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Biomedical subjects

A Cano

Publications and source records attributed to A Cano.

At least 163 records · Page 9Linked to original sources
PubMed1991

[Enterococcus faecalis bacteremia].

BACKGROUND: This study was prompted by the increasing role of E. faecalis in hospital acquired infections, their morbidity and mortality and the development of resistances. The aim of the study was to define the epidemiological features, the predictive factors of bacteremia and the mortality prognosis in a group of patients with E. faecalis bacteremia. METHODS: The clinical and epidemiological features on admission, after 3 days and one week of therapy and one month after therapy were evaluated in 57 cases of true E. faecalis bacteremia. The effectiveness of therapy was assessed by the rate of clinical and microbiological cures, deaths and survivals. RESULTS: The incidence of E. faecalis bacteremia was 5.9%. 78% of them were hospital acquired, with unknown source in 31%. Generally, they developed in surgical services and usually the patients had received antibiotic treatment or instrumentation. 63% of bacteremias were monomicrobial. Male sex, hospitalization (particularly in surgical or intensive care services), underlying disease of rapidly fatal prognosis, the previous use of third generation cephalosporins and/or ciprofloxacin, and previous instrumentation or surgery were found to be predictive factors of bacteremia. On the other hand, underlying disease with rapidly fatal prognosis, with initial poor or critical clinical condition, the previous use of wide spectrum antibiotics, polymicrobial bacteremia, and the presence of leukocytosis or complications were significantly associated with a higher mortality. The resistance rates ranged between 42% to kanamycin and 1% to amikacin. CONCLUSIONS: In view of the results, a better knowledge of the predictive and prognostic factors of E. faecalis bacteremia is required for prevention and treatment.

Enterococcus faecalis↗
PubMed1991

Effect of continuous oestradiol-medroxyprogesterone administration on plasma lipids and lipoproteins.

Plasma lipids and lipoproteins were measured in 21 post-menopausal women after 4 and 8 months of continuous treatment with an orally administered combination of oestradiol and medroxyprogesterone acetate. The mean concentrations of cholesterol and low-density-lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol were reduced by 12% (P less than 0.001) and 11% (P less than 0.01), respectively, after 4 months of treatment and by 9% (P less than 0.05) and 12% (P less than 0.05) after 8 months. The mean level of high-density-lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol showed an initial fall of 5% (P less than 0.05) after 4 months and then increased by 13% (P less than 0.05) after 8 months of treatment. The plasma triglycerides level oscillated around the baseline value, but the changes were not statistically significant. Indexes such as the HDL-cholesterol/LDL-cholesterol and cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol ratios, which are considered to be good indicators of atherogenic risk, showed changes towards patterns considered to be beneficial. Although the clinical significance of these changes remains uncertain at present, it seems clear that an oestradiol and medroxyprogesterone combination administered continuously produces biochemical changes which are regarded as protective against cardiovascular disease. Additionally, the endometrial inertness attributed to the continuous oestrogen-progestogen therapy would warrant its use as a good alternative in post-menopausal replacement therapy.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

A role for the E-cadherin cell-cell adhesion molecule during tumor progression of mouse epidermal carcinogenesis.

The expression of the cell-cell adhesion molecules E- and P-cadherin has been analyzed in seven mouse epidermal keratinocyte cell lines representative of different stages of epidermal carcinogenesis. An inverse correlation between the amount of E-cadherin protein and tumorigenicity of the cell lines has been found, together with a complete absence of E-cadherin protein and mRNA expression in three carcinoma cell lines (the epithelioid HaCa4 and the fibroblastoid CarB and CarC cells). A similar result has been detected in tumors induced in nude mice by the cell lines, where induction of E-cadherin expression takes place in moderately differentiated squamous cell carcinomas induced by HaCa4 cells, although at much lower levels than in well-differentiated tumors induced by the epithelial PDV or PDVC57 cell lines. Complete absence of E-cadherin expression has been observed in spindle cell carcinomas induced by CarB or CarC cells. P-cadherin protein was detected in all cell lines that exhibit an epithelial (MCA3D, AT5, PDV, and PDVC57) or epithelioid (HaCa4) morphology, as well as in nude mouse tumors, independent of their tumorigenic capabilities. However, complete absence of P-cadherin was observed in the fibroblast-like cells (CarB and CarC) and in spindle cell carcinomas. The introduction of an exogenous E-cadherin cDNA into HaCa4 cells, or reactivation of the endogenous E-cadherin gene, leads to a partial suppression of the tumorigenicity of this highly malignant cell line. These results suggest a role for E-cadherin in the progression to malignancy of mouse epidermal carcinogenesis. They also suggest that the loss of both E- and P-cadherin could be associated to the final stage of carcinogenesis, the development of spindle cell carcinomas.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

P29, an oestrogen receptor-associated protein, is down-regulated by mifepristone in first trimester human placenta and decidua.

