Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to J Gutierrez.
The aims of this study were to investigate the possible effects of new antimicrobial agents, the conventional antituberculosis drugs and several combinations of these agents against 190 clinical isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and 30 of M. avium.
The in vitro susceptibility of Mycobacterium tuberculosis to a new macrolide antibiotic RU-28965, alone and in combination with rifampicin or isoniazid, was studied by the agar dilution method. At a concentration of 4 mg/l, or lower, of RU-28965, 90% of the strains were inhibited. A synergistic effect with both rifampicin and with isoniazid was demonstrated.
HLA class I and II antigen expression was studied in normal mucosa, adenoma and colon carcinoma. Alkaline phosphatase anti-alkaline phosphatase (APAAP) staining techniques were used in cryostatic sections with anti-HLA-ABC and DR,DP,DQ monoclonal antibodies. All normal mucosa were intensely positive for HLA class I antigen expression, while failing to express class II molecules, except in mucosa adjacent to tumors (15/19 cases). All adenomatous polyps expressed HLA class I antigen, while the intensity of class II expression (DR greater than DQ greater than DP) was paralleled by the degree of dysplasia. In colon carcinoma, the loss of class I expression was seen in 4 out of 32 cases, and class II expression was found to be heterogeneous in 16 of these 32 cases (DR greater than DP greater than DQ). No relationship was noted between class II expression and degree of differentiation. However a correlation was seen between HLA-DR antigen expression and degree of invasiveness, mononuclear infiltrate and prognosis, according to Jass's criteria.
The in vitro susceptibility of Mycobacterium tuberculosis to new quinolones, ofloxacin and ciprofloxacin, alone and in combination with rifampin or isoniazid, was studied by the agar dilution method. At a concentration of 1 mg/l or lower of ofloxacin and ciprofloxacin, 90% of the strains were inhibited. A synergistic effect with rifampin and with isoniazid was demonstrated.
A differential test was made between genus Candida and genus Prototheca using a new and very simple differential test. A total of 59 strains of Candida and 78 strains of Prototheca were used. The basis of the test was the differential use of a disc carrying 60 mcg of Ribostamycin to which all the Candida were resistant and the Prototheca inhibited.
Plasma glucagon levels in 11 different teleosts and in dogfish were evaluated using an adapted classical mammalian radioimmunoassay (RIA). The values obtained are considered relative; sensitivity was inferior to the original method, but the validation experiment results are acceptable. The mean value of the coefficient of the variation for interassay was 6% and for intraassay 4%, recovery was 98%, and a good linearity in the dilution test was found. Some species (Sparus aurata and cyprinids) presented high plasma glucagon concentrations (0.50-1.60 ng/ml) versus the lower levels (0.08-0.40 ng/ml) found in salmonids and others, and the lowest in dogfish (0.02-0.20 ng/ml). A positive correlation (P less than 0.02) between insulin and glucagon plasma levels was found in different species. The low levels obtained in all parameters analyzed in the selachian were remarkable. This adapted RIA could serve as a useful tool in amplifying knowledge on the endocrine pancreatic response in fish in different biological situations.
A 34-year old man presented with headaches. Computed tomography scanning revealed an enhancing subdural mass extending from the skull base to the convexity, thought to represent an en-plaque meningioma. Pathologic study revealed extraaxial subdural granulomatous inflammation consistent with neurosarcoidosis.
A 48-year-old man presented with the numb, clumsy hand syndrome. Evaluation revealed a high cervical cord lesion. Surgical exploration discovered leptomeningeal gliomatosis with no discernible intraparenchymal component. The clinical features of the case, the neuroimaging studies including magnetic resonance scanning, and the most unusual pathological nature of the lesion are discussed.
Significant and inverse circadian rhythms are demonstrated in glucose and plasma insulin in fish fed a natural diet. The highest glucose levels are found during the light period, around feeding time, and the insulin level peaks during the dark period. As a possible cause for the insulin rhythmicity, the daily variations in several plasma amino acids are considered. The feeding times could be a training factor for metabolic rhythms, which are maintained even during a fast of 7 days. The differences in the compositions of the diets could be responsible for the lack of circadian rhythms in fish fed on a commercial diet.
