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Biomedical subjects

P Alonso

Publications and source records attributed to P Alonso.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Inhibition of the degranulation and myeloperoxidase activity of human polymorphonuclear neutrophils by Brucella melitensis.

The degranulation and myeloperoxidase-H2O2-halide activities of human polymorphonuclear leukocytes from healthy donors were tested after co-incubation with either Brucella melitensis 16M, Staphylococcus aureus or Staphylococcus aureus in presence of lipopolysaccharide, protein fraction, native hapten and soluble fractions released at 65 degrees C from smooth strain of Brucella melitensis 16M. The degranulation and myeloperoxidase activities of polymorphonuclear leukocytes were significantly higher when co-incubated with Staphylococcus aureus than with Brucella melitensis. The presence of lipopolysaccharide, protein fraction, and native hapten did not cause significant modification of either degranulation or myeloperoxidase activities of polymorphonuclear leukocytes against Staphylococcus aureus. Soluble fraction released at 65 degrees C produced a significant reduction in the myeloperoxidase activity but did not alter the degranulation of polymorphonuclear leukocytes triggered by Staphylococcus aureus.

Brucella↗

[Epidemiology of multiple sclerosis in Asturias].

An epidemiological study of multiple sclerosis carried out in Gijón (Principado de Asturias). It had the methodological peculiarity of having been performed in a reduced population of 81,462 individuals selected from the primary health care centers from which they depended. This permitted a better case finding and both a prospective and retrospective investigation. In the prospective period, the incidence found was 0.49/100,000/year, while it was 1.59 in the retrospective period. The reasons for this difference are discussed. The prevalence was 23.32/100,000. We attribute the fact that this rate is higher than that previously reported for Spain to methodological and perhaps geographical reasons.

Adolescent↗

[Caroli's disease. Presentation of 8 cases studied with ERCP].

Eight patients with Caroli's Disease are presented, studied by Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) from January 1976 through January 1990. In this period of time 1,525 procedures were carried out, this entity thus representing 0.52% of patients submitted to ERCP in our population. Six patients were females, being female: male ratio 3:1. Mean age was 52 years (range: 40-75). All patients presented a clinical history of recurring episodes of abdominal pain and/or crisis of cholangitis. In the ERCP carried out in these eight patients, cystic dilatation of intrahepatic left lobe bile ducts were confirmed in five patients, dilatation generalized to both lobes in two, and affecting exclusively the right lobe in one patient.

Adult↗

HIV-2 infection among prostitutes working in The Gambia: association with serological evidence of genital ulcer diseases and with generalized lymphadenopathy.

Three hundred and fifty-five prostitutes working in The Gambia were enrolled in a study of retroviral infections. Eight-seven (24.6%) were infected with HIV-2 only, two (0.6%) with HIV-1 only, four (1.1%) had sera showing double HIV-1/HIV-2 reactivity, and 37 (10.4%) were seropositive for HTLV-I. After allowing for socioeconomic and serological variables in a multivariate analysis, HIV-2 infection was associated with serological evidence of a previous episode of syphilis [a rapid plasma reagin (RPR) positive/Treponema pallidum haemagglutination assay (TPHA) positive; odds ratio (OR) = 2.18, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.19-3.98], with having antibodies against Haemophilus ducreyi (OR = 2.05, 95% CI = 0.89-4.70) or against HTLV-I (OR = 2.17, 95% CI = 0.91-5.19). HIV-2-seropositive prostitutes were three times more likely [17 out of 78 (22%) versus 15 out of 219 (7%), P less than 0.001] to have generalized lymphadenopathy than those who were seronegative. These data suggest that genital ulcer diseases may facilitate the transmission of HIV-2, and that HIV-2 rapidly induces the appearance of generalized lymphadenopathy in a substantial proportion of infected individuals.

AIDS-Related Complex↗

Knowledge of AIDS, use of condoms and results of counselling subjects with asymptomatic HIV2 infection in The Gambia.

A questionnaire administered to subjects seen during a serological survey in The Gambia revealed that knowledge of AIDS and HIV infection was limited. Males, those with a secondary education and people who lived in urban areas had a better understanding but only 17% of women seen in rural areas had any knowledge of the condition. Only 8% of the subjects seen had used condoms in the preceding 12 months; during this time half of them had done so on less than five occasions. Subjects with a secondary education were more likely to have used condoms. A counsellor met 31 asymptomatic seropositive subjects identified during this survey on two occasions. In the majority, the information given caused anxiety rather than modification of behaviour and, at the time of the second interview, only one subject had discussed the situation with the partner and begun using condoms. Some of the cultural factors which may affect the outcome of counselling in an African society are discussed in the light of these findings.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

Vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia. Report of 14 cases.

From 1978 to 1985 we have found 14 cases of vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia (VAIN) in patients previously hysterectomized. VAIN was detected by an abnormal cytology; diagnostic process included a second cytology, colposcopy, Schiller test, and directed biopsies. VAIN was classified as grade I in 5 patients (35.7%); grade II in 5 patients (35.7%); and grade III in 4 patients (28.6%). Pathogenic classification of VAIN was: VAIN de novo 9 cases (64.3%); VAIN after vaginal irradiation, 3 cases (21.4%); VAIN following incomplete removal of a cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, one case (7.1%); and VAIN as manifestation of a multicentric neoplasia of the lower genital tract, one case (7.1%). The mean time between hysterectomy and VAIN diagnosis was 6.9 years; this time was larger for those women hysterectomized by benign uterine diseases (9.0 years vs. 2.4 years). Our conclusion is that patients who have lost their uterus by malignant or benign diseases should be followed-up with periodic vaginal cytology in order to detect vaginal neoplasia in its pre-invasive stages.

