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Biomedical subjects

J L Alonso

Publications and source records attributed to J L Alonso.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1999

[Incidence of primary gastric lymphoma and H. pylori infection in the central zone of Asturias].

OBJECTIVE: We review our experience with primary gastric lymphomas type B of low (MALT) and high grade in a population of 366,635 people during 4 years and after performing 9,268 gastroscopies. RESULTS: The incidence of these lymphomas in our medium is similar to that found in the world population. Possible disagreements among the biopsy histology and that of the subsequent gastrectomy samples is pointed out. CONCLUSIONS: The frequency of H. pylori involvement in our primary gastric lymphomas is similar to that reported in the literature for the age of our patients, for the MALT lymphomas an well as for the type B high grade.

Aged↗
PubMed1999

A rapid procedure for the isolation of plasmid DNA from environmental bacteria.

The INSTA-MINI-PREP method, a rapid protocol for plasmid DNA extraction, was originally developed to prepare plasmid DNA from 1 to 3 ml miniprep Escherichia coli cultures. Direct extraction of plasmid DNA is achieved by a two-phase solution which is separated by centrifugation in the presence of the INSTA-PREP gel barrier material. This method has been successfully tested on various environmental Salmonella strains, although it was not suitable for Pseudomonas aeruginosa and enterococci strains. The INSTA-MINI-PREP method is a new alternative procedure to screen plasmid contents of Salmonella and E. coli strains rapidly and easily.

Bacteriological Techniques↗
PubMed1998

Weekly continuous infusion of 5-fluorouracil with oral leucovorin in metastatic breast cancer patients with primary resistance to doxorubicin.

Doxorubicin-resistant metastatic breast cancer (MBC) is a very poor prognosis scenario, where only taxanes have shown activity, often at the expense of severe toxicity that compromises palliation. This study was undertaken to test the antitumor activity and tolerability of infusional 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) modulated with low-dose oral leucovorin (LV), in heavily pretreated patients with stringent criteria of primary resistance to doxorubicin, visceral involvement, and suboptimal performance status. Twenty-six patients with measurable MBC and primary resistance to anthracyclines received a weekly outpatient 48-hour infusion of high-dose 5-FU with low dose oral leucovorin. All patients were assessable for response and toxicity. Eight partial responses were seen (30% response rate) in soft tissue and visceral sites, with a median response duration of eight months (5 + to 12). 98% of the cycles were minimally toxic or non-toxic. Toxicities included mucositis, diarrhea, and plantar-palmar-syndrome. Our results suggest that this schedule of LV-modulated infusional 5-FU can produce a substantial number of long-lasting responses and meaningful palliation to this very poor prognosis population.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1997

[High-dose chemotherapy with four drugs and peripheral blood progenitor cell autologous transplantation in disseminated breast cancer].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the therapeutic efficacy (in terms of overall survival [OS] and progression-free survival [PFS]) of a high-dose chemotherapy protocol including four drugs and peripheral stem cell rescue (PSCR) plus posttransplant G-CSF (filgrastim) in disseminated breast cancer patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Fifty-three metastatic breast cancer patients were treated with a four-drug program of high-dose chemotherapy including cyclophosphamide (6 g/m2), thiotepa (500 mg/m2), carboplatin (800-1,600 mg/m2) and mitoxantrone (20-60 mg/m2) with autologous peripheral blood progenitor cell support followed by filgrastim. Most cases (92%) had previously received conventional induction chemotherapy with anthracycline-containing combinations. RESULTS: After a median follow-up of 27 months (range 12-43 months) from transplant, the median survival of the overall group was 25 months, with an OS projected at 43 months of 31%. Patients in complete remission after induction chemotherapy or status NED (no evidence of disease: surgical resection of metastases) presented the best outcome, with a projected PFS of 50% at 43 months. Patients intensified without complete response had a poor outcome. The most important extramedullary toxicity was mucositis. Four patients (7.5%) died as a consequence of treatment (2 with sepsis-associated ARDS, one with venooclussive disease of the liver, one with congestive cardiac failure). CONCLUSIONS: The outcome of metastatic breast cancer patients in complete remission after induction chemotherapy or NED status seems to be good with our high-dose chemotherapy including four drug and PSCR. On the other hand, patients intensified without complete response presented a bad outcome and do not seem candidates for future trials with this therapeutic approach.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

[Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteremia as a complication after endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography].

