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Biomedical subjects

I Gil

Publications and source records attributed to I Gil.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1996

[Follow-up of chronic hepatitis B carriers. Serological course and risk of reactivation].

AIM: To investigate serologic changes and risk of reactivation in hepatitis B chronic carriers. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Two hundred chronic HBs-Ag positive patients were included (follow-up greater than 18 months). According to the HBeAg/Anti-HBe status at the moment of inclusion they were classified in 3 groups: I: 40 patients HBeAg positive, II: 158 anti-HBe positive and III: 2 HBeAg/Anti-HBe negatives. All patients were screened in the follow-up for biochemical test, hepatitis B, C and D virus serology, DNA.HBV by hybridization, alpha fetoprotein and abdominal ultrasound. RESULTS: Mean age was 35 +/- 12 years (14-61), and mean follow-up 71 +/- 35.1 months (18-252). In the follow-up 28 patients in group I seroconverted HBeAg/Anti-HBe, 18 spontaneously (annual rate 10%). In group II four patients out off 158 were DNA HBV positive. Only 3 chronic HBV carriers lost HBsAg and developed Anti-HBs (annual rate 0,25%). Reactivation of viral activity was detected in 13 patients Anti-HBe positive, DNA.HBV negative. HBeAg appeared during reactivation in six, both HBeAg/Anti-HBe were negative in one, and six were unchanged. Reactivation was significantly more frequent in chronic carriers with high GPT activity (13 out off 75, 17.3%) than in patients with normal GPT (0 out off 107, 0%) (p < 0.0005). CONCLUSIONS: Reactivation of HBV activity is frequent in HBsAg chronic carriers Anti-HBe positive, DNA.HBV negative and who are abnormal GPT levels; these patients should be considered at risk of reactivation. The control in the follow-up of HBV chronic carriers with persistently normal GPT, without advanced liver disease, may not be so frequent. The increased infectiousness during reactivation of HBV activity must be taken account for prophylaxis of HBV infection in chronic carriers contacts.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

[Elderly cancer patients requiring skilled nursing care].

Cancer is an age-associated disease, and 55% of newly diagnosed cases and 67% of cancer deaths are in those above 65 years. There has recently been increasing interest in geriatric oncology, and more of the elderly are being screened for early cancer detection. Elderly cancer patients present problems not only because of their primary disease, but also because of comorbidity, reduced functional reserve, and diminished social support. Because of this combination of factors many of them need the specially skilled nursing care available in special units. 304 elderly cancer patients were admitted to our "skilled nursing division" of 156 beds during the 6 years 1987-1992. They represented 16% of all admissions and their average age was 78 +/- 0.4 (SD). Mean survival after admission was 4.1 +/- 0.4 months. In the 143 men it was 3.1 +/- 0.4 months and in the 161 women, significantly longer, 4.9 +/- 0.5. The most common location in men was colorectal (22.6%), followed by prostate (16%), while in women it was breast (25.4%), followed by colorectal (16.0%). The longest survival was for women with breast cancer (9.1 +/- 1.3 months) and the shortest for women with gastric cancer (1.9 +/- 0.6). On admission 81% had more than 1 comorbid condition: 91% had restricted mobility, 215 urinary incontinence and 12% various kinds of stomas. Serious conditions were urinary tract infections in 40%, sepsis 20%, pneumonia 12%, gastrointestinal bleeding 10% and bedsores in 7%. 77% needed intravenous fluids and/or drugs for infections, 50% narcotics for analgesia, 27% nasogastric tubes, 20% blood transfusions, 6% debridement, and 5% paracentesis. The elderly with cancer are the most difficult long term patients to treat, since their conditions are dynamic, continuously deteriorating, and they require intensive medical, nursing and psychological care.

Aged↗
PubMed1995

Use of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) to increase the in vitro fertilization (IVF) efficiency of mice.

