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Biomedical subjects

M Cruz

Publications and source records attributed to M Cruz.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1991

Lyme arthritis: oligoclonal anti-Borrelia burgdorferi IgG antibodies occur in joint fluid and serum.

The antibody response to Borrelia (B.) burgdorferi, and to measles virus as control antigen, was analysed by agarose isoelectric focusing (AIF) and immunoblot of joint fluid and serum from 10 patients with Lyme arthritis and 10 controls with rheumatoid arthritis. Among the Lyme arthritis patients, six had oligoclonal anti-B. burgdorferi IgG antibody bands in joint fluid and corresponding serum, one patient had oligoclonal antibody bands in joint fluid only and also an elevated B. burgdorferi-specific joint fluid to serum antibody ratio as evidence of intra-joint production of specific antibodies, and the remaining three patients were negative for oligoclonal-specific antibody bands. Absorption with B. burgdorferi antigen confirmed the specificity of the oligoclonal antibody bands. They comigrated only partially on AIF with oligoclonal bands of total IgG, and the specificity of most oligoclonal IgG in joint fluid and serum in Lyme arthritis remains undefined. Among the controls, no anti-B, burgdorferi IgG antibodies were detected by AIF and immunoblot. Instead, 9 of the 10 rheumatoid arthritis patients had oligoclonal anti-measles IgG antibody bands which were restricted to the joint fluid in three of them, indicating local production. We conclude that Lyme arthritis is often accompanied by an oligoclonal specific antibody response in joint fluid and serum simultaneously, and occasionally by intrasynovial synthesis of oligoclonal-specific antibodies.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Multiple sclerosis: cells secreting antibodies against myelin-associated glycoprotein are present in cerebrospinal fluid.

We evaluated the B-cell response in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood by enumerating cells secreting antibodies to myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG) and, for reference, to myelin basic protein (MBP), two myelin components which may constitute targets for autoimmune attack in multiple sclerosis (MS). Among 25 untreated MS patients, 12 had cells in CSF secreting anti-MAG IgG antibodies (mean value 1 per 1429 CSF cells) and three also had cells secreting anti-MAG antibodies of the IgM isotype but at lower levels. In CSF from 2 out of 10 MS patients examined, anti-MAG and anti-MBP IgG antibody-secreting cells were present concurrently. Antibody-secreting cells were less frequent in blood and bone marrow, reflecting compartmentalization to CSF. Anti-MAG antibody-secreting cells were found in CSF from only 1 out of 27 control patients. The intrathecal production of anti-MAG and anti-MBP antibodies may be important in the pathogenesis of MS.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Immunological findings in 14 cases of Langerhans cells histiocytosis.

We have studied humoral and cell immunity in 14 children, from 2 months to 15 years old, diagnosed with Langerhans cells histiocytosis who had not received immunosuppressant nor immunopotentiating treatment. At the time of diagnosis, children were found in the following Greenberger clinical stages: stage II (5), stage III (6), stage IV (3). The children in stage II had moderate alterations in immunity, with an increase in IgG, IgM, IgA, increase in T4 lymphocytes and decrease in T8 lymphocytes; the clinical evolution was good. In stage III, normal immunoglobulins were noted in 2 children, an increase in IgG, IgM, IgA in 1; an increase in IgM in 1, a decrease in IgM in 1 and absence of IgA in 1. In all a decrease was found in T8 lymphocytes and the T4 lymphocytes were decreased in 3 and normal in 3; delayed immune response and response to mitogens was decreased in 3. These findings were related to a bad prognosis; 2 children died and another developed chronic disease. In stage IV serious alterations were detected in the immune system with a decrease in IgG, IgM, IgA, an increase in IgE, a decrease in T, B, T4 and T8 lymphocytes and very slight delayed immune response and response to mitogens; the children died.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Clinical evaluation of albendazole and praziquantel in the treatment of cerebral cysticercosis.

One hundred consecutive patients presenting with symptoms and signs of neurocysticercosis, confirmed by neuroimaging techniques were randomly assigned to treatment with either praziquantel 50 mg/kg/day for 15 days or albendazole 15 mg/kg/day for 30 days. All patients were treated also with steroids for 42 days. Follow-up was for 90 days for response to treatment and for at least 1 year for recurrence. Although similar numbers of patients showed no improvement in neuroimaging criteria at 3 months, the response to albendazole was more pronounced with larger numbers showing marked improvement or disappearance of lesions. Similar findings were apparent, with resolution of the presenting neurological signs and symptoms being more frequent, in the albendazole group. Electroencephalographic changes were also normalized. The use of steroids eliminated the frequently observed headache that has been seen during the first few days of treatment and permitted severe cases to be treated. Both albendazole and praziquantel appear to be effective at the doses used, with albendazole showing a slightly better overall response.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

[Clinical diagnosis versus autopsy].

