Biomedical subjects

J Castilla

Publications and source records attributed to J Castilla.

101 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

PubMedDate not supplied

[High-risk sex behavior and HIV prevalence among gay and bisexual men in the community of Madrid].

BACKGROUND: To analyze high-risk sexual behavior as regards HIV, the use of preventive measures and the patient-reported prevalence of HIV infections among males belonging to one of the leading homosexual associations in the Region of Madrid. METHODS: Cross-sectional study conducted in 1997-1998 by way of mailed anonymous questionnaires. An analysis is made of the sociodemographic characteristics, how often condoms are used for different types of sexual intercourse with regular or casual partners, patient-reported prevalence of HIV and other related aspects. RESULTS: 157 questionnaires were returned by gay/bisexual males. These subjects averaged 32 years of age, 85% having a high school or college education, over the past 3 months, 56% had had intercourse with more than one man; 70.6% practiced insertive anal intercourse with a regular partner and 57.4% with casual partners, solely 32.5% and 61.1% of whom always used a condom. 69.7% had receptive anal intercourse with a regular partner and 39.4% with casual partners, 35.5% and 78.4% of whom respectively always used a condom. 86.6% had oral-genital intercourse, less than 10% having always used a condom. 137 were aware of their serological condition, and 15.2% were HIV positive. 10% had had some STD at some point during the previous year. CONCLUSIONS: A major percentage of those surveyed were involved in high-risk practices (several partners and unprotected high-risk sexual intercourse) which, in conjunction with the major prevalence of infection, can be said to be the same as a major seroconversion rate.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies in animals].

INTRODUCTION: The transmissible spongiform encephalopathies affect several species of higher animals apart from man. Amongst these, undoubtedly the best known is that affecting cattle, since the association between consumption of beef and its derivatives and the appearance of a variant of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans has been established. DEVELOPMENT: This type of pathology has been well known for many years in the ovine family, particularly in sheep and goats. In spite of the establishment of hypotheses linking the cause of the appearance of spongiform encephalopathy in cows with an interspecies jump of the disease between the ovine and bovine families, this has not yet been proved. Concomitant with the epidemic of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, other species of animals were reported to have been affected by an identical disease. These included farmed mink, deer, elks, cats and two species of exotic African ungulates (the nyala and the greater kudu). All cases were described in animals kept in captivity for human consumption. Thus it would seem that there was a common cause of the disease in all cases. CONCLUSION: In this paper we describe the most relevant aspects of the appearance of this disorder in animals, including the symptoms, epidemiology and pathology typical of each specific condition.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Involvement of the immunological system in the pathogenesis of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies].

OBJECTIVE: We review the current knowledge relative to the role of different immune system components and their contribution the spread of prions throughout the infected organism. DEVELOPMENT: During the last years research made on transmissible spongiform encephalopathies conducted to the assumption that changes in the structure of a determined protein (prion protein, PrP) may become self-propagative. The generally assumed finding of an abnormally folded protein as the causative agent, able to propagate in hosts different from it was originated, is changing our views of transmissible diseases. The concept of infection resulting from pathogen propagation within a susceptible host has been steadily linked to the ability of nucleic acids to replicate their own coded information. In the prionosis, term comprising all known prion disorders, the information seems to be coded within the own protein conformation. This phenomena, once again, challenges the well-established principles of molecular biology. CONCLUSIONS: Propagation of prions uses strategies not previously recognized, and depends upon prion conformation and/or specific host restrictions. Thus, certain sheep and goat prion strains (scrapie) or human (variant of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease) invade the brain after an initial interaction with the immune system of affected individuals. The involvement of the lymphoreticular system or, at least, certain host's immune competence seems to be a prerequisite for neuro-invasion after a natural infection or peripheral inoculation. On the other hand, proper identification of immune cell types involved may open the possibility for post exposure prophylaxis.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Present situation and future perspectives of the epidemic of HIV and AIDS in Spain].

Until 1997 Spain was the European country with the highest incidence of AIDS, due mainly to transmission between users of injected drugs. Since early 1990 there has been a fall in the rate of diagnoses of HIV infection in the Spanish autonomous communities where this information is available, and in 2004 this rate was situated below that of several western European countries. New infections in users of intravenous drugs have declined, and although heterosexual transmission has not undergone significant changes, it has become the prime cause of new HIV infections. The rate of diagnoses of HIV has fallen in both the indigenous population and immigrants; however, demographic changes have meant an increase in the percentage of HIV diagnoses in immigrants. In homosexual men there have been descriptions of a recent increase in the incidence of syphilis and gonococcus, which are a warning of possible increases in the transmission of HIV in this group. The number of people who live with HIV in Spain remains between 100,000 and 150,000 (2.4 to 3.6 per 1,000 inhabitants). In spite of the improvement in prognosis due to antiretroviral treatments, there are annually in Spain over 2,000 cases of AIDS (4.8 per 100,000 inhabitants) and over 1,600 deaths from AIDS (3.8 per 100,000). One third of the people who developed AIDS in 2004 had not until then been diagnosed with HIV, which prevented starting the antiretroviral treatment in time.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Incidence of influenza and influenza vaccine effectiveness in the 2004-2005 season].

BACKGROUND: To quantify the incidence of flu in different groups of the population of Navarra in the 2004-2005 season, and to evaluate the effectiveness of anti-flu vaccination. METHODS: The analysis of influenza cases in the system of compulsory notificable diseases was complemented by the individualised notifications in the network of sentinel doctors that covers a population of 22,339 inhabitants. The coverage and effectiveness of the vaccine was studied. RESULTS: Vaccine coverage in (3)65 year olds reached 62%. The incidence of influenza was 42.6 cases per 1,000 inhabitants. It reached a maximum in mid-January, exceeding 750 weekly cases per 100,000 inhabitants and 1,900 cases per 100,000 children. The highest rate of influenza was observed in under-15 year olds (49.4 cases per 1,000 inhabitants) and the lowest in non-institutionalised (3)65 year olds (2.6 per 1,000 inhabitants), although it was higher in geriatric residences (62.1 per 1,000; p<0.0001). Seventy-nine percent of the cases from 5 to 64 years resulted in absenteeism from school or work. The flu virus was identified in 42/65 (65%) nasopharyngeal smears, 90% being influenza virus A(H3). The incidence of influenza was 3.08% in the unvaccinated and 0.45% in the vaccinated (p<0.001). The global effectiveness of the anti-flu vaccine was 65%, and in (3)65 years old it was 73%. CONCLUSION: Although its effectiveness is not total, the vaccine is the main measure for preventing influenza. The network of sentinel doctors provide useful information for the coordination of care and public health activities against flu.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied