INTRODUÇÃO: A Faringotonsilite é doença comum nos consultórios e prontosocorros de pediatria. OBJETIVOS: Avaliar o impacto da realização rotineira da prova rápida para pesquisa de estreptococo do grupo A (PRE) no diagnóstico e tratamento da faringotonsilite aguda em crianças e adolescentes atendidos em um Hospital Geral. MÉTODOS: Trata-se de um estudo prospectivo, observacional, de protocolo de atendimento, instituído no Pronto-Socorro do Hospital Universitário da Universidade de São Paulo para o atendimento de crianças e adolescentes com diagnóstico de faringotonsilite aguda. RESULTADOS: Foram estudadas 1039 crianças e adolescentes. Com base no quadro clínico, antibiótico seria prescrito em 530 pacientes (51%), e com o uso da PRE e/ou cultura de orofaringe foi prescrito em 268 (25,8%) pacientes. Das 509 crianças que não receberiam antibiótico pelo quadro clínico, 157 tiveram PRE e/ou cultura de orofaringe positiva. O diagnóstico baseado no quadro clínico apresentou sensibilidade de 63,06% (IC-95%:62,95-63,17%); especificidade de 57,33% (IC-95%:57,25-57,41%); valor preditivo positivo de 50,57% (IC-95%:50,47-50,66%) e valor preditivo negativo de 69,16% (IC-95%: 50,47-50,66%). CONCLUSÕES: Neste estudo o diagnóstico clínico da faringotonsilite estreptocócica mostrou baixa sensibilidade e especificidade. O uso rotineiro da prova rápida para pesquisa de estreptococo permitiu uma redução do uso de antibiótico e a identificação de crianças e adolescentes com faringotonsilite estreptocócicas que não receberiam antibiótico e estariam sob o risco das complicações da infecção estreptocócica / BACKGROUND: Sore throat is a common disease in the pediatric emergency room. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of routine performance of rapid antigen detection test (RADT) in the diagnosis and treatment of acute pharyngitis in children treated at an academic hospital. METHODS: This is a prospective, observational, protocol compliance, established at the Emergency of Hospital Universitário - Universidade de São Paulo for the care of children and adolescents diagnosed with acute pharyngitis. RESULTS: We studied 1039 children and adolescents. Based on clinical findings, antibiotic would be prescribed in 530 patients (51%) and using the RADT or sore throat culture was prescribed in 268 patients. Of the 509 children who did not receive antibiotics for the clinical, 157 had positive RADT or sore throat culture. The diagnosis based on clinical sensitivity was 63,06% (IC 95% 62,95- 63,17%), specificity 57,3% (IC 95% 57,25-57,41%), positive predictive value of 50,57% (IC 95% 50,47-50,66%) and negative predictive value of 69,16% (IC 95% 50,47-50,66%). CONCLUSIONS: In this study the clinical diagnosis of streptococcal pharyngitis had low sensitivity and specificity. The routine use of rapid test for streptococcal research led to a reduction of antibiotic use and the identification of a risk group for complication of streptococcal infection

INTRODUÇÃO: A Faringotonsilite é doença comum nos consultórios e prontosocorros de pediatria. OBJETIVOS: Avaliar o impacto da realização rotineira da prova rápida para pesquisa de estreptococo do grupo A (PRE) no diagnóstico e tratamento da faringotonsilite aguda em crianças e adolescentes atendidos em um Hospital Geral. MÉTODOS: Trata-se de um estudo prospectivo, observacional, de protocolo de atendimento, instituído no Pronto-Socorro do Hospital Universitário da Universidade de São Paulo para o atendimento de crianças e adolescentes com diagnóstico de faringotonsilite aguda. RESULTADOS: Foram estudadas 1039 crianças e adolescentes. Com base no quadro clínico, antibiótico seria prescrito em 530 pacientes (51%), e com o uso da PRE e/ou cultura de orofaringe foi prescrito em 268 (25,8%) pacientes. Das 509 crianças que não receberiam antibiótico pelo quadro clínico, 157 tiveram PRE e/ou cultura de orofaringe positiva. O diagnóstico baseado no quadro clínico apresentou sensibilidade de 63,06% (IC-95%:62,95-63,17%); especificidade de 57,33% (IC-95%:57,25-57,41%); valor preditivo positivo de 50,57% (IC-95%:50,47-50,66%) e valor preditivo negativo de 69,16% (IC-95%: 50,47-50,66%). CONCLUSÕES: Neste estudo o diagnóstico clínico da faringotonsilite estreptocócica mostrou baixa sensibilidade e especificidade. O uso rotineiro da prova rápida para pesquisa de estreptococo permitiu uma redução do uso de antibiótico e a identificação de crianças e adolescentes com faringotonsilite estreptocócicas que não receberiam antibiótico e estariam sob o risco das complicações da infecção estreptocócica / BACKGROUND: Sore throat is a common disease in the pediatric emergency room. