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Biomedical subjects

J Costa

Publications and source records attributed to J Costa.

At least 217 records · Page 12Linked to original sources
PubMed1989

[Determination of HBV DNA in the serum and saliva of subjects with acute hepatitis caused by HBV].

A study performed on acute hepatitis affected subjects (patients) caused by virus B, is presented. Seventeen patients separated in two groups were treated for same: A) (10) positiveness of reply marker in serum, and negative for spittle. B) (7) positiveness of reply marker in serum and spittle. Above said was determined throughout DNA molecular hybrid of VHB in serum and spittle. For group B patients, detecting this marker positiveness of 71.5% patients in serum and none in spittle.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1989

[Postoperative pseudosarcomas of the genitourinary tract. A diagnostic trap. Presentation of 4 cases of which 2 were studied immunohistochemically and review of the literature].

Four cases of postoperative pseudosarcomatous nodules of the genitourinary tract are reported. Two occurred in the vagina of 38 and 57 year-old women, 1 and 3 months after vaginal hysterectomy. The third one occurred in the bladder of a 60-year-old man, 1 and 1/2 months after prostatic adenomectomy. The fourth one occurred in the bladder of a 60-year-old woman, 2 months after transurethral cystoscopy with biopsies. On microscopic examination, the lesions were cellular spindle cell proliferations with numerous mitoses and minimal or no cytonuclear atypia. They mimicked sarcoma, with an overall appearance suggestive of leiomyosarcoma. Immunohistochemical studies performed on 2 cases showed strong reactivity of the cells with vimentin. Cytokeratins, desmin, smooth muscle myosin, smooth and striated muscle actins and factor VIII were negative. Despite simple, sometimes partial, local excision of the nodules, there was neither recurrence nor metastasis 8 months to 5 years later.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Histological diagnosis and grading of soft-tissue sarcomas.

Grading methodology for soft-tissue tumors is not yet unequivocally established. The authors use a system that is an elaboration upon that of the National Cancer Institute: grade 1 or low-grade lesions are malignant lesions with minimal risk of metastases with a tendency for local recurrence if not totally excised, and with a capability for progression to a higher grade with recurrence; grades 2 and 3 are high-grade lesions with a significant risk of metastases; grade 2 are lesions with intermediate aggressiveness, and grade 3 are highly malignant lesions with dissemination early in the course of the disease. Whereas the great majority of grade 3 lesions recur within 24 months of the initial diagnosis, patients with grade 2 lesions may go recurrence-free beyond 36 months. Although more experience is needed in grading soft-tissue sarcomas, it is hoped that grading will continue to contribute to the management of patients with malignant tumors of the soft tissue. It represents an adjunct to histological typing, which is useful in conveying the degree of biological aggressiveness as judged by histological features. Histologically 80% of the lesions can be classified on the basis of hematoxylin and eosin-stained sections and other conventional special stains. In some instances electron microscopy and immunohistochemistry are necessary for histotyping. The most challenging area for histopathological differential diagnosis remains the distinction of tumor-like reactive conditions, and pleomorphic benign tumors from sarcomas.

Biopsy, Needle↗
PubMed1988

Wheat rootlet growth inhibition test of Rwandese medicinal plants: active principles of Tetradenia riparia and Diplolophium africanum.

A series of 50 medicinal plants of Rwanda (121 plant samples) has been screened for wheat rootlets inhibition activity. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the active principle of Tetradenia riparia, i.e. 8(14),15-sandaracopimaradiene-7 alpha, 18-diol (7.81 micrograms/ml), and of the active principle of Diplolophium africanum, i.e. scoparone (62.5 micrograms/ml), in this test was determined.

Chloroform↗
PubMed1988

Neuroleptic-induced hypothermia associated with amelioration of psychosis in schizophrenia.

