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Biomedical subjects

A Yáñez

Publications and source records attributed to A Yáñez.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

[Place of death of elderly persons in Catalonia].

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To describe the place of death of the elderly and to analyze the factors associated with death occurring in an acute care hospital. DESIGN: Cross-sectional interview of a randomized sample of individuals aged 65 or over who died during the year 1998. Three to four months after the death of the elderly subject, the main caregiver was interviewed about the socio-demographic characteristics, chronic conditions, functional and cognitive status, and use of health services in the months previous to the death, as well as the place where death occurred and their preferences on this site. SETTING: Six areas of Catalonia, Spain, differing in the level of health and end of life social services. PARTICIPANTS: 584 caregivers (78.6% response rate). MAIN RESULTS: Mean age of the deceased elderly was 81.4 (+/- 8) and half of them were females. 52% (95% CI: 47.5-55.7) had died in acute care hospitals. 35% of the caregivers of those dying at an acute hospital reported that they would have preferred another place for death. After adjustment, variables associated with dying in acute care hospitals were: living in an area with lower availability of social and health services for the end of life (OR: 2.8; 95% CI: 1.4-5.5) and suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (OR: 1.7; 95% CI: 1.1-2.5). CONCLUSIONS: Acute hospitals are the predominant place of death in Catalonia, Spain. The place of death seems to be more closely influenced by the availability of end-of-life care services. There is a clear preference for dying at an alternative place to acute hospitals.

Aged↗
PubMed2001

Tissue printing of astroglial interlaminar processes from human and non-human primate cerebral cortex.

Astroglial interlaminar processes are unique features of the cerebral cortex of adult primates, including man. The functional role of these processes in the primate cerebral cortex is largely unknown. The development and standardization of procedures that could maximize the utilization of primate brain samples is required for the experimental analysis of the individual and collective dynamic properties of interlaminar glial processes. With this aim and in order to assess the relative stability of these glial processes in ex vivo conditions, "tissue printing" procedures were applied. "Tissue printing" allows for the acute transfer of cellular elements from fresh tissue onto an artificial substrate. Human, monkey (Cebus apella), and rat brain samples were subjected to "tissue printing" procedures followed by cell culture and immunohistochemistry. For the purpose of comparing the efficiency of this procedure on the transfer of other long glial processes, "tissue prints" of radial glial processes from neonatal rats and of Bergmann glia from cerebellar samples of adult rats were included. Nitrocellulose (with and without added fibronectin or laminin) produced the best attachment results. Interlaminar processes were not modified following 24-h incubation in a cell culture medium, with the addition of agents known to modify astroglial morphotypes in vitro (cyclic adenosine monophosphate, 40 mM K(+), or fetal calf serum). It is concluded that glia with interlaminar processes can be detached from fresh tissue using "tissue printing" procedures, can be maintained for at least 24 h in standard culture conditions, and showed a stable morphological phenotype.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

[Diagnosis and treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis after a Colles' fracture].

OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether the presence of Colles fracture leads to diagnostic studies or treatment of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. DESIGN: Retrospective study with follow-up of incident cases. SETTING: Hospital General de Vic and Primary Care Centre Osona. Vic. Barcelona. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: We studied 80 postmenopausal women with Colles' fracture during 1995-1996. The clinical records were systematically reviewed and treatment with antiosteoporotic drugs before and after Colles' fracture were compared. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Diagnostic studies were found in 3 (3.8%) patients. 6 patients (7.5%) took antiosteoporotic drugs before the fracture while 21 (26.3%, p < 0.001) did so after it. CONCLUSIONS: A recent Colles' fracture induces few osteoporosis diagnostic studies. However, it leads to a significant increase in the use of antiosteoporotic drugs.

Colles' Fracture↗
PubMed1999

Disruption of patterns of immunoreactive glial fibrillary acidic protein processes in the Cebus Apella striate cortex following loss of visual input.

Long, interlaminar, astroglial processes and its patterned organization in the striate cortex of adult primates was previously described. Loss of visual input following bilateral retinal detachment and degeneration in an adult Cebus apella monkey resulted three months later in reduction of interlaminar processes immunoreactive to Glial Fibrillary Acid Protein antibody, loss of the honeycomb-like pattern normally present in tangential sections, and loss of high density patches of terminal segments of those processes in the opercular striate. These results further indicate the highly interactive nature of neuron-glial cerebral cortex architecture, and the dynamic regulation of astroglial interlaminar processes.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

[The World Health Organization and the control of tuberculosis].

A brief history of the tuberculosis control programme is described. The basic issues of the programme, like BCG vaccination and case-finding are analyzed and the role of the specific Expert Committee is pointed out. Special emphasis on the task of PAHO and the Chilean participation was considered very important. The relationship between tuberculosis and HIV infection and AIDS is underlined as an emergent and relevant aspect of the epidemiological situation of tuberculosis, a real problem in the future.

