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Biomedical subjects

J Blanco

Publications and source records attributed to J Blanco.

At least 253 records · Page 14Linked to original sources
PubMed1992

Psychiatric diagnoses aboard an aircraft carrier.

A descriptive study was conducted for 150 consecutive patients with a psychiatric diagnosis evaluated over 11 months by the medical staff onboard an aircraft carrier. Patients with sole diagnosis of alcohol abuse or dependence were excluded. Axis II diagnoses, or personality disorders, were more common (N = 120) than Axis I diagnoses (N = 46). The most common Axis I diagnoses were adjustment disorder and major depression. Axis II diagnoses were significantly more likely (OR = 7.33, 95% CI 4.45-12.16, p = 0.000) in sailors less than 23 years of age compared to ship's population. Suicide behavior was demonstrated in 68% (102/150) of the patient population. This study emphasized the requirement for extensive psychiatric training for the clinical aerospace medicine specialists providing operational support to aircraft carrier crews.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

[Correlation between dysplasia and malignization risk of Crohn disease].

The malignancy risk in Crohn's disease is less than that of ulcerative colitis, although it has not been so well studied. The possibility of an early detection of malignant changes during the long term follow-up of the patients induces to look for parameters which might be helpful in this respect. In the second surgical clinic of the Hospital Clinico in Madrid, the pathological findings of 11 patients with the diagnosis of Crohn's disease have been analyzed and correlated with the clinical findings. The evaluation of the degree of dysplasia was done on 15 samples obtained by endoscopy and compared with the findings of the surgical specimens in 6 operated patients. The degree of dysplasia increases with age of the patients and years of evolution of the disease with a significant correlation (p less than 0.001) between negative dysplasia and positive dysplasia grade I.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

[Rehabilitation of hemiplegic patients].

The multifactorial aspects of rehabilitation of hemiplegic patients are reported. Medical and neuropsychological aspects as well as the significance of therapies, such as occupational and language training, physiotherapy and recreation therapy, are discussed. The importance of the role of the family, the architectonic aspects, institutional placement, an early start to rehabilitation and the limits are emphasized.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1991

Contacts between 5 S DNA and Xenopus TFIIIA identified using 5-azido-2'-deoxyuridine-substituted DNA.

A highly photosensitive analogue of thymidine, 5-azidodeoxyuridine 5'-triphosphate, has been incorporated into 61-base pair (bp) DNA fragments corresponding to the central region of Xenopus somatic-type 5 S RNA genes such that 5-azidodeoxyuridine replaces some or all T residues in either the coding or noncoding strand of the TFIIIA binding site. Photolysis of TFIIIA.DNA complexes formed with these probes results in efficient, sequence-specific cross-linking to the Zn-finger protein providing direct evidence that this class of proteins have contacts in the major groove of their target sequence. Of the 20 T residues present in the 61-bp probes, greater than 90% of the cross-linking occurs from two sites in the 5 S RNA gene corresponding to T residues at positions 84 and 88 in the noncoding and coding strands, respectively. Digestion by V8 protease of the complex formed with the noncoding strand probe releases peptides not bound to the DNA. Amino acid sequence analysis of the remaining, cross-linked peptides indicates the region including zinc-finger 2 plus the finger 2-3 linker is in contact with position 84. The linker region between fingers 5 and 6 is also in close proximity to the major groove somewhere upstream from position 84.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1991

Biotypes, antibiotic resistance and plasmids coding for CFA/I and STa in enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli strains of serotype O153:H45 isolated in Spain.

