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Biomedical subjects

A Correa

Publications and source records attributed to A Correa.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1999

Prevention of neural-tube defects with folic acid in China. China-U.S. Collaborative Project for Neural Tube Defect Prevention.

BACKGROUND AND METHODS: Periconceptional administration of folic acid can reduce a woman's risk of having a fetus or infant with a neural-tube defect. As part of a public health campaign conducted from 1993 to 1995 in an area of China with high rates of neural-tube defects (the northern region) and one with low rates (the southern region), we evaluated the outcomes of pregnancy in women who were asked to take a pill containing 400 microg of folic acid alone daily from the time of their premarital examination until the end of their first trimester of pregnancy. RESULTS: Among the fetuses or infants of 130,142 women who took folic acid at any time before or during pregnancy and 117,689 women who had not taken folic acid, we identified 102 and 173, respectively, with neural-tube defects. Among the fetuses or infants of women who registered before their last menstrual period and who did not take any folic acid, the rates of neural-tube defects were 4.8 per 1000 pregnancies of at least 20 weeks' gestation in the northern region and 1.0 per 1000 in the southern region. Among the fetuses or infants of the women with periconceptional use of folic acid, the rates were 1.0 per 1000 in the northern region and 0.6 per 1000 in the southern region. The greatest reduction in risk occurred among the fetuses or infants of a subgroup of women in the northern region with periconceptional use who took folic acid pills more than 80 percent of the time (reduction in risk, 85 percent as compared with the fetuses or infants of women who registered before their last menstrual period and who took no folic acid; 95 percent confidence interval, 62 to 94 percent) [corrected]. In the southern region the reduction in risk among the fetuses or infants of women with periconceptional use of folic acid was also significant (reduction in risk, 41 percent; 95 percent confidence interval, 3 to 64 percent). CONCLUSIONS: Periconceptional intake of 400 microg of folic acid daily can reduce the risk of neural-tube defects in areas with high rates of these defects and in areas with low rates.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Evaluation of selected characteristics of pregnancy drug registries.

Given that half of U.S. pregnancies are unintended and some prescription drugs are frequently used by reproductive-age women, there is an increasing interest in establishing pregnancy registries to monitor fetal exposures and pregnancy outcomes. Physicians report prenatal exposures and pregnancy outcomes, including birth defects, to these registries. We compared pooled data from four pregnancy registries with data from a population-based birth defects surveillance system, the Metropolitan Atlanta Congenital Defects Program (MACDP); specifically we compared the defect prevalence by organ system and severity, the number of defects per baby, and timeliness. We also compared the number of zidovudine exposures identified by a registry to the number identified by 29 states with HIV surveillance. The registries' overall defect prevalence (41/1471, 2.7%) was slightly lower than MACDP (6157/195642, 3.2%). The defect prevalence by organ system was similar, except for genitourinary defects which had a lower prevalence in the registries than in MACDP (RR = 0.22; 95% CI = 0.07,0.67). The prevalence of having an internal defect or severe defect reported was lower in the registries (RR = 0.75, 95% CI = 0.53,1.06, and RR = 0.82, 95% CI = 0. 57,1.19, respectively). The mean number of defects identified per affected infant was 2.82 in MACDP and 1.68 in the registries. Both systems received 69% of defect reports by 6 months after birth. In similar 6-month periods, U.S. HIV surveillance identified 300 prenatal zidovudine exposures, while the registry received 134 worldwide reports. If registries improve their ascertainment of defects and exposed pregnancies, they will increase their chance of detecting signs of possible teratogenicity. Teratology 60:356-364, 1999. Published 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Case-Control Studies↗
PubMed1999

The relationship between health and human services and the personal goal-directed activities of persons living with AIDS.

This study evaluates the relationship between the social climate from different services and the personal goal-directed activities of 224 individuals with AIDS. The study's results supported the main hypothesis that "recipient" and "participatory" service involvement uniquely influence personal goal-directed activities, even after considering individuals with AIDS' physical symptoms, psychological distress, income, and recruitment site. Income and involvement with participatory services were both positively related to the amount of personal goal-directed activity. Longitudinal analyses suggest that personal initiative contributes to the subsequent amount of personal goal-directed activities a person pursues. These results suggest further examination of factors contributing to the selection of different service types and of the processes underlying the relationship between participatory services and positive outcomes for clients with AIDS.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1998

