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Biomedical subjects

R Campos

Publications and source records attributed to R Campos.

At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

[Steroid treatment of acute psychosis associated with multiple sclerosis]].

INTRODUCTION: Psychiatric disorders are common in patients suffering from multiple sclerosis (MS). Psychosis is a rare complication in this condition. We present two patients with MS and psychosis. CLINICAL CASES: Case 1. A 45-year-old man was admitted to the hospital because an acute psychosis. The diagnosis of clinical definitive MS was made two years before. Cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and single positron emission computerized tomography (SPECT) showed lesions in the left temporal lobe. He was treated with a 3-day course of high-dose corticosteroid and neuroleptic. The patient's status gradually improved within the following weeks. Case 2. A 41-year-old man with MS was hospitalized in a Psychiatric Department for acute psychosis. He was treated with high-dose of neuroleptic. Thereafter two remissions and relapses of MS have occurred. In 1998, the patient was evaluated in the Service of Psychiatric for new paranoid acute psychosis. CONCLUSIONS: Psychosis is not a prominent feature of the disease, occurring in 5% of cases. The relationship between lesions of the central nervous system and psychiatric illness has not been established although some reports have implicated the temporal lobe. The propensity of steroids to exacerbate psychosis usually argues against this option, but steroids could theoretically improve psychosis related to acute demyelination.

Acute Disease↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Trypanosoma cruzi in the milk of women with chronic Chagas disease].

Breast milk secretion is one of the possible alternative mechanisms of transmission of the parasitosis caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, but it is still needed to define its importance in terms of public health. On this aim we searched for the presence of this protozoal organism in the colostrum and breast milk of 40 women with Chagas' disease, through direct observation, culture and inoculation. We never found parasite; perhaps it might be possible with the use of more efficient procedures and a larger number of cases.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Evaluation of the therapeutic activity of fluconazole in acute experimental infection caused by Trypanosoma cruzi].

On hand of information that fluconazole can inhibit Trypanosoma cruzi, infection, an experimental investigation in acutely infected mice treated with 200 mg/kg daily of this drug during one month was carried out. Parasitemia patency, blood culture, sub-inoculation and histologic examination were the parameters used to evaluate the potential therapeutic activity of the drug. The results did not confirm the hypothesis, but it would be desirable to conduct new trials with this and other imidazole compounds.

Acute Disease↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[The evaluation of the effect of formol in the detection of Cryptosporidium sp. oocysts in feces by the methods of Sheater and of the Coprotest].

Frequently it is necessary to search for oocysts of Cryptosporidium sp. in the stools potentially contaminated with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). For the protection of the laboratory personal handling fecal material formalin has been considered useful. However, this disinfectant has not been evaluated when the stool examinations were performed with the technique of flotation-centrifugation in concentrated solution of sugar and with that of "Coprotest". Our experience indicates that the use of formalin may interfere with the results when the first of these methods is used, but it does not alter the results of the second one. This information is of importance for the future assistential and scientific studies.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Attempts to culturing triatominae in the laboratory using "in vitro" feeding].

In order to simplify breeding of triatominae in the laboratory, for performing xenodiagnosis and other biologic studies, we tried to feed the insects "in vitro" with citrated or defibrinated blood from commercially abated chicken. Two types of efficacy observations were carried out with Triatoma infestans: a) analysis of the chaining of successive nymphal stages, viability of satisfactory matching, fertile oviposition and adequate reproduction; b) assessment of viability and infectivity of Trypanosoma cruzi in the insects. As a conclusion, it became evident that, despite operational easiness, the objectives were not achieved, since the classical procedure used as the control, was always superior.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[New process for screening of drugs in experimental infection with Trypanosoma cruzi].

We propose a screening process for detection of therapeutic activity of drugs against experimental infection with Trypanosoma cruzi. It is based on the use of infected triatominae that are fed on mice which have received the study drug. Blood meals are made at different time schedule in order to adapt with serum drug levels. The digestive tube of the hemiptera will, thus, work as a suitable structure for examination. In a initial observation, benzonidazole was used, and was shown to be only partially active at least in the conditions of this new procedure.

Animals↗
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[Treatment of ascaridiasis with garlic (Allium sativum)].

In Brazil, there has been growing interest on alternative therapeutic approaches, as shown by asi increase of homeopathic prescriptions, and use of acupuncture and of the so called natural products. This study evaluated the usefulness of garlic (Allium sativum) for the treatment of ascaridiasis, trying to confirm the popular belief on this matter. Eight grams daily, as an infusion were used during five days, in children known to be infected with Ascaris lumbricoides. Little efficacy was observed, and this fact enhances the importance of not accepting propositions not based on adequately conducted studies.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Effect of cyclosporin and prednisone on the acute phase of experimental infection of mice by Trypanosoma cruzi].

