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Biomedical subjects

J Ordi

Publications and source records attributed to J Ordi.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

[Initial iron deposits in idiopathic myelofibrosis. Analysis of 20 patients].

PURPOSE: To analyse the status of iron deposits at diagnosis in patients with idiopathic myelofibrosis (IM). PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study included twenty consecutive patients with IM. Haemoglobin, MCV, serum iron and serum ferritin were determined in each case. Perls stain was used to evaluate iron deposits in bone marrow samples attained by aspiration or biopsy. An attempt was made to correlate the semiquantitative estimation of bone marrow iron with the peripheral blood values connected with iron deposits. RESULTS: Anaemia was present in 15 patients, but in most cases MCV and serum iron were normal. Iron deposits in bone marrow aspirate could be evaluated only in one patient as in the remainders no material was obtained. The semiquantitative estimation of iron in bone marrow biopsy samples showed diminished or absent deposits in 15 cases (75%). In contrast, none of the patients had decreased serum ferritin levels. No correlation was found between bone marrow iron and the peripheral blood values related to iron deposits. CONCLUSION: Most IM patients have decreased bone marrow iron deposits at diagnosis. However, as in chronic myelogenous leukaemia and in essential thrombocytopenia, such finding does not mean a true iron deficiency status.

Bone Marrow↗

Acute liver failure due to non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Acute hepatic failure secondary to involvement of the liver by hematologic malignancies is a very uncommon condition, and usually has a fatal prognosis. We describe the case of a woman who developed acute hepatic failure due to infiltration by a non-Hodgkin's lymphoma 18 yr after the initial diagnosis of a nodular-type lymphocytic lymphoma, while she was apparently in remission. Early diagnosis was achieved through liver biopsy; therefore, rapid administration of chemotherapy allowed her complete recovery. Hepatic biopsy may provide a diagnosis in patients in whom the etiology of liver failure is unknown, thus establishing the possible need for specific treatment.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗

Valvular heart disease in the primary antiphospholipid syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of cardiac valvular involvement in patients with the primary antiphospholipid syndrome. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study with evaluation of case patients and control patients by Doppler echocardiography. The mean follow-up for case patients was 22 months. SETTING: University-based tertiary medical center. PATIENTS: Twenty-eight consecutive patients who were diagnosed with the primary antiphospholipid syndrome during a 10-year period; 28 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Ten patients (36%; 95% Cl, 19% to 56%) with the primary antiphospholipid syndrome had cardiac valvular involvement: Four patients had mitral valve involvement; four patients, aortic valve involvement; and two patients, both mitral and aortic valvular involvement; no patients had tricuspid or pulmonary valve disease. Eight of 10 patients had a regurgitant murmur. None of the control patients had valvular disease. The mean mitral valve thickness in patients with mitral valve involvement was 7.0 +/- 1.6 mm, compared with 2.7 +/- 0.8 mm in patients with normal valves and 3.2 +/- 0.9 mm in the control group. The mean aortic valve thickness in patients with aortic valve involvement was 3.8 +/- 0.5 mm compared with 1.4 +/- 0.3 mm in patients with normal valves and 1.4 +/- 0.5 mm in the control group. Stenotic lesions were not found. Regurgitation was severe in two patients (one required surgery), moderate in three patients, and mild in three patients. CONCLUSIONS: Valvular involvement is frequently found in patients with the primary antiphospholipid syndrome. The lesions are left-sided, causing regurgitation that may be clinically important.

Adult↗

Monoclonal gammopathy in systemic lupus erythematosus.

In order to ascertain the incidence of monoclonal gammopathy (MG) in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), 120 SLE patients were evaluated. Four patients (3.3%), two of whom were under 50 years of age, were found to have a monoclonal immunoglobulin in their serum. Our data agree with the previous literature in demonstrating a higher incidence of MG in SLE patients in comparison with the general population. Neither the clinical importance nor the pathogenetic significance of this association is known.

Adolescent↗

Lack of association between anticardiolipin antibodies and migraine in systemic lupus erythematosus.

We carried out a prospective study of the prevalence and characteristics of anticardiolipin antibodies (aCL) and migraine on 103 consecutive patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) derived from three European referral university centers. We also included a control group of 58 patients with migraine not associated with SLE. We interviewed all patients using a data collection form designed to provide a complete record of the clinical characteristics of headache. Fifty-four (52%) patients with SLE suffered recurrent headache. We diagnosed migraine in 32 patients, tension headache in 21, and cluster headache in one. Thirty (29%) patients with SLE had aCL. Migraine was present in five patients with aCL and in 27 patients without aCL (17% versus 37%, p = 0.07). No migraine control patient had aCL. Our study highlights the frequency of headache in SLE, but does not support an association between the presence of aCL and migraine in this disease.

