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F Ovalle

Publications and source records attributed to F Ovalle.

23 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

[Frequency of anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies in cats from Valdivia city, Chile].

Toxoplasmosis is a parasitic zoonosis. The importance of the cat as related to this parasitosis lies in the fact that it is not only the definite host of the parasite, but responsible for its dissemination through the release of oocysts, which subsequently infect both humans and other animals. The objective of this study was to determine the serological prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in the feline population of the city of Valdivia (Chile) and to establish the possible epidemiological implications of this prevalence. With these goals in mind the technique of indirect immunofluorescence was implemented to detect anti- T. gondii species--specific IgG. Blood samples from 97 cats (selected using a directed sampling process) from different sectors of Valdivia were collected. The sample included 46 males and 51 females of different ages, Positive and negative control sera obtained from de United States were used to verify the results, observed by UV microscopy. The anti-feline IgG antibody was used as directed by the manufacturer (Sigma). Of the 97 selected cats, 32 were found to be positive with a titre higher than 1:4, a prevalence of 33.0%. The number of infected males as compared to the number of infected females was found to be statistically insignificant, using the chi-square analysis with p less than 0.1. In contrast, a definite correlation between age and seropositivity was found; infection levels were higher in older animals. These results are consistent with those obtained in different studies on this topic that have been performed in different parts of the world. However, they would seem to be in conflict with other, similar studies that have been done recently in Chile; this may be due to the fact that the cats selected for this study were exposed to different climatic conditions than those examined in previous works. In conclusion, it has been determined that in Valdivia exist cats infected by T. gondii, which indicate the presence of the necessary epidemiological conditions for the persistence of this parasitic cycle and the source of infection for humans and other animals.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Hyperleptinemia in patients with end-stage renal disease undergoing continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the increased plasma leptin levels reported in hemodialyzed patients is a feature of end-stage renal disease or an artifact of hemodialysis, we studied plasma levels in patients treated exclusively by continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). DESIGN: Prospective comparison of end points in CAPD patients and matched healthy subjects. SETTING: Tertiary care institutional dialysis center. PARTICIPANTS: Fifty-six healthy subjects, age 50.8 +/- 2.3 years, body mass index (BMI) 27.7 +/- 1.3 kg/m2, recruited through public announcement, and 36 patients with end-stage renal disease, age 51.0 +/- 2.4 yr, BMI 28.2 +/- 1.3 kg/m2, enrolled in a CAPD treatment program. INTERVENTION: Four exchanges of CAPD per day, using 2.0, 2.5, or 3.0 L of dialysate over a period of 1 - 96 months (median 22 mth). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome measure was plasma leptin concentration. Secondary measures included plasma glucose, insulin, C-peptide, and cortisol concentrations; and residual renal function and dialysis adequacy (Kt/V). RESULTS: Plasma leptin levels in CAPD patients were 27.1 - 490 ng/mL (women) and 1.3 - 355 ng/mL (men); the levels in healthy subjects were 2.0 - 84.7 ng/mL (women) and 1.8 - 55.4 ng/mL (men). The mean leptin levels were 5-fold higher among CAPD-treated men than control men (49.9 +/- 18.4 vs 9.8 +/- 2.5 ng/mL, p < 0.001) and 7.5-fold higher among CAPD-treated women than control women (220 +/- 28.1 vs 29.3 +/- 3.7 ng/mL, p < 0.0001). Female gender and BMI were the strongest predictors of hyperleptinemia in CAPD patients. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that hyperleptinemia is a feature of terminal renal failure, not an artifact of hemodialysis.

Artifacts↗