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of routine performance of rapid antigen detection test (RADT) in the diagnosis and treatment of acute pharyngitis in children treated at an academic hospital. METHODS: This is a prospective, observational, protocol compliance, established at the Emergency of Hospital Universitário - Universidade de São Paulo for the care of children and adolescents diagnosed with acute pharyngitis. RESULTS: We studied 1039 children and adolescents. Based on clinical findings, antibiotic would be prescribed in 530 patients (51%) and using the RADT or sore throat culture was prescribed in 268 patients. Of the 509 children who did not receive antibiotics for the clinical, 157 had positive RADT or sore throat culture. The diagnosis based on clinical sensitivity was 63,06% (IC 95% 62,95- 63,17%), specificity 57,3% (IC 95% 57,25-57,41%), positive predictive value of 50,57% (IC 95% 50,47-50,66%) and negative predictive value of 69,16% (IC 95% 50,47-50,66%). CONCLUSIONS: In this study the clinical diagnosis of streptococcal pharyngitis had low sensitivity and specificity. The routine use of rapid test for streptococcal research led to a reduction of antibiotic use and the identification of a risk group for complication of streptococcal infection

Health problems of the human beings in a society are one of the main components of the social security systems due to the dimension of the financial burden it might bring on individuals, employers, insurance companies and governments. Morbidity measures, such as incidence and prevalence of a specific disease in a certain population enable researchers to estimate for individuals the probability of being diagnosed or being prone to the diseases. This information is usually not tractable because of the non-availability of the convenient data or recordings for many countries as well as Turkey. Even if it is available, it is commonly limited with largely varying characteristics about the type and coverage of the diseases. In this regard, the pattern that a population follows for an acute disease may not be the same for chronic diseases. Having those indicators determined for a group of insureds will enable underwriters to have more profitable and economical premium calculation and precision on required reserve estimation. v Based on their characteristics such as acute or chronic behaviour, the gender, and the location of residency of people, the diseases show different behaviour on their occurrences. From the insurer

Trois dérivés d’amino acides sont reconnus d’une manière stéréo sélective par l’albumine du sérum bovin. Cette propriété a été observée dans le cas de la phosphatase alcaline de tissu non spécifique, (TNAP). Des inhibiteurs agissant à trois niveaux distincts sur les processus de minéralisation ont été cherchés: 1) TNAP ; 2) Formation de l’hydroxyapatite (HA); 3) Vésicules maticielles (VMs). Nous avons trouvé que des dérivés de benzothiophènes et de tétramisoles, solubles dans l’eau, sont des inhibiteurs spécifiques de TNAP. Un modèle qui permet de produire du HA, a été développé et a confirmé que les nucléotides sont des inhibiteurs de formation de HA. Nous avons montré que le médicament anti-rhumatisme sinomenine, n’ayant aucun effet sur le TNAP, ainsi que la théophylline ralentissaient tous les deux la formation de HA induits par les VMs. Ces modèles de minéralisation présentent un grand potentiel lors du criblage de médicaments pour le traitement de l’ostéoarthrose / Three amino acid derivatives were stereoselectively recognized by bovine serum albumin. Such property was also observed in the case of tissue non-specific alkaline phosphatase (TNAP), a marker in mineral formation. Inhibitors acting at three distinct levels on mineral formation were searched: 1) TNAP; 2) Hydroxyapatite (HA) formation; 3) Matrix vesicle (MV). We found that benzothiophene derivative of tetramisole are water soluble inhibitors of TNAP. A model producing HA as MVs was developed and served to screen HA inhibitors, confirming that several nucleotides inhibited HA formation. We demonstrated that the anti-rheumatic Chinese medicine sinomenine, having no effect on TNAP and theophylline, slowed down HA induced by MVs. The mineralization models presented a great potential to screen putative drugs to cure ostoarthritis.

Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is a chronic cholestatic liver disease, which primarily affects middle-aged women. The liver histology is characterized by inflammation and destruction of the intrahepatic bile ducts as well as a high frequency of granuloma. Although the etiology is unknown, the occurrence of associated multiorganic abnormalities such as Sjogren's syndrome, scleroderma, rheumatic disorders and thyroid gland diseases have been cited as evidence favouring an autoimmune background. Addison and Gull in 1851 described the first patient with jaundice and xanthomatosis. PBC was first mentioned in 1876 as an entity by Hanot. PBC was considered to be a rare disease until in 1973 Sherlock and Scheuer described 100 patients. Since then a greater awareness of the disease combined with a wider use of laboratory screening methods has led to the discovery of an increasing number of patients with PBC. In an epidemiological investigation of PBC in the northern part of Sweden a point prevalence of 151 per 106 was found, which is the highest so far reported, and the mean annual incidence amounted to 13.3 per 106. Asymptomatic PBC was present in more than one third of the patients which is consistent with the finding in other epidemiological investigations and is supposed to explain the higher prevalence of PBC and the better prognosis. Nevertheless 25 patients died during the study period, 14 as a direct consequence of the liver disease. Chronic intrahepatic cholestasis has been reported in sarcoidosis and, moreover, a high frequency of liver granuloma is found. The implication of the present study is that a negative Kveim test in combination with positive mitochondrial antibodies is accurate in differentiating PBC from sarcoidosis. Multisystem involvement is frequently observed in PBC and the present study confirms this. In the prospective investigation of 26 PBC patients 50 % had arthropathy considered to be associated with PBC. Rheumatoid arthritis was found in 5 patients, who all had symptoms of liver disease in addition. Lung function impairment was present in 56% (1 asymptomatic PBC). Most commonly a reduced diffusion capacity was found (36%). Bronchial asthma was present in three patients, and severe lung emphysema in one. Features of Sjogren's syndrome was found in 73% (3 asymptomatic PBC). In 6 patients keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS) was evident with the rose bengal test demonstrating corneal staining and a Schirmer test of less than 5 mm. Radiological findings of sialectasia were demonstrated in 6 patients, of whom 5 had KCS as well. The ultimate treatment in PBC is liver transplantation and to calculate the need for that, good epidemiological surveys are needed, and also indicators of hepatocellular function. The present investigation indicates that determination of the von Willebrand factor could be used for this purpose. / <p>Härtill 6 uppsatser</p> / digitalisering@umu

Hensikt: Å kartlegge hvilken kunnskap norske pasienter med ankyloserende spondylitt har om sykdommen og i hvilken grad deres tiltro til egen mestringsevne påvirker deres helserelaterte livskvalitet.Metode: Tverrsnittstudie i form av en spørreundersøkelse for å kartlegge og beskrive deltagernes kunnskap om sykdommen og hvordan denne kunnskapen påvirker deres livssituasjon. Studien ble gjennomført på 150 pasienter i forbindelse med deres deltagelse på en behandlingsreise til utlandet.Resultat: Pasientene var mest fornøyde med den informasjonen de fikk fra spesialist i revmatologi og fysioterapeut. De anga også medpasienter som en viktig kilde til informasjon. Deltagelse i mestringskurs og informasjon fra sykepleier var de informasjonskildene færrest respondenter var fornøyde med. Respondentene hadde mest kunnskap om sykdommens symptomer og trening, mens kunnskap om medikamenter og hjelpemidler/tiltak for tilrettelegging hjemme og på arbeidsplassen var de temaer de hadde minst kunnskap om. De som var mest fornøyde med den kunnskapen de hadde om sykdommen, hadde en signifikant bedre tiltro til at de kunne påvirke sine smerter og sykdomssymptomer.Konklusjon: Kunnskap om sykdommen bidrar positivt til å påvirke pasientenes helserelaterte livskvalitet. Læring gjennom utveksling av kunnskap og erfaringer med andre i samme situasjon, synes å være en riktig og positiv måte å tilrettelegge pasientundervisningen på. Målgruppen bør imidlertid kartlegges, slik at undervisningen kan tilpasses deltagernes utdannelsesnivå. Likeledes bør helsepersonellets roller og funksjoner avklares og tydelig defineres. / Aims: This study sought to explore the knowledge Norwegian patients with ankylosing spondylitishave about the disease and to what extent belief in their own capacity to master the disease affectshealth-related quality of life.Methods: We used