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Biomedical subjects

J Miguel

Publications and source records attributed to J Miguel.

10 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2003

Egg white proteins as inhalant allergens associated with baker's asthma.

BACKGROUND: Bakery workers may develop IgE-mediated allergy to liquid and aerosolized hen's egg proteins that are commonly used in the baking and confectionery industries. METHODS: We studied four bakery workers who had work-related allergic respiratory symptoms upon exposure to egg aerosols. The causative role of egg proteins in their respiratory symptoms was investigated by immunologic and specific inhalation challenge (SIC) tests. RESULTS: Skin prick tests to egg white extract and to lysozyme gave positives responses in all the subjects, to ovalbumin in two, to ovomucoid in one and to egg yolk in two subjects. They were also sensitized to wheat, rye and barley flours. Specific IgE determinations to egg white were positive in all patients, to lysozyme in two, to ovalbumin in three, to ovomucoid in two and to egg yolk in two of them. Methacholine inhalation tests revealed bronchial hyperresponsiveness in all workers (PC20 < 16 mg/ml). SICs were performed with aqueous extracts of lysozyme (n = 4), ovalbumin (n = 2) and ovomucoid (n = 1), which elicited isolated early asthmatic reactions in all subjects. Double-blind, placebo-controlled, oral challenge tests with raw egg white were positive in three subjects. CONCLUSIONS: These bakery workers had developed IgE-mediated occupational asthma to hen's egg white proteins.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

[Schizophrenic patients living in the community. Nursing referral].

The authors describe the clinical and socio-demograpaphic characteristics of schizophrenic patients who live out in the community. The authors study the clinical profile and the disabilities of those items derived from nursing. To do so, the authors made a random selection from persons diagnosed as schizophrenics who visited one of the five Mental Health Centers in the Sant Joan de Déu Hospital network's Mental Health Services. The authors evaluated sociodemographic characteristics, use of services, disabilities based on WHO-DAS, PANSS psychopathology, and LSP ability to function socially. Of the 231 patients included in this study group, 141 patients followed a psychiatrist only treatment program while 90, or 39%, followed a combined psychiatrist-nurse treatment program. Upon comparing these two groups, the authors observed that those patients who followed a combined treatment program had a higher score on the Negative PANSS test (*p < 0.005) which means they have many more difficulties to adequately carry out social functions in daily life activities. On the other hand, this group had lower scores on the WHO-DAS-IV Total test (*p < 0.001), on the WHO-DAS-IV Occupational Test (*p < 0.001), on the WHO-DAS-IV Familiar Test (*p < 0.005) and on WHO-DAS-IV Personal Care Test (*p < 0.005). The authors did not observe any significant results on the rest of the subscales nor on the LSP test.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Mercury contamination associated with artisanal gold mining on the island of Mindanao, the Philippines.

The Agusan River basin of eastern Mindanao, the Philippines, hosts several centres of artisanal gold mining, the most important of which, Diwalwal, is a significant gold producer in global terms. An investigation of the environmental impacts of artisanal mining in the Agusan system, with particular reference to mercury contamination, was initiated in 1995 following reports of several incidents of human Hg poisoning in the province of Davao del Norte. Results show drainage downstream of Diwalwal is characterised by extremely high levels of Hg both in solution (maximum 2906 micrograms/l) and in bottom sediments (> 20 mg/kg). Filtered surface water Hg levels exceed the WHO Drinking Water guideline and the US-EPA Water Quality Criteria for the Protection of Aquatic Life for a downstream distance of more than 14 km, including channel sections utilised for fishing and potable water supply. The Environment Canada sediment quality Hg Toxic Effect Threshold for the Protection of Aquatic Life is exceeded for a downstream distance of 20 km. Hair Hg data indicate that ballmill and CIP plant operators processing Hg contaminated tailings at eastern Mindanao's principal gold beneficiation centre, Apokon, may be subject to enhanced occupational Hg exposure. It appears that the wider population of this area has not been affected.

Geologic Sediments↗
PubMed1996

[Cerebral toxoplasmosis in AIDS patients, CT and MRI images and differential diagnostic problems].

Cranial computed-tomographies (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of 14 patients with AIDS and central nervous system toxoplasmosis (CNST) were reviewed. In spite of the low specificity of CT and MRI findings in CNS mass lesions of AIDS patients, there are some features which have been observed as more typical of CNST, namely: 94.9% of the lesions were round shaped and 94.5% had ring or nodular enhancement; 81.3% of the cases presented multiple lesions; 60.2% of the lesions were localized at the cerebral cortical or corticomedullary junction (100% of the cases showed at least 1 lesion in this localization); 34.6% of the lesions had less than 1cm in diameter.; on nonenhanced CT, 91.3% of the lesions were hypodense.; On T2-weighted MR images, 53.4% of the lesions had at least one hypointense zone on T2-weighted images. The existence of target-shaped lesions with hypointense centre on T2-weighted MR images (29.3% the observed lesions) is also suggestive of CNST, which, to our belief, had not been previously reported and will need confirmation with larger series. The visualization of iso/hyperdense lesions on nonenhanced CT or irregular shape lesions is uncommon in CNST. The finding of a solitary lesion, on CT or MR, it is not, by itself, a good criterion of differential diagnosis.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗
PubMed1992

[Angiographic diagnosis of intracranial aneurysms: study of the experience of the neuroradiology service at the Egas Moniz Hospital].

In this work, 139 intra-cranial aneurysms diagnosed at the Egas Moniz Hospital were studied, from 1980 to the first quarter of 1992. The nature of this type of lesions was discussed, and aneurysms were defined as an abnormal and segmental dilatation of an intracranial artery wall. A statistical study was performed, including 67 cases after selection, corresponding to 71 aneurysms. Of these, 39% originated from the anterior cerebral artery, 37% from the carotid siphon, 18% from the middle cerebral artery and 6% were found in the vertebro-basilar system. The observed topographic incidence of the symptomatic aneurysms was compared with neuropathology data. The results obtained with the hypothesis test for a proportion are suggestive of an increased incidence of symptoms for the aneurysms of the anterior cerebral artery, with a significance level alpha = 0.05.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Improvement in HPLC fractionation of thyroxine-containing thyroglobulin tryptic peptides by prior Accell ion-exchange column chromatography.

The isolation and purification of the peptides containing the hormonogenic tyrosyl residues in thyroglobulin is of great interest to the understanding of structure-function relationships in this iodoprotein. This is usually performed in reduced alkylated selectively hydrolyzed thyroglobulin by subsequent HPLC fractionation. However, the main difficulty encountered when trying to isolate these peptides is their disproportion with respect to the total number of possible peptides (14 vs a total of 508). Several HPLC runs with different mobile phases are necessary and each run is accompanied with significant losses of the peptides to be purified. In an attempt to improve the separation of the T4-containing peptides in thyroglobulin tryptic digests from the much more abundant iodotyrosine-containing ones, which are present as contaminants, we have used a very simple and fast step prior to the HPLC fractionation as it is a self-packed ion-exchange column chromatography. This preliminary step results in an improvement in the separation of these peptides and leads to a relative enrichment of the hormonogenic peptides falling in different zones of the HPLC chromatogram, which facilitates their subsequent separation and purification by HPLC.

Acetonitriles↗