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Biomedical subjects

J Sapunar

Publications and source records attributed to J Sapunar.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Zinc nutrition and taste acuity in school children with impaired growth.

A study on the relationship between zinc nutrition status and the parameters of growth and physical development was carried out in a group of school children aged 9 to 12 years, selected from a population showing a higher prevalence of "below average" hair zinc concentrations. The growth of the children was assessed as the attained height for age in comparison with the reference population median, whereas the physical development was assessed on the basis of the weight for height and upper arm circumference. Taste acuity was also examined. The results showed an increased prevalence of the "below average" and "low" zinc values in hair and plasma in children of shorter stature and poorer nutrition status. The examination of taste acuity has shown that the occurrence of moderate to severe hypogeusia was statistically significantly associated with the reduction of hair zinc content. The children with moderate and more severe hypogeusia also belonged to the most poorly nourished in the examined population.

Anthropometry↗

The effects of riboflavin administration on iron metabolism parameters in a school-going population.

The effect of riboflavin administration on iron metabolism was studied in a group of riboflavin-deficient children with Erythrocyte Glutathione Reductase (EC 1.6.4.2) reactivation above 1.20. The results have shown that the administration of riboflavin has resulted in a decrease of serum iron as well as in transferrin saturation which was accompanied by an increase in blood hemoglobin in subjects with initially lower hemoglobin values (less than or equal to 13.5 g/100 ml). There was, however, no change in blood hemoglobin in the group with initially higher hemoglobin values (greater than or equal to 14.0 g/100 ml). The results suggest that inadequate riboflavin intake may affect the iron utilization. The possible mechanism of riboflavin action on iron utilization is discussed.

Child↗

Congenital Chagas disease of second generation in Santiago, Chile. Report of two cases.

Congenital Chagas disease (CChD) has been reported in different countries, mostly in Latin America. In 1987 a fatal case of CChD of second generation (CChDSG) was published. Within a period of six months--1989-1990--two cases of CChDSG were diagnosed and studied in the city of Santiago. Two premature newborns, sons of two sisters, with moderate liver and spleen enlargement, were found to have positive serology for Chagas disease and xenodiagnoses. The mothers, urban residents all their lives, without antecedents of triatomine bugs contact or blood transfusions, showed positive serology and xenodiagnoses. Their mother (grandmother of the infants), lived 20 years in a Northern rural Chagas disease endemic locality, in a triatomine infested house. Afterwards, she moved to Santiago, where she married and has resided up to now. Serology and xenodiagnoses were also positive. All the Trypanosoma cruzi infected individuals were successfully treated with nifurtimox.

Chagas Disease↗

[Visceral larval migrans (Human toxocariasis) cause of hypereosinophilia and visceral granulomas in adults].

A 24-year-old woman 2-3 months after a normal parturation presented geophagy. Due to hypermenorrhea she consulted a gynecologist and in a hemogram a 57% (6,893 x mm3) hypereosinophilia was detected. A chest TAC showed bilateral pulmonary nodules. The following tests resulted positive: ELISA IgG for toxocariasis 1:1000, isohemagglutinins anti A 1:2048 and anti B 1:512. The patient was treated with albendazole and prednisone during 10 days. One month after treatment eosinophilia decreased to 2.590 x mm3 and ELISA IgG for toxocariasis descended to 1:128. Different aspects of human toxocariasis are commented. When hypereosinophia is observed in adult patients, toxocariasis must be checked.

Adult↗

[Massive trichuriasis in an adult diagnosed by colonoscopy].

A case of massive trichuriasis in a 37-year-old female from a rural locality of the Metropolitan Region of Chile, with antecedents of alcoholism, chronic hepatic damage and portal cavernomatosis, is presented. Since 12 year ago she has had geophagia. In the last six months she has frequently presented liquid diarrhea, colic abdominal pains, tenesmus and sensation of abdominal distention. Clinical and laboratory tests confirmed her hepatic affection associated with a celiac disease with anemia and hypereosinophilia. Within a week diarrhea became worse and dysentery appeared. A colonoscopy revealed an impressive and massive trichuriasis. The patient was successfully treated with two cures of 200 mg tablets of mebendazole twice daily for three days with a week interval. After the first cure she evacuated a big amount of Tricuris trichiura, fecal evacuations became normal, geophagia disappeared and recovered 4 kg of body weight.