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) strains of serotype O153:H45 have been found recently to be a frequent cause of sporadic cases and outbreaks of neonatal diarrhoea in Spain and the most important cause of infant diarrhoea in Chile. Relationships between sugar fermentation patterns, resistance to antibiotics and plasmid profiles were analysed in nine E. coli O153:H45 strains isolated in Spain that synthesised CFA/I antigen and STa enterotoxin. Derivative strains obtained by curing with acridine orange, and transconjugants rendered antibiotic resistant, were characterised phenotypically and analysed for plasmid content. Two fermentation patterns were recognised: rhamnose fermenters (four strains) and rhamnose non-fermenters (five strains). The ability to ferment rhamnose was the only differential characteristic found among 49 carbohydrate fermentation tests used to establish fermentation patterns. All nine strains possessed similar plasmid profiles of three or four plasmids of 52-87 Mda. A non-conjugative large plasmid of 82 Mda or 87 Mda, depending upon the strain, was identified as that responsible for production of both CFA/I and STa. Resistance to antibiotics was determined by plasmids other than those coding for CFA/I and STa. Two conjugative resistance factors were identified: a 52-Mda plasmid coding for resistance to ampicillin, streptomycin and sulphonamide in rhamnose-fermenting strains, and a 77-Mda plasmid coding for resistance to ampicillin, streptomycin, kanamycin, tetracycline and sulphonamide in rhamnose non-fermenting strains. Our results support the hypothesis that the prevalence and distribution of ETEC strains belonging to serotype O153:H45 in Spain and Chile could be due to the extensive cultural relations between Spain and South American from the past.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1991

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli associated with infant diarrhoea in Galicia, north-western Spain.

To assess the role of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) in infantile diarrhoea, 482 children with diarrhoea and 103 healthy controls, from three localities of Galicia, north-western Spain, were investigated between 1985 and 1988. Rotavirus (37.3%) and Salmonella spp. (12.8%) were the most common causal agents, followed by ETEC (3.9%), Campylobacter jejuni (2.3%), Shigella spp. (0.9%) and Yersinia enterocolitica (0.5%). ETEC were significantly more frequently isolated from children with diarrhoea who were under 1 month of age (26.5%) than from older diarrhoeic children (2.2%) (p less than 0.001) or from healthy children who were under 1 month of age (0%) (p less than 0.05). Among children who harboured ETEC, five of the nine children under 1 month of age developed diarrhoea in hospital, whereas none of the 10 children over 1 month of age did so. Seventeen ETEC isolates produced heat-stable enterotoxin (STa) only, four produced only heat-labile enterotoxin (LT), and two produced both toxins. Colonisation factor antigens CFA/I and CFA/II were detected in 11 (55.0%) of the 20 ETEC isolates that remained enterotoxigenic after maintenance in the laboratory. Most ETEC isolates belonged to serotypes O153:K-:H45 (nine STa+ CFA/I+ isolates), O27:K-:H7 (three STa+ isolates) or O6:K15:H16 (two LT+ STa+ CFA/II+ isolates). Our results suggest that ETEC constitute an important cause of neonatal diarrhoea in this part of Spain.

Antigens, Bacterial↗
PubMed1991

Fibronectin binding by Salmonella strains: evaluation of a particle agglutination assay.

Thirty-five Salmonella strains isolated from human cases of salmonellosis were tested and compared for their fibronectin (fn) binding capacities by using two fn-particle agglutination assays (fn-PAAs) prepared by coating with human fn either (i) latex beads (Difco; 0.81-micron diameter) (L-fn-PAA) or (ii) heat-killed formalin-treated Staphylococcus aureus Cowan 1 cells (C-fn-PAA). Six S. aureus strains were also included in this study as controls. The strains were cultured on colonization factor antigen agar and blood agar and in tryptic soy broth and brain heart infusion broth. The Salmonella and S. aureus strains were cultured at 33 and 37 degrees C, respectively, for optimal expression of fn-binding proteins. Bacterial cells (approximately 10(10) cells per ml) harvested from growth in various culture media and suspended in 0.02 M potassium phosphate buffer (pH 6.8) agglutinated the fn-PAA reagents. These reactions were scored semiquantitatively from + to + depending on the speed or intensity of the reactions within 2 min. Maximum agglutination in fn-PAA systems was observed when the cells were grown in brain heart infusion broth, while tryptic soy broth proved to be least suitable media for culturing cells for fn-PAAS. Although a statistically highly significant correlation was obtained between results of assays of radiolabeled fn and 29-kDa fragment binding, no significant correlation was observed (i) between the results of strains cultured in different media or (ii) when semiquantitative score results of the two fn-PAA systems were compared with those of the conventional radiolabeled fn assay. To enhance the efficiency of the test system, the C-fn-PAA reagent was stained with methylene blue (2% in 0.17 M glycine-NaOH buffer [pH 6.8]). This facilitated easy interpretation of results, which could be performed on hydrophobic paper instead of glass slides. The results obtained with both unstained C-fn-PAA and stained C-fn-PAA were comparable to each other and reproducible. Although the fn-PAAs are simple and easy to perform, the results did not differentiate between negative, low, moderate, and high binding abilities when Salmonella strains were evaluated for fn binding, and the results were not comparable to those obtained by the conventional radiolabeling method.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Enterotoxins, colonization factors and serotypes of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli from humans and animals.

