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Biomedical subjects

J Baptista

Publications and source records attributed to J Baptista.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1991

Comparisons of diet and biochemical characteristics of stool and urine between Chinese populations with low and high colorectal cancer rates.

In an investigation of the roles of diet and stool biochemistry in human colorectal carcinogenesis, 24-hour food, urine, and stool samples were collected from randomly selected participants from two populations with a fourfold difference in colorectal cancer risk: Chinese in Sha Giao, People's Republic of China (low risk), and Chinese-Americans of similar ages in San Francisco County, Calif, in the United States (high risk). The findings supported the hypotheses that colorectal cancer risk is increased by the consumption of high-fat, high-protein, and low-carbohydrate diets and is associated with high levels of cholesterol in stool as well as increased daily outputs of 3-methyl-histidine and malonaldehyde in urine. However, risk does not increase with low stool bulk and low total stool fibers.

China↗
PubMed1991

Bone mineral density of the lumbar spine in women with endometriosis.

Young women with endometriosis have reduced cortical and trabecular bone mineral density of the wrist compared with age-matched controls. This conclusion was based on 41 subjects from one geographical location. The purpose of this study was to test this finding in a larger, more geographically diverse population. One hundred women with laparoscopically proven endometriosis were enrolled in this study for the evaluation of the efficacy of nafarelin, a gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist. Patients were recruited from nine investigators across the United States and Canada, and bone mineral density of the lumbar spine was obtained at baseline, with 6 Hologic QDR (Hologic Inc., Waltham, MA) and a Lunar DPX (Lunar Radiation Corp., Madison, WI) instrument. The age of the women was 30.3 +/- 5.8 years (mean +/- SD); 91% were white. Bone mineral density of the lumbar spine was 1.1 +/- 0.11 g/cm2 (n = 85 Hologic QDR) and 1.2 +/- 0.93 g/cm2 (n = 15 Lunar DPX). Hologic bone mineral density was 104.8 +/- 11.0 and Lunar bone mineral density was 103.4% +/- 7.8% of normal values for age. To conclude, in a population based cross-sectional study of patients with endometriosis, we do not observe low bone mineral density of the lumbar spine by techniques that measure a combination of cortical and trabecular bone.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Bone mineral density of the lumbar spine in endometriosis subjects compared to an age-similar control population.

The purpose of this study was to compare the lumbar bone mineral density (BMD) between women with endometriosis and age-similar controls. Eighty-five women from nine North American centers (mean age, 30.7 yr) with laparoscopically proven endometriosis (study patients) were enrolled in a study of the efficacy of nafarelin, a GnRH agonist. Fifty-two women (mean age, 32 yr) from the Palo Alto area, with regular menstrual cycles and no major medical problems, served as age-similar controls. Both groups were predominantly (greater than 92%) white. The mean BMD of the lumbar spine was 1.1 g/cm2 in both the study subjects and the controls. Study patients were 104.8% and controls were 104.8% of normal values for age. BMD was not significantly different in the two groups. BMD was not correlated with severity or time from diagnosis of endometriosis. BMD was positively correlated with weight (r = 0.28; P less than 0.05) in both groups, with height (r = 0.30; P less than 0.01) in study patients, and marginally with height (r = 0.26; P less than 0.07) in controls. This study showed no difference in BMD between endometriosis patients and age-similar controls; both groups had normal BMD.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Mechlorethamine, vincristine, and procarbazine chemotherapy for recurrent high-grade glioma in adults: a phase II study.

We undertook a phase II study of combination chemotherapy with mechlorethamine (nitrogen mustard) 6 mg/m2 intravenously day 1 and day 8, vincristine 2 mg intravenously day 1 and day 8, and procarbazine 100 mg/m2 orally days 1 through 14 (MOP) in adults with recurrent high-grade glioma. There were 31 patients entered and 27 patients assessable for response. The median age was 49 years old. All patients had prior maximal radiotherapy, and eight had previous chemotherapy. Responses were determined based on clinical and computed tomographic (CT) scan/magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) criteria. The response rate (partial response [PR] plus objective qualitative response [OQR] plus complete response [CR]) was 52% with one CR. The response rate was higher in patients with anaplastic astrocytoma as compared with glioblastoma multiforme (P less than .05). The median duration of response was 42 weeks. Median survival for all assessable patients was 30 weeks, and for responders, it was 60 weeks. Response was correlated with ability to decrease dexamethasone doses and improved performance status. Toxicity was mainly hematologic with leukopenia being common. There was one treatment-related death from listeria meningitis, and two patients developed Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia. There were three episodes of neutropenic fever. We conclude that MOP is active and merits further investigation in adult high-grade glioma.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Cytosolic thymidine kinase activity in cultured human fibroblasts from individuals with galactokinase deficiency.

