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Objective: This research delves into the intricate interplay between antipsychotic medications and neuroprotection focusing on the S100B protein, a central player in the regulation of neuroapoptotic activity., Method: Blood samples were collected to assess serum S100B protein levels using an immunoassay of immunoelectrochemiluminescence. The first two samples were collected with a 3-month interval between each, and the third sample was obtained 6 months after the previous one. Changes in S100B protein levels throughout the study were assessed using Friedman's ANOVA test. This was followed by the Wilcoxon signed-rank test with Bonferroni correction to account for multiple comparisons., Results: This study involved 40 patients diagnosed with severe mental disorders (34 schizophrenia, 4 schizoaffective disorder, one bipolar disorder, and one borderline personality disorder). These patients had been receiving antipsychotic treatment for an average duration of 17 years. The results revealed that the S100B protein remained within physiological levels (median values 39.0 ng/L for the first sample, median values 41.0 ng/L for the second sample, and median values 40.5 ng/L for the third sample) with no significant changes (p = 0.287), with all anti-psychotic medicaments values consistently below 50 ng/L, a lower value compared to maximum range of 105 ng/L. Importantly, there were no significant differences in S100B protein levels between patients on monotherapy and those on combination antipsychotic therapy (p = 0.873), suggesting that combination therapy did not increase neuroapoptotic activity., Conclusions: These findings provide compelling evidence for the potential neuroprotective effects of long-term antipsychotic treatment in individuals with severe mental disorders. By maintaining physiological levels of the S100B protein, antipsychotic medications may help protect against neuronal damage and dysfunction. This research contributes valuable insights into the neuroprotective mechanisms of antipsychotic drugs, enhancing our understanding of their potential benefits in the treatment of severe mental disorders., (Copyright © 2024. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U.)

Introduction: This multicenter study aimed to evaluate the Malignant Pleural Effusion Risk (MPER) diagnostic accuracy in distinguishing between benign and malign pleural effusion., Methods: MPER is based on pleural fluid Homocysteine (HCY) and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) that were measured using three different methods. MPER was calculated by assessing a previously published probabilistic model: Probability (%) = 100× (1 + e-z)-1, where Z = 0.5471 × [HCY] + 0.3846 × [CEA]-8.2671., Results: A total of 301 patients were included (140 MPE). MPER demonstrated a high AUC (0.891), sensitivity (84.3 %), and specificity (80.7 %) with a cut-off > 35.3 %., Conclusions: The MPER model demonstrated a high diagnostic accuracy supporting its use as a novel and powerful tool., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: This research delves into the intricate interplay between antipsychotic medications and neuroprotection focusing on the S100B protein-a central player in the regulation of neuroapoptotic activity., Method: Blood samples were collected to assess serum S100B protein levels using an immunoassay of immunoelectrochemiluminescence. The first two samples were collected with a 3-month interval between each, and the third sample was obtained 6 months after the previous one. Changes in S100B protein levels throughout the study were assessed using Friedman's ANOVA test. This was followed by the Wilcoxon signed-rank test with Bonferroni correction to account for multiple comparisons., Results: This study involved 40 patients diagnosed with severe mental disorders (34 schizophrenia, 4 schizoaffective disorder, 1 bipolar disorder, and 1 borderline personality disorder). These patients had been receiving antipsychotic treatment for an average duration of 17 years. The results revealed that the S100B protein remained within physiological levels (median values 39.0 ng/L for the first sample, median values 41.0 ng/L for the second sample, and median values 40.5 ng/L for the third sample) with no significant changes (p = 0.287), with all anti-psychotic medicaments values consistently below 50 ng/L, a lower value compared to maximum range of 105 ng/L. Importantly, there were no significant differences in S100B protein levels between patients on monotherapy and those on combination antipsychotic therapy (p = 0.873), suggesting that combination therapy did not increase neuroapoptotic activity., Conclusions: These findings provide compelling evidence for the potential neuroprotective effects of long-term antipsychotic treatment in individuals with severe mental disorders. By maintaining physiological levels of the S100B protein, antipsychotic medications may help protect against neuronal damage and dysfunction. This research contributes valuable insights into the neuroprotective mechanisms of antipsychotic drugs, enhancing our understanding of their potential benefits in the treatment of severe mental disorders., (Copyright © 2024. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U.)

