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Biomedical subjects

M Solé

Publications and source records attributed to M Solé.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1999

Nitric oxide production and inducible nitric oxide synthase expression in peritoneal macrophages of cirrhotic patients.

The present study assessed whether peritoneal macrophages isolated from cirrhotic patients produce nitric oxide (NO) and express NO synthase type II (NOS II) mRNA and protein. Patients with cirrhosis and ascites without peritonitis or with unresolved or resolved spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) were studied. Following paracentesis, ascites NO(2)(-) + NO(3)(-) content (NOx) was measured. Peritoneal macrophages from ascites were seeded on well plates, and NO(2)(-) in the medium was determined. NOx was higher in patients with unresolved or resolved SBP than in cirrhotic patients without peritonitis. Macrophages of patients with SBP or resolved SBP produced NO(2)(-) after 30 hours in culture, but those obtained from patients without peritonitis did not. Reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunocytochemical analysis revealed the presence of a clear signal for NOS II mRNA and protein in macrophages of SBP patients, regardless of whether or not the infection subsided. Therefore, peritoneal macrophages isolated from cirrhotic patients with unresolved or resolved SBP produce NO and express the NOS II mRNA and protein, suggesting that NOS II may contribute to the control of SBP, or to its associated pathology, in human cirrhosis.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Chronic blockade of endothelin receptors in cirrhotic rats: hepatic and hemodynamic effects.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Because controversial roles have been attributed to activation of the hepatic paracrine endothelin (ET) system in cirrhosis, this study assessed whether chronic ET receptor blockade modifies the development of portal hypertension in cirrhotic rats. METHODS: Cirrhotic and control rats received the mixed ET receptor antagonist RO 48-5695 or vehicle daily for 10 weeks. At the end of the treatment period, portal pressure, systemic hemodynamics, standard renal and liver function tests, hepatic concentration of hydroxyproline, and liver messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of procollagen type I were measured. RESULTS: Cirrhotic rats had portal hypertension and hyperdynamic circulation with no differences between animals treated or not treated with the ET-receptor antagonist. However, cirrhotic rats receiving ET-receptor blockade long-term showed a higher hepatic hydroxyproline content and procollagen type I mRNA expression than cirrhotic animals receiving vehicle. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that the liver paracrine ET system does not play a major role in the pathogenesis of portal hypertension and support the concept that this system takes part in an autocrine loop that counteracts the development of liver fibrogenesis.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Case of onychomycosis caused by Microsporum racemosum.

We report the case of a Spanish 60-year-old female who presented in 1997 with onychomycosis of the left thumbnail following an injury caused by a fresh fish bone. Microsporum racemosum was repeatedly cultured from nail scrapings, and its identity was confirmed by sequencing the isolate's ITS1/ITS2 and 5.8S rRNA regions. The patient was successfully treated with itraconazole, which was administered for 12 weeks. This represents the first case of onychomycosis due to M. racemosum and the first time that this species has been isolated from a human in Europe.

DNA, Fungal↗
PubMed1999

K-ras mutations in DNA extracted from the plasma of patients with pancreatic carcinoma: diagnostic utility and prognostic significance.

PURPOSE: Previous studies have demonstrated the presence of K-ras mutations in the plasma of patients with pancreatic carcinoma. However, the diagnostic utility and the prognostic significance of this finding have never been addressed. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Forty-four consecutive patients with histologically confirmed primary pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma were included. A control group of 37 patients with chronic pancreatitis, 10 patients with other tumors of the pancreatic area, nine patients with acute pancreatitis, and four healthy volunteers was also included. Plasma DNA was isolated and K-ras codon-12 mutations were analyzed by means of restriction fragment length polymorphism-polymerase chain reaction and single-strand conformation polymorphism techniques. Patients were followed up to establish their clinical outcome. RESULTS: The mutant-type K-ras gene was found in plasma DNA samples of 12 (27%) of 44 patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma; this finding was related to the tumor stage (P = .05), mainly in the presence of distant metastases (P = .02). In addition, K-ras mutations were detected in the plasma DNA of two (5%) of 37 patients with chronic pancreatitis. In the subset of patients with pancreatic masses, the sensitivity and specificity of plasma K-ras analysis for pancreatic adenocarcinoma were 27% and 100%, respectively. Finally, pancreatic carcinoma patients with the mutant-type K-ras gene in plasma DNA exhibited a shorter survival time than patients with the wild-type gene (P<.005), and plasma K-ras mutations were identified as the only independent prognostic factor (odds ratio, 1.51; 95% confidence interval, 1.02 to 2.23). CONCLUSION: Plasma K-ras analysis is a highly specific, low-sensitivity approach that has diagnostic and prognostic clinical implications in patients with pancreatic carcinoma.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1998

Increased renal expression of nitric oxide synthase type III in cirrhotic rats with ascites.

