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Biomedical subjects

C Ramos

Publications and source records attributed to C Ramos.

At least 199 records · Page 11Linked to original sources

Immunochemical characterization and purification of Sm-97, a Schistosoma mansoni antigen monospecifically recognized by antibodies from mice protectively immunized with a nonliving vaccine.

Mice protected against Schistosoma mansoni infection by intradermal (i.d.) vaccination with nonliving schistosomula or soluble extracts of larval or adult schistosomes (SCHLAP and SWAP, respectively) produce antibodies that react by Western blot analysis with one antigen of Mr (X 10(-3)) 97 in SWAP prepared in the presence of protease inhibitors and two antigens of Mr (X 10(-3)) 95 and 78 in SWAP prepared in their absence. Vaccine antibodies also immunoprecipitated a single 97k molecule, with a pI of 5.5, from detergent extracts of [35S] methionine-labeled schistosomes. Three hybridomas, produced from spleen cells of i.d. immunized mice, all recognized both the 95k/78k doublet and the 97k antigen, indicating that the two lower Mr components are degradation products of the same 97k molecule. The 97k/95k/78k complex (Sm-97) was purified by affinity chromatography and found to constitute 0.5% of the total protein in SWAP. 125I-concanavalin A bound weakly to purified Sm-97, indicating that this antigen is minimally glycosylated. By indirect immunofluorescence, Sm-97 was localized to regions just below the tegumental and gut syncitia of adult worms. Mice protected by i.d. vaccination produced high titers (1:10,240) of anti-Sm-97 antibodies, whereas chronically infected mice responded at a much lower level (titer 1:640). In contrast, mice protectively immunized with irradiated cercariae and mice nonprophylactically inoculated by the i.v. route failed to produce detectable anti-Sm-97 antibodies. Competitive radioimmunoassays performed with 125I-labeled monoclonal antibodies and purified antigen defined at least two distinct epitopes on Sm-97. Antibodies from i.d. vaccinated mice recognized both monoclonal antibody-defined epitopes, whereas anti-Sm-97 antibodies in chronic infection sera recognized neither. Finally, purified Sm-97 was shown to elicit delayed-type hypersensitivity in i.d. vaccinated mice, suggesting that this molecule is also capable of evoking cell-mediated responses, a finding consistent with its proposed function as a vaccine immunogen.

Animals↗

Rat striatal dopamine and tetrahydrobiopterin content following an intrastriatal injection of manganese chloride.

Injection of manganese into the rat corpus striatum causes a rapid fall in the biopterin and dopamine (DA) content ipsilateral to the lesion. Two weeks after the lesion both biopterin and DA are partially recovered. Controls, injected with saline or magnesium, do not show alterations in their DA or cofactor levels. It is proposed that the fall in DA levels results from a rapid displacement of the amine from its storage sites by manganese followed by a decrease in the rate of DA synthesis causes by the drop in cofactor levels.

Animals↗

Concentration, biosynthesis and degradation of collagen in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Despite several studies both in vitro and in vivo, the pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis is unclear and some findings related to the biochemistry of collagen are controversial. Collagen metabolism was studied in 11 patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and in six control subjects. There was an increase in collagen concentration (mean 327 (SD 76) compared with control values of 185 (18) micrograms/mg dry weight, p less than 0.001), normal values for biosynthesis (mean 2.2% (0.8%) v 2.08% (0.5%), and a noteworthy decrease in collagenolytic activity (mean 0.07 (0.04) v 0.23 (0.04) micrograms of collagen degraded per mg of collagen incubated, p less than 0.001). These results suggest that an alteration in enzymatic breakdown of collagen plays an important role in the maintenance and progression of interstitial fibrosis in this disease.

Adult↗

[Triad syndrome in the neonatal period: an anatomoclinical study of 11 cases].

Eleven newborn children with clinical and anatomic characteristics of Prune-Belly syndrome were studied. This establish an approximate incidence of 1:28,000 newborns. All these children died in the first-days of life, nine of them as a result of pulmonary hypoplasia secondary olygohydiamnios. All of them except one had urinary tract dilatation and in four anatomic stenosis of urethra was found as the cause of obstruction. These findings support mechanical theory more than a primary mesodermic disorder as a pathogenic mechanism. All this, together with establishment of an early prenatal diagnosis, opens the possibility of an intrauterine treatment which could free the urinary tract and prevent oligohydramnios and its, sequelae.

Female↗

[Prenatal diagnosis in a fetus with anencephaly and trisomy 18].

Authors present a case of anencephaly with trisomy 18, diagnosed prenatally by altrasonographic screening and culture of amniotic cells. This association is rare in newborn children. They discuss if this is due to a high prenatal letality or a random event.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗

Serial cytogenetic study of a human glioma cell line.

Chromosome studies were performed on a human glioma cell line. Nineteen passages were studied, and a heterogeneous chromosome complement with variable modal numbers was found. The main range varied from tetraploidy to triploidy. The presence of identical markers (9p-, 11p+, an increase in the copies of chromosome No. 7) in different passages suggests a clonal evolution.

Brain Neoplasms↗

[Cytogenetic study of ascitic and pleural exudates].

Chromosome examination was made in direct samples of ascitic and pleural effusions from 58 patients; 10 of them were also studied after being cultured in vitro. Diagnostic cytogenetic analysis allowed a correct diagnosis of malignancy in 91 per 100 of the cases, higher than the 73.4 per 100 obtained in the same series by diagnostic cytology. There was a great variability in the chromosomes number of malignant tumors, without any correlation with tumor type.