Adult↗

[Scapular hydatidosis with extraosseous involvement].

A forty three-year-old female, born in a rural area of southern Chile, at the age of 30 presented pain and limitation of motility of the right shoulder. Later on, she presented an increasing of volume at the right scapular region. A radiography showed an osteolytic lesion of the scapula. In a biopsy an osseous hydatidosis was found and a hydatid cyst was extirpated from the soft tissues. Four years later, as she presented again pain and volume increasing in the same anatomical area, albendazole was given to her, and a CAT practiced revealed osteolytic lesions of the bone, several periosteal ruptures and multiple cysts in the muscles. She was submitted to surgery again in order to extirpate cysts. After two years the patient presented the same clinical manifestations and radiological and CAT images previously observed. In considering all these facts a radical surgery was decided.

Adult↗

[Clinical considerations on 2 cases of hepatic fascioliasis. Importance of the imaging examinations].

Two cases of hepatic human fascioliasis, both with antecedents of eating watercress, hepatobiliary symptoms and high eosinophilia are described. In the first one (42 year-old male), at the beginning the abdominal ecotomographical and computed tomography images suggested an hepatic tumor, but afterwards, the finding of Fasciola hepatica ova in feces and the observation of numerous typical images of the fluke in the choledochus by means of an endoscopic cholangiography, plus lesions related to a Löffler syndrome detected in a chest radiography, lead to the diagnosis of hepatic fascioliasis. The patient was treated with dehydroemetine. In the second case (52 year-old male), presented pain in the upper right abdominal quadrant; in an abdominal ecography three cystic lesions in the right liver lobe were found. Nor in the feces neither in the bile F. hepatica eggs were observed. Serological tests for fascioliasis and hydatidosis resulted positive. The endoscopic cholangiography was normal. With the presumptive diagnosis of fascioliasis the patient was treated with dehydroemetine. But as his disturbances remained during the following six months, and raising the possibility of a suppurated hydatid cyst or hepatic abscesses, he was submitted to surgery, finding F. hepatica eggs in the chocolate-like hematic liquid. In the wall and in a liver mass resected a grunuloma with eggs of the parasite was detected. The patient was treated again and cured with dehydroemetine. The existence of subcapsular hematomata and granulomas in hepatic fascioliasis, which can give raise to a diagnosis confusion due to their aspect in the ecotomography and computed tomography are commented. The cholangiographic aspect of the affection is discussed.

Adult↗

[Hypotensive effect of dopaminergic agonists in the rat].

Dopamine, Bromocriptine and Apomorphine produce arterial hypotension in the rat, but so far remains to be established if the phenomenon takes place at the presynaptic or postsynaptic nerve terminal. Present study deal with the locus of action of these substances. Rats were anesthetized with urethane i.p. and heparinized, maintaining the spontaneous pulmonary ventilation through a tracheal cannula. EKG and intracarotid mean blood pressure were recorded through a polygraph. Dopamine as well as Bromocriptine (3.12 to 25 mu/100 g both) and Apomorphine (0.125 to 4.0 micrograms/100 g) caused a dose-related hypotension, together with moderate bradycardia and in Apomorphine treated rats, atrioventricular block. In 28 animals, chemical sympathectomy was performed with 6-OH-DA (3 mg/100 g i.p.) and 2 hours later the three substances were injected. Under these conditions, Dopamine raised the blood pressure (p less than 0.001) while Apomorphine lessened the hypotensive effect (p less than 0.02) and Bromocriptine caused no changes on this regard. It is suggested that the main effect of Dopamine on blood pressure lies at a prejunctional nerve terminal level whereas Bromocriptine acts at the effector organ post junctional level. In Apomorphine effect it might be mainly involved a prejunctional component.

Animals↗