PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

J Ponce

Publications and source records attributed to J Ponce.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1996

Total antioxidant capacity of human seminal plasma.

Although the importance of seminal plasma in the protection of spermatozoa against reactive oxygen species is well known, only a few studies have investigated its antioxidative properties and the possible relationship between infertility and plasmatic antioxidant defences. The aim of the present study was to assess the status of the total non-enzymatic antioxidant defences of human seminal plasma. Semen samples were obtained from 101 patients consulting for infertility and 15 fertile donors. A total reactive antioxidant potential (TRAP) in seminal plasma was determined by luminol-chemiluminescence. The relationship of seminal TRAP values to lipid peroxidation was also evaluated. Our results show that semen samples from fertile controls show total antioxidant capacity at higher frequency and value than equivalent samples from suspected subfertile men. This fact as well as the inverse relationship observed between antioxidant capacity and lipid peroxidation potential strongly suggest that impaired antioxidant defences may play a role in infertile disorders.

Antioxidants↗
PubMed1996

Achalasia-like syndrome as the first manifestation in a patient with CREST syndrome.

We report a case of oesophageal disease as the first manifestation in a patient with CREST syndrome. A 46-year-old man with achalasia-like syndrome developed CREST syndrome 4 years later. A pneumatic dilatation of the cardia was performed. After pneumatic dilatation the dysphagia and regurgitation disappeared but the patient developed reflux oesophagitis. Four years after diagnosis of oesophageal disease he presented with a clinical picture of CREST syndrome. An acute ileus and constipation developed later. After receiving medical therapy with omeprazole and cisapride the patient is free of oesophageal symptoms and bowel movements are normal. Oesophageal disease is common in patients with limited and diffuse scleroderma, but to our knowledge achalasia-like syndrome has not been previously described as the first manifestation of the systemic disease.

Anti-Ulcer Agents↗
PubMed1996

[The clinical significance of the magnitude of esophageal dilatation in idiopathic achalasia].

The relationship between the diameter of the esophageal body and the clinical profile of the disease and response to treatment was analyzed in 151 patients with idiopathic achalasia by pneumatic dilation of the cardias. Of the 151 patients, 46 presented an esophageal diameter < or = 3 cm (group I), 78 a diameter > 3 cm up to a maximum of 5 cm (group II) and 27 presented a diameter > 5 cm (group III). The result of pneumatic dilatation of the cardias under endoscopic control was analyzed in 117 patients with a minimum follow up of one year after the last dilatation session. Of all the clinical parameters studied, significant statistical differences were only found in group III in respect to the time of symptom evolution and the presence of regurgitation. Manometric data in basal pressure of the esophageal body and in contraction wave width were lower in groups I and III, respectively. The remaining variables were similar in the three groups although group III showed a trend to older age and the frequency of pulmonary complications with lesser thoracic pain and registry of a strict pattern. Endoscopic pneumatic dilation carried out in all the cases was effective in 83% of the patients and was similar in the three study groups. The rate of complications (perforation) was also similar. The therapeutic efficacy of pneumatic dilatation was accompanied by a significant reduction in esophageal diameter. It was concluded that the increase in esophageal diameter in idiopathic achalasia is associated with chronological, clinical and functional parameters which suggest greater disease evolution but do not determine significant changes in the therapeutic response to endoscopic pneumatic dilatation.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

The lost laparoscopic stone. Potential for long-term complications.

Intraperitoneal gallstones left behind at laparoscopic cholecystectomy are not uncommon. Such stones have previously been thought to be harmless. We report three instances of delayed intra-abdominal infection and/or inflammation related to these misplaced gallstones. All three patients presented months postoperatively with vague abdominal complaints. Computed tomography revealed inflammatory foci involving intraperitoneal gallstones. All patients required percutaneous or operative drainage of the collections. Every effort should be made to locate and remove "spilled" gallstones at the time of laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Abdomen↗
PubMed1995

tinman, a Drosophila homeobox gene required for heart and visceral mesoderm specification, may be represented by a family of genes in vertebrates: XNkx-2.3, a second vertebrate homologue of tinman.

