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Biomedical subjects

S Romero

Publications and source records attributed to S Romero.

81 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

[Circadian rhythms of cortisol in burns (author's transl)].

Circadian rhythms of cortisol were studied in 10 patients. This study was made shortly after the burn and for a short period of one or two days maximum in 9 patients. Blood level measurements of cortisone were made in 4 patients. 7 patients died. The analysis of circadian rhythm was made with a computer (méthode de régression harmonique combinée à une analyse de variance). The results are deceiving: there are qualitative and quantitative disturbances but we could not give a significance to them, each patient reacting differently. In one case, a drop of cortisol to 0 was observed and the patient died, this observation shows the development of corticosurrenal failure. So, one or several measurements do not allow the study of corticosurrenal function which differs in each case. Theoretical appreciations in handbooks on the subject must be tempered.

Adult↗

[5 years of experience in the treatment of parkinsonism with L-dopa and its combination with Ro4-4602].

Eighty-one Parkinsonic patients were treated with L-dopa alone and/or combined with Ro4-4602, during 27 to 60 months. The results are reported. 7.2% of the patients, who are still being treated, showed good, very good or excellent results. There was a relation between the duration of the illness and the degree of improvement, the most prolonged Parkinsonisms showed the least improvement. The 4:1 proportion of L-dopa and Ro4-4602 was more effective than the 3:2. Adding small amounts of L-dopa to the combinations improvement and secondary effects increased. No advantages were found using high combined dosages. The main secondary effects at the end of treatment were abnormal movements (45% of cases) and distonic attitudes (53%). Patients who stoped the medication showed less sustained improvement and a high degree of Parkinsonism. This reveals that Parkinson's disease continues to envolve in spite of the medication. The "long-term syndrome" includes the late decrease of effectiveness of the drugs and/or the increase of secondary effects.

Adult↗

[Long-term syndrome in the treatment of parkinsonism with L-dopa and decarboxylase an inhibitor].

In 28% of patients treated for a long time with L-dopa, alone or combined with a decarboxilase inhibitor, the following "long-term syndrome" was observed: decrease in effectiveness, psychic disorders, intense abnormal movements, distonic attitudes, speech and gait disorders, orthostatic hypotension and/or general reprecussion. In 11% of the patients the "on-off" effect was studied (brisk alteranting Parkinsonic and improved states). Clinical observation during 14 hours a day was repeated with different dosages and different regimes of the drug; these modified the daily variations but did not eliminate the syndrome. The electromyographic studies also revealed the "on and off" phenomenon in different patients. When the "long-term syndrome" is severe, at times it is necessary to stop the drug; the secondary effects are thus decreased and, when the medication is given again, the therapeutic effectiveness is temporarily restored. When the drug is stopped the patients should be watched, since a "withdrawal syndrome" may appear.

Adult↗

[Long-term syndrome in the treatment of parkinsonism with L-dopa].

A group of 71 patients with Parkinson's disease were treated with L-Dopa and benserazide during periods ranging from 27 to 60 months. In 28% of cases a decline in therapeutic effects and or delayed appearance or increase of secondary actions were observed constituting a long-term syndrome. Its most complex and dramatic expression, the on-off effect, was present in 11% of cases. Those patients with more severe symptoms were studied by means of continuous clinical observation enabling the design of daytime follow-up curves. Observations were repeated with varying dosage patterns, showing variations but no substantial changes or disappearance of the symptoms described. Electromyographic recordings and films were taken in certain cases defining the characteristics of on and off effects. Several procedures were implemented in an attempt to control Long-Term Syndrome manifestations: Change of dosage, variation of L-dopa/decarboxilase inhibitor ratio, association of anticholinergic agents with antidepressants, hypoprotein diets. Improvement was moderate and/or transient, with the exception of Nortriptilline which permitted total or partial control of certain symptoms, especially hypokinetic periods, bouts of tremor and dystonic attitudes. It was occasionally necessary to interrupt administration of L-Dopa, readministering it later with recovery of the therapeutic effect and/or avoidance of undesirable effects for varying periods of time. Loss than optimal doses proved beneficial in reducing or postponing Long-Term Syndrome manifestations. Although L-Dopa does not detain the course of the disease, the persistence of favourable results in most patients for prolonged periods of treatment confirms the long-term therapeutic value of this drug.

Benserazide↗

Follicular bronchiolitis: clinical and pathologic findings in six patients.

The purpose of this study was to review our experience with patients who had a definitive diagnosis of follicular bronchiolitis (FB), and to describe in detail the clinical and pathological findings, looking for common clinical aspects that may help to identify this entity. Ours is a community 750 bed teaching hospital that acts as a tertiary referral center for several subspecialties, including thoracic surgery. Six patients with a morphological diagnosis of FB, defined by the presence of coalescent germinal centers adjacent to airways, were included. Lung biopsy was obtained by thoracotomy in all patients (2 women and 4 men, mean age 53 years). In one patient FB was associated with advanced AIDS, and in another with prolonged exposure to polyethylene-flock. In 4 patients no condition previously associated with FB was found. Five patients had a history of repeated respiratory infections, 3 patients complained of dyspnea and none had peripheral blood eosinophilia. After a mean follow-up of 25 months, 2 patients responded well to steroid therapy; 3 patients suffered symptomatic exacerbations that required an increase in the steroid dose and 1 patient was not treated with steroids. The most important contribution of this series is the description of a subset of patients with FB who were not associated with other processes. These patients present relatively homogeneous clinical and pathological pictures that do not differ greatly from secondary forms.

Adult↗

Adsorption step in the biological degradation of a textile dye.

This research documents the removal of the dye Gris Lanaset G from aqueous solutions by fungal pellets. Adsorption of the dye by dead biomass pellets of Trametes versicolor was determined and compared with dye removal by enzymatic degradation. Six kinetic equations were fitted to the experimental adsorption data obtained. The results indicate that kinetics such as the Elovich equation, which considers that the rate-controlling step is the diffusion of the dye molecules, show the best fit. Nonlinear Langmuir and Freundlich equations were also fitted into the adsorption data, and it can be concluded that the adsorption equilibrium can be interpreted by the Langmuir isotherm. Adsorption plays an important role in the process of the elimination of color from textile wastewater, although not all of the elimination is due to this physical process when the microorganism is active. The removal of color (around 90%) with active microorganisms is greater than that obtained with the adsorption process.

Adsorption↗