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Biomedical subjects

A Palomo

Publications and source records attributed to A Palomo.

12 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1997

Variants in neurotrophic factor genes and schizophrenic psychoses: no associations in a Spanish population.

Possible associations between schizophrenic psychoses, a ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) null mutation and a neurotrophin in 3 (NT3) bi-allele polymorphism were investigated in a Spanish population. The sample consisted of 107 patients suffering from schizophrenic psychoses and 100 healthy volunteers. There was no statistical difference in the frequencies of the mutant CNTF allele in the index and control groups (0.125 vs. 0.121). The frequency of the rare NT3 allele (Glu) was very low and similar in both groups (0.005). Previous findings supporting the involvement of these genetic markers in the pathogenesis of schizophrenic psychoses were thus not confirmed. In light of neurodevelopmental hypotheses of schizophrenia, however, genes coding for neurotrophic factors remain interesting susceptibility loci in schizophrenia research. Subsequent studies should not focus exclusively on genetic alterations but also take into account secondary changes of the neurotrophic factor system at the mRNA and protein levels. Further, the current unsatisfying operationalized classification of the heterogeneous syndrome 'schizophrenia' remains a crucial problem that could be partially resolved by introducing more differentiated diagnoses defined on the basis of neurobiological criteria.

Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor↗
PubMed1996

Homozygosity at the dopamine D3 receptor gene in schizophrenic patients.

Dopamine receptors have long been implicated in the etiology of schizophrenia. It has been reported an association of schizophrenia with homozygosity at the dopamine D3 receptor gene locus. We have investigated the distribution of a D3 receptor gene polymorphism (BalI) in 107 schizophrenic Spanish patients and 100 healthy matched controls. No statistically significant differences between the patients and control group were detected with respect to either allele frequencies or genotype distribution. However, if not corrected for multiple testing, a correlation was found between homozygosity and early age of onset of schizophrenia (chi 2 = 3.1, df = 1, P = 0.03) and between A1 allele frequency and disorganized and undifferentiated schizophrenia (chi 2 = 3.4, df = 1, P = 0.03; chi 2 = 2.7, df = 1, P = 0.05, respectively). These results suggest the possibility that D3 polymorphisms may be among the physiological factors underlying schizophrenia; though not the determining factor.

Aged↗
PubMed1996

A null mutation allele in the CNTF gene and schizophrenic psychoses.

The maldevelopmental theory postulates disturbances in neural development as crucial factors in the aetiopathogenesis of schizophrenia. Neurotrophic factors, including ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF), play a central role in the regulation of such development. A mutation has been described for the CNTF gene, whereby subjects homozygous for the mutation lack CNTF. The polymerase chain reaction was used to amplify the CNTF gene region containing this mutation in whole blood genomic DNA. The mutation was detected by analysis of restriction fragment length polymorphisms. Patients suffering from schizophrenic psychosis (ICD-10 criteria) (51 from Würzburg, 83 from Barcelona), and healthy controls (62 from Würzburg, 50 from Barcelona) were investigated. In the Würzburg group, the frequency of subjects homozygous or heterozygous for the mutation was significantly higher among schizophrenic patients than in controls. However, no difference could be detected in the Spanish sample; the possible reasons for the different allele distribution in the two patient groups is discussed. It is concluded that the CNTF null mutation may be relevant to the aetiopathogenesis of schizophrenia in some patients, but further work is required to identify specifically the patient group for which it is important.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Natural Occurrence of Entomopathogenic Nematodes (Rhabditida: Steinernematidae and Heterorhabditidae) in Spanish Soils

