Serum cytokine levels in patients with chronic low back pain due to herniated disc: analytical cross-sectional study

CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE

the role of immune response and proinflammatory cytokines in the pathogenesis of chronic pain has been of growing interest. In order to evaluate whether there is any association between disc herniation and elevated cytokine levels, we measured cytokine levels in patients with chronic low back pain and in healthy subjects.

DESIGN AND SETTING

analytical cross-sectional study at the Pain Clinic of Universidade Federal da Bahia (UFBA).

METHODS

cytokine levels were measured using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique on 23 patients with low back pain (G1) and on 10 healthy subjects (G2).

RESULTS

the levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha [TNF-alpha] (G1 = 5.6 ± 2.3 pg/ml; G2 = 1.6 ± 0.5 pg/ml; P = 0.01) and interleukin-6 [IL-6] (G1 = 4.1 ± 3.0 pg/ml; G2 = 0.9 ± 0.4 pg/ml; P = 0.01) were higher in G1. There were no statistically significant differences in relation to interleukin-1 [IL-1] (G1 = 0.5 ± 0.3 pg/ml; G2 = 0.5 ± 0.1 pg/ml; P = 1) or soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor [sTNF-R] (G1 = 572 pg/ml ± 36; G2 = 581 ± 50 pg/ml; P = 0.87).

CONCLUSION

The patients with chronic low back pain due to disc herniation presented higher levels of TNF-alpha and IL-6, but not of IL-1 or sTNF-R.

Validation of criteria for nosocomial use of amikacin in Brazil with the Delphi technique

The Delphi technique has been used since the 1950s to collect the opinions of experts; to gauge their indications, and in some instances, to develop a consensus. This systematic collection and aggregation of informed judgments from a group of experts on specific questions or issues is a highly efficient and cost-effective means to establish guidelines and policies, when compared to other strategies, such as committee meetings or personal interviews.

OBJECTIVE

Examine the content validation process of the proposed criteria of the American Society of Health System Pharmacists (ASHP) for amikacin use in hospital settings.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The Delphi technique was applied using the proposed ASHP criteria questionnaire containing 102 specific questions related to the nosocomial use of amikacin by individual patients. The questionnaire contained six groups of questions: 1) Identification and basic demographic data, 2) Relevant data for the use of amikacin, 3) Justification of its usage, 4) Critical parameters of amikacin use, 5) Complications, 6) Measurement of results. Eight hospital specialist medical doctors were selected, including five in the area of infectious diseases, one surgeon, one nephrologist and one in critical care medicine. The questionnaire was e-mailed to the doctors and they were asked for their opinion about the appropriateness of the questions. They were to say whether the general concept seemed totally or partially adequate to the proposed process, what grade (0 to 10) they would give to each section, and if there were any perceived deficiencies, they could add, omit or modify individual questions. A second questionnaire containing the questions for which there had been no consensus based on the answers to the previous one was re-sent to the participants for consolidation.

RESULTS

Feedback revealed an agreement of 75% concerning the utility and appropriateness of sections 1 and 2. The section about the justification of amikacin usage was agreed on by 50%. There was a total agreement of 62% for the critical parameters of amikacin use, and a partial agreement of 37%. The complication of usage of the questionnaire was agreed upon by 50% of the participants, and positive measurement of the results was totally agreed on by 62%, and partially by 37%. The overall score for the questionnaire was 8.77 +/- 0.25.

CONCLUSION

The usage criteria for amikacin recommended by ASHP were validated by the Delphi technique for utilization in Brazilian hospital settings. The Delphi technique applied to validate a questionnaire instrument for monitoring the correct use of a specific strategic antibiotic indicated for the treatment and prophylaxis of serious antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria, proved to be a reliable and simple tool for designing guidelines and a consensus document for hospital use of antibiotics.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder: an open-label pilot trial of escitalopram

INTRODUCTION

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are considered the most effective and well-established pharmacotherapy for the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), a chronic and disabling condition. However, approximately 40% of patients do not have a significant improvement, suggesting that new medications are needed. This study was designed to investigate the treatment response to escitalopram in OCD patients.

