PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

L Cabrera

Publications and source records attributed to L Cabrera.

43 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Field diagnosis of Echinococcus granulosus infection among intermediate and definitive hosts in an endemic focus of human cystic echinococcosis.

Human, canine and ovine echinococcosis prevalence was determined in a highland community located in the central Peruvian Andes during 1997 and 1998. Human echinococcosis was determined using portable ultrasonography, chest X-ray examination, and an enzyme-linked immunoelectrotransfer blot (EITB) assay. Canine echinococcosis was determined using microscopy stool examinations and a coproantigen detection enzyme-immunoassay (EIA) for Echinococcus granulosus. Ovine echinococcosis was determined by an EITB assay for sheep echinococcosis and necropsy examination of viscera from domestic slaughtered animals. An abdominal ultrasound, a chest X-ray examination and an EITB for echinococcosis were performed on 214 subjects (45% of the village population). The frequency of presumptive liver/abdominal, lung and liver-lung hydatid cysts was 5.1% (11/214), 3.7% (8/214) and 0.5% (1/214), respectively. The overall prevalence of human cystic echinococcosis was 9.3% (20/214). The frequency of canine echinococcosis was 46% (23/50) and 32% (16/50) by the coproantigen EIA test and arecoline purging, respectively. The frequency of sheep echinococcosis was 65% (22/34) by the EITB and 38% (13/34) by necropsy. We demonstrated a high prevalence of human and animal echinococcosis in this Peruvian village. In remote areas where echinococcosis is endemic, both the coproantigen EIA and arecoline purging may be used for the study of canine echinococcosis; the EITB is useful in establishing the diagnosis of echinococcosis in sheep prior to necropsy.

Adolescent↗

Comparison of invasive and noninvasive methods for the diagnosis and evaluation of eradication of Helicobacter pylori infection in children.

BACKGROUND: Acquisition of Helicobacter pylori infection occurs mainly during childhood. To study the events associated with H. pylori colonization in children it is important to have reliable diagnostic methods. Our objective was to validate invasive and noninvasive tests for diagnosis of H. pylori infection in children before and after antimicrobial treatment. METHODS: Before treatment, invasive rapid urease test (RUT) culture and histology, as well as the noninvasive carbon-13 urea breath test (13C-UBT) and serology were validated in 59 children. The gold standard for H. pylori infection was any of three positives of the five tests. After antimicrobial treatment culture, histology, and 13C-UBT were validated in 43 children to determine eradication. The gold standard for eradication was negative in all three tests. RESULTS: For primary diagnosis, RUT was the most sensitive and specific test, followed by 13C-UBT, which performed better than serology, culture, and histology. Concordance tests also showed that RUT and 13C-UBT performed better. For determination of eradication, 13C-UBT and histology were better than culture, which showed poor sensitivity. CONCLUSIONS: RUT performed better for primary diagnosis. However, as endoscopy might not be indicated in most children, 13C-UBT could be the test of choice for diagnosis of H. pylori infection both before and after eradication treatment.

Adolescent↗

[Nesidioblastosis as extracolonic manifestation associated with adenomatous familial polyposis].

OBJECTIVE: To describe the case of a patient with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) who developed organic hyperinsulinemia and hypoglycemia due to pancreatic nesidioblastosis. BACKGROUND: FAP can be considered as one of the familial cancer syndromes. The development of endocrine tumors in these patients is an infrequent event, and most of these tumors have been well-differentiated thyroid neoplasms. To our knowledge, the occurrence of organic hyperinsulinemia in the context of FAP has not been reported. METHODS: Organic hyperinsulinemia was demonstrated during a 72-h fast, measuring insulin and C-peptide by RIA at the time of hypoglycemia. Immunohistochemistry for insulin and other pancreatic hormones was performed on the surgical pancreatic specimen. RESULTS: The patient underwent a distal pancreatectomy with resolution of hypoglycemia. Histopathologically, the excised pancreas showed beta cell hyperplasia arising from the ductal epithelium. Such beta cells strongly immunostained for insulin, pancreatic polypeptide, and neuron-specific enolase. CONCLUSIONS: The development of endocrine tumors in an inherited cancer syndromes such as FAP is rare. Such an association may suggest shared mechanisms of tumorigenesis. The case herein reported should prompt us to consider organic hyperinsulinism as an extracolonic manifestation of FAP.

Adenomatous Polyposis Coli↗

Study of the interaction between policosanol and excipients.

Policosanol is an active principle, composed by 8 fatty alcohols: 1tetracosanol, 1-hexacosanol, 1-heptacosanol, 1-octacosanol, 1-nonacosanol, 1-triacontanol, 1-dotriacontanol and 1-tetratriacontanol that shows a very stable, well defined and reproducible composition from batch to batch that is analysed using gas chromatography. Continuing the studies of the compatibility among policosanol and different tablet excipients, it was studied if the mixtures of those excipients with policosanol produce chemical interactions between them, the samples were analysed using gas chromatography and was determined if it was affected the content of policosanol in them. When all the samples were analysed, no changes in the policosanol content of the samples were observed, and it was considered that no interactions are produced in any of the mixtures policosanol/excipients under study.

Anticholesteremic Agents↗

Study of the stability of tablets containing 10 mg of policosanol as active principle.

The stability studies of tablets containing 10 mg of policosanol, a new cholesterol lowering drug, were conducted to predict an expiration date and to search the appearance of putative degradation products. All quality specification parameters such as colour, moisture content, hardness, disintegration, policosanol content and microbiological limits of the tablets were done. The effect of drastic treatments such as acid and basic hydrolysis, oxidative and photolytic degradation as well as thermolysis on such parameters was studied. In addition; studies under drastic conditions of storage (40 degrees C and 75% R.H.) and under ambient conditions of storage for climatic zones II and IV were performed. These studies demonstrate that these tablets are a stable pharmaceutical formulation, without significant changes on their quality criteria at the stressed conditions studied. The chromatographic profile of the samples after 9 months of thermal degradation shows chromatographic peaks that corresponds to the octacosanoyl, triacontanoyl and hexacosanoyl esters of palmitate and stearate, being the only degradation products observed on these studies.

Drug Stability↗