questionnaires to explore and describe participants’ knowledge about ankylosingspondylitis. The questionnaires also assessed how this knowledge affected participants’ lifesituations. The study included 150 patients who participated in a rehabilitation programme abroad.Results: The patients were most satisfied with information provided by rheumatologists andphysiotherapists. They also considered fellow patients as an important source of information. Lesssatisfactory was information provided by nurses and courses in disease mastery. Respondents werevery knowledgeable about disease symptoms and physical exercise. However, they described theirknowledge about medication and appliances designed for use at home or in the workplace as limited.The patients who were most satisfied with their knowledge about the disease had a significantlybetter belief in their ability to cope with pain and disease-related symptoms.Conclusions: Knowledge about their disease contributed positively to patients’ health-related qualityof life. Sharing knowledge and personal experience with others who are in similar situationsenhances learning and appears to be a useful and positive way of providing patient education.However, adapting training to the educational background of participants will require carefulassessment of the target group. Similarly, the roles and domains of health care professionals requireclear definitio / <p>ISBN 978-91-85721-82-5</p>

O Streptococcus pyogenes (Grupo A de Lancefield) é uma bactéria Gram positiva e beta-hemolítica, responsável por infecções, tais como Faringite, Sepse, Fasciíte Necrotizante e Síndrome do Choque Tóxico Estreptocócico. Indivíduos suscetíveis podem desenvolver sequela não supurativa auto-imune pós-estreptocócica, como a Febre Reumática, Doença Reumática Cardíaca e a Glomerulonefrite Aguda. A proteína M é o principal antígeno bacteriano. Consiste em aproximadamente 450 resíduos de aminoácidos dispostos em quatro regiões (A, B, C e D), contendo alguns blocos de repetições. As regiões C e D são conservadas e a N-terminal (regiões A e B) é polimórfica. Atualmente, existem mais de 250 genótipos de emm conhecidos em todo o mundo, de acordo com o Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Há vários anos, o desenvolvimento de uma vacina contra S. pyogenes (StreptInCor - identificação médica) foi iniciado, com base na região conservada da proteína M, com o objetivo de proteger o indivíduo vacinado contra infecções estreptocócicas, sem causar reações autoimunes. No presente estudo foi analisada a capacidade \"in vitro\" de anticorpos anti-StreptInCor neutralizarem/opsonizarem as cepas de S. pyogenes mais freqüentes em São Paulo, através da análise do reconhecimento das cepas por soros de camundongos imunizados com StreptInCor. Também foi avaliada por Western blotting a presença de anticorpos de reação cruzada dirigidos ao tecido cardíaco valvular humano. Anticorpos anti-StreptInCor foram capazes de neutralizar/opsonizar, pelo menos, cinco diferentes cepas mostrando que a imunização com StreptInCor pode ser eficaz contra várias cepas de S. pyogenes, assim como prevenir a infecção e sequelas subsequentes, sem causar reações auto-imunes. / Streptococcus pyogenes (Group A) is a Gram positive and beta-hemolytic bacteria, responsible for infections such as Pharyngitis, Sepsis, Necrotizing Fasciitis and Streptococcal Toxic Shock Syndrome. Susceptible individuals may develop post-streptococcal non-suppurative autoimmune sequelae such as Rheumatic Fever, Rheumatic Heart Disease and Acute Glomerulonephritis. The M protein is the major bacterial antigen. It consists of approximately 450 amino acid residues arranged in four regions (A, B, C and D), containing some repeated blocks. C and D regions are conserved and the N-terminus (regions A and B) is polymorphic. Currently there are over 250 known emm genotypes worldwide, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Several years ago the development of a vaccine against S. pyogenes (StreptInCor - medical identification) was initiated, based on the M protein conserved region, aiming to protect against streptococcal infections without causing autoimmune reactions. In the present study we analyzed the \"in vitro\" ability of anti-StreptInCor antibodies to neutralize/opsonize the most frequent S. pyogenes strains in Sao Paulo by examining the strains recognition by sera from StreptInCor immunized mice. We also evaluated the presence of cross reactive antibodies directed to the human heart valve tissue by Western blotting. Anti-StreptInCor antibodies were able to neutralize/opsonize at least 5 strains, showing that the immunization with StreptInCor can be effective against several S. pyogenes strains as well as preventing infection and subsequent sequelae, without causing autoimmune reactions.

