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Biomedical subjects

J R Torres

Publications and source records attributed to J R Torres.

28 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1978

In vitro sensitivity of Mycobacterium marinum to minocycline and doxycycline.

Using a Steers replicator technique the in vitro sensitivities of 32 clinical isolates of Mycobacterium marinum to doxycycline and minocycline were tested. Of 32 strains, sensitivity to doxycycline ranged from 3 strains (9%) with a drug concentration of 2 microgram/ml to 11 strains (34%) at a concentration of 6 microgram/ml. Sensitivity to minocycline ranged from 2 strains (6%) at the 2microgram/ml concentration to 23 strains (72%) at the 8 microgram/ml concentration. Our data suggest that a significant percentage of M. marinum strains are sensitive to therapeutically achievable levels of doxycycline and minocycline. These drugs may prove clinically useful in treating infections caused by sensitive strains of M. marinum.

Doxycycline↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Antimicrobial activity of lomefloxacin (NY-198, SC 47111) against bacterial strains from Venezuela.

Lomefloxacin (SC 47111, NY-198) is a recently developed difluorinated quinolone that has been reported to be active against a broad range of both gram-positive and gram-negative pathogens in a number of laboratories around the world. Our laboratory tested the in vitro activity of 451 recent bacterial isolates compared to that of cephradine and gentamicin to define the in vitro spectrum of activity of this compound versus bacterial isolates from Venezuela. Lomefloxacin showed excellent in vitro activity versus Enterobacteriaceae with all isolates inhibited at a concentration of less than or equal to 2 mcg/ml. Lomefloxacin also had significant activity versus the aerobic gram-negative rods tested; the MIC90 for Pseudomonas aeruginosa being 4 mcg/ml. The activity of lomefloxacin versus gram-positive isolates was comparable to that of the gram-negative organisms. The MIC90 for S. aureus, S. epidermidis, and Group D Streptococcus were 1, 0.5 and 4 mcg/ml, respectively. The results of this study confirm the broad spectrum in vitro activity of lomefloxacin seen in earlier studies. Lomefloxacin appears to be active versus a wide variety of both gram-negative and gram-positive isolates including those resistant to cephradine and gentamicin. The excellent in vitro activity of lomefloxacin seen in this study shows that this compound could be a useful addition to currently available antimicrobial agents.

4-Quinolones↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Protracted outbreak of severe delta hepatitis: experience in an isolated Amerindian population of the Upper Orinoco basin.

In an investigation of a 21-year-old epidemic of severe hepatitis, 80 serum samples were studied from two isolated Yanomami Amerindian populations of the Upper Orinoco basin in Venezuela. Of the assayed samples, 30.6% were positive for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), 53.7% were considered to reflect immunity to infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV), and only 16.2% were believed to reflect susceptibility to HBV infection; 82.5% of the samples tested positive for any marker of HBV infection. Thirty-one (39.7%) of 78 samples were also positive for antibody to delta antigen, including 91.6% of those positive for HBsAg and 20.9% of those immune to HBV. Our findings provide evidence of a high prevalence of HBV infection in this population. Furthermore, the high prevalence of antibody to delta antigen strongly suggests that coinfections with HBV or superinfections with hepatitis delta virus (HDV) in HBV carriers may be an important factor in the occurrence of an unusually high number of cases of fulminant hepatitis and of chronic liver disease. Serum samples obtained at the beginning of the outbreak 13 years earlier from 36 selected cases in the same population revealed a high rate of HBV infection (96.5%). All six HBsAg carriers from whom enough serum remained to be assayed were positive for antibody to delta antigen. Our findings indicate that the outbreak coincided with the introduction of HDV into a population with an already-high prevalence of HBV infection.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Treatment of cutaneous larva migrans with albendazole. Preliminary report.

Twenty three patients with Cutaneous Larva Migrans syndrome were prospectively treated with 400 mg/day of Albendazole for 3 consecutive days. Clinical response, compliance and tolerance was excellent. Patients were asymptomatic within the first 72 hours of treatment and recurrences did not occurred. Preliminary results with three additional patients suggest that a single oral 400 mg dose may be effective as well.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Comparative efficacy of intradermal and intramuscular active immunization against hepatitis B with a recombinant vaccine. Preliminary results].

Preliminary results of a prospective, comparative and randomized study on 119 sero-negative volunteers with increased risk to acquire hepatitis B, aimed to evaluate the comparative efficacy of a recombinant vaccine administered either intramuscularly or intradermally, are discussed. A short vaccination schedule of three consecutive doses given on months 0, 1 and 2 was used. Distribution by sex and age for both groups was similar. Seroconversion and seroprotection rates were comparable (96% and 96% Vs. 98% and 93%, respectively). The geometric mean titre of anti-HBsAg in individuals immunized via I.M. (155 IU/L) was significantly higher to that of the I.D. group (71 IU/L). On the other hand, the rate of good response (> 100 IU/L) was also higher in the I.M. group (67% Vs. 39%). The percentage of good responder in women was consistently higher than in men for both groups (75% Vs. 13%, respectively). In 68 vaccinees, samples were obtained one year later. The levels of anti-HBsAg and the anamnesic response after a booster of the vaccine are currently being assayed.

Adult↗