P29 is an oestrogen receptor-associated protein which acts as a marker of oestrogen action in several systems. The concentration of P29 was measured in placenta and decidua from women following medical termination of pregnancy with the antiprogesterone steroid mifepristone (RU 38,486) and a prostaglandin E1 analogue, and compared with the concentration of P29 found in matched controls undergoing surgical aspiration of pregnancy. Oestrogen receptors were also measured in the same samples. Placental and decidual P29 concentrations (IU/mg protein) in patients treated with mifepristone were 9.6 (4.6-54) and 4.8 (1.3-13.3) (median and range), respectively. These values were significantly lower than the corresponding values, 39.5 (27-69) and 22.0 (2-107) in the surgical group. In contrast, the levels of oestrogen receptors did not change significantly in either decidua or placenta. These data show that mifepristone causes down-regulation of P29 in placenta and decidua, and therefore its action may disrupt oestrogen function in uterine tissues.

Abortion, Legal↗
PubMed1991

Differential regulation of Na/H antiporter by acid in renal epithelial cells and fibroblasts.

Increased Na/H antiporter activity has been demonstrated after in vivo chronic metabolic acidosis as well as in vitro acid preincubation of cultured rabbit renal tubule cells. To study the underlying molecular mechanisms of this adaptive increase in Na/H antiporter activity, the present studies examined the effect of low pH media on Na/H antiporter activity and mRNA abundance in cultured renal tubule cells. Na/H antiporter activity was increased by 60% in a mouse renal cortical tubule cell line (MCT), and by 90% in an opossum kidney cell line (OKP) after 24 h of preincubation in acid (low [HCO3]) media. The ethylisopropylamiloride sensitivity of the Na/H antiporters were different in these two cell lines (MCT IC50 = 65 nM; OKP IC50 = 4.5 microM). In MCT cells, Na/H antiporter mRNA abundance measured by RNA blots increased by two- to fivefold after 24 h in low [HCO3] media. Na/H antiporter mRNA abundance was also increased in MCT cells with high CO2 preincubation as well as in rat renal cortex with in vivo chronic acid feeding. In contrast to renal epithelia, acid preincubation of NIH 3T3 fibroblasts led to suppression of Na/H antiporter activity. RNA blots of 3T3 fibroblasts revealed the same size Na/H antiporter transcript as in MCT cells. However, Na/H antiporter mRNA levels were suppressed by acid preincubation. These studies demonstrate differential regulation of Na/H antiporter activity and mRNA abundance in renal epithelial cells and fibroblasts in response to an acidotic environment.

Acidosis↗
PubMed1991

[The spontaneous regression of a rhabdomyoma of the right ventricle].

Rhabdomyoma is the most common intracardiac tumor in the newborn. The diagnosis is made by the clinical history and the physical examination, the electrocardiogram, chest X-ray, and the echocardiographic data. It has a poor prognosis, 80% dying in the first year of life because congestive heart failure or sudden death. Rarely, spontaneous regression has been described. We present the case of a newborn diagnosed of tuberous sclerosis, with an echocardiographic image of a rhabdomyoma in the right ventricle with a spontaneous total regression of the tumor 2 years later.

Echocardiography↗
PubMed1990

Expression of estrogen receptors, progesterone receptors, and an estrogen receptor-associated protein in the human cervix during the menstrual cycle and menopause.

Estrogen receptors (ERs), progesterone receptors (PRs), and P29, an ER-associated protein, were studied immunohistochemically in human cervix with use of specific monoclonal antibodies. In ectocervical epithelium, homogeneous staining was found for P29 throughout the menstrual cycle and after menopause. Weak or moderate staining was found for ER in the basal and, occasionally, the parabasal layers of ectocervix during the proliferative phase. In contrast, staining decreased in secretory phase and postmenopausal epithelia. Staining was negative for PR in all the exocervical epithelia. Heterogeneous staining, more pronounced for P29, was found for the three antigens of the study in endocervical epithelium. Staining did not change with the hormonal status of patients, except for ER, where staining decreased during the secretory phase. Stromal cells were negative or weakly positive, whereas muscular fibers were positive. This study suggests that the capacity of response of the steroid apparatus of cervical cells to fluctuations of circulating estrogens and progestins is limited compared with some of the cell functions, such as mucus secretion, or with other target tissues, such as endometrium. Additionally, the differences found in the pattern of expression of the three antigens studied suggest that the steroid-dependent growth and differentiation in ectocervix is regulated differently to endocervix.