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) strains may synthesize both thermolabile (LT-I and LT-II) and thermostable (STa and STb) enterotoxins. Whereas thermolabile enterotoxins are high molecular weight proteins (85,000 d-90,000 d) composed by a single enzymatic A subunit combined with five B subunits which enable toxin for the receptor recognition, thermostable enterotoxins are small peptide chains with molecular weight between 1,900 d and 5,000 d. In addition to the synthesis of enterotoxins, the ability of ETEC strains to cause diarrhoea is also conditioned by the possession of colonization factors which enable bacteria adhere-to and colonize the luminal surface of small bowel. Colonization factors in ETEC strains were located in rigid fimbriae and flexible fibrils constituted by protein subunits ranging in size from 14,500 d to 31,000 d and usually responsible for mannose-resistant haemagglutination with determined erythrocyte species. Both enterotoxins and colonization factors are controlled by plasmids. There exist plasmids which may code separately enterotoxins and colonization factors, and besides there also exist recombinant plasmids coding together these two virulence factors. Human ETEC strains may synthesize LT-I and/or STa enterotoxins, they may possess the colonization factors named CFA/I, CFA/II, CFA/III or CFA/IV, and they belong mainly to serogroups O6, O8, O15, O20, O25, O27, O63, O77, O78, O114, O115, O126, O128, O139, O148, O153, O159 and O167. ETEC strains from porcine origin synthesize LT-I, STa and/or STb, they possess the colonization factors K88, P987, K99 or F41, and they usually belong to serogroups O8, O9, O20, O45, O64, O101, O115, O138, O141, O147, O149 and O157. Bovine and ovine ETEC strains are usually STa producers harbouring on the bacterial surface K99 or F41 colonization factors and they belong to serogroups O8, O9 and O101. Nevertheless, some particular bovine ETEC strains synthesizing LT-II have been described. Thus, a high specificity level between ETEC strains causing diarrhoea in humans and domestic animals can be observed. This is mainly due to the specific recognition between bacterial colonization factors and the epithelial receptors during host-parasite interaction.

Adhesins, Escherichia coli↗
PubMed1990

Comparative evaluation of three tests for the detection of Escherichia coli cytotoxic necrotizing factors (CNF1 and CNF2) using filtrates of cultures treated with mitomycin C.

Necrotizing Escherichia coli (NTEC) strains grown in the presence of mitomycin C released cell associated necrotizing factors CNF1 and CNF2 to culture medium. Using culture filtrates from 96 mitomycin C treated E. coli strains, we have found that a modified HeLa cell assay was a more sensitive and specific method for the detection of CNF1 and CNF2 than the Vero cell assay and the rabbit skin test.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Adenosine metabolism in kidney slices under normoxic conditions.

