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Biomedical subjects

M Rodriguez

Publications and source records attributed to M Rodriguez.

At least 685 records · Page 38Linked to original sources
PubMed1981

Immune complexes and autoantibodies in silicosis.

Serum specimens from 53 patients with silicosis were examined for the presence of antinuclear antibodies (ANA), rheumatoid factor (RF), immunoglobulins, and immune complexes. These humoral immunologic parameters were compared with radiographic changes and pulmonary function studies. A significant percentage of patients had an increased prevalence of ANA, RF, and immunoglobulin elevation (IgG, IgA). Immune complexes determined by the Raji-cell assay were detected in 31% of the patients. However, there was no significant correlation between any humoral immunologic abnormality and radiographic changes or declines in pulmonary function tests. These findings suggest that humoral immunologic abnormalities are not directly responsible for the lung changes in silicosis and cannot be used as "guides" to predict severity or progression of disease.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Correlates and changes over time in drug and alcohol use within a barrio population.

Extent and determinants of use of alcohol, marijuana, inhalants, and PCP were explored in a group of 339 Mexican American youths from the East Los Angeles Housing projects. Results from this study were compared to those from a similar survey carried out in the same area 2 years ago. Use of inhalants has declined markedly compared with prevalence reported in the previous report. However, use of alcohol and marijuana have increased across all age and sex cohorts. Prevalence of PCP use, explored for the first time in this report, was shown to be extremely high. Use of all drugs was generally predicted by age, sex, and number of peers reporting use. Self-concept factors, especially one's self-evaluation with respect to others, were also significant predictors to use of marijuana, inhalants, and PCP. However, alcohol use was not related to any self-concept factors. Language (Spanish-English) used both in the home and with peers was related to use of all substances studied. Limitations in the generalization of this study as a result of sampling problems are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1980

Relationship of dietary intake to subsequent coronary heart disease incidence: The Puerto Rico Heart Health Program.

A study of base-line nutrient intakes of 8218 urban and rural Puerto Rican man aged 45 to 64 years was undertaken in relation to subsequent six year coronary heart disease (CHD) incidence. Urban dietary intakes were significantly higher in total fat and lower in carbohydrate, particularly starch. Average cholesterol intakes were 83 mg/day higher in urban than rural men. Urban serum cholesterol values were significantly higher than rural values. Urban men who developed myocardial infarction or CHD death had significantly lower calorie and carbohydrate intakes i.e., chiefly those derived from rice and legumes. The same association was found in the rural group but failed to reach statistical significance. A very low intake of alcohol was noted in the 73 rural CHD cases. Dietary sucrose intake showed no relationship to CHD incidence. Multivariate analysis, taking relative weight, hematocrit, blood pressure, serum cholesterol, alcohol intake, cigarette smoking, area, and age into account, demonstrated an independent inverse relation of carbohydrate intake from legumes to CHD incidence. The apparent protective effect of complex carbohydrate merits further investigation.

Cholesterol, Dietary↗
PubMed1980

Simian haemorrhagic fever (SHF): new virus isolate from a chronically infected patas monkey.

A new strain of simian haemorrhagic fever (SHF) virus was isolated from chronically infected patas monkey no. 248 (P-248) in USU-104 cells. The P-248 isolate had the same size, morphology and cytoplasmic site of replication as the prototype LVR strain. However, the P-248 isolate caused a persistent infection without noticeable cytopathology in USU-104 cells rather than the strongly lytic infection produced by prototype LVR virus. The capacity of P-248 virus to produce a persistent, non-lytic infection of USU-104 cells was a very stable characteristic of the isolate. Extensive serial passage of this isolate through USU-104 cells (over 50 passages) and rhesus monkeys (six passages) failed to unmask virus with lytic properties for USU-104 cells. Culture medium from persistently infected cultures assayed in rhesus monkey peritoneal mononuclear phagocytes, where measurable cytopathology occurs, was found to contain about 10(5) to 10(6) TCID50/ml of cell-free P-248 virus. Immunolabelling techniques showed only a low percentage of infected cells in persistently infected cultures. The mechanism of persistence of the P-248 isolate in USU-104 cells has not been determined but evidence suggests it does not involve interferon or defective interfering particles.

