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Biomedical subjects

J Picazo

Publications and source records attributed to J Picazo.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

[The role of the rotavirus vaccine in childhood vaccination schedules].

Rotavirus is the leading cause of diarrhea in infants. In developed countries, this infection leads to considerable morbidity with a high number of hospitalizations and medical interventions in the winter season, giving rise to substantial medical and social costs. In developing countries, rotavirus is a major cause of mortality in infants due to dehydration, with an estimated 600.000 deaths or more per year worldwide. A vaccine that is easy administrated, safe and with high efficacy would be the ideal means to reduce the burden of this disease and its high economic and social cost and to decrease the number of deaths in low-income countries. Recently, the results of two well-designed clinical trials with a large number of subjects have been reported. Both studies, which used different vaccines, reported high efficacy in the prevention of severe gastroenteritis and hospitalizations caused by rotavirus. When these vaccines become available in Europe, a reduction in hospitalizations, medical consultations, and days of work lost can be expected.

Child↗
PubMed2006

[Recommendations of the Vaccine Advisory Committee of the Spanish Association of Pediatrics: influenza vaccination campaign 2006-2007].

The recommendations of the Spanish Association of Pediatrics on influenza vaccination in the pediatric age group for the 2006-2007 season are presented. Influenza has special characteristics in children due to the high morbidity it carries. Moreover, children constitute the most frequent source of transmission. The risk factors supporting influenza vaccination in children and the need for immunization in persons living with high-risk children are discussed. The advisability of extending vaccination in health workers, and specifically to pediatricians and medical personnel in contact with sick children is stressed. The composition of the vaccine for the 2006-2007 seasons, the schedules and dosages in children depending on age, and the contraindications to vaccination are specified. Finally, the premises required to recommend universal vaccination in young children in Spain as a strategy to reduce morbidity due to this epidemic in children and adults are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

[Patterns of susceptibility to antibiotics of Enterobacteriaceae causing intra-abdominal infection in Spain: SMART 2003 study outcomes].

SMART (Study for Monitoring Antimicrobial Resistance Trends) is an ongoing global antimicrobial surveillance program focused on clinical isolates from intra-abdominal infections. The objective of this subanalysis was to assess antimicrobial susceptibility patterns among Entero-bacteriaceae recovered at 13 participating Spanish sites during 2003. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using broth microdilution techniques according to the CLSI (formerly NCCLS) guidelines for MIC testing. The presence of extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL) was confirmed in isolates with a MIC of ceftriaxone, ceftazidime, or cefepime>or=2 mg/l by comparing cefepime MICs with and with-out clavulanate. A total of 981 Enterobacteriaceae recovered from 840 patients were tested, of which 398 (41%) were community-acquired. Escherichia coli was the most common isolate (571 isolates; 58%), followed by Klebsiella spp. (153; 16% Enterobacter spp. (97; 10%), and Proteus spp. (63; 6%). A total of 191 isolates (19%) from 176 patients produced inducible beta-lactamases. The carbapenems and amikacin were the most consistently active agents against the Enterobacteriaceae (susceptibility>or=99%). Resistance rates for ceftazidime, cipro-floxacin, and levofloxacin exceeded 10%. ESBLs were detected phenotypically in 61 (6%) isolates, being the most common E. coli (61%), Klebsiella spp. (20%), and Enterobacter spp. (8%). Antimicrobial resistance among Enterobacteriaceae isolated from intra-abdominal infections is a problem in Spain. A significant proportion of inducible beta-lactamase and ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae causing intra-abdominal infection were acquired in the community. The carbapenems ertapenem, imipenem and meropenem and the aminoglycoside amikacin were highly active in vitro against Enterobacteriaceae isolated from intra-abdominal sites, including ESBL-producing organisms.

Abdomen↗
PubMed2002

[Comparison of three genotyping methods for the detection of HIV-1 resistance to antiretroviral drugs].