Entomopathogenic nematodes (Steinernematidae and Heterorhabditidae) were surveyed in Spanish soils using the Galleria baiting technique. A total of 750 soil samples were taken from 150 sites representing different regions and habitat types (cropland, woodland, and pasture). Entomopathogenic nematodes were recovered from 35 sites; 33 sites were positive for the occurrence of steinernematids and 2 sites for heterorhabditids. Five distinct morphological types of steinernematids were recovered: Steinernema feltiae (Filipjev), Steinernema carpocapsae (Weiser), Steinernema affinis (Bovien), and two other Steinernema spp. Heterorhabditis bacteriophora Poinar was the only species of this family isolated in this survey. S. feltiae was the most common species found (23 sites). There was not a significant association between sampling time (spring/autumn) and frequency of nematode recovery. Nematodes were isolated from coastal areas (0 m elevation) to high altitude areas (2000 m). Annual median temperature and rainfall had little association with the presence of nematodes. Soil moisture and temperature regimes are more important factors in determining the prevalence of these entomopathogenic nematodes. They were associated with soils with udic moisture regimes and cryic temperature regimes. Nematodes were more frequently recovered from cropland soils than from woodland and pasture soils, but differences between habitat type were not significant.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1990

Correlates of atherosclerosis in coronary arteries of patients undergoing angiographic evaluation.

The correlations between lipid and lipoprotein measurements and other risk factors of coronary artery disease were evaluated in 101 men undergoing coronary angiography. Clinically significant disease was present in 75 patients, whereas 24 had no observable lesions and 2 had minimal lesions. Comparisons of individual lipid and lipoprotein levels were nearly all significantly different between patients with and patients without clinically significant disease; however, no single variable could predict the presence of disease among patients. Logistic regression analysis identified five factors: apolipoprotein A-I, apolipoprotein B, diabetes, age, and family history of heart disease, which account for most of the differences between the two patient groups. These results could have important implications for the evaluation and management of patients suspected of having coronary atherosclerosis.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1986

[Management of podalic delivery].

A study has been made of obstetric assistance in 1 796 podalic version labors between 1966 and 1982, with 12.4% of cesarean sections, an extremely conservative criterion. The corrected intra-and postnatal mortalities were 141.1% and 26.6% for premature and mature deliveries respectively. 744 children were examined between 4 and 10 years after birth, using clinical studies, intelligence quotient measurements by the method of Wppsi or WISC (according to age), EEG observations if necessary and stimulatory, motor and behavioral neurological tests. The results are compared with those of a similar study using 418 control children whose cephalic version births were spontaneous and completely normal. Care should be taken in interpretation of births through the vaginal canal in order to exclude the 30%-50% of cases with a wide safety margin, in which the danger is essentially zero in mature fetuses and in premature fetuses of 2 to 2.5 kg. Cesarean section should be performed almost systematically when the fetus weighs less than 2 kg, so as to avoid any possible danger to the child.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Metergoline as a lactation inhibitor.

For the prevention of lactation we administered metergoline, 12 to 16 mg per day for five to ten days, to six groups of 100 patients each with excellent or good results in 95% to 99% of the cases. In addition, metergoline was given to 100 patients in order to suppress previously established lactation, with excellent or good results in 100% of the cases. The decrease of prolactin during the first 21 days of metergoline administration was compared with that in a group given bromoergocriptine (5 mg per day) and with that in a breast-binding control group. Metergoline is effective and does not have secondary effects in the inhibition and suppression of lactation due to its antiserotonin and dopaminergic effects.

Bromocriptine↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Mean hospital stay and treatment with electroconvulsive therapy.

INTRODUCTION: The objective is to analyze if the mean hospital stay is less than the episodes or not in which electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is applied. METHODS: With a retrospective design, we studied a sample of 30 patients in whom ECT was applied between 1996 and 2001. These patients were suffering a disorder for which ECT has been shown to be effective (schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depression). Each one of the episodes (n = 185) of these patients was studied, comparing the length of stay in the hospital in these patients in which ECT was applied (n = 135) with those where it was not (n = 50). Statistical analysis was carried out by non-parametric Mann-Whitney-U tests. The descriptive level of statistical significance was established at p < 0.05. RESULTS: This work shows statistically significant differences between the treatment groups (p = 0.000), the length of stay being longer when ECT is applied.

Adult↗