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Biomedical subjects

M Morales

Publications and source records attributed to M Morales.

261 records · Page 15Linked to original sources
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[Arterial damage and the renin-angiotensin system in essential hypertension. Study of 63 cases].

Brunner, Laragh et al. have suggested that essential hypertensives with low plasma renin activity (PRA) are at lower risk of myocardial infarction or cerebrovascular accidents than those with high or normal PRA levels. In this paper we report on 63 patients with essential hypertension in whom the relation between PRA and the ocurrence of cardiovascular events was studied. The patients were categorized in high (11%), normal (70%) or low (19%) PRA subgroups, according to their 24-hour sodium excretion. Coronary angiogram was performed in 24 subjects. The three subgroups showed no significant differences in diastolic blood pressure, serum cholesterol levels, smoking habits or obesity. The incidence of cardiovascular complications was similar in patients with high or low PRA levels (28.5% and 33.3% respectively). In those hypertensives in whom coronary angiogram was done, coronary lesions were observed in 80% of the low renin subjects and in 37.5% of those patients with normal PRA. Therefore, no relation between PRA levels and vascular complications was observed in this series of patients. It is conclude that patients with essential hypertension must be treated as soon and effectively as possible regardless of their PRA value.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Treatment of acute leukemia during pregnancy: presentation of nine cases.

The hematologic and obstetric problems of nine pregnant patients with acute leukemia are analyzed. Seven patients received chemotherapy during various trimesters of pregnancy, four during the first 10 weeks, and there was no evidence of congenital malformations in any of their offspring. Six of nine babies are alive and healthy with a normal growth 2 months to 15 years after birth, one child was stillborn, and two children died 21 and 90 days after birth. These results were compared with others in the literature and the conclusions are that pregnancy is not a contraindication for treatment of acute leukemia, that cytotoxic drugs may not cause congenital malformations, and that the management of pregnant patients with acute leukemia should be carefully planned.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

D-glucose metabolism in tumoral pancreatic islet cells with rapid or decreased mitotic activity.

The metabolism of D-glucose was investigated in tumoral islet cells of the RINm5F line with either unaltered or decreased mitotic activity, resulting from the incorporation of D, L-alpha-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) in the culture medium. In DFMO-treated cells, the oxidation of D-[3,4-14C]glucose was less severely affected than the utilization of D-[5-3H] glucose, at least at hexose concentrations in the 1.0 to 16.7 mM range. This coincided with restoration of the process of glucose-induced stimulation of 3HOH generation from [2-3H]glycerol. Pretreatment with DFMO also resulted in a decreased circulation in the pentose phosphate pathway and the restoration of a preferential stimulation of D-[2-14C]glucose or D-[6-14C]glucose oxidation relative to D-[5-3H]glucose utilization when raising the hexose concentration from 0.2 to 1.0 mM. It is proposed that the interference of cell growth with the metabolic and functional responses of RINm5F cells to D-glucose is relevant to the difference between such responses otherwise found when comparing the behaviour of foetal or neonatal to adult normal islets.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Pleural empyema caused by Cryptococcus neoformans in a patient with liver cirrhosis].

Gram negative infections, particularly by E. coli, are usually observed in cirrhotic patients while infections by Cryptococcus neoformans are commonly found in immunosuppressed patients. The case of a cirrhotic patient with hepatitis C virus infection who developed pleural infection by C. neoformans is presented. No disease other than cirrhosis was observed in the patient. The treatment with oral fluconazole was initiated with good clinical response and infection cure. The efficacy of fluconazole in infections by this microorganism has been reported in other cases, mainly in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. The fact that the patient may be a liver transplant candidate, given the hepatic cirrhosis, leads to speculation as to the need for chronic treatment with fluconazole to avoid reactivation of C. neoformans on initiation of pharmacologic immunosuppression.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Risk factors influencing the outcome of portal and mesenteric vein thrombosis.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: This study analyzes risk factors that influence the course and outcome of portal and superior mesenteric vein thrombosis (PMVT). METHODOLOGY: We retrospectively reviewed 45 patients who were admitted to our institution over a 17-year period with a diagnosis of PMVT. Patients were classified according to three etiological groups, namely: cirrhosis (47%), pancreatitis (22%), and other causes (33%), with 1 patient belonging to two different groups. RESULTS: Over the course of the disease, rupture of gastric or esophageal varices was more frequent (p<0.005) in cirrhotics (75%) than non-cirrhotics (17%). Sclerotherapy was always the first treatment for variceal bleeding, with a success rate of 73% but a rate of recurrence of 56%. Surgical procedures were performed on 22% of patients. Actuarial survival was 43% at 5 years, but survival was significantly increased for idiopathic cases (p=0.005) and decreased in the presence of cirrhosis (p<0.001), malignancy (p<0.0001) or hematemesis (p<0.005). Gastrointestinal bleeding and terminal malignancies were responsible for 50% of deaths. CONCLUSIONS: Cirrhotic patients experience a detrimental outcome with an increased risk of gastrointestinal bleeding, which is the first cause of mortality in PMVT. Non-cirrhotic patients, especially idiopathic cases, enjoy a longer survival rate and seldom bleed, which allows for the use of anticoagulative therapy.

Adult↗