Guidelines for the six-minute walk test The six-minute walk test has been shown as a very useful tool in the functional assessment of patients with chronic respiratory diseases enclosing patients with pulmonary hypertension. Methodological standardization of this test is fundamental for interpreting its results, as well as for using it in the short and long-term clinical follow up of our patients. The purpose of these guidelines is justly to spread out in our country the proper way to perform this useful test. In this context, indications, contraindications, limitations, security measures and detailed instructions about how to carry out, how to report and how to interpret the 6 minute walk test are described in these guidelines.

Objectives:To establish the etiology of pneumonia and to compare the yield of diagnostic techniques for diagnosis of Pneumocystis jiroveci and Mycobacterium tuberculosis infections in HIV-1-infected patients. Patients and Methods: Subjects underwent sputum induction and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL). Gram, Ziehl-Neelsen, silver stain (SS) and immunofl uorescense staining (IF) for P. jiroveci, fl uorescent stain for mycobacteria, PCR for P. jiroveci and M. tuberculosis, aerobic, fungal and mycobacterial cultures, respiratory viruses and CMV cultures were performed on the sputum and BAL. IgM for Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Chlamydophyla pneumoniae, and Legionella pneumophila urinary antigen were also obtained. Results: Sixty patients were included. An etiologic diagnosis was made in 97%. Pneumocystis jiroveci was the most frequent etiology (58%) followed by Streptococcus pneumoniae (12%), and Mycobacterium avium complex (12%). Mycobacterium tuberculosis was found in 5%. Conclusions:The comparison of diagnostic methods for P. jiroveci showed a higher sensitivity of IF and SS in BAL than in sputum, however PCR was equally sensitive in both samples. With this approach a precise etiologic diagnosis was reached in the great majority of patients. The most common etiology was P. jiroveci. IF in BAL remains the gold standard for diagnosis of P. jiroveci pneumonia.Key words: Pneumonia, Acquired Immunodefi ciency Syndrome, HIV, AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections, Etiology.Palabras clave: Neumonía, síndrome de inmunodefi ciencia adquirida, VIH, infecciones oportunistas, etiología. Pontificia Universidad Católica de ChileDepartamento de Medicina Interna (CPC,MCA, JLL, MBM, PGG, GAL). Departamento de LaboratorioClínico (PGC). Departamento de EnfermedadesRespiratorias (TBW, RMB)Departamento de Pediatría (PVC). Programa de EnfermedadesInfecciosas (CPC, PGC, JLL, GAL). . El sistema respiratorio es un sitio donde frecuentemente se producen infecciones fúngicas (Pneumocystis jiroveci, anteriormente denominado Pneumocystis carinii), bacterianas y por micobacterias. La tasa de neumonía por P. jiroveci en los pacientes con recuentos de linfocitos CD4 ≤ a 200 céls/mm 3 , sin uso de profi laxis, es de 8,08 casos por 100 personas-año 2 . La neumonía bacteriana se presenta con una incidencia entre 2,3 y 10,8 episodios por 100 personas-año en los pacientes infectados por VIH (comparado con 0,9 por 100 personasaño en individuos sanos) 3,4 . La broncoscopia con lavado bronco-alveolar (LBA) se considera el método estándar para el diagnóstico etiológico de la neumonía en pacientes infectados por VIH. No obstante, puesto que es un método invasor, el esputo inducido aparece como una estrategia diagnóstica sensible y costo-efectiva. Las nuevas técnicas de diagnóstico molecular podrían disminuir la necesidad de procedimientos invasores para el diagnóstico etiológico de la neumonía en estos pacientes.El objetivo primario de este estudio fue establecer el diagnóstico etiológico de la neumonía en pacientes infectados por VIH utilizando métodos tradic...

Soluble mesothelin-related protein for malignant pleural mesothelioma screening Introduction: Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma (MPM) is a tumor of the mesothelial cells related to asbestos exposure. This malignancy is extremely aggressive, with poor response to different treatment modalities, and it has a mean survival of 8 months since diagnosis. With the introduction of new chemotherapeutic agents and trimodality protocols, five-year survival of 40% in initial stages has been reported. Serum detection of Soluble Mesothelin-related Protein (SMRP) could be used for screening of MPM. Using the MESOMARK® test, 53% of MPM patients had levels greater than 1,5 nM, while 99% of control patients had lower concentrations. The aim of this study is to evaluate the use of this test in Chile and determine its utility for screening of MPM. Methods: Quantitative blind measurement of serum SMRP by MESOMARK® test. We studied 3 groups: 8 workers exposed to asbestos, 5 patients with diagnosed MPM and 14 age matched workers without known exposure to asbestos. Participants were informed of the study. Results: Mean ± standard deviation SMRP levels in the control group was 0,53 ± 0,4 nM, 0,89 ± 0,46 nM in patients exposed to asbestos and 10,68 ± 10,28 nM in MPM patients. Differences between the groups were statistically significant (p = 0,02). In the MPM group, 3 patients were found to have SMRP levels greater than 1,5 nM (17,27 nM; SD 6,95) and 2 patients normal values (0,79 nM; SD 0,32). Using a cutoff value of 1,5 nM, sensitivity of the test was 60% and specificity was 100%. Conclusions: Detection of SMRP levels allowed to identify patients with MPM, three of whom had very high concentrations. The sensitivity and specificity found is similar to that previously reported. If our results are confirmed in greater studies, SMRP detection could be used for screening of MPM.