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Biomedical subjects

F Lozano

Publications and source records attributed to F Lozano.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Autoantibodies against nuclear envelope-associated proteins in primary biliary cirrhosis.

An antinuclear immunofluorescence pattern displaying a thin ring confined to the nuclear envelope was assessed in sera from 38 patients with primary biliary cirrhosis and in sera from a control group of 277 patients with other antinuclear antibody-positive diseases. This rim-like antinuclear reactivity was present in sera from 20 primary biliary cirrhosis patients (52.6%) but in only two patients from the control group (0.7%) (p less than 0.001). Furthermore, this autoantibody was present in three of four primary biliary cirrhosis patients without antimitochondrial antibodies. Presence of this rim-like pattern in primary biliary cirrhosis did not correlate with the presence of associated autoimmune diseases nor with other clinical, biochemical, nor histological features of the disease. The antigenic specificity of sera displaying this antinuclear immunofluorescence pattern was characterized by Western blot analysis using an antigenic extract containing nuclear envelope proteins purified from rat liver. Sixteen of the 20 positive sera showed a common pattern of reactivity with a set of nuclear envelope-associated proteins approximately 200 kD in size. In conclusion, sera from primary biliary cirrhosis patients showing a rim-like fluorescent nuclear pattern have antinuclear autoantibodies that react specifically with components of the nuclear envelope. The high specificity of these new autoantibodies in primary biliary cirrhosis indicate that they might be a serological marker of the disease, particularly useful in patients without antimitochondrial antibodies.

Antibody Specificity↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Metastatic squamous cell carcinoma in a liver graft. Report of a case diagnosed by fine needle aspiration.

BACKGROUND: Fine needle aspiration is a well-established and safe method for the diagnosis of focal liver lesions, but it has played a limited role in the transplant setting. CASE: A case of metastatic squamous cell carcinoma in a liver graft was diagnosed by fine needle aspiration. The tumor developed in the right pyriform sinus five years after an orthotopic liver transplantation was performed. CONCLUSION: With the improvement of survival rates following liver transplantation, metastatic tumors should be considered in liver grafts with space-occupying lesions. Therefore, fine needle aspiration is adequate for diagnosis and is cost-effective and safe.

Biopsy, Needle↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Microinvasive follicular thyroid carcinoma detected by fine needle aspiration skeletal metastases. A case report.

BACKGROUND: Fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) for the cytologic diagnosis of bone metastatic lesions is often useful for locating the primary tumor and choosing treatment. The cytologic picture of follicular carcinoma most commonly resembles normal thyroid but may exhibit variable anaplasia. Marginal vacuoles, also known as fire flare-like vacuoles and "flame cells," have been found mainly in toxic goiter but also in some non-toxic goiter. The presence of marginal vacuoles of FNAB of metastatic follicular carcinoma was first reported by Pitts et al in 1988. CASE: A 77-year-old male presented with multiple lytic lesions involving the vertebral bones and ribbons. FNAB of vertebral bone showed tumor cell clusters in a follicular pattern with peripherically situated, pink-stained vacuoles on May-Grünwald-Giemsa stain. CONCLUSION: FNAB is useful in the diagnosis of metastatic thyroid neoplasms. The recognition of marginal vacuoles, along with the appropriate cytologic findings, should provide morphologic clues leading to a suspicion of thyroid neoplasm metastasis in FNAB.

Adenocarcinoma, Follicular↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A study of the delayed hypersensitivity response in healthy people in Spain: Spanish National Tables. National Surgical Infection Committee of the Association of Spanish Surgeons.

With a view to creating national tables of the delayed hypersensitivity response, a total of 1476 healthy persons were studied at eight different locations in Spain. For the measurement of delayed cellular immunity response, Multitest IMC was used. Of those examined, 0.7% were anergic, 21.3 were relatively anergic, and 73 were immunocompetent. Of the 766 men, 28 were relatively anergic and 3 were anergic, whereas of the 710 women, 14 were relatively anergic (p < .001) and 8% were anergic (p < .001). The highest incidence of anergy was found in women of over 70 years (p < .001). Tuberculin was the antigen with the most positive responses, 77%, followed by Candida with 58%. Trichophyton and Proteus mirabilis were the antigens least recognized by the Spaniards studied. Major geographical variations were observed, both in the overall index for the delayed hypersensitivity response and in the response to different antigens. Catalonia revealed the highest level of anergy and the Valencia region, the lowest.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Simplicity and efficacy of a once-daily antiretroviral regimen with didanosine, lamivudine, and efavirenz in naïve patients: the VESD study.

