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Biomedical subjects

J Rodriguez

Publications and source records attributed to J Rodriguez.

At least 307 records · Page 17Linked to original sources

Results of radiation treatment in carcinoma of the oral cavity.

Treatment results in 391 patients with oral carcinoma after radiation therapy are reported. In the total series 5- and 10-year actuarial survival were 30.8 and 25.2 per cent, respectively. After irradiation alone the corresponding figures were 21.5 and 18.5 per cent, after combined radiologic and surgical treatment 33.3 and 28.7 per cent, and after interstitial radium therapy 56.1 and 43.8 per cent, respectively. These differences were mainly an expression of selection factors. Tumor doses above 60 Gy gave a higher survival than lower doses. The presence of neck node metastases was prognostically unfavourable.

Actuarial Analysis↗

[Reflections concerning the reconstruction of the pinna of the ear (author's transl)].

Reconstruction of the pinna of the ear is a difficult enterprise and overall results are poor. It is nevertheless essential to persist since despite the hazards of such surgery many patients wish to have an operation since they are unable to tolerate their deformity. Apart from the cutaneous problem, the most important point remains that of bitterness. There are still many partisans of the use of costal cartilage, but it would seem legitimate to also try new implantable substances, in particular microporous. Whatever the choice, it is important in all cases to establish a programme rather then improvise. This is the only way to reduce the number of operative stages, to avoid untoward scars and to decrease the number of "touching up" procedures. Despite the many difficulties which must still be resolved, a certain number of modern studies offer hope of an improvement in results.

Cartilage↗

Fusarium oxysporum endophthalmitis.

A 27-year-old man sustained a thorn injury to his left eye and a culture-proven Fusarium oxysporum endophthalmitis developed. This was successfully treated with a vitrectomy, intravitreal and intravenous amphotericin B, and oral flucytosine. The patient maintains 20/20 vision at this time in his left eye. We recommend combined therapy for this filamentous fungal infection.

Adult↗

Bronchiectasis: a cause of pulmonary symptoms in heroin addicts.

Extensive and severe bronchiectasis was found in 7 heroin-addicted individuals with pulmonary symptoms whose chest roentgenograms were not suggestive of severe airway disease. Abnormalities consisted of varicose and cylindrical alterations. Pulmonary function tests revealed airflow obstruction, decreased lung volumes, and diffusion capacity impairment. Arterial blood gas analysis demonstrated mild hypoxemia in all patients and chronic hypocapnia in 4. Serial pulmonary function tests in 2 patients revealed only modest improvement in the degree of airflow obstruction. The occurence of bronchiectasis appeared to be related to episodes of heroin-induced pulmonary edema and infection.

Adult↗

Detection of hepatic amebic abscesses by infusion tomography.

The liver represents a major challenge for radiologic imaging. A simple method of diagnosing acute inflammatory lesions of the liver by infusion tomography is presented. Results of this technique in 48 consecutive patients with amebic abscesses of the liver are described, and their typical appearance is presented. The test also appears to aid in defining the acuteness of the lesion.

Humans↗

The value of bilateral biopsy in unilateral cryptorchidism.

Here are the results of bilateral biopsies on 52 cases of unilateral cryptorchidia. In 12 patients the scrotal testicle showed equal lesions or more important lesions in the undescended testicle. It points out the importance of systematizing the histological testicular study, keeping in mind: (1) spermatogenic index; (2) variation in spermatogonias; (3) tubular diameter, and (4) interstitial tissue. Stress is made on the innocuousness of the bilateral testicular biopsy and its indispensability since it is the only way to recognize a dysgenetic cryptorchidia and evaluate the future fertility of the patient.

Adolescent↗

Absence of intercellular antigens in the deep layers of the epidermis in pemphigus foliaceus.

12 patients with pemphigus foliaceus, a form of pemphigus with lesions that arise in the intercellular substance in the superficial layers of the epidermis, and 7 patients with pemphigus vulgaris, where lesions are in the deep layers, were studied by immunofluorescence. Circulating antibodies to intercellular antigens (IC antibodies) were found in 11 pemphigus foliaceus and 5 pemphigus vulgaris patients. On direct immunofluorescence of skin lesions 75% (9 of 12), pemphigus foliaceus patients had intercellular deposits of IgG localized solely or predominantly in the superficial epidermal layers, whereas this was not the case in any of the patients with pemphigus vulgaris. Over 70% of the pemphigus foliaceus patients with predominantly superficial IgG deposits lacked in their lesions normal intercellular antigens usually expressed in the deep layers of the epidermis. This was shown by the inability of IC antibodies in autologous or allogeneic sera to bind to intercellular antigens in the lower epidermis of patient's skin, even though the same sera could bind to intercellular antigens in all layers of normal allogeneic skin. Lack of normal intercellular antigens deep in the epidermis may result in circulating IC antibodies binding to the superficial layers, a site which corresponds to, and thus in some patients may account for, the anatomical location of lesions in pemphigus foliaceus.

Antibody Specificity↗

Metaformin: an antiatherosclerotic agent modifying very low density lipoproteins in rabbits.

