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Biomedical subjects

A Baptista

Publications and source records attributed to A Baptista.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1989

[Evaluation of left ventricular function after myocardial infarct using equilibrium radionuclide angiography. 1-year follow-up].

OBJECTIVE: To study the evolution of left ventricular (LV) function in the 1st year after acute myocardial infarction (MI) and to define its prognostic significance. DESIGN: Patients recovering from acute MI submitted to evaluation of LV function by equilibrium radionuclide angiography (RNA) at the time of discharge, three months later and at 12 months of follow-up. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 93 patients suffering an acute transmural MI were submitted to equilibrium RNA. Studies were taken at time of discharge, 3 and 12 months of follow-up. 19 patients had just the 1st study; in 14 the one year follow-up study was not performed. The other 60 include the group submitted to 1 year follow-up. We used the technic of labelled erytrocites in vivo, with acquisition of the blood pool gated with EKG in left lateral. PAGE protocol from GE has been used for processing of images. RESULTS: Mean global ejection fraction (EF) was 20.6 +/- 8.5% for anterior MI with LV failure and 40.2 +/- 14.5% for those without failure; in inferior MI it was 49.9 +/- 12.3% and for combined MI 30.3 +/- 9.5%. The differences between these values are statistically significant. For the 56 patients in which the 1st and 2nd examination were taken we found no significant differences between the mean values for global EF in the 4 groups previously considered. Conversely, we couldn't find a significant difference between the mean EF in the 4 groups, when we compared the values of early (1st and 2nd examinations) test with those of 12 months follow-up. 10 patients (10.8%) died in the 1 year follow-up. All had global EF lower than normal: 33% of deaths in the group with EF less than 20%; 14% in the subset with EF between 20 and 30%; 8% in the sub-group with EF between 30 and 45%. As far as regional motion is concerned we noticed that changes include both the necrotic and the spared areas. We didn't found significant differences between the contribution of necrotic and viable myocardium to the positive or negative variation of global EF, in the 4 groups of infarction considered. Apical segment seems to have an important contribution for global EF changes, both in anterior and inferior MI. CONCLUSION: In this group of patients with acute MI, followed for 12 months, we noticed a higher degree of LV dysfunction in the group of anterior MI. The values of LVEF measured early after the acute attach, usually at hospital discharge are stable along the follow-up, unless major cardiac episodes develop. All the deaths along the one year follow-up had LV dysfunction with EF below 45%. Prognostic "quod vitam" worsened while EF decreased, with a death rate of 33% in the sub-group with global EF less than 20%, and 28% considering those with EF below 30%. In relation with regional motion we found that changes may be elicited both in the necrotic and spared segments. We emphasize the contribution of the apical area to the changes in global EF.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

[Bjornstad syndrome].

We present a four year old boy with Björnstad syndrome. The hair showed typical features of pili torti which were confirmed by optical and scanning electron microscopic evaluation. On computerized X-ray diffraction the hairs showed no abnormal constituents. There was a serious bilateral sensorineural deafness.

Child, Preschool↗
PubMed1988

The diagnostic significance of periportal hepatic necrosis and inflammation.

In this review the several types of cell damage and cell death which may be found in liver biopsy specimens are defined. We describe the different processes which occur at the portal/parenchymal or septal/parenchymal interface, viz. periportal spillover, periportal hepatitis, classic or lymphocytic piecemeal necrosis and biliary piecemeal necrosis. The diagnostic implications of these lesions in relation to the clinicopathological diagnosis and prognosis in various liver diseases are discussed.

Diagnosis, Differential↗
PubMed1987

Clinical and epidemiological significance of hepatitis delta virus (HDV) infection in chronic HBV carriers in Portugal.

This study demonstrated that in Portugal HDV infection occurs in 17.3% of HBsAg chronic carriers and chronic HDV infection in 8.4%. As in Northern European countries, HDV infection in Portugal is predominantly found in drug-addicts. Our findings also confirm that HDV infection is associated with an active and progressive liver disease. In delta Ag positive CLD serum HBV-DNA was detected in 10 of 19 cases and was present at low levels. In contrast 52 of 84 delta Ag negative were serum HBV-DNA positive and 48.1% of these had high serum HBV-DNA levels. Ninety per cent of delta Ag positive CLD with serum HBV-DNA positive were drug addicts. These findings indicate that in chronic HDV infection synthesis of HBV is reduced and suggest namely that in drug-addicts their disease derived from the cumulative pathogenic effect of both HBV and HDV. In follow-up biopsy a significantly younger mean age and significantly deterioration of carriers with HDV infection was observed, suggesting that HDV infection accelerates the natural history of HBV related liver disease.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1981

Combined approach to the differential diagnosis of cholestatic jaundice with endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography, ultrasonography, and liver biopsy.

A prospective study of 33 patients with cholestatic jaundice was performed with combined use of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography (PTC), ultrasonography, and liver biopsy. A higher rate of success with PTC in 25 cases of extrahepatic cholestasis was offset by the better score of ERCP in 8 cases of intrahepatic cholestasis and its wider diagnostic scope. The procedures were complementary in 10 cases. Ultrasonic imaging of intrahepatic bile ducts proved useful for selecting the first cholangiographic technique. Liver biopsy established etiology in intrahepatic cholestasis. Our combined approach allowed us to develop through objective criteria a diagnostic flow chart of cholestasis.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Jaundice associated with naproxen.

