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Biomedical subjects

A Moreno

Publications and source records attributed to A Moreno.

At least 289 records · Page 16Linked to original sources
PubMed1994

Congenital sensory neuropathy with anhidrosis.

A 6-year-old girl had congenital sensory neuropathy with anhidrosis (CSNA), one of the five variants of a group of very rare genetic disorders of the peripheral nervous system--hereditary sensory neuropathies (HSN). Clinical, laboratory, and physiopathologic aspects are discussed. Dermatologic findings of anhidrosis and self-mutilation suggest the diagnosis.

Child↗
PubMed1994

The pyrimido-pyrimidine derivatives, dipyridamole and RA-642, reduce opacification of crystalline lens in diabetic rats.

We assessed the effect of dipyridamole, RA-642 and mopidamol, on lenticular opacities in a model of experimental diabetic cataracts in rats. All three pyrimido-pyrimidine derivatives caused a statistically significant reduction of opacification in crystalline lens as compared with untreated diabetic animals. The production of superoxide anions (phenazine methosulphate [PMS]-induced nitroblue tetrazolium [NBT] reduction) showed a decrease of 81.6%, 78.9% and 1.8% in lens tissue homogenates from rats treated with dipyridamole, RA-642 and mopidamol, respectively. Dipyridamole and RA-642 produced a statistically significant inhibition (50% and 64.8%, respectively) of lipid peroxidation (ferrous sulphate and ascorbic acid [FeAs]-induced malondialdehyde [MDA] production) as compared with the group of untreated diabetic rats. Mopidamol did not exert any inhibitory effect on lipid peroxidation. There was a statistically significant correlation between opacification of lens and PMS-induced NBT reduction and FeAs-induced MDA production. We conclude that the protective effect of dipyridamole and RA-642 from free radical damage to crystalline lens in the model of experimental diabetes used in this study, is the result of the antioxidant action of these compounds. The effect exerted by mopidamol, however, suggest a possible complementary effect of the pyrimido-pyrimidine derivatives through interaction with other mechanisms (e.g., the sorbitol pathway) implicated in the development of cataracts.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Aluminum in the neonate related to parenteral nutrition.

Sources of aluminium loading and exposure in preterm and full-term newborns were studied. Parenteral nutrition solutions were the main source of aluminium representing 88.7% of total aluminium intake. Blood and urine aluminium levels were followed over a 28-day period in a group of 26 preterm and 9 term infants while receiving parenteral nutrition (duration 15.6 +/- 8.7 days) and later when being formula fed. Urine levels were followed up to 13 weeks in a subgroup of the neonates. Serum aluminium levels (0.86 +/- 0.38 mumol/l) and urine aluminium/creatinine ratio (1.52 +/- 0.81 mumol/mmol) were increased when the infants were receiving parenteral nutrition compared with the control group (p < 0.001). The urine aluminium/creatinine ratio remained high up to 10 weeks following withdrawal of parenteral nutrition and suggested tissular loading. This was confirmed after high aluminium levels were found in post-mortem brain and bone samples from two preterm and one full-term infant. We conclude that both preterm and full-term neonates are susceptible to accumulation of aluminium in tissue while receiving parenteral nutrition.

Aluminum↗
PubMed1994

Antimicrobial resistance of Shigella isolates causing traveler's diarrhea.

Shigella isolates were identified as a cause of traveler's diarrhea in 67 (10%) of 675 patients and were tested for resistance to seven antimicrobial agents in a comparative study with those causing nontraveler's diarrhea in Spain. Ampicillin and chloramphenicol resistance was more frequent in Shigella flexneri (60 and 46%, respectively) than in Shigella sonnei (32 and 18%, respectively) and in travel-related isolates (P < 0.05 and 0.04, respectively). Of S. sonnei isolates from patients with traveler's diarrhea, 73 and 54% showed tetracycline and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole resistance, respectively, compared with only 8% of isolates from patients without a history of travel to developing countries (P < 0.007 and P < 0.0002). Low-level resistance to cephalosporins was found, whereas quinolone-resistant strains were not detected among travel-related Shigella isolates. Thus, quinolones may be an effective alternative therapy for travel-related shigellosis.

