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Biomedical subjects

B Duarte

Publications and source records attributed to B Duarte.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Skin gene therapy for acquired and inherited disorders.

The rapid advances associated with the Human Genome Project combined with the development of proteomics technology set the bases to face the challenge of human gene therapy. Different strategies must be evaluated based on the genetic defect to be corrected. Therefore, the re-expression of the normal counterpart should be sufficient to reverse phenotype in single-gene inherited disorders. A growing number of candidate diseases are being evaluated since the ADA deficiency was selected for the first approved human gene therapy trial (Blaese et al., 1995). To cite some of them: sickle cell anemia, hemophilia, inherited immune deficiencies, hyper-cholesterolemia and cystic fibrosis. The approach does not seem to be so straightforward when a polygenic disorder is going to be treated. Many human traits like diabetes, hypertension, inflammatory diseases and cancer, appear to be due to the combined action of several genes and environment. For instance, several wizard gene therapy strategies have recently been proposed for cancer treatment, including the stimulation of the immune system of the patient (Xue et al., 2005), the targeting of particular signalling pathways to selectively kill cancer cells (Westphal and Melchner, 2002) and the modulation of the interactions with the stroma and the vasculature (Liotta, 2001; Liotta and Kohn, 2001).

Animals↗
PubMed1999

[Syphilis in adolescent mothers in the city of Posadas, Province of Misiones].

During three months (April to June 1997) 1,238 consecutive pregnant women were studied at the time of delivery at the Madariaga public Hospital. Syphilis was confirmed in 26 (2.1%) women, and 15 cases (57.7%) of congenital syphilis were demonstrated in newborns one of whom was a stillborn. Of the syphilitic women 61.5% were 20 years old (average), 65.4% were single, 19.2% had a stable partner and 15.4% were married; 70% of them had finished elementary school (seven years), but despite this discrete level of instruction and that they were benefited with free health attention, 73% of them had not started or completed the pregnancy control. None of these women acted as sexual workers or were drug users; 57.7% were unemployed and the remainder worked as domestic servants or were still going to school. Menarca started at 13 (average) and the age of the first sexual activity was 15 (average). The distribution of the cases of syphilis within the city area shows four clusters that coincide with the lower income population, but not with marginal groups. The failure to submit to medical control during pregnancy among syphilitic women is directly linked with an increased risk for congenital syphilis. The specific prevalence of syphilis in women (20 years old or less) pregnant or not, shows an alarming hidden epidemic situation. An interinstitutional and communitary program, with direct interventions within the detected population clusters, is now underway in order to control syphilis. Undesired pregnancy and syphilis seem to be associated with adolescent unsafe sex conducts. A coordinated program between Public Health Service and National Misiones University is operating, visiting home by home, in order to decrease or eliminate congenital syphilis and is considered a priority health problem. Unfortunately, if sexual conducts do not undergo changes in the near future, at least by the correct use of condoms, HIV will replace syphilis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Abdominal actinomycosis.

PURPOSE: Actinomyces israelii are normal inhabitants in the oral cavity and upper intestinal tract of humans. They rarely cause disease and are seldom reported as pathogens. As a pathogen it causes fistulas, sinuses, and may appear as an abdominal mass and/or abscess. The abdominal mass can masquerade as a malignant process that is very difficult to differentiate, often requiring surgical intervention with resection. Because of difficulty in making a preoperative diagnosis, we undertook this review to determine if all patients require surgical intervention and whether other adjunctive modalities may improve preoperative diagnosis. METHODS: We report two patients with abdominal actinomycosis, one affecting the sigmoid colon and the other the retroperitoneum, iliac crest region. Both simulated a malignant process and required operations for diagnosis and treatment. RESULTS: As reported, actinomycotic abdominal masses and strictures can be treated by penicillin alone. Long-term medical treatment seems to be very successful and avoids surgical resection. The difficulty is obtaining a definitive diagnosis. CONCLUSION: The computed tomographic scan is the most helpful diagnostic modality. Appearance of abdominal actinomycosis is usually a contrast enhancing multicystic lesion as was found in these two patients. Needle aspiration cytology can be fairly accurate in obtaining the diagnosis and is recommended for suspicious lesions.

Abdominal Abscess↗
PubMed1996

A new method of creating an arteriovenous graft access.