Adult↗

Almitrine in acute respiratory failure. Effects on pulmonary gas exchange and circulation.

The effects of almitrine administration on pulmonary gas exchange and pulmonary and systemic hemodynamics were assessed in eight patients with severe acute respiratory failure (ARF) secondary to sepsis or shock. A control group of five patients not receiving the drug were submitted to the same protocol. All the patients were sedated, paralyzed, and mechanically ventilated. Measurements were made before (BASELINE), during (ALM 15), at the end of (ALM 30), and at 30 minute intervals after (POSTALM 30, 60, 90, 120) the intravenous (IV) infusion of 0.5 mg/kg body weight of almitrine in 30 minutes. Almitrine produced an increase in PaO2 from 86 +/- 14 (BASELINE) to 129 +/- 69 (ALM 15) and 129 +/- 86 mm Hg (ALM 30). The PaO2 quickly declined after stopping the infusion. The P(A-a)O2 and QVA/QT decreased with almitrine administration. The Ppa and QT increased transiently at ALM 30. We conclude that IV almitrine improves gas exchange and may be useful in the management of ARF.

Aged↗

[Antigenic relations of several strains of Naegleria].

In previous papers different aspects of one strain of Naegleria lovaniensis (Aq/9/1/45D) and two strains of N. gruberi (1518/le and 1518/lf) have been studied. From the results obtained it can be concluded that each strain behaves differently; no more similarities have been found between both N. gruberi strains, than between each of these and N. lovaniensis. Such an event has prompted us to characterize their antigenic relationships by means of an immunoprecipitation assay (double diffusion in plate). Each antiserum was tested against the different antigenic extracts. For N. lovaniensis, besides the whole extract, two fractions (particulate and soluble) and their respective antisera were assayed separately. No reaction occurred between any of the anti-N. lovaniensis sera and either of the two N. gruberi extracts. The antiserum to N. gruberi 1518/lf reacted only with its homologue and with N. lovaniensis antigens. Both N. lovaniensis fractions share some antigenic components being more complex the antigenic structure of the soluble fraction. Therefore no more similarities occur between both N. gruberi strains than between each one and N. lovaniensis, rather N. gruberi 1518/le exhibits more antigenic relationships with N. lovaniensis than with 1518/lf strains. In view of such results the species N. gruberi should be taxonomically reconsidered, criterium shared by other authors.

Animals↗

Polyvalent inhibitory action of fusidic acid in isolated rat liver cells.

The steroidic antibiotic fusidic acid showed a polyvalent action on isolated rat liver cells. It displayed a strong inhibitory capability on protein synthesis in intact cells even stronger than that previously reported in cell-free extracts. Also, it inhibited basal gluconeogenesis and promoted an increase of the membrane permeability to trypan blue. However, the effects on both protein synthesis and basal gluconeogenesis were observed at doses smaller than those required to reduce the cell viability.

Animals↗

Transthoracic needle biopsy in neoplastic and nonneoplastic pathology: experience in a general hospital.

Transthoracic needle biopsy (TNB) was performed in 344 cases of intrathoracic pathology. In 60 of them, the material obtained was inadequate. In the remaining 284, the possibilities of TNB to identify malignant cells were evaluated. Of them, 202 had neoplastic lesions and 82 had nonneoplastic processes. Among the neoplastic cases, malignant cells were found in 188, (true positive), and in 14 the results were false negative. In the group of nonneoplastic processes, there were 80 without malignant cells (true negative), and two were diagnosed as malignant, (false positive). In these 284 cases with cytologic diagnosis, the global sensitivity was 0.93, and the specificity was 0.97; however, including all cases and the inadequate samples as false negatives, the sensitivity is lower--0.71. TNB required some skill, the use of fine needles, and the collaboration of an expert cytopathologist. TNB is an important method with which to explore intrathoracic pathology.

Biopsy, Needle↗

Inhibition of protein synthesis by (aminooxy)acetate in rat liver.

(Aminooxy)acetate and D-cycloserine, two inhibitors of hepatic transamination reactions, inhibited also protein synthesis in isolated cells and postmitochondrial supernatants from rat liver. Both inhibitors acted in extracts only in concentrations higher than 1 mM. However, while D-cycloserine acted in isolated cells, as in extracts, (aminooxy)acetate inhibits protein synthesis in isolated cells by 50% of the control in the range 0.03-3 mM. NH+4 and H2O2, two by-products of (aminooxy)acetate degradation, inhibited protein synthesis in isolated liver cells, but at such a high concentration that the inhibition of protein synthesis carried out by (aminooxy)acetate cannot be explained by generation of these species. The results point out that the inhibitory action of (aminooxy)acetate on protein synthesis appears to require the integrity of the molecule.

Acetates↗

Phagocytic activity of three Naegleria strains in the presence of erythrocytes of various types.

The phagocytic activities of N. lovaniensis (Aq/9/1/45D) and N. gruberi (1518/1f and 1518/1e) were studied in the presence of erythrocytes of various species: chicken, rabbit, goat, and human (A+, B+, and AB+ were tested). The percentage of amoebae with ingested red cells, the phagocytic index (PhI), can be considered as an expression of phagocytic activity. Under given conditions (erythrocyte concentration, incubation time, age of amoebic cultures) each strain of Naegleria prefers one erythrocyte type. Thus, for 72-h cultures, N. lovaniensis ingested more A+ type erythrocytes than did N. gruberi strains but had very low affinity for rabbit red cells except when very high concentrations were tested. Naegleria gruberi 1f was the most active of the three strains towards rabbit and B+ and AB+ human erythrocytes, but very low PhIs were obtained with goat erythrocytes. Naegleria gruberi 1e exhibited high phagocytic activity for every erythrocyte type except for rabbit red cells.

ABO Blood-Group System↗