Body temperature is a regulatory function of the hypothalamus. Recently, DeMet et al. (Society for Neuroscience Abstracts Vol 12, 1986) reported that apomorphine stimulation of dopamine autoreceptors caused a significant decrease in metabolic rate in the posterior heat-conserving area of the hypothalamus. The logical hypothesis to follow is that apomorphine administration should induce a decrement in body temperature; this in fact was demonstrated by Cutler et al. (Commun Psychopharmacol 3:375-382, 1979) in humans. It is well known that neuroleptics also disrupt thermoregulation (Clark: Neurosci Biobehav Rev 3:179-231, 1979) and affect dopamine autoreceptors. Therefore, eight chronic treatment-resistant schizophrenics underwent a 6-week single-blind trial of haloperidol and then a subsequent 6-week double-blind trial of clozapine. Both haloperidol and clozapine significantly lowered oral body temperatures relative to baseline washout temperatures. More interestingly, clozapine relative to haloperidol was found to induce a greater decrement in body temperature and was associated with greater clinical improvement. Possible confounding variables are discussed, as is the possible neurochemical basis for the amelioration of psychosis associated with hypothermia.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Analysis of factors predicting early seroconversion to anti-HBe in HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B.

To investigate whether data obtained at the time of diagnosis may serve to predict early seroconversion to anti-HBe in chronic hepatitis B virus infection, we have compared the clinical, pathological and virological features of two groups of patients with untreated HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B who showed a markedly different outcome. One group (early seroconverters) included 20 patients who developed a typical seroconversion to anti-HBe within the first year of prospective follow-up. The other group (non-seroconverters) was formed by 21 patients who remained seropositive for HBeAg and still had raised aminotransferase serum levels after at least 2 years of follow-up. The serum aminotransferases, the degree of periportal and lobular lesions, the amount of liver fibrosis and the total score index of histological activity were significantly higher but the amount of HBcAg in liver was smaller in early seroconverters. Stepwise logistic regression analysis demonstrated that the alanine aminotransferase serum levels, the Knodell's index of histological activity and the amount of HBcAg in liver had significant value as independent predictors of early seroconversion. Calculation of the probability of seroconversion for individual cases showed marked differences between the two groups of patients, suggesting that early seroconversion to anti-HBe may be predicted in some patients with chronic hepatitis B.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Chronic hepatitis D in intravenous drug addicts and non-addicts. A comparative clinico-pathological study.

In recent years chronic infection by the hepatitis delta virus (HDV) has become an important cause of chronic liver disease among drug addicts. To evaluate the influence of addiction to i.v. drugs on the course of this disease we have analyzed the clinical, histopathological, virological and evolutive features in 18 addicts and 11 non-addicts with chronic delta infection. Recent acute hepatitis D, documented as HDV superinfection, was observed in 14 addicts (77%) and in 2 non-addicts (18%) (P less than 0.02). At the time of evaluation for chronic liver disease, the frequency of symptoms, the degree of biochemical disturbances and the histopathological severity were similar in the two groups but the duration of HDV infection was probably shorter in drug addicts. HBV replication, as indicated by the presence of HBeAg and HBV-DNA in serum and HBcAg in liver, was more frequent in addicts. The amount of HDAg in liver tissue was also greater in addicts (P less than 0.005). Antibodies against the human immunodeficiency virus were detected in all of the addicts (P less than 0.001). Although most patients remained asymptomatic, significant histological worsening occurred in one half of the cases after a relatively short period of follow-up (25.1 +/- 16.3 months). The tendency to deteriorate in addicts (61% of cases) was greater than in non-addicts (36%). These observations suggest that the prognosis of chronic HDV infection is particularly poor in drug addicts in whom rapid deterioration may be related to simultaneous and inadequately controlled replication of hepatotropic viruses.

Chronic Disease↗
PubMed1988

Post-transfusional vs. sporadic non-A, non-B chronic hepatitis. A clinico-pathological and evolutive study.