Records from 910 autopsies performed at a university hospital in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil were examined in order to assess the accuracy of clinical diagnoses of the patients' underlying causes of death. This study found inaccurate clinical diagnoses in 31% of the cases. The overall rate of diagnostic error appeared to remain fairly stable from 1970 to 1982, being highest for older patients. Thirty-six percent of the 263 cancer deaths were incorrectly diagnosed, and a number of pathologies considered relatively easy to diagnose were not always correctly identified--the underlying cause of death being incorrectly diagnosed in many of the fatalities caused by such ailments as arterial hypertension, chronic obstructive lung disease, pneumonia/bronchopneumonia, and schistosomiasis. Quite aside from their direct medical implications, diagnostic errors of the magnitude observed in this and other studies seriously jeopardize the quality of vital statistics and such statistics' usefulness for improving public health.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Clinical diagnosis versus autopsy.

Records from 910 autopsies performed at a university hospital in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, were examined in order to assess the accuracy of clinical diagnoses of the patients' underlying causes of death. This study found inaccurate clinical diagnoses in 31% of the cases. The overall rate of diagnostic error appeared to remain fairly stable from 1970 to 1982, being highest for older patients. Thirty-six percent of the 263 cancer deaths were incorrectly diagnosed, and a number of pathologies considered relatively easy to diagnose were not always correctly identified. Quite aside from their direct medical implications, diagnostic errors of the magnitude observed in this and other studies seriously jeopardize the quality of vital statistics and such statistics' usefulness for improving public health.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Oligoclonal Borrelia burgdorferi-specific IgG antibodies in cerebrospinal fluid in Lyme neuroborreliosis.

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum from 45 patients with lymphocytic meningoradiculitis were examined by isoelectric focusing combined with immunoblotting to detect Borrelia burgdorferi-specific oligoclonal immunoglobulin G (IgG) bands. In pretreatment samples, 35 patients (78%) showed B. burgdorferi-specific oligoclonal IgG in CSF indicative of intrathecal antibody production. At 2, 3-6, and 6 weeks after onset, respectively, such bands were present in 5 (42%) of 12, 21 (88%) of 24, and in all of 9 patients (100%). Up to 1 year after therapy, specific oligoclonal bands in CSF tended to remain unchanged despite clinical recovery. B. burgdorferi-specific oligoclonal bands in serum were found in 7 patients. These bands had identical migration patterns as in CSF, but were fewer in number and in some patients showed a temporal evolution different from their CSF counterpart. Not all oligoclonal IgG in CSF reacted with B. burgdorferi. The 41-kDa flagellar antigen was shown to be a major antigen in the intrathecal immune response. The demonstration of B. burgdorferi-specific oligoclonal IgG in CSF is a sensitive and reliable indicator of Lyme neuroborreliosis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Correlation between homologous and heterologous enzyme immunoassays for progesterone determinations in milk from cows.

Two enzymeimmunoassays, homologous and heterologous, have been used for measuring progesterone in unextracted bovine milk using HRP as the enzyme label. Antibody raised by immunization of the rabbit against 11 alpha-hemisuccinate-BSA was used for the homologous system (EIA-11 alpha) and 7 alpha-carboxyethylthioether-BSA (EIA-7 alpha) for the heterologous. The progesterone derivatives used for the enzyme-hormone conjugates were 11 alpha-hemisuccinate and 6 beta-OH-hemisuccinate respectively. Milk progesterone in 60 samples measured by EIA-11 alpha and EIA-7 alpha were highly correlated (r = 0.93). Both systems were further compared with a conventional direct progesterone radioimmunoassay (RIA) in regular use for the same samples showing a good correlation. The sensitivity estimated was much higher in the EIA-7 alpha (0.5 pg/well) than in the EIA-11 alpha (32 pg/well).

Animals↗
PubMed1990

[The study of the human genome in pediatrics today].

The author studies the present of genetic diseases, its great importance in the modern pediatrics and the main basic concepts. Also he reviews gene's function and constitution, DNA probes genoma, genetic code, gene mapping and others current problems in genetics: diagnostic applications, infectious diseases, prevention of inherited diseases, genetic counseling, prenatal sex determination by DNA probes, cell gene therapy and finally the ethical issues.

Child↗
PubMed1990

Histamine content and mast cells distribution in mouse uterus: the effect of sexual hormones, gestation and labor.

