BackgroundThe advent of telemedicine has allowed physicians to deliver medical treatment to patients from a distance. Mobile apps such as WhatsApp Messenger, an instant messaging service, came as a novel concept in all fields of social life, including medicine. The use of instant messaging services has been shown to improve communication within medical teams by providing means for quick teleconsultation, information sharing, and starting treatment as soon as possible.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to perform a comprehensive systematic review of present literature on the use of the WhatsApp Messenger app as an adjunctive health care tool for medical doctors.MethodsSearches were performed in PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library using the term “whatsapp*” in articles published before January 2016. A bibliography of all relevant original articles that used the WhatsApp Messenger app was created. The level of evidence of each study was determined according to the Oxford Levels of Evidence ranking system produced by the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine. The impact and the indications of WhatsApp Messenger are discussed in order to understand the extent to which this app currently functions as an adjunctive tool for telemedicine.ResultsThe database search identified a total of 30 studies in which the term “whatsapp*” was used. Each article’s list of references was evaluated item-by-item. After literature reviews, letters to the editor, and low-quality studies were excluded, a total of 10 studies were found to be eligible for inclusion. Of these studies, 9 had been published in the English language and 1 had been published in Spanish. Five were published by medical doctors.ConclusionsThe pooled data presents compelling evidence that the WhatsApp Messenger app is a promising system, whether used as a communication tool between health care professionals, as a means of communication between health care professionals and the general public, or as a learning tool for providing health care information to professionals or to the general population. However, high-quality and properly evaluated research is needed, as are improvements in descriptions of the methodology and the study processes. These improvements will allow WhatsApp Messenger to be categorically defined as an effective telemedicine tool in many different fields of health care.

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To understand the molecular mechanisms mediating apoptosis induction by a novel atypical retinoid, ST1926, the cellular response to drug treatment was investigated in IGROV-1 ovarian carcinoma cells carrying wild-type p53 and a cisplatin-resistant p53 mutant subline (IGROV-1/Pt1). Despite a similar extent of drug-induced DNA strand breaks, the level of apoptosis was substantially higher in p53 wild-type cells. p53 activation and early upregulation of p53-target genes were consistent with p53-dependent apoptosis in IGROV-1 cells. Stress-activated protein kinases were activated in both cell lines in response to ST1926. This event and activation of AP-1 were more pronounced in IGROV-1/Pt1 cells, in which the modulation of DNA repair-associated genes suggests an increased ability to repair DNA damage. Inhibition of JNK or p38 stimulated ST1926-induced apoptosis only in IGROV-1 cells, whereas inhibition of ERKs enhanced apoptosis in both the cell lines. Such a pattern of cellular response and modulation of genes implicated in DNA damage response supports that the genotoxic stress is a critical event mediating drug-induced apoptosis. The results are consistent with apoptosis induction through p53-dependent andindependent pathways, regulated by MAP kinases, which likely play a protective role.

OBJECTIVES: To review the epidemiological aspects of fractures of the tibial plateau in a level one hospital. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 239 tibial plateau fractures treated surgically. We took into account age, gender, trauma mechanism, classification of the injuries, associated injuries and affected side. RESULTS: 168 were male, the fifth decade has been the most affected, the mechanism of trauma, car accident was the main causal fator, 128 cases were on the left side and 22,6% had associated injuries. CONCLUSIONS: Most patients were male, in the fifth decade of life, and victim of traffic accidents, and the depression and shear fractures of the tibial plateau are the most frequent. Associated lesions were infrequent in our study. Level of Evidence II, Prognostic Studies. Investigating the Effect of a Patient Characteristic on the Outcome of Disease.

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Cystinosis is a rare autosomal-recessive lysosomal storage disease with high morbidity and mortality. It is caused by mutations in the CTNS gene that encodes the cystine transporter, cystinosin, which leads to lysosomal cystine accumulation. Patients with infantile nephropathic cystinosis, the most common and most severe clinical form of cystinosis, commonly present with renal Fanconi syndrome by 6-12 months of age, and without specific treatment, almost all will develop end-stage renal disease (ESRD) by 10-12 years of age. Early corneal cystine crystal deposition is a hallmark of the disease. Cystinosis also presents with gastrointestinal symptoms (e.g., vomiting, decreased appetite, and feeding difficulties) and severe growth retardation and may affect several other organs over time, including the eye, thyroid gland, gonads, pancreas, muscles, bone marrow, liver, nervous system, lungs, and bones. Cystine-depleting therapy with cysteamine orally is the only specific targeted therapy available for managing cystinosis and needs to be combined with cysteamine eye drops for corneal disease involvement. In patients with early treatment initiation and good compliance to therapy, long-term cysteamine treatment delays progression to ESRD, significantly improves growth, decreases the frequency and severity of extrarenal complications, and is associated with extended life expectancy. Therefore, early diagnosis of cystinosis and adequate life-long treatment with cysteamine are essential for preventing end-organ damage and improving the overall prognosis in these patients.