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Biomedical subjects

M Foz

Publications and source records attributed to M Foz.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Suppressive therapy with levothyroxine for solitary thyroid nodules.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of treatment with TSH suppressive dose of levothyroxine in patients with benign thyroid nodules. DESIGN: Prospective randomized study. Group A (n = 20) patients received levothyroxine and group B (n = 20) patients did not. The dose of levothyroxine was adjusted to obtain an effective suppression of TSH. A clinical, analytical and morphological (with ultrasound) review was performed every 3 months. The mean +/- SD follow-up period was 10.6 +/- 2.2 months. PATIENTS: Forty euthyroid women with solitary thyroid nodule on palpation, cold on scintigraphy and cytologically benign without contraindication participated. MEASUREMENTS: At entry: biochemical and hormonal parameters, thyroid scintigraphy and thyroid ultrasonography. Every 3 months additional determinations of thyroid hormones and TSH levels were carried out, if necessary, to verify effective TSH suppression. Every 6 months thyroid ultrasound imaging was performed. RESULTS: Patients were euthyroid at entry into the study. The mean dose of levothyroxine necessary to obtain TSH suppression was 2.82 +/- 0.6 micrograms/kg/day. No significant modification in the thyroid nodule diameter (mean +/- SD 2.6 +/- 1.2 vs 2.5 +/- 1.2 cm) or in the thyroid nodule volume (10.3 +/- 11.9 vs 10.1 +/- 12.2 ml) were observed in group A. In group B the results were similar (2.8 +/- 0.9 vs 2.7 +/- 1.8 cm and 9.2 +/- 6.4 vs 9.2 +/- 9.5 ml, respectively). No differences were found in either group in the number of nodules that reduced significantly their volume (four and three, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The suppressive therapy with levothyroxine was not effective in reducing nodule sizes in patients with solitary benign thyroid nodules.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Clinical usefulness of urinary growth hormone measurements in normal and short children according to different expressions of urinary growth hormone data.

To assess the clinical usefulness of urinary growth hormone (UGH) measurements, a UGH determination technique, including dialysis, ultrafiltration, and measurement by polyclonal-coated tube RIA, was established. Sixty-three short children were studied: 56 idiopathic growth retarded (37 prepubertal and 19 pubertal) and seven prepubertal with classic GH (growth hormone) deficiency. Forty-two healthy children (32 prepubertal and 10 pubertal) served as controls. Two groups of adults were studied: eight with active acromegaly and 11 healthy controls. UGH was measured in 24-h urine samples from all patients and controls. Mean +/- SD UGH excretion expressed as ng/24 h was significantly lower in the GH-deficient group compared with prepubertal growth-retarded and control children (p less than 0.01). No differences were found between UGH excreted by controls and by the growth-retarded groups. Pubertal children excreted significantly higher amounts of GH when UGH was expressed as ng/24 h (p less than 0.02 and p less than 0.03, respectively), but this difference disappeared when UGH was expressed as ng/g creatinine. UGH was significantly higher in acromegalic patients compared with adult controls (p less than 0.001). Differences between day, night, and 24-h UGH were studied in 23 children. UGH in night urine was significantly lower whether expressed as the total amount or as ng/g creatinine. The effect of recombinant hGH administration on UGH was studied in 13 children after 6 and 12 mo of treatment. UGH increased significantly under recombinant hGH treatment.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Acromegaly↗
PubMed1992

[Vaccinal coverage at 2 years of age in a socially disadvantaged urban area].

OBJECTIVE: To assess vaccination coverage at two years of age among the children of the Old City District of Barcelona (Spain), a socially deprived urban area. DESIGN: Cross-sectional, based on a random sample of the children born in 1987. SETTING: Community. PARTICIPANTS: A random sample of children born in 1987 from mothers resident in the district. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: 83.8% had a vaccination card. Vaccination coverage is 68.1% for measles, mumps and rubella and 65.5% with four doses of DTP and OVP. Of these children, 16.2% were not found in the computerized City Vaccination Program, based on births records, and these children have very low immunization levels: their vaccination cover is only 42.1% for measles, mumps and rubella and 28.9% with four doses of DTP and OPV. CONCLUSIONS: These results confirm a lower immunization coverage in this area. Although artifactual explanations for this finding have to be ruled out, these results suggest that the health indicators in this district are influenced by a concentration of population with severe problems instead of reflecting a higher diffuse frequency of problems in the whole population.