Patient choice in diabetes education curriculum. Nutritional versus standard content for type 2 diabetes.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effects of patient choice between two education curriculums that emphasized either the standard or nutritional management of type 2 diabetes on class attendance and other outcomes among a mostly Hispanic patient population. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: A total of 596 patients with type 2 diabetes were randomly assigned to either a choice or no choice condition. Patients in the choice condition were allowed to choose their curriculum, while patients in the no choice condition were randomly assigned to one of the two curriculums. Outcomes were assessed at baseline and at a 6-month follow-up. RESULTS: When given a choice, patients chose the nutrition curriculum almost four times more frequently than the standard curriculum. Contrary to our hypothesis, however, patients who had a choice did not significantly increase their attendance rates or demonstrate improvements in other diabetes outcomes compared with patients who were randomly assigned to the two curriculums. Patients in the nutrition curriculum had significantly lower serum cholesterol at a 6-month follow-up, whereas patients in the standard curriculum had significant improvements in glycemic control. Of the randomized patients, 30% never attended any classes; the most frequently cited reasons for nonattendance were socioeconomic. Hispanic patients, however, were just as likely as non-Hispanic patients to attend classes and participate at the follow-up. Patients who attended all five classes of either curriculum significantly increased their diabetes knowledge, gained less weight, and reported improved physical functioning compared with patients who did not attend any classes. CONCLUSIONS: Although providing patients with a choice in curriculums at the introductory level did not improve outcomes, differential improvements were noted between patients who attended curriculums with different content emphasis. We suggest that diabetes education programs should provide the opportunity for long-term, repetitive contacts to expand on the modest gains achieved at the introductory level, as well as provide more options to match individual needs and interests and to address socioeconomic barriers to participation.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

[Recent alcohol and drug consumption in victims of work related accidents].

BACKGROUND: Twenty to twenty two percent of work related accidents have a direct or indirect relationship with recent alcohol use. AIM: To detect recent alcohol or drug use in patients who required hospitalization for severe work related accidents. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Blood and urine samples were obtained from patients admitted to a hospital within 6 hours of an accident severe enough to require hospitalization. Blood alcohol and urinary metabolites of cocaine, marijuana, amphetamines and benzodiazepines were measured. Patient identity was kept confidential throughout the study. Once patients were stabilized, they were interviewed by a psychologist that was blind to laboratory results. RESULTS: Two hundred thirty men and 18 women were studied and 29% (30% of men and 17% of women) had recent use of alcohol or drugs. The most common substances were alcohol in 15% and benzodiazepines in 13%. Use of alcohol or drugs was found in 21% of professionals, in 33% of other occupational levels, half of agricultural workers and 25% of commerce workers. Only two of 60 positive cases, admitted substance use during the interview. Most of negative cases admitted the use of alcohol or other drugs during the month prior to the accident. CONCLUSIONS: Recent use of alcohol and drugs is frequent among severe work related accident victims. Probably, a high proportion of these subjects are problem drinkers. The combination of alcohol and benzodiazepines is an additional risk factor.

Accidents, Occupational↗
PubMed1996

Ethylene glycol ethers and risks of spontaneous abortion and subfertility.

Potential reproductive effects from occupational exposures to ethylene glycol ethers (EGE) are of concern since these organic solvents have been used widely in industry, and their reproductive toxicity has been well documented in animal studies. For determination of whether occupational exposure to EGE was associated with increased risks of spontaneous abortion and subfertility (i.e., taking more than 1 year of unprotected intercourse to conceive), a retrospective cohort study was conducted among workers at two semiconductor manufacturing plants in the eastern United States in 1980-1989 as part of a larger evaluation of reproductive health. Reproductive and occupational histories were obtained from interviews of semiconductor manufacturing workers and spouses. Assessment of potential exposure to mixtures containing EGE (none, low, medium, and high) was based on reported processes and company records. There were 1,150 pregnancies to semiconductor manufacturers, 561 to female employees and 589 to wives of male employees. Among female manufacturers, potential exposure to mixtures containing EGE was associated with increased risks of spontaneous abortion (relative risk in the high exposure group = 2.8; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.4-5.6) and subfertility (odds ratio in the high exposure group = 4.6; 95% CI 1.6-13.3). Both of these risks exhibited a dose-response relation with potential EGE exposure (p for trend = 0.02). Among spouses of male manufacturers potentially exposed to mixtures containing EGE, there was no increased risk of spontaneous abortion, but there was a nonsignificant increased risk of subfertility (odds ratio in the high exposure group = 1.7; 95% CI 0.7-4.3).

