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Biomedical subjects

A Vargas-Origel

Publications and source records attributed to A Vargas-Origel.

11 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1983

Independent changes in cerebrospinal fluid and in blood pH and lactate concentrations in children with purulent meningitis.

In order to evaluate the relationship of the hydrogen and lactate concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) with those in the blood, three groups of children were studied: Group I, (n=20) with purulent meningitis (PM); Group II, (n=20) with metabolic acidosis and Group III, (n=17) with suspicion of septicemia but no metabolic acidosis. In all infants a CSF sample was obtained for cytochemical analysis, culture as well as pH and lactate determinations; the latter two were also measured in a blood sample obtained simultaneously. In group I, the CSF [H+] and [lactate] were higher than in the blood (p less than 0.001 and less than 0.01 respectively) and no significant correlation was observed between the CSF and blood values. In group II, no such differences existed in [H+] and [lactate] between both compartments and again no correlation was disclosed between CSF and blood values. In group III only the [H+] was higher in CSF than in blood (p less than 0.01) and a significant correlation was observed between both compartments (r = 0.486, p less than 0.05). The existence of differences in group I among the CSF and blood [H+] and [lactate], along with the lack of correlation between CSF and blood [H+] or [lactate], could suggest that such compartmental changes are independent from each other. However, the variations were quite large and thus, the biological significance of this observation could be questioned.

Acidosis↗
PubMed1979

Effects of pH on alpha 1-antitrypsin activity in premature infants with idiopathic respiratory distress syndrome.

The inhibitory and specific activities of serum alpha 1-antitrypsin (1-AT) at pH levels of 8.20, 7.45, 7.35, 7.25 and 7.15, were studied in 66 neonates with idiopathic respiratory distress syndrome (IRDS) and in 82 healthy neonates. In vivo pH values were also correlated in both groups with the specific and inhibitory activities of 1-AT. Comparisons between healthy neonates and neonates with IRDS showed that in the latter, the inhibitory and specific activities of 1-AT were lower, with every pH assayed, together with twice a percentual decrease from pH 8.20 to pH 7.15 in both activities. No statistical correlation was established in the in vivo pH of infants in both groups with the inhibitory and specific activities of 1-AT. Results suggest two alternatives. The first one related to a molecular structure different from 1-AT in infants with IRDS, and the second one regarding changes in 1-AT produced by partial breakdown or modified by hypoxia, acidosis or both.

Enzyme Activation↗