[Mesalazine renal lithiasis.]

Mesalazine (5-aminosalicylic acid, 5-ASA),is an anti-inflammatory drug well-established as first-line treatment in the management of inflammatory bowel disease. Nephritic colic has been described as an uncommonside effect, but very few mesalazine nephrolithiasis have been published in the literature, probably due to its underdiagnosis for not using appropriate methodology for calculi analysis. We present two cases of lithiasis in patients treated with mesalazine at high dosage, an adverse effect to betaken into account as a drug lithiasis and which is not even mentioned in the patient information leaflet.

Influence of Waiting List in Recurrence Disease of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

BACKGROUND

We describe the results of our liver transplantation (LT) patients for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in 2004 to 2012 to determine the differences on the basis of time on the waiting list to establish the risk of recurrence of liver disease.

METHODS

Clinical variables were recorded for both donors and recipients as well as variables of diagnosis, the use of transarterial chemoembolization during the waiting list time (WLT), complications, re-transplantation, and exitus. Fifty-eight patients were analyzed. Mean age was 57 ± 8 years (men, 83%; 48 patients). Viral etiology of HCC was 50% (n = 29); alcoholic, 26% (n = 15); and others, 24% (n = 14).

RESULTS

Exitus was established in 24 patients (41%); only 5 patients (7%) were attributable to HCC. In the cohort of patients with less than 6 months of WLT, we registered both higher rates of downstaging protocols (10.7% vs 7.5%) and tumor size (3 cm vs 2 cm) compared with the other group. Bivariate studies were conducted according to the WLT (WLT <6 months, WLT ≥6 months), finding differences in recurrence of liver disease (P < .05). This fact was confirmed after a binary logistic regression.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results in a subgroup of less than 6 months of WLT included patients with increased tumor size or presentation of multiple nodes, with a worse prognosis and therefore to be prioritized in the treatment of LT. Therefore, in our population there is a significant risk of tumor recurrence in patients with less WLT for LT, but it cannot be overestimated to all type of patients with HCC.

Surface functionalization of macroporous polymeric materials by treatment with air low temperature plasma

Polystyrene/divinylbenzene (PS-DVB) macroporous monoliths obtained using highly concentrated emulsions as templates show a superhydrophobic behaviour, restricting their potential technological applications, especially those related to adhesion and wetting. Air plasma treatments were carried out in order to modulate wetting properties, modifying the surface chemical composition of macroporous polystyrene/divinylbenzene materials. The superhydrophobic behaviour was rapidly suppressed by air plasma treatment, greatly reducing the water contact angle, from approximately 150 degrees to approximately 90 degrees, in only 10 seconds of treatment. The new surface chemical groups, promoted by plasma active species, were characterized by surface analysis techniques with different depth penetration specificity (contact angle, XPS, FTIR and SEM). Results demonstrated that very short treatment times produced different chemical functionalities, mainly C-O, C=O, O-C=O and C-N, which provide the materials with predominantly acidic surface properties. However, plasma active species did not penetrate deeply through the interconnected pores of the material. FTIR analysis evidenced that the new hydrophilic surface groups promoted by plasma active species are in a negligibly concentration compared to bulk chemical groups, and are located in a very thin surface region on the PS-DVB monolith surface (significantly below 2 microm). XPS analysis of treated monoliths revealed a progressive increase of oxygen and nitrogen content as a function of plasma treatment time. However, oxidation of the PS-DVB monoliths surface prevails over the incorporation of nitrogen atoms. Finally, SEM studies indicated that the morphology of the plasma treated PS-DVB does not significantly change even for the longest air plasma treatment time studied (120 s).

[Clinical semiology associated with increased creatinine kinase in patients attending emergency department]

INTRODUCTION

The prognosis of rhabdomyolysis is conditioned by the development of acute renal failure which depends of quick preventive measures. Rhabdomyolysis is diagnosed by measuring plasma creatinkinase and it is usually suspected by the presence of previous putative causal factors like traumatisms. Non traumatic rhabdomyolysis usually lacks of clinical relevant antecedents and the syndrome should be suspected by patient clinical symptomatology; unfortunately, this one has been scarcely studied.

OBJECTIVES

To describe the semiology observed in patients experiencing non traumatic rhabdomyolysis and to identify which symptoms induced to the subject to go to the emergency room in order to facilitate the diagnostic procedure.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We studied the patients with non traumatic rhabdomyolysis (creatinkinase > 1,000 IU/l) which attended the emergency room in a one year period. We collected data regarding their clinical symptomatology as well as which of them was responsible of his/her coming to the emergency unit. Symptoms were classified in four groups: muscular, urinary, neurological and others.

RESULTS

We evaluated 49 patients. The relative frequency of each kind of symptoms was the following: muscular 51%, urinary 18%, neurological 67%, and others 47%. The absolute frequency of the symptoms which caused the consultation were: muscular 16%, urinary 2%, neurological 48%, others 22%, muscular and neurological associated 6%, and neurological and other associated 6%.

CONCLUSION

CK serum levels should be measured in all of the patients attending the emergency unit who exhibit some type of neurological manifestation.