Pleural effusion (PE) is a common medical concern, often requiring thoracentesis for a definitive diagnosis. An elevated pleural fluid adenosine deaminase (ADA) may indicate tuberculosis, but this is not always the case. This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of biomarkers determined in pleural fluid and propose a new diagnostic strategy for PE in patients with high levels of ADA in pleural fluid. This retrospective analysis studied patients with PE who received thoracentesis for the first time with an ADA level of > 33 U/L in the pleural fluid analysis at two tertiary hospitals from March 2019 to March 2023. Demographic and clinical data, as well as pleural fluid biomarkers and their ratios, were studied and compared between different PE groups, and a decision tree was developed. During the study period, 259 patients were enrolled, with four different types of PE: parapneumonic (PPE) 155, tuberculosis (TPE) 41, malignant (MPE) 50, and miscellaneous 13. Biomarkers and their ratios performed well in the differential diagnosis of PE, with the LDH/ADA ratio distinguishing between PPE and non-PPE with sensitivity and specificity of 98.06% and 98.08%, respectively. The combination of LDH/ADA ratio, ADA, and mononuclear cell percentage was identified as important factors for creating a decision tree with an overall accuracy of 89.96%. The pleural fluid LDH/ADA ratio was a useful diagnostic for distinguishing PPE from non-PPE, and a decision tree with an accuracy of 89.96% was created to differentiate the four forms of PE in clinical situations., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Prostate cancer screening based on prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing has been a matter of controversy. Although screening for prostate cancer was effective in reducing mortality, it resulted in overdiagnosis, which translated into unnecessary treatments and numerous adverse effects. As a result, recommendations from scientific societies became increasingly restrictive. In the recent years, new approaches to prostate cancer screening have been proposed. These new approaches are aimed at solving the controversy between widespread screening vs. no screening, and reconsidering PSA testing as a screening tool with a good benefit/risk balance. In this context, the European Association of Urology submitted a proposal to the European Commission for prostate cancer screening to be performed as a function of baseline PSA concentrations. The European Commission recently recommended the implementation of organized prostate cancer screening programs for men aged ≤70 years based on PSA values in combination with follow-up magnetic resonance imaging., Competing Interests: Competing interests: The authors state no conflict of interest., (© 2023 the author(s), published by De Gruyter, Berlin/Boston.)

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the reproducibility of the new viscoelastic analyzer ClotPro, and compare the parameters this system produces with the ROTEM delta system in patients undergoing cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB)., Design: A prospective and observational study., Setting: At a university hospital., Participants: Forty adult patients undergoing cardiac surgery with CPB., Interventions: Correlations were calculated between ClotPro and ROTEM delta parameters., Measurements and Main Results: The ClotPro showed a high reproducibility in most of the parameters of each test; whereas ROTEM delta, although showing a low coefficient of variation in the parameters related to clot firmness, showed a high variability in the coagulation times. Excellent correlations were observed in most of the parameters of each test between ROTEM delta and ClotPro (≥0.93). However, a moderate correlation was obtained between the clotting time of the EXTEM and the EX-test (0.54). The concordance of amplitudes at different times within each test was almost 100% on both thromboelastometers. Regarding absolute differences in the test results, most of the measurements showed significant differences (p < 0.0001) between both devices., Conclusions: ClotPro can be used as an alternative to ROTEM delta to evaluate coagulation function in cardiac surgery, but specific reference ranges need to be established first., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background/aim: Different nephrometry scoring systems (NSSs) are used to evaluate the surgical complexity and outcomes of partial nephrectomy (PN) in patients with small renal tumors. This study aimed to assess the validity of nephrometry scoring systems towards aiding the preoperative planning of laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (PN)., Patients and Methods: Data of 77 patients who underwent partial nephrectomy at the Puerto Real University Hospital between January 2011 and December 2017 were retrospectively analyzed. Statistical analyses were carried out to determine whether there was an association between the complexity of the surgical procedure and the assigned nephrometry scores., Results: Operative complications (bleeding volume, conversion to open surgery, perioperative bleeding, and postoperative fistula) were significantly associated with independent variables (age, sex, body mass index, radiological tumor size, and operative ischemia time) and with the classification of patients using arterial-based complexity (ABC) and radius endophytic/exophytic nearness anterior-posterior location (RENAL) scores. There was also a strong correlation between the RENAL and ABC scores [Cramer's V coefficient (0.682) and Fisher's test (p<0.0001)]., Conclusion: The RENAL and ABC scores are associated with the risk of the complexity of partial nephrectomy for T1 renal tumors, even for ≥T1b tumors and/or with complex anatomical features., (Copyright © 2022 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.)

Background: The aim was clinical evaluation of immune response against SARS-CoV-2, analyzing serum levels of IgG antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 protein S in infected and vaccinated patients, as well as in subjects with and without frequent comorbidities (arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus, heart disease, and chronic respiratory disease)., Methods: Patients infected by SARS-CoV-2 confirmed by RT-PCR and subjects vaccinated with vaccines based on the mRNA encoding the SARS-CoV-2 protein S were studied. SARS-CoV-2 anti-S IgG serum levels were quantified by chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay., Results: There were 79 infected patients with a median age of 53.0 years; 35 women and 44 men; 42 patients with any comorbidities and 37 without comorbidities. The median of SARS-CoV-2 anti-S IgG serum level was 203.4 BAU/mL (11.6 - 5,620.6). The median antibody level in the infected patients with any comorbidities was higher than those without comorbidities. The group of vaccinated subjects included 96 subjects with a median age of 49.5 years; 77 women and 19 men; 31 subjects with any comorbidities and 65 without comorbidities. The median of SARS-CoV-2 anti-S IgG serum levels was 1,145.6 BAU/mL (138.3 - 4,828.1). No significant differences were found in terms of specific or global comorbidities in the vaccinated subjects., Conclusions: SARS-CoV-2 anti-S IgG serum levels were 5.6 times higher in vaccinated subjects than infected patients. The vaccination produces higher serum antibody levels than SARS-CoV-2 infection. This reinforces the indication for the vaccine in infected patients. These antibodies did not decrease significantly in patients with frequent comorbidities such as hypertension, diabetes, heart disease or chronic respiratory disease.