Health Planning Technical Assistance↗
PubMed1997

Postnatal development of interlaminar astroglial processes in the cerebral cortex of primates.

UNLABELLED: Long astroglial processes traversing several cortical laminae appear to be characteristic of primate brains. Whether interlaminar processes develop as a modification of radial glia or are truly postnatal elements stemming from stellate astroglia, could be assessed by analyzing their early developmental stages. A survey of glial fibrillar acidic protein immunoreactive (GFAP-IR) astroglial interlaminar processes in the cerebral cortex of Ceboidea monkeys at various postnatal developmental ages, and in human cortical samples of a ten day and a seven year old child disclosed that such processes develop postnatally. At one month of age GFAP-IR interlaminar processes in monkeys were scarce and short in most frontal, parietal or occipital (striate) cortical areas, except for sulcal (principal and orbital sulci) and temporal cortical areas. Some processes were weakly positive for vimentin, and these were most abundant in ventral temporal cortical areas. At two months of age processes were present in all these areas, albeit in restricted patches and significantly shorter than in adults. The expression of this pattern was increased at seven months of age. At three years of age almost every area showed abundant processes and with lengths comparable to the adult Ceboidea individuals. In humans, at 10 days of age long interlaminar processes were readily apparent in a frontal cortex sample, becoming most apparent at the age of seven years although not reaching yet the adult characteristics as described previously. CONCLUSIONS: (1) GFAP-IR interlaminar processes develop postnatally, thus typifying a subtype of the classical stellate forms; (2) they bear no obvious direct relationship with radial glia; (3) their development is not contemporary among the various cortical regions. These long cellular processes represent an addition to those already described for other astroglial cell types in the adult mammalian brain (Golgi-Bergmann glia, tanicytes, Muller cells).

Animals↗
PubMed1997

[Late effects of head trauma].

The recuperation after a head trauma is divided in three phases. Awakening from coma is the initial phase that normally occurs at the intensive care unit. The period of hospitalization when the threatens of death and neurological instability disappear is the intermediate phase. The post concussional syndrome occurs in the late phase, when the patients have been discharged from the hospital. This syndrome, despite the absence of abnormalities in the clinical examination, causes an assortment of ailments that preclude normal activities. Organic neurological sequelae such as hemiplegia, speech disorders, cranial nerve lesions and mental disorders take also place in this phase. An adequate rehabilitation plan for the patient and his family must take into account all these issues.

Brain Injuries↗
PubMed1997

Interlaminar astroglial processes in the cerebral cortex of non human primates: response to injury.

At variance with the rodent, presence of long glial fibrillary acid protein-immunoreactive (GFAP-IR) astroglial processes traversing several cortical laminae (interlaminar processes) appears to be characteristic of the primate cerebral cortex. Their permanence or changes may constitute a significant factor in the functional alterations that develop after brain injury. The immediate and long term response of such astroglial processes to local application of KCl or lesioning, respectively, was analyzed in the striate cortex of adult Cebus apella monkeys. Intraparenchymal injection of 5 mM (within physiological range) or 50 mM (injury levels) KCl into the striate cortex of Cebus apella monkeys resulted three hours later in increased GFAP immunoreactivity in astroglial cells and processes, in the development of numerous foldings and thickenings of GFAP-IR filaments, as compared to mechanical lesioning alone. Such changes were not observed in a cortical region that approximately included laminae IV and V. These results suggest that the immediate GFAP-IR response to KCl cannot be solely explained on the basis of an exposure of new GFAP epitopes due to conformational changes following K-induced cell oedema, or to disaggregation of such filaments. Three months after mechanical lesioning of the frontal and striate cortex, interlaminar processes were absent up to 1.0 mm from the lesion site, and a predominant astrocytosis was present. Long term effects of mechanical lesioning on interlaminar processes resulted in a persistent reduction of these long processes in the vicinity of the lesion, suggesting a significant and prolonged alteration of the astroglial architecture in the adult primate cerebral cortex. It is speculated that these astroglial changes may bear a relationship with the functional alterations observed during the recovery process after brain injury.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Contamination with Mycoplasma spp. induces interleukin-13 expression by human skin fibroblasts in culture.

The mycoplasmas comprise a discrete group of microorganisms that are known to exert a range of effects upon cells derived from the immune system. Some of these interactions turn out to be immunomodulatory, such as polyclonal stimulation of T and B cells or enhancement of the cytolytic potential of macrophages, NK cells and T lymphocytes. Immunologically committed cells, when infected with mycoplasmas, can also increase the production of cytokines (IL-1, IL-2, IL-4 and IL-6), interferon (IFN) gamma, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and colony-stimulating factors (particularly GM-CSF). Moreover, mycoplasmas are potent inductors of cytokine secretion by fibroblasts in culture. Since growth factors are determinants for the activation and proliferation of immunocompetent cells in vitro, we decided to investigate if these effects are concordant with the finding of mycoplasma contamination. In order to address this question, we compared the pattern of lymphokine secretion by normal-derived human fibroblasts in culture with and without Mycoplasma spp. contamination. We found those human fibroblasts that have been contaminated with mycoplasma show production of IL-13 at the transcriptional level. This effect coincides with discrete morphological changes as compared to uncontaminated human fibroblasts. This is the first report to acknowledge that mycoplasma contamination can induce mRNA expression for IL-13 in cultured human fibroblasts.

Cell Line↗
PubMed1995

Long, interlaminar astroglial cell processes in the cortex of adult monkeys.

At variance with current descriptions stressing the stellate geometry of cortical astrocytes in the brain of adult mammals, GFAP-immunoreactive astrocytes from prefrontal and rostral cingulate cortices in two adult New World monkey species, Cebus apella and Saimiri sciureus, were found to have long cellular processes traversing several cortical lamina. These unreported features of cortical astroglial cells in adult nonhuman primates pose new issues for the understanding of iso- and allocortical organization and processing in higher mammals.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

[Computer assisted codification of diagnosis. Experience in a neurology/neurosurgery service].

The aim of this report is to show a dBase III+based program designed to assign the International Classification of Diseases codes to medical diagnoses. The principal features, advantages and limitations diagnoses. The principal features, advantages and limitations of the program are depicted and its yield with different users in a Neurology and Neurosurgery department is analyzed. It is concluded that this is a user friendly software with minimal hardware requirements that can be used in any clinical setting.

Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted↗
PubMed1994

HIV/AIDS and its interaction with tuberculosis in Latin America and the Caribbean.

At present, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is thought to have infected over 17 million people worldwide, over 1 million in North America and roughly 2 million in Latin America and the Caribbean. By comparison, infection with the tuberculosis (TB) agent Mycobacterium tuberculosis is far more common, current estimates indicating that roughly one-third of the world's population is infected. These two infections tend to aggravate each other. That is, HIV leads to a progressive immune system depression that favors reactivation of TB in people with latent tuberculous infections; it promotes progression of TB primary infections or reinfections to full-blown tuberculous disease; and it fosters TB transmission, because those simultaneously infected with HIV and M. tuberculosis tend to develop a bacilliferous and contagious TB that can be transmitted to other susceptible individuals, even though the latter are HIV-negative. In addition, this coinfection tends to promote circulation of drug-resistant M. tuberculosis and to produce peculiar manifestations that complicate TB diagnosis, treatment, and control. Overall, it seems clear that the growing threat posed by these associated agents demands effective action in the form of well-coordinated measures involving throughgoing participation by all countries.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗
PubMed1994

[Temporal lobectomy in refractory partial epilepsy. Report of 4 cases].

Thirty, out of 1200 patients of North Santiago Adult Epilepsy Program, were admitted to J J Aguirre Hospital due to refractory epilepsy. Looking for candidates for functional epilepsy surgery, these patients were evaluated by neurologists, psychiatrists and psychologists and with standard EEG, video monitored EEG, CAT scan, magnetic resonance imaging and SPECT. So far, four patients with temporal partial complex epilepsy have been studied, operated (anterior temporal lobectomy and amygdalo-hippocampectomy) and followed for more than one year. Of these, two are free of seizures, one has sporadic episodes and one has an important reduction. One of these patients had a postoperative amnestic syndrome of 3 to 4 weeks duration. According to these results and those reported in the literature, the rigorous selection of patients that could be benefitted by surgery is emphasized.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Evaluation of intraspecies genetic variation within the 16S rRNA gene of Mycoplasma hominis and detection by polymerase chain reaction.

Mycoplasma hominis is a heterogeneous species with DNA-DNA hybridization values ranging from 51 to 100%. We report here the sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene of a strain (183) that greatly differs from the type strain (PG21) of this species. Comparison of 16S rDNA sequences from these two strains showed limited differences, indicating that the two strains belong to the same rRNA species complex. Using these nucleotide sequence data, we established a rapid method for the detection of M. hominis by using polymerase chain reaction. This method was shown to be sensitive and specific when tested with reference strains and clinical isolates.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1992

Experimental arthritis induced by Mycoplasma pneumoniae in rabbits.

Experimental arthritis in rabbits was induced by M. pneumoniae. We compared it with the arthritis produced by well known animal arthritogenic agents (M. pulmonis and M. arthritidis). Mycoplasmas were detected in the knee joint by different techniques. M. pneumoniae and M. pulmonis produced an acute arthritis that resolved in 2 weeks while, M. arthritidis produced a chronic arthritis. Live M. pneumoniae and M. pulmonis were recovered from the joint during all the experiments. No live M. arthritidis was detected. Live mycoplasmas play an important role in acute arthritis. A similar inflammatory pattern was shown by M. pneumoniae and M. pulmonis. This animal model could be helpful in the study of arthritis induced by a human pathogen mycoplasma.

Animals↗