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Biomedical subjects

J Ortuño

Publications and source records attributed to J Ortuño.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Evolution of serum erythropoietin after androgen administration to hemodialysis patients: a prospective study.

A prospective study of the evolution of serum erythropoietin level after androgen therapy was carried out in a group of 25 male patients on chronic hemodialysis treatment with nonferropenic anemia (serum ferritin > 50 ng/ml). The androgen used was nandrolone decanoate (200 mg/week intramuscularly, for 6 months). There was an increase of serum erythropoietin, that reached statistical significance in the 2nd week of treatment (8.6 +/- 6.4 vs. 14.2 +/- 9.8 mIU/ml, p < 0.05), and a stabilization after 1 month (1 month: 17.8 +/- 11.2 mIU/ml, 6 months: 19.6 +/- 14.9 mIU/ml). The hemoglobin also experienced a parallel increase to that observed in serum erythropoietin (basal value: 8 +/- 0.9 g/dl; at 1 month postandrogen: 9.2 +/- 1.3 g/dl, p < 0.001; at 6 months: 10.7 +/- 1.8 g/dl, p < 0.001). According to their response of serum erythropoietin the patients were divided into responders (15 patients) and nonresponders (10 patients). There were no differences between them concerning age, basal levels of serum erythropoietin and hemoglobin, and dose of nandrolone decanoate in relation to body weight. The evolution of hemoglobin was similar in both groups, and a correlation between serum erythropoietin and hemoglobin was not observed in the responder group. Fourteen patients were studied after androgen was discontinued. The serum erythropoietin returned to basal levels 6 weeks after the last dose of nandrolone decanoate (7.7 +/- 5.4 mIU/ml). However, hemoglobin was above the basal levels 16 weeks after discontinuing androgen (9.5 +/- 1.1 g/dl, p < 0.05), with no differences between the responder and nonresponder group.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Aged

Impairment of tubular secretion of urate in renal transplant patients on cyclosporine.

The prevalence of hyperuricemia was investigated in 214 kidney allograft recipients, 81 were on azathioprine and steroids and 133 on cyclosprine (CyA) and low-dose steroids or on triple therapy. All had stable renal function, serum creatinine < 2.5 mg/dl, and a follow-up between 12 and 120 months. At the time of the study, blood and urine samples were obtained to perform tests of renal function. The renal handling of urate was evaluated by a combined pyrazinamide and probenecid test in 35 selected patients (12 normouricemic on azathioprine, 9 normouricemic on CyA and 14 hyperuricemic on CyA). The prevalence of hyperuricemia was higher in the group of patients on CyA (19.7 vs. 66.9%, p < 0.001), as well as the concentration of serum urate (6.1 +/- 1.9 vs. 7.6 +/- 1.7, p < 0.001), and serum creatinine (1.2 +/- 0.3 vs. 1.4 +/- 0.4, p < 0.001). In patients on CyA, multivariate analysis showed that the most important predictive variables of hyperuricemia were: serum creatinine, FEurate, diuretic use and CyA blood levels (r = 0.73, p < 0.0001). Thirteen patients on CyA (9.9%) had at least one episode of gouty arthritis. Those patients were older than the hyperuricemic patients without gout (45.7 +/- 6.7 vs. 37.1 +/- 13.5 years, p < 0.01), had worse renal function (serum creatinine 1.9 +/- 0.4 vs. 1.5 +/- 0.4 mg/dl, p < 0.01), and higher prevalence of hypertension (100 vs. 63.1%, p < 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult

[Serum lipoprotein (a) levels during treatment with LDL apheresis for homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia].