Background/aim: The aim of the study was to evaluate the combined treatment with abiraterone acetate and prednisone (AA+P) in patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCPRC), and to identify the survival prognostic factors., Patients and Methods: Patients diagnosed with mCPRC not previously treated with chemotherapy and administered with AA+P were classified into two groups: those with lower and higher survival rates (at 30 months vs. 60 months)., Results: A total of 53 patients were studied at the time of mCRPC diagnosis. Patients with the highest survival rate had suffered prostate cancer for >45 months. At the time of initial prostate cancer diagnosis, they belonged to the risk groups 1-4, had pain intensity measured according to the brief pain inventory (BPI) scale of 0-2, were treated with AA+P>16 months, and had the following tumour marker serum levels: LDH baseline ≤163 U/l, alkaline phosphatase at 6 months ≤56 U/l and PSA at 6 months ≤0.95 ng/ml., Conclusion: Good response to treatment with AA+P for patients with mCRPC was demonstrated. Factors that contributed to the higher prognostic accuracy were time suffering from prostate cancer, the intensity of the pain measured by the BPI scale, the duration of AA+P treatment, and tumour marker levels., (Copyright © 2021 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.)

The measurement of circulating tumour markers (TMs) for the diagnosis or monitoring of breast cancer has sometimes been considered of limited utility. In addition to the overinterpretation of irrelevant changes in marker levels, the characteristics of the patient, the disease or other pathologies that can modify them are often not considered in their evaluation. On the other hand, there are recent data on the relationship of TMs with molecular subtypes and on their prognostic value, the knowledge of which may improve their clinical utility. This consensus article arises from a collaboration between the Spanish Society of Laboratory Medicine (SEQC ML ) and the Spanish Society of Medical Oncology (SEOM). It aims to improve the use and interpretation of circulating TMs in breast cancer. The text summarizes the current knowledge and available evidence on the subject and proposes a series of recommendations mainly focussed on the indication, the frequency of testing and the factors that should be considered for correctly interpreting changes in the levels of TMs.

Background: Early identification of patients with COVID-19 who may develop critical illness is of great importance., Methods: In this study a retrospective cohort of 264 COVID-19 cases admitted at Macarena University was used for development and internal validation of a risk score to predict the occurrence of critical illness in hospitalized patients with COVID-19. Backward stepwise logistic regression was used to derive the model, including clinical and laboratory variables predictive of critical illness. Internal validation of the final model used bootstrapped samples and the model scoring derived from the coefficients. External validation was performed in a cohort of 154 cases admitted at Valme and Virgen del Rocio University Hospital., Results: A total of 62 (23.5%) patients developed a critical illness during their hospitalization stay, 21 (8.0%) patients needed invasive ventilation, 34 (12.9%) were admitted at the ICU and the overall mortality was of 14.8% (39 cases). 5 variables were included in the final model: age >59.5 years (OR: 3.11;95%CI 1.39-6.97), abnormal CRP results (OR: 5.76;95%CI 2.32-14.30), abnormal lymphocytes count (OR: 3.252;95%CI 1.56-6.77), abnormal CK results (OR: 3.38;95%CI 1.59-7.20) and abnormal creatinine (OR: 3.30;95%CI 1.42-7.68). The AUC of this model was 0.850 with sensitivity of 65% and specificity of 87% and the IDI and NRI were 0.1744 and 0.2785, respectively. The validation indicated a good discrimination for the external population., Conclusions: Biomarkers add prognostic information in COVID-19 patients. Our risk-score provides an easy to use tool to identify patients who are likely to develop critical illness during their hospital stay.

The purpose of this study was to examine the applicability of the use of samples in dried blood spot (DBS) for the definitive diagnosis of Fabry disease (FD) in males and females and to compare the diagnostic role of α-galactosidase A activity (α-Gal A), levels of lyso-Gb3 and sequencing of the GLA gene in screening patients with suspected FD. Measurement of α-Gal A activity in suspected FD patients in DBS was made followed by lyso-Gb3 determination and GLA gene sequencing. Of the 2381 subjects analyzed, FD was confirmed in 24 patients. Thirteen different variants were considered like pathogenic, five of which had not been previously described (c.143A > G; c.455A > C; c.487G > T; c.554delA; c.1045&#95;1046insA). None of the patients with normal enzyme activity had FD confirmation. The DBS measurement of α-Gal A was more sensitive than lyso-Gb3 levels in both men and women. Definitive diagnosis of FD from a single DBS is possible, allowing samples to be easily sent from anywhere to the reference laboratory., (© 2021 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Pompe disease (PD) is an autosomal recessive metabolic disorder caused by pathogenic variants in the acid α-glucosidase gene (GAA) that produces defects in the lysosomal acid α-1,4-glucosidase. We aimed to identify genetic variations and clinical features in Spanish subjects to establish genotype-phenotype correlation., Methods: A total of 2637 samples of patients who showed symptoms or susceptible signs of PD were enrolled in this observational study. Enzymatic activity was detected by fluorometric techniques and the genetic study was carried out using Next-Generation Sequencing., Results: Fourteen different variants from 17 diagnosed patients were identified, seven males and nine females with LOPD (mean age 36.07, SD 20.57, range 7-64) and a 2-day-old boy with IOPD, four genetic variants had not been described in the literature previously, including a homozygous variant. In all of them α-glucosidase activity was decreased. Muscle weakness, respiratory distress, exercise intolerance, hypotonia, dysphagia and myalgia were commonly observed in patients., Conclusions: This study report four new genetic variants that contribute to the pathogenic variants spectrum of the GAA gene. We confirm that patients in Spain have a characteristic profile of a European population, with c.-32-13T>G being the most prevalent variant. Furthermore, it was confirmed that the c.236&#95;246delCCACACAGTGC pathogenic variant in homozygosity is associated with early disease and a worse prognosis.

