Biomedical subjects

Y D Fragoso

Publications and source records attributed to Y D Fragoso.

29 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed1988

Arachidonic acid metabolism in polymorphonuclear cells in headaches. A methodologic study.

Prostaglandins and leukotrienes have been implicated in the pathogenesis of various types of headache, mainly because some, but not all, cyclo-oxygenase inhibitors are effective in their treatment. We have therefore investigated whether a pathologically changed turnover of arachidonic acid (AA)-containing phospholipids can be seen in headache patients, using isolated polymorphonuclear cells (PMNs) from healthy controls and patients with chronic paroxysmal hemicrania (CPH) and cluster headache. PMNs from healthy controls incorporated 55% of the added (1-14C)AA into total lipids, and 0.5% +/- 0.14% of this radioactivity was found in the phosphatidylserine (PS) fraction. PMNs from a cluster headache and a CPH patient showed 300% and 900% increase in PS labeling from AA, respectively. No other phospholipids showed any difference between controls and patients. The results are discussed in connection with membrane signal transduction via the PS-dependent protein kinase C.

Adult↗

PubMed1988

Cluster headache: on the significance of so-called minibouts.

Cluster headache periods (bouts) have, at the lower end of the scale, been supposed to last for periods as short as 1-2 weeks. Patients who usually have bouts of ordinary duration occasionally have brief attacks in the remission phase ("abortive attacks"). The group described here had a temporal pattern, clearly at variance with both these patterns: The six patients had mostly or entirely bouts of less than 1 week's duration. We have termed such short-lasting bouts minibouts, on the supposition that such cases belong within the cluster headache cycle. All the patients were men and had a history of unilateral headache without side shift, and usually the solitary attacks had some autonomic accompaniments, although of a moderate degree. In four cases only mild attacks occurred, whereas in two cases the attacks were rather severe and not consistent with full working ability. The group as such may not be homogeneous. The nosologic status of patients with bouts lasting only 1-2 days is somewhat uncertain. As long as the substrate of cluster headache is not outlined, the lower end of duration of minibouts cannot be accurately identified. The fact that three patients recently have experienced bouts of ordinary length strengthens the view that such cases really belong to the cluster headache cycle.

Adult↗

PubMed1987

"Hemicrania continua": a case report.

The case of a 42-year-old woman with a 31-year history of continuous unilateral, pulsating headache with occasional exacerbations is described. Complete relief was obtained with 150 mg indomethacin daily.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The role of subfractions of high density lipoprotein in the in vivo transport of cholesterol from cholesterol-loaded hepatic and peripheral endothelial cells in the New Zealand white rabbit.

1. High density lipoprotein (HDL) of the New Zealand White rabbit was separated by heparin-Sepharose affinity chromatography into six distinct subfractions of different composition and particle size. 2. When human acetyl LDL containing [3H]cholesteryl linoleate was injected intravenously into rabbits to prime the endothelial cells with labelled cholesterol, only 1-2% of the radioactivity remained in the plasma after 2 hr. 3. After 4 hr, 60.1% of the plasma radioactivity was present in HDL and 25% of this was recovered in the largest particles of HDL (fraction VI, mean particle diameter 11.6-11.8 nm). 4. The concentration of these largest particles of HDL, rich in apolipoprotein E, were also relatively increased in acetyl-LDL-treated rabbits when compared to controls (P < 0.01). 5. In control in vitro experiments, 62.2% of the radioactivity recovered in HDL was associated with subfractions IV and V (mean particle diameter 10.2-10.8 nm) while only 5% was present in fraction VI. 6. The results show that large HDL particles enriched with apo E contain a large proportion of cholesterol previously supplied to hepatic and peripheral endothelial cells. 7. This study demonstrated that the rabbit provides a useful animal model for the study of the metabolism of subfractions of HDL in relation to reverse cholesterol transport.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Reduction of migraine attacks during the use of warfarin.

Two recent reports on reduction of migraine attacks during treatment with vitamin K antagonists have caught my attention. Being a migraine sufferer myself, with considerable improvement of my headache during the use of warfarin, I became interested in the subject. Recently, a young man sought my advice for migraine attacks which had worsened after the withdrawal of warfarin. The previous reports on migraine and warfarin involved elderly patients. I report now on these two patients in their 30s, one of them being myself (case 1), who have experienced reduction of migraine attacks during the use of warfarin.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Hemicrania continua with onset at an early age.

The authors describe the case of an adolescent who had suffered from unilateral continuous headache since she was 8 years old. Treatment with indomethacin 50 mg/day promptly relieved the pain which had affected her for the previous 9 years. To the best of our knowledge, this is the earliest onset of hemicrania continua reported.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Management of primary headache in emergency services of Santos and surrounding towns.