Ascitic Fluid↗

Treatment of chronic portal--systemic encephalopathy with vegetable and animal protein diets. A controlled crossover study.

A controlled crossover clinical comparison of 40-g/day and 80-g/day vegetable protein diets vs a 40-g/day meat protein diet plus neomycin-milk of magnesia (as control therapy) was performed on 10 cirrhotic patients with mild chronic portal-systemic encephalopathy. The 40-g vegetable protein diet had a high fiber volume and contained low methionine and low aromatic amino acids. The 80-g vegetable protein diet was rich in branched-chain amino acids and fiber, with a similar content of sulfur-containing amino acids as compared to the 40-g meat protein diet. Serial semiquantitative assessments were done, including mental state, asterixis, number connection tests, electroencephalograms and blood ammonia levels. No patient developed deep coma while ingesting either vegetable protein diet or neomycin-milk of magnesia plus 40-g meat protein diet. A significant improvement in the number connection test times was observed during the 40-g vegetable protein diet (P less than 0.05) and during the 80-g vegetable protein diet (P less than 0.05) as compared to their previous 40-g meat protein--neomycin periods. In addition, during the period of 80-g vegetable protein diet, the patients showed a significant improvement in their electroencephalograms (P less than 0.05). The frequency of bowel movements significantly increased (P less than 0.05) during the 80-g vegetable protein diet period. During the 40-g vegetable protein diet, two cirrhotic--diabetic patients experienced hypoglycemia. Three patients complained of the voluminous 80-g vegetable protein diet. Patients with mild portal--systemic encephalopathy may be adequately controlled with vegetable protein diets as a single therapy.

Adult↗

Taenia solium: mitogenic effect of larval extracts on murine B lymphocytes.

The effect of an extract (CE) obtained from Cysticercus cellulosae on the proliferation of lymphocytes was studied in cultures of murine spleen cells. The addition of CE to the cultures resulted in the highly significant uptake and incorporation of tritiated thymidine (3H-TdR) into DNA. This phenomena was dose-dependent, with doses lower and higher than the optimal concentration causing less marked effects. The kinetic peak of this response was found to occur on day 2 of culture. CE evoked a proliferative response in cultures of spleen cells from congenitally athymic (nu/nu) BALB/c mice. Cultures of bone marrow-derived (B) lymphocytes, generated by treatment of spleen cells with rabbit antithymocyte serum and complement, incorporated 3H-TdR to a degree similar to that of normal spleen cell cultures. CE did not induce the proliferation of thymocytes. To eliminate the possibility that the mitogenic effect of CE was due to LPS, we carried out experiments using Polymyxin B (PB). CE was mitogenic after treatment with PB which inactivated the LPD effect. In addition, CE elicited 3H-TdR uptake in spleen cells from the LPS nonresponsive C3H/HeJ mouse strain.

Animals↗

[Prenatal diagnosis. A 35 amniocentesis study (author's transl)].

The results of 35 amniocentesis, between 13 and 17 weeks of pregnancy are presented. Cytogenetic study was performed in 28 of them. Chromosomic anomalies were detected in 3 cases: A 21-trisomy, a 14/21 translocation with 21-trisomy and a partial trisomy of chromosome 2. The values of alpha-feto protein were measured in 10 cases, and were in normal range. Amniocentesis indications in the early detection of chromosomic anomalis in high risk couples and the interest of alpha-feto protein detection in the prediction of neural-tube defects, are commented.

Amniocentesis↗

[Cytogenetic study in malformed newborns. Evolution during different stages of life (author's transl)].

Authors report cytogenetic findings in 34 alive newborns presenting congenital malformations in the first week (Group A). These findings have been tested with Group B (100 malformated children up to 12 years old) and Group C (1,000 hospital patients of any age). Chromosomic anomalies in 44, 22 and 15% of the groups respectively are found. Performance of kariotype in any newborn with congenital malformations for detection of chromosomic aberrations or familial translocations in disbalance is needed.

Child↗

Suppressor cells present in the spleens of Trypanosoma cruzi-infected mice.

Infection with Trypanosoma cruzi decreases the ability of spleen cells from mice to respond to either T cell, concanavalin A (Con A), or B cell, lipopolysaccharide (LPS), mitogens. The effect of infection on the mitogenic response depends on the elapsed time between the day of infection and the time of mitogen presentation. Responses early in infection are normal, whereas later responses to either mitogen are depressed. Spleen cells from late trypanosome-infected mice inhibit the ability of normal spleen cells to respond to Con A or LPS. The cell in the T. cruzi-infected spleen cells responsible for this effect is nonadherent, sensitive to treatment with anti-mouse thymus serum plus complement, but insensitive to treatment with anti-immunoglobulin plus complement. These data indicate that infection with T. cruzi elicits over time the generation of T cells suppressive to T and B cell mitogenic responses.

Animals↗

[Corneal distrophy of Groenouw type I and chromosomic delection (22p-) in one family (author's transl)].

Authors report a family in which three members presented a type I Corneal Distrophy of Groenouw; two of them also presented a delection of short arms of a 22 chromosome, while the third presented the delection but not the corneal distrophy. The absence of relationship between the corneal distrophy and the 22 delection in this family proves that the latter is a familial marker, not being the cause of the disease.

Adolescent↗