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Biomedical subjects

A Figueroa

Publications and source records attributed to A Figueroa.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1980

Is tricuspid valve repair necessary?

In an attempt to clarify the indications for tricuspid valve operations, we studied 150 patients who had preoperative and postoperative full catheterization including biventriculography. Seventy-eight patients had organic and 72 had functional tricuspid insufficiency (TI). One hundred nineteen underwent tricuspid repair (46 commissurotomies and 115 annulopasties), and in 31 the tricuspid disease was surgically ignored. Ninety seven percent of all patients with hemodynamically correct left-side repair were in Class I or II, regardless of the state of the tricuspid valve. Repair of lesions on the left side determined the postoperative cardiac index. In the "repaired group," 38% had residual gradients and 30% residual TI. Eighty percent of patients with low postoperative pulmonary resistance had no TI, compared with 53% with high pulmonary resistance. In the "ignored group," all 14 patients with organic disease had residual TI, as did nine of 17 with functional disease but with elevated pulmonary resistance. The right ventricular end-diastolic volume (RVEDV) decreased 37% in the "repaired" (p < 0.001) and 36% in the "ignored" group (p < 0.01) if tricuspid competence was achieved, but remained high if TI persisted. Because of these data, which emphasize the need for an early and correct repair of the left-side lesions, we believe that (1) functional TI can be ignored only in patients with predictable and significant reduction in pulmonary resistance and (2) organic disease must be repaired.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Comparison of different ligand densities for the manufacture of CB Hep-1 immunosorbents.

Different ligand densities of monoclonal antibody (Mab) CB.Hep-1 were studied during covalent coupling on Sepharose CL-4B for recombinant hepatitis B surface antigen (rHBsAg) immunoaffinity purification. Ligand densities of 2.2, 3.2, 4.2 and 5.2 mg Mab/ml immunosorbents, respectively, were assayed during five cycles of immunoaffinity chromatography (IAC). Adsorption capacities averaged either 3.2 mg/ml (0.57 mg rHBsAg/ml immunosorbent/5.42 mg of total purified protein) or 5.2 mg/ml (0.56 mg rHBsAg/ml immunosorbent/5.05 mg total purified protein). Immunosorbents showed ligand leakage levels below 3 ng Mab/microg rHBsAg. Antigen purity was higher than 95% in all cases. The results suggest that a ligand density (LD) of 3.2 mg Mab/ml immunosorbent should be used for immunoaffinity chromatography because no significant differences were found in the ligand densities studied (P-value=0.012), which saves 40% of CB.Hep-1 immunosorbent manufacturing cost in comparison with 5 mg Mab/ml immunosorbent, which is currently used in large-scale production.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Intrahospital septicemia due to Acinetobacter calcoaceticus var. anitratus in a neonatal intensive care unit].

Twenty-one cases of sepsis by Acinetobacter calcoaceticus biovar anitratus occurred, ten in 1989 and eleven in 1990 (January-April). In this last year, there were nine cases with characteristics of an epidemic outbreak. It was noted that sepsis was predominant in males, babies of less than 2,500 g and less than 37 weeks of gestation. They were hospitalized in our Intensive Care Unit for different problems, but almost all had mechanical ventilation, parenteral nutrition and received antibiotics previously, being these risk factors the most important. Clinical and laboratory features were not different from sepsis produced by other microorganisms. It is important to remark the increased frequency of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus biovar anitratus as a nosocomial agent, but also his greater aggressivity and antibiotic resistance, all factors that produced an elevated mortality, eight of eleven cases. Finally, due to the adoption of several measures the epidemic outbreak was stopped.

Acinetobacter Infections↗