The effect of adenosine in rat kidney under normoxic conditions has been studied. It is demonstrated that adenosine modulates cell nucleotide levels. HPLC analysis of the purine compounds inside the cell indicates that adenosine improves the ATP/ADP ratio, whereas it diminishes the adenine content. This behaviour is not due to mediation by specific receptors, as agonists at P1 purinoceptors did not have any effect. Further evidence using inosine as well as dipyridamole and deoxycoformycin indicates that all effects are dependent on the previous uptake of adenosine. The origin of free adenine in the kidney has been investigated, and it appears to come from the phosphorolysis of 5'-methylthio-adenosine. This report is the first to describe the activity of methylthioadenosine phosphorylase (E.C. 2.4.2.28) in the kidney. It is concluded that 1) extracellular adenosine improves guinea pig renal function by increasing the ATP level and the ATP/ADP ratio; and 2) there exists a functional pathway in the kidney that produces adenine and AMP coming from methionine and ATP. This latter pathway probably produces spermine and spermidine, which are likely to be important for renal function.

Adenine↗
PubMed1990

Overlay technique for direct detection and identification of haemolytic Listeria on selective plating medium. Comparison of five media.

An overlay technique is proposed for the identification and counting of haemolytic Listeria colonies directly on selective plating media. The technique was applied to different Listeria-selective plating media. In pure culture studies with collection strains, the overlay technique was more efficient and reliable for detection haemolytic Listeria species compared with the incorporation of blood into the agar. The efficacy of the overlay technique for the direct detection of haemolytic colonies of Listeria from raw milk samples was related to agar selectivity. The best results were obtained with Listeria-selective agar medium modified (LSAMM). Catalase assay, together with reactions for aesculin and tellurite, were useful and reliable criteria for the identification of Listeria. All colonies on LSAMM which were positive for catalase, tellurite and aesculin while those displaying typical haemolysis corresponded in most cases to L. monocytogenes.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Virulence factors of bacteraemic Escherichia coli with particular reference to production of cytotoxic necrotising factor (CNF) by P-fimbriate strains.

Thirty-seven strains of Escherichia coli isolated from bacteraemia and 40 faecal strains isolated from healthy individuals were O serogrouped and investigated for the production of colicins, haemolysin (Hly), cytotoxic necrotising factor (CNF), lethal activity for mice, the expression of P fimbriae, mannose-resistant (MRHA) and mannose-sensitive (MSHA) haemagglutination, and relative cell surface hydrophobicity. Virulence factors significantly associated with bacteraemic strains were: serogroups O2, O4, O6, O7, O8 and O75 (54% versus 10%, p less than 0.001), production of Hly (32% versus 8%, p less than 0.02) and CNF (38% versus 10%, p less than 0.01), expression of P fimbriae (27% versus 5%, p less than 0.02), MRHA types III, IVa and IVb (51% versus 8%, p less than 0.001), and possession of a moderate cell surface hydrophobic charge (35% versus 13%, p less than 0.05). Virulence factors were strongly associated with strains expressing defined MRHA types. Thus, all strains belonging to MRHA types III and IVa were toxigenic, whereas only 11% of strains belonging to MRHA types IVb, V or VI were toxigenic (p less than 0.001). Virulence factors were concentrated in strains belonging to O serogroups usually found in E. coli that cause extra-intestinal infections, especially in strains of O4 and O6 groups. The most interesting result of this study was that all 12 P-fimbriate strains expressed the MRHA type IVa and 11 of them synthesised CNF.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Surface and virulence properties of environmental Vibrio cholerae non-O1 from Albufera Lake (Valencia, Spain).

A total of 140 environmental Vibrio cholerae non-O1 isolates, together with several culture collection strains from both environmental and clinical sources, were studied in relation to hemagglutination, surface hydrophobicity, and the enzymatic, hemolytic, cytotoxic, and enterotoxic activities of their extracellular products. A total of 78 and 62% of the strains produced hemagglutinins and exohemagglutinins, respectively. Four different hemagglutinating and two exohemagglutinating activities were found by using eight sugars in the inhibition assays. Cell-bound mannose-sensitive hemagglutination was detected mainly in chicken blood, whereas fucose-sensitive hemagglutination was recorded only in human blood. Cell-bound hemagglutinin resistant to all sugars tested was the only one related to surface hydrophobicity. The surface properties varied along the growth curves. The non-O1 strains displayed strong enzymatic and hemolytic activities, except for esculin hydrolysis. Of 26 non-O1 isolates selected for cytotoxin and enterotoxin production, 23 showed a wide spectrum of cytotoxic effects on cell lines of poikilothermic and homoiothermic species, but they were weakly enterotoxigenic in the infant mouse test. All extracellular products of cytotoxic strains were proteolytic, lipolytic, and hemolytic, and a high percentage produced hemagglutination of chicken blood. The cytotoxic factors in the non-O1 strains analyzed were not R plasmid mediated.

