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Biomedical subjects

H Torres

Publications and source records attributed to H Torres.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Susceptibility of Rickettsia conorii, R. rickettsii, and Coxiella burnetii to PD 127,391, PD 131,628, pefloxacin, ofloxacin, and ciprofloxacin.

Plaque formation and dye uptake assays were used to measure the MICs of PD 127,391 and PD 131,628 against Rickettsia species. The MICs of PD 127,391 were 0.25 microgram/ml for Rickettsia rickettsii and 0.125 to 0.25 microgram/ml for Rickettsia conorii. The MICs of PD 131,628 were 0.25 to 0.5 microgram/ml for R. rickettsii and 0.5 microgram/ml for R. conorii. As determined by the shell vial technique, 15 strains of Coxiella burnetii were susceptible to PD 127,391 and PD 131,628 (MIC, < or = 1 microgram/ml), while one strain of C. burnetii (MP10) was of intermediate susceptibility.

Anti-Infective Agents

Shell-vial assay: evaluation of a new technique for determining antibiotic susceptibility, tested in 13 isolates of Coxiella burnetii.

Coxiella burnetii is a strictly intracellular bacterium. Bacteriostatic effects have been described previously on a few isolates in embryonated eggs (A. J. Spicer, M. G. Peacock, and J. C. Williams, p. 375-383, in W. Burgdorfer and R. L. Anacker, ed., Rickettsiae and rickettsial diseases, 1981). We used the shell-vial technique (D. Raoult, G. Vestris, and M. Enea, J. Clin. Microbiol. 28:2482-2484, 1990) to determine the susceptibility of C. burnetii to amoxicillin, amikacin, erythromycin, co-trimoxazole, pefloxacin, ofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, chloramphenicol, tetracycline, doxycycline, minocycline, and rifampin antibiotics at a single dilution. Human embryonic lung fibroblast monolayers in shell vials were seeded with 13 different C. burnetii isolates, including 3 reference strains (Nine Mile, Q212, and Priscilla) and 10 new isolates, in order to obtain 30% infected cells 6 days later. After inoculation, antibiotics were added, shell vials were incubated for 7 days, and immunofluorescence was revealed and compared with that of the positive controls. Strain Nine Mile was more susceptible than strains Q212 and Priscilla were. The heterogeneity of susceptibility to fluoroquinolones, chloramphenicol, and erythromycin was noted among the strains; all were resistant to amoxicillin and amikacin, and all were susceptible to rifampin, co-trimoxazole, tetracycline, and tetracycline analogs.

Anti-Bacterial Agents

[Cardiac transplantation: economizing cyclosporin A by including ketoconazole in the immunosuppressive schedule].

Use of cyclosporin A has improved survival in patients submitted to cardiac transplantation. However, high cost of cyclosporin poses a problem for many patients in Chile. Ketoconazole is able to reduce hepatic metabolism of cyclosporin and thus prolong therapeutic levels. A 74 to 82% reduction in cyclosporin requirements was obtained in a cardiac transplant patient by adding ketoconazole. No renal damage was detected. Therefore, this drug association may help extend cardiac transplantation programs in Chile.

Adult

[Evaluation of systolic and diastolic left ventricular function in acute myocardial infarction by aortic echogram].

A noninvasive method for the measurement of the cardiac output and diastolic ventricular function was evaluated by aortic echogram in a group of patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The following parameters were employed: average of initial and late aortic cusp separation (ACS), left ventricular ejection time (EP) and amplitude of aortic posterior wall during ejection (AA). The following formula was used: cardiac output (CO) = (ACS x EP) x 100 + AA x HR. Diastolic ventricular function was evaluated by the left auricle emptying index (LAEI) described by Strunk et al. This last relationship X/OA where X is the movement of the aortic posterior wall (AP) at the first third of passive diastole, and OA is the total aortic movement during the passive diastole. All patients were followed by cardiac output measurements by thermodilution and pulmonary capillary pressure (PCP). Twenty measurements were made in fourteen subjects; for CO a good lineal correlation was found (r = 0.81). As for diastolic ventricular function, LAEI reached a value of 0.49 (+/- 0.23); normal value was 0.82 (p less than 0.01); it was significantly diminished showing the stiffness of the chamber. The utilization of aortic echogram and the analysis of movement of APW result in a non invasive reliable procedure that can be repeated to evaluate the hemodynamic situation in AMI.