Objetivos. Avaliar as repercussÃes maternas e perinatais das gestantes com cardiopatia, comparando os dados sociodemogrÃficos, obstÃtricos e resultados perinatais pelo tipo de cardiopatia (congÃnita versus adquirida) e pela via de parto (parto vaginal versus abdominal). Metodologia. Trata-se de estudo transversal, retrospectivo, descritivo e analÃtico, realizado por meio da pesquisa de 70 prontuÃrios de pacientes que tiveram o parto no Hospital Geral CÃsar Cals nos anos de 2007 (26 casos) e 2008 (44 casos) por meio do preenchimento de questionÃrios. Foram usados os testes estatÃsticos Qui-quadrado de Yates e de Pearson e Exato de Fisher para anÃlise bivariada dos dados. Foi considerado nÃvel de significÃncia p < 0,05. Resultados. A idade das pacientes variou de 15 a 42 (mÃdia de 25,8Â6,5) anos; 25 (35,7%) eram primigestas, 22 (31,4%) secundigestas e 23 (32,9%) delas eram multigestas, dezesseis pacientes (22,9 %) tinham cardiopatia congÃnita e 45 cardiopatia adquirida (64,3%). Houve 15 partos prematuros (21,7%); 24 (34,3%) delas teve parto vaginal e 46 (65,7%) parto abdominal. A taxa de prematuridade foi de 21,7%. Verificou-se a presenÃa de 27,1% de RN com baixo peso ao nascer, 8,6% de restriÃÃo do crescimento fetal, 17,1% de Apgar < 7 no primeiro e 11,4% no quinto minuto de vida. Houve um Ãbito materno e cinco Ãbitos perinatais. NÃo houve diferenÃa estatÃstica entre as cardiopatias congÃnitas e as adquiridas, exceto pela maior presenÃa de patologias clÃnicas prÃvias à gestaÃÃo no grupo das cardiopatias congÃnitas. As pacientes que tiveram parto vaginal apresentaram maior paridade e menor escolaridade, maior taxa de prematuridade, de RN com baixo peso ao nascer e menores Ãndices de Apgar no primeiro minuto quando comparadas Ãquelas submetidas a parto abdominal. A frequÃncia de descompensaÃÃo clÃnica durante o trabalho de parto e/ou parto foi de 5,7%, sem diferenÃa estatÃstica entre os partos vaginais ou abdominais. ConclusÃes. Houve frequÃncia elevada de cesariana, parto prematuro, baixo peso ao nascer, Apgar < 7 no primeiro minuto de vida e necessidade de internamento em UTI neonatal. NÃo houve diferenÃa clara entre os tipos de cardiopatias. O piores resultados neonatais encontrados para o parto vaginal podem ser atribuÃdos à prÃpria prematuridade; ou seja, nÃo necessariamente à via de parto. / Aims. To evaluate maternal and peri-natal outcomes of pregnant women with heart disease, comparing the socio - demographic, obstetric data and peri-natal results by the type of heart disease (congenital versus acquired) and the route of delivery (vaginal versus abdominal). Methodology. This is a cross sectional, retrospective, descriptive and analytical research carried out by the records of 70 patients who delivered at Hospital Geral Cesar Cals in the years 2007 ( 26 cases) and 2008 (44 cases) by completing questionnaires. We used the Yates chi-square test, Pearson and Fisher Exact test for bi-varied analysis of data. We considered the level of significance p < 0.05. Results. The age of patients ranged from 15 to 42 (mean 25.8 + 6.5) years; on twenty five (35.7%) were first pregnancy, 22 (31.4%) second pregnancy and 23 (32.9%) were multi â pregnancy. Sixteen patients (22.9%) had congenital heart disease and 45 had acquired heart disease (64.3%). There were 15 premature births (21.7%). Twenty four (34.3%) of the women had vaginal deliveries and 46 (65.7%) cesarean section. The rate of pre term births was 21.7%. There was 27.1% of infants with low birth weight, 8.6% of fetal growth restriction, 17.1% of Apgar score < 7 in the first and 11.4% in the fifth minute of life. There was one maternal death and 5 peri-natal deaths. There was no