METHODS

This open-label study involved 11 adult OCD outpatients diagnosed with the Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition Axis I Disorders. Data were collected and the treatment response was assessed by an experienced psychiatrist by using the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale. Subjects received escitalopram 30 mg/day for 12 weeks starting at 10 mg/day. Dosage adjustments were made within 2 weeks, depending on the tolerability of the patient.

RESULTS

Six of the 11 patients (54.5%) presented a reduction of at least 40% in the baseline total Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale scores.

CONCLUSION

Despite the small sample size and the open-label nature of this trial, these data suggest that escitalopram may be a useful option for patients with OCD.

[Obstructive sleep apnea and hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS): association with obesity, gender and age]

Obstructive sleep apnea and hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) has been the focus of extensive research because of its association with neurocognitive and cardiovascular complications. The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency and association between OSAHS and the class of obesity, gender and age in outpatients referred to a sleep laboratory. We selected 1,595 patients, 71.7% male. Mean +/- SD age was 46.7 +/- 11.7 years, BMI was 28.1 +/- 5.1 kg/m2 and AIH was 13.9 +/- 15.5 events/ hour of sleep. The patients were considered apneic when the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) was > 5 events/hour of sleep; OSAHS was present in: (1) 71.1% of men and 50.3% of women (p < 0.001); (2) in 45.3% of patients with normal BMI, in 64.3% of those overweighed and in 80% of obese (p < 0.001). According to age, 61.2% with age < 55 were apneic, as well as 78% of those with age > 55 years old (p < 0.001). We concluded that OSAHS was directly and strongly associated to the male gender, obesity class and to aging.

Clinical, histologic and serologic evaluation of patients with acute non-A-E hepatitis in north-eastern Brazil: is it an infectious disease?

Non-A-E hepatitis and acute cryptogenic hepatitis are the names given to the disease of patients with clinical hepatitis, but in whom serologic evidence of A-E hepatitis has not been found. Over a period of 8 years, we evaluated in Brazil 32 patients who fulfilled the criteria for this diagnosis in order to determine patterns of the clinical illness, laboratory parameters, or histologic features. Each patient was subjected to virologic tests to exclude A-E hepatitis and cytomegalovirus/Epstein-Barr virus infection. Drug-induced hepatitis and autoimmune disease were also excluded. Wilson's disease was excluded in young patients. The course of the disease was clinical/biochemical recovery in 3 months in 25 patients and persistent alanine aminotransferase (ALT) elevation in 7 patients. Three of these had chronic hepatitis, and one had severe fibrosis on liver biopsy. During the acute illness, mean peak ALT was 1267 IU/L, bilirubin was 4.0 mg/dL, and ferritin was 1393 IU/mL. GB virus type C (GBV-C) was found in six patients, and TT virus (TTV) in five patients. We conclude that, in Brazil, non-A-E hepatitis probably originates from still unidentified viruses. The course of the disease and the histologic patterns are similar to those recorded for known viruses. Continuous survey for the specific etiologic agents is needed.

Relapse in patients with schizophrenia: a comparison between risperidone and haloperidol

OBJECTIVES

To compare rates of rehospitalization and time to relapse in risperidone vs. haloperidol-treated schizophrenic patients discharged from the hospital.

METHODS

Randomized controlled trial comparing risperidone and haloperidol regarding relapse in patients with schizophrenia treated with flexible doses during one year.

RESULTS

Twenty patients were assigned to risperidone and 13 to haloperidol. One patient from each group withdrew consent and one patient in the risperidone group was lost for follow-up. Six (30.0%) patients in the risperidone group and 3 (23.1%) in the haloperidol group relapsed (p=1.00). However, time to relapse was shorter in the later (logrank =4.2; p=.04). When rehospitalized, patients in the risperidone group stayed 34.5 days (median) at hospital as compared to the haloperidol group (median of 61 days) (p=.61).

CONCLUSION

The proportion of schizophrenic patients who relapsed was similar in both groups; However, time to relapse was shorter in the haloperidol-treated patients.