Background: Real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction assay (RT-PCR) is the gold standard for diagnosis of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); however, it is not universally available and may have limitations in response times. The aim was to evaluate the routine blood tests for diagnosis of COVID-19, determining the diagnostic accuracy of blood biomarkers to differentiate between patients with and without COVID-19., Methods: Clinical charts, nursing records, laboratory findings, and chest x-rays from adult patients with clinical suspicion of COVID-19 (fever, cough and/or dyspnea) at hospital admission were reviewed. Patients were classified into two groups according to RT-PCR COVID-19: positive (COVID-19) or negative (NON-COVID-19). Diagnostic accuracy was determined by analyzing receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, calculating the area under the ROC curve (AUC) and the cutoff value. In order to reduce the number of false positives, the cutoff value with a specificity of 80% was considered., Results: Two hundred three patients (101 females, 102 males) with ages between 18 and 96 years (mean = 61.3) were studied. Ninety-four were COVID-19 and 109 were NON-COVID-19. Plasma ferritin level was the most accurate biomarker (AUC = 0.847 and 0.804 in women and men, respectively). The following diagnostic criteria for suspected COVID-19 were established with biomarker cutoff values to differentiate between COVID-19 and NON-COVID-19 patients: lymphocytes ≤ 1.0 x 109/L; eosinophils ≤ 0.02 x 109/L; ferritin > 125% of upper reference limit (URL); LDH > 125% of URL; hsCRP > 80 mg/L; and D-dimer > 1.2 mg/L. Sensitivity was 66%, 64% 62%, 46%, 43%, and 33% for ferritin, eosinophils, LDH, hsCRP, lymphocytes, and D-dimer, respectively. Of those determined to be COVID-19 patients, 91% met one or more of the diagnostic criteria with these blood biomarkers, and of the NON-COVID-19 patients, 47% did not met any diagnostic criteria., Conclusions: Blood counts of lymphocytes and eosinophils, and plasma levels of D-dimer, LDH, hsCRP, and ferritin can be used to differentiate patients with and without COVID-19 and as a tool for diagnosis of suspected COVID-19 in adult patients at hospital admission.

Objectives Gaucher disease (GD) is the most common inherited lysosomal storage disease, caused by mutations in acid β-glucosidase (GBA) gene. This study aimed to identify mutations in Andalusia patients with GD and their genotype-phenotype correlation. Methods Descriptive observational study. University Hospital Virgen del Rocio patients diagnosed from GD from 1999 to 2019 were included. Demographic and clinical data, β-glucocerebrosidase activity, variants pathogenic in GBA gene and biomarkers for monitoring treatment were collected from digital medical record. Results Twenty-six patients with aged between 1 day and 52 years were studied. A total of six mutations described as pathogenic and one mutation not described above [c.937T>C (p.Tyr313His)] were identified in the GBA gene, four patients were homozygotes and 22 compound heterozygotes. Twenty-four patients were diagnosed in non-neuropathic form (type 1) and two cases presented neurological involvement (type 2 or 3). The most common variant was c.1226A>G (p.Asn409Ser), which was detected in 24 patients, followed by c.1448T>C (p.Leu483Pro) variant, identified in 13 patients. The c.1448T>C (p.Leu483Pro) mutation has been presented in the most severe phenotypes with neurological involvement associated with type 2 and 3 GD, while c.1226A>G (p.Asn409Ser) mutation has not been associated with neurological alterations. Splenomegaly and bone disease were the most frequent clinical manifestations, and thrombocytopenia was the most common hematological disorder. Conclusions The c.1226A>G (p.Asn409Ser) and c.1448T>C (p.Leu483Pro) mutations were the most common. The c.937T>C (p.Tyr313His) was identified as a novel mutation. The c.1448T>C (p.Leu483Pro) mutation was associated with neurological alterations and c.1226A>G (p.Asn409Ser) mutation has not been associated it.

