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Biomedical subjects

J Rubies-Prat

Publications and source records attributed to J Rubies-Prat.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

[Bacteremia of cutaneous origin].

558 episodes of bacteremia were detected in our medical center during a 2-year period. 17 of them (3%) were of cutaneous origin. 12 cases were community-acquired and 5 were hospital-acquired. The patients median age was of 65 years. 15 patients had a baseline disease, the most frequent being diabetes mellitus and neoplastic disease. The most common bacteria isolated were group A beta-hemolytic Streptococcus, Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli; 2 patients had multibacterial episodes. Decubitus ulcer and cellulitis were the most frequently associated skin disease. Global mortality was of 47% and was sepsis related in 29% of the cases. Death prognosis factors were old age, diabetes mellitus, gram-negative causal bacteria, nonappropriate antibiotic therapy, low index of clinical suspicion.

Adult

The clearance of lipoprotein X in vitro, and effect of phospholipase A on serum lipoprotein X.

The in vitro effect of post-heparin and post-heparin plus post-protamine normal serum on serum lipoprotein X (LP-X) is described. Serum LP-X is cleared after incubation with post-heparin normal serum, and serum LP-X remain unmodified when it is incubated with post-heparin plus post-protamine normal serum. The action of phospholipase A from snake venom on serum LP-X is also studied. A very small quantity of phospholipase is necessary to degrade LP-X and to transform lecithin into lysolecithin. It is concluded that phospholipase seems to be the enzyme that most likely induces the LP-X changes after heparin administration.

Adult

Liver tissue lecithin: cholesterol acyltransferase activity in patients with liver disease.

Lecithin: Cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) activity was measured in serum and liver tissue from patients with parenchymal liver disease. Serum LCAT activity was within normal limits and it was probably related to the absence of clinical and laboratory evidence of a decompensated liver function. Liver tissue LCAT activity is about tenfold lower than that in serum. The relative proportion of cholesterol esters in liver tissue was much higher that could be expected according the low tissue LCAT activity. This findings suggest that LCAT is a "plasma specific" enzyme and that cholesterol esters in parenchyma may be considered as a storage form of cholesterol esterified in plasma pool.

Acyltransferases

The evolution of alpha heavy chain disease.

Two patients with alpha heavy chain disease are described. In the first patient, treatment with cyclophosphamide, prednisone and doxycycline was associated with a 28 month-long remission and the disappearance of the paraprotein and lymphoplasmocytic infiltration of the intestine. Shortly afterwards, a retroperitoneal immunoblastic lymphoma was found associated with an immunoglobulin G-kappa-paraproteinemia, and gamma heavy and kappa-light chains in the urine; the intestinal biopsy specimen was normal. In the other patient, the alpha chain only appeared two years after the malabsorption syndrome. The fact that in the first, apparently cured patient, a tumor of different anatomic site and secretory capacity appeared, suggests the existence of a B-cell neoplasia of different clone from that which gave rise tothe original disease. In the second patient, it is probable that only the increase in the mass of neoplastic cells led to the detection of the protein abnormality, or alternatively the antigenic-oncogenic stimulus led to the abnormal secretion only after two years.

Adult

The effect of heparin on serum lipoprotein-X.

Serum lipoprotein-X was investigated in 12 patients with cholestasis in basal conditions and 20 minutes after intravenous heparin. In all cases, lipoprotein-X was positive in the first sample and became negative after heparin. A decrease in triglycerides was observed in all patients after heparin with an increase in free fatty acids and mobilization of prebetalipoproteins, and a transformation of lecithin into lysoleithin in 4 cases after heparin. These facts suggest that heparin plays an important role in the mobilization of serum lipoprotein-X.

Adult