Highly active antiretroviral therapy has dramatically improved the life expectancy of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients, but mutations in the HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT) and protease (P) genes confer drug failure. Evaluation of drug resistance genotyping in HIV-1 has proven to be useful for the selection of drug combinations with maximum antiretroviral activity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the optimal procedure to determine the resistance profile in the laboratory. Plasma from 90 antiretroviral-treated patients was analyzed by reverse hybridization, which identifies the presence of wild-types or mutations at the 19 key codons for protease and RT regions, and was compared with two other methods of direct cDNA sequencing. A total of 408 mutations were detected by InnoLiPA HIV-1, (Line Probe Assay, Innogenetics, Belgium), 572 by TrueGene HIV-1 Genotyping System (Visible Genetics, Canada), and 721 by ViroSeq HIV-1 Genotyping System (Perkin Elmer/Applied Biosystems, California). Hybridization detected a significantly higher number of primary mutations which are associated with a high level of drug resistance (p <0.001). Hybridization also detected a higher number of mixtures of wild-type and mutant viruses. There was a good concordance among the three methods, although it was higher between the two sequencing methods. Sequencing determines a higher number of mutations, but hybridization better identifies primary mutations correlated with a high level of drug resistance. Hybridization is more suitable for detecting mixed populations and is easier to implement in clinical laboratories but does not eliminate the need for sequence analysis for detection of drug-resistant HIV.

Anti-HIV Agents↗
PubMed1999

[outbreak of invasive pulmonary mycosis in neutropenic hematologic patients in relation to remodelling construction work].

BACKGROUND: An increase was observed in the number of cases of invasive pulmonary mycosis in neutropenic hematologic patients coinciding with construction work being carried out in the Hospital Clínico San Carlos (Madrid, Spain). The aim of this study was to confirm the existence of an outbreak, identify the factors related and adopt adequate control measures. METHODS: A descriptive, epidemiologic, environmental microbiologic study was performed. The incidence of cases in the study period and a control period was compared. Air samples were collected in the affected area and other areas of hospitalization not related to the construction work. The ventilation system of the Hemalotogy Isolation Unit (HIU) was also sampled. The control measures undertaken included: hermetic sealing of the construction work adjacent to hematology followed by transfer of the patients to another floor of the hospital. RESULTS: The existence of an outbreak was confirmed (significant increase in the incidence, p = 0.017). Eleven cases and one death by massive hemoptisis were reported. The mean total fungal count and to Aspergillus spp were 120 and 35 UFC/m3, respectively in the hematologic hospitalization area adjacent to the construction work and 37 and 5 UFC/m3 in other areas (p < 0.001). Contamination was detected in the ventilation system of the HIU by A. fumigatus (125 UFC/m3 of air from the interior of the conduct). CONCLUSIONS: An elevated number of fungal spores found in samples from the hematologic hospitalization area as well as no further new cases being reported following the transfer of the patients suggest that the outbreak was related to the adjacent construction work being carried out.

Disease Outbreaks↗
PubMed1998

[Cytomegalovirus: comparative study of diagnostic techniques].

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to undertake a comparative study of a series of diagnostic techniques of active infection by cytomegalovirus (CMV) in blood (isolation of CMV by shell vial, detection of specific anti-CMV IgG and IgM, antigenemia-detection of pp65 antigen by staining with peroxidase- and two variants of qualitative polymerase chain reaction [PCR]-conventional PCR or in one step and nested PCR-for detection of viral DNA). METHODS: Fifty kidney transplant patients were followed for the first 6 post transplant months. All except 6 were seropositive for CMV prior to transplantation and only one seronegative patient had a seronegative donor. RESULTS: A total of 750 blood samples were analyzed, 8 of which were positive by shell vial, 91 by specific IgM detection, 115 by antigenemia, 225 for conventional PCR and 440 for nested PCR. No positive sample was detected throughout follow up by any of the techniques used in only 4 patients (one being the seronegative receptor with a seronegative donor). CONCLUSIONS: Antigenemia was found to be the fastest, cheapest and simplest method of diagnosing CMV, presenting the advantage of providing quantitative results which allow the establishment of a relationship with the appearance of symptomatic infections. With the two variants used qualitative PCR was observed to be the earliest and most sensitive technique, while being the most difficult and the most expensive, with the disadvantage that its great sensitivity limits its clinical usefulness.

Cytomegalovirus Infections↗
PubMed1998

[Ampicillin-sulbactam activity against respiratory isolates of Haemophilus influenzae].

