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Biomedical subjects

Francisco Vázquez

Publications and source records attributed to Francisco Vázquez.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

Multilocus analysis of estrogen-related genes in Spanish postmenopausal women suggests an interactive role of ESR1, ESR2 and NRIP1 genes in the pathogenesis of osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis is a common disease with multiple environmental and genetic risk factors involved. Using a marker-by-marker approach, the role of different estrogen-related genes has been analyzed in different populations, but most of these studies ignore the complex multigenic nature of human osteoporosis. Looking for markers related to osteoporosis, we have analyzed five single nucleotide polymorphisms located in genes related to the estrogen pathway, Follicle Stimulating Hormone Receptor (FSHR) gene, the CYP19 aromatase (CYP19A1) gene, the Estrogen Receptor alpha (ESR1) gene, the Estrogen Receptor beta (ESR2) gene and the Nuclear Receptor Interacting Protein 1 (NRIP1) gene in 265 unrelated postmenopausal women. We have obtained nominal P values for the NRIP1 Gly75Gly and ESR2 *39A>G markers (P=0.013 and P=0.02 respectively), but no gene seems to be associated after multiple test corrections. Reanalysis of this study using 437 postmenopausal women confirmed our results and only detect marginal effects for ESR2 marker (P=0.045). By contrast, multilocus analysis predicted epistatic interactions between ESR1, ESR2 and NRIP1 loci and its involvement in postmenopausal osteoporosis (P=0.003). We detected two digenic genotypes involving ESR2-NRIP1 and ESR2-ESR1 genes strongly associated with osteoporosis (P=0.007). Replication of multilocus studies using 437 patients confirmed the detected interactions (P<0.01). We proposed a non-additive non-multiplicative oligogenic model including ESR2 AG genotype modulated by NRIP1 A+ or ESR1 TT genotypes involved in osteoporosis. Our results reaffirm the polygenic nature and the genetic complexity of osteoporosis trait adding a new candidate gene (NRIP1) for association studies of bone-related traits.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing↗

Cost of diagnosis and treatment of syncope in patients admitted to a cardiology unit.

AIMS: Despite the large number of hospital admissions due to syncope, information on the in-hospital cost of management of these patients remains incomplete. METHODS AND RESULTS: In order to assess such cost, we analysed the clinical histories of the patients suffering from syncope who were admitted to our Unit of Cardiology in 2003. We determined the length of stay (in days) for each inpatient, the number of diagnostic tests performed, and the various therapeutic procedures undertaken. Two hundred and three patients (mean age 68 +/- 14, 49% female) were admitted because of syncope. Final diagnoses on discharge were drug-induced syncope in 10 patients, vasovagal syncope in 11, syncope secondary to cardiac ischaemia in 18, valvular disease in 4, rapid supraventricular arrhythmia in 20, ventricular arrhythmia in 19, atrioventricular block in 90, and unexplained syncope in 31 patients. Of these 203 patients, 70 (34.5%) had a previous history of cardiac disease. The global cost for all 203 patients was 2,264,979 Euros. The overall cost per patient was 11,158 Euros (range: 1651-31,762) including stay, diagnosis, and treatment. The overall cost of hospital stay per patient was 3718 Euros (range: 1436-5679). The overall cost per diagnosis of the 203 patients was 1141 Euros (range: 155-3577), and the cost of the therapeutic procedures required was 6299 Euros (range: 0-23 115). The most expensive were those cases of syncope secondary to ventricular arrhythmia, the cost of which is 20 times that of drug-induced syncope. CONCLUSION: The cost per diagnosis and treatment of a patient admitted because of syncope varies widely with important differences depending on the specific cause.

Adult↗

Available medical choices for the management of menopause.