Biomarkers, Tumor↗
PubMed1990

[The development of a linear function for stratifying the risk of hospital mortality in acute myocardial infarct].

In spite of conventional treatment in a Coronary Unit, there is a group of patients with acute myocardial infarction who present a high mortality index. A more aggressive attitude (coronariography, angioplasty, and/or emergency coronary bypass) could improve the prognosis in some of these patients but can only be performed in a limited number of centers. In the present work, we have reviewed data obtained from the Emergency Room on 167 patients diagnosed of myocardial infarction. The variables that were correlated to mortality were: age, heart rate, blood pressure, presence of rales, radiologic heart failure cardiomegaly, ventricular extrasystoles in ECG and delay in arrival to hospital. We obtain a lineal function (z = 24.6 X1 - 0.4 X2 + 0.2 X3 + 11) which combining ventricular extrasystoles, diastolic arterial pressure, and heart rate permits to differentiate three risk groups: low, medium and high, associated to hospital mortality rates of 5.7, 36.4 and 83.3%. We suggest the use of a function of this type to select those patients who should be sent to a hospital with facilities for emergency coronary surgery.

Discriminant Analysis↗
PubMed1989

Spectroscopical studies on the structural organization of the lectin discoidin I: analysis of sugar- and calcium-binding activities.

One of the common characteristics observed in different families of sugar-binding proteins is the presence of aromatic residues in the proximity of the functional sugar-binding site (Quiocho, F. (1986) Annu. Rev. Biochem. 55, 287-315). This general property has made these proteins a very appropriate subject for studies using intrinsic fluorescence assays. In the present report we have studied the sugar binding activity of the lectin discoidin I, using a fluorescence-monitored titration assay. The galactose binding has been estimated, with an affinity constant of 1.8.10(-7) M-1 in the absence of calcium. In the presence of 1 mM Ca2+, the Kd of galactose binding is lowered to 2.7.10(-8) M-1. Calcium binding, by itself, seems to occur as two components with Kd values of 10(-7) and 10(-6) M-1. From these data, and sequence comparison of discoidin I with other lectins, a general model for ligand binding has been proposed in which a sequence from position 176 to 188, together with another region close to an apolar tryptophan residue, most probably Trp-50, would participate in the calcium- and sugar-binding site(s) of this protein.

Acetylgalactosamine↗
PubMed1989

[Enterococci: high level of resistance to aminoglycosides].

According to different authors, the emergence of enterococci with high-level aminoglycoside-resistance reaches values of 4.5-55%. The objective of this work is to determine the frequency of these strains in our hospital. We have studied 274 strains of enterococci isolated in our centre, of which 235 were E. faecalis and 39 E. faecium. Strains were obtained from haemocultures (75), urine cultures (100) and other samples (99). The detection of high-level resistance was performed on Mueller-Hinton agar, containing concentrations of 2,000 mg/l of streptomycin, kanamycin, gentamicin, tobramycin or amikacin. MICs and MBCs were determined for several antibiotics by microdilution. We detected the presence of high-level resistance to streptomycin, kanamycin, gentamicin, tobramycin and amikacin in 29.1%, 52.9%, 31.0%, 26.6%, and 1.8% respectively. The more active antibiotics against the strains with high-level resistance to gentamicin were: mezlocillin (MIC90 = 1.0 mg/l), piperacillin and vancomycin (MIC90 = 2.0 mg/l), and ampicillin and imipenem (MIC90 = 4.0 mg/l).

Aminoglycosides↗
PubMed1989

[The evaluation of the diagnostic usefulness of the clinical picture, electrocardiography and enzymes in the initial presentation of an acute myocardial infarct].

Medical data of 181 patients, affected by confirmed acute myocardial infarction, were reviewed to evaluate the initial clinical, electrographic and radiological data, and the first CPK test. Eleven patients went to the emergency department without chest pain (6.1%). The percentage of patients with oppressive chest pain was 73%, being of thoracic localization in 86.4%, 20%. Related to effort; 47.1% referred; and 92.9% of more than 30 mins. duration. 35.3% had normal blood pressure. Only 5 patients (2.8%) had normal EKG, the S-T segment elevation being the most frequent alteration (71.3%). 89.5% of patients had sinusal rhythms; 20.4% were bradycardic. 58.6% had normal levels of CPK at the first test. We concluded that EKG is the most important test in diagnosing acute myocardial infarction; it being very rarely normal. The clinical data are coadjuvant, while isolated initial CPK had not value.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

[Effect of nitrendipine in the treatment of mild or moderate essential arterial hypertension].