The structural genes for human galactokinase (GALK) and the human cytosolic form of thymidine kinase (TK1) are located on 17q21-q22. These two loci are tightly linked, and studies on Chinese hamster cell lines have shown that the expression of TK1 and GALK genes may alter simultaneously. We investigated the possibility of a dependent mutation of TK1 and GALK genes in cultured fibroblasts, obtained from two patients homozygous for the GALKG-deficient gene. Since we showed that the TK1 level varies as a function of the passage and the growth rate of a given strain, our experiments were performed on nonstored skin fibroblasts, between the third and the fifth passage for both controls and patients. We found that TK1 levels in GALK-deficient cells were almost 75% of those observed in control strains with a similar growth rate. Previous results in the literature have shown a pronounced decrease in TK1 activity in three GALK-deficient fibroblastic strains. We suggest that these disparities of TK1 levels in GALK-deficient fibroblasts may be related either to genetic heterogeneity of GALK deficiency or to differences in culture conditions.

Cell Division↗
PubMed1989

[Metabolic cooperation in cocultures of fibroblasts from patients with various abnormalities of galactose metabolism].

14C galactose incorporation into the TCA-precipitable material of cultures of fibroblasts deficient in galactokinase (GALK-) was nil. In cultures of fibroblasts deficient in uridyltransferase (GALT-), it was 30 to 75% of control incorporation. In cocultures of GALK and GALT-deficient fibroblasts, 14C incorporation was restored to near-normal levels. This restoration produced in the presence of close cellular contacts was not increased by polyethyleneglycol somatic hybridization. Our results indicate that metabolic cooperation occurred involving the transfer of galactose 1-phosphate from the GALT-deficient to the GALK-deficient cells via intercellular connections.

Carbohydrate Metabolism, Inborn Errors↗
PubMed1989

[Pulmonary valvotomy in adults. The double balloon technic--apropos of 2 cases].

Percutaneous double balloon valvotomy was performed in two adult patients with severe non dysplasic pulmonary valvular stenosis. The balloons were introduced through two 14F sheaths placed in the right and left femural veins, the intervention was well tolerated and succeeded with a marked decrease in right ventricular pressure and in pulmonary transvalvular gradient (113 and 147 mmHg to 10 and 12 mmHg respectively). The patients were discharged within 24 hours, without the need of Intensive Care admission. Indications for the procedure and technical aspects are presented, as well as the potential advantages of two balloons over one balloon and surgical valvotomy.

Catheterization↗
PubMed1987

The effect of fecapentaenes on nuclear aberrations in murine colonic epithelial cells.

Fecapentaenes, human fecal mutagens of bacterial origin, were intrarectally administered to mice in suppository form. Despite the strong, positive mutagenic response of fecanpentaenes using Ames tester strains TA 98 and TA 100, no increase in nuclear aberrations, taken as a measure of genotoxicity in colonic epithelial cells, was observed over control levels. In fecapentaene treated animals, however, the incidence of mitotic figures was increased above control levels to values comparable to those observed in mice treated with the known colon carcinogen, N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea. Thus, it would appear that fecapentaenes are not cytotoxic to murine colonic epithelia as judged by the nuclear aberration assay.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Characterization of cytotoxic steroids in human faeces and their putative role in the etiology of human colonic cancer.

It has been shown previously that chemically induced nuclear abeerrations in the murine colon are correlated with the carcinogenicity of the respective chemicals. Consequently, the nuclear aberration assay was utilized for the identification of putatife carcinogens in human faeces. Human fecal samples were fractionated by several chromatographic methods, and the assay led to the isolation of two substances. A combination of spectroscopic (mass, nuclear magnetic resonance, ultraviolet, and infrared) and chromatographic (HPLC and GLC) methods showed that they are 5-alpha- cholestan-3-one (I) and cholest-4-en-3-one (II). A number of C-27-C-30 steroids isolated from closely related fractions of feces were inactive in this assay. Thus I and II could play a role in etiology of large bowel cancer in humans.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

On distribution of different fecapentaenes, the fecal mutagens, in the human population.

