Resumen. El artículo analiza la interpretación que Adorno hace de Kafka en Apuntes sobre Kafka, concentrando la atención en la consideración sobre Kafka como un escritor ilustrado que critica la Ilustración, con el fin de determinar si dicha afirmación es o no coherente con la teoría adorniana. Para esto, se compara la lectura que Adorno y Kafka hacen del episodio del canto de las sirenas de la Odisea y se analizan las diferencias existentes entre las dos interpretaciones. Gracias a ello podemos concluir, parcialmente en contra de Adorno, que Kafka es un crítico de la Ilustración, aunque no es un escritor ilustrado.

Abstract. In this paper, I analyze Adorno’s interpretation of Kafka’s work in his book Notes on Kafka, focusing on his idea that Kafka is an enlightened writer who, however, criticizes the Enlightenment, in order to find out whether this is coherent with Adorno’s own theory. For this purpose, I compare Adorno’s and Kafka’s reading of the sirens’ song in the Odyssey, and I analyze the differences between both. I conclude, partially against Adorno, that Kafka is a critic of the Enlightenment, but he is not an enlightened writer.

Abstract: This article discusses the masking strategies that Kierkegaard and Kafka adopted throughout their lives. Firstly, some features of bourgeois society and the role that the writer had within it are analyzed. Subsequently, Kierkegaard’s communication strategy is described, and its ends are identified; after that, we follow the same procedure with the case of Kafka. Finally, the two positions are compared, underlining differences and similarities to use the results as elements for a brief reflection on the role of the act of writing in modern bourgeois society.

Resumen: Este artículo analiza las estrategias de enmascaramiento que Kierkegaard y Kafka adoptaron a lo largo de sus vidas. En primer lugar, se analizan algunos rasgos de la sociedad burguesa y del papel que el escritor tenía en ella. Sucesivamente, se describe la estrategia comunicativa de Kierkegaard y se identifican sus fines; después se hace la misma operación respecto de Kafka. Finalmente, se comparan las dos posturas y se subrayan diferencias y similitudes, para utilizar los resultados como insumos para una breve reflexión sobre el papel de la escritura en la moderna sociedad burguesa.

Resumen En este artículo se reflexiona sobre la relación entre literatura y enfermedad, concentrando la atención en la perspectiva de Kierkegaard y de Kafka. Después de analizar la postura kierkegaardiana (Diarios, El concepto de Angustia y La enfermedad mortal) se pasa a la kafkiana (Diarios, Carta al padre y Cartas a Felice) y, finalmente, se comparan los resultados obtenidos. De este modo, se pueden apreciar las diferencias entre los dos planteamientos y, sucesivamente, utilizar los elementos en común para esbozar unas características interesantes sobre la relación entre literatura y enfermedad en los siglos XIX y XX en el contexto de influencia alemana. Esto nos lleva a reflexionar sobre las conexiones causales entre la enfermedad y la literatura, y sobre el contexto social o íntimo en el cual estas se desarrollan.

Abstract I analyze the topic of sickness in relation to 19th and 20th Century Literature in the Germanophile area. In particular, I examine Kierkegaard's and Kafka's perspectives. In the case of Kierkegaard, he principally wrote about sickness in his diaries, and in two important books: The Concept of Anxiety and The Sickness unto Death. However, Kafka wrote about the same theme in all his diaries. Therefore, in this study, I will compare the different perspectives of these two authors in relation to both sickness and literature. Through this, I will attempt to extract any key aspects that can be used for identifying a more general relation between sickness and literature in the 19th and 20th Centuries. To achieve this aim, I will firstly scrutinize Kierkegaard's posture, and then Kafka's posture. Following this, I will compare the findings to draw general conclusions.

ABSTRACT Purpose The aim of this study was to investigate the urinary concentration of epidermal growth factor (EGF) and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) as reflux nephropathy (RN) biomarkers before and after endoscopic treatment of moderate to severe vesico-ureteral reflux (VUR). Materials and methods A prospective study was carried out on 72 children with moderate to severe VUR. All patients underwent endoscopic treatment using Macroplastique® or Deflux®. Vesico-ureteral reflux resolution was tested by post-operative voiding cystourethrography after 3 months and 2 years. Follow-up urinary samples were collected at that time. Control samples were taken from healthy children with no clinical evidence of renal and bladder disease and no history of UTI. Results In VUR patients, pre-operative urinary EGF levels had a down-regulation when compared to controls. Following successful VUR repair, urinary EGF levels of VUR children progressively increased only at long term follow-up but without returning to normal levels. Urinary MCP-1 levels were highly expressed in pre-operative samples and decreased markedly during early post-operative measurements. Urinary MCP-1 levels did not further decreased in late post-operative follow-up. In fact, these levels remained significantly higher when compared to controls. Conclusions Urinary levels of EGF and MCP-1 may become useful markers for monitoring the response to surgical treatment in VUR patients. Although endoscopic VUR treatment is effective in reducing the inflammatory response, the persistence of significant abnormal levels of inflammatory cytokines (such as urinary MCP-1) at long term follow-up suggests that surgery alone may not completely treat the chronic renal inflammation evidenced in these children.