Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

A Herrera

Publications and source records attributed to A Herrera.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2002

Marchetti nailing with decortication and bone graft in non-unions of the two upper thirds of the humerus.

METHOD: Twelve patients with humeral shaft non-unions were treated using a Marchetti-Vicenzi nailing. The fractures site was decorticated and bone graft added. RESULTS: Fracture healing was obtained in all cases. The mean healing time was 4.7 months. The range of motion of the shoulder was excellent in nine patients, moderate in two and poor in one. The elbow had an excellent range of motion in ten patients, moderate in one and poor in one. The functional result was excellent in nine patients, good in two, and fair in one. CONCLUSION: Marchetti-Vicenzi nailing with bone grafting appears to be a good method for the treatment of humeral shaft non-unions. It is technically easy and its results are satisfactory.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Abdominal hernia through a defect in the iliac bone after resection of a chondrosarcoma of the pelvis.

Chondrosarcoma is a malignant tumor with, generally, a better prognosis than osteogenic sarcoma; it usually calls for surgical treatment with a wide margin of resection, in view of its marked resistance to chemo- and radiotherapy, but this may be difficult or impossible in one of its most frequent locations, i.e. the pelvis. Herniation of abdominal contents through a surgical defect in the iliac bone is a rare complication, and is almost always associated with bone graft harvesting from the iliac crest. We present the case of a male patient operated for a chondrosarcoma of the ilium, with wide resection of the tumor. During follow-up in the outpatient department, the existence of a hernia with intestinal contents through the defect created in the ilium was noted. The patient has now been followed for 10 years, and there have been no clinical repercussions of the hernia. No recurrence of the tumoral lesion has been observed. We review the cases published and discuss the treatments recommended.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Comparison of five retrovirus vectors containing the human IL-2 receptor gamma chain gene for their ability to restore T and B lymphocytes in the X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency mouse model.

X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency (XSCID) is caused by mutations in the IL-2 receptor gamma chain (IL2RG) gene, resulting in absent T lymphocytes and nonfunctional B lymphocytes. Recently T lymphocyte production and B lymphocyte function were restored in XSCID patients infused with autologous stem cells transduced with a retrovirus containing the human IL2RG cDNA. To optimize the expression of human IL2RG for future clinical trials, we compared five retroviral vectors expressing human IL2RG from different LTR enhancer-promoter elements in a mouse model. Northern and Southern blot analysis of hematopoietic tissues from repopulated mice revealed that the retroviral vector with the highest expression per copy number was MFG-S-hIL2RG, followed by MND-hIL2RG. All five vectors were capable of restoring lymphopoiesis in irradiated XSCID mice transplanted with transduced IL2RG-deficient hematopoietic stem cells. Transduction of IL2RG-deficient hematopoietic stem cells with all five vectors restored T lymphopoiesis in transplanted stem cell-deficient W/W(v) mouse recipients. However, only XSCID stem cells transduced with the MFG-S-hIL2RG vector generated B lymphocytes in W/W(v) mice. We conclude that the MFG-S-hIL2RG vector provides the best opportunity for in vivo selection and development of B and T lymphocytes for human XSCID gene therapy.

3T3 Cells↗
PubMed2001

Trochanteric fractures treated with a proximal femoral nail.

We followed prospectively 295 patients with trochanteric fractures treated with the proximal femoral nail. The average age of the patients was 80 years and three out of four were female. The most frequent fracture type was A2 (59%). Clinical and radiographic controls were performed at 1, 3 and 6 months. There were technical complications during the operation in 12% of the cases, complications in the immediate postoperative period in 27% and late complications were detected in 4% of patients. Previous walking ability was recovered by 71%. The surgical technique is not complex, the number of complications recorded was acceptable and the overall results obtained are comparable with other fracture systems.

Age Factors↗
PubMed2001

Hydatidosis of the pelvis and hip.

