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Biomedical subjects

J C Monteiro

Publications and source records attributed to J C Monteiro.

12 recordsLinked to original sources

Comparative morphology of Astraea latispina (Philippi, 1844) and Astraea olfersii (Philippi, 1846) (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Turbinidae).

The present study examines comparatively the soft parts of turbinids Astraea latispina and Astraea olfersii. The characters of soft parts of these species, in agreement with Trochoidea organization, allow a differential diagnosis on the cefalic lappets, appendix of eye-stalk, hypobranchial glands, jaws, radulae, and stomach spiral caecum, which information will be helpful in taxonomic studies.

Anatomy, Comparative↗

Effect of perioperative blood transfusions on survival of patients after radical surgery for colorectal cancer.

The effect of perioperative blood transfusion on the survival of patients with colorectal cancer was evaluated in 128 patients undergoing curative surgery between 1980 and 1988. The following clinical and histopathological variables were also studied: age, sex, duration of symptoms, presence of intestinal obstruction, tumour site, extent of spread through the bowel wall, lymph node involvement, Dukes' stage, grade of differentiation, venous invasion and type of surgical procedure performed. The need for perioperative blood transfusion was unrelated to the stage of disease. In the transfused patients (n = 73) the 5-year recurrence-free survival, calculated by the Kaplan-Meyer technique, was 37% and in the non-transfused (n = 55) was 60% (P = 0.0027, Mantel-Cox). Similar differences were found in the comparison of the groups with (n = 68) and without (n = 60) transfusions on the day of operation. The deleterious effect of transfusion was evident in patients who received only one unit of blood (n = 19)--these had a 5-year survival rate of 45% compared those who had more than one unit of blood (n = 54) (5-year survival rate 35%) (P = 0.0062). With a multivariate analysis, using a Cox proportional hazard model, taking into account all the variables studied, a significant and independent effect on survival was found for lymph node involvement (beta coefficient = 3.97), blood transfusion (beta coefficient = 2.16) and extent of bowel wall spread (beta coefficient = 1.75).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Aged↗

Value of nutritional parameters in the prediction of postoperative complications in elective gastrointestinal surgery.

The following nutritional parameters were assessed in 117 patients before major gastrointestinal surgery: percentage recent weight loss: percentage ideal body weight; tricipital skinfold; arm muscular area; grip strength dynamometry; serum albumin (ALB); serum transferrin (TFN); delayed hypersensitivity skin tests (DH); total lymphocyte count; prognostic nutritional index (PNI) and clinical assessment of malnutrition. Comparing the results in patients without complications (n = 99) with those in patients with complications (n = 18) and the results in patients who survived (n = 109) with those who died (n = 8), we found that only ALB, DH, TFN and PNI showed significant differences in both comparisons. Correlations of complications with combined parameters was made by multiple linear regression analysis; a modified PNI (mPNI), including these three single variables, has emerged. Considering its risk values, the nutritional parameters showed the following sensitivity and specificity, respectively: ALB less than 3.2 g/dl (72 and 71 per cent), anergy (67 and 64 per cent), TFN less than 205 mg/dl (67 and 55 per cent) and mPNI less than 20 (72 and 70 per cent). Using Bayes' theorems, ALB, DH and calculated indices showed the same predictive capacity and we conclude that single or multiple association of nutritional parameters have no additive effect. To predict complications of nutritional origin it seems only necessary to consider ALB, taking into account the type of operation and the normal duration of postoperative hospital stay without oral intake.

Adult↗

Ectopic production of human chorionic gonadotrophin-like material by breast cancer.

Human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) is a placental protein whose ectopic secretion by nontrophoblast tumors has been claimed to be of clinical relevance. Serum levels of hCG were measured in 570 patients with breast disease. A double-antibody radioimmunoassay (RIA) using antisera to hCG-beta was employed. Approximately 14% of patients with breast cancer were found to have elevated serum hCG levels. Such raised titers were not stage- or tumor-type-related, but occurred only in postmenopausal subjects. Further study showed that those patients with elevated hCG levels also had raised levels of human luteinizing hormone (hLH). Assay cross-reactivity was shown to account for the "spurious" hCG elevations. An immunocytochemical study also failed to find hCG an ectopic breast tumor constituent and/or product. It is concluded that hCG is not produced by breast tumors and has no clinical utility.

Adult↗

Ectopic production of human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) and human placental lactogen (hPL) by ovarian carcinoma.

Human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) and human placental lactogen (hPL) are placental proteins whose ectopic secretion by non-trophoblast tumours has been claimed to be of clinical relevance. Radioimmunoassays for hCG and hPL, together with human luteinising hormone (hLH), have been established and plasma levels were measured in 61 patients with carcinoma of the ovary. Approximately 51% of the patients were found to have raised plasma hCG levels. Such raised titres were not stage or tumour-type related but occurred only in post-menopausal subjects. The majority of patients with raised hCG levels also had raised plasma hLH levels. Assay cross-reactivity was shown to account for the 'spurious' hCG elevations. However, hCG may be an ectopic product in a minority of tumours; elevated plasma hCG levels were shown to coexist with low hLH levels. Although such lesions did not show morphologically identifiable choriocarcinomatous elements, all were poorly differentiated carcinomas. In some cells hCG was demonstrated by immunocytochemical methods. No patients had a raised plasma hPL level. It is concluded that these placental proteins are of no clinical use in the management of ovarian carcinoma patients.

Adult↗

The Rio de Janeiro HIV vaccine site-II. Recruitment strategies and socio-demographic data of a HIV negative homosexual and bisexual male cohort in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The initial effort of the Brazilian Ministry of Health to be an active partner in the world effort in the preparation of future accurate human immune deficiency virus (HIV) efficacy trials was the establishment of a multi-centered cohort of homosexual and bisexual men. An open cohort was established to determine the HIV incidence and the socio-behavioral aspects involved in Rio de Janeiro. A total of 318 potential participants, originated from multiple sources (health units, public information, snowball recruitment), were screened and recruitment became effective through the direct involvement of target communities (with the support of Non Governmental Organizations) and the population. Among this group, seropositivity for sexually transmitted diseases was high with 23, 32 and 46% for HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B, respectively. The socio-demographic data from the first 200 participants of this HIV negative cohort suggests that the cohort volunteers are an appropriate sample of the general male population of the State of Rio de Janeiro.

AIDS Vaccines↗

[Plasma levels of alpha-fetoprotein and carcinoembryonic antigen in patients with malignant gastrointestinal tumors].

Levels of alpha-fetoprotein (AEP) and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) were determined in the plasma of 142 patients with malignant gastrointestinal tumours. AEP was raised in only four patients (2.8%); two patients with carcinoma of the stomach showed relatively elevated levels. Abnormal CEA levels were found in 82 patients (57.7%). The patients' age with positive CEA levels was a greater than that of the patients with normal levels (p less than 0.05). In patients with gastric tumours CEA positivity was correlated with clinico-pathological stage (pTNM) and with the resectability rate (p less than 0.05). In patients with carcinoma of colon and rectum a greater incidence of elevated plasma CEA levels, as well as higher levels, were found in patients with carcinoma of the left colon than in those with right colon tumours. Statistically significant differences were found between the positivity rate and Dukes' grading (p less than 0.05), as well as between CEA levels in Dukes' stages C and 'D' (p less than 0.005). It is concluded that AFP has a very limited clinical role in patients with malignant extra-hepatic gastrointestinal tumours and that CEA may have a clinical role in tumours of the digestive tract, other than carcinoma of colon and rectum.

Aged↗