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Biomedical subjects

R Gomis

Publications and source records attributed to R Gomis.

At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources

Auditory function in young patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus.

Comprehension of the effect of diabetes mellitus on auditory function has been hindered by the fact that previous studies have evaluated hearing function in heterogeneous groups of patients with diabetes mellitus, thus giving conflicting results. We have performed audiometric studies in 46 consecutive patients. 13 with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes mellitus (group 1) and 33 with type 1 diabetes mellitus of more than 3 years of duration (group 2), of 14 to 40 years of age. The results were compared to an age-matched control group. Pure-tone auditory thresholds were significantly higher in all frequencies 250-8,000 Hz in both groups when compared to the control subjects. Ten patients, all of which belonged to group 2, had auditory thresholds above 30 dB in at least one frequency, showing a conversational hearing loss that ranged between 11 and 44%. However, none of them referred subjective hypoacusia. Univariate analysis revealed significant associations between auditory thresholds and age, duration of disease as well as retinopathy, but not with neuropathy, HbA1c or hypoglycaemic episodes. Only age and duration of disease independently correlated with an auditory threshold using multiple regression. We conclude that type 1 diabetes mellitus can cause mild sensorineural hearing impairment which correlates with age and duration of disease.

Adult↗

[Segmental arterial sympathectomies at the level of the fingers].

The authors relate their experience of thirty digital artery sympathectomies in twenty-four fingers. Ten men and two women were operated: six crush injuries to fingers, three Raynaud's disease and two Buerger disease and one scleroderma. All presented digital vascular insufficiency. The pre-operative arteriogram always revealed more extensive thrombosis than suspected by the clinical symptoms. In this way we performed a segmental arterial sympathectomy depending on the site of the thrombosed artery. The follow-up was five years. The immediate postoperative results were excellent. Five years later the results depended on the nature of the initial disease.

Angiography↗

[The inguinal pedicle flap in emergency traumatic hand surgery: value of the long pedicle permitting an early rehabilitation].

The main drawbacks of the use of a groin pedicle flap in emergency surgery for hand injuries are the declivitous position of the upper limb with a tendency towards oedema and the difficulty of instituting early rehabilitation because of the fact that the injured hand is fixed to the abdomen. Based on an extensive experience of 76 emergency flaps out of more than 100 flaps performed over the last ten years, the authors describe their flap raising technique which allows the formation of a long, closed tube compatible with early rehabilitation and also allowing the possible use of splints.

Emergencies↗

Increased CD5-positive B lymphocytes in type I diabetes.

CD5+ B lymphocytes have been implicated in the production of polyspecific and monospecific antibodies that bind self-antigens, and increased proportions of this B cell subset occur in patients with some autoimmune diseases. We investigated the proportion of peripheral blood CD5+ B lymphocytes in type I diabetic patients. Compared with 18 age-matched healthy subjects, 11 out of 28 (39.2%) type I diabetic patients had increased proportions of circulating CD5. B lymphocytes with no alterations in the numbers of circulating B and T lymphocytes. Although all patients with increased CD5 B lymphocytes also had serum islet cell antibodies and/or insulin autoantibodies, the occurrence of increased proportions of CD5+ B lymphocytes and serum autoantibodies was not significantly correlated. Increased proportions of CD5+ B lymphocytes was not related to the time elapsed since the clinical onset of diabetes. In addition, regardless of being increased or normal, the proportion of CD5+ B lymphocytes appeared as a relatively constant phenotype after 1 year of follow-up studies at 3-month intervals in eight patients. Although the significance of these findings remains to be established, the possibility exists that CD5+ cells play a role in the pathogenesis of type I diabetes.

Adolescent↗

Asymptomatic electronystagmographic abnormalities in patients with type I diabetes mellitus.

Only a few studies have investigated vestibular function in diabetes mellitus (DM), showing contradictory results. We have performed an electronystagmographic (ENG) evaluation of 46 individuals with type I DM and 37 healthy controls. No patient reported subjective vestibular symptoms. Duration of caloric-induced nystagmus (DN) was significantly lower (2.1 +/- 0.7 vs. 2.6 +/- 0.4 min, p less than 0.01), and central nystagmus frequency of caloric response also nonsignificantly tended to be decreased (37.4 +/- 16.5 vs. 41.7 +/- 12.7 beats/30s, p = 0.21) in DM patients, as compared to controls. The latter comparison achieved significance after exclusion of newly diagnosed diabetic patients (33.4 +/- 16.1 vs. 41.6 +/- 12.7 beats/s, p less than 0.05). Depressed caloric reactions were seen in 21.8% of patients. DN was lower in patients with microalbuminuria and retinopathy, but this was not observed after exclusion of newly diagnosed diabetic patients, all of whom had normal ENG responses and no chronic diabetic complications. The existence of a lower DN and central nystagmus frequency should be borne in mind when interpreting ENG tracings in patients with long duration type I diabetes mellitus.

