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Biomedical subjects

M Cruz

Publications and source records attributed to M Cruz.

152 records · Page 9Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Prevalence of chronic bronchitis in the children of Lisbon.

Portugal is one of the European countries with the highest mortality from Chronic Bronchitis (CB). This constitutes a severe problem as CB is one of the main causes of absenteeism and incapacity. To determine the prevalence of this disease, an epidemiological study was planned. The first part of this study involved the children of Lisbon because of the large number of children attending chest clinics for respiratory symptoms, because a similar study is being carried out in Europe by WHO in children from 8 to 10 years of age and because of the importance that this type of study in children may have in the prediction of the development of CB in adults. The study consisted in a standard questionnaire (WHO), a physical examination based on the CECA questionnaire, an ENT examination, a simple respiratory function test and a 70 mm microradiograph of the chest. 4148 children of both sexes, whose ages ranged from 6 to 14 were studied. The operational diagnosis of CB was based on the presence of chronic cough for the past 2 years, for at least 3 months and nearly every day during the Autumn and Winter months. The prevalence of CB in the overall population was 4.9%. The global analysis of the data collected seems to show the following: - Measles and whooping cough contribute to the incidence of CB. --Socio-economic conditions probably contribute to the increase in the incidence of CB. --A high incidence of ENT pathology was found in CB. --Atmospheric pollution does not appear to influence the incidence of CB.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Obtaining antibodies and development of an immunoassay for the detection of Escherichia coli proteins in preparations of human recombinant gamma interferon].

The present paper refers to the obtainment of polyspecific antisera directed against Escherichia coli host strain used to produce recombinant human gamma interferon (rec. hum. gamma IFN). The antisera were obtained by the cascade immunization method. The animals (n = 3) were initially immunized with an E. coli protein preparation (EcPp) of the host strain obtained from a blank run which assures the absence of the rec. hum. gamma IFN protein. Afterwards, consecutive immunizations were carried out with the less immunogenic proteins. To obtain those proteins, EcPp is passed through a column containing antibodies purified from previous inoculations coupled to a gel matrix. In this way, the proteins that have not been recognized by the immune system in that moment (e.g. do not have their corresponding antibodies coupled to the column) are separated an used to reimmunize the animals. The analyses of the antisera by Western blotting show a progressive recognition of the host strain proteins by the antisera with the progression of the cascade method. The recognition is evident through all the molecular weight range. Those antisera were used as quality control of the recombinant protein, by quantification of the host strain protein contaminants using a multiantigenic ELISA. The detection limit of that system was 3.125 ng/mL and the quantification limit 6.25 ng/mL.

Animals↗