We studied 30 ambulatory patients with mild to moderate essential arterial hypertension, treated with the new calcium antagonist nitrendipine, during a follow-up period of six months and after a three week placebo period was completed. Nitrendipine initial dosage was 20 mg, given once daily in the morning. Normalization of blood pressure was achieved in every patient after three months of treatment, with a p less than 0.0001 since the first month and throughout the whole period. No concomitant changes in heart rate or vascular risk factors were observed. Eight patients needed their individual dosages to be doubled (40 mg) to achieve a complete normalization of their blood pressure values; four of them took the whole dosage once daily. We had to stop treatment in three patients because of significant worsening of previous symptoms. Although there was a 16.6% total incidence of secondary effects, the compliance was over 90%, which tells us about the relatively small importance of secondary effects observed. Flushing, which was present in five patients, was the most common secondary effect. Nitrendipine is an excellent antihypertensive drug, easy to use and responsible for a low number of disabling secondary effects, usually appearing in previously very symptomatic patients.

Drug Evaluation↗
PubMed1988

Developmental changes in the structural organization of the lectin discoidin I detected by limited proteolysis.

Digestion of discoidin I with several proteolytic enzymes reveals the existence of structural domains in this lectin. Significative differences have been detected in the pattern of fragments generated by V8 protease on discoidin I of various developmental situations. The changes observed can be related to the presence of various types of tetrameric structures in discoidin I. Together with the presence of different types of isoforms in vegetative vs. differentiated cells, the results presented here suggest the involvement of different structural organizations in discoidin I which can be related to the biological functions of this lectin.

Dictyostelium↗
PubMed1988

IR-Met and IR-Leu enkephalin content in the axolotl brain (Ambystoma mexicanum).

The peptides met- and leu-enkephalin were identified in the telencephalon, rombencephalon, diencephalon and hypophysis of Ambystoma mexicanum brain by radioimmunoassay procedure. The met-enkephalin was the predominant peptide present in the axolotl brain in contrast with leu-enkephalin, except in the hypophysis where the ratio MET/LEU was 2.2/l. The clear differences in the concentration between enkephalins through a submammalian brain species as Ambystoma genus and the possibility that leu-enkephalin is derived exclusively from a precursor like prodynorphin offers an excellent model for the opioids biosynthetic processes.

Ambystoma mexicanum↗
PubMed1988

Immunoradiometric studies with a monoclonal antibody against an estrogen-receptor-related protein in human breast cancer.

The concentration of P29, a phosphoprotein related to estradiol receptor (RE), was measured by an immunoradiometric assay in human breast cancer cytosol and the results compared with the levels of RE and progesterone receptors (RP), as measured by the classical ligand-binding assay. Good linear correlation was found between P29 and RE, but not RP. Tumors which were positive for both RE and RP had a higher P29 mean value than RE-negative, RP-negative tumors. Menopausal status of the patients influenced the result, since premenopausal women had lower mean concentrations or were P29-positive less frequently than postmenopausal women. RE-negative, RP-positive tumors tended to have positive P29 levels. The correlation between RE and P29 corroborates results obtained with other techniques and supports a role for P29 in predicting response to hormonal treatment.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
PubMed1988

Effect of exogenous and endogenous gonadotropin-releasing hormone on prolactin secretion in perimenopausal women.

Serum concentrations of PRL, LH and FSH were examined in 17 perimenopausal women with dysfunctional uterine bleeding (PDUB group), after stimulation with exogenous GnRH (a 100-micrograms i.v. bolus dose), and endogenous GnRH (as induced by an estrogen challenge test). Five normal cycling women during the follicular phase of the cycle were used as control (FP group). Exogenous GnRH induced increments in the concentration of PRL, FSH and LH in PDUB and FP women. Increases were statistically higher for FSH (p less than 0.001) and LH (p less than 0.01), but not for PRL, in the FP group. No significant correlation was found between LH-PRL or FSH-PRL in PDUB women. A positive correlation was found when the maximal LH percent change for each case was compared with the simultaneous PRL percent value (r = 0.83, p less than 0.001) during the estrogen test. We conclude that, as shown by previous studies in both hypogonadal and normal women, also in this perimenopausal model exogenous GnRH induces secretion of PRL, LH and FSH, and that a positive correlation exists between LH and PRL under the finely modulated stimulation of gonadotrophs by endogenous GnRH.

Adult↗