Background: Patients with type 2 diabetes have a high incidence of coronary artery disease, which is even higher among those with renal failure. A serum level of cystatin C are used to assess renal function and is a potential cardiovascular risk factor. Adiponectin is an anti-atherogenic factor. Aim: To measure cystatin C and adiponectin in type 2 diabetic patients with and without coronary artery disease. Material and methods: Nine diabetic patients with coronary artery disease aged 76± 10 years, 20 diabetics without coronary artery disease aged 61 ±5 years and 20 non diabetic subjects aged 57±10 years, were studied. Results: Serum levels of cystatin C (mg/L) were 1.5 (range 0.89-219), 0.81 (range 0.71-1.08) and 0.68 mg/L (range 055-0.75) in diabetics with and without coronary artery disease and controls, respectively (p <0.0001). No differences in adiponectin between groups and no association between cystatin C and adiponectin, were observed. No association between both parameters and body mass index orglycosilated hemoglobin Ale was observed. Cystatin C had a positive correlation with serum creatinine (r =0.57p <0.001). Conclusions: Diabetics with coronary artery disease have higher levels of cystatin C, that are closely correlated with serum creatinine levels.

In patients with porphyria cutanea tarda (PCT), hepatic iron accumulation associated to hereditary hemochromatosis (HH) could play a role in the etiology and in the clinical expression of the disease. The H63D and C282Y mutations of the HFE gene frequency were studied in a PCT group of patients and compared with the frequency observed in a group of volunteer blood donors. PCT patients were cataloged as hereditary or acquired PCT carriers, whether or not they presented uroporphyrinogen decarboxilase gene mutations. Fifty percent of PCT patients were carriers of the disease's genetic type. Such percentage is significantly higher than what other authors have previously informed. H63D and C282Y mutations were present in 23% and 2.4% of the volunteer blood donors, respectively. Similar frequencies were informed by others authors in Chilean white ethnic populations, and also in Spaniard and Argentinean populations, but significantly higher than that observed in Chile's Araucanean aboriginal population. Probably the frequency of H63D and C283Y mutations are related to the Spaniard ascendancy dominance of Chile's white ethnic population. The frequency of HFE gene mutations in PCT patients was not different than what was observed in volunteer blood donors. Similarly, there was no statistical difference in the frequency of these mutations among patients with acquired or genetic PCT disease. With the obtained results, it is not possible postulate an association between PCT and the hereditary hemochromatosis of HFE gene mutations carrier conditions.

La acumulación de hierro hepático asociada a mutaciones en el gen HFE de la hemocromatosis hereditaria (HH) en los pacientes con porfiria cutánea tarda (PCT) podría tener un papel en la etiología y en la expresión clínica de esta enfermedad. Se estudió la frecuencia de las mutaciones H63D y C282Y en un grupo de pacientes con PCT y se la comparó con la observada en un grupo de donantes voluntarios de sangre. Los pacientes con PCT fueron catalogados como portadores de la forma hereditaria o adquirida de la enfermedad, según presentaran o no mutaciones en el gen uroporfirinógeno decarboxilasa (UROD). El 50% de los pacientes con PCT eran portadores de la forma genética de la enfermedad, porcentaje significativamente mayor que lo informado en otras series. El 23% de los donantes voluntarios de sangre eran portadores de la mutación H63D y 2.4% lo era de la mutación C282Y. Frecuencias similares a lo encontrado por otros autores en población chilena de etnia blanca, en población argentina y española, pero significativamente más alta que lo encontrado en estudios en población aborigen araucana. Esto tiene, probablemente, relación con el predominio de ascendencia española en la población blanca chilena. La frecuencia de mutación en el gen HFE en pacientes con PCT no fue significativamente diferente que la observada en donantes voluntarios de sangre. Tampoco hubo diferencias significativas en la frecuencia de estas mutaciones entre los casos con PCT adquirida respecto de aquellos en que ésta era de origen genético. Los resultados obtenidos no permiten afirmar que exista asociación entre la PCT y la condición de portador de mutaciones del gen HFE de la hemocromatosis hereditaria.

The tangent plane criterion has become important for a correct solution evaluation phase and chemical of equilibrium problem. This method, applicable to single and multiphase systems, is mainly used for a single equation of state modeling all phases involved. The present work is mainly concerned with the application of interval analysis methods for global energy minimization in high-pressure phase stability problems. Two approaches are applied: (i) the Gibbs free energy global minimization under conditions of constant temperature and pressure and (ii) the Helmholtz free energy density global minimization under conditions of constant temperature and volume. Five case studies, one ternary and four binary systems, are analyzed in connection with the Peng-Robinson equation of state (PREOS) model. Five more case studies, for the CO2 + trans-2-hexen-1-ol system at high pressures, are used to compare different methods of phase equilibrium calculation with the approach using interval analysis. Finally, a complex system, clove oil + CO2, is analyzed. The results indicate that the interval analysis method is robust and reliable for all the problems studied.

