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Background:The objective of the present study was to determine the association between chemotherapy and infectious complications in patients diagnosed with Hematologic malignancies (HMs).Materials and Methods:The study included 463 patients diagnosed with HMs multiple myeloma (MM), Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL), non-HL (NHL), acute myeloid leukemia (AML), acute lymphocytic leukemia, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and chronic myeloid leukemia, between January 2014 and June 2015. The patients were followed for 1 year after inclusion, to record the infectious complications. The collected data included age, sex, type of chemotherapy regimen, and several blood tests at admission. All patients received prophylactic treatment with antibiotics and antifungal agents. For each infection, we recorded the microbiological diagnosis and the day of occurrence since HMs diagnosis.Results:In patients with MM, we found that the treatment with growth factors (hazard ratio [HR] 2.2; confidence interval [CI] 95%: 1–4.6; P = 0.03) was associated with a higher chance of infectious complications. In patients with non-Hodgkin lymhoma (LNH), the following drugs were associated with a higher infectious incidence: cytarabine (HR: 2.3; CI 95%: 1–5; P = 0.03), methotrexate (HR: 2.1; CI 95%: 1.8–4; P = 0.01), dexamethasone (HR: 1.7; CI 95%: 0.9–3; P = 0.06), growth factors (HR: 1.7; CI 95%: 0.9–3.2; P = 0.001), and etoposide (HR: 2.5; CI 95%: 1.5–4.2; P = 0.002). Cytarabine (induction) (HR: 2; CI 95%: 1.1–3.7; P = 0.01), cytarabine (consolidation) (HR: 2.1; CI 95%: 1.3–3.5; P = 0.01), and growth factors (HR: 2.1; CI 95%: 1.3–3.5; P = 0.002) were often on the therapeutic plan of patients with AML, which developed infections.Conclusion:Regarding the chemotherapy regimen, the highest incidences of infectious complications were observed for growth factors and cytarabine.

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Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most prevalent chronic joint disease, increases in prevalence with age, and affects most individuals over 65. The present study aimed to assess the oxidative status in relation to diet and physical activity in patients with OA. We used a cross-sectional study applied to 98 females with OA. Blood samples were collected to determine oxidative stress markers: malonyl dialdehyde (MDA), reduced glutathione (GSH), oxidized glutathione (GSSG), and GSH/GSSG. Diet was estimated with a standardized food frequency questionnaire. We used the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) to assess the females’ physical activity. Multiple regression analyses were executed to determine the association between the oxidative markers and the intake of vegetables and fruit. The study showed that most patients were overweight or obese (88.8%). The level of physical activity was above the recommended level for adults, mainly based on household activities. The intake of vegetables and fruit was low. The MDA marker was inversely, statistically significantly associated with the consumption of vegetables (p < 0.05). Public health policies must address modifiable risk factors to reduce energy intake and obesity and increase the intake of vegetables and fruit. Higher consumption of vegetables and fruit may provide natural antioxidants that can balance oxidative compounds.

Hemolytic-uremic syndrome is defined by a combination between renal failure, microangiopathic hemolytic anemia and thrombocytopenia; it usually appears in young children, is preceded by gastrointestinal enteritis and may involve other organs as well. The purpose of this article is to present a series of four cases of lethal hemolytic uremic syndrome and discuss its legal medicine consequences. For the first three cases an autopsy was not performed and the direct cause of death was considered brain involvement. In the fourth case an autopsy was performed and the direct cause of death was considered to be septic shock, secondary to diarrheal associated hemolytic uremic syndrome, caused by a enteropathogen E.Coli.