This article assesses the circulating levels of L-arginine, the renal response to L-arginine infusion, and the renal expression of inducible and constitutive nitric oxide synthase (NOS II and NOS III, respectively) in cirrhotic rats with ascites. Systemic and renal hemodynamics and renal function were measured in basal conditions and following two doses of L-arginine (5 and 10 mg x kg(-1) x min for 40 minutes). Renal NOS II and III messenger RNA (mRNA) expression was evaluated in basal conditions by polymerase chain reaction and Northern blot, respectively. Renal NOS II and III protein expression was assessed by Western blot and immunohistochemistry. Plasma concentration of L-arginine was significantly lower in cirrhotic rats than in control rats (48+/-11 vs. 86+/-9 micromol/L, P < .025). In both groups L-arginine infusion had no effect on systemic hemodynamics, but markedly increased renal perfusion. This effect was significantly more intense in cirrhotic rats. A very weak signal of similar intensity was found for NOS II mRNA in both groups of animals. However, no NOS II protein expression was detected. In contrast, higher NOS III mRNA abundance and protein expression, which was mainly located in the endothelial lining of the renal arterioles, were found in the kidney of cirrhotic animals. These results indicated increased renal expression of NOS III mRNA and protein, deficient circulating levels of L-arginine, and increased renal hemodynamic response to this amino acid in cirrhotic rats with ascites. Our results suggest that L-arginine supplementation at doses not affecting arterial pressure could have beneficial effects on renal perfusion in cirrhosis.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Liver transplantation for small hepatocellular carcinoma: the tumor-node-metastasis classification does not have prognostic power.

Tumoral recurrence rate and survival of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treated by orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) depend on tumor stage. Thereby, from the beginning of our program, we selected only patients with solitary tumors < or = 5 cm without vascular invasion, thus avoiding the use of the tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) staging system as a selection tool. The present study reports the results obtained in 58 consecutive patients (52 +/- 8 years, 47 males) with HCC (7 incidentals) transplanted between 1989 and 1995. Transplantation was indicated because of tumor diagnosis in 40 cases and advanced liver failure in 18. Mean tumor size at staging was 28.2 +/- 12.1 mm. No adjuvant treatment was applied during the waiting period (58.9 +/- 45.1 days). The pathological tumor-node-metastasis (pTNM) classification allocated 15 patients to stage I, 19 to stage II, 11 to stage IIIA, and 13 to stage IVA showing preoperative understaging in 43% of the cases with known tumor. After a median follow up of 31 months, only two patients have shown tumor recurrence and fifteen have died, the 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival being 84%, 74%, and 74%. All HCV+ patients remain infected and 94% showed significant liver disease (6 cirrhosis). Six patients have had a second transplant. In conclusion, the application of restrictive criteria not following the TNM staging system prompts excellent results for liver transplantation in patients with HCC, both in terms of survival and disease recurrence, even without applying adjuvant treatment; however, the survival data should be tempered by the appearance of complications that may worsen the long-term prognosis.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Imposex in the commercial snail Bolinus brandaris in the northwestern Mediterranean.

A survey of the degree of imposex in populations of the commercial muricid Bolinus brandaris (L.) was carried out at six locations along the Catalan Coast (NW Mediterranean). Imposex was found to be a widespread phenomenon; the occurrence of a penis was observed in all females studied with the exception of those from St. Carles (South of Catalunya) where only 37% were affected. Other indices such as Relative Penis Length (RPL) and Vas Deferens Sequence (VDS) were applied; RPL varied from 4.5% in St. Carles--the least affected area--to 29.8% in the vicinity of Barcelona; similar results were obtained for VDS. Tissue organotin residues ranged from 6 to 140 ng g(-1) w.w. as Sn. Despite legislation restricting the use of tributyltin (TBT) in antifouling paints, this paper evidences the occurrence of organotin pollution far from the source, with levels of both TBT and triphenyltin (TPhT) high enough to cause environmental concern.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1998

Systemic xanthohistiocytoma: a variant of xanthoma disseminatum?

We present a 66-year-old man who had maculopapular pigmented lesions on the skin of the head, neck and trunk suggesting generalized eruptive histiocytoma (GEH). These lesions had a yellowish centre in a target-like pattern that has not been previously described. The patient suffered from diplopia and had a severe sensorimotor polyneuropathy causing progressive paresis of the limbs. The explorations performed disclosed the presence of specific xanthomatous infiltrates in the skin, lungs, respiratory tract, peripheral nerves and meninges, suggesting xanthoma disseminatum (XD) or juvenile xanthogranuloma. Multiple osteolytic lesions of large bones were also found. The infiltrate was CD68, MAC 387 and factor XIIIa positive and S-100 and CD1 negative. Some cells contained worm-like bodies visible by electron microscopy. Our patient presented clinical and immunohistochemical findings suggestive of GEH, juvenile xanthogranuloma or XD, supporting the idea of a wide spectrum of non-Langerhans cell histiocytosis. These specific target-like xanthomatous lesions seem to be unique for this new variant of XD.

Aged↗
PubMed1998

Borrelia burgdorferi escape mutants that survive in the presence of antiserum to the OspA vaccine are killed when complement is also present.

