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Biomedical subjects

S Silva

Publications and source records attributed to S Silva.

121 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

[Widal reaction and phenotypes in children with typhoid fever (preliminary study)].

Recognition of genetic heterogeneity in typhoid fever patients might allow studies on the behaviour of definite cohorts regarding this infection, which would be important for clinical and epidemiological purposes. Under the hypothesis that agglutinins response (Widal test) is a suitable phenotype for this objective, associations between results of this response at admission (positive and negative) and clinical and hematological variables were explored in 91 children with bacteriologically confirmed typhoid fever, admitted to a metropolitan hospital at Santiago, Chile, during 1981-82 period. Association between gender and negative Widal test was found in males when this test was performed during the third week of disease (OR = 10, p = 0.52) as well as a tendency of females to express figures below the mean for total WBC count in patients older than 10 years (OR = 2.43, p = 0.019) and for neutrophils (%) in younger than this age when the Widal test was negative in the latter (OR = 10, p = 0.016). These preliminary findings suggest that Widal test and gender might interact for determining the presumptive heterogeneity in this children group.

Age Factors↗

[The use of discriminant analysis in the classification of the alcohol intake in a general adult population].

Different studies have highlighted the efficacy of some laboratory parameters as markers of the abuse of alcohol in alcoholics populations. The intent of the present study has been to verify if the same variables are able to discriminate the intake of alcohol also in a general population. The survey has been carried out on 510 subjects (224 males and 286 females), between 20 and 70 years old, living in a rural area in the North of Italy. Statistically relevant differences have been found amongst mean values of mean globular volume (VGM), containing hemoglobin (MCH), gamma-glutamil transferase (GGT), HDL cholesterol (ColHDL), tryglycerides, apoproteins-A (APO-A), serum glutamic-ossalacetic transaminase (SGOT), leukocyte, lead blood level in subgroups of population stratified according to drinking habits (heavy, moderate and medium drinkers). The discriminant function analysis, applied using all the 18 parameters as continuous variables, allows the correct classification of 57.84% of the cases amongst moderate, medium and heavy drinkers. The most influent selected variables result lead blood level, GGT, hematocrit and MCH. If we leave out the lead blood level (not weighted as a routine) the percentage falls to 52.35%. The analysis carried out on "extreme" groups (moderate and heavy drinkers) identifies as most influent the lead blood level, GGT, APO-A, and VGM variables, allowing the correct classification of 90.14% of the cases (83.39% excluding the lead blood level, selecting GGT, hematocrit, VGM and serum glutammic-piruvic transaminase. The casual reselection of samples confirms the obtained data, giving evidence of the independence of the used variables from particular characteristics of the sampled population.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗

[Distribution of blood lead level in a general population].

The goal of this study was to evaluate the distribution of blood lead level (B.L.L.) in a general adult population aged between 20 and 79 years non professionally exposed to lead, and to verify the influence on B.L.L. of demographic variables (i.e. sex and age), behavioural habits (i.e. alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking), and anthropometric variables (i.e. body mass index--BMI). We studied the distribution of B.L.L. by explorative analysis method (E.D.A.), which showed that data did not follow a Gaussian distribution. Distribution fit to normality was determined by Shapiro-Wilk test, that identified the natural logarithm of B.L.L. as the best transformation in order to normalize the parameter. According to literature data, sex appears one of the most important variable in determining B.L.L. In both sexes we found a direct relation between B.L.L. and age. Alcohol consumption emerged as the third most important variable that influences B.L.L. BMI and cigarette smoking do not influence data distribution.

Adult↗