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Biomedical subjects

P Torres

Publications and source records attributed to P Torres.

157 records · Page 9Linked to original sources

Study of lymphocyte subpopulations at different stages of contact dermatitis.

Contact dermatitis has traditionally been regarded as a T-lymphocyte-mediated delayed hypersensitivity reaction. This has led authors to focus their studies of this affection on establishing the role played by lymphocytes and the different lymphocyte subpopulations in its pathophysiology. However, as most of the research conducted on contact dermatitis has so far been carried out on experimental animals, we believed it of interest to study the potential alterations to the immune system involved in contact dermatitis in humans. For this purpose, we chose 30 patients suffering from contact dermatitis in whom we studied the blood levels of total lymphocytes, as well as those of CD3, CD4 and CD8, and the CD4/CD8 ratio. These parameters were determined at three clinical stages, namely, the clinical stage (acute phase), a period when the symptoms had subsided (intercrisis phase) and another when the lesions recurred (acute outbreak). The aim of this work was to study the changes in these lymphocyte subpopulations in each of the stages. We also studied a control group consisting of 30 healthy subjects in order to contrast the results obtained. We found no significant differences among the results obtained at the three stages. However, they did differ from those obtained for the control group: the patients had lower CD4 and CD8 levels than their healthy counterparts, the differences only being significant in the acute phase.

Acute Disease↗

[Functional study in children with repaired esophageal atresia].

Esophageal atresia Type III was repaired in 8 children 5-11 y/o. All had stenosis in the esophagus diagnosed by radiology and endoscopy after surgical correction. Dilation was performed until normal lumen was obtained. Motor disfunction in upper and middle part of the esophagus was evidenced in six by manometry. Our findings are suggestive that Esophageal manometry is indicated in the evaluation of repaired esophageal atresia.

Child↗

[Usefulness of dilatation in esophageal stricture in children].

During 8 years, 140 children aged from 23 days old to 12 years old with the diagnosis of esophageal narrowness of different etiologies were studied. They had been treated through periodic dilatations according to their needs; the number of dilatations varied in relation to the clinic entity, age and time passed since the beginning of treatment standing out that the precocious dilatations had a greater success as less of them were required, specially in children with esophageal narrowness post ingestion of caustic and those with post surgical narrowness from correction of esophageal atresia. Among the patients who finished the treatment with dilatations, 81.4% were success fully resolved including 14.2% who needed surgical treatment, that is, resection of stenosis in 7.15%, transposition of colon in 4.28%, and required Nissen operation in 2.85% of patients.

Age Factors↗

[Measurement of esophageal pH during 24 hours in children. Preliminary report].

A preliminary report is presented regarding the 24 hours continuous pH monitoring of 40 patients from 1 month to 19 years of age with clinical features of gastro-esophageal reflux confirmed by at least one of the diagnostic methods utilized (radiology, endoscopy, esophageal biopsy). The equipment used was a MIC GASTROGRAPH with 1.2 and 3 mm catheters according to age and using the methodology suggested by ESPGAN. Patients with reflux index of more than 10% had all other pH indexes and other diagnostic methods abnormal. The area of the curve below pH 4 correlated directly with the presence of esophagitis. Patients with post history of esophageal atresia and caustic esophagitis had marked alterations of pH. PH monitoring with the modern methodology currently available is of great help to quantify severity of acid reflux, to distinguish between physiologic pathologic reflux and to decide treatment.

Adolescent↗

[Contracaecum sp. larvae (Nematoda, Anisakidae) infection in Salminus maxillosus (Pisces, Characidae) in the dam of Termas de Río Hondo, Argentina].

Between 1992 and 1993, ten characid fishes, Salminus maxillosus from Termas de Río Hondo pond (27 degrees 33' S 64 degrees 57' W), Argentina were examined for Contracaecum sp. infection. Larvae were isolated from peritoneum of intestine and piloric ceca of salmonids. Morphological characteristics of larvae are described with optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Morphological comparisons between Contracaecum sp. from S. maxillosus, and Contracaecum rudolphii from freshwater fishes species from Southern Chile and Argentina are given.

