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Biomedical subjects

R Cicero

Publications and source records attributed to R Cicero.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Prevalence of skin reactivity to coccidioidin and associated risks factors in subjects living in a northern city of Mexico.

BACKGROUND: Coccidioidomycosis is a reemerging fungal disease seen mainly in the states located at the Mexican-U.S. border. The finding of advanced cases of the disease are now more frequent. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the prevalence of skin reactivity to coccidioidin in the city of Torreón, Coahuila, Mexico, located in the northern region of the country. A multifactorial association of environmental, social, and health conditions was analyzed. A total of 1,653 coccidioidin skin tests was applied in male and female subjects older than 8 years of age. RESULTS: The overall rate of positive reactivity in this city was 40.2%, with a 95% confidence interval of 37.8-42.5. This was related to time/life exposure risk and to the habitat of unpaved streets. No statistically significant difference regarding gender, socioeconomic level, and working activities was found. The highest reactivity was observed in subjects between 30 and 65 years of age. CONCLUSIONS: Positive results were related to exposure risk and habitat, principally in the southeast region of the city. These results were applied both to residents and outsiders with no differences between the groups. Of the total, 87.5% were considered high-risk subjects. It is recommended that future surveys be carried out in other northern cities of Mexico to obtain more useful data concerning the extent of the infection and mainly to establish preventive measures, such as appropriate reforestation and urbanization procedures.

Coccidioidin↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Melanogenesis in the pigment cells of Rana esculenta L. liver: evidence for tyrosinase-like activity in the melanosome protein fraction.

This work demonstrates the presence of a tyrosinase-like activity in the pigment cells of frog Rana esculenta L. liver. The activity was evidenced in the protein melanosome fraction extracted with differential centrifugation methods. The study of this activity, carried out with spectrophotometric methods, indicates 1) the system presents the characteristics of an allosteric enzyme; 2) the grade of cooperativity shows oscillations going from negative cooperativity toward the substrate, evident in the warmest months of the year, to an absence of cooperativity in the coldest months of the year; and 3) the levels of activity of the system also vary according to season, with the highest levels appearing in the coldest months of the year. Given that this extracutaneous system of pigment cells, different from melanocytes, is able to carry out melanogenesis, we suggest its inclusion in the classification of pigment cells.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Bronchial stenosis secondary to severe thoracic contusion. Comment on 2 cases].

Two cases with complete bronchial stenosis of the mainstem bronchus secondary to thoracic blunt trauma are presented. One patient had hemoneumothorax on the left side, the other one had bilateral hemothorax. Both were initially treated with drainage by thoracostomy tube with partial resolution of the thoracic bloody pleural collection. Later, the two patients developed complete atelectasis of the lung, one on the left side and the other one in the right; this later case was subject to lung decortication. The fiberopticbronchoscopy showed a complete occlusion of the mainstem bronchus in both patients. A bronchoplasty with sleeve resection of the stenotic segment was performed; the lumen of the bronchus was preserved by an end-to-end suture with separate stitchs of Vycryl 0000. Both cases remain without bronchopulmonary pathology after 4 years of follow-up of bronchoplasty. In cases of blunt thoracic trauma, it is important to consider the possibility of bronchial rupture. The importance of bronchoscopic diagnosis and surgical treatment is stressed.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[The tobacco habit among the workers in a general hospital. A survey report].

Survey among the workers of a general hospital to investigate how may of them smoke by means of a closed questionnaire given to 1092 Subjects. Smoking habit was positive in 678 (62.1%) and negative in 414 (37.9%); statistical difference was significant p 0.01. The rate for nocturnal workers was 80.0 in comparison with those of the morning and evening with 55.81 and 62.38 respectively. Men smokers had 66.79 of rate and women 57.55 with no statistical difference. Cigarette was the most common form of tobacco consumption, pipe and cigars were very rate. The most important number of smokers were 31-40 (65.4% and 21-30 (62.7%) years old, very few under 21 but among these 63% were smokers. Smoking habit was more common in the groups of high schooling [correction of scolarity]. Physicians were an important group of smokers, 61.6 per cent of 284 use to smoke while working in the hospital. Other characteristics of smokers are discussed and it is concluded that is necessary to take action to get a tobacco free hospital.

Age Factors↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Determination of secretory immunoglobulin A, IgG and IgM in bronchial lavage from patients with primary and metastatic lung neoplasms ].

It has been informed in cases with epithelial neoplasias an increased level of secretory immunoglobulin A (IgAS) in bronchial secretions: IgAS, IgG and IgM were measured in bronchial secretions and sera in four groups: bronchogenic carcinoma (Brc), lung metastasis, chronic bronchitis (CB) and voluntary subjects without respiratory disease. It was employed radial immunodiffusion method (RID) with a control from human colostrum for IgAS and commercial controls with the same method for IgG and IgM. To avoid dilutional factor it was established the relation between IgAS, IgA and IgM with total proteins in the samples of bronchial lavage (Ig/tp). Using ANOVA it was found a significative difference (p less than .002) in IgAS/tp among the four groups in the bronchial samples. With Mann-Whitney there was a p less than .05 comparing the healthy control group with any of the others. There was no statistical differences among the BrC and the metastasis or CB groups; IgG and IgM did not showed differences. The seric values of the immunoglobulins has normal levels. It was detected low levels of IgAS in the groups with pulmonary pathology in comparison with the healty controls. The present results are different with the previously reported in the revised literature.

Adult↗