We report eight cases of osseous hydatidosis involving the pelvis and hip. All patients were treated by curettage and albendazole therapy. In three cases, in which only the ilium was involved, the outcome was satisfactory. The remaining patients required several debridement procedures in combination with chemotherapy and two developed chronic lesions. We conclude that treatment for this condition is difficult and when the osseous involvement is extensive the prognosis is poor.

Aged↗
PubMed2001

Changes in the morphology of hip fractures within a 10-year period.

The objective of this study was to find out whether the morphology of various types of hip fractures and the mean ages of the patients had changed in a recent 10-year period. All patients aged 65 years or more with acute hip fracture admitted to Miguel Servet University Hospital in 1989-1990 (n = 457) and in 1999-2000 (n = 518) were studied. The results showed a significant increase in the incidence of displaced cervical fractures (P < 0.001) and a decrease in the incidence of nondisplaced cervical fractures (P < 0.001) in women. The incidence of different types of trochanteric fractures did not vary. No change was observed in the mean age of patients with cervical fractures, but the mean age of women with A12 trochanteric fractures was significantly higher in 1999-2000 than in 1989-1990 (P < 0.05).

Age Factors↗
PubMed2001

Treatment of humeral shaft nonunion by external fixation: a valuable option.

We report the treatment of six patients with nonunion of the humerus, using a unilateral fixator and bone grafting. Union was obtained in all patients, with an average time to union of 4.5 months. Superficial pin tract infection was seen in five patients, but resolved uneventfully. One patient had transient radial nerve palsy. The results, according to the Stewart and Hundley criteria, were excellent in one patient, good in three, fair in one, and poor in one. The main cause of the fair and poor results was marked limitation of shoulder and elbow motion. This method, however, seems to be therapeutically effective.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Erosive pustular dermatosis of the scalp after skin grafting.

Erosive pustular dermatosis of the scalp is a rare condition of unknown etiology that usually occurs in the elderly and is characterized by pustules that appear on the scalp leading to scarring alopecia. The histopathology is not specific. Its onset has been related with previous trauma on the scalp. Only three cases after skin grafting have been reported. We describe a case of erosive pustular dermatosis of the scalp appearing on a split-thickness skin graft placed after excision of a basal cell carcinoma.

Basal Cell Carcinoma↗
PubMed2001

C282Y and H63D mutations of the haemochromatosis gene in patients with iron overload.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the relevance of C282Y and H63D mutations of HEF gene in patients with iron overload. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with iron overload referred to our Liver Unit were included in the study. The association of mutations to different diagnosis and their impact on the severity of the hepatopathy were explored. Sensitivity, specificity and positive and negative predictive values of mutations for the diagnosis of haemochromatosis were determined. RESULTS: The study included 78 patients with iron overload. The control group included 21 patients of similar age and sex ratio without iron overload nor hepatopathy. Twenty three patients had haemochromatosis, 22 alcoholic liver disease and 33 other diseases unrelated to iron metabolism. Seventy three per cent of patients with haemochromatosis were homozygous for the C282Y mutation. All the C282Y homozygous subjects had also haemochromatosis. Fifty three per cent of patients with alcoholic hepatopathy had some kind of mutation. This has been also observed in 70% of patients with iron-unrelated diseases. Such percentage was significantly greater than in the control group (24% with H63D mutation). C282Y homozygosity in patients with iron overload had a sensitivity of 73.9%, a specificity of 100%, a positive predictive value of 100% and a negative predictive value of 89.6%. CONCLUSIONS: In our population, as in all the Western countries, haemochromatosis is mainly associated to homozygous C282Y mutation. The high frequency of mutations in patients with iron overload and without haemochromatosis suggests the involvement of such mutations in iron overload.

Female↗
PubMed2001

[Behcet's disease: retrospective study].