OBJECTIVES: Primary headaches are often seen by Clinicians on duty at Emergency Services. We have investigated the treatment of such patients by 43 medical doctors who have been working at Emergency Services in the city of Santos and surrounding towns for many years. RESULTS: We confirmed the high prevalence of primary headaches in Emergency Services. There seem to be diagnosis difficulties concerning differentiating attacks of migraine and tension type headache. We also observed that IV dipirone was the most frequently prescribed treatment for patients with primary headaches in this study. There is no protocol in the literature which recommends IV dipirone for the treatment of migraine attacks or other primary headaches. CONCLUSION: It would be advisable to perform controlled double blind studies in order to verify the advantages of IV dipirone in the treatment of intense attacks primary headaches. We concluded that headache management recycling programs could be of interest for doctors who regularly work at Emergency Services.

Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Neurologic manifestations of AIDS: a review of fifty cases in Santos, São Paulo, Brazil.

OBJECTIVE: To review the neurologic manifestations of AIDS in patients who were admitted to Hospital Guilherme Alvaro (HGA) due to any clinical manifestation of the disease. DESIGN: Case series. PATIENTS: All HIV+ patients admitted to the Faculty Hospital (HGA) between July 96 and April 97 were included in this review. RESULTS: From the 117 HIV+ patients admitted to hospitalization due to AIDS-related symptoms, 50 (42.7%) presented neurologic manifestations. The most prevalent of these was neurotoxoplasmosis (68%), but a variety of other neurologic diseases were observed. Only 36% of these 50 patients had neurological signs and symptoms as the main complaint for admission, 12% of the patients had at least complained of some neurologic dysfunction at the time of admission and 10% had no neurologic complaints at all. The remaining 42% (21 patients) only complained of neurologic manifestations of AIDS when specifically asked. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of neurologic manifestations of AIDS is very high in patients admitted to hospital. Even in the absence of neurologic-related complaints, these patients have to be carefully questioned and examined in the search for an underlying neurologic complication which may present high morbidity and mortality.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

PubMedDate not supplied

In vivo metabolism of alpha-tocopherol in lipoproteins and liver: studies on rabbits in response to acute cholesterol loading.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the transport of alpha-tocopherol in lipoproteins of rabbits under normal diet and under acute loading of cholesterol. DESIGN: Two New Zealand White rabbits were fed 14C-alpha-tocopherol acetate in a single oral dose and the recovery of radiolabel in lipoproteins and plasma was monitored. Low density lipoprotein (LDL) from these animals was obtained and labeled with [3H] cholesteryl ester. Three other rabbits were injected with this double-labeled LDL in the native form; while three other animals received this LDL in the acetylated form. RESULTS: Plasma clearance, liver uptake and levels of radiolabel in high density lipoprotein (HDL) of animals injected with 14C[3H]acetyl LDL were significantly higher than those in animals injected with 14C[3H]native LDL. Larger particles of HDL, rich in apolipoprotein E (apoE) carried significantly higher levels of both labels in rabbits injected with acetylated LDL. CONCLUSION: These results provide evidence for in vivo mechanisms of "reverse alpha-tocopherol transport", analogous to "reverse cholesterol transport".

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Hemicrania continua]

OBJECTIVE: To report a case of Hemicrania Continua in a female aged 17, who presented this kind of headache for 9 years without diagnosis. Although this may be a relatively rare primary headache, the immediate response to clinical treatment with indomethacin justifies this entity be better known. METHODS: Case report of a female adolescent who had presented Hemicrania Continua for many years, without diagnosis and adequate treatment. Review of the relevant medical literature by means of Medline. RESULTS: Treatment with low doses of indomethacin caused complete cessation of the headache. CONCLUSION: Hemicrania Continua must be considered as a diagnostic possibility for patients who present continuous unilateral headache, without abnormalities in the clinical, neurologic and laboratorial examination, irrespective of the age the headache starts. This is the youngest patient reported to have Hemicrania continua and it was brought to discussion by a medical student, aware of this possible diagnosis.

Journal Article↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Sweating patterns in humans: II. Heat-induced forehead sweating and cutaneous temperature in healthy individuals.

A comparison of heat-induced forehead sweating and cutaneous temperature patterns has been carried out in 17 healthy individuals (a total of 54 measurements). Only minor asymmetries in facial sweating and temperature were observed. No significant correlation between sweating and cutaneous temperature was found. The reproducibility of the method was excellent.

Adult↗