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Biomedical subjects

J Camacho

Publications and source records attributed to J Camacho.

50 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Anatomy of the gonadal veins: a reappraisal.

Variations in anatomy were found quite frequently during bilateral gonadal vein dissection and resection for pelvic varices in the past 5 years (120 cases). In about one fourth of the cases, routine gonadal phlebography was not technically feasible or did not correlate exactly with the operative findings. Some cases of male varicocele showed recurrence after surgery. These facts, in addition to the scarce information provided by anatomy textbooks, induced us to study thoroughly the gonadal veins. One hundred cadaver dissections (200 veins) were done for length, diameter, number, and location of valves and collaterals, number of trunks in each side, and mode of termination in the renal vein and vena cava. Topographic division of the veins by thirds facilitated the information. Variations from the classic anatomic description were encountered frequently. As to the number of trunks, at the middle third, where the vein is usually divided, only 60% have one trunk on the left and only 75% have one on the right side. The rest are multiple; as many as four and six trunks in the lower third were found. The knowledge of these anatomic variations, not clearly described before, is of great importance to both surgeons and invasive radiologists and conducive to successful results.

Adolescent↗

[The serum and intraerythrocyte concentration of ferritin in the anemia of rheumatoid arthritis].

Serum concentration of ferritin (Ft) and its glycosylated fraction (Ft-Gl) and intraerythrocytic ferritin (Ft-e) concentration were measured in 26 patients with anemia and active rheumatoid arthritis. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to the presence of anemia of chronic diseases (n = 13) or associated ferropenia. Unlike the first group, patients with associated ferropenia had lower concentration of the above parameters than 31 control subjects. The logarithmic value of FT (log FT) directly correlated with globular sedimentation velocity. Ft-Gl and log Ft-e correlated with transferrin saturation (r = 0.603, p less than 0.01 and r = 0.444, p less than 0.05). Log Ft-e also correlated with Ft (r = 0.504, p less than 0.01). The probability of ferropenia when Ft was 60 micrograms/l or lower was 0.91, and when Ft-e was 1.5 ag/cel or lower was 0.66. It is concluded that the ferropenic status in active rheumatoid anemia decreases the iron dependent synthesis of ferritin (Ft-Gl) more than that mediated by the acute phase response. The intraerythrocytic content is low due to the scanty iron supply to the erythroblast. Ft is more efficacious than Ft-e in the diagnosis of ferropenia.

Anemia, Hypochromic↗

[Chronic neutrophilic leukemia: apropos of 2 cases and review of the literature].

Two patients with chronic neutrophilic leukemia, a rare myeloproliferative syndrome, are reported with a review of the literature. The major features of the 34 collected cases (including the two patients reported here) were persistent leukocytosis simulating a leukemoid reaction, hepatosplenomegaly, hyperuricemia, increased vitamin B12 blood level, increased leukocyte alkaline phosphatase and absence of the Philadelphia chromosome. Infection was the leading cause of death. Concomitant multiple myeloma was found in eight patients.

Adult↗

Increasing extracellular calcium concentration does not prevent hypotensive effects of verapamil in neonatal swine.

Effects of CaCl2 on cardiac function and regional circulatory responses to verapamil (V) infusion were studied in pentobarbital-anesthetized 2-week-old swine. V 100 micrograms/kg (n = 15) or 300 micrograms/kg (n = 15), given as a 2-min intravenous infusion, was repeated after 30 min. Only V was given to 15 of these. The other 15 were given CaCl2 (15 mg/kg) over 2 min, pre-V (protocol A), and over 4 min, 2 min pre-V and during V (protocol B). Positive chronotropic and negative inotropic responses to V were attenuated by CaCl2; hypotensive effects were unaltered. Renal, but not mesenteric and femoral, vasodilation was augmented by CaCl2, CaCl2 alone produced marked positive inotropic and renal vasodilatory effects which contributed to maintenance of the hypotensive effect of V.

Animals↗

[Evaluation of the carbohydrate metabolism in the drug addict].

A prospective study to determine the carbohydrate metabolism in 23 intravenous drug users (IVDU) was carried out. 13 of them had no infection complications (group A), while the other 10 had acute associated infectious (group B). Both groups showed basal glycemia, insulin and glycosylated hemoglobin levels, similar to the control determinations. There were no correlations between these parameters and the hepatic function test alterations or the immunological changes in the IVDU. Our results showed that there were no alterations in the carbohydrates metabolism of the IVDU with a normal nutritional state, in spite of the well-known hypoglycemic effects of opiates in the experimental animal mode.

Adolescent↗

Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae increases the susceptibility of pigs to experimental Pasteurella multocida pneumonia.

The interaction between Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae and Pasteurella multocida in experimental pneumonia was investigated in conventional pigs. The experimental animals were 49 days old when inoculated with M. hyopneumoniae; they were inoculated with P. multocida after 23 days, and killed 13 days later. In pigs inoculated only with P. multocida, clinical signs and lung lesions were not observed, and the agent was not recovered. Pigs inoculated with M. hyopneumoniae developed fever, moderate cough and dyspnea which tended to disappear, and small proliferative lung lesions from which M. hyopneumoniae was isolated. Pigs inoculated with both agents had higher fever, severe cough and dyspnea which tended to aggravate, and extensive exudative lung lesions from which organisms were isolated. All animals had similar growth rates, but the group infected with both agents consumed 60% more food. Therefore, M. hyopneumoniae causes mild pneumonia, whereas P. multocida is not pathogenic alone but aggravates the pneumonia initiated by M. hyopneumoniae.