BACKGROUND: Due to the double atherogenic and antifibrinolytic action of lipoprotein (a) (Lp [a]) and its predictive value of cardiovascular disease in hypercholesterolemic patients, we document in the present work the changes in Lp (a) levels of a patient with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia after one year of LDL-apheresis treatment. METHODS: A child with LDL-receptor deficiency under weekly LDL-apheresis treatment with dextran-sulfate columns. Serum samples were taken in basal conditions (pre-apheresis) and post-apheresis, as well as from the perfusion system to evaluate the lipoprotein retention capacity of the columns. Samples were processed for Lp (a) determination by ELISA with polyclonal antibodies. RESULTS: When the treatment was initiated, the patient's Lp (a) serum levels were very high (997 mg/l), and they reduced progressively with the apheresis sessions. After one year of treatment, maximum Lp (a) concentration is only slightly higher than 400 mg/l, whereas minimum Lp (a) concentration is lower than 50 mg/l. Dextran-sulfate columns in the apheresis system retain every lipoprotein containing apo B, including LDL and Lp (a), with high affinity and high capacity in such a way that the treatment of three-fold the plasma volume of the patient results in an 85% decrease of Lp (a) levels. After each LDL-apheresis treatment, there is a progressive increase in Lp (a) concentration. The analysis of these data allowed the estimation of the fractional catabolic rate of Lp (a) in the patient, which was 0.08 pools/day. Simultaneous treatment with lovastatin (20 mg/day) did not alter this parameter or Lp (a) serum concentration. CONCLUSIONS: After one year of weekly LDL-apheresis treatment, the patient's average Lp (a) serum concentration is lower than 300 mg/l, which is below the risk threshold level. Therefore, apheresis with dextran-sulfate columns is a very effective treatment for the reduction of both LDL and Lp (a) serum concentrations in homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia.

Blood Component Removal

Cardiac tamponade as presentation of systemic amyloidosis.

We present a patient with pericardial tamponade due to amyloid heart disease. A 64-yr-old man was admitted to the hospital because of fatigue and the abrupt development of chest pain and dyspnea. Echocardiography showed severe pericardial effusion and total pericardiectomy was necessary. Ten months later laboratory studies revealed proteinuria and high serum creatinine. A rectal biopsy showed amyloid deposition that was also found in the pericardial tissue. Pericardial tamponade is an extremely rare complication of cardiac amyloidosis. To our knowledge, only one previous case of cardiac tamponade due to amyloid heart disease has been reported.

Amyloidosis

Stroke in adult polycystic kidney disease.

In order to assess the incidence of acute cerebrovascular events, 142 patients with adult polycystic kidney disease were retrospectively reviewed. Fourteen patients (9.8%) had 19 cerebral attacks. Six patients (4.2%) had intracranial haemorrhage attacks (three ruptured intracranial aneurysms and three cerebral haemorrhages). Ischaemic events occurred in nine patients (five cerebral infarctions and four transient ischaemic attacks). Patients with ischaemic attacks had a better outcome than patients with haemorrhagic events even when transient ischaemic attacks were excluded. Patients with ruptured intracranial aneurysms were younger. Cerebral complications are an important cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with adult polycystic kidney disease. They can prove disabling prior to or after dialysis and transplantation.

Acute Disease

Shape of the relationship between hypertension and the rate of progression of renal failure in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease.

The effect of hypertension on the rate of progression of renal failure was analyzed in 26 patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease relating the slopes of progression (linear regression of the reciprocal serum creatinine on time) with the average mean arterial pressure, systolic and diastolic pressure, derived over the entire follow-up period for each patient. Hypertension was found in 19 of the 26 patients. Using simple linear regression, there was no significant correlation between the two variables in any case. Using polynomial regression (quadratic and cubic), this relationship fits a sigmoid (for diastolic pressure) or a negative parabolic curve (for mean arterial pressure and systolic pressure); i.e. the lowest and the highest values of mean arterial pressure and systolic pressure were associated with faster rates of progression. Thus, an appropriate model to study this relationship is not the linear but the polynomial regression.

Adult

Hemodynamic changes in the dog connected to a dialysis circuit: influence of the body temperature.

Eighteen sessions in 9 mongrel dogs were carried out to know the hemodynamic effects produced by body temperature variation, when blood passes through a dialysis circuit with a Cuprophan dialyzer, without dialysate contact. The decrease of 2 degrees C in body temperature caused a decrease in heart rate and cardiac index (-8.6 and -17.6%, respectively) without significant changes in blood pressure. The increase of 2 degrees C in body temperature increased the heart rate, the cardiac index and the first derivative of ventricular pressure (+14.8, +17.3 and +27.8%, respectively) with a decrease of 13.6% in the systemic vascular resistance. Blood pressure did not change significantly. We conclude that the dog maintains the hemodynamic stability by two different mechanisms: when body temperature rises, by increasing the cardiac index; when body temperature decreases, by increasing the systemic vascular resistance.

Animals