BACKGROUND: Since the criteria for the diagnosis of Behçet's disease was established several isolated cases have been reported to the literature with clinical manifestations associated. We tried to analyze the clinical parameters associated to this disease in 24 patients in our hospital. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was made of the patients diagnosed of Behçet's disease at Hospital General of Valencia since 1990 to 2000. The diagnosis of Behçet's disease was made by the criteria of the International Study Group for Behçet disease. Data regarding personal, clinical manifestations and clinical course were collected. RESULTS: Of the 24 cases, fourteen (58%) were men and ten (42%) were women. The median of the diagnosed was 33 years. All of them had oral recidivant ulcers. The genital ulcers appeared in twenty (83%) cases. Thirteen cases (54%) had ocular manifestations, and the skin lesions appear in 10 cases (42%). We review other clinical manifestations associated to Behçet disease: articular clinical appear in 17 cases (70%), digestive manifestations in six cases (25%), neurological manifestations three cases (12%), vascular clinical two cases (8%). CONCLUSIONS: Our results are similar to the Mediterranean expression of Behçet's disease. We must study the clinical manifestations associated to this disease that are not include in the criteria of diagnosis.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Smoking-related attitudes, characteristics, and opinions in a group of young men with asthma.

UNLABELLED: The objective of this study was to examine the attitudes, characteristics, and opinions about smoking of a group of young asthmatic men. POPULATION AND METHODS: An anonymous, personal questionnaire was administered to 611 young male volunteers who had been diagnosed with asthma (according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute/World Health Organization Global Initiative for Asthma, 1995) in the respiratory disease and allergy clinics of the Burgos Military Hospital (Spain). This questionnaire contained items related to personal information, asthma characteristics, opinions about smoking, and information related to smoking habits. RESULTS: Six hundred patients with asthma completed the questionnaire. All were men, mean age 20.16 +/- 3.03 years; 189 (31.5%) were smokers and 16 (2.5%) were ex-smokers. Mean age at onset of regular smoking was 16.46 +/- 2 years. Sixty-five percent (65.07%) smoked fewer than 10 cigarettes per day. Most of the smoking asthmatics had mild asthma (58.9%). Eighty-eight percent (88.3%) had moderate dependence. Many of the smoking asthmatics were contemplating stopping smoking (54%), and 59% had tried before to stop. Concern about health was the main reason given for stopping smoking. Asthmatics who smoked had a higher percentage of smokers among family members, friends, and colleagues than nonsmoking asthmatics. Attitudes toward smoking were more permissive among smoking asthmatics. Only 36.64% of the total had received information about tobacco previously. In the sample group, 7% claimed that they did not smoke but their carbon monoxide concentration in exhaled air was 10 ppm or higher. CONCLUSIONS: There were no differences in the onset of the smoking habit between asthmatic and nonasthmatic young people. A large percentage of the smoking asthmatics were considering smoking cessation, motivated mainly by their asthma condition. The group as a whole had little previous information about tobacco.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

A truncated variant of the hepatitis C virus core induces a slow but potent immune response in mice following DNA immunization.

Vaccination of BALB/c mice with pIDKCo, a plasmid containing the coding sequence for the first 176 amino acids of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) core protein, induced both humoral and cellular specific immune responses. Particularly, the level of anti-core antibodies increased slowly with time up to a mean value above 1:8000 that was generally superior than that found in anti-HCV positive individuals. Six out of nine anti-HCV positive human sera were able to inhibit at different extent the binding of mouse anti-core sera to a recombinant capsid protein. Our results show that it is possible to elicit a potent humoral and cellular immune response against the HCV core antigen in mice following DNA immunization.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Red-legged partridges (Alectoris rufa) as bioindicators for persistent chlorinated chemicals in Spain.