BACKGROUND: The present was performed to describe the characteristics of bacteremias by Pseudomonas aeruginosa following cholangiopancreatography and the methods of prevention and treatment of the same. METHODS: Twelve different episodes of bacteremia by Pseudomonas aeruginosa were retrospectively studied in patients submitted to endoscopic cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) from 1993-1997. RESULTS: Three point six percent of the patients undergoing ERCP presented episodes of bacteremias by the microorganism in the 48 hours following the procedure. Except for one case, the patients presented obstructive disease in the form of calculi or neoplasms at the level of the biliary tree. In three cases, sphincterotomy had been carried out which was followed by clinical manifestations of hemorrhage in one case. Three patients (25%) died as a consequence of bacteremia and a hepatic abscess was developed in one case. The bacteremia appeared in successive outbreaks from 1993-1997. CONCLUSIONS: Bacteremia by Pseudomonas aeruginosa following ERCP is more frequent in patients with obstructive disease of the biliary tract and has an important additional morbimortality. It is associated with incorrect endoscopic disinfection. The use of drugs with an antipseudomonal spectrum should be considered as preendoscopic prophylaxis.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Development of a generalized phenomenological model describing the kinetics of the enzymatic hydrolysis of NaOH-treated pine wood.

Pinus pinaster wood samples were treated during 3 h with alkaline solutions (containing 1, 5.5, or 10 weight percent NaOH) at 100, 115, or 130 degrees C using liquor/wood ratios of 6, 8, or 10 g/g. The solid residues obtained in treatments were used as substrates for enzymatic hydrolysis. In the hydrolysis assays, the reaction time (in the range 0-48 h) was considered as an operational variable. The cellulose conversion achieved at the end of assays were highest for samples pretreated at high temperature and high alkali concentration using low liquor/wood ratios. The experimental results obtained in each hydrolysis trial were fitted to an empirical model based on the assumption that the cellulose contained in substrates was composed by two fractions having different susceptibility to hydrolysis. The kinetic parameters obtained for the various experiments performed were correlated with the operational variables by means of empirical, statistically significant equations, which provided a generalized interpretation of the process.

Enzymes↗
PubMed1996

Ribotypes and AP-PCR fingerprints of thermophilic campylobacters from marine recreational waters.

Thirty-two strains of thermophilic campylobacters isolated from marine recreational water and seven reference strains were biotyped and analysed by chromosomal DNA HaeIII ribopatterns and AP-PCR profiles based on a random 10-mer primer (5'-CAA TCG CCG T-3'). The majority of seawater isolates (90%) were Campylobacter coli, and three strains were Camp. jejuni. Southern blot hybridization analysis showed differences between the strains, and in a numerical analysis three main clusters were formed at the 45% similarity level, that corresponded to Camp. jejuni subsp. jejuni, Camp. coli, and a combination of Camp. coli and Camp. jejuni subsp. doylei. AP-PCR profiles also differentiated between the species but were less discriminatory than ribotyping because six strains (17%) could not be typed by this method. Numerical analysis gave four main clusters at the 45% similarity level, corresponding to Camp. jejuni subsp. jejuni, Camp. coli (two clusters) and Camp. lari. The study shows that strains within each species are diverse genomically. Both molecular methods were highly discriminatory, although some strains with identical ribotypes could be distinguished by AP-PCR, and they are valuable new alternatives to traditional typing in epidemiological studies of environmental campylobacters.

Bacterial Typing Techniques↗
PubMed1996

Differential susceptibility of aeromonads and coliforms to cefsulodin.

Volumn 62, no. 6, p. 1885, Abstract, line 3: "For 102 of 129 Aeromonas isolates" should read "For 102 of 130 Aeromonas isolates." Page 1887, column 1, lines 16 and 17: "and for 13 of 21 coliform isolates" should read "and for 13 of 94 coliform isolates." [This corrects the article on p. 1885 in vol. 62.].

Journal Article↗
PubMed1996

Differential susceptibility of aeromonads and coliforms to cefsulodin.

Cefsulodin was evaluated as a potential selective agent for aeromonads. Resistance of Aeromonas and coliform isolates was determined by using a standard disk diffusion technique. A total of 119 Aeromonas and 78 coliform strains were isolated. For 102 of 130 [corrected] Aeromonas isolates (environmental and reference strains), the MIC of cefsulodin was < 8 micrograms/ml. Results of MIC tests by the agar dilution method showed that a concentration of cefsulodin of 10 micrograms/ml or less inhibited the growth of 96% of isolates. In comparison, for 81 of 94 coliform isolates (environmental and reference strains), the MIC of cefsulodin was > 32 micrograms/ml. Because cefsulodin suppresses growth of Aeromonas and other oxidase-positive organisms, total coliform (TC) and Escherichia coli counts on Chromocult Coliform agar (CC agar) without cefsulodin and on CC agar with 10 mg of cefsulodin per liter (CC-CFS) were compared. Variance analysis of data from 14 sewage-polluted irrigation water specimens did not demonstrate any statistically significant difference in the enumeration of E. coli with CC and CC-CFS media. On average, the CC agar recovered 2.46 times as many TCs as CC-CFS. However, Aeromonas colonies made up an average of 58.6% of the TC counts on CC agar. Because no Aeromonas spp. were recovered on CC-CFS, background interference was eliminated and the counts that were obtained reflected more accurately the number of TCs. Results of this study suggest that cefsulodin may be a useful selective agent against Aeromonas spp. which should be included in coliform chromogenic media when high levels of accompanying flora are expected.