statistical difference between congenital and acquired heart disease except for a greater presence of clinical pathologies previous to the pregnancy in the group of congenital heart disease. Patients who had vaginal deliveries presented higher parity and lower education, higher rates of prematurity in infants with low birth weight and lower Apgar scores in the first minute when compared to those who were submitted to cesarean section. The frequency of clinical discompensation during labor and / or delivery was 5.7% without statistical difference between the vaginal or abdominal. Conclusions. There was a high frequency of cesarean section, premature birth, low birth weight, Apgar score < 7 in the first minute of life and need to be admitted in the neonatal UTI. There was no clear differencebetween the types of heart disease. The worst neonatal results found for the vaginal delivery can be attributed to the very pre-term birth, that is, not necessarily the mode of delivery. .

Introdução: A estratificação de risco pré-operatória é elemento essencial para a decisão cirúrgica, assim foram desenvolvidos alguns sistemas de pontuações para predizer mortalidade após cirurgia cardíaca em adultos. O EuroSCORE (ES) é um dos mais difundidos mundialmente sendo considerado um bom preditor de mortalidade em pacientes que foram submetidos à cirurgia cardíaca e foi considerado um sistema de pontuação de fácil uso e boa aplicabilidade. Racional: O ES já é usado assistencialmente em nossa instituição, entretanto, não foi realizada uma validação local em uma coorte específica de portadores de valvopatias. Sabemos das importantes diferenças epidemiológicas entre nossa população e pacientes citados na literatura mundial. Objetivos: O objetivo desse estudo é validar o ES como ferramenta preditora de mortalidade após cirurgia valvar. Métodos: Foram incluídos no trabalho 540 pacientes portadores de Valvopatia, com indicação de substituição da função valvar. O período de inclusão foi de fevereiro a dezembro de 2009. Todos os pacientes tiveram o cálculo da mortalidade estimada, baseada no EuroSCORE no pré-operatório, foram seguidos até alta hospitalar ou 30 dias após cirurgia. A capacidade discriminativa do modelo foi calculada utilizando a área sobre a curva receiver operating Characteristic (ROC) e a para o cálculo calibração utilizou-se o teste de Hosmer-Lemeshow (H-L). Resultados: A média etária da população foi de 56 ± 12 anos, 50% do sexo feminino, com etiologia predominante de Doença reumática. As variáveis: endocardite infecciosa, hipertensão pulmonar e o histórico de cirurgia prévia foram mais prevalentes em nossa coorte quando comparada com o banco de dados original do ES. A mortalidade observada global foi de 16% (6% em cirurgias eletivas e 34% em cirurgia de emergência), já a mortalidade predita foi de 6.1%, 8.7% e 4.31% para ES aditivo, ES logístico e ESII, respectivamente. Na avaliação da capacidade discriminativa a área sobre a curva ROC (ASCR) foi considerada boa com valores de 0,81 ; 0,76 ; 0,76 respectivamente para ES II; ES aditivo e logístico. A calibração do modelo foi considerada ideal com P > 0,05 para os modelos de ES. Conclusão: Os modelos do ES foram validados como ferramentas preditoras de risco de mortalidade após cirurgia cardíaca valvar / Introduction: Preoperative risk stratification is essential for surgical decision, and some scoring systems have been developed to predict mortality after cardiac surgery in adults. The European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation (EuroSCORE), developed in European states, aims to predict 30-day mortality of patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Although already used in our institution we not been performed a local validation. We know the epidemiological difference between Brazilian and European population. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the validation of the EuroSCORE models in our institution. Methods: Between February 1st 2009 and December 30th 2009, a total of 540 consecutive patients with valvular heart disease and indication for surgical treatment were evaluated before and after this treatment. Patient demographics, risk factors, surgery details, length of hospital stay and 30-day mortality were collected. The EuroSCORE algorithms were calculated according to the published guidelines (http://www.euroscore.org) on the entire patient sample prior to the time of surgery. Performance of the models was assessed by comparing the observed and predicted mortality. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUCR) evaluated the predictive performance. The calibration was analyzed by Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit statistic. Results: The mean age was 56±12 years and 50% of patients were female. The most common etiology of valvular heart disease was Rheumatic disease. Main differences between the present cohort and the original EuroSCORE cohort were: Age, gender, previous cardiac surgery, pulmonary hypertension and active endocarditis. The mean of Aditive and logistic EuroSCORE were 6 ± 3 and 8.66 ± 10.35 respectively. For EuroSCORE II the mean logistic value was 4.2 ± 5.95. Mortality rate of 16% (6% in elective surgery and 34 % in emergency/urgency surgery), with estimated mortalities according to additive, logistic EuroSCORE and EuroSCORE II of 6.1%, 8.7% and 4.31%, respectively. The AUC for additive EuroSCORE was 0.76, for logistic EuroSCORE 0.76, was lower than that for EuroSCORE II 0.81. Conclusion: EuroSCORE models demonstrated good discriminative capacity and calibration in these valvular heart disease patients undergoing cardiac surgery

Trotz aller Fortschritte bei der Etablierung spezifischer Autoantikörperassays ist das Screening auf antinukleäre Antikörper (ANA) mittels indirekter Immunfluoreszenz an HEp-2-Zellen für eine qualitätsgerechte Labordiagnostik von ANA-assoziierten rheumatischen Erkrankungen (AARE) weiterhin unabdingbar. Mit den Erkenntnissen zur Relevanz von DFS-Mustern und DFS70-Antikörpern eröffnen sich neue Möglichkeiten zur Optimierung der serologischen Stufendiagnostik bei Verdacht auf AARE. Das dicht-feingranuläre („dense fine speckled“, DFS) ANA-Muster ist relativ gut von den klassischen, mit dsDNAAntikörpern assoziierten „homogenen“ ANA-Mustern differenzierbar. Die wichtigste bei diesem Muster nachweisbare ANA-Spezifität ist der DFS70-Antikörper (Synonym: LEDGFAntikörper). Dieser Antikörper ist auch die häufigste bei ANA-positiven gesunden Personen nachweisbare ANA-Spezifität. Die Prävalenz von DFS70-Antikörpern in AARE-Patienten ist signifikant niedriger im Vergleich zur Prävalenz bei ANA gesunden Personen. Es besteht eine negative Assoziation der DFS70-Antikörper mit AARE, insbesondere wenn der Antikörper nicht in Begleitung von klinisch relevanten Autoantikörpern vorliegt. Isolierte DFS70-Antikörper findet man in weniger als 1% der AARE, aber in 5%–11% bei gesunden Personen. Beim Vorliegen eines isolierten DFS70-Antikörpers verringert sich die post-Test-Wahrscheinlichkeit für eine AARE deutlich. DFS70-Antikörper sind daher wertvolle neue Biomarker zur besseren Interpretation positiver ANA bei Negativität für AARE-assoziierte Autoantikörper und sollten in modifizierte Testalgorithmen zur Vermeidung unnötiger Überweisungen und Folgeuntersuchung von ANA positiven Personen integriert werden.