Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

A Fraga

Publications and source records attributed to A Fraga.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Herbal therapies in rheumatology: the persistence of ancient medical practices.

OBJECTIVE: To determine how frequently herbal remedies are employed as alternative therapies in rheumatic diseases, and the historical justification for their use. METHODS: We conducted a survey in 250 outpatients in the rheumatology clinic of a teaching hospital in México. We registered general demographic information and the previous use of herbal remedies for rheumatic conditions, how effective they were, and the presence of adverse effects during their use. We identified the herbs employed, and cross-checked them with medical texts from the 16th through the 18th centuries on the use of herbal remedies. RESULTS: Of 250 surveyed patients, 126 (51%) had used herbal remedies for their rheumatic conditions. 63% of all users reported them to be effective for the purpose they had been prescribed. 12% reported adverse effects, none of them life-threatening. Being a user had no relation with the patients' formal education. Three patients did not answer the survey. We were able to identify 67 plants. One third of these are either prescribed for rheumatic conditions in the consulted bibliography, or else were used for the same purpose by ancient Mexican cultures. CONCLUSION: Herbal remedies are frequently used for rheumatic conditions. Some of them have an historical antecedent for their use in rheumatic conditions. They deserve a cautious evaluation as adjunctive therapies in rheumatic diseases.

Culture↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Polyarteritis nodosa with renal agenesis and immunosuppressive treatment].

A case of a 44 years old man with the unique combination of polyarteritis nodosa (PAN) and the congenital absence of a kidney is presented. The clinical picture consisted of fever, general symptoms, hypertermia, peripheric neuropathy, subcutaneous nodules and renal damage. Laboratory findings included increased WBC, telescoped urinary sediment, renal insufficiency, positive rheumatoid factor, policlonal gammopathy and positive Australia antigen. A review of the pertinent literature and the etiopathogenic role of Australia antigen in PAN is discussed. Efficacy of immunosuppressive therapy was evident in this case.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Takayasu arteritis associated with heart valve diseases (pulmonary and aortic) and arteritis (coronary and renal)].

The most severe arteritis due to Takayasu's disease are those related to renal and coronary arteries. The first one because it produces severe arterial hypertension and the second one because it puts the patient in high risk of suffering either myocardial ischemia or infarction. These situations worsen when this entity is associated to valvular heart lesions. The authors present the clinical cases of two female patients with Takayasu's disease. One of them in acute phase of the illness, where coronary arteritis, mild coarctation of the aorta, right pulmonary artery stenosis, and pulmonary valve stenosis were present. The second patient was seen during the remission phase of the disease with obstruction of the left subclavicular artery, renal arteritis, severe arterial hypertension and aortic valve insufficiency. The authors discuss the prognosis of patients with Takayasu's disease associated to valvular heart disease and its role in the etiology of pulmonary valvular stenosis. Finally, the authors point out the importance of recognizing the active and non active phases of the Takayasu's disease in relation of the adequate stage for surgical treatment of the lesions caused by this disease.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[The heart and rheumatoid arthritis. Prospective study of 100 cases].

We studied one hundred consecutive patients with rheumatoid arthritis from the cardiological point of view through non invasive methods to detect the frequency of cardiovascular complications. Seventy three (73%) were females and twenty seven (27%) males. Mean age, 48.6 years. Mean age of presentation of the disease, 34.2 years. Mean age of duration of the illness, 21.8 years. Fifty seven per cent had some type of cardiopulmonary complication. Clinically 52 per cent referred some type of cardiopulmonary symptoms. The physical examination was abnormal in 27 per cent. Rheumatoid factor (Waaler-Rose) was positive in 82 per cent. The cardiac X ray series was abnormal in 33 per cent, the resting electrocardiogram in 48 per cent and the M mode echocardiogram in 52 per cent of the cases. The complications detected were: pericardial effusion (21%); pleural effusion (9%); pulmonary fibrosis (6%) which represents a higher incidence of previously reported in the literature; congestive heart failure (10%); valvular lesion (9%) among those are included six patients with valvular heart disease of non detectable etiology; ischemic heart disease (8%); myocarditis (6%); rythm disturbances (22%) and conduction defects (20%) including a 46 year old female patient who developed a complete AV block during an exacerbation of her illness, requiring the insertion of definitive pacemaker. Our results showed that some of the detected lesions are in part more frequent and severe than those reported in the literature, probably due to, that on one hand their search was intentional and on the other, our group was constituted by with severe and long standing rheumatoid arthritis.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Serum factors inhibiting cellular immunity in systemic lupus erythematosus].

Forty three patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) were divided into three groups, inactive, active without treatment and active on treatment with steroids. T lymphocytes from peripheral blood were determined and the results compared with those of twenty five normal individuals. In further experiments, the mitogenic capacity of SLE lymphocytes to Con A and the serum's activity of these patients upon normal lymphocytes were analized. Decreased T lymphocytes were found in all groups of patients with SLE. There were no difference between the mitogenic response of SLE patients and controls when the lymphocytes were incubated with normal human AB serum. When normal lymphocytes were incubated with serum from SLE patients with active disease, and inhibition of mitogenic response to Con A was observed. These results suggests that the decrease cellular immunity observed in SLE is due to serum factors rather than to intrinsic T cell abnormality.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Systemic lupus erythematosus in pediatrics].

Herein we present our experience with 16 children in whom the diagnosis of SLE was established between May 1974 and April 1978. In eleven of them renal biopsy was performed. Five had family history of immunologic disease. Only one patient had history of anticonvulsant drug intake. The clinical picture resembles adult SLE, where the most frequent symptoms were arthritis, fever and dermatosis. Three patients showed focal proliferative glomerulonephritis; another 3, increased mesangial cellularity; 3 more presented diffuse proliferative glomerulonephritis and another one had membranous glomerulonephritis. LE cells, antinuclear antibodies, anti-DNA were present in various combinations in all patients. Treatment with an average dose of 22.8 mg/day of prednisone, plus immunosuppressive therapy in 9 patients, has allowed a 36 months survival in 13 patients. Progressive renal involvement and tuberculosis were the cause of death in 3 cases. Our results are compared with those in the literature.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Immunofluorescent skin band test in the differential diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus.

Forty-four uninvolved skin biopsies from lupus patients and 43 with various connective tissue diseases and nephritides other than lupus were tested for the presence of immunoglobulin deposition in the dermal-epidermal junction. Results were examined to determine their relationship to renal and clinical activity. Lupus band test (LBT) was positive in 30 (60%) SLE patients regardless of renal or clinical status. DNA-binding (p less than 0.01) and ANA (p less than 0.002) correlated to LBT. None of the other nephritides and only 2 with other connective tissue diseases were positive. LBT is a good aid in the differential diagnosis of SLE regardless of clinical or renal activity.

Adolescent↗