Since the initial description of the radial arteriovenous (AV) shunt, hemodialysis has played a primary role in the survival of patients with chronic renal failure. However, it is not unusual to be confronted with patients on chronic hemodialysis who have exhausted all superficial venous access sites. We describe a technique using the deep veins of the arms the outflow system during AV graft construction. By anastomosing the venous limb of the graft to the larger of the two brachial veins, we have been able to give patients AV access when the superficial veins have been exhausted. We have performed this technique with good success in 12 patients. Further experience and longer follow-up are needed.

Arm↗
PubMed1993

Double-blind placebo-controlled ultrasonographic confirmation of constriction of the common bile duct by morphine.

Although the increase in the common bile duct pressure in response to morphine has been repeatedly reported in experimental animals and humans, this is the first double-blind non-invasive, ultrasonographic study designed to demonstrate constriction of the common bile duct caused by i.v. administration of morphine in surgical patients. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized study, 12 patients undergoing open cholecystectomy were enrolled. No opioids were allowed for 12 hours prior to the study. After premedication with midazolam and glycopyrrolate, anesthesia was induced by midazolam, 50 micrograms/kg-1 and thiopental, 3.0-5.0 mg/kg-1. Tracheal intubation was facilitated by succinylcholine, 1.0 mg/kg-1 and muscle relaxation was maintained with vecuronium. Anesthesia was maintained with enflurane and nitrous oxide in oxygen. After imaging the common bile duct by ultrasonography, placebo or morphine, 0.2 mg/kg-1 was injected intravenously. The diameter of the common bile duct was measured before and 4 and 8 minutes after the drug. Student t-test was utilized for statistical analysis. P < 0.05 was considered significant. No significant change in common bile duct diameter was observed after placebo administration. Morphine caused a significant reduction in the diameter of the common bile duct. Before morphine, the mean +/- SD diameter was 9.5 +/- 3.3 mm; after morphine at 4 and 8 minutes, 7.2 +/- 2.1 and 5.8 +/- 2.1 mm, respectively. It is concluded that ultrasonography in a double-blind placebo-controlled design has proven to be a valid method for the evaluation of the effect of drugs on the common bile duct.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Double-blind comparison of butorphanol and nalbuphine on the common bile duct by ultrasonography in man.

Butorphanol and nalbuphine, narcotic agonist-antagonists were shown to cause no increase in biliary pressure in contrast to morphine in dogs or men. A non-invasive, ultrasonographic technique confirmed that morphine caused constriction of the common bile duct while placebo caused no effect. To prove the lack of constrictive effect of butorphanol and nalbuphine on the common bile duct, the changes in its diameter were measured following placebo or the two agonist-antagonists by ultrasonography. In a double-blind, randomized study, 17 patients undergoing open cholecystectomy were evaluated. No morphine or opioids were allowed for 12 hours prior to the study. After premedication with midazolam and glycopyrrolate, anesthesia was induced by midazolam, 50 micrograms.kg-1 and thiopental, 3.0-5.0 mg.kg-1. Tracheal intubation was facilitated by succinylcholine 1.0 mg.kg-1 and muscle relaxation was maintained with vecuronium. Anesthesia was maintained with isoflurane or enflurane and nitrous oxide in oxygen. After imaging the common bile duct by ultrasonography, placebo, nalbuphine 0.3 mg.kg-1 or butorphanol 40 micrograms.kg-1 were injected intravenously. The diameter of the common bile duct was measured before and at 4 and 8 minutes after drug administration. One-way analysis of variance and paired t-test were utilized for statistical analysis. P < 0.05 was considered significant. No significant changes in the common bile duct diameter was observed after placebo administration, nor was any change observed after either nalbuphine or butorphanol as compared to the baseline. The comparison of three groups of patients showed no statistically significant difference.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Gastrointestinal manifestations of amyloidosis: a case of diverticular perforation.

Amyloidosis is an intriguing disorder. Its clinical presentation usually rests on the organ(s) infiltrated with the amyloid. We report a patient who presented with peritonitis secondary to a perforated large jejunal diverticulum and multiple small bowel diverticula. We believe the diverticula were a direct result of primary amyloid infiltration of the intestine in the antimesenteric location. This is the first reported case of small bowel diverticula caused by amyloidosis.

Aged↗
PubMed1992

Perforated duodenal diverticulum.