It has been shown by an HPLC analysis using a quarternary solvent mixture in an isocratic mode that human excretors of these fecal mutagens excrete both fecapentaene -12 and -14 but the ratios vary greatly between individuals. Since these mutagens are produced by the bacterial flora of the colon, this may indicate differences in the flora between these individuals or differences in the availability of different precursor molecules in their colons. Any relationship of these findings to the etiology of colonic cancer is not clear.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Risk factors for nodular sclerosis and other types of Hodgkin's disease.

The age-adjusted incidence rates of nodular sclerosis in Los Angeles County from 1972 to 1975 were 58% lower in Mexican-Americans and 42% lower in blacks than in other whites. They were the same for each sex among other whites and the curve of age-specific incidence peaked in young adulthood. The incidence of nodular sclerosis was directly associated with social class. In contrast, the rates for other histological varieties of Hodgkin's disease (lymphocyte predominance, mixed cellularity, lymphocyte depletion) were only 12% lower in Mexican-Americans but 34% lower in blacks. In other whites, the rates were 92% higher in men and increased gradually with age while there were no clear trends with social class. These characteristics support the hypothesis that, at least for purposes of etiology, the nodular sclerosis form of this disease should be considered a distinct entity. Self-administered questionnaire were completed by 218 of the 1972 to 1973 Hodgkin's disease patients and 218 individually matched neighbourhood controls. Significantly high risk ratios for Hodgkin's disease were found for prior appendectomy (risk ratios = 1.9, p = 0.01) and for past amphetamine use (risk ratios = 3.0, p = 0.01). The elevated risk associated with amphetamine use had been found in a previous study.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1978

Immune function in healthy relatives of patients with malignant disease.

Immune function studies of healthy members of families with multiple lymphoreticular neoplasms were compared with those of healthy members of families with multiple cancers and families with no known history of cancer. The lymphoma family group had a significantly elevated serum level of IgM and diminished responses to the Candida albicans skin test antigen and the T-cell mitogen concanavalin A. Subjects with Epstein-Barr virus-viral capsid antigen titers greater than or equal to 160 had lower responses to mitogens.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1978

Initial urinary catecholamine metabolite concentrations and prognosis in neuroblastoma.

Initial urinary catecholamine metabolite and amino acid excretion patterns were examined in 54 children with neuroblastoma. The relationships between prognosis and age at diagnosis, stage of disease, primary site, and histologic grade of tumor were similar in this population to those found in previous studies, but only age and stage were found to be independent prognostic variables. Prognosis in disseminated disease was found to correlate directly with the urinary vanilmandelic acid (VMA)/homovanillic acid (HVA) ratio but not with the absolute levels of HVA. The presence of the dopa metabolite, vanillactic acid, as well as increased amounts of cystathionine and/or low levels of VMA indicated poor prognosis. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that biochemically primitive neuroblastomas deficient in dopamine beta-hydroxylase are move virulent than their mature analogues which produce epinephrine, norepinephrine, and their metabolites.

Adrenal Gland Neoplasms↗
PubMed1976

Urogenital tract abnormalities in sons of women treated with diethylstilbestrol.

Since in utero exposure to diethylstilbestrol (DES) is known to cause abnormalities of the female genital tract later in life, exposed male offspring were located, surveyed by mail, and compared with unexposed male offspring from the same period and medical practices. The exposed and unexposed respondents appeared comparable and did not differ in their response to most medical questions. However, a larger proportion of exposed than of unexposed boys had experienced problems in passing urine (12.9% vs. 1.8%, P = .0003) and abnormalities of the penile urethra (4.4% vs. 0%; P = .017).

Abnormalities, Drug-Induced↗
PubMed1975

Reserpine and breast cancer in a retirement community.

In an attempt to confirm three reports suggesting a causal link between rauwolfia antihypertensive drugs and female breast carcinoma, all cases of such cancer appearing among the residents of an affluent retirement community were compared with controls chosen from a roster of all women in the same community. Most residents use a single care facility, and patterns of hypertension diagnosis, rauwolfia and other drug use, and medical-care-system patronage were abstracted from medical records. The prevalence of recorded rauwolfia use among the controls were 20 per cent, and that of other drug use was correspondingly high. The risk ratio for rauwolfia use was estimated to be 1.2 (95 per cent confidence interval, 0.7 to 2.2). Risk ratios between 1.0 and 2.0 were also found for other drug use and for measures of care-system patronage. These results do not support the hypothesis that reserpine causes breast cancer.

Aged↗