Animals↗

Occurrence of immunoblastic B-cell lymphoma in hairy cell leukemia.

A 47-year-old man, was referred for evaluation of asymptomatic splenomegaly in September 1981, and a diagnosis of hairy cell leukemia (HCL) at the initial clinical stage was made. The patient remained asymptomatic until May 1985, when splenectomy was performed because of anemia and splenomegaly. Bone marrow and liver biopsy specimens showed diffuse infiltration by abnormal tartase resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) positive lymphocytes with typical aspect of hairy cells. Four months later, he developed fever of unknown origin and, at laparotomy, diffuse retroperitoneal lymph node enlargement and metastatic liver nodules were seen. Lymph node and liver biopsy specimens showed diffuse infiltration by abnormal large lymphocytes, which bore monoclonal surface immunoglobulin M and light chain kappa. Only six cases of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma associated with HCL have been published to date. This report describes an additional case of immunoblastic B-cell lymphoma, preceded 4 years earlier by the diagnosis of HCL.

B-Lymphocytes↗

The spectrum of neurological manifestations in myeloma.

Thirty-two patients with myelomatosis (3 with a solitary plasmocytoma and 29 with multiple myeloma) and neurological complications, from a group of 110 unselected patients with myelomatous disease were recorded. Spinal cord compression was the most frequent complication seen in 12 cases. In 9 subjects, it was the presenting symptom, and in 11 cases was caused by extradural plasmocytoma of the thoracic spine. Early decompressive laminectomy was curative in 3 cases, but in the rest, delay in diagnosis resulted in only partial recovery even with radiotherapy. Of the 6 patients with nerve root involvement, radiotherapy led to full recovery in 2 of 3 cases, and laminectomy resulted in complete improvement in 2 other cases. Peripheral polyneuropathy was seen in 8 cases, 2 related to systemic amyloidosis and 6 unassociated with amyloidosis. Both forms of neuropathy shared a slow progression, independent of the course of the myeloma. Acute encephalopathy, found in 6 cases, was due to hypercalcemia and/or serum hyperviscosity, and led to a significant shortening of mean survival. One patient had third cranial nerve palsy due to the overlying lesion of the skull base, and another suffered acute bacterial meningitis.

Aged↗

Lipid composition of liver plasma membranes from rats intoxicated with carbon tetrachloride.

Rat liver plasma membranes were isolated from rats intoxicated acutely and chronically with carbon tetrachloride and a quantitative analysis of lipids was performed. Membranes from regenerating liver (acute intoxication) are characterized by a 60% drop in total phospholipids with a diminished phosphatidylcholine/phosphatidylethanolamine ratio (PC/PE) and a markedly decreased cholesterol level during the first 3 days after the intoxication, leading to a drastically decreased cholesterol/phospholipid (PL) ratio. In the chronically intoxicated rats (non-regenerating liver), although the phospholipids are diminished, phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine are equally decreased, and therefore the PC/PE ratio is not changed. Cholesterol is not diminished and, since the phospholipids are very low, the ratio cholesterol/PL is increased. These data could be correlated with the membrane fluidity. A decrease in the cholesterol/PL ratio results in a more fluid lipid matrix in the proliferative state of the cell. Treatment with colchicine during chronic intoxication prevented the increase in the cholesterol/PL ratio and improved the clinical conditions of the rats. The modulation of the cholesterol content could be a mechanism to control membrane fluidity during the different physiological states of the cell.

Animals↗

[Clinical electrophysiological evaluation of mexiletine].

We studied sixteen patients (pts), seven men and nine women (mean age 35 years) with sustained tachyarrhythmias, for acute therapeutic trial with mexiletine (3 mg/kg IV). The arrhythmias were: ventricular tachyarrhythmia in eight pts supra-ventricular tachycardia (SVT) in eight pts, seven due to abnormal tracts (43%) and one to nodal reentry. After mexiletine administration, the sinusal cycle length was reduced in 12.7% (P less than 0.05) and the H-V interval decreased 6.1% (P less than 0.05). The nodal conduction (A-H) didn't show any substantial change, neither the atrial nor the ventricular refractory periods (RP). In two pts with complex premature ventricular beats it was not possible to induce the ventricular tachycardia(VT) six had sustained VT. After mexiletine administration, three of them (37.5%) showed self limited VT with a greater R-R cycle. Another case was complicated by ventricular fibrillation, In the pts with SVT, the retrograde RP of the abnormal tracts shortened in 27% (P less than 0.05), while the antegrade was not modified. Mexiletine showed to be efficient for the VT treatment. Its efficacy was very limited in pts with SVT. There was no evidence of any deleterious effect over the His-Purkinje conduction.

Adolescent↗