Background: S100B protein is one of the most accurate biomarkers for diagnosis of neuroapoptosis and brain damage. The aim was to evaluate the lactate concentration and acid-base balance (pH, pCO 2 , pO 2 , HCO 3 c and BEb) in umbilical cord blood to predict high risk of neuroapoptosis and analyze the relationship between the levels of these biomarkers and umbilical cord blood S100B protein concentration at birth., Methods: Apparently healthy newborns were included. S100B protein and blood gas test (lactate and acid-base balance) were determined in umbilical cord blood at birth. Newborns were classified into two groups: with and without high risk of neuroapoptosis. Newborns with high umbilical cord blood S100B protein concentration were considered newborns at high risk of neuroapoptosis., Results: Sixty-one newborns were included, 12 had high risk of neuroapoptosis and 49 did not. S100B protein concentration correlate directly with pCO 2 levels (Rho: 0.286, p = .0321) and lactate concentration (Rho: 0.278, p = .0315); and indirectly with pH (Rho: -0.332, p = .01). The analysis of the ROC curves yielded significant curves for pH and pCO 2 to predict high risk of neuroapoptosis, pH optimal cutoff value was 7.19 (sensitivity: 50%, specificity: 83.7%, AUC: 0.708); and pCO 2 optimal cutoff value was 60 mmHg (sensitivity: 30%, specificity: 85.4%, AUC: 0.705)., Conclusions: Respiratory acidosis is associated to high concentrations of S100B protein in umbilical cord blood at birth. Umbilical cord blood pH and pCO 2 may be useful in differentiating newborns at high risk of neuroapoptosis. Umbilical cord blood gas test may be valuable as risk indicator for neuroapoptosis at birth., (Copyright © 2019 The Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Laparoscopic partial nephrectomy has proven to be an ideal option for tumors in initial stages, preserving part of the renal parenchyma and reducing the possible risk of glomerular filtration decrease., Objectives: The main objective of this study is to determine the factors that can influence, to a greater extent, renal function deterioration after surgery., Methods: This is an observational, descriptive and longitudinal study. The renal funct ion was calculated using the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration formula, and patients were divided into 2 groups depending on whether or not their renal function had been affected after surgery. We studied the correlation between the decrease of renal function and other variables., Results: The sample comprised 48 patients. In 30 of these cases, renal function had deteriorated after surgery. We observed a statistically significant relationship between the weight of the patient (p = 0.0230), size of the tumor (p = 0.0035), ischemic time (p = 0.0287), duration of the surgery (p = 0.0297), the RENAL score (p = 0.0230) and renal function deterioration., Conclusions: Partial laparoscopic nephrectomy is associated with a deterioration in renal function, where there is a decrease in glomerular filtration after surgery. The deterioration will depend on the weight of the patient, size of the tumour, ischemic time and duration of the surgery. The RENAL score can be used to predict said deterioration., (Copyright © 2019 by S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Objective: Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) is calculated routinely using creatinine-based formulas, but their reliability in the elderly is limited. The aim of this study was to analyse the concordance between the BIS1 equation which is specific for the elderly, and the usual CKD-EPI and MDRD-IDMS in a large population over 70 years of age., Material and Methods: Retrospective cross-sectional study in which the eGFR was calculated using BIS1, CKD-EPI and MDRD-IDMS equations based on gender, age, and creatinine data of 85,089 subjects (58.5% women, mean age 78 years [IQR 73-83]).The following statistics were carried out: Wilcoxon test, Bland-Altman graphic analysis, study of the concordance using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), and comparison tables for the classification of CKD., Results: The median of the eGFRs using BIS1 was 58mL/min/1.73m 2 (IQR 48-70), using CKD-EPI was 68mL/min/1.73m 2 (IQR 53-84), and using MDRD it was 68mL/min/1.73m 2 (IQR 53-82). The concordance between BIS1 and CKD-EPI (intraclass correlation coefficient =0.87) was found to be acceptable. It was lower with MDRD (intraclass correlation coefficient =0.81). A mean difference of 8mL/min/1.73m 2 (SD 2.6-18) was found BIS1 vs. CKD-EPI, and 10mL/min/1.73m 2 (SD 6-27) with BIS1 vs. MDRD, which was maintained when stratifying by gender and age groups., Conclusions: Despite the acceptable statistical agreement, the eGFR obtained with the BIS1 equation is not interchangeable with CKD-EPI or with MDRD-IDMS. The BIS1 equation gives lower values than CKD-EPI, and classifies patients into a higher level of CKD, mainly when the eGFR is above 30mL/min/1.73 m 2 ., (Copyright © 2019 Sociedad Española de Médicos de Atención Primaria (SEMERGEN). Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Background: Pleural fluid homocysteine (HCY) can be useful for diagnosis of malignant pleural effusion (MPE). There are no published studies comparing the diagnostic accuracy of HCY with other tumour markers in pleural fluid for diagnosis of MPE. The aim was to compare the accuracy of HCY with that of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), cancer antigen (CA) 15.3, CA19.9 and CA125 in pleural fluid and to develop a probabilistic model using these biomarkers to differentiate benign (BPE) from MPE., Methods: Patients with pleural effusion were randomly included. HCY, CEA, CA15.3, CEA19.9 and CA125 were quantified in pleural fluid. Patients were classified into two groups: MPE or BPE. By applying logistic regression analysis, a multivariate probabilistic model was developed using pleural fluid biomarkers. The diagnostic accuracy was determined by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and calculating the area under the curve (AUC)., Results: Population of study comprised 133 patients (72 males and 61 females) aged between 1 and 96 years (median = 70 years), 81 BPE and 52 MPE. The logistic regression analysis included HCY (p<0.0001) and CEA (p = 0.0022) in the probabilistic model and excluded the other tumour markers. The probabilistic model was: HCY+CEA = Probability(%) = 100×(1+e-z)-1, where Z = 0.5471×[HCY]+0.3846×[CEA]-8.2671. The AUCs were 0.606, 0.703, 0.778, 0.800, 0.846 and 0.948 for CA125, CA19.9, CEA, CA15.3, HCY and HCY+CEA, respectively., Conclusions: Pleural fluid HCY has higher accuracy for diagnosis of MPE than CEA, CA15.3, CA19.9 and CA125. The combination of HCY and CEA concentrations in pleural fluid significantly improves the diagnostic accuracy of the test., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Background and Objective: The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of diabetes mellitus treated pharmacologically, analyse the prescription patterns of antidiabetic drugs and assess the degree of control over the disease in the province of Cadiz., Patients and Methods: An observational retrospective study was conducted with the databases of the public health system of the Andalusian Health Service between 2014 and 2016, inclusive. Adults with treated diabetes (ATD) were considered those older than 14 years who had consumed at least 1 package of medication from the A10 group during the corresponding year covered by the study., Results: The prevalence of ATD varied between 8.65% and 8.83% from 2014 to 2016, respectively. Seventy-one percent of the ATD were treated with only noninsulin drugs, 11% were treated with insulin, and 18% were treated with a combination of both. For approximately one-third of the ATD, an HbA1c reading was not performed during each year. Sixty-nine percent of the assessed ATD in 2016 had an appropriate degree of control according to RedGDPS criteria (based on HbA1c and age)., Conclusion: The prevalence of pharmacologically treated diabetes in the province of Cadiz is high and appears to be increasing. The patients presented limited glycaemic control, to which inadequate follow-up in almost a third of the patients could be the major contributor., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier España, S.L.U. and Sociedad Española de Medicina Interna (SEMI). All rights reserved.)

