PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

D Ruiz

Publications and source records attributed to D Ruiz.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Favourable effect of the combination of acute and chronic graft-versus-host disease on the outcome of allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation for advanced haematological malignancies.

To assess the influence of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) on the outcome of patients with advanced haematological malignancies (AHM) who received a primary, unmodified allogeneic peripheral blood progenitor cells transplant (allo-PBT) from a human leucocyte antigen (HLA) identical sibling donor, we analysed 136 patients with myeloid neoplasms (n = 70) or lymphoproliferative disorders (n = 66), transplanted at 19 Spanish institutions. Median age was 35 years (range 1-61). The cumulative incidence of relapse for all patients was 34% (95% CI, 26-42%), 41% (95% CI, 33-49) for patients without GVHD and 14% (95% CI, 3-25) (P = 0.001) for patients with acute and chronic GVHD. After a median follow-up of 11 months (range 2-49), 60 (44%) patients remained alive with an actuarial probability of overall survival and disease-free survival (DFS) at 30 months of 31% (95% CI, 21-41%) and 28% (95% CI, 17-39%) respectively. In patients surviving > 100 d, the low incidence of relapse in those with acute and chronic GVHD led to a DFS of 57% (95% CI, 38-76%) compared with a DFS of 34% (95% CI, 17-51%) in the remaining patients (P = 0.03). Our results indicate a reduced incidence of relapse for patients with AHM receiving an unmodified allo-PBT and developing acute and chronic GVHD, which results in an improved DFS.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2001

Coupling between annual and ENSO timescales in the malaria-climate association in Colombia.

We present evidence that the El Niño phenomenon intensifies the annual cycle of malaria cases for Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum in endemic areas of Colombia as a consequence of concomitant anomalies in the normal annual cycle of temperature and precipitation. We used simultaneous analyses of both variables at both timescales, as well as correlation and power spectral analyses of detailed spatial (municipal) and temporal (monthly) records. During "normal years," endemic malaria in rural Colombia exhibits a clear-cut "normal" annual cycle, which is tightly associated with prevalent climatic conditions, mainly mean temperature, precipitation, dew point, and river discharges. During historical El Niño events (interannual time scale), the timing of malaria outbreaks does not change from the annual cycle, but the number of cases intensifies. Such anomalies are associated with a consistent pattern of hydrological and climatic anomalies: increase in mean temperature, decrease in precipitation, increase in dew point, and decrease in river discharges, all of which favor malaria transmission. Such coupling explains why the effect appears stronger and more persistent during the second half of El Niño's year (0), and during the first half of the year (+1). We illustrate this finding with data for diverse localities in Buenaventura (on the Pacific coast) and Caucasia (along the Cauca river floodplain), but conclusions have been found valid for multiple localities throughout endemic regions of Colombia. The identified coupling between annual and interannual timescales in the climate-malaria system shed new light toward understanding the exact linkages between environmental, entomological, and epidemiological factors conductive to malaria outbreaks, and also imposes the coupling of those timescales in public health intervention programs.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Results of the management of upper gastrointestinal bleeding from gastroesophageal varices.

INTRODUCTION: The management of upper gastrointestinal bleeding caused by rupture of gastric and/or esophageal varices in patients with liver cirrhosis must focus on the initial control of the haemorrhage avoiding further worsening of an already poor liver function and the prevention of early relapsing bleeding. Therapeutic options include endoscopic, pharmacological and surgical methods. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Prospective study of the results obtained after the follow-up of 90 bleeding episodes in a total of 54 patients, 35 men and 19 women, with a mean age of 58 years (range 32-77), to which a therapeutic protocol for acute bleeding secondary to portal hypertension was applied over a 22-months period. Patient classification according to Child-Pugh upon admission was 57% Child A, 34% Child B and 9% Child C. RESULTS: Mean hospital length of stay was 9 days (2-50). Of the 90 bleeding episodes, 15 were early relapsing bleeding episodes (16.7%). Twelve patients died (mortality rate of 22.2% by patients and 13.4% by bleeding episodes). Twelve emergency surgical procedures were performed because of the persistence of haemorrhage. Forty one per cent of patients were readmitted because of relapsing bleeding at least once during the follow-up period. CONCLUSIONS: Management of upper gastrointestinal bleeding due to gastroesophageal varices in patients with liver cirrhosis requires a combined therapy in order to attain maximum effectiveness in acute haemorrhagic episodes and to address all potential later consequences. Such therapy should be provided in a hospital fully equipped and with specialists in this pathology. Based on our experience, emergency surgery as rescue treatment for persistent or short-term relapsing bleeding should be restricted to patients with good hepatic function because of its high morbidity and mortality.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Role of Hydrophobic Effect on the Noncovalent Interactions Between Salicylic Acid and a Series of beta-Cyclodextrins.