The composition of very low density lipoproteins (VLDL: d less than 1.019) of New Zealand male rabbits reciving cholesterol (2 g/day) and metformin (135 mg/kg/day) is investigated. These rabbits, while showing only a slight reduction of plasma cholesterol levels, as compared to cholesterol-fed (h.c.) animals, show a marked decrease of the aortic cholesterol esters and atheromatous process. VLDL from the cholesterol + metformin group (h.c. + met), as compared to the h.c. animals, are homogenous in size and not separable into VLDL-1 and VLDL-2 subfractions by Sepharose 4B chromatography. These findings are confirmed by electron microscopy, which shows homogeneity of particle size, as well a decreased tendency of h.c. + met VLDL to aggregate. Chemical composition of h.c. + met VLDL is characterized by increased triglycerides and phospholipids, while the percentage of cholesterol esters is not significantly decreased. Phospholipid distribution of h.c. + met VLDL shows a significant decrease of sphingomyelin and increased phosphatidylinositol, the latter both as compared to h.c. and control VLDL. Apoprotein pattern of h.c. + met VLDL in polyacrylamide gels shows a relative increase of peptides with C mobility and a decrease of proteins corresponding to the arg-rich peptides. These findings exemplify a case of altered lipoprotein composition and decreased atheromatosis, in the presence of marked hypercholesteremia.

Animals↗

Acute cholecystitis: 137 patients studied by infusion tomography of the gallbladder.

Clinical experience with inflammatory cholecystopathy recognized in 137 patients studied by infusion tomography of the gallbladder is presented. Diagnostic accuracy was 96% in positive and 94% in negative histologically proven cases. Our results show that infusion tomography of the gallbladder is an accurate, rapid, and safe diagnostic aid in the evaluation of acute cholecystitis. In cases of chronic cholecystitis, infusion tomography may be confirmatory but should not be relied on as a final diagnostic test due to a high percentage of false negative cases.

Acute Disease↗

Infusion tomography of the gallbladder: mechanism of gallbladder wall opacification in experimental acute cholecystitis.

A canine model of acute cholecystitis was used to determine the mechanism of opacification of the gallbladder wall by infusion tomography. The experimental data indicate that opacification of the thickened wall of the gallbladder in acute cholecystitis is a function of hypervascularity and transport of the radiopaque material across the capillary wall by polymorphonuclear cells. Tissue-fluid equilibration of the contrast agent may also play a role.

Acute Disease↗

Pemphigus foliaceus associated with absence of intercellular antigens in lower layers of epidermis.

A patient with pemphigus foliaceus was found to lack normal intercellular (IC) antigens in the lower layers of the epidermis. This was evidenced by the inability of her own IC antibodies, or of those from other patients with pemphigus vulgaris, to bind to the IC substance in the lower layers of her epidermis; whereas these same antibodies reacted to IC antigens in all layers of normal allogeneic skin and monkey and guinea pig esophagus. Lack of IC antigens in the lower layers of the epidermis may account for the subcorneal location of bullae in some patients with pemphigus foliaceus.

Antigens↗

Turnover and aortic uptake of very low density lipoproteins (VLDL) from hypercholesteremic rabbits as a model for testing antiatherosclerotic compounds.

VLDL from hypercholesteremic (HC) rabbits display features which are suggestive of inherent atherogenicity. The lipid composition, compared to that of control VLDL, shows an enrichment of cholesterol esters, which have a very high 18:1/18:2 ratio in their fatty acids, and an increased sphingomyelin content, with decreased PC/Sph ratio. This lipid composition is very similar to that of the atherosclerotic plaqua. Apoprotein peptides of HC VLDL show a predominance of arg-rich proteins, similar to human conditions (Type III hyperlipoproteinemia and hypothyroidism) characterized by early and severe atherosclerosis. Turnover of 125I-labelled HC VLDL is significantly slower than that of control VLDL, both when the lipoprotein is injected into the donor animals and into controls. Conversion of HC VLDL into lipoproteins of higher density is also very small, as compared to control VLDL. Uptake of radioactivity into the aortic wall after injection is about doubled, as compared to control VLDL, when HC rabbits receive HC VLDL. This experimental model suggests that structural modifications of the HC VLDL make them poorly metabolizable, and possible more akin to the recently described arterial lipoprotein complexing factor (ALCF). Metformin was selected as the test compound, because it has been shown to decrease aortic and liver lipid accumulation in cholesterol fed rabbits, while only slightly affecting plasma cholesterol levels. VLDL from rabbits fed cholesterol and metformin (HC+Met), while still enriched in cholesterol esters, have a higher protein content, less sphingomyelin and more phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylinositol than HC VLDL, while fatty acid composition of cholesterol esters does not differ. Turnover of HC+Met VLDL is extremely rapid, with a t1/2 even shorter than that of control VLDL.

Animals↗

Bronchiectasis following heroin-induced pulmonary edema. Rapid clearing of pulmonary infiltrates.

We observed a patient who developed diffuse bronchiectasis subsequent to heroin-induced pulmonary edema. Unlike the previously reported cases, there was rapid clearing of pulmonary infiltrates and little evidence of severe aspiration. The development of bronchiectasis was attributed to a bronchial infection subsequent to clearing of the pulmonary edema. Physiologic dysfunction was characterized by marked obstruction, pulmonary hypertension, and mild hypoxemia.

Adult↗