Background: Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and C-reactive protein (CRP) are biomarkers of inflammation commonly used in medicine. The aim was to evaluate the utility of serum LDH and CRP levels for diagnosis of prostate cancer (PC) in men with nonspecific elevations of serum total prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels., Methods: The following serum biomarkers were measured in patients with PSA between 4 and 10 ng/mL: LDH, CRP and free-PSA. The free-to-total serum PSA ratio (%fPSA) was (free-PSA/PSA) ×100. Patients were classified into two groups according to diagnosis of prostate biopsy: PC and NOT PC patients. Logistic regression was used for develop a probabilistic model to predict PC patients. Diagnostic accuracy was determined using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, calculating the area under the ROC curve (AUC)., Results: We studied 232 patients with ages between 43 and 98 years old (median =72), 200 NOT PC and 32 PC patients. CRP was not statistically significantl to differentiate between PC and NOT PC patients. Probabilistic model (%) was 100× (1+ e -Z ) -1 ; (Z =0.0070× LDH -0.1589× %fPSA -1.4898). The AUCs were 0.657 (P=0.0048), 0.802 (P<0.0001), and 0.844 (P<0.0001) for serum LDH levels, %fPSA values and probabilistic model, respectively., Conclusions: CRP was not useful to differentiate benign from malignant prostate disease, in contrast LDH could be used for diagnosis of PC. A probabilistic model using LDH and %fPSA can improve the diagnostic accuracy in patients with PSA between 4 and 10 ng/mL., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form (available at http://dx.doi.org/10.21037/tcr.2019.01.31). The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (2019 Translational Cancer Research. All rights reserved.)

Goals: It is unclear whether C reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin (PCT) levels in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) improve the accuracy compared to their serum levels for the differential diagnosis of infectious meningitis. The aim of this study was to compare the accuracy of CRP and PCT levels in CSF and serum in order to differentiate between bacterial and viral meningitis., Procedures: CRP and PCT levels were measured in CSF and serum from patients with bacterial or viral meningitis. The diagnostic accuracy was determined using receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC), calculating the area under the ROC curve (AUC)., Results: Thirty patients were included in this study, 18 of whom had bacterial meningitis and 12 viral meningitis. The AUCs to differentiate bacterial from viral meningitis using serum CRP, CSF CRP, serum PCT and CSF PCT were 0.926; 0.898; 0.963; and 0.694 respectively. Serum CRP and PCT exhibited 100% and 88.9% sensitivity, 83.3% and 100% specificity with a cut-off =14.0 mg/L and 0.18 μg/L respectively., Conclusions: Levels of CRP and PCT in CSF did not present greater accuracy in differentiating bacterial from viral meningitis compared to serum levels. Serum CRP and PCT showed a high diagnostic accuracy, therefore its quantification is recommended in all patients with suspected infectious meningitis., (© 2018 by the Association of Clinical Scientists, Inc.)

Introduction and Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the brain damage caused by inhaled sevoflurane, by determining the concentration of serum S100B protein before and after the exposure to this drug as the only anaesthetic agent., Patients and Method: Paediatric patients undergoing general anaesthesia for the conduct of a nuclear magnetic resonance were included in the study. A venous blood sample was taken from each patient before (basal sample) and after (post-exposure sample) administering the general anaesthesia. The concentration of serum S100B protein was determined in the basal (S100Bb) and post-exposure sample (S100Bp)., Results: A total of 72 patients were included in the study, with a mean patient age of 2 to 13 years (median=6), 28 males and 44 females. S100Bp values (median=66.5ng/L) were significantly lower (P=.0059) than those of S100Bb (median=84.0ng/L). The median of the difference between S100Bp and S100Bb was -11.0ng/L., Conclusions: Inhaled sevoflurane at low doses causes a decrease of serum S100B protein levels, hence, this drug could have a neuroprotective effect in the central nervous system., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Background: The aim was to measure the accuracy of pleural fluid lactate concentration for diagnosis of parapneumonic pleural effusion (PPE) and to discriminate between uncomplicated (UPPE) and complicated PPE (CPPE)., Methods: Pleural fluid lactate was measured in patients with pleural effusion. Patients were classified into two groups according to the etiology of pleural effusion: PPE and NOT PPE., Results: We studied 173 patients. Thirty patients were PPE (10 UPPE and 20 CPPE) and 143 were NOT PPE. The AUC value was 0.831 (p < 0.0001) and the optimal cutoff value was 5.6 mmol/L exhibiting 70% sensitivity and 90.9% specificity for diagnosis of PPE. Also, pleural fluid lactate could be used to discriminate between UPPE and CPPE, the AUC value was 0.740 (p = 0.0089) and the optimal cutoff value was 10.2 mmol/L, exhibiting 45% sensitivity and 90% specificity., Conclusions: Pleural fluid lactate has a high accuracy for diagnosis and management of PPE.