Developing Countries↗
PubMed1994

Alcohol dehydrogenase from human stomach: variability in normal mucosa and effect of age, gender, ADH3 phenotype and gastric region.

Alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) has been analysed in 36 endoscopic biopsies of normal gastric body and/or antrum mucosa, from 31 individuals with an age between 17 and 79 years. Oesophageal, duodenal and oral mucosa specimens have been also examined. Stomach mucosa contains three isozyme types: the gamma gamma-ADH forms (class I), sigma sigma-ADH (class IV) and chi chi-ADH (class III). gamma gamma-ADH was present in all gastric samples, while sigma sigma-ADH was detected in all body specimens (n = 15) but only in eight of 20 antrum biopsies. The presence of high sigma sigma-ADH activity in oral and oesophageal mucosa confirms the distribution of class IV in the upper gastrointestinal tract where it may serve as a first metabolic barrier against ingested alcohols and aldehydes. Considering all gastric specimens, ADH activity was 5.78 +/- 2.61 mU/mg of protein with 100 mM ethanol, pH 10.0. ADH activity was higher in men than women and in gastric body than in antrum, although differences did not reach statistical significance. However, activity was significantly higher in subjects below 50 years than those older than 50 years. Furthermore, an inverse correlation was found between gastric ADH activity and age (r = -0.40, P < 0.02). In old subjects ADH activity was significantly higher in gastric body (5.87 +/- 1.22 mU/mg) than in antrum (4.14 +/- 1.78 mU/mg) (P = 0.03). Differences in activity between samples from each ADH3 phenotype were statistically not significant but corresponded to those expected from the kinetic constants of the respective gamma gamma-ADH isozymes, which suggests that ADH3 polymorphism affects activity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

[Chronic cluster headache: course and outcome of treatment].

We analyze the results of treatment and the course of disease in 20 patients suffering from chronic cluster headache. Patients were followed for an average of 5 years. Sumatriptan provided the most effective relief of symptoms in those who used that medication. The results of surgical and medical prophylaxes were poor. The disease either remitted or changed to an episodic variety after several months or years in most patients. There is no evidence to suggest that these changes were related to any particular treatment.

Adrenal Cortex Hormones↗
PubMed1994

[Droxicam-induced hepatitis. Description of 3 new cases and review of the literature].

Three new cases of cholestatic hepatitis caused by droxicam are described, along with a revision of the other eight cases published to date. Itching, asthenia, and jaundice were the most common symptoms. Average age was 62.8 years (range: 45-82 years), and the median time of exposition was 22.7 days (range: 5-50 days). Biochemistry of the liver showed primarily cholestasis and in 4/11 cases hypereosinophilia. Two patients presented elevated levels of cholesterol and triglycerides which disappeared within the month. Clinical manifestations persisted in one patient for eight weeks after the cessation of treatment. The three patients presented in the present series presented alteration in the biochemistry of the liver two months after initiation. Liver biopsy in three patients showed centrozonal cholestasis associated with portal inflammatory activity and presence of granulomas consistent with toxic hepatitis.

Aged↗
PubMed1994

[Cluster headache with a familial presentation].

Four out of 190 patients suffering from cluster headache (CH) were of familial presentation. In three families the affected relative was either the brother or the father of the proband. In the other family the disorder affected the father, two brothers, and perhaps the grand mother of the patient. The prevalence of the disease seems to be higher among relatives of CH patients compared to general population. It is unclear whether this familial aggregation depends up on genetic factors.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Cephalopod alcohol dehydrogenase: purification and enzymatic characterization.

Octopus, squid and cuttle-fish organs were examined for alcohol dehydrogenase activity. Only one form was detectable, with properties typical of mammalian class III alcohol dehydrogenase. The corresponding protein was purified from octopus and enzymatically characterized. Ion-exchange and affinity chromatography produced a pure protein in excellent yield (73%) after 1600-fold purification. Enzymatic parameters with several substrates were similar to those for the human class III alcohol dehydrogenase, demonstrating a largely conserved function of the enzyme through wide lines of divergence covering vertebrates, cephalopods and bacteria. The results establish the universal occurrence of class III alcohol dehydrogenase and its strictly conserved functional properties in separate living forms. The absence of other alcohol dehydrogenases in cephalopods is compatible with the emergence of the ethanol-active class I type at a later stage, in lineages leading to vertebrates.