Abortion, Spontaneous↗
PubMed1996

Effects of in vivo treatments of nicotine and benzo[a]pyrene on the epidermal growth factor receptor in hamster buccal pouch.

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of two major ingredients in cigarette smoke, benzo-alpha-pyrene (BP) and nicotine (Nic), on epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor in hamster buccal pouch. Adult male Syrian hamsters were treated by apically swabbing the buccal pouch with mineral oil (Control), 0.5 microgram/ml of BP, Nic or BP+Nic in mineral oil, twice a day, 5 days a week for 4 weeks. The BP+Nic treatment resulted in a significant reduction of submandibular gland (SG) EGF (Control vs. BP+Nic, 6.93 +/- 1.31 vs. 4.77 +/- 0.26* ng/g wet tissue, mean +/- S.D., n=5,*P < 0.05). Treatment with BP or Nic also caused a reduction, although not statistically significant, of EGF in SG extract. For the receptor study, all treatments significantly increased [125I]EGF binding to membrane preparations of buccal pouch as compared to Control (Control, BP, Nic, BP+Nic; 12.2 +/- 0.9, 20.5 +/- 2.2*, 17.0 +/- 1.3*, 21.2 +/= 1.6* fmol/mg prot. (mean +/- S.E.M.), n=5, P < 0.05). Scatchard analysis revealed that the higher EGF binding to the BP+Nic-treated sample was due to the higher number of receptors, but not higher affinity. Data from protein kinase study indicate that EGF stimulated phosphorylation of 170- and 150-kDa proteins in buccal membrane preparations. Treatment of BP+Nic resulted in reductions in EGF-stimulated phosphorylation of 170- and 150-kDa proteins by 19 and 72%, respectively. The present study has established an animal model which will benefit investigation of the mechanism by which tobacco alters the EGF receptor in oral buccal mucosa.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

ZD0870 treatment of murine candidiasis caused by fluconazole resistant isolates of Candida albicans.

Mice were infected intravenously with three fluconazole susceptible and ten fluconazole resistant isolates of Candida albicans then treated with escalating doses of 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2.5, 10 and 40 mg/kg/day of the new antifungal triazole, ZD0870, for 10 days. A minimum protective dose of < 0.25 mg/kg was determined for infections introduced by the three fluconazole susceptible C. albicans and one of the fluconazole resistant isolates whereas doses ranging from 2.5 to 10 mg/kg/day were required for infections induced by seven of the resistant isolates and > or = 40 mg/kg/day for the remainder. Thus, infections caused by fluconazole resistant C. albicans may be successfully treated with ZD0870, though higher doses than those used to treat infections due to susceptible yeast may be required.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Wood-burning stoves and lower respiratory illnesses in Navajo children.

BACKGROUND: Acute lower respiratory illnesses (ALRI) have been associated with exposure to domestic smoke. To examine further this association, a case-control study was conducted among Navajo children seen at the Public Health Service Indian Hospital at Fort Defiance, AZ. METHODS: Cases, children hospitalized with an ALRI (n = 45), were ascertained from the inpatient logs during October, 1992, through March, 1993. Controls, children who had a health record at the same hospital and had never been hospitalized for ALRI, were matched 1:1 to cases on date of birth and gender. Home interviews of parents of subjects during March and April, 1993, elicited information on heating and cooking fuels and other household characteristics. Indoor air samples were collected for determination of time-weighted average concentrations of respirable particles (i.e. < 10 microns in diameter). RESULTS: Age of cases at the time of admission ranged from 1 to 24 months (median, 7 months); 60% of the cases were male. Matched pair analysis revealed an increased risk of ALRI for children living in households that cooked with any wood (odds ratio (OR), 5.0; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.6 to 42.8), had indoor air concentrations of respirable particles > or = 65 micrograms/m3 (i.e. 90th percentile) (OR 7.0, 95% CI 0.9 to 56.9), and where the primary caretaker was other than the mother (OR 9, 95% CI 1.1 to 71.4). Individual adjustment for potential confounders resulted in minor change (i.e. < 20%) in these results. Indoor air concentration of respirable particles was positively correlated with cooking and heating with wood (P < 0.02) but not with other sources of combustion emissions. CONCLUSIONS: Cooking with wood-burning stoves was associated with higher indoor air concentrations of respirable particles and with an increased risk of ALRI in Navajo children.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1995

Comparison of fluconazole, amphotericin B and flucytosine in treatment of a murine model of disseminated infection with Candida glabrata in immunocompromised mice.