We studied the anatomy of the ventricular septal defect in 20 heart specimens and eight operated patients with transposition of the great arteries regarding the feasibility of the Rastelli operation. They were divided into three groups. In Group I, comprising eight cases, creation of a left ventricle-aorta connection was not prevented by interposition of the atrioventricular valve tissue, and the ventricular septal defect was large or could be enlarged sufficiently. Thus, the Rastelli operation was feasible in all cases. In Group II, comprising 12 cases, interposition of the atrioventricular valves was not present, but the ventricular septal defect was inadequate in size for a good left ventricle-aorta connection. Small or even medium-sized ventricular septal defects were not enlargeable because of surrounding structures or inadequate septum for resection. In all cases, the ventricular septal defect was a tunnellike structure with two orifices; attempted enlargement would be more difficult at the left ventricular end (not obvious to the surgeon's view) than at the right one. The Rastelli operation was judged inadvisable in these cases. In Group III, comprising eight cases, the Rastelli operation was considered inadvisable because of interposition of atrioventricular valve tissue. The size of the ventricular septal defect and the presence of interposed atrioventricular valves can be diagnosed preoperatively. The presence of enough available space for resection, especially at the left ventricular end, should be determined preoperatively and/or intraoperatively in patients with medium-sized ventricular septal defects requiring enlargement. The anatomy of the ventricular septal defect may significantly alter the surgical approach for patients with transposition of the great arteries and ventricular septal defect.
There is considerable controversy regarding antimicrobial prophylaxis against infective endocarditis for routine sigmoidoscopy without biopsy in patients with underlying valvular heart disease. Sigmoidoscopy is known to produce brief, low-grade bacteremia in some patients. Persons with mitral valve prolapse (MVP) may be at risk of infective endocarditis developing during transient bacteremia. We describe a 67-year-old man with known MVP in whom enterococcal endocarditis developed following routine sigmoidoscopy. We believe this to be the first such reported case.
The combined techniques of HPLC and radioimmunoassay were used to identify and quantitate enkephalin-related peptides in the guinea pig hippocampus. Both met- and leu-enkephalin were identified, in approximately a 2:1 ratio, as well as a third enkephalin-like molecule that is neither met- nor leu-enkephalin. The third enkephalin elutes earlier than met- or leu-enkephalin from a reversed-phase column, has a molecular weight similar to the other enkephalins, and is as active as these enkephalins are in inhibiting binding of labeled opiates to rat brain membranes. All regions of the hippocampus (dentate gyrus, CA1-2, CA3-4, and subiculum) contain all three immunoreactive peptides. Immunocytochemical techniques, using antisera raised against met-enkephalin, show with one antiserum immunoreactivity in the granule cell-mossy fiber system, and with the other scattered immunoreactive cells mostly in the CA2 region. Enkephalins are not confined to the mossy fiber system, as previously suggested, but may be a component of another hippocampal innervation.
A simple new test to differentiate Prototheca wickerhamii from Prototheca zopfii by determining susceptibility to clotrimazole is described. A 50-micrograms clotrimazole disk provides a rapid and reliable means of distinguishing P. wickerhamii from P. zopfii.
The relation between the iron transmitted to infants by breast milk and the maternal iron stores was investigated in a group of 46 women. Total milk iron concentration was not correlated with the levels of serum ferritin or transferrin saturation. These results suggest that the iron transport from mother to the milk is irrespective to the maternal iron stores.
The levels of plasma iron, transferrin saturation and ferritin in cord blood of 64 newborns were found to be elevated relative to the corresponding maternal blood. There was no correlation between the levels of plasma iron, transferrin saturation or ferritin in cord and maternal blood. No correlation was found in cord blood between the hemoglobin levels or red cell indices (MCV, MCH and MCHC) with the levels of ferritin. These results suggest that there is an active process of transfer for iron from mother to the fetus, and this transport is independent of fetal erythropoiesis.
We investigated the possible inhibitory action 'in vitro' by antibiotic containing discs against microscopic alga that are potential human pathogens of the genus Prototheca especially P. wickerhamii. The results indicated that inhibitors in vitro included amikacin, colistin, dibecacin, framicetin, gentamycin, kanamycin, lividomycin, neomycin, polymyxin, paromomycin, ribostamycin, sisomycin and tobramycin. We emphasize the interest in the effectiveness at these drugs in a case of human protothecosis.
The levels of serum ferritin, folates, and vitamin B12 in relation to the hematologic values were measured in 66 pregnant women at term who had been supplemented with iron (100 mg/day) and folate (350 microgram/day). The levels of hemoglobin in pregnant women were similar to the controls;' however, levels of ferritin and transferrin saturation were decreased and showed a correlation with the hemoglobin. The MCV increased, whereas folate and vitamin B12 decreased, but no correlation was found between these values. These results suggest that in pregnant women (a) serum ferritin and transferrin saturation reflect the iron available for erythropoiesis, (b) the iron supplementation of 100 mg/day in the population studied is not sufficient, and (c) the macrocytosis is independent of the folate and vitamin B12 levels.
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