Comparative study of Hepatitis C virus genotypes 1 and 3 in Salvador, Bahia

Hepatitis C virus displays a high degree of genetic mutation, with considerable heterogeneity, motivating clinical and biomolecular investigations. It is necessary to understand the effects of genotypes on the course of the disease, as well as their peculiarities at the regional level.

OBJECTIVE

The study objective was to compare epidemiological, biochemical and histological aspects of hepatitis C virus genotypes 1 and 3 in Salvador, Bahia.

STUDY DESIGN

Data were collected retrospectively from outpatient medical records.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

127 patients with positive anti-HCV results were selected, based on detectable RNA-HCV (RT-PCR) of genotypes 1a, 1b and 3a.

RESULTS

Thirty-nine (30.7%) individuals were infected by subtype 1a, 45 (35.4%) by subtype 1b and 43 (33.9%) by subtype 3a. Most (73.2%) patients were male, with an average age of 47.8 years. The subtype 1b-infected patients had the highest average age (512 +/-11.17; P=0.09). The use of illicit injected drugs was more frequent among subtype 3a infected individuals when compared with genotype 1 (6/43; 14% and 3/84; 3.6%, respectively; P=0,06). No significant differences were found for other epidemiological characteristics. Average values for GT, AST, ALT and ferritin did not differ between the groups (64, 78, 109, 276, respectively). Thyroid dysfunction occurred in 7/30 (23.3%) of those infected by genotype 3 (P=0.05). Cryoglobulinemia was also more frequent in this group (5/13, 38%, P=0.02). Most patients presented limited necro-inflammatory activity, stages 2 and 3 by the METAVIR Classification. In some cases, dissociation was noticed between inflammatory activity and fibrosis. No significant differences were found in the histopathological findings of the various genotypes. Younger patients had a significantly smaller degree of necrosis in stomatocytosis (P=0.032) and fibrosis (P=0.012). Intense parenchymatous activity and lymphoid follicles were more frequent among alcohol consumers (P=0.06 and P=0.04, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

In Bahia, genotype 3 dissemination seems to be associated with illicit drug use. The disease evolution depends on a function of complex interactions between virus and host. Age and alcohol consumption stand out as important variables in the development of cirrhosis.

Extracting numerical data from published reports of pharmacokinetics investigations: method description and validation

A method has been proposed for extracting numerical data when only graphical results are presented. Reports with both graphical and tabular data were identified and the graphs were electronically scanned. The coordinates of each point were read using the cross-hair facility of Adobe Photoshop 7.0. To improve the precision of these coordinates, each point was read at 1600% magnification. The agreement between the observers was almost perfect (R > 0.99). The proposed method makes possible use of data in meta-analyses that, would otherwise be discarded.

Doença hidática policística: análise secundária de dados

OBJETIVO: Rever, usando a metodologia de análise secundária de dados, os casos descritos de doença hidática policística (DHP) pelo Echinococcus vogeli, quanto às características clínico-epidemiológicas, de evolução e procedimentos terapêuticos. MÉTODO: Foram usados cinco bancos eletrônicos; anais de eventos científicos da área de Medicina Tropical; livros textos; consultas aos índices remissivos de revistas não-indexadas e a especialistas. As 52 variáveis estudadas foram categorizadas para cada caso de DHP e registradas em ficha-padrão. Somente foram incluídos os casos com comprovação histológica e/ou parasitológica do E. vogeli. RESULTADOS: Foram recuperados 131 trabalhos publicados e uma comunicação pessoal, sendo grande parte com somente um caso descrito, e entre estes apenas 17 (12,9%) tinham casos com comprovação do agente etiológico, com um total de 44 pacientes: 52,3% do sexo masculino; média de idade de 45,0 (± 16,7) anos; e 50% descritos no Brasil. A presença de massas e a dor abdominal foram registradas em 94,7% (18/19) e 92,6% (25/27), respectivamente. Não houve diferença estatística (p>0,20) entre os resultados do tratamento clínico (albendazol) e cirúrgico, mas as freqüências de "sem êxito" foram, respectivamente, de 0% e 28,6%, e as de óbitos de 0% e 21,4%. CONCLUSÕES: A maioria dos trabalhos sobre a DHP não tem pacientes com comprovação etiológica e, conseqüentemente, é possível que parte do conhecimento clínico atual sofra mudanças significativas por investigações futuras. De outra parte, os dados levantados indicam que a melhor opção terapêutica, nos casos irressecáveis, é o uso de albendazol.

