. A drenagem pleural contínua foi instituída em 22/25 (88%) casos com duração média (±DP): 14,2 (± 7,8) dias; em 1 caso houve instilação de fibrinolíticos intrapleurais e em 11/25 (44%) realizou-se toracotomia com descorticação. Um doente foi submetido a videotoracoscopia primária. A duração média de internamento (±DP) foi de 30,4 (± 15,1) dias e não ocorreram óbitos. A experiência do centro é determinante na abordagem escolhida e na rapidez de actuação. Provavelmente ambas influenciam o prognóstico imediato.Rev Port Pneumol 2007; XIII (1): 53-70 Abstract: Pediatric management of complicated pleural effusion (CPE) remains controversial. Different approaches include antibiotics and chest tube drainage alone or the use of fibrinolitics, videothorascoscopy (VTC) and surgical decortication through thoracotomy.The aim of the present study was to review, evaluate and update technical approach to CPE. We retrospectively reviewed the clinical files of children admitted to the Pediatric Respiratory Ward between 1992 and 2003 with the diagnosis of CPE. Twenty-five patients were included [15 male (60%)]. Mean (±SD) age was 37,4 (±37,0) months. Bacteria were identified in 17/25 (68%) [S. aureus in 6/17 (35%), St. pneumoniae in 5/17 (29%)], 16/17 (94%)in the pleural fluid. Twenty-five children were treated with antibiotics and thoracocentesis (100%). Chest tube drainage was required in 22/25 (88%) with mean (±DP) duration of 14,2 (±7,8) days. Fibrinolitics were employed in 1 only case and surgical decortication in 11/25 (44%). One patient (4%) was submitted to primary VTC. Median length of stay was 30,4 (±15,1) days and no deaths were recorded. Center skills in CPE management are critical on the choice of the technique and the timing of approach. This seems to influence immediate prognosis.Rev Port Pneumol 2007; XIII (1): 53-70 Palavras-chave: Derrame pleural, empiema pleural, criança, Key-words: Pleural effusion, pleural empyema, child

Background: Direct-acting antivirals (DAA) are highly effective at treating Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, with a cure rate >95%. However, the effect of DAAs on kidney function remains debated. Methods: We analyzed electronic health record data for DAA-naive patients with chronic HCV infection engaged in HCV care at Boston Medical Center between 2014 and 2018. We compared the following hypothetical interventions using causal inference methods: 1) initiation of DAA and 2) no DAA initiation. For patients with normal kidney function at baseline (eGFR>90 ml/min/1.73m2), we estimated and compared the risk for reaching Stage 3 chronic kidney disease (CKD) (eGFR≤60 ml/min/1.73m2) under each intervention. For patients with baseline CKD Stages 2–4 (152), we estimated and compared the mean change in eGFR at 2 years after baseline under each intervention. We used the parametric g-formula to adjust our estimates for baseline and time-varying confounders. Results: First, among 1390 patients with normal kidney function at baseline the estimated 2-year risk difference (95% CI) of reaching Stage 3 CKD for DAA initiation versus no DAA was -1% (-3, 2). Second, among 733 patients with CKD Stage 2–4 at baseline the estimated 2-year mean difference in change in eGFR for DAA initiation versus no DAA therapy was -3 ml/min/1.73m2 (-8, 2). Conclusions: We found no effect of DAA initiation on kidney function, independent of baseline renal status. This suggests that DAAs may not be nephrotoxic; furthermore, in the short-term, HCV clearance may not improve CKD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jsat.2006.05.015 Byline: Anita Palepu (a), Debbie M. Cheng (b), Theresa Kim (c), David Nunes (d), John Vidaver (e), Julie Alperen (b), Richard Saitz (b)(f), Jeffrey H. Samet (b)(g) Keywords: Substance abuse; Hepatitis C virus; Liver specialty care; Substance abuse treatment Abstract: We examined the association of substance abuse treatment with access to liver specialty care among 231 persons coinfected with HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) with a history of alcohol problems who were recruited and followed up in the HIV-Longitudinal Interrelationships of Viruses and Ethanol cohort study from 2001 to 2004. Variables regarding demographics, substance use, health service use, clinical variables, and substance abuse treatment were from a standardized research questionnaire administered biannually. We defined substance abuse treatment services as any of the following in the previous 6 months: 12 weeks in a halfway house or residential facility, 12 visits to a substance abuse counselor or mental health professional, day treatment for at least 30 days, or any participation in a methadone maintenance program. Liver specialty care was defined as a visit to a liver doctor, a hepatologist, or a specialist in treating hepatitis C in the past 6 months. At study entry, most of the 231 subjects (89%, n = 205) had seen a primary care physician, 50% had been exposed to substance abuse treatment, and 50 subjects (22%) had received liver specialty care. An additional 33 subjects (14%) reported receiving liver specialty care during the follow-up period. In the multivariable model, we observed a clinically important although not statistically significant association between having been in substance abuse treatment and receiving liver specialty care (adjusted odds ratio = 1.38; 95% confidence interval = 0.9-2.11). Substance abuse treatment systems should give attention to the need of patients to receive care for prevalent treatable diseases such as HIV/HCV coinfection and facilitate its medical care to improve the quality of care for individuals with substance use disorders. The data illustrate the need for clinical care models that give explicit attention to the coordination of primary health care with addiction and hepatitis C specialty care while providing ongoing support to engage and retain these patients with complex health needs. Author Affiliation: (a) Centre for Health Evaluation and Outcome Sciences, St. Paul's Hospital, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6Z 1Y6 (b) Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA (c) Clinical Addiction Research and Education (CARE) Unit, Section of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine and Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA (d) Section of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine and Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA (e) DM-STAT Inc., Malden, MA, USA (f) Youth Alcohol Prevention Center, and the Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA (g) Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA Article History: Received 25 October 2005; Revised 4 May 2006; Accepted 16 May 2006

