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Biomedical subjects

G Ramos

Publications and source records attributed to G Ramos.

61 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Risk and protective factors associated with youth violence among secondary school students in a nationally representative sample in Puerto Rico.

During the past decade, youth violence has received increasing attention as a major public health issue in Puerto Rico as well as in the United States. This study sought to identify risk and protective factors of youth violence in a representative sample of school adolescents in Puerto Rico. Risk and protective factors were grouped into five domains: individual, family, peer group, school and community. From a total of 2,385 participants, 10.7% reported at least one violent behavior and 3.4% reported two or more violent behaviors. In multiple regression analysis the risk factors identified were male gender, junior grade students, having a favorable attitude towards antisocial behavior, use of ecstasy, involvement with antisocial peers and reporting antisocial parents. Participation in family decisions was the only protective factor associated with violence. Findings from this study could have important implications for the development of preventive programs for the adolescent population in Puerto Rico.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

T lymphocyte subpopulations in leprosy patients and their relation with circulating immune complexes.

The possible relationship between circulating immune complexes (CIC) and peripheral T lymphocyte populations was studied in thirteen active multibacillary leprosy (10 lepromatous--LL--and 3 borderline lepromatous--BL--) and 19 matched controls. Theophylline-resistant T cells (The-R, a lymphocyte subpopulation displaying helper activity on B cells) and total T cells were assessed by means of the E rosette technique, with and without previous theophylline incubation, 1h 37 degrees C, respectively. CIC were quantified by 125I-C1q binding test. Although leprosy patients showed a statistical non significant light depression in total T cells the remarkable variability in circulating levels of The-R T cells enabled us to separate them into two well delineated groups (in relation to this variable p less than 0.001) with no difference in age, sex and bacteriologic state: a) leprosy patients with The-R T cells proportionally conserved (6LL and 2BL); b) leprosy patients with The-R T cells proportionally depressed (4LL and 1BL). Patients belonging to the latter group showed the highest statistically significant levels of CIC. Even though we do not discard an unknown factor being responsible for our findings, we believe that this inverse relationship between elevated CIC and depressed The-R circulating T cells might be representing a lower helper activity on antibody synthesis intending to reduce its excessive production.

Antigen-Antibody Complex↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Sleep-dependent hyperprolactinemia and Corpus luteum pathogenesis.

The results obtained in wake and sleep conditions by PRL determinations performed in 6 normoprolactinemic infertile women with luteal phase deficiency (LPD) are reported. Infertility was apparently due to LPD. PRL levels were determined by RIA in blood samples collected at 20-min intervals from 18(00) to 08(00). LPD has been previously demonstrated by endometrial biopsy, basal temperature and circulating progesterone determinations. PRL levels were also determined in 5 normal women used as control subjects under the same experimental conditions. The results obtained, expressed as means +/- SD of LPD vs. control group, were 15.9 +/- 4.6 vs. 11.6 +/- 3.3 ng/ml (p greater than 0.1) in wake conditions and 31.9 +/- 5.9 vs. 21.4 +/- 5.7 ng/ml (p less than 0.01) in sleep conditions. PRL values during the highest pulse (HP) in sleep and wake conditions were 20.9 +/- 5.2 vs. 17.0 +/- 3.3 ng/ml (p less than 0.1) and 51.1 +/- 17.1 vs. 34.3 +/- 2.4 ng/ml (p less than 0.01), respectively. In 2 out of the 6 patients mean PRL values were 22.0 and 26.5 ng/ml during sleep, and 26.0 and 33.0 ng/ml during HP. These values were not statistically significant when compared with those obtained in the control group. The results obtained show that 4 out of the 6 patients with LPD and normal PRL levels in wake conditions had sleep-dependent hyperprolactinemia due to the pulses with a more significant amplitude. These findings suggest that in some cases sleep-induced hyperprolactinemia might be involved in LPD pathogenesis.

Adult↗