Adolescent↗

[Current techniques and indications of pedicled groin flap for hand surgery. Apropos of 100 cases].

Based on an analysis of the anatomical and physical data reported in the literature, the authors describe their personal technique based on an experience of 100 pedicled inguinal flaps. The authors define the current indications for this flap in reconstructive hand surgery. The quality of pedicled inguinal flaps makes this procedure a technique of choice in the emergency treatment of wounds of the hand.

Adolescent↗

Natural history of islet cell antibodies during the clinical period of type 1 diabetes. High titres at diagnosis are associated with longer persistence.

The natural history of islet cell antibodies (ICA), using standardized Juvenile Diabetes Foundation (JDF) units, was studied for two years in 64 type 1 (insulin dependent) diabetic patients, aged 7-45 years prospectively from clinical onset. While ICA were present among 44/64 (68.8%) of the newly diagnosed patients, only 9.3% remained positive at 24 months. The only factor which showed significant predictive value for ICA survival was high initial JDF ICA titres: Maximal persistence of ICA was observed in patients with 80 JDF units at diagnosis (100% at 12 and 24 month). This persistence was lower in patients with 40 JDF units at diagnosis (77% at 12 month, 40% at 24 month) and the lowest for patients with 5 JDF at diagnosis (14% at 12 month, 0% at 15 month). 14/20 (70%) of patients negative for the ICA test at diagnosis became positive during follow-up, but always with a low titre (5-10 JDF units) and for a short period (3-6 months). It is concluded that initial titre is the most important variable in predicting the maintenance of ICA during the first two years of clinical type 1 diabetes.

Adolescent↗

Human insulin dosage and distribution at the onset of type 1 diabetes mellitus.

The total insulin dosage and its distribution throughout the day were evaluated in newly diagnosed Spanish IDDM patients treated with semisynthetic human insulin. We assessed the insulin dosage and its distribution modifications related to an inpatient versus outpatient setting. We compared our results with classical theoretical algorithms based on patients treated with animal insulin and with alimentary habits which differ from our geographical area. The initial total daily dose (0.68 +/- 0.27 U/kg per day) did not substantially differ from the usual recommended dose (0.70-0.80 U/kg per day). A substantial decrease in total insulin dose was observed in ambulatory patients (0.55 U/kg per day). The reduction in dosage when we substituted regular insulin for intermediate acting insulin was smaller than what is commonly advised. A very low proportion of patients needed to add extra regular insulin to the pre-dinner intermediate insulin dose to achieve acceptable glucose control. Moreover, in these cases regular insulin comprised only 10% of total daily dosage, a proportion clearly inferior to that recommended. The majority of this group of patients needing regular insulin plus intermediate insulin at pre-dinner were treated with human zinc insulin. Most of our patients were acceptably controlled with a regular insulin dose before breakfast and lunch and an intermediate dose before dinner. Finally, human insulin pharmacokinetics plus our Mediterranean alimentary habits might be the explanation to our findings.

Adolescent↗

Suppression by insulin treatment of glucose-induced inhibition of insulin release in non-insulin-dependent diabetics.

Although restoration of normoglycemia in non-insulin-dependent diabetic subjects improves insulin release evoked by several secretagogues, conflicting data were reported concerning the effect of intensive insulin therapy on the first-phase response of the B-cell to an intravenous glucose challenge. In the present study, 14 non-insulin-dependent diabetics underwent an intravenous glucose test performed before and after 20 h of glycemic normalization. Before insulin treatment, glucose failed, as a rule, to provoke an early positive secretory response. On the contrary, a paradoxical inhibition of insulin release was observed in most patients. This phenomenon was reproducible when a second test was performed 120 min after the first one. The paradoxical inhibition was not observed any more after glycemic normalization. As judged from the paired difference (delta) between the early increment in insulin release before and after insulin treatment, normoglycemia resulted in an improved secretory response (delta greater than 5.0 microU/ml) in seven patients, whilst the first-phase response remained little affected (delta less than 3.0 microU/ml) in the other seven subjects. These findings suggest that an impaired first-phase response to glucose does not always represent an irreversible primary defect of the pancreatic B-cell in diabetic subjects.

Adult↗

Effect of nicotinamide therapy upon B-cell function in newly diagnosed type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetic patients.