The molecular complexation of salicylic acid (o-hydroxybenzoic acid) by beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD) and/or two of its most used derivatives, 2,6-di-O-methyl-beta-cyclodextrin (DIMEB) and hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HPBCD), was studied from pH potentiometric measurements. The role of the hydrophobic effect was evaluated by studying the influence of the presence of different constant amounts of a series of alcohols (methanol, ethanol, propanol, and butanol) on the CD:guest interaction at 25 degrees C. The study was carried out by measuring the pH of the hydroalcoholic solutions of the guest, whose concentration is kept constant, as a function of cyclodextrin concentration. The dissociation constant of salicylic acid and the binding constants of the inclusion complexes formed by the CD and both the nonionized (HSA) and ionized (SA-) forms of the guest were simultaneously determined at all alcohol concentrations by using a model previously derived by us. The carboxylic forms were found to bind the CD with higher affinities than the carboxylate partners, irrespective of the polarity of the medium and the cyclodextrin used. The ratio KCD:HSA/KCD:SA- is a constant value characteristic of the cyclodextrin, which points to the hydrophobic effect as one of the main forces involved in the association. A clear influence of the solvent polarity on the affinity of binding was found, in the sense that, as long as the medium becomes more apolar, the interaction between the drug and the cyclodextrin is weakened. A phenomenological limit association curve is proposed to define the limiting conditions for association in the presence of an alcohol as a cosolvent. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1998

[Is surgery for portal hypertension a contraindication for liver transplantation?].

INTRODUCTION: Orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) is the only curative treatment for hepatic cirrhosis and is the most effective in the control of portal hypertension. The aim of this study was to analyze whether greater morbi-mortality is observed in patients undergoing liver transplantation with previous surgery for portal hypertension with respect to patients not having undergone this surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Different variables were analyzed in 2 groups of transplanted patients: one of 18 patients who had previously undergone surgery for portal hypertension and another group of 54 patients without this previous surgery. RESULTS: The following factors were studied: mean operative time and length of anahepatic phase, intraoperative consumption of concentrates of erythrocytes, fresh frozen plasma, units of platelets and cryoprecipitates, days of mechanical ventilation, stay in the ICU and total postoperative stay. No significant differences were observed (p < 0.05) in any of these factors or in survival. DISCUSSION: On analysis of the difficulty of surgical technique, postoperative evolution and survival and based on the variables described it may be concluded that previous surgery for portal hypertension does not only not contraindicate posterior liver transplantation, but rather may be useful in patients with an adequate hepative reserve presenting variceal hemorrhage since posterior transplantation does not present a worsened prognosis.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

[Alcohol consumption by primary care physicians].

OBJECTIVE: To find the consumption of alcoholic drinks by Primary Care doctors. DESIGN: A descriptive study using an anonymous questionnaire. SETTING: Health base areas located in the Baix Llobregat and in Barcelona city. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Total coverage was 68.7%. In the group which replied, daily consumption along with week-end consumption predominated. Men consumed alcohol more often and in greater quantity than women. The prevalence of excessive drinkers according to the PAPPS criteria was 5.9%. 29% of the doctors exceeded the level of alcohol consumption considered acceptable by their own criteria, no gender differences being appreciated. Similarly, 33% of them accepted consumption above that recommended by the experts. CONCLUSIONS: The consumption of alcoholic drinks found among Primary Care doctors was low in comparison with other studies of medical groups or the general population. The Primary Care doctor occupies a privileged position in the prevention of excessive consumption of alcoholic drinks, which implies that their own alcohol consumption and training could have an impact on carrying out preventive activities in this field.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Annular submitral left ventricular aneurysm.