A study was conducted on the in vitro activity of ampicillin/sulbactam against 100 respiratory strains of Haemophilus influenzae (45 betalactamase positive and 55 betalactamase negative strains) simultaneously isolated during 1997 in 6 Spanish hospitals: Hospital Clínico San Carlos (Madrid), Hospital de Cruces de Basurto (Bilbao), Hospital La Fe (Valencia), Hospital Virgen Macarena (Seville), Hospital de Bellvitge (Barcelona) and Hospital Clínico Universitario (Salamanca). It was studied in comparison to amoxicillin, amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, cefuroxime, clarithromycin and ciprofloxacin. The MIC breakpoints used for the interpretation of data were those published by the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards in 1997. All of the strains tested were susceptible to ampicillin/sulbactam, amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, cefuroxime and ciprofloxacin. The rate of resistance to clarithromycin was 55.5% for betalactamase positive strains and 38. 2% for betalactamase negative strains. A total of 23.6% of the betalactamase negative strains were resistant or showed intermediate susceptibility to amoxicillin but were susceptible to betalactam/betalactamase inhibitor combinations and cefuroxime.

Amoxicillin↗
PubMed1991

Identification of glucagon binding sites on smooth muscle tissue of dog intestine. Quantification by means of ultrastructural autoradiography.

125I-glucagon binding sites have been detected and quantified on the intestinal smooth muscle cells of the dog by means of ultrastructural autoradiographic methods. These binding sites are located mainly in the plasmalema. The present findings established a morphological correlation with the physiological data concerning the spasmolytic function of the glucagon on the intestinal wall.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Effect of intravenous glucagon and glucagon-(1-21)-peptide on motor activity of sphincter of Oddi in humans.

Glucagon-(1-21)-peptide, the peptide containing the amino acid sequence (1-21) of glucagon, has the same spasmolytic effect as the complete molecule, without its metabolic action. The effect of glucagon and glucagon-(1-21)-peptide on sphincter of Oddi motor activity was evaluated in 20 patients undergoing ERCP and endoscopic biliary manometry. Glucagon produced a nonsignificant decrease in basal pressure, but significantly reduced both frequency and amplitude of phasic activity of the sphincter of Oddi. Glucagon-(1-21)-peptide showed no effect on basal pressure and amplitude of phasic activity, but provoked a significant reduction of frequency of phasic contraction.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Measurement of proinsulin in human pancreatic juice.

In this study, we measured proinsulin in human pancreatic juice by radioimmunoassay (RIA). Affinity chromatography was used to separate proinsulin and insulin from C-peptide; and high-performance liquid chromatography, to separate proinsulin from insulin. In the RIA procedure for proinsulin we used porcine insulin antiserum as the antibody and porcine proinsulin as the standard and labelled antigen. The concentrations of proinsulin in human pancreatic juice obtained 5, 10, 15 and 20 minutes after intravenous injection of secretin were 29 +/- 6, 41 +/- 4, 35 +/- 14 and 37 +/- 17 (pmol/l +/- SD, means of 7 subjects), respectively. These values were higher than those in serum from fasted subjects, 12 +/- 4 pmol +/- SD. This work shows that proinsulin is present in human pancreatic juice.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

A prospective multicenter study of insulin and glucagon infusion therapy in acute alcoholic hepatitis.

A randomized, single-blind controlled multicenter study of insulin and glucagon infusion was carried out in 66 patients with acute alcoholic hepatitis. Thirty-three patients were treated with insulin 10 U and glucagon 1 mg in 500 ml 5% glucose in water via a peripheral vein for 2-6 h three times every day for 3 weeks. Patients in the control group received 5% glucose in an identical fashion. Fourteen control patients and five treated patients died from liver failure during the study (P less than 0.02). Clinical features of liver disease on entry into the study were similar in the two groups, but the total serum bilirubin, aspartate aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase activities and prothrombin time significantly improved in the treated patients (P less than 0.05). Insulin and glucagon infusion appears to be a promising treatment of acute alcoholic hepatitis.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Glucagon-(1-21)-peptide. Study of its action on sphincter of Oddi function by endoscopic manometry.

The amino acid sequence (1-21) of glucagon has been shown to have full spasmolytic action in animal studies but no metabolic effect. The motor activity of the sphincter of Oddi was measured during ERCP with manometric recordings of sphincter pressure. Then glucagon-(1-21)-peptide was given as a bolus intravenous injection; serial blood samples were taken to determine glucagon-like immunoreactivity. The spasmolytic effect of glucagon-(1-21)-peptide began 15 sec after injection and lasted up to 22 min at the higher doses. The basal pressure of the sphincter of Oddi was decreased by 31-56% after administration of glucagon-(1-21)-peptide. Phasic sphincter of Oddi pressure and wave frequency were also affected. In conclusion, glucagon-(1-21)-peptide has a relaxing effect on the human sphincter of Oddi and might emerge as an alternative to glucagon or other spasmolytic drugs for obtaining selective relaxation of the biliary tract.

Adult↗