The objective of this paper is to examine if there is an association between low levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) and insulin resistance (IR) in nondiabetic women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and to evaluate its impact on arterial stiffness. In this cross-sectional study 25(OH)D, insulin, insulin resistance measured by the homeostatic model assessment (HOMA-IR), homocysteine, fibrinogen, characteristics of SLE, medications and pulse-wave velocity (PWV) were measured in 106 nondiabetic women with SLE and 101 matched controls. Women with SLE tended to have lower 25(OH)D levels (p = 0.078) and a higher frequency of 25(OH)D deficiency (defined as <10 ng/ml) than controls (p = 0.058). Patients from the lowest quartile of the 25(OH)D range had higher PWV (p = 0.043), fasting glucose (p = 0.035), insulinemia (p ≤ 0.001), HOMA-IR (p = 0.006), C4 (p = 0.012), as well as more frequent IR (p = 0.002) and metabolic syndrome (p = 0.052) than those in the upper quartile, and no differences were found in age, body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, lipid levels and renal function. In women with SLE, 25(OH)D inversely correlated with insulin (p = 0.006), HOMA-IR (p = 0.008) and C4 (p = 0.048) and tended to correlate with fibrinogen (p = 0.060) after adjustment for BMI, age, SLEDAI, prednisone dose, renal function, inflammation markers and seasonal variation, but not with PWV. In controls, 25(OH)D correlated only with homocysteine after the same adjustment, and the correlation with PWV tended to be significant after adjustment for BMI and age (r = −0.190, p = 0.10). Low 25(OH)D levels were found to be associated with increased IR in nondiabetic women with SLE independently of BMI. Low 25(OH)D levels, but not IR, could be associated with increased arterial stiffness in these patients.

Objectives: Hyperglycaemia is a common metabolic disorder in very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. The objective is to describe the incidence, duration, episodes and distribution of hyperglycaemia during the first 7 days of life of VLBW infants. Methods: This is a prospective cohort study of 60 newborns weighing <1,500 g. Blood glucose levels were monitored with a continuous glucose monitoring system (CGMS) during the first 7 days of life. Hyperglycaemia was defined as glucose ≥180 mg/dL (≥10 mmol/L). Results: Incidence of hyperglycaemia recorded with the CGMS was 36.6% (95%CI: 24.6–50.1). In almost 74.6±5.48% of these cases the duration of the episode exceeded 30 min and in 45.25% (95%CI: 2.26–57.82) it exceeded 2 h. The condition occurred most frequently during the first 72 h of life. One-fifth of cases were not detected with scheduled capillary tests and 84.6% of these had hyperglycaemic episode durations of 30 min or more. Agreement between the two techniques was very good (r=0.90, p<0.001) and the CGMS proved to be reliable, accurate and safe. Hyperglycaemia detected by a CGMS is associated with lower gestational age (OR: 0.66, p=0.002), lower birth weight (OR: 0.99, p=0.003), the use of ionotropic drugs (OR: 11.07, p=0.005) and death (OR: 10.59, p=0.03), and is more frequent in preterm infants with sepsis (OR: 2.73, p=0.1). No other association was observed. Conclusions: A CGMS could be useful during the first week of life in VLBW infants due to the high incidence and significant duration of hyperglycaemia and the high proportion of cases that remain undetected. The advantage of the CGMS is that it is able to detect hyperglycaemic episodes that the capillary test does not.

The presence of Candida spp. in urine has traditionally been considered to be a colonization; however, in certain clinical circumstances, such as in critically ill patients, immunocompromised individuals, or those with chronic diseases, it gains greater relevance due to the possibility of active infection and complications. The aim of this study was to characterize the epidemiology (incidence, species distribution, demographic characteristics, and origin) of Candida spp. isolates in urine through a retrospective cross-sectional analysis of urine culture isolates from clinical samples between January 2016 and December 2023. Out of a total of 111,656 urine cultures, Candida spp. was isolated at 2.72% (n = 3037). The most frequently isolated species was Candida albicans (54.25%; 1646/3037), followed by Nakaseomyces glabrata (22.78%; 692/3037) and Candida tropicalis (10.2%; 311/3037). Advanced age (>70 years), male sex, presence of a urinary catheter, and origin from intensive care units, oncology, or surgical services were variables associated with a higher risk of candiduria, highlighting the relevance of candiduria in the presence of such clinical scenarios.