Annular subvalvular aneurysms have been reported rarely in Caucasian individuals. We describe the case of a white man who had an asymptomatic annular submitral left ventricular aneurysm diagnosed during the diagnostic work-up of cervical lymphadenopathies. Our case is unique because of its occurrence in a Caucasian and its characteristic radiological features.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Molecular analysis of the dmpM gene encoding an O-demethyl puromycin O-methyltransferase from Streptomyces alboniger.

The nucleotide (nt) sequence of a 1332-bp fragment of Streptomyces alboniger DNA containing the gene (dmpM), which encodes an O-demethyl puromycin O-methyltransferase (DMPM), has been determined. The dmpM gene contains a 1131-nt open reading frame which encodes a polypeptide of Mr 40,303; this is consistent with the 44 +/- 2.5- and 160-kDa sizes of the DMPM monomer and its native form, respectively. The ATG start codon of dmpM is 50 bp downstream from the coding sequence of the gene (pac), which determines a puromycin N-acetyltransferase. S1 mapping experiments indicate that pac and dmpM are transcribed on a single transcript, which ends at least 500 nt downstream from the dmpM stop codon. The deduced amino acid sequence of DMPM shows significant similarities to those of a hydroxyindole O-methyltransferase, which is involved in the biosynthesis of melatonin by bovine pineal glands [Ishida et al., J. Biol. Chem. 262 (1987) 2895-2899], a hydroxyneurosporene methyltransferase, which is involved in carotenoid biosynthesis in the purple nonsulfur bacterium, Rhodobacter capsulatus [Armstrong et al., Mol. Gen. Genet. 216 (1989) 254-268] and two O-methyltransferases of the tetracenomycin biosynthesis pathway from Streptomyces glaucescens.

Acetylserotonin O-Methyltransferase↗
PubMed1990

Cloning and characterization of the gene encoding a blasticidin S acetyltransferase from Streptoverticillum sp.

A gene (bls) encoding a blasticidin S-acetyltransferase from Streptoverticillum sp. JCM4673 was cloned in the Streptomyces plasmid pIJ702 and expressed in S. lividans 1326. Four of the recombinant plasmids contained a common 1129-bp BclI-PstI DNA fragment, which by subcloning experiments was shown to carry the bls gene. Sequencing of the 1129-bp BclI-PstI fragment indicated that it contains two open reading frames of 408 and 366 nucleotides (nt), both starting with ATG and terminating at TGA triplets. Deletion analysis showed that the correct bls sequence is that of 408 nt, whose deduced amino acid sequence conforms to a polypeptide of Mr 15073. A 175-bp DNA fragment from the 5' region of the bls gene had promoter activity in the promoter-probe plasmid pIJ486.

Acetyltransferases↗
PubMed1989

Calcium intake, calcium excretion and blood pressure in adolescents in the upper decile of the distribution: the Torrejon study.

We studied, by dietary recall, the calcium and magnesium intake in 1109 adolescents aged 14-18 years; from 128 we collected a 24-h urine sample to determine electrolyte excretion. Subjects with blood pressure greater than 90th percentile (211) did not consume less calcium or magnesium than those with blood pressure less than 50th (597). Urinary calcium excretion tended to be higher in the adolescents with the highest blood pressure, the difference being statistically significant in males. Urinary sodium excretion also tended to be higher in those adolescents with blood pressure above the 90th percentile than in those with blood pressure below the 50th percentile, the differences being statistically significant in females. A positive significant correlation was found between systolic blood pressure and both calcium and sodium excretion. Our results suggest that hypercalciuria is present in the early phase of hypertension and demonstrate that adolescents at high risk of developing hypertension consume the same amounts of calcium and magnesium as those with low blood pressure.

Adolescent↗