Background: Acute pyelonephritis in children can leave a kidney scar that eventually can lead to hypertension or renal failure. 99mTc-dimercaptosuccinic acid renal scintigraphy (RC DMSA) is a widely accepted technique to assess children with acute pyelonephritis. Aim: To evaluate the presence of residual kidney scars detected through RC DMSA, in children with a first episode of acute pyelonephritis. Patients and methods: Clinical records of children with a first episode of acute pyelonephritis that were assessed within seven days of the episode with RC DMSA were reviewed. Children were considered eligible if they did not have a new episode of acute pyelonephritis and a second RC DMSA, one year after the first episode, was performed. The presence or absence of a renal scar after one year was associated to demographic, scintigraphy and laboratory variables. Results: Fifty nine children, aged 1 month to 10 years, 35 females, were studied. Thirty nine percent had a renal scar in the scintigraphy perfomed after one year of follow up. The presence of a scar was correlated with a C reactive protein over 130 mg/dl and an altered relative renal function (below 44%), during the acute phase. Conclusions: A high C reactive protein and alterations of relative renal function during the acute phase of acute pyelonephritis in children, may be risk factors for the development of renal scars in the long term follow up

Tc99m DMSA (dimercaptosuccinic acid) scintigraphy has a high sensitivity for the detection of cortical kidney damage. Aim: To evaluate the Tc99m DMSA renal scintigraphy in children with a first episode of acute pyelonephritis and its association with laboratory parameters, kidney ultrasound and vesicoureteral reflux. Patients and methods: We studied 143 children (age range 8 days, 12 years, 66% female) hospitalized with the clinical diagnosis of acute pyelonephritis (first episode) with a positive urine culture and a renal scintigraphy performed within seven days of diagnosis. DMSA was considered the gold standard for the detection of cortical lesions. Its results were related to the presence of fever, C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (VHS), white blood count (WBC), ultrasound examination and vesicoureteral reflux. Results: Seventy nine percent of the population had an abnormal DMSA scan. There were no differences between sex, age and laboratory parameters in children with normal or abnormal DMSA scans, except for CRP (p <0.005). Ultrasound was coincident with the scan in 32% of patients. Eighteen percent had vesicoureteral reflux. Conclusions: There is a high proportion of abnormal DMSA scans in children with a first episode of acute pyelonephritis (Rev Méd Chile 2004; 132: 58-64).

We report a 67 years old woman admitted to the hospital for the study of a cholestatic jaundice and massive hepatomegaly. On admission, the patient did not have liver failure. During hospital stay, the patient experienced a progressive deterioration of liver function and a monoclonal gammopathy was detected. An IgG Kappa myeloma was diagnosed. A fine needle liver biopsy disclosed the presence of amyloid. The patient developed acute liver failure and died three weeks after admission (Rev Méd Chile 2003; 131: 1301-04)

One of the most important byproducts of the orange juice industry is the oil phase. This is a mixture of terpenes, alcohols, and aldehydes, dissolved in approximately 96% limonene. To satisfactorily use oil phase as an ingredient in the food and cosmetics industries separation of the limonene is required. One possibility is to use a fixed bed of silica gel to remove the light or aroma compounds from the limonene. The aroma substances are then extracted from the bed of silica gel using supercritical carbon dioxide. This work deals with the modeling of the desorption step of the process using mass balance equations coupled with the Langmuir equilibrium isotherm. Data taken from the literature for the overall extraction curves were used together with empirical correlations to calculate the concentration profile of solute in the supercritical phase at the bed outlet. The system of equations was solved by the finite volume technique. The overall extraction curves calculated were in good agreement with the experimental ones.

In 1989, the main agent causing non A non B hepatitis was identified as a RNA virus of the flavivirus family, with several serotypes, and was denominated virus C. At the present moment, the knowledge about the infection features and diseases that it causes has expanded thanks to the availability of reliable laboratory techniques to detect the antibody and the virus. The prevalence of infection and the frequency of serotypes varies in different regions of the world. Chile is a country with a low prevalence. The detection of infected blood in blood banks has reduced the spreading of the disease. Other means of infection such as the use of intravenous drugs, hemodialysis and transplantation have acquired greater importance. Sexual, maternal and familial transmission is exceptional. Infected people develop an acute hepatitis, generally asymptomatic. Eighty percent remain with a chronic hepatic disease, that can be mild or progressive, evolving to cirrhosis or hepatic carcinoma. Chronic hepatitis, closely resembling an autoimmune disease, can be caused by the virus. Alcohol intake increases viral activity causing severe hepatic diseases, refractory to treatments. Several non hepatic diseases are associated to hepatitis C virus infection such as essential mixed cryoglobulinemia, mesangiocapillary glomerulonephritis, porphyria cutanea tarda, dysglobulinemias and probably type 2 diabetes mellitus. The only available treatment is interferon, that is successful in a minority of patients, frequently causing a transient improvement. The use of Ribaravine associated to interferon improve the effectiveness of therapy. Liver transplantation is the only therapy for severe hepatic disease. The use of new antiviral drugs should improve the prognosis of the disease.