Background and Objective: S100B protein is a serum marker of cerebral damage. The objective was to evaluate the brain damage caused by general anaesthesia, by determining the concentration of serum S100B protein before and after of general anaesthesia., Patients and Method: Patients with chronic adenotonsillar hypertrophy and indications for tonsillectomy were included. A venous blood sample was taken from the patients before general anaesthesia (basal sample). The patients were anaesthetised using the following intravenous anaesthetic drugs: midazolam, fentanyl and propofol; and inhaled sevoflurane. A second venous blood sample (postoperative sample) was taken from patients after the surgery, in the operating room. The concentration of serum S100B protein was determined in the basal sample (S100Bb) and postoperative sample (S100Bp) by immunoassay electro-chemiluminescence in MODULAR E-170 (Roche Diagnostics)., Results: Seventy-six patients were included, 46 males and 30 females, aged between 3 to 14 (median 5 years). In all the patients, serum S100B protein levels increased after general anaesthesia. The values of S100Bp (median 164.0 ng/L) were significantly higher than the values of S100Bb (median 94.5 ng/L). The median of the difference between S100Bp and S100Bb was 58.0 ng/L. There were statistically significant differences between S100Bb and S100Bp using the Wilcoxon test (P<.0001)., Conclusions: The concentration of serum S100B protein increased significantly after general anaesthesia. This indicates that general anaesthesia may cause brain damage., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Purpose of Investigation: To determine the accuracy of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), cancer antigen (CA) 15.3, CA 19.9, and CA 125 for diagnosis of mucinous ovarian cancer (MOC)., Materials and Methods: Samples were collected preoperatively from patients with mucinous ovarian tumor. The following variables were analysed: CEA, CA 15.3, CA 19.9, and CA 125. After surgery, histology and stage were determined according to FIGO-classification. Patients were classified into two groups according to the diagnosis of ovarian biopsy: NOT MOC and MOC., Results: The authors studied 94 patients with ages between 15 and 80 years (median = 43). Eighty-two patients were NOT MOC (68 mucinous ovarian cystadenomas and 14 mucinous borderline ovarian tumors) and 12 were MOC. All MOC patients were in FIGO Stages I or II. No statistically significant differences were found between MOC and NOT MOC patients according to CEA and CA 15.3 (p > 0.05). All MOC patients had abnormal serum CA 19.9 and/or CA 125 levels. Using CA 19.9 and CA 125, we performed a linear regression formula CA 19.9+125 = 0.00102 x CA 19.9 + 0.00057 x CA 125. AUCs values were 0.862 (p = 0.0002), 0.829 (p = 0.0021), and 0.911 (p = 0.0001) for CA 19.9, CA 125, and CA 19.9 + 125, respectively. CA 19.9 + 125 exhibited 95.1% specificity and 66.7% sensitivity, increased by 16.7% sensitivity compared with using only CA 19.9 or CA 125., Conclusions: Preoperative CA 19.9 and CA 125 levels showed high diagnosis efficacy to predict whether a mucinous ovarian tumour is benign or malignant. Using both markers simultaneously increases the sensitivity for diagnosis of MOC.

Objectives: To measure the accuracy of pleural fluid cell-free DNA (cfDNA) concentration for diagnosis of parapneumonic pleural effusions (PPE)., Design and Methods: We studied pleural fluids obtained by thoracocentesis in patients with pleural effusion. DNA was automatically extracted from pleural fluid using the MagNa Pure Compact instrument (Roche Diagnostics), and was measured by a real-time quantitative PCR assay for the β-globin gene using a Light-Cycler 480 Real-Time PCR instrument (Roche Diagnostics). Patients were classified into two groups according to the etiology of pleural effusion: PPE and NOT PPE. The diagnostic accuracy was determined using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) techniques by analyzing the area under the ROC curve (AUC)., Results: We studied 78 patients with ages between 1 and 86 years old (median=64). Sixteen patients were PPE and 62 were NOT PPE (24 transudative, 30 malignant and 8 other etiology). Pleural fluid cfDNA concentration was higher in patients with PPE (median=46,240 ng/mL) than in those with NOT PPE (median=224 ng/mL). The AUC value was 0.907 (p<0.0001) and the optimal cut-off value was 6740 ng/mL exhibiting 87.5% sensitivity and 80.6% specificity. Also, there were significant differences between transudative and exudative effusions according to pleural fluid cfDNA concentration (p<0.0001). The AUC value was 0.994 and the optimal cut-off value was 162ng/mL exhibiting 100% sensitivity and 96.3% specificity., Conclusions: Pleural fluid cfDNA concentration showed high accuracy for diagnosis of PPE and to discriminate between transudative and exudative effusions., (Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