Animals↗
PubMed1980

Polyclonal B lymphocyte activation during Trypanosoma cruzi infection.

Infection of A/J mice with Trypanosoma cruzi results in the polyclonal activation of B lymphocytes in vivo as assessed by the spontaneous plaque-forming cell (PFC) response to trinitrophenyl and to goat, equine, and sheep erythrocytes. The peak response to these antigens is found at 5 to 6 days of infection. Additionally, a polyclonal response to syngeneic erythrocytes can be detected in infected mice by using aged but not fresh indicator cells. Polyclonally stimulated PFC to human gamma-PFC found late in infection during a period of marked splenomegaly and parasitemia. This trypanosoma-induced polyclonal B cell activation may well be responsible for the abnormalities in immunoglobulin synthesis and secretion that have been reported to occur during human infection with T. cruzi.

Animals↗
PubMed1980

Method to detect asymptomatic carriers of simian hemorrhagic fever virus.

Evidence was obtained that mononuclear phagocytic cells are the target cells for simian hemorrhagic fever virus replication. Using peritoneal macrophages from rhesus monkeys in an in vitro, 18 of 20 asymptomatic chronically infected patas monkeys were detected from coded samples. The two chronically infected patas monkeys not detected by the test, nevertheless, contained virus. This was determined by inoculating macrophage cultures with plasma from macaques dying as a result of inoculation with plasma from these chronically infected animals. in addition to virus found in chronically infected animals, all isolates of simian hemorrhagic fever virus tested previously described epizootics lytically infected rhesus monkey macrophages. These data suggested that the highly fatal nature of simian hemorrhagic fever in macaques was related to the extreme sensitivity of their mononuclear phagocytic cells to infection and lysis.

Animals↗
PubMed1980

Spinal cord compression: with special reference to metastatic epidural tumors.

Compression of the spinal cord or cauda equina is an increasingly important problem in cancer patients. The most common primary tumors are carcinoma of the breast in women and carcinoma of the lung in men. Metastases invade the epidural space by extension from involved vertebrae, by growth through intevertebral foramina, and by hematogenous dissemination. Pain is the usual initial symptom, followed by progressive sensory, motor, and sphincteric dysfunction. Appropriate x-ray films of the spine are positive in most patients, and complete myelographic examination to delineate the exact location and extent of the compression is essential. Patients generally require emergency management; results of treatment depend primarily on the neurologic status at the time of diagnosis. Corticosteroids should be administered in an effort to reduce compressive edema. Decompressive laminectomy followed by radiation therapy is indicated for patients with compression of unknown cause, relapse during or after radiation therapy, or certain radioresistant tumors. Primary radiation therapy is indicated for patients with lymphoma and some patients with carcinoma.

Dexamethasone↗
PubMed1979

[Liposarcoma of the pancreas. Study of a case including ultrastructure].

The authors report a case of polymorphous liposarcoma situated in the pancreas. Ultrastructural study of proliferation demonstrated two cell contingents which appeared to represent stages of varied differentiation in the elaboration of adipose cells. The marked preponderance in the case studied of clear and little organised cells would appear to justify the histological classification of the polymorphous liposarcoma as a relatively undifferentiated tumour. Furthermore, this study emphasised the value of electron microscopy in the diagnosis of neoplasms which are complex from a morphological standpoint.

Adult↗
PubMed1978

[Presentation and automatic treatment of evolutive data in medicine. Application to clinical pancreatic pathology].

In this paper we propose a method allowing the representation of time-dependent changes in symptomatology. In algorithm, which automatically generates the sequence of stable states in patient's symptomatology evolution, describes slow, as well as fast, variations of diseases. This sequential representation of data can then be analysed by classical statistical procedures in a population of patients suffering from pancreatic diseases, to estimate the rate of global modification of clinical symptomatology in time.

Epidemiologic Methods↗