Prevalence of depression in different groups of inpatients at the University Hospital of Bahia, Brazil

INTRODUCTION: According to several epidemiological studies 10% to 20% of patients with medical diseases have depressive symptoms. However, only one third of these patients receive a diagnosis and 10% to 30% are adequately treated. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of depression in inpatients at the University Hospital of Bahia. METHOD: Adult inpatients admitted to the University Hospital of Bahia were randomly assigned in the different wards during the first semester of 2001, in order to answer the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). The sample was divided into patients with medical, surgical and neoplastic diseases. RESULTS: Among the 196 patients, with mean age of 46.3±14.9 years, from both genders, significantly higher BDI scores (p=0.03) were observed in patients with medical diseases compared with surgical patients and those with neoplastic diseases (16.4±11.7 vs. 12.2±6.5 and 11.8±8.0, respectively). After establishing cutoff scores for the BDI, the prevalence of depression was 51.5% (57.7 clinical vs. 42.9 surgical and 34.2 neoplastic) for scores <FONT FACE=Symbol>³</FONT>14 and 24.5% (29.2 clinical vs. 9.5 surgical and 15.8 neoplastic) for scores <FONT FACE=Symbol>³</FONT>21, being also more prevalent in clinical inpatients (p=0.03 and p=0.06). CONCLUSION: The high prevalence of depression in this study shows that more attention should be given to depressive symptoms observed in inpatients in general hospitals.

Childhood pneumonia: clinical aspects associated with hospitalization or death

OBJECTIVE

To determine which available information at an Emergency Room (ER) consultation is associated with hospitalization or death among children with pneumonia.

DESIGN

Prospective cohort study.

SETTING

The ER of one university and one private hospital.

MEASUREMENT

Using stepwise logistic regression we analyzed factors that showed a univariate association.

MAIN RESULTS

Of 2,970 cases, the median age was 1.83 years (range 2 days to 14.5 yrs, mean 2.76 +/- 2.72 yrs); 25.8% were hospitalized and 0.8% died. Age (2-11 mos, OR 0.4 [0.2-0.6]; 12-59 mos, OR 0.2 [0.1-0.4]; > or = 5 yrs, OR 0.1 [0.08-0.3]), malnutrition (OR 2.0 [1.4-2.7]), underlying chronic illness (OR 1.4 [1.1-1.8]), tachypnea (OR 1.8 [1.4-2.4]), chest indrawing (OR 1.7 [1.4-2.2]), and somnolence (OR 1.8 [1.4-2.4]) were associated with hospitalization and age (2-11 mos, OR 0.3 [0.08-0.8]; > or = 12 mos, OR 0.06 [0.02-0.2]), malnutrition (OR 3.1 [1.2-7.7]) and underlying chronic illness (OR 4.3 [1.6-11.0]) were associated with death in the multivariate analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

Several clinical aspects may be used in assessing need for hospitalization (i.e. young age, malnutrition, underlying chronic illness, tachypnea, chest indrawing and somnolence) for children with pneumonia seen at the ER. Individual intrinsic factors such as age, malnutrition and underlying chronic illness were independently associated with death. Pneumonia should be considered a treatable disease and complete recovery can be achieved in the majority of the cases.

Comparative study of bacterial infection prevalence between cirrhotic patients with and without upper gastrointestinal bleeding