Child, Preschool↗
PubMed1991

[Immunoglobulin A and human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection in parenteral drug abuse addicts].

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the usefulness of serum immunoglobulin A (IgA) as a prognostic marker of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) in parenteral drug abusers (PDA). METHODS: The serum IgA levels and HIV-1 antibodies were assessed in 374 PDAs admitted for infective diseases or for treatment of addiction. RESULTS: The prevalence of HIV infection was 70%; the frequency of serum IgA above the upper normal limit (440 mg/dl) was 8% in seronegative and 4% in seropositive subjects (NS). The IgA levels in the 274 seropositive subjects, classified for infective stages, were significantly higher in those fulfilling the criteria for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) or AIDS related complex (group IV) than in asymptomatic subjects (group II) or in those with generalized lymphadenopathy (group III) (p less than 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Serum IgA levels in PDAs with HIV infection may be a useful marker of progression to AIDS.

AIDS-Related Complex↗
PubMed1991

Efficacy of octreotide in the management of chronic diarrhoea in AIDS.

Patients with HIV infection were studied to assess the efficacy of octreotide, a somatostatin analogue, in the long-term management of refractory diarrhoea. Dosage of subcutaneous octreotide was increased progressively at 48 h intervals from 150 to 300, 750 and 1500 micrograms/day according to response. Twenty-nine patients, 21 with Cryptosporidium enteritis, one with Isospora belli enteritis and seven with no identifiable pathogen were selected for the study; four of these were excluded from the study because of death during the first month (two cases), abdominal pain and acute pancreatitis (one case each). Twenty-five patients were evaluable for response. Ten patients (four with Cryptosporidium enteritis, five without an identifiable pathogen and one with I. belli enteritis) achieved a complete response (40%) and nine cases (all with cryptosporidial enteritis) had a partial response (36%). Patients with higher weight and Karnofsky performance status and non-cryptosporidial enteritis had a better response to treatment. Mean durations of treatment and response were 4.2 +/- 4.2 and 4.4 +/- 4.5 months, respectively. In the absence of specific agents for cryptosporidial enteritis and HIV enteropathy, octreotide was found to be useful in the management of chronic diarrhoea in AIDS patients.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1990

Sexual transmission of hepatitis C virus and its relation with hepatitis B virus and HIV.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the extent of transmission of hepatitis C virus in sexual partners of intravenous drug misusers and to examine the relation between the prevalences of HIV, hepatitis B virus, and hepatitis C virus infections in homosexual men and intravenous drug misusers and their sexual partners. DESIGN: Serum samples collected between 1984 and 1988 were tested for hepatitis B virus markers and antibodies against hepatitis C virus by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and for HIV antibody by enzyme immune analysis and western blotting. SETTING: Large referral university hospital with an external AIDS clinic in the metropolitan area of Barcelona, Spain. SUBJECTS: 243 Intravenous drug misusers, 143 of their regular heterosexual partners, and 105 homosexual men. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Prevalences of hepatitis C virus, hepatitis B virus, and HIV infections. RESULTS: In all, 178 of the 243 (73%) intravenous drug misusers, 16 out of 143 (11%) of their partners, and 17 of the 105 (16%) homosexual men had antibodies against hepatitis C virus. The presence of hepatitis C virus infection was unrelated to sex, age, the presence of HIV or hepatitis B virus infections, or the Centers for Disease Control stage of HIV. In sexual partners of intravenous drug misusers there were strong correlations between the presence of hepatitis C virus infection and that of HIV (p = 0.001) and hepatitis B virus (p = 0.013) infections. CONCLUSIONS: Intravenous drug misusers have a high risk of acquiring hepatitis C virus, hepatitis B virus, and HIV infections, but the presence of hepatitis C virus infection seems to be unrelated to the presence of the other two viruses. Homosexual men have a high prevalence of HIV and hepatitis B virus infections with a low prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection, the presence of which is not related to that of the other two infections. Conversely, heterosexual partners of intravenous drug misusers have low prevalences of the three virus infections, but the presence of hepatitis C virus infection correlates significantly with the presence of HIV and hepatitis B infections. The rate of sexual transmission of hepatitis C virus seems to be low, even in partners of people known to be seropositive for this virus.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