Aged

[Lactic acidosis in diabetic patients associated with buformin].

We report two diabetic patients who developed lactic acidosis following the use of Buformin. Treatment consisted of mechanical ventilation, massive bicarbonate administration, circulatory support with dopamine and peritoneal dialysis. Despite this, both patients died.

Acidosis, Lactic

Growth response of human myeloid leukemia cells to colony-stimulating factors.

The effects of human recombinant granulocyte and granulocyte-macrophage- (G- and GM-CSF), and of purified macrophage-stimulating factors (CSF-1), were tested on populations of leukemia cells isolated from 18 patients with different types of acute myeloid leukemia. Cell proliferation and differentiation were studied by culturing the cells in suspension for 7 days in the presence of CSF or medium alone. Spontaneous cell proliferation, as assessed by tritiated thymidine uptake, was observed in 9 of the 18 cases. GM-CSF induced proliferation in seven of the nine cases without spontaneous growth and increased spontaneous proliferation in nine cases. G-CSF added alone was also found to strongly stimulate leukemic blast cell proliferation, in which a translocation involving the long arm of chromosome 17 was observed. Low levels of CSF-1 stimulation were also observed in some cases. No clear morphological modification supporting evidence of terminal differentiation was observed, whereas modulation of some cell surface antigens was detected by flow cytometry. Thus, most leukemia cells still depend on growth factors for their proliferation, GM-CSF appearing the most effective. On the other hand these factors were not able to induce terminal differentiation.

Antigens, Surface

Molsidomine in the treatment of acute heart failure.

In this report we present the results of hemodynamic monitoring with a Swan-Ganz balloon catheter in 14 patients with heart failure associated with acute myocardial infarction, before and during 8 hours after a single oral dose of molsidomine (6 mg). Molsidomine induced the following changes: heart rate was reduced between 1.6% and 4.7% (significant at 4 hours, p less than 0.05); systolic blood pressure decreased 8.4% at 1 hour (p less than 0.05); pulmonary capillary pressure decreased approximately 30% (significant and lasting until 8 hours after administration, p less than 0.002); cardiac index did not change significantly, although individual analysis showed an increase in 6 of 12 cases; stroke volume index increased by 6% (significant at 1 hour, p less than 0.025); and left ventricular stroke work index increased from 9.8% to 24.5% (significant at 1 and 4 hours, p less than 0.01 and 0.025). These findings show the beneficial hemodynamic effects of molsidomine in patients with heart failure complicating acute myocardial infarction.

Aged

Haemodynamic effects of oral molsidomine in pump failure complicating myocardial infarction.

Haemodynamic monitoring, using a Swan-Ganz balloon catheter, was done in 14 patients with pump failure associated with acute myocardial infarction, before and for 8 h after single 6 mg oral dose of molsidomine. The following changes effects were found: HR fell by 1.6 to 4.7% (significant at 4th hour; p less than 0.05); SBP was 8.4% lower after 1 h (p less than 0.05); PCP was decreased by approximately 30%, a significant effect that lasted for 8 hours (p less than 0.002). CI did not change significantly, although individual analysis showed it to have increased in 6 out of 12 cases. Stroke volume index was increased by about 6% (significant after 1 h, p less than 0.025). The left ventricular stroke work index also increased from 9.8 to 24.5% (significant after 1 and 4 h, p less than 0.01 and 0.025). These findings show the beneficial haemodynamic effects of molsidomine in pump failure complicating acute myocardial infarction.

Aged

Intrathecal paraganglioma of the cauda equina.

A 33-year-old obese woman with chronic pain in her lower back presented with weakness of her right quadriceps and diminution of her patellar reflex. Her myelogram revealed an intradural oval mass at level of the interspace between her 3rd and 4th lumbar vertebrae. Operation disclosed an encapsulated mass attached to her filum terminale. Histopathological examination showed a paraganglioma with typical dense core granules, confirmed by electron microscopic examination. We report our patient to call attention to intrathecal paragangliomas as a rare and treatable cause of the cauda equina syndrome.

Adult