Candida glabrata is an emerging opportunist pathogen in immunosuppressed patients. C. glabrata is resistant to many antifungal agents and until recently, there have been no standard treatment regimens for this organism. A mouse model was established using mice immunosuppressed with 5 fluorouracil to evaluate amphotericin B, flucytosine, fluconazole and their combinations to treat an intravenously induced C. glabrata infection. Treatment with fluconazole, flucytosine, amphotericin B or a combination was begun one day after infection. Following 5 days of treatment, the mice were killed for fungal counts in kidneys and spleen. At the doses used, amphotericin B was superior to fluconazole or flucytosine alone in the treatment of C. glabrata infections. Flucytosine reduced the fungal burden in the kidney for only two of four isolates of C. glabrata. The combination of fluconazole and flucytosine was superior to these agents alone in reducing the tissue burden in the kidney for one isolate of C. glabrata. High doses of fluconazole alone produced modest reductions in kidney counts but did not reduce spleen tissue counts. There was poor correlation between in-vitro MICs and in-vivo results.

Amphotericin B↗
PubMed1995

Fluconazole treatment of Candida albicans infection in mice: does in vitro susceptibility predict in vivo response?

A series of fluconazole-susceptible and-fluconazole resistant Candida albicans fungal isolates were used to infect mice intravenously. Mice were treated with varying doses of fluconazole beginning one day after infection. For all of the 6 fluconazole-susceptible isolates, fluconazole was highly effective at <0.25 mg/kg of body weight twice daily. By contrast, fluconazole was less effective in at least 6 of 10 fluconazole-resistant isolates and was ineffective at > or = 40 mg/kg twice daily in 4 fluconazole-resistant isolates. Although the correlation is not precise, in vitro susceptibility testing of C. albicans can predict in vivo response to fluconazole.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Biochemical characterization of epidermal growth-factor receptor in Syrian hamster buccal pouch.

Binding of [125I]-epidermal growth factor (EGF) to the membrane of the adult hamster buccal pouch was specific and protein concentration dependent, and was significantly higher than that of rat buccal tissue (hamster versus rat; 12.1 +/- 0.9 versus 9.77 +/- 0.22 fmol/mg protein, mean +/- SD, n = 5, p < 0.01). The higher binding was due to a higher receptor number (Bmax). Western blot analysis using anti-EGF receptor antibody revealed four immunoreactive protein bands of 170, 150, 116 and 55 kDa in hamster buccal membrane preparations. In a separate experiment, the EGF concentration in the phosphate-buffered saline extract of the hamster submandibular gland was determined by radioimmunoassay; the level was significantly much lower (p < 0.01) than that of rat or mouse (hamster, rat, mouse; 24.2 +/- 2.6, 123 +/- 17, 5950 +/- 171 ng/g wet tissue; mean +/- SD, n = 3). The findings suggest that hamster buccal pouch is particularly well suited to the study of the biological functions of oral EGF receptor.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Effects of benzo(a)pyrene and nicotine on prostaglandin synthesis in buccal pouch and submandibular glands of the Syrian hamster.

Adult male Syrian hamsters were treated by swabbing the apex of the buccal pouch with corn oil (control, C), 1 mM benzo(a)pyrene (BP), nicotine (NC), or BP+NC in corn oil, twice daily, 5 days a week. After a 4-week treatment, the pouches and submandibular glands were dissected and used for the determination of endogenous prostaglandin (PG) production and studies on in vitro PG synthesis. Of the three PGs analysed (PGE2, PGF2 alpha and 6-keto-PGF1 alpha), PGE2 was predominant in the pouch and the glands. BP or NC alone had only a weak effect on PG synthesis in both tissues. However, the combination of BP and NC had a synergistic effect, causing diminished PG synthesis in both tissues. In buccal pouch, BP+NC significantly decreased the concentrations of endogenous PGE2 and PGF2 alpha (PGE2: 0.669 +/- 0.254 versus 1.698 +/- 0.460, PGF2 alpha: 0.273 +/- 0.090 versus 0.625 +/- 0.272 ng/g tissue; BP+NC versus C; mean +/- SD, n = 5, p < 0.05). Similarly significant results were also found for in vitro PG synthesis (PGE2: 0.541 +/- 0.249 versus 1.399 +/- 0.340, PGF2 alpha: 1.045 +/- 0.428 versus 2.133 +/- 0.510 ng/g tissue; BP+NC versus C; mean +/- SD, n = 5, p < 0.05). In submandibular glands, BP+NC significantly diminished the concentration of endogenous PGE2 (1.183 +/- 0.175 versus 2.379 +/- 0.488 ng/g tissue; BP+NC versus C; mean +/- SD, n = 5, p < 0.05). The synthesis of 6-keto-PGF1 alpha in both tissues, and the synthesis of PGF2 alpha in submandibular gland, were slightly decreased with all treatments.