[The evaluation of heterosexual transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus by nucleic acid amplification technics].

Heterosexual couples of individuals infected by HIV represent a group of high risk of virus infection. We have investigated the presence of fragments of the HIV genome with a new nucleic acid amplification technique (PCR or polymerase chain reaction) in lymphocytes from 33 seronegative couples with anti-HIV antibodies, most of which were heroin addicts. 12 of the 33 couples (36%) had positive PCR for a gag HIV amplimer in the absence of antibodies. 4 of them (12%) also showed reactivity for sequences from an env amplimer. A control group of 7 patients with AIDS and 4 seropositive couples showed reactivity to gag and env in all. It is concluded that silent HIV infection may frequently develop in heterosexual couples of infected individuals.

AIDS Serodiagnosis↗
PubMed1990

[Primary infection caused by human immunodeficiency virus: clinical and serologic aspects of 7 cases].

We report 7 individuals in whom HIV seroconversion developed, in 6 associated with symptoms and in one without any symptom at all. The most florid and sustained symptoms appeared in the oldest patients: a female and her heterosexual partner, who was a promiscuous male with recent seroconversion. A heroin abuser had oral muguet, and another had esophageal candidiasis. Rash was absent in all cases. Antigenemia was demonstrated in 6 of the 7 patients. In one case, a third generation ELISA was more sensitive than Western blot for the identification of seroconversion.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

[Evidence of HTLV-1 infection in different groups at risk in Barcelona].

HTLV-1 was the first human retrovirus to be isolated. It has been shown that it is the causative agent of T cell leukemia in the adult and some types of subacute myelopathies. The virus is transmitted by similar routes as the AIDS virus. HTLV-1 infection is endemic in South Japan, the Caribbean countries and some African areas. The prevalence of HTLV-1 infection in our country is unknown in the general population and in the groups at high risk. We report the preliminary results of a study of 1279 serum samples from high risk individuals from the Barcelona area. ELISA and Western blotting were used to detect antibodies. We found evidence of anti-HTLV-1 only in 4 of 905 (0.44%) parenteral drug abusers and in 1 of 102 western Africans. Anti-HTLV-1 were not found in the remaining sera from 62 homosexuals, 53 patients with leukemia and/or lymphoma, 3 with idiopathic spastic paraparesis and 154 with multiple blood transfusions. These results suggest that HTLV-1 has a very low diffusion in our area. The 4 positive heroin addicts are the first reported in our country with evidence of HIV and HTLV-1 coinfection.

Africa, Western↗
PubMed1990

Natural history of parenteral drug addicts treated in a general hospital.

The progress of 298 heroin addicts treated for different reasons in a general hospital from 1984 to 1987 is followed, in order to know the remission degree of parenteral drug use and mortality rates in heroin abusers, after being treated for organic diseases or undergoing quick detoxification treatment. After an average of 25 months since their first visit or admission, information was obtained in 90% of the cases, and of these, it was confirmed that 4% (11/266) had died and that 6% (15/255) were in prison. Of the remainder, reliable information was obtained from 66% (158/240), of whom 40% were no longer endovenous drug users, while 54% were still addicted to parenteral drugs. The results showed a higher percentage of remission in patients that had been admitted for organic diseases (39/65; 60%) than in those that had been treated for detoxification (30/93; 35%) (p less than 0.05).

Day Care, Medical↗