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Biomedical subjects

F Ortega

Publications and source records attributed to F Ortega.

152 records · Page 9Linked to original sources
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Environmental lead contamination and pediatric lead intoxication in an Andean Ecuadorian village.

Environmental lead (Pb) contamination was measured in samples of soil and locally grown food produce in a remote Ecuadorian village where Pb glazing of ceramics is the local cottage industry. The Pb concentration levels of local soil samples collected at varying distances from a cluster of backyard Pb baking kilns were 29,213 ppm (microg/g) at 0.001 km, 172 ppm at 0.005 km, 81 ppm at 0.01 km, 55 ppm at 1 km, 19 ppm at 2 km, and 1.4 ppm at 6 km, significantly higher than levels in control soil samples from non-Pb-glazing reference areas. Samples of locally grown food produce were also found to be Pb contaminated. Venous blood samples from 166 schoolchildren (ages 4 months to 15 years) in the study area and 56 children in the reference area showed mean blood lead levels of 40.0 microg/dl (SD: 24.5; range: 6.2. - 119.1 microg/dL) and 6.6 microg/dL (SD: 3.4; range: 1.9 - 18.1 microg/dL), respectively, which were significantly different (p = 0.0001). The Pb levels in milk from breastfeeding mothers ranged from 1.44 to 39 ng/g. Lead isotope ratios of the children's blood and of samples of village soil revealed a common Pb source or "fingerprint."

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Factors associated with health related quality of life in patients undergoing renal replacement therapy].

The aim of this study was to investigate the sociodemographic and clinical variables which influence health-relate quality of life (HRQOL) of patients on renal replacement therapy (RRT). A cross-sectional study was carried out with a sample including all patients on hemodialysis (n = 170) and transplant patients (n = 210) of our region. The HRQOL assessment instruments used in this study were: the Spanish versions of the sickness impact profile (SIP) and the SF-36 health survey (SF-36). Sociodemographic and clinical data (including age at start of RRT, age at the interview, gender, hospital, socioeconomic level, educational level, living conditions, inclusion in transplant waiting list, renal disease diagnosis, time in any RRT, hemoglobin, hematocrit, serum urea, creatinine, proteins and albumin, hospital admissions and length of hospital stay during last year), a comorbidity index and the Karnofsky performance scale score step. To investigate which studied variables had independent influence over the HRQOL measures, logistic regression method was employed in the case of the SF-36, and multiple regression, in the case of the SIP. A model was adjusted step by step in each RRT method (hemodialysis and transplantation) for each dimension of the PCE (physical dimension, psychosocial dimension and total score), and for each component summary score of the SF-36 (physical and mental component summary). In patients on hemodialysis, variables associated with better HRQOL were: higher age, female gender, higher educational level, and better functional status; and variables associated with worse HRQOL were: higher number of hospital admissions, and higher comorbidity index. In transplant patients, variables associated with better HRQOL were: higher age and higher functional status; and variables associated with worse HRQOL were: longer time on dialysis before transplant, longer time with functioning transplant, and higher comorbidity index. Despite the independent influence on the HRQOL demonstrated for some of the studied variables, it seems that HRQOL assessment instruments scores may mainly depend on other non-studied variables, and it may be that these instruments evaluate other aspects of the patients which have not been taken into account until now.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Interpretation of health-related quality of life of patients on replacement therapy in end-stage renal disease].

UNLABELLED: STATEMENT: Older age is associated with a worse Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQOL) in patients with End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD). The aim of this study is to demonstrate that differences on HRQOL between two groups of patients, defined according to age (< 65 years and > or = 65 years or elderly), change according to the form in which the results are analysed. METHODS: We evaluated the HRQOL of 170 patients undergoing hemodialysis and 210 transplant patients from Asturias (Spain), using the SF-36 Health Survey. Sociodemographic and clinical data, Karnofsky Scale and a Comorbidity Index were also collected. The raw scores of the SF-36 and the standardised scores according to age and gender were employed. RESULTS: The majority of elderly patients on hemodialysis lived alone, constituted a smaller percentage on the transplant waiting list, had a lower serum albumin and lower score of the Karnofsky Scale, than patients under 65 years. No differences were found in transplant patients. The raw scores on the SF-36 were less for the elderly patients on hemodialysis and transplant. The raw scores for elderly undergoing hemodialysis were less than those obtained by the general population, and raw scores for elderly transplant patients were similar or slightly greater. The standardized scores of the SF-36 were greater for the elderly in both treatment groups. CONCLUSIONS: Important differences exist in the evaluation of HRQOL differences between the two groups of age according to the method of analysing the results. The HRQOL of elderly patients is better than that of patients under 65 years of age.