PURPOSE: The possibility of increasing the efficiency of an in vitro fertilization system (IVF) for Swiss OF1 mice was studied. The experimental protocol proposed analyzed the use of FSH as a superovulatory inducing hormone in comparison to traditional PMSG treatment. At the same time, the quality of IVF-derived embryos was evaluated both in vitro, with culture in CZB medium and fixation in advanced stages of development, and in vivo, by transfer to female recipients. RESULTS: Treatment with FSH induced a much higher ovulation number compared PMSG (64.26 vs 33.85; P < 0.01). With this gonadotropin, IVF provided a positive tendency to normal fecundation (67.76 vs 64.72; P < 0.1) and a much lower index of abnormal division in embryos (10.57 vs 15.11; P < 0.05). The viability of embryos obtained from donors treated with hormones was similar, although differences did exist regarding embryo origin: those obtained following natural fertilization showed a higher developmental capacity from in vivo (P < 0.05) and in vivo (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that FSH is an improved superovulation alternative treatment in comparison to PMSG for IVF. It provides a higher number of embryos with the same in vitro and in vivo viability as those obtained from PMSG.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

[Nasogastric tubes in geriatric patients].

The nasogastric tube (NGT) not only provides nutritional support, but is also an effective diagnostic and therapeutic aid. We present the profile of the geriatric patient who needs the NGT, the reasons for its use, and mortality in these patients. 25 women (aged 83.9 +/- 5.5) and 25 men (aged 79 +/- 7.7) required the NGT, 15 of them only temporarily (TNGT) and 35 permanently (PNGT). The percentage of those with chronic neurologic disorders and/or incontinence (fecal or urinary), was highest in the PNGT group, as was the number of drugs used per patient (4.2 +/- 1.8 vs. 2.9 +/- 1.4). Laboratory studies showed no differences between the groups. PNGT was used in those whose conditions were chronic and progressive (inability to swallow or not sufficiently alert for oral nutrition). TNGT was used commonly as a diagnostic or therapeutic aid. During the study 20 patients died (40%), all in the PNGT group. Pneumonia was the main cause of death (18%), followed by decubitus ulcer (14%) and urinary tract infections (8%).

Aged↗
PubMed1993

[Multiple hepatic-splenic abscesses. A favorable result with antibiotic treatment].

The authors report a case of multiple and spleen pyogenic abscesses caused by Peptostreptococcus spp., in a patient who recently underwent laparotomy due to duodenal perforation. He was successfully treated by means of intensive and extended antibiotherapy. We would like to stress the importance of an early and etiological diagnosis performed by percutaneous puncture and bacteriological study, in order to start a selective antibiotherapy. Other therapeutical possibilities are discussed.

Abscess↗
PubMed1992

Improvement of pain and disability in elderly patients with degenerative osteoarthritis of the knee treated with narrow-band light therapy.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of low-power light therapy on pain and disability in elderly patients with degenerative osteoarthritis of the knee. DESIGN: Partially double-blinded, fully randomized trial comparing red, infrared, and placebo light emitters. PATIENTS: Fifty patients with degenerative osteoarthritis of both knees were randomly assigned to three treatment groups: red (15 patients), infrared (18 patients), and placebo (17 patients). Infrared and placebo emitters were double-blinded. INTERVENTIONS: Self-applied treatment to both sides of the knee for 15 minutes twice a day for 10 days. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire, Present Pain Intensity, and Visual Analogue Scale for pain and Disability Index Questionnaire for disability were used. We evaluated pain and disability before and on the tenth day of therapy. The period from the end of the treatment until the patient's request to be retreated was summed up 1 year after the trial. RESULTS: Pain and disability before treatment did not show statistically significant differences between the three groups. Pain reduction in the red and infrared groups after the treatment was more than 50% in all scoring methods (P less than 0.05). There was no significant pain improvement in the placebo group. We observed significant functional improvement in red- and infrared-treated groups (p less than 0.05), but not in the placebo group. The period from the end of treatment until the patients required treatment was longer for red and infrared groups than for the placebo group (4.2 +/- 3.0, 6.1 +/- 3.2, and 0.53 +/- 0.62 months, for red, infrared, and placebo, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Low-power light therapy is effective in relieving pain and disability in degenerative osteoarthritis of the knee.

Aged↗
PubMed1990

Hodgkin's disease occurring in primary Sjögren's syndrome.