tinman is a Drosophila Nk-homeobox gene required for heart and visceral mesoderm specification. Mutations in tinman result in lack of formation of the Drosophila heart, the dorsal vessel. We have isolated an Nk-homeobox gene from Xenopus laevis, XNkx-2.3, which appears by sequence homology and expression pattern to be a homologue of tinman. The expression pattern of XNKx-2.3 both during development and in adult tissues partially overlaps with that of another tinman homologue, Csx/NKx-2.5/XNkx-2.5. We have found that embryonic expression of both XNkx-2.3 and XNkx-2.5 is induced at a time when cardiac specification is occurring. XNkx-2.3 is expressed in early cardiac primordia before the expression of a marker of cardiac differentiation. XMLC2, as well as in pharyngeal endoderm. In adult tissues, XNkx-2.3 is expressed in the heart and several visceral organs. As the helix-loop-helix factor Twist is thought to regulate tinman expression in Drosophila, we have compared the expression of XNkx-2.3 and Xtwist during embryonic development in Xenopus. There appears to be no overlap in expression patterns of the two RNAs from the neurulae stages onward, the first time at which the RNAs can be visualized by in situ hybridization. The overlapping expression patterns of XNkx-2.3 and mNkx-2.5/XNkx-2.5 in conjunction with evidence presented here that other Nk-homeodomains are expressed in adult mouse and Xenopus heart suggests that tinman may be represented by a family of genes in vertebrates.

Alleles↗
PubMed1995

[Lansoprazol].

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

2-Pyridinylmethylsulfinylbenzimidazoles↗
PubMed1995

[Do patients with duodenal ulcer transmit Helicobacter pylori to their relatives?].

The prevalence of IgG antibodies to Helicobacter pylori was determined with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 80 families who lived together with 40 duodenal ulcer patients in whom Helicobacter pylori had been cultured from a gastric biopsy (34 spouses, 31 children, 10 parents, 4 sisters and 1 brother) and in 112 controls from the same habitat and with similar age. The antibodies were positive in 38.4% of the relatives and in 36.6% of the controls, the difference was not significant. Among spouses of patients, 38.4% of those aged 25-39 years and 66.6% of those aged 40-67 years were positive, whereas controls showed a 29.2% and a 58.3% of positives respectively. The differences between both groups were not significant. Among children, 17.2% were positive and in parents 50%, whereas among controls with a similar age 26.3% and 62.5% respectively were positive. The differences between relatives and controls were not significant. We conclude that in our environment among consanguineous families living together and between spouses, person-to-person spread of Helicobacter pylori does not usually occur or it happens uncommonly.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

[Uroflowmetric nomogram in the adult population of Canary Islands].

In order to know the uroflowmetric values of our healthy population, a uroflowmetry was made to 214 healthy subjects of both sexes. 75% of our group of volunteers collected mictional volumes under 300 ml. with no differences either by age or sex. The corresponding nomograms, in the form of percentile, for peak and mean flow in both sexes, were created. We found a progressive increase of peak and mean flow values with regard to mictional volume. Time to peak flow is shorter in women than in men. Volume at peak flow represents under 50% of total mictional volume. No significant differences in the uroflowmetric data of our healthy population and those from Anglo-Saxon authors was found.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

[Predictive analysis of the response to treatment with diuretics of patients with liver cirrhosis and ascites].

Our aim was to develop and validate a prognostic model to predict the evolution of cirrhotic patients admitted to the hospital because of ascites and treated with diuretics. Two hundred and two patients were evaluated. After collection of clinical and laboratory data, a prognosis of the response to diuretics was given by one of us. After univariate analysis, 37 parameters were used to construct a database. A new prognosis was obtained for each patient comparing his/her data with the database, with the help of a computer and using Bayes' theorem. Gender: female, poor general status, disturbed consciousness, increased serum glucose, increased BUN, low prothrombin time, increased bilirubin, leucocytosis, thrombopenia and low urine sodium were associated with a poor response to diuretics. Sensitivity and specificity of clinical and computer prognosis were similar. Computer prognosis allowed the classification of patients in groups of risk which showed a different evolution and improved the accuracy of the clinical prognosis. We conclude that the objective analysis of clinical and laboratory data is useful to improve the accuracy of the prediction of the evolution in cirrhotic patients with ascites treated with diuretics.

Ascites↗
PubMed1994

[Variability of seminal analysis and of objective parameters of sperm motility in semen during sperm capacitation in subjects with proved fertility].

We studied the variability of traditional semen analysis parameters as well as sperm motion characteristics analyzed by computer-assisted-semen analyzer in semen and after 2 hours of incubation in capacitation conditions. Twenty men with probed fertility provided three semen samples and 60 men provide one. The higher variability was observed with seminal sperm concentration, the lower variation was observed for percent motility and percent of normal morphology. Ten Oligospermic donors (12,5%) were observed in our population without other semen parameters abnormalities. Their motion characteristics were comparable to cells analyzed from normospermic men. A lower variability of sperm motion characteristics was observed during sperm capacitation compared to sperm movement in seminal plasma; suggesting that sperm motion characteristics during capacitation may be a usefull method additional to semen analysis to evaluate male fertility potential.

Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted↗
PubMed1993

[Esophageal pseudoachalasia related to a neoplasm].

Differential diagnosis between idiopathic achalasia and esophageal pseudoachalasia is difficult to perform. One hundred and forty-four consecutive patients with a clinical diagnosis of primary esophageal motor disorder have been evaluated for pneumatic dilatation of the cardias. Of them, 6 (4.1%) have been finally diagnosed of esophageal pseudoachalasia with carcinoma of the cardias, although in four cases more than one biopsy procedure was needed to establish the diagnosis. The clinical data--higher age, shorter clinical history and higher weight loss--, the higher pressure of the lower esophageal sphincter and the failure of the dilatation suggested the diagnosis, but were uncertain findings. Esophageal biopsy is the only objective method to obtain a definitive diagnosis and should be performed in every patient with an esophageal motor disorder evaluated for dilatation of the cardias and, if negative, it should be repeated when malignancy is suggested by available data.

Aged↗
PubMed1993

[Prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux in patients with primary motor disorder of the esophagus treated with endoscopic pneumatic dilatation].

The prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux after successful pneumatic dilatation was investigated in 30 patients with primary esophageal motor disorder. After a median follow-up period of 377 days, three patients presented symptoms of acid reflux and five patients had endoscopic esophagitis (grade I, 3 patients; grade II, one patient; and grade III, one patient). Ambulatory 24 hr. esophageal pH monitoring was positive in 20% and 30% of the patients compared to our normal values and to those from other series from the literature, respectively. The concordance between pH results and symptoms and/or endoscopic esophagitis was very low. It is concluded that 24 hr. esophageal pH monitoring is frequently abnormal after pneumatic dilatation, but its clinical significance is low, because very few patients have symptoms and/or severe esophagitis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Effect of selective and nonselective muscarinic blockade on cholecystokinin-induced gallbladder emptying in man.

In this study we investigated the effect of selective (M1) and non-selective (M1 and M2) pharmacologic blockade of muscarinic receptors on cholecystokinin-induced gallbladder emptying. After validating the method of study, the gallbladder function was evaluated in 15 normal volunteers by quantitative biliary scintigraphy, and the effect of intravenous atropine (0.15 mg/10 kg) and pirenzepine (10 mg) was analyzed in each subject. Atropine significantly reduced the ejection period and the ejection fraction of gallbladder evacuation. Pirenzepine reduced the ejection period, but the ejection fraction remained unchanged. We conclude that the effect of cholecystokinin on gallbladder motility is mediated through muscarinic receptors. Our results suggest that M2 receptors, but not M1 receptors, are involved in this response.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Does endoscopy improve prediction of the prognosis in upper gastrointestinal bleeding?

To evaluate the prognostic value of the endoscopic examination, we included 189 consecutive patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding, in a prospective study. Rebleeding was more frequent in patients with endoscopic stigmata of hemorrhage. The prognostic prediction given by the physician was slightly, but not significantly, improved after the result of the endoscopy was available. However, when the clinical data were evaluated by computer, using the Bayes' theorem, the endoscopic findings provided no additional prognostic value. We conclude that the endoscopic findings have intrinsic prognostic value, but add little to clinical data obtained on admission.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

[Substances harmful for the gastric mucosa].

Gastroduodenal mucosa has a self-defense capacity against a wide range of potentially harmful exogenous and endogenous agents. It has been proven that certain diet compounds damage gastric mucosa, which explains--at lest partially--the regional variations in the incidence of peptic ulcer. Ethanol blocks the defense mechanisms of gastric mucosa and induces the onset of acute lesions, but there is no definite proof to show that ethanol ingestion helps produce the onset of peptic ulcer. It has been confirmed that tobacco negatively affects the healing and relapse of ulcers. From an epidemiological point of view, the controversy of the relationship between tobacco abuse and peptic ulcer genesis is still ongoing. Non-steroid anti-inflammatory non-acid soluble produces lesions acute and chronic) in gastroduodenal mucosa. They can reactivate old lesions and increased the risk of complications. Aspirin is the most harmful compound in this pharmacologic group. Paracetamol is the compound which has the safest spectrum. The harmfulness of steroids is still being discussed, however, it is accepted that they have a rapid effect on gastric mucosa in relation to dosage and duration of treatment.

Condiments↗