Bacterial infection is a frequent complication in patients with chronic liver disease, mainly during the advanced stages. There is evidence that the main factors that contribute to a predisposition to infection in cirrhotic patients are related to hepatic failure with consequent immunodeficiency. Invasive procedures (diagnostic or therapeutic) can predispose to bacterial infections, and upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGB) is considered a potentially important risk factor. A group of cirrhotic patients (child B and C Pugh groups) were evaluated retrospectively by chart reviews regarding the prevalence of bacterial infection during hospitalization to determine whether UGB was a risk factor. An infection was considered present if a specific organ system was identified or if fever (> 38(o)C) persisted for more than 24 hours with associated leukocytosis. Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis was based on classical criteria. Eighty-nine patients were evaluated. Fourty-six patients presented with UGB, and 43 patients had no UGB (control). There were infections recorded in 25/46 (54%) patients with UGB, and 15/43 (35%) in those without UGB (p=0.065). The ratio of the number of infections/admitted patients, was significantly larger in the group with UGB (0.78 +/- 0.89 vs. 0.39 +/- 0.62; p=0.028) since patients had more than one infection. In the UGB group compared to non UGB group, ascites was more frequent (67% vs. 42%; p=0.027); they were more likely to have undergone endoscopic procedures (p<0.001) and the mean +/- SD for platelets count was smaller (96,114 +/- 57,563 vs 145,674 +/- 104,083; p=0.007). The results show that UGB is an important contribution to bacterial infection among Child B and C cirrhotic patients.

Activation of the growth plates on three-phase bone scintigraphy: the explanation for the overgrowth of fractured femurs

Children with an uncomplicated femoral fracture, treated with superimposition of fragments and intentional shortening, usually develop overgrowth of the fractured femur and the ipsilateral tibia which may compensate for the initial shortening and enable the limb in question to reach a length similar to that on the normal side. The overgrowth is evaluated clinically and by scanography. The increased metabolic activity of the growth plates that support this overgrowth has not been documented by any laboratory method. In order to evaluate the metabolic activity of the growth plates, 18 patients (11 males, seven females; mean age 6.1 years) with fractures of the femur were studied at three different time intervals (2-5 months, 6-12 months and 18-24 months). Three-phase bone scintigraphy was performed in all patients. Ten children (five males, five females; mean age 7.5 years) who had had bone imaging for other reasons were used as the control group. Visual analysis of the flow and equilibrium phases was performed for the distal femoral and proximal tibial growth plates. Visual and semi-quantitative analyses of the delayed images were performed for the distal femoral and proximal and distal tibial growth plates. Semi-quantitative analyses yielded the following activity ratios: (a) the distal femoral growth plate of the fractured femur to the contralateral one (FR); (b) the proximal growth plate of the tibia on the side of the fractured femur to the contralateral one (TpR); (c) the distal growth plate of the tibia on the side of the fractured femur to the contralateral one (TdR); and (d) in the control group, the distal growth plates of both femora (FCG) and the proximal (TCGp) and distal (TCGd) growth plates of the tibiae. Visual analysis of the blood flow, equilibrium and delayed images showed increased activity in the distal femoral growth plates during the first and second time intervals, but not during the third. No significant activity changes were found in the proximal and distal tibial growth plates during any of the phases analysed. The mean and standard deviation for FR in the three time intervals were: FRI=1.22+/-0.27, FRII=1.17+/-0.16 and FRIII=1.09+/-0.20. FR values were significantly higher than in the control group (FCG=0.99+/-0.03) (P=0.033). The mean and standard deviation for TpR in the three time intervals were: TpRI=1.08+/-0.18, TpRII=0.94+/-0.09 and TpRIII=0.96+/-0.20. TpR values were not significantly different from those in the control group (TCGp=1.00+/-0.05). However, TpRI was significantly higher than TpRII (P=0.043). The mean and standard deviation for TdR in the three time intervals were: TdRI=1.10+/-0.41, TdRII=1.05+/-0.15 and TdRIII=1.13+/-0.36. TdR values were not significantly higher than in the control group (TCGd=1.00+/-0.04) (P=0.777). These results support the concept that three-phase bone imaging is able to quantify and determine that activation occurs in the distal femoral and proximal tibial growth plates of fractured femora. This phenomenon may explain the overgrowth observed in this injured bone structure.