Animals↗

[Intestinal geohelminthosis in man and domestic animals in the riverside sections of the Valdivia River Basin, Chile].

In March-October 1987 were analyzed 1295 coprological specimens in a sample of the human population who lives in riverside localities in the Valdivia River Basin, Chile. A 23.6% of examined persons presented infection by one or more helminth species. The prevalence of infection by Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura and Trichostrongylidae gen. sp. were 15.5, 12.7 and 0.2%, respectively. The prevalence of human ascariosis and trichuriosis were greater in pre-school and school children. The sex of the host and prevalence of geohelminthosis did not show any relationship. Prevalences of ascariosis and trichuriosis were higher in persons from houses with no sanitary fecal and water disposal. Over 35% and 20.7% of family groups showed infection by A. lumbricoides and T. trichiura, respectively in over 40% of the members of each group. Fecal samples from domestic mammals revealed the following prevalences rates for helminth infections: in dogs 19.0 and 15.2% for Toxocara canis and Uncinaria stenocephala respectively, in cats 65.1% for Toxocara cati, and in pigs 25.4 and 3.2% for Ascaris suum and Trichuris suis respectively. Some of these species are clearly demonstrated agents of zoonoses.

Adolescent↗

[Seasonal infection by metacercaria of Diplostomum (Austrodiplostomum) mordax (Szidat and Nani, 1951) and Tylodelphys destructor Szidat and Nani, 1951 in the Chilean Silverside, Basilichthys australis Eigenmann, 1927 (Pisces:Atherinidae) in Lake Riñihue].

Between 1993 and 1994, 129 specimens of Basilichthys australis from Lake Riñihue (39 degrees 50 minutes S; 72 degrees 20 minutes W) in the south of Chile were examined, in order to determine the prevalence and mean intensity of infections by Diplostomum mordax and Tylodelphys destructor metacercariae in the brain of fishes. Prevalence and mean intensity of D. mordax and mean intensity of T. destructor not showed seasonal significant differences. Prevalence of T. destructor was higher in summer than in winter, spring and autumn. No association between intensity of infection by D. mordax and T. destructor and body condition of the host was observed.

Animals↗

[Infection by intestinal protozoa and helminths in schoolchildren from riverside sectors, with different fecal contamination levels, of Valdivia River, Chile].

During 1993, the prevalences of infection by intestinal protozoa and helminths (IPH) in the riverside schoolchildren population of two sectors of Valdivia river, with different levels of fecal contamination, were compared in relation to their contact with river water (swimming, bathing) and basic sanitation elements (BSE) of their houses: feces and garbage disposal, and water supply. Populations of children from sectors A (n = 418), with significatively greater (SG) total coliform most probable number (MPN), and sector B (n = 400), were examined. PAFS test was used for the stool examination of one sample, from each child. The global prevalence of infection by IPH was similar in A (74.8%) and B (72.5%) sectors. From 10 identified IPH, only Entamoeba histolytica and Hymenolepis nana showed prevalences of infection SG in sector A, than in sector B. The contact of the children with the water of the river showed association with SG prevalences for E. histolytica, Entamoeba coli and Endolimax nana in sector B and for E. histolytica in sector A. No sanitary condition for the different BSE contributed to SG prevalences for E. histolytica, Ascaris lumbricoides and Trichuris trichiura in both sectors, and for E. coli in sector B. The contact with the river water and the different BSE contributed to prevalences SG in 5 and 3 IPH in sectors B and A, respectively. The results suggest that a project in study for the development of a treatment plant of wastewater in sector A, could contribute to control infection by IPH. But, this measure must be associated with improvement of the BSE, health education, and application of chemotherapy measures for geohelminthosis in both sectors.

Adolescent↗

Clinical and histopathological evolution of active chronic hepatitis.

The clinical and histopathological evolution of 7 children with severe chronic active hepatitis and 8 with moderate chronic active hepatitis were studied. The majority (11-15) of the children had a clear past history of acute viral hepatitis. The cases of chronic active hepatitis with a moderate activity had a favorable evolution, but not the cases of severe chronic active hepatitis. Four of them developed into liver cirrhosis, in two the morphological alteration did not improve, and only one case showed a chronic presistent hepatitis.

Biopsy↗