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Background/Objectives: The accurate detection of EGFR mutations, particularly the rare S768I variant, is crucial for guiding treatment decisions in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. This study investigated the incidence of false positives in S768I mutation detection using the IdyllaTM qPCR system and compared results with next-generation sequencing (NGS). Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted at the Dr. Negrín University Hospital between July 2023 and July 2024. Six NSCLC patient samples with S768I variant detection by IdyllaTM were analyzed from all NSCLC cases tested during the study period. Initial testing was performed on tissue samples (Idylla1), followed by replicate analysis using extracted DNA (Idylla2). Results were compared with NGS as the reference method. Statistical analysis included the calculation of sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and Kappa concordance index. Results: Initial Idylla testing showed an 80% false positive rate, with only one of five positive results confirmed by NGS. The first analysis demonstrated high sensitivity (100%) but low specificity (20%), with an accuracy of 0.333 and poor concordance with NGS (Kappa = 0.077). Repeat testing using extracted DNA showed improved performance, with increased accuracy (0.833) and better agreement with NGS (Kappa = 0.571). Analysis of amplification curves revealed that false positives typically showed normalized fluorescence values below 12 points, with no clear correlation between false positives and factors such as sample quantity or tumor content. Conclusions: While the IdyllaTM system shows high sensitivity for S768I detection, its initial specificity is problematic, leading to frequent false positives. These findings emphasize the importance of confirming positive S768I results through alternative methods like NGS, particularly when these results could influence therapeutic decisions. Results suggest the need to refine the system's interpretation algorithms to improve specificity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to determine whether botulinum toxin type A injected into the muscles of the upper third of the face has antidepressant effects in patients diagnosed with depression. Studies seeking a relationship between botulinum toxin type A and its antidepressant effects were considered in this review. All studies concluded that the facial expression muscles present positive feedback to the brain and enhance mood states. Botulinum toxin when applied to the corrugator and procerus muscles has an antidepressant effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monkeypox (Mpox) is an infectious disease caused by the Mpox virus belonging to the Orthopoxvirus genus in the Poxviridae family and has been declared by the WHO as a global health emergency owing to its rapid spread during 2022 and 2023. All patients diagnosed with Mpox who were confirmed by PCR between July 2022 and April 2023 were included in this study. In total, 405 patients in whom clade 2 was identified were included. Notably, 99% of included patients were men, with 82% of them aged 20–39 years. Furthermore, 71% were men who had sex with men, and 34% were HIV carriers. Regarding the morphology of the lesions, approximately 63% presented with papulonecrotic rash, which sometimes alternated with pustules depending on the stage they were in. All patients presented with systemic symptoms. Five patients required hospital admission, one of whom died, and presented with HIV and severe immunosuppression. Clinical findings suggest that contact during sexual intercourse is the most likely transmission mechanism and genital involvement is the most frequent clinical form. HIV was the primary comorbidity. Genital lesions were common, especially in vulnerable populations such as those who engage in high-risk sexual behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fungal melanonychia is an uncommon condition, most typically caused by opportunistic melanin-producing pigmented filamentous fungi in the nail plate. In the present study, the clinical characteristics of patients diagnosed with fungal melanonychia were analyzed through a systematic review of cases reported in the literature. The MESH terms used for the search were "melanonychia" AND "fungal" OR "fungi" through four databases: PubMed, SciELO, Google scholar and SCOPUS. After discarding inadequate articles using the exclusion criteria, 33 articles with 133 cases were analyzed, of which 44% were women, 56% were men and the age range was between 9 and 87 years. The majority of cases were reported in Turkey followed by Korea and Italy. Frequent causal agents detected were Trichophyton rubrum as non-dematiaceous in 55% and Neoscytalidium dimidiatum as dematiaceous in 8%. Predisposing factors included nail trauma, migration history, employment and/or outdoor activities. Involvement in a single nail was presented in 45% of the cases, while more than one affected nail was identified in 21%, with a range of 2 to 10 nails. Regarding the clinical classification, 41% evidenced more than one type of melanonychia, 21% corresponded to the longitudinal pattern and 13% was of total diffuse type. Likewise, the usual dermoscopic pattern was multicolor pigmentation. It is concluded that fungal melanonychia is an uncommon variant of onychomycosis and the differential diagnosis is broad, which highlights the complexity of this disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sporotrichosis is a fungal infection that can affect both humans and animals, caused by a species of thermo-dimorphic fungi of the genus Sporothrix. This pathology can be acquired by subcutaneous traumatic inoculation through contact with contaminated plants, soil or decomposing organic matter, and/or by inhalation of conidia. The infection can progress to chronic skin infection, or it can even spread to blood vessels, lymph, muscles, bones, and other organs, such as the lungs and nervous system. Those disseminated types are usually associated with cellular immunodeficiency and infection by inhalation, which explains why people living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLHIV) get infected in such a manner. This virus changes the natural history of sporotrichosis, producing a greater fungal load. Methods: The search was carried out in three databases: Pubmed, Scopus, and Scielo. Eligible articles were considered as those that described sporotrichosis in patients infected with HIV-AIDS, as well as case series. Results: A total of 24 articles were selected, with a sum of 37 patients with sporotrichosis and HIV infection. Of these patients, 31 came from Brazil, two from the United States, one from South Africa, one from Bangladesh, and two from an unspecified region. Regarding epidemiology, a predominance of the male sex was found in 28 of the 37 cases (75.6%), while nine were female (24.3%). Conclusions: Sporotrichosis infection continues to present in a more severe and disseminated way among HIV-positive subjects with lower CD4+ counts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The physiopathologic characteristics of COVID-19 (high levels of inflammatory cytokines and T-cell reduction) promote fungal colonization