Study on the enzyme in banana, polyphenol oxidase.
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Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
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OBJECTIVE: To study the microbiology of banana peel being sold in the city of Rio de Janeiro, in an attempt to determine the possibility that the peel may represent a source of infection for women who use it to treat nipple fissures. METHODS: The following microorganisms were studied in 20 banana peel samples: mesophiles, total coliforms, fecal coliforms, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, lipolytic and proteolytic microorganisms, molds and yeasts, lactic bacteria, and coagulase-positive staphylococcus. RESULTS: The microbiological analyses revealed the occurrence of several typical groups of microorganisms, with the following distribution of positive results being detected in banana peel samples: mesophiles, 100%; total coliforms, 20%; coagulase-positive staphylococcus, 25%; molds and yeasts, 30%; proteolytic microorganisms, 70%; lipolytic microorganisms, 30%, and lactic bacteria, 95%. Fecal coliforms and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were not isolated. CONCLUSION: The results show the presence of potentially pathogenic microorganisms in levels which could compromise the microbiological quality of the banana peel. Its use for the treatment of nipple fissures can initiate an infectious process.
Peripheral lymphocyte subsets CD3, CD4, CD8 were studied using monoclonal antibodies to determine the mechanism of immunosuppression observed in an earlier study with total T-cells using the sheep erythrocyte rosetting technique. The study was carried out in 37 Nigerian patients with hookworm infection (Necator americanus and Ancylostoma duodenale and 17 healthy Nigerians as controls. The leucocyte migration inhibition (LMI) test was also carried out to assess the functional integrity of the lymphocytes, while the hookworm status of the patients was assessed by the Stoll technique for measuring egg counts. The results of the T-cell studied showed that CD3 and CD4 cell percentages were significantly depressed in hookworm patients compared to controls (P<0.05). The difference between mean CD8 percentages and absolutes in hookworms patients and controls were not significant. Absolute CD3 and CD4 numbers were not significantly lowered compared to controls in the study and CD4/CD8 ratios were insignificantly reduced. Patients with polyparasitism including hookworm infection showed significant reduction in CD3 and CD4 cells when compared with controls and with patients with hookworm infection alone. The leucocyte migration inhibition response to purified protein derivative of M. tuberculosis (PPD) was significantly decreased in hookworm patients compared to controls, confirming that functionally cell mediated immunity is depressed in hookworm infection.
Polyarteritis nodosa is a necrotizing vasculitis which affects small and medium-sized arteries. The clinical features of the disease vary according to the site and extent of involvement. Aneurysmal dilatation and thrombosis in the arteries of the liver and gastrointestinal tract have been reported in polyarteritis nodosa. However, rupture of the hepatic aneurysm and necrotizing appendicitis due to polyarteritis nodosa are uncommon; indeed a case in which these have occurred together has not been reported to date. In this case report, a patient with necrotizing appendicitis and hepatic aneurysm rupture due to underlying poliarteritis nodasa is presented. Extensive intraabdominal hematoma and appendicitis were treated surgically and complete recovery was achieved.
PURPOSE: To assess the value of hemoglobin concentration (HC) in predicting treatment outcomes in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients treated with chemotherapy (CT) and radiotherapy (RT). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Ninety-eight NPC patients treated with three courses of platinum-based neoadjuvant CT (NCT) and conventional RT were grouped as having normal HC (> or = 12.0 g/dl in females and > or = 13 g/dl in males), having mild anemia (MA) (13.0 g/dl > Hb > or = 11 g/dl in males, 12.0 g/dl > Hb > or = 11 g/dl in females) and having severe anemia (SA) (Hb < 11 g/dl). Massive decrease in HC (MDHC) was defined as > or = 1.5 g/dl decline with NCT. Along with other known risk factors (sex, age, histopathology, T stage, N stage, bilateral neck involvement, cranial nerve involvement and total RT time), the prognostic value of SA and MDHC were evaluated by Cox-regression. RESULTS: SA increased from 7 to 33% with NCT (p < 0.0001). Patients with SA had lower 5-year locoregional control (LRC) (49 vs. 73%, p = 0.03), disease-free survival (DFS) (42 vs. 68%, p = 0.01) and overall survival (OS) (43 vs. 69%, p = 0.01) rates than patients with normal HC or MA. The presence of MDHC worsened 5-year LRC (p = 0.002), DFS (p = 0.001) and OS (p = 0.02) rates. In multivariate analyses, MDHC and SA had pronounced effect on LRC and survival, respectively. CONCLUSION: MDHC and SA adversely affect treatment outcome in NPC patients treated with CT and RT. This may favour concomitant scheduling of RT and CT over neoadjuvant setting. Correction of HC before RT can improve the efficacy of RT and should be further evaluated.