The age at which menopause occurs is a critical factor in the magnitude of its consequences. Most of the medium-to-long-term effects of oestrogen deprivation depend on their duration. The timing of the last menstruation is therefore important, but hypoestrogenic amenorrhoea during the reproductive age is also a relevant factor in the evaluation of individual risks. In recent years, moving post-menopausal women from the lowest point of ovarian hypofunction has been the most important motivation for developing guidelines for the hormonal management of menopause. However, recent data suggest that this may be associated with an unacceptable increase in morbidity in a number of women. Concerns about long-term hormone replacement therapy (HRT) at menopause have recently enhanced interest in a group of molecules that act on the oestrogen receptor with selective effects, known as selective oestrogen receptor modulators (SERMs). Of these, Raloxifene has been approved for the treatment and prevention of osteoporosis, and exhibits a pattern of actions particularly well matched to the needs and concerns of post-menopausal women. Further studies on SERMs may open up new vistas in patient-specific management of post-menopausal health. Finally, debates on the specific health consequences of menopause deal mainly with the risk of chronic disease. Gynaecologists and other health professionals would be advised to develop intervention strategies at menopause according to the continuum of a woman's life, beginning at the post-menarche and extending into later life.

Bone Density Conservation Agents↗

Low-dose, vaginally administered estrogens may enhance local benefits of systemic therapy in the treatment of urogenital atrophy in postmenopausal women on hormone therapy.

BACKGROUND: When genital atrophy exists, systemic hormone therapy (HT) has a timing until to induce vaginal proliferation and symptomatic relieve. Thus, in order to obtain a prompt improvement, the association of local therapy acting on the genital epithelium to the systemic treatment should be considered. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of a combined therapy consisting of vaginal estriol with transdermal 17-beta-estradiol (50 microg/day) plus medroxyprogesterone acetate (5 mg/day) per os in shortening the period of uro-genital symptoms. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: In a randomized, double blind, controlled with placebo study, 27 women with climacteric symptoms and atrophic vaginitis were treated for 4 months with HT plus vaginal estriol 0.5 mg/day (group E) or placebo (group P). Patients use the local medication daily for the first 3 weeks and twice-weekly thereafter. Before entering in the study, patients were asked about HT and selected for inclusion. In the first visit, electible patients after written informed consent were randomized to receive HT plus local estriol or placebo. All the subjects had baseline studies, including medical history, physical examination, blood and urine analysis. In order to evaluate the effect of local treatment on urinary and genital symptoms, a score for genital, urinary and colposcopic complaints (0 minimum-100 maximum) was developed. This score and Blatt-Kuperman were recorded and performed in every control. RESULTS: There were no differences on climacteric symptoms relief between the two groups. Additionally, the improvement in urinary symptoms at the end of the study was similar for both groups (from 16.5 +/- 6.1 to 8.5 +/- 2.4 for E group and from 15.8 +/- 7.8 to 8.8 +/- 2.7 for P group; P < 0.01 versus basal); however, those women in group E reached significant improvement on urinary complaints since the first month of treatment. Additionally, a significant difference between E and P was observed at months 2 and 3, although no differences were detected at the end of the study. Papanicolaou smear showed reactive or reparative changes and karyopyknotic index exhibited a significant increase in superficial cells in both groups and at the end of the study. CONCLUSIONS: Adding vaginal estriol to HRT may shorten the latency period for urinary symptoms.

Administration, Cutaneous↗

Off-pump total arterial revascularization: our experience.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting with both the internal thoracic arteries, such as the Tector technique, can reduce the morbidity associated with extracorporeal circulation and aortic cross-clamp. The aim of the present study is to describe our experience and the results obtained. METHODS: From April 1998 to December 2003, the off-pump Tector technique was performed on 743 patients, of whom 621 were male (83.5%), with a mean age of 65.3 +/- 9.5 years (23-90). Preoperative risk factors were diabetes mellitus in 29.5% and peripheral vasculopathy in 14.7% of the patients. Angiography showed left main disease in 25.6% and triple-vessel disease in 50.3% of the patients, with a mean ejection fraction of 60%+/- 13% (23-88). Both the internal thoracic arteries were harvested using the skeletonization technique and were anastomosed as "Y" or "T" grafts. Intraoperative graft patency was checked using a Doppler flowmeter. RESULTS: A total of 2028 distal anastomoses were performed, the average being 2.7 (1 to 5) per patient. At least three distal anastomoses were undertaken in 62% of the patients. Postoperative complications included atrial fibrillation in 40 patients (5.4%), myocardial infarction in 24 (3.2%), mediastinitis and reoperation for bleeding in 7 (0.9%) and stroke in 3 (0.4%). Twenty-four patients (3.2%) died in the first month postoperatively. CONCLUSIONS: The off-pump Tector technique appears to be safe, showing a low surgical morbidity.

Adult↗