and infection, which can go unnoticed because the symptoms in both diseases are very similar. The objective of this work was to study the current epidemiology of systemic mycosis in COVID-19 times. A literature search on the subject (January 2020–February 2021) was performed in PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and LILACS without language restrictions. Demographic data, etiological agent, risk factors, diagnostic methods, antifungal treatment, and fatality rate were considered. Eighty nine publications were found on co-infection by COVID-19 and pneumocystosis, candidiasis, aspergillosis, mucormycosis, coccidioidomycosis, or histoplasmosis. In general, the co-infections occurred in males over the age of 40 with immunosuppression caused by various conditions. Several species were identified in candidiasis and aspergillosis co-infections. For diagnosis, diverse methods were used, from microbiological to molecular. Most patients received antifungals; however, the fatality rates were 11–100%. The latter may result because the clinical picture is usually attributed exclusively to SARS-CoV-2, preventing a clinical suspicion for mycosis. Diagnostic tests also have limitations beginning with sampling. Therefore, in the remainder of the pandemic, these diagnostic limitations must be overcome to achieve a better patient prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biological agents that suppress inflammation, such as tumour necrosis factor (TNF-α) inhibitors, are being successfully used at an increasing frequency for the treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases, such as psoriasis. However, these drugs are not free of side effects, and although the general rates of malignancy in patients using anti-TNF-α therapies are not high, certain tumours of cutaneous origin, particularly carcinomas, have been reported. We herein present the case of a 47-year-old female patient with moderate-to-severe psoriasis for 20 years under treatment with adalimumab administered at the standard dose of 40 mg, injected subcutaneously each fortnight, with good efficacy. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of a low-grade (grade 1) myxoid liposarcoma in a patient receiving treatment with adalimumab since 2009. A review of the relevant literature was also conducted. Continuous investigation of such cases is crucial in order to elucidate the iatrogenic risk of rare cancers, such as myxoid liposarcoma, in patients undergoing treatment with currently available as well as future biological therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Facial flat warts are a contagious viral disease that can cause disturbing cosmetic problems. Topical glycolic acid has been reported to be effective in dermatological treatment depending on the exfoliant capacity, but has not often been reported to be effective in the treatment of facial flat warts.Objective: The aim of this paper was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of glycolic acid 15% topical gel plus salicylic acid 2% in the treatment of recalcitrant facial flat warts.Methods: A total of 20 consecutive patients 7 to 16 years of age with recalcitrant facial flat warts were enrolled in this study. Patients having warts by the eye and lip regions were excluded from the study. A fine layer of face gel was applied to the treatment area once daily. Most of the participants had tried different treatments with no success. Assessments for the response and the occurrence of side effects were performed every two weeks at Weeks 2, 4, 6, and 8.Results: All the patients were clinically cured within eight weeks. Seven patients cleared in four weeks, and 13 patients cleared in eight weeks. No noticeable adverse events were related to the skin.Conclusion: Topical gel of glycolic acid 15% plus salicylic acid 2% is safe and effective when applied to facial flat warts once daily until clearance and may be considered as first-line treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In different regions worldwide, there exists an intra-and inter-regional variability in the rates of resistance to antifungal agents in Candida glabrata, highlighting the importance of understanding the epidemiology and antifungal susceptibility profiles of C. glabrata in each region. However, in some regions, such as Ibero-America, limited data are available in this context. Therefore, in the present study, a systematic review was conducted to determine the antifungal resistance in C. glabrata in Ibero-America over the last five years. A literature search for articles published between January 2015 and December 2020 was conducted without language restrictions, using the PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and LILACS databases. The search terms that were used were "Candida glabrata" AND "antifungal resistance" AND "Country", and 22 publications were retrieved from different countries. The use of azoles (fluconazole, itraconazole, voriconazole, posaconazole, isavuconazole, ketoconazole, and miconazole) varied between 4.0% and 100%, and that of echinocandins (micafungin, caspofungin, and anidulafungin) between 1.1% and 10.0%. The limited information on this subject in the region of Ibero-America emphasizes the need to identify the pathogens at the species level and perform antifungal susceptibility tests that may lead to the appropriate use of these drugs and the optimal doses in order to avoid the development of antifungal resistance or multi-resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Oncoproteomics is the study of proteins and their interactions in a cancer cell by proteomic technologies and has the potential to revolutionize clinical practice, including cancer diagnosis. Recent technological advances in the analysis of the human genome have opened the door to improving our primitive understanding of the gene expression patterns in cancer. The examination of the phenotypic and (epi) genetic changes in cutaneous melanoma has identified several genes deemed central to the development and progression of melanoma., Methods: A review of the literature was performed to determine the role of epigenetic modifications in human melanoma. The role of array-based high-throughput gene expression analysis in understanding the specific genes involved as well as the pathways and the comparative gene expression patterns of primary and metastatic melanoma. The development and clinical application of selective pharmacologic agents are also discussed., Results: We identified several articles that have extensively studied the role of epigenetics in melanoma, further elucidating the complex processes involved in gene regulation and expression. Other studies utilizing gene microarray analysis and other whole genome approaches reveal a wide array of genes and expression patterns in human melanoma. Several genes have been identified as potential prognostic markers of tumor progression and overall clinical outcome., Conclusions: High-throughput gene expression analysis has had a major impact in melanoma research. Several gene expression platforms have provided insight into the gene expression patterns in melanoma. Such data will provide foundations for the future development of prognostic markers and improved targeted therapies for patients with melanoma.