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Biomedical subjects

A Monteiro

Publications and source records attributed to A Monteiro.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Development, plasticity and evolution of butterfly eyespot patterns.

The developmental and genetic bases for the formation, plasticity and diversity of eyespot patterns in butterflies are examined. Eyespot pattern mutants, regulatory gene expression, and transplants of the eyespot developmental organizer demonstrate that eyespot position, number, size and colour are determined progressively in a developmental pathway largely uncoupled from those regulating other wing-pattern elements and body structures. Species comparisons and selection experiments suggest that the evolution of eyespot patterns can occur rapidly through modulation of different stages of this pathway, and requires only single, or very few, changes in regulatory genes.

Adaptation, Biological↗

[Antihypertensive effect of fosinopril in mild hypertension].

The aim of this double-blind randomized placebo-controlled study was to evaluate the antihypertensive and safety of fosinopril in mild essential hypertension. After a 2-week placebo period, patients received either placebo or fosinopril 20 mg, once daily. Thirty-four patients finished the study (18 patients in the placebo group and 16 patients in the fosinopril group). Systolic blood pressure decreased from 160.1 +/- 22.1 mmHg to 156.0 +/- 24.2 in the placebo group (NS) and from 151.8 +/- 14.0 mmHg to 141.5 +/- 14.5 in the fosinopril group (p < 0.005); diastolic blood pressure decreased from 100.1 +/- 2.4 mmHg to 94.3 +/- 7.4 mmHg in the placebo group (p < 0.005) and from 100.8 +/- 4.8 mmHg to 88.1 +/- 9.0 mmHg in the fosinopril group (p < 0.001). Mean decrease in diastolic blood pressure was 5.7 mmHg in the placebo group and 12.6 mmHg in the fosinopril group (p < 0.05). A statistically significant difference was seen between the percentage of controlled patients in the two groups: 16.6% in the placebo group vs 56.2% in the fosinopril group (p < 0.05). No statistically significant difference in biochemical parameters was seen between the two groups. Tolerance was good and no patients were withdrawn from the study for adverse events.

Adolescent↗

[Correlation between aortic transvalvular gradient obtained with Doppler ultrasonography and with hemodynamics study. Role of the underlying etiology].

In aortic stenosis, a good correlation was found between the gradients obtained by catheterization and Echo-Doppler. However, the correlation of these two methods in subgroups of patients with different etiologies of aortic stenosis is unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate, whether the correlation between catheterization and Echo-Doppler was similar in patients with different etiologies of aortic stenosis. Patients with concomitant valvular disease were excluded. Only patients with a clearly defined etiology (based on clinical history, echocardiography, angiography and/or pathology) were included in this study. We evaluated 106 patients with aortic stenosis. Forty-nine patients had degenerative aortic stenosis, 32 bicuspid aortic stenosis and 25 rheumatic aortic stenosis. The percentage of male patients in each group were as follows: 57.1% in the denerative aortic group; 62.5% in the bicuspid aortic stenosis group; and 76% in the rheumatic aortic stenosis group. Mean age (years) was 69 +/- 6.7 in the degenerative aortic stenosis group, 58.1 +/- 7.5 in the bicuspid aortic stenosis group, and 64 +/- 7.1 in the rheumatic aortic stenosis group. In our study we found different correlations between the gradients obtained by the two methods-catheterization and Eco-Doppler-among the patients with different etiologies of aortic stenosis. The correlation coefficient (r2) was 0.54 (p < 0.001) in the rheumatic aortic stenosis group, 0.37 (p < 0.001) in the bicuspid aortic stenosis group and 0.21 (p = 0.001) in the degenerative aortic stenosis group. In conclusion, a good overall correlation was found between the two methods in aortic stenosis, however, this correlation is different in the three etiologies of aortic stenosis. The correlation is better in rheumatic valves, intermediate in bicuspid valves, and worse in degenerative valves. Changes in aortic valve morphology in these subgroups of patients are probably responsible for these different results.

Aged↗

[The Bland-White-Garland syndrome or an anomalous origin of the left coronary from the pulmonary artery. Apropos a case of a continuous murmur in an adult].

The authors report a case of anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the trunk of pulmonary artery in an adult without significant symptoms, diagnosed by the presence of a continuous thoracic murmur. Because its low incidence and great mortality in the beginning of life, the appearance in the adult is extremely uncommon, especially without symptoms of cardiac failure, angina pectoris or myocardial infarction. In the present case, the patient was asymptomatic and was submitted to various echocardiograms before the diagnosis was suspected and confirmed with angiography. Surgical treatment was performed successfully with reimplantation of the anomalous vessel in the aorta.