Aeromonas↗
PubMed1996

Colonoscopic findings in patients with lower gastrointestinal bleeding send to a hospital for their study. Value of clinical data in predicting normal or pathological findings.

BACKGROUND: Lower gastrointestinal bleeding is a highly frequent clinical problem that may reflect serious pathology in the colon. Colonoscopy is generally accepted as the diagnostic procedure of choice. Decisions as to whether to carry out colonoscopy or not, are not well defined. METHODS: 536 colonoscopies, made to discover the cause of lower gastrointestinal bleeding were analyzed and a final 457 included in the study. All of these patients came to the hospital because they had presented at least in one occasion, one episode of rectal bleeding, and were send by the specialist of the zone, in order to achieve a correct diagnosis of its process. In all cases the following associated symptoms were analyzed: the presence of diarrhea, constipation, abdominal pain and rectal mass on examination. The characteristics of lower gastrointestinal bleeding were analyzed in a subset of 150 consecutive patients. RESULTS: Mean age was 59 +/- 16.9 years. 54.5% were male and 45.5% female. The exploration was normal until the cecum in 146 patients (32%). In the remaining 311, the findings were: polyps (25.1%), diverticular disease (24%), neoplasia (12.6%), inflammatory bowel disease (9.4%), unspecific proctitis (2.4%), ischemic colitis (2.4%), angiodysplasia (1.9%), infectious colitis (1.1%), and miscellaneous (0.7%). An age of less than 40 years and the existence of anal pathology were significantly more frequent among patients with a normal examination (p < 0.001), but with a sensitivity of only 66%. No differences were found among patients with disordered bowel frequency or abdominal pain in relation to the colonoscopic findings. Previous presence of a rectal mass when the examination proved abnormal (p=0.06). Intermittent bleeding and the presence of blood in the stools were more frequent in patients with normal examination (p= 0.07 and p< 0.05, respectively). No significant differences in relation to colour, duration of bleeding, or to whether toilet paper was stained with blood were found. CONCLUSIONS: 1) The more frequent endoscopic findings were polyps and diverticular disease. 2) Clinical data are of little value in predicting a normal examination. 3) Total colonoscopy appears to be the first procedure of choice in all patients with lower gastrointestinal bleeding, irrespective of the clinical data and the presence of anal pathology.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Water quality parameters associated with Aeromonas spp-affected hatcheries.

This study investigates the role of water quality parameters as possible risk or protection factors in Aeromonas spp-affected rainbow trout hatcheries in northeastern Spain. The results revealed an association between oxygen concentration, ammonia concentration and total dissolved solids (TDS) with the prevalence of Aeromonas spp cases on the affected fish farms. The oxygen and ammonia concentrations acted as risk factors when their values were lower than 7.06 mg/L or higher than 0.05 mg/L, respectively, generating odds ratio (OR) values of 2.0 and 2.3. TDS levels, however, acted as a protective factor (OR = 0.39), from an epidemiological point of view but not statistically, when the values were outside the normal range, 199-261 mg/L. On a multivariate level, fish farms exposed to all the associated factors at the same time, had a risk of being affected by Aeromonas spp that was 1.74 times higher than farms with normal quality parameters; the risk increased when TDS had a normal value and it decreased when oxygen and/or ammonia concentrations had normal values.

Aeromonas↗
PubMed1996

Furunculosis control using a paraimmunization stimulant (Baypamun) in rainbow trout.

The effect of Baypamun, a non-specific immune system stimulant, on the treatment and control of furunculosis was studied in experimentally infected rainbow trout. A statistically significant association between the Baypamun treatment and a reduction in cumulative incidence of the clinical symptoms of Furunculosis and the infection level, despite the presence of the bacteria in blood and organs was observed. A reduction in the mortality rate in Baypamun-treated fish was also observed but this was not statistically significant. The results suggest that the treatment of fish diseases with non-specific immune stimulants could be, in the future, a good defense strategy leading to a reduction in disease symptoms and a greater control of the asymptomatic carriers after an outbreak.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗
PubMed1995

Development of a PCR assay combined with a short enrichment culture for detection of Campylobacter jejuni in estuarine surface waters.

Two extraction procedures were examined, and it was found that DNA recovered from Campylobacter jejuni lysed by the cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) method was more suitable for use as a PCR template than DNA released by the boiling method. The region targeted for PCR amplification was a 1.73-kb portion of the flagellin A gene of C. jejuni. The detection limit was lower than 30 cells per 100 ml in artificially contaminated waters. PCR assay and conventional culturing method had the same sensitivity, but results of the PCR technique were available within 48 h and so shortened the time necessary for detection by 48 h.

Bacteriological Techniques↗