Antigens, Bacterial↗
PubMed1990

Evidence for two types of cytotoxic necrotizing factor in human and animal clinical isolates of Escherichia coli.

We have characterized the in vitro and in vivo toxic properties of cell sonic extracts from 22 animal and human clinical isolates of Escherichia coli that caused both necrosis in the rabbit skin and multinucleation in tissue cultures, two toxic properties previously reported as being specific for E. coli cytotoxic necrotizing factor (CNF). Two distinct toxic phenotypes were observed. Type 1, which was displayed by originally described CNF strains, was characterized by extensive multinucleation and rounding of cells in HeLa cell culture assays, moderate necrosis in the rabbit skin test, and absence of necrosis in the mouse footpad test. Type 2, which has recently been shown to be associated with E. coli Vir plasmid, was characterized by moderate multinucleation, by polymorphism and elongation of HeLa cells, and by an intense necrotic response in both the rabbit skin test and the mouse footpad test. The distinction between the two cytotoxins accounting for these effects (CNF 1 and CNF 2), together with their partial relatedness, was confirmed by seroneutralization studies of both cytopathic effects and necrosis in the rabbit skin test. In addition, type 2 extracts were more lethal in the mouse intraperitoneal test and induced a moderate, although not totally repetitive, fluid accumulation in the ileal loop test. The original toxic properties of these recently recognized categories of E. coli strains, together with their association with enteritis and septicemia, suggest that these strains may play a significant role in pathology.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

[Chronic fibroplastic leptomeningitis of the spinal cord and cauda equina].

Chronic (seldom subacute) low-grade spinal leptomeningitis, cystic and adhesive in natura, is a clinicopathologic condition known by several names in medical literature (arachnoiditis, arachnoditis adhesiva circumscripta, a.s.o.). The cystic structures are not cysts in the true sense of the word. They are in reality collections of cerebrospinal fluid walled off by meningeal adhesions. The extent of the leptomeningitis varies from a well-localized lesion to a diffused process involving the entire cereprospinal axis. In some cases the chronic proliferative changes lead to calcification and ossification of the leptomeninx. As well the circumscribed adhesive as the cystic form can produce a spinal cord compression syndrome similar to a tumor or a hydro-syringomyelia. Progressive paraparesis with difficulties of bladder and bowel function may nevertheless be arrested, or spontaneous remission may occur, perhaps due to temporary improvement of the local circulation of spinal fluid. An almost typical sciatic syndrome can be occasionally associated with a thickening of the leptomeninx and cystic spinal fluid collection in the region of the cauda equina. The lumbar adhesive and cystic form is as a rule a more benign disease then leptomeningitis occurring at thoracic or cervical levels. The etiological factors are trauma, spinal anesthesia, myelography, blood in the subarachnoid space, previous operations and infections. When the origin of the illness remains unidentified, low grade bacterial or viral infections can be presumed. We operated 2 patients with circumscribed severe leptomeningitis several segments far away from an intradural meningeoma. Such illness is uncommon, but not very rare. From 1970 until the end of 1986 we have carried out 33 laminectomies on 26 patients because of spinal leptomeningitis among 603 patients operated because of spinal cord compression (4.31%). Our cases are presented and literature is discussed. The dilemma what we have to do with a patient with symptomatic spinal leptomeningitis is open: the microsurgery can help the patient significantly, even if complete recovery is rare. In view of the extreme variety of these lesions a circumspect, sometime skeptical analysis of each patient must precede decision about surgery. We try to give some indications for microsurgery.

Adolescent↗