This study describes the effects of nicotinamide therapy on B-cell function in Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes. C-peptide secretion was studied in 20 patients newly diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at basal state and also after an i.v. glucagon stimulus. Patients were randomly allocated according to a single-blind schedule, to one of the following treatments over a 45-day period: Group 1: 10 patients, nicotinamide 1 g/day; Group 2: 10 patients, placebo. The C-peptide secretion tests were performed before treatment and on days 15, 45, 180, 365 of the follow-up. The clinical and metabolic data were similar in the two groups of patients. Basal and stimulated C-peptide levels increased by 45 days in both groups, but the increase in stimulated C-peptide response was greater in the nicotinamide group (p less than 0.01). However, the B-cell function decreased after the period of nicotinamide administration. No difference in the number of clinical remissions or insulin requirement and HbA1 between the groups was observed. These data suggest that treatment of Type 1 diabetes with nicotinamide at diagnosis is associated with a moderate increase of C-peptide secretion recovery.

Adolescent↗

Transglutaminase-catalyzed incorporation of [2,5-3H]histamine into a Mr 84000 particulate protein in pancreatic islets.

Rat pancreatic islet homogenates catalyze the incorporation of [2,5-3H]histamine into endogenous proteins recovered in both the stacking gel and a Mr 84000 protein separated by polyacrylamide electrophoresis. The labelling of these proteins represents a Ca2+-dependent process inhibited by glycine methylester, but not sarcosine methylester, and enhanced after preincubation of the islets at a high concentration of D-glucose. Although transglutaminase activity is found in both soluble and particulate subcellular fractions, the endogenous transglutaminase substrates were located mainly in particulate, possibly membrane-associated, material.

Animals↗

[Blast injuries of the 1st commissure].

Explosions are responsible for severe hand injuries. Due to their extremely important functional role, lesions of the thumb and first commissure must be identified separately during assessment of the lesions. No classification of these injuries has been proposed since the one defined by Mac Gregor and Jackson. Based on their experience of 11 injuries, the authors propose a classification divided into four stages of increasing severity. In the emergency situation, the severe forms with disruption of the blood supply have a very poor prognosis. In the other forms, the degree of opening of the first commissure is of fundamental importance. Secondarily, the functional prognosis of the hand is dominated by retraction of the first commissure, ankylosis of the trapezo-metacarpal joint or its preservation during amputations.

Adolescent↗

Post-operative Doppler evaluation of 48 arterial reconstructions at the wrist.

C. W. Doppler ultrasound was used for the assessment and follow-up of 35 ulnar or radial arteries, repaired in emergency, and 13 secondarily repaired arteries, after traumatic section. Doppler examination appeared to be more sensitive than Allen test, because it can distinguish, among non functional arteries, those with or without Doppler signal. Moreover, when a Doppler signal is present, the compression test of the other artery can increase or not this signal. Thus, Doppler examination gives an help for surgical decision.

Adolescent↗

Correlation between residual beta-cell function and islet cell antibodies in newly diagnosed type I diabetes. Follow-up study.

To establish whether there is a correlation between the autoimmune response to the islets and beta-cell function during the initial stages of type I (insulin-dependent) diabetes, and islet cell antibody (ICA) titer and C-peptide levels (fasting and glucagon stimulated) were determined in 39 newly diagnosed patients at onset of diabetes and every 3-6 mo for 2 yr. ICAs were detected in 74% of the patients, and beta-cell function was detected in 84% of the patients at onset. The ICA+ and ICA- groups had similar C-peptide values at diagnosis and at 3 mo, but from 6 mo on, the ICA+ group consistently showed a tendency to lose C-peptide secretory capacity more quickly when assessed by fasting and glucagon-stimulated C-peptide levels (ICA+ vs. ICA- fasting C-peptide levels at 18 and 24 mo, P = .013 and .017, respectively; ICA+ vs. ICA- glucagon-stimulated C-peptide levels at 6, 18, and 24 mo, P = .023, .007, and .028, respectively). The initial ICA titer had the highest predictive value on the outcome of beta-cell function (P = .04), and patients with complement-fixing ICAs did not behave differently from the general ICA+ group. This correlation between beta-cell function and ICA titer supports the role of autoimmunity in the pathogenesis of type I diabetes and has important implications for the design of immunotherapy trials.

Adolescent↗

Antihypertensive therapy with guanfacine induces elevated plasma growth hormone levels in diabetic patients.

Guanfacine, a central alpha-adrenoreceptor agonist, may increase growth hormone (GH) secretion. We have investigated the effect of guanfacine upon plasma GH levels in 16 hypertensive non-insulin-dependent diabetic (NIDD) patients. Guanfacine (1 to 2 mg/day/os) was administered for six months, and GH measured in basal plasma samples before and after treatment with this drug. Our results show an increase in GH plasma levels after guanfacine administration (2.88 +/- 2.05 ng/ml (X +/-SD) before, and 4.37 +/- 1.80 ng/ml (X +/- SD) after treatment). Since it is believed that GH levels plays a role in the course of diabetic retinopathy, caution should be taken with guanfacine antihypertensive treatment in patients affected with diabetes mellitus.

Adrenergic alpha-Agonists↗