PURPOSE: Our aim was to analyze the efficacy and safety of didanosine-lamivudine-efavirenz in a cohort of HIV patients starting antiretroviral therapy between January and September 2003. METHOD: We undertook a prospective, open-label, observational, multicenter study. RESULTS: 163 patients were enrolled. Over a 48-week period, plasma HIV RNA levels declined sharply, with a median decrease at the end of the observation time of >4.62 log copies/mL. The proportion of patients achieving a plasma HIV RNA level below 50 copies/mL was 62.9% (intention-to-treat analysis) at the end of the study period. The mean CD4 cell count increased steadily over time by 199 cells/microL. Antiviral efficacy was similar in patients with a baseline HIV RNA level above or below 100,000 copies/mL. Overall, 57 (34.1%) patients interrupted therapy; 9 due to lack of treatment response, 18 due to adverse side-effects, and 30 patients lost to follow-up or who withdrew their consent. Adherence was very high (90%-95%) and quality of life was good or very good in 69%. CONCLUSION: The once-daily combination of didanosine-lamivudine-efavirenz resulted in sustained viral suppression and was well-accepted by patients under real-life conditions, even immunosuppressed patients and those with a high viral load. Associated adverse events and virological failures were few.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Relationship between low bone mineral density and highly active antiretroviral therapy including protease inhibitors in HIV-infected patients.

PURPOSE: The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of osteopenia and the factors associated with its presence in HIV-infected patients under highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) and to assess the changes of bone mineral density (BMD) in a population followed prospectively. METHOD: BMD was assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scans at the lumbar spine and at the femoral neck in 78 HIV-infected patients who had previously received HAART as the first antiretroviral regimen and in 11 antiretroviral-naive HIV-infected patients. BMD measurements were repeated in 70 treated patients who had completed 1 year of follow-up. RESULTS: Thirty-seven (42%) patients showed osteopenia at any localization. The prevalence of osteopenia in PI-naive patients was 23% versus 49% in individuals who had received PI at any moment [p =.001; adjusted odds ratio (95% CI) = 0.11 (0.02-0.48)]. The frequency of osteopenia was significantly higher among men than among women [50% vs. 17%; p =.016; adjusted OR (95% CI) = 12.1 (2.22-66.20)]. The level of plasma albumin was independently associated with osteopenia [adjusted OR (95% CI) per each g/dL of plasma albumin decrease 2.55 (1.18-10)]. In patients in whom a second DEXA was done, no significant changes in BMD were found. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of osteopenia in HIV-infected patients on HAART is high. Loss of BMD is associated with PI therapy, low plasma albumin level, and male sex. Osteopenia does not progress after 1 year of continued HAART.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Malacoplakia of the pelvis. Report of a case with cytologic and ultrastructural findings obtained by fine needle aspiration.

Malacoplakia is a rare granulomatous, inflammatory disease usually diagnosed on a biopsy specimen. Only five cases have been diagnosed by FNA, most of them in the prostate. We report the cytologic and ultrastructural findings in fine needle aspirates of pelvic malacoplakia. The main characteristic of the smears was a richly inflammatory background with abundant, foamy histiocytes containing Michaelis-Gutmann bodies. The results indicate that fine needle aspiration is useful in diagnosing this disease, excluding a neoplastic process and performing follow-up.

Biopsy, Needle↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A comparison of three different prophylactic parenteral antibiotic regimens in colorectal surgery: a prospective study.

A double-blind, prospective, randomized study was performed with 90 patients undergoing colorectal surgery, to ascertain the prophylactic effect of three different parenteral antibiotic programs. The patients were divided into three groups. The patients in group 1 received 80 mg Gentamycin and 600 mg Lincomycin intramuscularly, two hours preoperatively, and every eight hours postoperatively for three days. In group 2, the treatment was similar to group 1 but the Lincomycin was replaced by 600 mg Clindamycin. In Group 3, the treatment was also similar to group 1, but 500 mg Metronidazole given over 20 minutes replaced the Lincomycin. The present study, the first comparing three antianaerobic antibiotics and an aminoglycoside in the prophylaxis of infection in colorectal surgery, shows certain clinical and socioeconomic benefits, although not statistically significant to be found in the group 3 program (Gentamycin plus Metronidazole) as compared with the other programs. This advantage was no doubt due to the use of Metronidazole (used in group 3 only), because of its effectiveness against anaerobic bacteriae.

Adult↗