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Biomedical subjects

R Castillo

Publications and source records attributed to R Castillo.

233 records · Page 13Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Field performance of sugarcane (Saccharum sp.) plants derived from cryopreserved calluses.

This study compared the field performance of sugarcane plants originating from three different sources: control, non-cryopreserved embryogenic calluses, cryopreserved embryogenic calluses and macropropagated material of the same commercial hybrid. Several agronomic traits were evaluated on 100 plants per treatment over a 27-month period covering the growth of the stool and of the first ratoon. Significant differences between treatments were observed only during the first six months of field growth of sugarcane stools. Stems produced from in vitro cultured material, irrespective of their cryopreservation status, had a smaller diameter and a shorter height than those produced from macropropagated material. These differences disappeared by 12 months of stool field growth.

Cryopreservation↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The role of breast milk in protecting urban Peruvian children against cryptosporidiosis.

To test the hypothesis that breast milk of nursing mothers may afford children protection against cryptosporidiosis, a prospective cohort study was carried out in the young peoples' community of San Juan de Miraflores near Lima, Peru. Mothers and newborn children were sorted into cohort groups based on the mothers' breast milk antibody response to Cryptosporidium sporozoites using an antibody-capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to detect parasite-specific immunoglobulin A. Children were monitored for Cryptosporidium infection using an indirect immunofluorescence assay. Of 211 mothers enrolled in the study, 39 (18.5%) had high breast milk antibody titers, 107 (50.7%) had medium titers, and 65 (30.8%) had low titers. Sixty-one episodes of Cryptosporidium infection were detected in 50 children of these mothers. Eleven (22%) had mothers in the high antibody titer group, 20 (40%) had mothers in the medium titer group, and 19 (38%) had mothers in the low titer group. The prevalence of infection within children of each group was 0.17, 0.19 and 0.38 respectively. There was no significant difference in the prevalence or duration of infection among children of the different groups. The data does not support the notion that there is protection from Cryptosporidium infection afforded children whose mothers have demonstrable breast milk antibodies against the parasite.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Two-stage papain-indirect antiglobulin test and LISS direct agglutination are not appropriate for pretransfusion screening for unexpected antibodies.

BACKGROUND: The screening for unexpected antibodies has proved to be a suitable pretransfusion compatibility method, but controversy still remains regarding the most appropriate serologic techniques to use in such a screening and, in particular, whether or not to use enzyme-based methods. METHODS: Over a period of three years, 27,149 patient sera submitted to pretransfusion testing were screened for unexpected antibodies. Serologic techniques included LISS-direct agglutination (DAG) reading plus indirect antiglobulin test (IAT), and two-stage papain (2SP)-IAT. RESULTS: In all, 592 (2.18%) serum samples yielded a positive result. Further studies of these specimens disclosed 466 alloantibodies in 371 cases, and 221 unwanted positive reactivities. 2SP-IAT and LISS-DAG allowed the detection of 124 alloantibodies missed by LISS-IAT (78 anti-Lewis, 33 anti-E, 7 anti-P1, 2 anti-K1, 2 anti-K3, 1 anti-M, 1 anti-Cw), but were responsible for 81% of the unwanted positive reactivities. CONCLUSIONS: Since most alloantibodies detected only by 2SP-IAT or LISS-DAG were of doubtful clinical significance, and these techniques produced a high number of unwanted positive reactivities, we conclude that 2SP-IAT and LISS-DAG are not appropriate for the pretransfusion screening for unexpected antibodies.

Agglutination Tests↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Study of anti-DR antibodies in sterility and infertility (author's transl)].

The presence of anti-DR antibodies with lymphocyte cytotoxicity test was studied in five groups of patients: 50 males with no history of blood transfusions who comprised the control group, 44 contraceptive-using women, 55 pregnant women, 41 primary sterile and 47 infertile patients. The high and similar degree of sensitization found in both pregnant and sterile patients lead us to the conclusion that anti-DR antibodies are not a cause of sterility and that spermatozoa are highly immunogenic. The biological significance of the antibodies is discussed.

Antibodies↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Shellfish hypersensitivity: clinical and immunological characteristics.

Shellfish is one of the most frequent causes of food allergy. We studied 48 patients (25 male and 23 female) with a mean age of 24.2 +/- 1.8 with shellfish hypersensitivity. A clinical questionnaire was carried out and prick tests were performed using a series of aeroallergens and a battery of extracts of squid, shrimp, lobster, crab, mussel and clam. Prick tests were also performed using raw and boiled extracts from fresh squid, octopus and limpet. Total and specific IgE to these allergens were determined. The most frequent causes of symptoms were shrimp (33 cases) and squid (24 cases). The most frequently found symptoms were Urticaria/angioedema (39 patients), asthma (18 patients) and rhinitis (14 patients). Clinical association was found between Cephalopoedae and Lamelibranquiae (p < 0.05 for clam and p < 0.01 for mussel), but not among both groups and Crustaceans. Association between history and Prick was statistically significant for Crustaceae and Cephalopoedae (p < 0.01) but not for Lamalibranquiae. Association between history and CAP was not found for shellfish. Significant differences among prick-tests with raw and boiled extracts were not found. These results suggest that prick test yields better results than CAP does it, in shellfish hypersensitivity, that clinical association among shellfish hypersensitivity can occurs within the same and different Phylum reflecting common epitopes and that squid, octopus and limpet extracts contain a large amount of heat-stable allergens.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Nasal candidiasis in an immunocompetent patient.