The relations between immunosuppression and human or experimental infection by Trypanosoma cruzi have recently been the subject of great interest, specially because of the wider use of drugs acting on immunity and of organ transplantation programs, now in frank expansion. The use of cyclosporin turned necessary to know adequately its interactions with T. cruzi parasitosis, and this has been the objective of the present study, regarding the acute phase in mice, in comparison to the use of prednisone. It was verified that cyclosporin, alone or associated to the corticosteroids, promotes and enhancement of the parasitosis, as shown by the assessment of parasitemia, the amount of amastigote forms in the heart and the severity of cardiac inflammation. Such observations may be useful in clinical practice, calling the attention for necessity of a strict control of such cases an eventually the use of an antiparasitic agent.

Acute Disease↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Evaluation of the therapeutic effect of albendazole on experimental and human infections by Hymenolepis nana].

With the objective of knowing adequately the spectrum of activity of albendazole against intestinal helminthiases, we made observations regarding hymenolepiasis caused by Hymenolepis nana. Two series of investigations were carried out: a) treatment of mice with single doses of either 25 or 50 mg/kg, repeated after ten days, using as controls animals treated with 25 mg/kg of praziquantel or not treated with any antiparasitic drugs; b) treatment of adults and children with 400 mg daily for three consecutive days, repeated after ten days.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[The possible therapeutic effect of deferoxamine in experimental infections of mice by Plasmodium berghei].

Deferoxamine is a compound with iron chelating properties. Body depletion of this mineral, according to some authors, might influence the metabolism of plasmodia that thrive in the erythrocytes. In order to verify this possibility, we administered daily doses of 300 or 1.000 mg/kg of the compound, for five days and again 15 days, to mice infected with Plasmodium berghei. The parameters used to check the activity of deferoxamine were mortality of the animals and the count of blood parasites. The results showed a progressive increase of mortality and of the parasitemia in all animals, without differences in relation to the controls. So, at least on hand of the present study, the mentioned substance cannot be considered useful for the treatment of malaria.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Risk factors of cardiovascular disease in a Chilean school population: I: Blood lipids in 552 children and adolescents 6-15 years of age].

The distribution of serum cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, high density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol and triglycerides (TG), and the prevalence of risk-considered values were studied in school children from Concepción, Chile (6 to 15 years old; 326 boys, 226 girls). The mean TC levels were 146 mg/dl for boys and 154 mg/dl for girls but 9.1% of the sampled children had TC values between 175 and 190 mg/dl, and 10% were over 190 mg/dl. Mean LDL-C was 83 mg/dl in boys and 89 mg/dl in girls; 6% of samples showed values between 130 and 159 mg/dl, and 1.3% over 160 mg/dl. Mean HDL-C was 46 mg/dl for boys and 48 mg/dl for girls. The mean TG values were 80 mg/dl for boys and 93 mg/dl for girls.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Treatment of Schistosomiasis mansoni with a combination oxamniquine and praziquantel. II. Experimental observations during the patent phase].

The efficacy of an association of oxamniquine and praziquantel in the patent phase of experimental schistosomiasis was studied. The mice were infected and divided in four groups in accordance to the following schedules with the use of single oral doses: I--Oxaminiquine (50 mg/kg); II--praziquantel (75 mg/kg); III--association of oxamniquine (50 mg/kg) and praziquantel (75 mg/kg); and IV--no drug. Efficacy was assessed by the oogram technique, studying and classifying the evolution of the output of eggs in fragments of the small intestine, and also by recovery of the worms by portal vein perfusion. In the animals of groups I and II, the drugs had a partial effect while in the group III sinergism was evident.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Use of immunosuppressed mice in an attempt to improve the diagnosis of infection by Trypanosoma cruzi].

In order to demonstrate low level parasitemias of Trypanosoma cruzi, a procedure based on the pharmacologic development of immunosuppression and subsequente innoculation of a test blood specimen was evaluated in mice. Prednisone was effective for the procedure and my be considered for diagnosis and for clinical and laboratorial follow-up of patients with Chagas'disease, submitted to heart transplantation. However, prednisone effectiveness depended from the level of parasitemia.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Evaluation of the usefulness of the Coprotest for parasitologic examination of feces].

"Coprotest" is a device used for parasitological examination of the stools that has been marketed in Brazil with no previous literature support. Therefore, we decided to evaluate the usefulness of the procedure using "Coprotest", comparing it with the routine methods by Hoffman et al., Faust et al., and Rugai et al. Taking into consideration only positive samples, we observed the following figures, according to each technique: Hofmann et al.--98 (47.34%); Faust et al.--119 (57.48%); Rugai et al., only for larva detection--21 (10.14%); "Coprotest"--115 (55.55%). We concluded that "Coprotest" in addition to its operational qualities, has the merits that allow its use together with other techniques for parasitosis diagnosis. Nevertheless it has not modified the previous situation, since more than one technique must still be used, as we have noted for detection of Strongyloides stercoralis larvae in this instance.

Evaluation Studies as Topic↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Differences in the synthesis of IgA antibodies against T-dependent antigens in males and females].

Rats immunized with T-dependent antigens revealed a greater specific IgA and IgM antibody response in females. There was no significant difference in the IgG antibody response. Quantitative differences in the IgA and IgM antibody response between males and females may be explained by genetics and hormonals factors. Greater IgA response in females may be another factor explaining the majority of female survival.

Animals↗