Adolescent↗

Antibodies against gangliosides in patients with SLE and neurological manifestations.

Pathogenesis of neuropsychiatric manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) has not been clearly defined, and the search for pathogenic mechanisms has focused on the importance of several autoantibodies. There is increasing evidence that antibodies against gangliosides may have a pathogenic role in some neurological disorders. The aim of the present study was to examine the association between antibodies against gangliosides and neuropsychiatric SLE. We found anti-type II ganglioside antibodies in two out of 32 patients with multiple sclerosis (6.25%) and in 10 out of 60 patients with SLE (16.6%); five of 17 patients with neurological abnormalities also had high levels of these antibodies (29.4%). Five of the 10 patients with SLE and positive antiganglioside antibody had only IgM antibodies, three had IgG antibodies and two had both isotypes. By chi-square analysis, the incidence of anti-type II ganglioside antibodies was not significantly higher in patients with symptoms related to the nervous system than in SLE patients without neurological involvement (P > 0.2). No clear correlation was found between antibodies against gangliosides and cardiolipin.

Adolescent↗

[T lymphoid blast crisis of Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia: analysis of 3 cases].

BACKGROUND: To investigate the frequency of the T lymphoid phenotype in the blast crisis of chronic myelocytic leukemia (CML) with positive Philadelphia chromosome (Ph) and to evaluate the major clinical and hematologic features of the patients with this phenotype. METHODS: The presence of the TdT enzyme was assessed and specific monoclonal antibodies to the different hemopoietic lines were used to evaluate blast cells in 38 patients with blast crisis during Ph-positive CML. RESULTS: T lymphoid phenotype was found in three of the 38 patients, corresponding in all cases to immature T cells. In one patient, the blast crisis was the presenting feature of CML and in two the localization of the blast crisis was lymphadenopathic. In the two patients who could be followed up a favorable response to chemotherapy regimens including vincristine and prednisone was observed. CONCLUSIONS: Although uncommon, T lymphoid blast crisis in CML should no longer be considered exceptional. This phenotypic finding suggests that, at least in some cases, CML originates in a pluripotential stem cell common to all hemopoietic cells, including T lymphocytes.

Adult↗

[Usefulness of cyclosporin in the treatment of pemphigus vulgaris. Apropos of 3 cases].

Cyclosporin is a useful drug in several autoimmune diseases. It has been recently evaluated, with varying results, in several dermatoses such as pemphigus vulgaris. Three cases of this condition treated with cyclosporin are reported. The drug permitted to reduce and then to suppress prolonged corticosteroid therapy, and remission was maintained after exacerbation even in monotherapy. Hypertrichosis and gum hypertrophy were the common adverse effects.

Administration, Oral↗

Antiphospholipid antibodies in cerebral ischemia.

In a 2-year prospective study of 146 patients with cerebral ischemia, we compared vascular risk factors for stroke with clinical and laboratory findings, particularly antiphospholipid antibodies. Ten patients (6.8%) were positive for at least one antiphospholipid antibody; one patient had systemic lupus erythematosus, one had rheumatoid arthritis, and the remaining eight fulfilled criteria for the diagnosis of primary antiphospholipid syndrome. These patients were predominantly male, not necessarily young, and 50% of them did not have any other vascular risk factors; there were no significant clinical or paraclinical differences between these patients and those without antiphospholipid antibodies. Outcome in the 10 patients was good, and platelet antiaggregating drugs proved to be useful in preventing further cerebrovascular ischemic events in our patients.

Arthritis, Rheumatoid↗

[Idiopathic inflammatory myopathy. Analysis of 31 patients].

A series of 31 patients suffering idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM); we describe the extramuscular manifestations, specially pulmonary, the association to neoplasia, the histopathological characteristics, and their response to treatment. Fourty three percent of IIM patients presented a pulmonary involvement, 9% presented an associated neoplasia. The histopathological study allowed us to clearly differentiate dermatomyositis and polymyositis within IIM. 65% of patients initially responded to glucocorticoids and the most usefull therapeutic alternatives were azatioprine and cyclosporin-A.

Adult↗