Thyroid disease in HCV carriers undergoing antiviral therapy with interferon plus ribavirin

High prevalence of thyroid autoantibodies, with or without overt thyroiditis, has been described in hepatitis C patients, particularly in those undergoing alpha-interferon treatment. The aim of this study was to describe the frequency and clinical outcome of thyroid disease in a cohort of HCV carriers before and during combination therapy with interferon plus ribavirin. Between May, 1997, and May, 1999, 111 previously untreated (naive) patients were treated with a-interferon plus ribavirin for 6 or 12 months. Of those, 67 (60%) patients were male and 44 (40%) female. Thyroid function was evaluated in all patients by testing free T4, TSH and antiTPO within 30 days prior to treatment, 90 days after treatment was initiated, and 6 months after treatment was concluded. Abnormal thyroid tests were observed in 4 (3.6%) patients--1 male and 3 female--before the onset of antiviral treatment. Three patients were already undergoing T4 replacement due to Hashimoto thyroiditis and 1 patient had positive antiTPO with normal free T4 and TSH. All 4 patients completed the treatment regime for HCV, but required hormone replacement. Among the patients with a normal thyroid function test prior to treatment (107 cases), 5 (4.6%) developed thyroid test abnormalities; 2 patients had hypothyroidism due to autoimmune thyroiditis; 1 patient became positive for antiTPO antibodies but thyroid function remained normal, and 2 patients had subacute thyroiditis. Four of these patients (80%) were female and 1 was male (20%). A family history of thyroid disease was strongly predictive of thyroid abnormalities during antiviral treatment. In conclusion, there is a low prevalence of thyroid function abnormalities in HCV carriers with no prior antiviral treatment. Family history of thyroid disease reinforces the special attention to thyroid abnormality development before considering antiviral therapy. Subacute thyroiditis during combination therapy was observed, but its pathogenesis is still unknown. Evaluation of thyroid function during and after antiviral treatment is strongly recommended because thyroid related symptoms can be easily misinterpreted as medication side effects.

Nortriptyline blood levels and clinical outcome: meta-analysis of published studies

INTRODUCTION: An optimum range has been suggested for nortriptyline blood levels, above or below which patients respond poorly or do not respond at all to treatment. METHODS: A meta-analysis of published studies was performed to verify the existence of an optimal blood concentration range or therapeutic window in nortriptyline-treated depression patients. A MEDLINE search through the years 1970-1999 was carried out to identify original papers and review articles. Data concerning blood levels and percentage improvement were obtained concerning all included pacients. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed for data comparison. Possible confounding variables, such as pre-treatment, setting (in or outpatients), and duration of treatment were also evaluated. RESULTS: From the 22 published studies found, only six of them with patients' individual data were included. We found an optimal range for nortriptyline concentrations (OR= 2.25, 95% CI = 1.15 to 4.39, p= 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: There may be a biphasic relationship of efficacy to plasma concentrations of nortriptyline, with a therapeutic window between 46 to 236 ng/ml.

Mortality attributed to myocardial infarction in the male and female population of Salvador, BA, between 1981 and 1996

OBJECTIVE

To describe according to gender the trend in mortality attributed to myocardial infarction (MI) in the population of Salvador, Bahia between 1981 and 1996.

METHODS

This study was on mortality due to MI estimates by period and gender of the city of Salvador, Bahia. Data from 1981 to 1996 were stratified by quadrienia, and the percentage reduction in death rate due to MI relative to the preceding period (PRR) was determined. Comparisons between genders were expressed by the male/female death ratio (DR) based on the gender-related PPR.

RESULTS

An overall increase of approximately 8% was observed in the death rate attributed to MI for the period 1985-1988 (89.2/10 5 individuals / year) versus the period 1981-1984 (82.1/10(5)/ year). In the subsequent periods, overall reductions of 10% and 20.3% were observed for the periods 1989-1992 and 1993-1996, respectively. For men, the PPRs were 11.1 in the period 1989-1992 and 22.7% in the period 1993-1996. The PPRs in women were lower: 8.6% and 17.4% between 1989 and 1992, and 1993 and 1996, respectively. Death rate reduction was greater for men than women, then the male/female DR decreased from 1.66 in 1981-1984 to 1.35 in 1993-1996.

CONCLUSION

The results indicate a trend towards a reduction in the death rate attributed to myocardial infarction in the city of Salvador from the second half of the 1980s onwards, striking in men.