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Biomedical subjects

A Guardiola

Publications and source records attributed to A Guardiola.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Oat-cell carcinoma of the prostate. Diagnosis, prognosis and therapeutic implications.

BACKGROUND: Any carcinoma of prostatic origin which is not an acinary adenocarcinoma of the prostate is considered to be an atypical carcinoma. One member of this group of atypical prostatic tumors is the oat-cell carcinoma, or small cell carcinoma (SCC) of the prostate. This variety of carcinoma constitutes the histologic basis of <1% of all prostatic neoplasms. METHODS: Between 1992 and 1997, four patients were diagnosed with SCC of the prostate at our hospital. In 3 of the 4 cases, the histopathological diagnosis was pure SCC, and in the 4th case there was a component of prostatic adenocarcinoma associated with the SCC. At the time of diagnosis, extracapsular extension of the tumor was present in all 4 cases, with T3 or higher stages in all of them (T(3A)N(0)M(1), T(3A)N(0)M(0), T(3B)N(0)M(1), and T(4)N(0)M(0)). Because of the presence of extracapsular extension, radiotherapy and radical surgery were ruled out for all 4 patients. They were all offered systemic chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide (1 g/m(2)), doxorubicin (50 mg/m(2)) and vincristine (1.2 mg/m(2)). This therapeutic protocol was carried out in only 2 cases. RESULTS: Survival was <1 year in the 3 patients with pure SCC, and the patient with a mixed tumor is alive with detectable disease 9 months after diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: This poor vital prognosis in SCC stresses the need for early diagnosis a timely and appropriate therapeutic intervention in this condition.

Adult↗

Prevalence of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorders in students. Comparison between DSM-IV and neuropsychological criteria.

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common childhood condition, recognized as an important social-medical problem. The syndrome is characterized by motor system, perception, cognition and behavioral disturbances, compromising the learning of children with adequate intellectual potential. To investigate its prevalence in first grade pupils 484 children with DSM-IV diagnostic criteria and neuropsychological criteria were examined. The prevalence of ADHD was 18% when the diagnosis was made using DSM-IV criteria; 3.5% when neuropsychological criteria was used, including, in addition to behavioral and psychometric aspects, a discrepancy in the evolutionary neurological examination, and 3.9% when motor persistence was taken into account. The prevalence of ADHD was higher among older children (92.4 months) only when DSM-IV criteria were used. We conclude that the use of DSM-IV criteria probably overestimates the prevalence of ADHD, since it detects another behavioral disorders. In this context, they may be useful as screening, since they have adequate pre-testing performance.

Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity↗

[Paraplegia as initial manifestation of tethered spinal cord. Case report].

Tethered spinal cord (TSC) is a rare disorder; it occurs when the conus medularis is anchored to the base of the vertebral canal by thickened filum terminale cysts, lipoma and spinal dysraphia. This disorder may cause paraplegia, sensory and sphincter disturbance. We report a twenty-two months-old girl presenting with paraplegia. TSC diagnostic was confirmed by myelotomography. The patient was submitted to surgical relief of tethered filum terminale.

Female↗

[Cockayne syndrome. Case report].

We describe a girl with Cockayne syndrome (CS), the diagnostic criteria and the complications of this syndrome. The required criteria for the diagnosis include: prenatal poor growth failure, congenital structural eye anomalies, cataracts, pigmentary retinopathy, severe neurologic dysfunction from birth, sensorineural hearing loss, cutaneous photosensitivity and dental caries. CS is a rare autosomal recessive and biochemical disorder.

Child, Preschool↗

[Use of amitriptyline in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder].

We studied the action of amitriptyline (AMI) in the attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Twenty-five children who came to consultation for ADHD were analyzed, in two groups: the group which used AMI (n = 18) at 1.6 mg/kg/day and the group which used placebo (n = 7). Both groups were submitted to two assessments in a 30 days interval, which consisted of the evolutive neurological evolution examination (ENE) and the WISC scale subtests on numbers, drawings to be completed and the code. The results showed that the AMI produced an improvement in performance in the motor persistence tests.

Amitriptyline↗

[Performance of literacy and cortical brain functions in a sample of first grade students of Porto Alegre, Brazil].

Cortical brain functions are the basis of the learning process and evolutionary neurological examination (ENE) provides the level of development of the brain. The purpose of this work was to study by means of the ENE the brain functions in a representative sample of first grade students of Porto Alegre, to investigate the learning performance. An observation, analytical and transversal delineated study was performed. The random sample had 484 children. It was observed: sex, age, race, weight, height, neurological examination, ENE, performance in the number sub-tests, completing figures and codes from WISC scale and literacy learning. The items of ENE were below the expected for the age in 11.4% and 38.2% of the children: the most affected ones were the sensitivity activity and gnosias (38.2%) and the least one was motor persistence (11.4%). In psychometric tests, 40.5% of the subjects had their development in numbers below the espected, 39.0% in accomplishing figures, 71.5% in codes. Concerning literacy, 94.4% of the children learned to read and write. The neuropsychological dysfunction and malestablished laterality were a risk factor for the learning process.

Adult↗

[Use of drugs in attention deficit hyperactivity disorders].

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurological disorder which is common in the childhood and can be caused by exogenous and endogenous factors, that are responsible for cerebral disorder. This disorder presents a functional alteration of the motor, perceptive, cognition systems and conduct disorders compromising the learning of children with an adequate intellectual potential. The authors study the action of stimulants and antidepressive drugs in the ADHD, using as measure of efficacy the motor persistence tests.

Analysis of Variance↗

[Importance of nutritional aspects in attention deficit hyperactivity disorders].

The attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is a common childhood syndrome that is recognized as an important medical-social problem, being the object of an exhaustive investigation related to its etiology, diagnostic approach and prevention, and treatment forms. Among the factors that can alter the cerebral function, is the malnutrition. The authors discuss the association of the syndrome with the nutritional condition of students from elementary schools.

Analysis of Variance↗

[Disorder of the superior cortical function and vascular malformation: case report].

Learning disorders are commonly seen among neurologic outpatients. We present the case of a young male patient showing learning disabilities and headache of recent onset. His diagnostic evaluation performance in cortical function was poor, and tomographic and arteriographic changes of cerebrovascular malformation were found. The authors discuss the association of learning disorders and cerebral vascular malformations.

Adult↗

A mutant strain of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii lacking the chloroplast photosystem II psbI gene grows photoautotrophically.

The product of the chloroplast psbI gene is associated with the photosystem II reaction center. To gain insights into the function of this polypeptide, we have disrupted its gene in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii with an aadA expression cassette that confers resistance to spectinomycin through biolistic transformation. The transformants are still able to grow photoautotrophically in dim light, but not in high light, and they remain photosensitive when grown on acetate containing medium. The amounts of photosystem II complex and oxygen evolving activity are both reduced to 10-20% of wild-type levels in these psbI-deficient mutants. It appears that the PsbI polypeptide plays a role in the stability of photosystem II and possibly also in modulating electron transport or energy transfer in this complex.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

beta-Glucuronidase deficiency: identification of an affected fetus with simultaneous sampling of chorionic villus and amniotic fluid.

Four pregnancies at risk for mucopolysaccharidosis VII were monitored by chorionic villus sampling obtained in the first or second trimester of gestation. One fetus showed reduced beta-glucuronidase activity following simultaneous sampling of chorionic villus and amniotic fluid at 17 weeks of gestation. The pregnancy was terminated. Subsequent assay of beta-glucuronidase activity in the fetal tissues was consistent with a diagnosis of mucopolysaccharidosis VII, thus confirming that chorionic villus samples provide useful information for diagnosis of this condition.

Adult↗

Gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric characterization of volatile organic compounds in Barcelona tap water.

Barcelona's tap water is supplied by the Llobregat and Ter rivers, which have significant differences in raw water quality. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from Barcelona tap water were isolated by closed-loop stripping analysis (CLSA) and identified and determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The results showed that the Ter river gives the better quality tap water. VOCs, in particular solvents, phosphates, hydrocarbons, C3 and C4 alkylbenzenes and surfactant-related compounds such as C10-C13 alkylbenzenes and non-ionic compounds such as polyethoxylated nonylphenols and their brominated derivatives are present at the ppb level. The last two types of compounds have not previously been reported using the CLSA technique.

Benzene Derivatives↗

Low beta-glucuronidase activity in a healthy member of a family with mucopolysaccharidosis VII.

A phenotypically normal mother of a mucopolysaccharidosis VII child, is reported with an unusually low beta-glucuronidase activity. Low enzyme activity was systemic (6-10% of controls) and residual beta-glucuronidase in leukocytes had an apparently normal Km value. [35S]sulphate incorporation and chase assays in fibroblasts gave values similar to control cells. A normal excretion pattern of glycosaminoglycan was found in this woman's urine. Low enzymatic activity can be related to a non-pathological 'pseudodeficiency' allele for beta-glucuronidase; this woman appears to be an apparent compound heterozygote for this allele and mucopolysaccharidosis VII. Her next pregnancy was monitored by chorionic villus sampling and a heterozygous fetus was suspected. These studies stress the need for complete enzyme investigations of obligate carriers for mucopolysaccharidoses in order to prevent difficulties at prenatal analysis.

Cells, Cultured↗

Activator protein deficient Gaucher's disease. A second patient with the newly identified lipid storage disorder.

A report is presented based on the biochemical and immunochemical studies of various tissues from a 15-year-old boy with a neuronopathic form of Gaucher's disease. Qualitative and quantitative lipid analyses revealed a storage of glucosylceramide. The striking feature was that, employing the usual assay methods, a normal activity of the lysosomal enzyme glucosylceramidase was revealed, despite massive lipid accumulation. Immunochemical assays of hepatic and splenic tissue extracts from this atypical Gaucher's patient disclosed the absence of A1 activator protein, which is necessary for the enzyme degradation of glucosylceramide in vivo. This is the second documented case of a patient presenting with glucosylceramide activator protein deficiency.

Adolescent↗

[Evolutive neurologic evaluation and cortical functions in a sample of children from the 1st grade of an elementary school].

The authors observed 24 children that are studying for the first time in the first grade of the elementary school. They were observed through the classical neurological examination, the evolutive neurological examination and through tests for evaluation of cortical functions. It is analyzed the school performance in report to the evolutive neurological performance and to the tests for cortical functions. Results obtained are compared and discussed. The authors conclude that the usage of these two evaluation instruments is able to discriminate the good from the bad school performance.

Achievement↗

An activator protein of oligosaccharide sialidase.

beta-Glucosidase-stimulating proteins have been purified from human brain. One of these proteins also activated oligosaccharide sialidase activity in fibroblasts from galactosialidosis and sialidosis patients and in control cells but was not able to stimulate residual sialidase from I-cell disease fibroblasts. Activation was observed with either sialyl-oligosaccharides and -glycoproteins or the artificial substrate MU-NANA. The activator did not stimulate ganglioside sialidase from control and mucolipidosis IV fibroblasts. Column chromatography, polyacrylamide electrophoresis or desialylation treatment of the activator did not achieve separation of the stimulating abilities toward beta-glucosidase and sialidase.

Cells, Cultured↗