The histamine content of uteri from mice was analyzed in terms of both concentration and total amount per uterine horn a) at two stages of the estrous cycle (estrous and diestrous), b) under sex hormone treatment, c) during pregnancy and after delivery. Histamine concentration and mast cell density were greater during diestrous and in mice treated with progesterone (p less than 0.001). This effect was attributed to a reduction in uterine mass weight, since the amount of histamine per uterine horn remained constant throughout the estrous cycle. During pregnancy, both concentration and amount of histamine per uterine horn were increased, values were significantly higher than in estrous (p less than 0.001) from day 14-17 until day 21 when labor occurred. After six to eight hours post-partum an abrupt reduction on histamine content was observed. Mast cells were more abundant in myometrium than in endometrium, their density followed the same pattern as histamine concentration throughout the estrous cycle.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

[Diagnosis by DNA analysis in familial isolated growth hormone deficiency type I-A].

We show the autoradiograms of DNA from one child affected of familial isolated growth hormone deficiency type I-A. Restriction endonuclease analysis of DNA isolated from leukocytes was done using 32P-labeled human GH cDNA clone as a probe. DNA analysis using the restriction endonuclease Bam HI revealed that the 3.8 kb restriction fragment, which contain the normal hGH-N gene, was absent. Since these deletions preclude production of any GH-N protein, affected individuals tend to be immunologically intolerant to exogenous GH. The child was homozygote and after treatment with exogenous GH developed a high titre of antibodies to GH and growth arrest. This is the first case of this genetic disorder studied in Spain.

Autoradiography↗
PubMed1989

Chronic progressive myelopathy associated with HTLV-I: oligoclonal IgG and anti-HTLV-I IgG antibodies in cerebrospinal fluid and serum.

Among 22 patients with human T-lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I)-associated chronic progressive myelopathy, agarose isoelectric focusing (AIF) revealed oligoclonal IgG bands in 21: in 3 in CSF only; in 11 in CSF and to some extent in serum; and in 7, identical patterns in CSF and serum. By immunoblot after AIF of CSF and serum, we observed bands of anti-HTLV-I IgG antibodies in 19 patients: in 5 in CSF only; in 9 in CSF and partly in serum; and in 5, identical in CSF and serum. Oligoclonal anti-HTLV-I IgG antibody bands could only partly be traced to oligoclonal IgG bands. If, prior to AIF, serum and CSF were absorbed with HTLV-I antigen, practically all oligoclonal HTLV-I-specific IgG antibody activity was abolished, while the oligoclonal pattern of total IgG was affected only to a minor extent. Alongside with HTLV-I-specific oligoclonal B cell response, HTLV-I myelopathy is regularly accompanied by production of oligoclonal IgG of unknown antibody specificities.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Operational studies on the control of Taenia solium taeniasis/cysticercosis in Ecuador.

A large-scale study in Loja and El Oro Provinces, Ecuador, demonstrated that population-based treatment of human taeniasis with a low dose of praziquantel is feasible and effective for the short-term control of transmission of Taenia solium in hyperendemic areas. Chemotherapeutic intervention also effectively promoted local preventive measures and contributed greatly to the elaboration of a long-term control programme.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Epidemiologic survey on hepatitis B in Gypsy women.

The determination of HBsAg in 3,404 pregnant women showed 84 positive cases (2.46%), which is above the average for the Spanish population. Notable risk factors were prior liver diseases, sexual promiscuity and spouse with liver disease. Other common, but less significant factors, were histories of transfusion or drug addiction. A very high proportion of the pregnant women were of the Gypsy race (12.1%), and these women showed a statistically higher (p less than 0.001) rate of chronic HBV infection (8.4%) than non-Gypsy population (1.4%). The Gypsy population showed a lower presence of known risk factors but a higher positivity for the e antigen. Our findings suggest that there is a higher prevalence of chronic HBV infection in pregnant Gypsy women and that the infection shows particular epidemiologic features.

Ethnicity↗
PubMed1988

Antinuclear antibodies in scleroderma, mixed connective tissue disease and "primary" Raynaud's phenomenon.

The diversity of antibodies in patients with scleroderma, mixed connective tissue disease or "primary" Raynaud's phenomenon could be used as a laboratory aid in the clinical diagnosis. In serum samples of 75 patients we screened for antinuclear antibodies (HEp 2 cells), anti DNA, soluble nucleoprotein and extractable nuclear antigens (Sm, rRNP, U1-nRNP, SSA/Ro, SSB/La and Scl-70). Distinctive antinuclear antibodies pattern was identified in each group of patients. This immunologic profile is valuable for clinical diagnosis and the preferential association of certain autoantibodies with some diseases and not with others, suggest an antigen-driven stimulus for its production.

Adult↗