Duodenal diverticula are present in up to 20 per cent of the population but few patients require surgery for acute complications. Perforation is the rarest of these complications; only 101 affected patients have been reported in the world literature. These reports of perforated duodenal diverticulum are reviewed and strategies for the diagnosis and management of this unusual condition are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Synchronous cecal and sigmoid volvulus. Report of a case.

Volvulus is a rare cause of intestinal obstruction in the U.S. Sigmoid colon volvulus is the most frequent, followed by cecal volvulus. The simultaneous occurrence of cecal and sigmoid colon volvulus is extremely unusual. We are reporting what to our knowledge is the third case.

Cecal Diseases↗
PubMed1991

Rodless end-loop stomas. Seven-year experience.

The rodless, end-loop stoma was developed as an alternative to the more traditional loop stoma to minimize patient management problems. A retrospective review of our seven-year experience in 229 patients with end-loop colostomies (135), ileocolostomies (70), and ileostomies (24) is presented. A total of 30 stoma-related complications were observed in 27 stomas, for an overall complication rate of 13.1 percent. The most common complications were skin excoriation secondary to leakage (3.5 percent), retraction (3.5 percent), partial necrosis (2.6 percent), and peristomal sepsis (1.8 percent). Mucocutaneous separation, prolapse, and stenosis were each seen in less than one percent of patients. No cases of stomal herniation, obstruction, or hemorrhage were encountered. Twelve deaths occurred, but none was attributed to stoma-related complications. The rodless, end-loop stoma is a simple and safe procedure with many advantages and a low incidence of complications.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

The nodular form of local hepatic tuberculosis. A review.

Local hepatic tuberculosis without active pulmonary or miliary tuberculosis is an uncommon diagnosis. Even less common is the finding of tuberculoma or tuberculous liver abscess without clinical evidence of tuberculosis elsewhere. Since 1950, 21 cases of isolated tuberculoma or tuberculous abscess of the liver have been reported in the world literature. We report an additional two cases, one tuberculoma and one with multiple tuberculous abscesses. The case reports illustrate the difficulty in reaching the correct diagnosis, unsuspected in nearly all cases and most often confused with carcinoma of the liver. The correct diagnosis was made by histology, identification of acid-fast organisms by smear, and by cultures of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, but required laparotomy in 19 of the 23 cases. A greater awareness of this rare clinical entity may prevent needless surgical intervention since the vast majority of patients respond well to antituberculous chemotherapy.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Post-traumatic inferior vena caval thrombosis: case report.

Thrombosis of the aorta and inferior vena cava is a rare sequela of blunt abdominal trauma. Inferior vena caval thrombosis developed in a 55-year-old man after blunt abdominal trauma. It was detected 18 days after injury through the use of computed tomography. The patient was treated with a Greenfield filter and anticoagulation.

Abdominal Injuries↗
PubMed1988

Use of thrombolytic therapy in axillary-subclavian vein thrombosis.

A case of axillary-subclavian vein thrombosis associated with effort is described (Paget-Schrötter syndrome). This patient was treated successfully with thrombolytic and anticoagulant therapy. Diagnosis and management of this rare clinical entity are discussed.

Axillary Vein↗
PubMed1988

Effects of estradiol and progesterone on parathyroid hormone secretion from human parathyroid tissue.

Estrogens have been used to treat the hypercalcemia in primary hyperparathyroidism. Estrogens and progesterone both stimulate PTH secretion from bovine parathyroid tissue. The effects of these agents on PTH secretion from human parathyroid tissue are not known. In this study, we evaluated the effects of 17 beta-estradiol and progesterone on PTH secretion from abnormal parathyroid tissue from seven patients (four adenomas, three hyperplasia). Both estradiol (10(-9)-10(-6) mol/L) and progesterone (10(-7) and 10(-6) mol/L) significantly stimulated PTH secretion in a time- and dose-dependent manner during a 3-h period. These results indicate the need for a careful evaluation of serum PTH levels and other parameters of parathyroid function in estrogen- and/or progesterone-treated patients with primary hyperparathyroidism.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Myelolipoma and endocrine dysfunction.

Myelolipoma is an uncommon benign tumor of which the pathogenesis is unknown. It is rarely associated with endocrine disorders. We present a case of a myelolipoma in conjunction with congenital adrenal hyperplasia secondary to 21-hydroxylase deficiency. Nine previously reported cases of myelolipoma associated with endocrine dysfunction are reviewed with potential correlation of the hormonal imbalance to pathogenesis.

Adrenal Gland Neoplasms↗