Age Factors↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Antibodies against hepatitis C virus. Experience with a second generation test].

A second generation recombinant immunoblot assay to detect antibodies against Hepatitis C virus (RIBA II, Ortho Diagnostic Systems) was applied to 30 serum samples repeatedly reactive to ELISA anti-HCV c100-3, 11 from hemodialysis patients, 11 from patients with chronic hepatitis and 8 from patients with cirrhosis. The assay detects individual antibodies directed to 4 antigenic components of the C virus, 2 antigens, c100 and 5-1-1 contained in the original ELISA assay and 2 new antigens, c33c and c22-3 the latter structural in nature. From the total of 30 samples, 23 (77%) were reactive, 4 (13%) indeterminate and 3 (10%) non reactive to the RIBA II assay. Much variation was observed regarding the response to each individual antigen. c22-3 was the most frequently reactive with the highest intensity. RIBA II assay confirmed a high percentage of the reactive results with the ELISA c-100-3, serum samples that were non reactive to RIBA showed a low optical density with ELISA. c22-3 was the most sensitive antigenic component.

Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Antibodies against hepatitis C virus in patients with liver diseases and in risk subjects. Preliminary report].

The recent discovery of an antigenic component of the causative agent of Non-A, Non-B hepatitis, has led to the characterization of this virus--Hepatitis C Virus (HCV)--and to the identification of an antibody present in infected subjects (anti-HCV) detected by means of the C-100 antigen derived from a nonstructural region of the viral genome. Using a commercial Kit (Ortho Diagnostic Inc.), the incidence of anti-HCV antibody was studied in the Military Hospital "Dr. Carlos Arvelo" of Caracas, Venezuela with the following results: Health personnel (doctors, nurses, laboratory staff): 102 persons studied, 2 positives (1.96%); 16 patients in chronic hemodialysis: 6 positives (33%); 20 subjects with antibodies against HIV virus, confirmed by Western Blot: 7 positives (35.4%). Of 10 patients with Surface Antigen negative Chronic Hepatitis, 7 (70%) positive for anti-HCV, of 25 patients with cirrhosis: 12 positive (48%), 2 patients with hepatocarcinoma 1 positive (50%). There was also a high incidence of total anti-core antibodies in the patients studied. The results suggest that the hepatitis C virus could be playing an important role as a causative factor of liver diseases in our Country.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Bactericidal and haemolytic activity of complement in bovine colostrum and serum: effect of proteolytic enzymes and ethylene glycol tetraacetic acid (EGTA).

Bovine colostral whey (CW) possessed heat-labile bactericidal activity against an enteropathogenic serum-susceptible strain of Escherichia coli. Activity was readily destroyed by trypsin or rat pancreatic juice, and less readily by chymotrypsin. Loss of activity due to trypsin, but not by chymotrypsin, could be prevented by addition of excess bovine colostral trypsin inhibitor. A second enteropathogenic strain of E. coli was killed by CW only if exogenous complement was added. This activity was maintained, however, even if the complement was heated 56 degrees C during 15 min. CW possessed only very weak haemolytic activity against sensitised rabbit erythrocytes, but could augment the haemolytic titre of bovine serum and could partially restore haemolytic activity to heat-inactivated bovine serum. These observations indicate that low but significant amounts of complement may occur in bovine colostrum. Sequestration of Ca++ by EGTA abolished all bactericidal and haemolytic activity in CW, and reduced but did not completely abolish these activities in bovine serum or in CW + exogenous complement. The activity of colostral complement therefore appears to be mediated entirely by the classical pathway whereas the alternate pathway may play some part in the bactericidal and haemolytic activities of bovine serum or of CW + exogenous complement.

Calcium↗