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Biomedical subjects

J A Cortés

Publications and source records attributed to J A Cortés.

12 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in cats from Colombia, South America and genetic characterization of T. gondii isolates.

Cats are important in the epidemiology of Toxoplasma gondii infection because they are the only hosts that can excrete the environmentally-resistant oocysts. In the present study, prevalence of T. gondii was determined in serum, feces, and tissues of 170 unwanted cats from Colombia, South America. Antibodies to T. gondii were assayed by the modified agglutination test and found in 77 of 170 (45.2%) cats with titers of <1:5 in 93, 1:5 in eight, 1:10 in 17, 1:20 in 10, 1:40 in seven, 1:80 in four, 1:160 in eight, 1:320 in six, and 1:640 or higher in 17 cats. T. gondii oocysts were not found in feces of any cat as ascertained by bioassay in mice. Tissues (brain, heart, tongue) of 116 cats were bioassayed in mice or cats. T. gondii was isolated from tissues of 15 of the 42 cats with titers of 1:40 or higher and not from any of the 90 cats titers of 1:20 or lower. Of the 29 cats whose tissues were bioassayed individually, T. gondii was isolated from the tongues of nine, hearts of eight, and brains of five. Mice inoculated with tissues of 12 of 15 infected cats died of toxoplasmosis; with nine T. gondii isolates all infected mice died. Overall, 65 of 92 (70%) of T. gondii-infected mice died of toxoplasmosis. Genotyping of these 15 isolates using polymorphisms at the SAG1, SAG2, SAG3, BTUB, and GRA6 loci revealed that three isolates (TgCtCo1, 2, and 7) had Type I alleles and one isolate (TgCtCo8) had Type II allele at all five loci. Eleven isolates contained the combination of Type I and III alleles and were divided into three genotypes, with TgCtCo3,5,6,9,12,13 and 15 had alleles I, I, III, I and III, TgCtCo4,10,11 had alleles I, III, III, I and I, and TgCtCo14 had alleles I, III, III, III, and III, at loci SAG1, SAG2, SAG3, BTUB and GRA6, respectively. All infected mice from each group had identical genotype except one mouse infected with TgCtCo5 had a Type III allele at locus BTUB and a unique allele (u-1) at locus SAG1 indicating mixed infection for TgCtCo5, whereas the rest seven mice had a Type I alleles at both loci.

Agglutination Tests↗
PubMed2003

Invasive aspergillosis in the setting of cardiac transplantation.

Among patients undergoing heart transplantation, Aspergillus is the opportunistic pathogen with the highest attributable mortality. The median time of onset from transplantation for invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) was 46 days, but the median time to first positive culture result was 104 days among patients with Aspergillus colonization but no invasive disease. Most patients with IPA presented with fever and cough within the first 90 days of transplantation and with single or multiple pulmonary nodules. None of the heart transplant recipients with either IPA or invasive extrapulmonary aspergillosis (IEPA) had associated neutropenia. Human leukocyte antigen A1 locus was found significantly more frequently among patients colonized with Aspergillus than among patients with IPA (P<.006) or IEPA (P<.001). Even in the absence of neutropenia, IPA should be suspected for heart transplant recipients who have fever and respiratory symptoms within the first 3 months of transplantation, have a positive result of culture of respiratory secretions, and have abnormal radiological findings (particularly nodules).

Adult↗
PubMed1995

[Prevalence of hepatitis B and risk factors as motivation for vaccination campaign among adolescents].

OBJECTIVES: To study the prevalence of viral Hepatitis B infection (VHB) among eighth-year EGB (basic) students; associated risk factors; and the prevalence of Hepatitis C (HC). DESIGN: A descriptive crossover study. SETTING: Eighth-year EGB students from 8 schools in Villaverde-Usera (Madrid). PARTICIPANTS: A sample of 262 individuals was used to calculate the prevalence of VHB infection (prevalence defined at 1.5%, precision = 0.015, confidence at 95% and 5% loss). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Variables were age, gender, alcohol, tattoos, drugs, family history of drugs, Hepatitis, exchanging syringes, razors, syringes, sexual relations, history of transfusions or surgery. These were obtained from a questionnaire filled in by the students themselves. The definitions were: chronic HB carrier: AgHBS+ in the blood; VHB infection: anti-HBc and/or anti-HBs positives; VHC infection: presence of anti-HC. 402 children answered the questionnaire. Serology was tested in 263 before the vaccination. Average age was 13.3 +/- 0.69. There were 52.8% males and 47.2% females. Prevalence of VHB infection was 2.28% (CI = 0.93-5.14), 6 cases. Prevalence of carriers was 0.38% (CI = 0.02-2.43; one case). There were no VHC positives. No links between VHB and risk practices could be demonstrated. CONCLUSIONS: 1) Low prevalence of VHB infection 2) The zero prevalence of VHC infection is lower than that in healthy donors.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

[The prevalence of mental illness in primary care and its relation to the degree of consultation frequency].

OBJECTIVE: To establish the prevalence of psychic malaise within the population that consults the general medical clinic of our health center and the relationship between that prevalence and the frequency of consultation. DESIGN: Transversal descriptive study applying the GHQ test (28 items) to a sample obtained by mathematical sampling, using a questionnaire to collect sociodemographic data. SITE. The Health Center Segovia II (La Albuera) during November and December 1991. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS: 360 patients over the age of fifteen were selected; 252 answered the test. MAIN MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Considering the GHQ test as positive when score seven or more, a prevalence of psychic malaise of 33% was obtained. We found a statistically significant relationship between positive GHQ test and the frequency of consultation (p < 0.001) and female gender (p < 0.01). No statistically significant relationship was found between psychic malaise and the following variables: age, marital status, educational level and occupation. CONCLUSIONS: There is a high prevalence of psychic malaise within the population attending our general practice which can produce an increase in the demand. A biopsychosocial approach to all patients, with the aim of identifying that kind of problem and approaching it adequately, could reduce the use of health resources.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Arterial segmentation in the spleen.

The authors have conducted a corrosion cast study of the human spleen to systematize the branches of the splenic artery and the vascular territories irrigated by them. The existence of two primary divisional or lobar branches of the splenic artery and their respective territories or lobes is confirmed. The secondary or segmental branches and their vascular territories were studied; an average of 6 segmental territories was found. These findings are compared with those reported in the literature.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1980

[Cytomorphology of the cerebrospinal fluid. I. Tumors of the central nervous system (author's transl)].

A cytomorphological study of the cerebrospinal fluid corresponding to 42 patients with tumors of the central nervous system has been performed. The group of 31 patients with primary tumors accounted for an overall cytological positivity of 32.2 percent; according to the type of tumor cytological positivities were as follows: glioblastoma multiforme (44.4 percent); grade I/III astrocytoma (33.3 percent); oligodendroglioma (33.3 percent); ependymoma (25 percent), and meningioma (16.6 percent). In the group of 11 patients with metastatic tumors, neoplastic cells were observed in two cases (cytological positivity 18.1 percent). Cytological study of the cerebrospinal fluid is a useful diagnostic method for some primary and secondary neoplasms of the central nervous system.

Brain Neoplasms↗