Adult↗

[Cor triatriatum. Echo/Doppler diagnosis followed by immediate surgical correction. Report of a clinical case].

As Cor Triatriatum is a rare congenital cardiopathy and benign after corrective surgery, decisive means of diagnosis are essential. The AA review some descriptive theoretical concepts and make reference to the difficulties, present at times, in diagnosis by cardiac catheterization. They consider Eco-Doppler to be the means of excellence for its recognition describing all aspects that point to the diagnosis of this pathology. Described is the case of a 12 month old baby, in whom some semiological findings had lead to a wrong diagnosis. In the discussion, additional diagnosis is eliminated due to some anatomic characteristics defined by echocardiography.

Cor Triatriatum↗

A case of lymphomatoid papulosis and Hodgkin's disease.

Lymphomatoid papulosis is a unique paradoxic entity characterized by recurrent self-healing papulonodular lesions with histologic features of malignancy. Usually the disease has a protracted benign course; however, it can be associated with or evolve to a lymphoproliferative disorder. Thus "lymphoma-associated papulosis" represents the malignant end of a wide spectrum. We describe a case of a patient with lymphomatoid papulosis who developed Hodgkin's disease 8 years after the onset of skin lesions. Systemic chemotherapy achieved complete remission of Hodgkin's disease, but recurrent papulonodular lesions continued to form in the subsequent 18 months.

Adult↗

Castilla del Pino's contribution to a scientific psychopathology.

This paper attempts to express critically the basic concepts in the extensive writings on psychopathology of the Spanish author, Castilla del Pino. These are otherwise only available to the world in Castilian. His work offers a way in which the course and depth of psychotic disorders could be charted mathematically. It illustrates the fact that, what is apparently objective is still necessarily so within the confines of the conventions of our languages, from which we cannot ever escape. He nevertheless shows how psychopathology is not therefore fundamentally different from other sciences, even if its development remains rudimentary.

History, 20th Century↗

Lateral decompression of a pathological disc in the treatment of lumbar pain and sciatica.

The posterolateral approach external to the vertebral canal allows decompression and the escape of disintegrating bits of abnormal nucleus pulposus. This simple, rapid, and least traumatic procedure is sufficient to relieve and to cure a significant number of patients (approximately 40%) suffering from intervertebral disc-related lumbar pain or sciatica. Among 225 patients with 338 discs operated on by the lateral decompression technique in the interval from 1978 to 1984, the overall results are encouraging.

Adult↗

Influence of sublingual captopril on plasma catecholamine levels during hypertensive emergencies and cold immersion.

Experimental evidence of captopril-induced inhibition of sympathetic activity, mediated by decrease in angiotensin II production, is presented. The blood pressure, plasma catecholamine, plasma renin activity, and plasma aldosterone responses to a single dose of sublingual captopril in 23 patients with hypertensive emergencies were evaluated. The major correlation found was between the captopril-induced decrease in blood pressure and the decrease in plasma norepinephrine levels (r = 0.57, p less than 0.01). In another 11 hypertensive patients with normal or high renin levels, captopril lowered by 65 percent the increase in plasma norepinephrine induced by cold immersion of the forearm. In both circumstances, plasma renin and aldosterone levels changed in accordance with the expected inhibition of angiotensin converting enzyme activity. These data suggest that, in selected circumstances in hypertensive patients, captopril exhibits a depressive influence on sympathetic activity along with the inhibition of the renin-angiotensin system.

Administration, Sublingual↗

[Effectiveness of captopril in severe hypertension (author's transl)].

Fifteen patients with severe essential or renal hypertension were treated with captopril. In thirteen, a single oral dose of 1 mg/kg produced a mean fall of 20.7 +/- 16.42 mmHg (18%) in mean arterial pressure (MAP) without concomitant increase in heart rate. The fall was significant at 20 minutes and maximum at 90 minutes on average. It correlated closely with the initial plasma renin activity (PRA) (r = 0.96) and with the increase in PRA under treatment (r = 0.75). After an 8-day treatment with captopril alone in increasing dosage (mean: 453 +/- 140 mg/day), the fall in MAP still was 20.3% and correlated with that observed with a single dose. Blood pressure returned to normal levels (MAP Less Than 110 mmHg) in seven of these patients. Twelve patients were treated for a mean period of 36 days and all had normal blood pressure at the end of that period. However, seven had required addition of frusemide to the treatment. A moderate increase in serum creatinine was observed in 7 cases, but there were no other adverse reactions. Captopril alone or combined with diuretics proved to be a very effective drug for the treatment of hypertension, particularly in patients with high initial PRA.

Adolescent↗