A study was conducted to assess the diagnostic performance and characteristics of a number of noninvasive markers of hepatic fibrosis in populations of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infected patients with and without HIV infection. It showed that the diagnostic performance of the evaluated noninvasive markers of liver fibrosis is equivalent in HCV/HIV-coinfected and HCV-infected subjects.

The Developmental Origins of Health and Disease hypothesis (DOHaD) proposes that growth during the prenatal period might play a critical role in health, affecting the development of diseases, such as osteoporosis. Bone health is particularly affected by human behaviors when sports participation constitutes the main manifestation of physical exercise. The aim of this study is to analyze the relationship between birth weight (BW) and bone mineral content (BMC) among adolescents, as well as to identify if sports participation and maturity can affect this relationship. The sample was composed of adolescents with ages ranging from 11 to 18 years, stratified according to normal birth weight (n = 331), low birth weight (n = 36), and macrosomia (n = 47), extracted from a wider cross‐sectional study (ABCD Growth Study). BW was self‐reported by the adolescent's parent. Sports participation was assessed by face‐to‐face interview. BMC was assessed using dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry. In the multivariate models, the relationships between BW and BMC remained non‐significant, while sports participation was significantly related to BMC on lower limbs among boys (r = 0.154; p value = .001) and BMC of upper limbs among girls (r = 0.124; p value = .044). APHV was related to BMC of upper limbs among boys (r = 0.137; p value = .001). In conclusion, BMC was not affected by BW, while this phenomenon seems to be significantly affected by the positive impact of sports participation and maturation on it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) results from chronic inflammation/cirrhosis. Unfortunately, despite use of radiological/serological screening techniques, HCC ranks as a leading cause of cancer deaths. Our group has used alterations in high order chromatin as a marker for field carcinogenesis and hence risk for a variety of cancers (including colon, lung, prostate, ovarian, esophageal). In this study we wanted to address whether these chromatin alterations occur in HCC and if it could be used for risk stratification. Experimental design: A case control study was performed in patients with cirrhosis who went on to develop HCC and patients with cirrhosis who did not develop cancer. We performed partial wave spectroscopic microscopy (PWS) which measures nanoscale alterations on formalin fixed deparaffinized liver biopsy specimens, 17 progressors and 26 non-progressors. Follow up was 2089 and 2892 days, respectively. Results: PWS parameter disorder strength Ld were notably higher for the progressors (Ld = 1.47 ± 0.76) than the non-progressors (Ld = 1.00 ± 0.27) (p = 0.024). Overall, the Cohen’s d effect size was 0.907 (90.7%). AUROC analysis yielded an area of 0.70. There was no evidence of confounding by gender, age, BMI, smoking status and race. Conclusions: High order chromatin alterations, as detected by PWS, is altered in pre-malignant hepatocytes with cirrhosis and may predict future risk of HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a common cause of increased morbidity and mortality in kidney transplant patients. It is associated with posttransplant glomerulonephritis, chronic allograft nephropathy, and New Onset Diabetes after Transplant (NODAT). In the past, HCV was difficult to treat due to the presence of interferon alpha‐based therapies that were difficult to tolerate and were associated with adverse side‐effects, such as the risk of rejection. With the advent of oral directly acting antiviral therapies, the landscape for HCV and transplantation has changed. These agents are highly effective and well tolerated with minimal side‐effects. Sustained viral response rates in excess of 90% are achieved with most current treatment regimens active against all HCV genotypes. These new agents may show an improvement in graft and patient survival while essentially eliminating the risk of acute rejection from the use of prior interferon‐based HCV therapies. These agents may also result in an improvement in organ allocation for HCV donor/HCV recipient transplantation. This review is meant to discuss the epidemiology of HCV, the new oral direct‐acting antiviral agents (DAAs) and future opportunities for research in the field of HCV related transplantation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]