Hepatic injury in association with naproxen therapy is described and documented by liver biopsy in one patient. Histological findings were consistent with a drug-induced hepatitis, and cessation of therapy led to reversal of the clinical and biochemical changes. Circumstantial evidence is in favour of a hypersensitivity response to the drug rather than direct hepatotoxicity. Increased awareness of clinicians of this probably rare side effect of naproxen may help prompt identification of similar cases.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Histocompatibility antigens: markers of susceptibility to and protection from alcoholic liver disease in a Portuguese population.

The distribution of six HLA antigens in a population of 88 Portuguese chronic alcohol abusers with biopsy-proven liver disease was compared to that in 66 Portuguese normal controls. Among the group of 88 alcohol abusers, the presence of HLA antigens A1, A9, A28 and Bw35 marked a significant 2.5- to 3-fold increased estimated risk for the development of alcohol-induced cirrhosis, while the presence of HLA B5 was found to be associated with a significantly decreased risk of alcohol-induced cirrhosis. Further, compared to controls, the estimated risk of any stage of alcohol-induced liver disease was significantly increased in alcoholic individuals with HLA A28 and Bw35, and the protective effect of HLA B5 was again observed. The findings of this study suggest that at least in a relatively homogeneous population group such as the Portuguese, the presence of HLA B5 may confer protection against alcohol-induced liver disease, including cirrhosis. The presence of HLA Bw35 and A28 appear to mark susceptibility to all histologic manifestations of alcohol-induced liver disease, while in addition to Bw35 and A28, A1 and A9 may mark increased risk for cirrhosis in particular.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Graphical and stereolithographic models of the developing human heart lumen.

Scaled physical models can be useful in analyzing stage-specific hemodynamics in the embryonic human heart to address correlations between early physical stressors and myocardial wall responses. We generated models of the cardiac blood space from reconstructions of four digitized human embryo images from Carnegie Collection at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology. From physical scale models manufactured by stereolithography, compliant sleeves can be created for flow dynamics studies. This novel use of Carnegie collection images and graphical modeling software provides tools for broadening our understanding of normal and aberrant heart formation.

Embryonic and Fetal Development↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Hepatic stellate cell activation occurs in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Hepatic stellate cell activation has a major role in the pathogenesis of hepatic fibrosis, considered to constitute part of the healing response to a necroinflammatory stimulus. However, steatosis per se, has also been shown to induce this activation. This study evaluates if hepatic stellate cell activation is present, and how it correlates with steatosis, in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, whose hallmark is steatosis. METHODOLOGY: Steatosis, hepatocyte damage, inflammation and fibrosis were graded from 0 to 3+, in liver biopsies from 15 well documented nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and 5 normal controls. Activated hepatic stellate cell activation were identified immunohistochemically using a monoclonal antibody raised against cytoplasmic alpha-smooth muscle actin, and semiquantitatively graded using a scoring method. RESULTS: Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis patients showed significantly greater numbers of alpha-smooth muscle actin-reactive hepatic stellate cell than controls: hepatic stellate cell index of 3.6 +/- 1.9 versus 1.5 +/- 0.5, P < 0.05. The distribution of alpha-smooth muscle actin-reactive hepatic stellate cell was higher in the perivenular areas, than in the intermediate zone and portal area, with no significant association between steatosis and alpha-smooth muscle actin-expressing hepatic stellate cell. However, a significant association was found between portal and lobular inflammation and hepatic stellate cell index, r = 0.72, P = 0.0005 and r = 0.75, P = 0.0002, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that hepatic stellate cell activation occurs in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, clearly correlating with portal and lobular inflammation, but not with steatosis, suggesting that the mechanisms implicated in fibrosis in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis are probably related with inflammation.

Actins↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Preservation of the liver using a new solution of phosphate-buffered saccharose].

The efficacy of the new phosphate-buffered sucrose solution (PBS), was compared with the conventional Euro-Collins (EC) and the lactated Ringer solution (LR), in its capacity to preserve the canine liver in cold storage. Three groups of 6 canine livers, each group in one of those solutions, were put in cold storage for 24 h at 4 degrees centigrade. At the end of this period the effect of warm hepatic reperfusion was studied in relationship with the following parameters: weight of the liver, bile excretion, hepatic biopsy, Na, K, Ca, P and some tests used to evaluate the hepatic function. The results obtained confirm, that PBS has an important impermeant effect over the hepatocyte, simulating that described recently by Lam et al to the kidney. Contrary to the EC and LR, the PBS inhibits hypothermic cell swelling, is more effective in the preservation of the liver histology, and has an opposed effect to the weight gain tendency induced by cold storage. During the period of warm reperfusion, high volumes of bile excretion and lesser levels of K depletion were observed in the PBS model. PBS is easy to prepare, and it is not expensive. For these reasons PBS could be an advantageous substitute of the EC in liver preservation.

Animals↗