We report a case of nasal candidiasis in an immunocompetent host who denied the use of topical or systemic corticosteroids. The patient was treated with itraconazole 100 mg. with resolution of the symptoms.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Food hypersensitivity among adult patients: epidemiological and clinical aspects.

Food hypersensitivity (FH) is lesser frequent among adult patients than in childhood. Foods implicated in hypersensitivity reactions vary with sociocultural and diet habits from a geographic place to other. We studied 142 adult patients sensitized to foods, among 7698 patients visited at our Outpatient Clinic. Hundred and twenty patients referred clinical symptoms after consumption of one or more foods consistently. From the latest, 107 patients (89.2%) were atopics (92 of them sensitizes to dust mites) and 54 (45%) referred atopic familiar background. Most frequent recorded symptoms were: urticaria/angioedema 84 cases (70%), oral syndrome 65 (54%), asthma 48 (37%) and anaphylaxis 33 patients (27.5%). Shellfish sensitization occurred in 50 patients, fresh fruits in 33 and nuts in 29 cases. Shrimp (48 patients), squid (33), kiwi (14), papaya (14), avocado (13) and banana (12 cases) were the most frequent causes of FH. Significant statistical association between foods and inhalants was observed for fresh fruits and latex (p < 0.001), fresh fruits and pollens (p < 0.01), and shellfish and Blatta germanica (p < 0.001). Prevalence of FH among patients at our Area is around 1.6%. Tropical fruits, as other kind of fruits, seem to share common IgE-epitopes to pollens. High prevalence of shellfish and cockroach hypersensitivity could be more easily developed by previous domestic mites sensitization.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Results of nutritional treatment of anorexia nervosa: our experience (1989-1995)].

With the alm of evaluating the nutritional treatment of anorexia nervosa (AN) in our center, evolutive data were collected, as well as anthropometric and biochemical parameters, of out out patient department (OPD) as well as of our hospital admissions (HA) which took place between 1989-91 (period A) and between 1992-95 (period B). 79 cases of HA were included (5 men, 31 women), with a duration of hospitalization of 36.96 +/- 22.02 days, with the reason for release most often (86.84%) being reaching the agreed upon weight, and 124 cases of OPD (12 men and 112 women), who were followed for 11.53 +/- 12.13 months achieving a final release rate of 14.14%. The nutritional status (NS) of the HA patients upon admission was most often sever caloric malnutrition (CM) (64.55%), and upon release this was moderate CM (60.75%), while in the OPD the moderate CM was most frequent at the initial visit and at the last visit registered. The anthropometric parameter which was most affected, was the triceps fold (TF), followed by the wight (W). The biochemical abnormalities were few, with hypercholesterolemia and ferropenia being notable. The nutritional treatment in the OPD required the addition of dietary supplements in 31% of the cases, and of psycho-medication in 43%. In the HA cases, only 6 patients reached the agreed upon wight with a free oral diet, and 35 patients required dietary supplements, 20 needed mixed therapy (enteral nutrition and supplements), and 17 cases required enteral nutrition through a naso-gastric tube. Significant multivariant models are presented which find independent associations for the probability of release (lower age upon diagnosis, male, lower income, absence of bulimia's, no need for dietary supplements), of amenorrhoea (worse NS, absence of vomiting), and for the HA time (more interventionist treatment, lower weight, lower age). The comparison between periods, shows an initial contact of the patients with AN with our OPD, with a better nutritional status y recent years, as well as a better nutritional result, a greater tendency towards the use of enteral nutrition, and a shorter time of HA.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Analysis of the results of treatment of obesity in the hospital outpatient department].

The results obtained in the treatment of obesity in the out patient department of the Nutrition Unit of "La Paz" hospital during the first 6 years of experience were analyzed. To this end, different aspects of the treatment of obesity were studied in a successive manner. The first approach prospectively compared the results obtained with individual or group health care education (HCE); with no statistically significant differences being found. Before analyzing the results obtained with the different treatments, one notes a high rate of abandonment (65%). One sees that the global weight lost is statistically significant (7%). The amount of weight los differs depending on the degree of obesity (measured by the Body Mass Index): grade I and II obesities lost the same percentage of weight (7%), grade III lost 8% and grade IV is the grade that loses the most, 12%. Keeping in mind the treatment modality used, the results are as follows: both the diet alone and the diet in association with health care education in a group, achieve a weight loss of 7%, modified fasting yields 6%, adding drugs to the diet achieves a loss of 11% and the most effective is bariatric surgery with a loss of 18%.

Diet, Reducing↗