As an initial attempt to investigate the possible role of outer surface protein A (OspA) escape mutants of Borrelia burgdorferi in decreasing the efficacy of the OspA vaccine, mutants of the HB19 strain of B. burgdorferi sensu stricto were selected in vitro from an uncloned, low-passage-number isolate. The antiserum used for selection was obtained from rhesus monkeys that had been given a vaccine of the same formulation and dose, and by the same route of administration, as that given to humans in several trials. All of the mutants selected in liquid medium and subsequently cloned twice in solid medium expressed a single abundant protein of 28 to 34 kDa instead of both OspA and OspB. Depending on the mutant, this protein reacted strongly, weakly, or not detectably with the anti-OspA antibody used for selection. Analysis of the ospAB locus of each of four representatives from these three groups of mutants by PCR with oligonucleotide primers that hybridize to flanking regions of the ospAB operon, and of the corresponding phenotype with monoclonal antibodies that bind to the amino or carboxyl terminus of the OspA or OspB polypeptide, indicated that in all cases a deletion within the operon had occurred. Spirochetes from the four mutant strains chosen for further analysis could be killed in antibody-dependent, complement-mediated killing assays with the selecting anti-OspA antibody, despite their resistance to killing with this antibody in the absence of complement. Complement-mediated killing occurred at an antibody concentration higher than that required to kill wild-type spirochetes. If anti-OspA antibody acts only within the tick, where complement is probably ineffective due to tick-derived decomplementing factors, then OspA escape mutants, if infectious, could seriously diminish the efficacy of OspA vaccines. On the other hand, if the killing of B. burgdorferi with anti-OspA antibody also takes place within the human host, then our results indicate that chimeric/deletion escape mutants will be killed as well.

Antigens, Bacterial↗
PubMed1998

Numeric alterations in chromosomes 7 and 8 detected by fluorescent in situ hybridization correlate with high-grade localized prostate cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the ability of flow cytometry (FCM) and fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH), using a small set of 4 enumeration chromosome probes to detect aneuploidy in prostate tumors, and to correlate it with histological grade and pathological stage. METHODS: Among 28 suitable cases, 21 could be analyzed by FISH and FCM techniques. DNA centromeric probes were used in FISH analysis to enumerate chromosomes 7, 8, 10 and 12. RESULTS: (a) Of the 21 cases studied by FISH, 5 were diploid, 14 aneuploid and 2 were tetraploid. When studied by FCM, these tumors were: 14 diploid, 6 aneuploid, and 1 tetraploid. FISH proved to have a higher ability for detecting DNA aneuploidy than FCM while been equally specific, since all tumors aneuploid by FCM were also found to be aneuploid by FISH. (b) Of the 14 aneuploid tumors, 12 were of high histological grade, while only 2 of the 7 nonaneuploid were of high grade. A statistically significant association was observed between high histological grade and FISH aneuploidy (p = 0.033). (c) All the aneuploid tumors showed chromosome 7 and/or 8 aneusomy. Trisomy 7 and monosomy 8 were the most frequent alterations present in 56 and 42% of the aneuploid tumors, respectively. CONCLUSION: FISH analysis of chromosome 7 and 8 alterations proved to be more sensitive than FCM in the detection of aneuploid prostate tumors. This aneuploidy was significantly associated with a poor pathological prognosis.

Aneuploidy↗
PubMed1998

Adenoid cystic carcinoma of the breast: mammographic appearance and pathologic correlation.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of our study was to describe the mammographic features of adenoid cystic carcinoma of the breast and to correlate mammography findings with histopathologic findings. CONCLUSION: Adenoid cystic carcinoma is a rare type of breast neoplasm that usually appears as a slowly enlarging nodule. In spite of its low incidence, recognition is important because early detection ensures good prognosis. On mammography, these tumors often appear as moderately circumscribed, lobulated nodules that are similar to other types of benign and malignant tumors. Therefore, cytologic and histologic evaluations are needed for accurate diagnosis.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Cosmopolitan distribution of the large composite microbial mat spirochete, Spirosymplokos deltaeiberi.

Inocula from organic-rich black muds immediately underlying intertidal laminated microbial mats dominated by Microcoleus chthonoplastes yielded large, variable diameter spirochetes. These unusual spirochetes, previously reported only from the Alfacs Peninsula at the delta of the Ebro river in northeast Spain, contain striking arrays of cytoplasmic granules packed into their protoplasmic cylinders. On several occasions, both in summer and winter, the huge spirochetes were recognized in samples from mats growing in the Sippewissett salt marsh at Woods Hole Massachusetts. They were also seen in similar samples from microbial mats at North Pond, Laguna Figueroa, Baja California Norte, Mexico. The identity of these spirochetes was confirmed by electron microscopy: number and disposition of flagella, composite structure, measurements of their distinctive cytoplasmic granules. The granules, larger, more conspicuous and present in addition to ribosomes, are hypothesized to contain ATPases. As culture conditions worsen, these spirochetes retract into membrane-bounded round bodies in which they form refractile inclusions. From morphology and behavior we conclude the North American spirochetes from both Atlantic and Pacific intertidal microbial mats are indistinguishable from those at the delta of the Ebro river. We conclude a cosmopolitan distribution for Spirosymplokos deltaeiberi.

Massachusetts↗