Persistent organochlorine residues such as hexachlorobenzene (HCB), hexachlorocyclohexane isomers (HCHs), chlorocyclodienes, and the DDT group (DDTs) were determined in fat and muscle samples of resident red-legged partridges (Alectoris rufa) hunted in Spain. Chlorinated contamination pattern varied largely depending on geographical distribution. Birds collected from the northern part of Spain contained greater concentrations of lindane (34.4 ng/g fat basis) than those from central or southern Spain. In contrast, red-legged partridges collected in southern locations exhibited elevated levels of p,p-DDE (62.3 ng/g fat basis) as compared with central (31.2 ng/g fat basis) and northern areas (5.6 ng/g fat basis). The only cyclodiene detected, dieldrin, showed higher amounts (3.4 ng/g fat basis) in partridges collected in central Spain. The sex differences in pollutant occurrence and concentrations were negligible. One-year-old birds accumulated greater concentrations of beta-HCH, and dieldrin than older birds. Global comparison of organochlorine concentrations indicated that northern partridges are more contaminated by compounds of industrial origin, whereas southern birds contained greater amounts of agricultural chemicals. Estimates of hazards associated with organochlorine levels in resident red-legged partridges in Spain suggested that southern birds may be at risk from exposure to DDTs, and northern birds may be affected by excessive concentrations of lindane. The use of red-legged partridge as bioindicator for OCP contamination is discussed.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed2000

Penetrating craniocerebral injury from an underwater fishing harpoon.

Weapon injuries other than gunshot wounds or low-velocity stab wounds to the head are extremely rare. We report the case of a 6-year-old girl who sustained a penetrating craniocerebral injury after being accidentally shot with an underwater fishing harpoon. This mechanism of injury seems to share characteristics of both high- and low-velocity projectiles. We discuss the management of this unusual injury in a child, remarking that foreign body removal in these cases must be carried out following the original direction of the projectile trajectory. We review the current literature on craniocerebral injuries caused by similar objects, especially those occurring in children.

Basal Ganglia↗
PubMed2000

Sexual abuse during childhood and adolescence among Nicaraguan men and women: a population-based anonymous survey.

AIMS: The objective was to describe experiences of sexual abuse occurring before 19 years of age among men and women in León, Nicaragua and to explore the possible association to later sexual risk behavior. METHOD: A sub-sample of literate urban men and women 25-44 years of age was selected from a representative sample of households in León. After an invitation to a public health event, 154 men (53% of the invited) and 213 women (66% of those invited) participated in giving written answers to an anonymous questionnaire. RESULTS: Twenty percent of men and 26% of women reported that they had experienced sexual abuse. Women had been victims of attempted or completed rape twice as often as men, 15% as compared to 7%. Thirty-three percent of the abuse towards boys and 66% of the abuse towards girls was committed by family members. Women who had experienced attempted or completed rape were more likely to later have had a higher number of sexual partners compared to non-abused or moderately abused women. CONCLUSIONS: Sexual abuse of children and adolescents of both sexes is common in Nicaragua. The results underscore the urgent need to address this serious problem more openly, and to make more resources available for the prevention of sexual abuse and for support to victims.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Candies in hell: women's experiences of violence in Nicaragua.

The aim of this study was to describe the characteristics of domestic violence against women in León, Nicaragua. A survey was carried out among a representative sample of 488 women between the ages of 15-49. The physical aggression sub-scale of the Conflict Tactics Scale was used to identify women suffering abuse. In-depth interviews with formerly battered women were performed and narratives from these interviews were analysed and compared with the survey data. Among ever-married women 52% reported having experienced physical partner abuse at some point in their lives. Median duration of abuse was 5 years. A considerable overlap was found between physical, emotional and sexual violence, with 21% of ever-married women reporting all three kinds of abuse. Thirty-one percent of abused women suffered physical violence during pregnancy. The latency period between the initiation of marriage or cohabitation and violence was short, with over 50% of the battered women reporting that the first act of violence act took place within the first 2 years of marriage. Significant, positive associations were found between partner abuse and problems among children, including physical abuse. Both the survey data and the narrative analysis pointed to extreme jealousy and control as constant features of the abusive relationship. Further, the data indicate that battered women frequently experience feelings of shame, isolation and entrapment which, together with a lack of family and community support, often contribute to women's difficulty in recognizing and disengaging from a violent relationship. These findings are consistent with theoretical conceptualisations of domestic violence developed in other countries, suggesting that, to a large degree, women's experiences of violence transcend specific cultural contexts.

Adolescent↗