A 57 year old woman with a 13 year history of mouth dryness, keratoconjunctivitis sicca, and recurrent bronchial infections presented with multiple lymphadenopathies. Histological diagnosis was Hodgkin's disease. B and T cell lymphomas are well known complications of Sjögren's syndrome. This case provides evidence that Hodgkin's disease may also be associated with this syndrome.

Female↗
PubMed1990

Bakers' asthma: prevalence and evaluation of immunotherapy with a wheat flour extract.

One hundred thirty-nine bakers and pastry cooks were included in a prevalence study of IgE-mediated hypersensitivity to wheat flour demonstrated by skin tests, specific IgE to wheat flour (RAST), and inhalation challenge. From the sensitized workers, we selected 30 asthmatic patients. Twenty patients were treated with a standardized wheat flour extract, and ten with a placebo in a double-blind clinical trial. Before and after immunotherapy we performed tests in vivo (skin tests with wheat flour and methacholine tests), and in vitro (total IgE and specific IgE to wheat flour). We found substantial prevalence of wheat flour allergy (25.17% of workers), and a significant decrease (P less than .001) in hyperresponsiveness to methacholine, skin sensitivity (P = .002), and specific IgE (P less than .005) to wheat flour after 20 months of immunotherapy. There was also significant subjective improvement (P less than .001). The placebo group showed no changes in these variables.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

The 5S rRNA-histone repeat in the crustacean Artemia: structure, polymorphism and variation of the 5S rRNA segment in different populations.

5S rRNA genes are linked to the histone genes in the 13 populations of the crustacean Artemia that we have studied. In all cases, two types of repeat units are found. Southern blot analysis of all populations shows that they can be grouped into three classes: a) American bisexuals; b) Eurasian bisexuals, and c) parthenogenetic organisms (all from Eurasia). Restriction analysis of a bisexual population from San Francisco Bay shows that the two repeat units are of 9.0 and 8.5 kb (with minor heterogeneities of restriction sites). In parthenogenetic organisms, the two repeat units are of approximately 12 kb. Sequencing data from the region of the 5S rRNA from the San Francisco Bay population, shows that in both types of units, the single 5S rRNA gene (315 bp in length), is located 430 bp downstream the 3' regulatory sequences of the H2A gene, the last gene in the histone cluster. We have isolated three clones that contain 5S rRNA sequences. Two of them (one from an American bisexual and the other from a parthenogenetic population) contain histone and 5S rRNA genes, both with the same transcriptional polarity. The third clone, lacking histone genes, is likely to be an orphon derived from the parthenogenetic population.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1987

Identification of the transcriptional initiation site of ribosomal RNA genes in the crustacean Artemia.

The proximal part of the Intergenic Spacer, as well as most of the External Transcribed Spacer of the ribosomal RNA type I genes from the crustacean Artemia have been sequenced. We have identified in the Intergenic Spacer five repeats of around 600 bp in length and, possibly, two imperfect or truncated repeats, derived from the principal ones. These sequences are separated by 485 bp from the 17S rRNA coding sequence. We have also identified the start point of transcription by S1 nuclease analysis. This start point is found 248 bp inside the first repeat. The sequence around the start point shows homology with that described for other members of the same phylum, mostly insects. The most conserved regions are from -1 to +25, and the G residue at position -16. At least the three 600-bp repeats upstream from that containing the promoter also contain the start point sequence, and could therefore act as initiation sites for snPIRNA and/or as enhancer sequences for ribosomal RNA gene transcription.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Sarcoid nephrocalcinotic renal failure reversed by sodium cellulose phosphate.

A case of renal failure due to sarcoidosis with hypercalciuria and nephrocalcinosis is described. Prolonged treatment with inorganic absorbable phosphate significantly deteriorated the patient's renal function. After a sodium cellulose phosphate treatment, renal failure was completely reversed. We suggest that sodium cellulose phosphate is the treatment of choice in sarcoidotic renal failure induced by nephrocalcinosis.

Calcium↗
PubMed1986

Malignant testicular tumors in identical twins.

Two cases of testicular malignancy in a pair of identical twins are reported. The literature is also reviewed. The tumors appeared within 7 years of each other. The histology was different in both cases.

Adult↗