There are no published studies examining the utility of total homocysteine (HCY) in pleural fluid. The aim was to measure the accuracy of pleural fluid HCY concentration for diagnosis of malignant pleural effusion (MPE). We studied pleural fluids obtained by thoracocentesis in patients with pleural effusion. Pleural fluid HCY concentration was measured by immunonephelometry using N Latex HCY reagent with monoclonal antibody in automated analyzers BNII (Siemens Diagnostics®). Patients were classified into two groups according to the etiology of pleural effusion: benign pleural effusions (BPE) and MPE. Pleural effusion was categorized as MPE if malignant cells were demonstrated in pleural fluid or pleural biopsy. The accuracy of pleural fluid HCY concentration for diagnosis of MPE was determined using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) techniques by analyzing the area under the ROC curve (AUC). We studied 89 patients with ages between 1 and 96 years old (median = 66). Forty-eight patients were BPE and 41 were MPE. Pleural fluid HCY concentration was significantly higher in patients with MPE (median = 13.70 μmol/L) than in those with BPE (median = 8.05 μmol/L). The AUC value was 0.833 (95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.739-0.903). The optimal cutoff value was 13.1 μmol/L exhibiting 56.1 % (95 % CI 39.8-71.5) sensitivity and 85.4 % (95 % CI 72.2-93.9) specificity. Pleural fluid HCY concentration showed high diagnostic accuracy to predict whether a pleural effusion is benign or malignant. Pleural fluid HCY concentration may be measured easily and quickly in automated analyzers and could be a tumor marker commonly used for diagnosis of MPE.

Background: Evaluate the utility of serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in combination with free-to-total serum prostate specific antigen ratio (%fPSA), for diagnosis of prostate cancer (PC) with serum total prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels in the intermediate range of 4 to 10 ng/mL., Methods: The following variables were analysed: PSA, %fPSA, and LDH. Two categories of patients were included in the analysis: NOT PC and PC., Results: We studied 134 patients, 112 had NOT PC and 22 had PC. We defined the following multivariable score (S): S = A + B, where A and B are coefficients of LDH and %fPSA, respectively. AUC values were 0.719 (p = 0.0036), 0.749 (p = 0.0082), and 0.816 (p = 0.0001) for %fPSA, LDH, and S, respectively. Using the proposed S increases by 18% specificity compared to only using the %fPSA parameter., Conclusions: LDH in combination with %fPSA improves diagnostic performance for detection of PC compared to using only %fPSA.

Background: A study to analyse tumor markers (CEA, CA125, CA15.3, CA19.9, CYFRA 21-1, and NSE) for metastasis detection in lung cancer patients., Methods: Serum tumor markers from 73 lung cancer patients were measured before they were diagnosed. After lung cancer diagnosis, tumor markers were analyzed for the detection of distant metastases., Results: In NSCLC patients CYFRA 21-1 and NSE showed differences between stage IV and any of the other stages, p < 0.05. The accuracy for metastasis detection was AUC = 81.5 % for CYFRA 21-1 and AUC = 78.6 % for < 0.05) were independent predictors for metastasis presence. No tumor marker showed significant differences according to stages in SCLC patients., Conclusions: CYFRA 21-1 could be used as a screening tool for metastasis detection in lung cancer patients without symptoms of metastasis as well as CYFRA 21-1 and NSE in NSCLC patients.

Objectives: To compare HPLC methods with short and long elution times for HbA1c measurement in blood., Methods: Comparison between G7-Tosoh (1.2 min); Bio-Rad-Variant-II-Turbo (1.3 min) and Arkray-HA-8160 (2.9 min)., Results: Passing-Bablok regression equations were: Y=0.17+0.96X; Y=-0.39+1.01X; Y=-0.40+1.0X and the means of the differences using Bland-Altman Plot were 0.02; -0.34; 0.32 for HA-8160/G7-Tosoh, HA-8160/Variant-II-Turbo and G7-Tosoh/Variant-II-Turbo, respectively., Conclusions: Faster elution methods had no problems on reproducibility of results obtained by slower elution methods.

Background and Objective: Parapneumonic effusions with pH < 7.20 or glucose < 0.40 g/l or lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) > 1000 U/l have indication of treatment with endothoracic drainage tube (EDT). The aim of the present study was to determine the accuracy of partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2) measurement in pleural fluid for the subsequent treatment indication with EDT in parapneumonic effusions, by analyzing the area under curve ROC (AUC) and determining the optimal cut off value., Patients and Method: 207 pleural fluids were studied. Glucose, LDH, pCO2, and pH were measured, and data concerning the etiology of pleural effusion and whether EDT treatment was needed were collected after patients were discharged from hospital., Results: Forty-six out of 207 pleural fluids studied were parapneumonic effusions. Thirty-two were treated with EDT. AUC values were 0.888 (p < 0.0001), 0.890 (p < 0.0001), 0.816 (p < 0.0001), and 0.801 (p < 0.0001) for pCO2, pH, glucose, and LDH, respectively. No significant differences were found among them. Optimal cut off value for pCO2 was 48.6 mmHg, exhibiting 90.6% sensitivity and 78.6% specificity. All parapneumonic effusions showing pCO2 > 60.9 mmHg were treated with EDT. Remarkably, 3 out of 46 parapneumonic effusions (6.5%) that had been improperly treated following pH, glucose or LDH values, were correctly treated following pCO2., Conclusions: pCO2 determination in pleural fluid appears to be the best way to decide the indication of EDT in parapneumonic effusions.