Alcohol Dehydrogenase↗
PubMed1993

CD4+ T cell clones obtained from Plasmodium falciparum sporozoite-immunized volunteers recognize polymorphic sequences of the circumsporozoite protein.

CD4+ T cell clones were derived from three volunteers who were protected against malaria after immunization with Plasmodium falciparum sporozoites. T cells specific for an epitope, Pf Th/Tc, contained in amino acids 326 to 345 of the circumsporozoite (CS) protein of P. falciparum (NF54) were derived from all three volunteers. DR1-, -4-, -7-, and -9-restricted T cell clones were found to recognize overlapping, but distinct, epitopes within a 20-mer peptide representing the amino acid 326 to 345 sequence. The Pf Th/Tc epitope contains part of the highly conserved region II as well as part of a polymorphic domain of the P. falciparum CS protein. All of the overlapping epitopes within peptide 326-345 contained at least three amino acids of the amino terminus of the conserved region II, in addition to a variable number of amino acids in the polymorphic region. The DR4-, -7-, and -9-restricted but not the DR1-restricted T cell clones recognized variant peptides representing this polymorphic region of the CS protein of P. falciparum isolates from Africa, Asia, and South America.

Alleles↗
PubMed1993

[Clinical epidemiology of an outbreak of nosocomial infection caused by Staphylococcus aureus resistant to methicillin and aminoglycosides: efficacy of control measures. Comité de Control de Infecciones].

BACKGROUND: The appearance of outbreaks of nosocomial infections due to methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a current problem in Spain. The clinical and molecular epidemiology of these outbreaks as well as the efficacy of their control measures are a matter of controversy. METHODS: An outbreak of MRSA nosocomial infections in the Hospital Clínic i Provincial of Barcelona, a 953-bed University Hospital, with a total of 347 cases from September 1989 to October 1991 is described. The control measures used include prospective and continued surveillance of all MRSA isolations, identification of the reservoir, use of different types of isolation and control of nasal carriers among health care workers. The MRSA strains isolated were studied by standard microbiological procedures, phage-typing and extrachromosomal (plasmid) DNA analysis by means of restriction endonuclease analysis (REAP). RESULTS: From the Intensive Care Units, the outbreak extended to the medical and surgical wards. Seventy-one percent of the cases corresponded to infected patients and 29% to asymptomatic carrier patients. The MRSA strain responsible of the outbreak had a notable antibiotic multiple-resistance pattern. The studies performed showed that most of the strains belonged to phage group III and were lysed by phage 77. Plasmid DNA analysis showed that 95% of the strains isolated had a unique homogeneous profile. Despite the different control measures used, the MRSA infection has acquired a medium level endemic rate in the Hospital Clínic i Provincial. CONCLUSIONS: The introduction and spread of methicillin-resistant MRSA in a teaching hospital with more than 500-bed may be rapid and affecting large number of patients. Effective control measures carries multiple problems, which must be addressed with the collaboration of all hospital employees. The molecular typing techniques used (REAP) further identified that the outbreak is due to one single MRSA strain, with an epidemiologic behavior identical to the one showed by the epidemic strains previously described in the United Kingdom and Australia.

Aminoglycosides↗
PubMed1993

Alpha- and gamma-interferon versus alpha-interferon alone in chronic hepatitis B. A randomized controlled study.

Thirty-two patients with chronic hepatitis B were randomly assigned to two groups. Sixteen patients received 10 million units of alpha-interferon per square meter of body surface (MU/m2), three times weekly for 4 months. Sixteen patients were treated simultaneously with gamma-interferon at a dose of 2 MU/m2, and 10 MU/m2 of alpha-interferon. At the end of the study (13th month), hepatitis B virus DNA was negative in 50% of the patients treated with alpha-interferon and in only 25% of those treated with alpha- and gamma-interferon. A similar trend was observed with respect to the hepatitis B e antigen negativization (31% and 19% of HBeAg negativization in patients treated with alpha- and gamma-interferon, respectively). In summary, these data demonstrate that, at the doses used in this study, the combination of alpha- and gamma-interferon does not give better results than the administration of alpha-interferon alone. The tolerance to simultaneous alpha- and gamma-interferons is poor and may decompensate the liver disease.

Adult↗