The clinical, morphological and evolutive features of 60 patients with chronic hepatitis, presumably caused by non-A, non-B virus infection, have been retrospectively analyzed. In all the cases the disease began as an acute episode of viral hepatitis that was followed by persistently abnormal liver function tests. No patient had evidence of current or past hepatitis B virus infection and other known causes of chronic liver disease were excluded. Thirty patients had received blood transfusions in the recent past, five were drug addicts and the source of the infection was not identified in the remaining 25, in whom the disease was considered to be sporadic. Clinical or biochemical differences between patients with post-transfusional and sporadic non-A, non-B chronic hepatitis were not observed, but liver histology showed a higher proportion of patients with chronic persistent hepatitis in the sporadic (72%) than in the transfusional group (53%). On follow-up, sustained normalization of liver function tests was observed in 46% of the cases with sporadic hepatitis but only in 13% of the cases with post-transfusion hepatitis. These observations suggest that non-A, non-B chronic hepatitis is more severe in patients with transfusion-related infection than in sporadic cases.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

A carbamazepine trial in chronic, treatment-refractory schizophrenia.

Carbamazepine was given to 12 chronic, treatment-refractory schizophrenic patients for 5 weeks. No overall change was found, but four patients significantly improved while eight worsened. Given the paucity of successful treatments for refractory schizophrenia, further study of carbamazepine appears warranted.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Exacerbation of psychosis after discontinuation of carbamazepine treatment.

Carbamazepine alone or carbamazepine plus neuroleptic was administered to 20 chronic schizophrenic patients. Upon abrupt discontinuation two of the 20 patients had exacerbations of their psychoses characterized by paranoia, hostility, and agitation. The authors discuss the possibility of a carbamazepine withdrawal syndrome.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

[Interdisciplinary detection of soft tissue sarcomas. Diagnosis, grading and staging].

The collaboration between the clinician and the pathologist is necessary for an optimal diagnosis and management of patients with soft tissue sarcoma. The clinician provides information about the patient and about the clinical aspect of the tumor. The pathologist gives a histological diagnosis, a grading of the tumor and information on the surgical margins. A staging of the tumor is then possible that will provide a prognosis for each tumor and will allow a stratification of patients with a similar prognosis and a comparison between treatments. A modification of the AJC (American Joint Committee on Cancer) staging system is proposed according to a better understanding of the different prognostic factors achieved during the last decade.

Humans↗
PubMed1987

Prognostic implications of expression of the cellular genes myc, fos, Ha-ras and Ki-ras in colon carcinoma.

Messenger RNA levels of the c-fos, c-myc, c-Ha-ras and c-Ki-ras genes were studied in 39 tissue samples obtained from 17 patients undergoing surgery for colon carcinoma and other colon diseases. DNA extracted from the same samples was studied by Southern analysis. The tissues were tumors and grossly normal mucosa from each case and in some instances benign polyps and metastases. Our results indicate: (1) that 50% of cases studied show an increase in expression of at least one of the oncogenes studied; (2) that over-expression is not random, some cases over-expressing several of the genes studied; (3) that the expression pattern of the oncogenes studied varies between primary tumor and metastases; (4) that amplification is a rare event, being limited to one instance in which c-myc was amplified in a metastasis; (5) that cases which exhibit high levels of mRNA in one or more genes studied correlate with biologically aggressive tumors; and (6) that "non-expressors" are at higher risk for local recurrence based on correlations with mucin histochemistry.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1987

Histopathology of bone marrow in human immunodeficiency virus infection.

The clinical and haematological findings in 18 patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection were correlated with the histological features of plastic embedded bone marrow biopsies. Fifteen patients presented with peripheral cytopaenia of one or several cell lines. Twelve (66%) of the 18 patients exhibited bone marrow findings including normo- to hypercellularity, myelodysplasia, lymphocytosis with or without plasmacytosis and fibrosis of the reticulin type. Seventeen patients had myelodysplastic features, 5 of the 3 haematopoietic lines, 10 of 2 lines and 2 of 1 line. Dysmegakaryocytopoiesis and dyserythropoiesis, seen in 88% and 83% of the 18 patients respectively, were the most common myelodysplastic features. Bone marrow gelatinous transformation (serous atrophy) was a conspicuous finding in 7 (38%) of the 18 patients. The constellation of histological features here described, although not pathognomonic, is highly suggestive of HIV infection. The pathogenesis of the haematological abnormalities in HIV infection is discussed.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