6-Ketoprostaglandin F1 alpha↗
PubMed1993

Expression of prostaglandin E2 receptor in hamster buccal pouch: effect of benzo (a) pyrene and nicotine.

Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) plays an important role in the maintenance of oral mucosal integrity. In this study, we characterized PGE2 receptor binding in the buccal mucosa of Syrian hamster and assessed the effect of nicotine (NC) and benzo (a) pyrene (BP), the two major ingredients in cigarette smoke, on this receptor. Adult male animals were treated for 4 weeks by apical swabbing of the buccal pouch with corn oil (control, C), 1 mM NC, BP, or NC + BP in corn oil, twice a day, 5 days a week. The results obtained with the untreated group revealed the presence of a specific PGE2 receptor consisting of two binding sites (high affinity with Kd = 1.52 nM and Bmax = 37 fmol/mg protein and low affinity with Kd = 813 nM and Bmax = 1.29 pmol/mg protein). The treatment with NC, BP, and NC + BP caused a significant decrease in PGE2 receptor binding (specific binding: 10.20 +/- 0.42, 6.84 +/- 1.32**, 6.58 +/- 0.67** and 5.88 +/- 1.03** fmol/mg protein; C, NC, BP, and NC+BP, respectively; Mean +/- SD, n = 5, **p < 0.01). The data suggest that decreased receptor binding for PGE2 in the buccal mucosa may be the cause for the adverse effect of cigarette smoke on the health of oral mucosa.

6-Ketoprostaglandin F1 alpha↗
PubMed1993

Unilateral microtia reconstruction: is the position symmetrical?

A method of analyzing the head position of the reconstructed unilateral microtic ear relative to the normal side was developed and applied in the assessment of 78 microtic ear reconstructions. Two groups of patients were assessed. Group I included 58 unilateral microtia patients, some with no clinical evidence of lateral facial dysplasia and others with mild to moderate lateral facial dysplasia, as judged by three experienced clinical observers. Group II included 20 unilateral microtia patients with severe lateral facial dysplasia involvement. Of special interest was evidence of lateral facial dysplasia in 88 percent of the patients reviewed. A reproducible technique was developed to assess the position of the reconstructed ear. Three slides showing the normal ear, reconstructed ear, and anteroposterior views of each patient were projected onto a centimeter grid to provide life-size (5-cm) proportions. The normal side served as the control. Length, angulation, and height were compared between normal and reconstructed ears by using a clear film rhomboid pattern designed by choosing specific reproducible landmarks. In group I, the reconstructed ear was of acceptable length and angulation in 91 and 95 percent of the patients, respectively, and of proper height in 88 percent. The corresponding values in group II were 90, 95, and 90 percent. Efforts should be made at the time of original surgery to ensure that the reconstructed ear is not only aesthetically pleasing but also positioned correctly. The technique used by us is one example of an attempt to evaluate the resultant ear position in microtia reconstruction.

Ear, External↗
PubMed1990

Modified behavioral and olfactory bulb responses to maternal odors in preweanling rats.

Rat pups acquire an attraction for maternal odors, which can vary with maternal diet. In the two experiments reported here, maternal diet was modified and both pup behavioral responses and pup olfactory bulb neural responses [( 14C]2-DG uptake) to maternal odors were examined. In experiment 1, pups were reared from birth to postnatal day 19 with either a dam fed normal rat chow or a dam fed a sucrose-based diet which suppressed her normal maternal odor. In experiment 2, pups were raised from birth to postnatal day 19 with either a dam fed the sucrose-based diet adulterated with peppermint, or the non-scented sucrose-based diet. Pups selectively expressed both a behavioral attraction and an enhanced olfactory bulb neural response to odors that they experienced in the nest.

Action Potentials↗