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Biomedical subjects

M L González

Publications and source records attributed to M L González.

16 recordsLinked to original sources

What symptoms predict the diagnosis of mania in persons with severe/profound intellectual disability in clinical practice?

BACKGROUND: While researchers have attempted to address the difficulties of diagnosing affective disorders in the intellectually disabled population, diagnosing bipolar disorder in an individual with severe intellectual disability (ID) remains a challenge. The aim of this study was to identify what symptoms can predict a diagnosis of mania in the intellectually disabled population. METHODS: Three groups of persons with ID participated in this study: (1) individuals with a bipolar diagnosis who were currently manic; (2) individuals with an Axis I diagnosis other than bipolar disorder; and (3) individuals without an Axis I diagnosis. Two recognized measures of mania (i.e. Diagnostic Assessment for the Severely Handicapped-Revised and Parent Version of Young Mania Rating Scale) were used to evaluate symptoms of mania. A logistical regression procedure was conducted on mania items to identify which items correctly identify persons with ID who were currently manic. RESULTS: Psychomotor agitation, decreased sleep, changes in mood and aggression were significantly related to the diagnosis of mania. Further, psychomotor agitation and disturbed sleep were significant predictors of a diagnosis of mania. CONCLUSIONS: Problems of sleep and psychomotor agitation should alert clinicians that further assessment of bipolar symptomatology is warranted. Focusing on observable behaviours based on Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder-IV criteria can be useful in formulating a diagnosis of bipolar disorder in persons with ID.

Adult↗

[Evaluation of the efficacy of a comprehensive programme of secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease in primary care: the PREseAP Study].

OBJECTIVES: To assess the efficacy of a comprehensive secondary prevention programme to reduce morbidity and mortality in patients who have suffered a cardiovascular (CV) event; to control CV risk factors and prophylactic treatment in order to prevent recurrence; and to improve the quality of life of patients with cardiovascular disease. DESIGN: Randomised, pragmatic, open clinical trial in primary care. SETTING: A total of 42 primary care centres of 8 different areas in Spain. PARTICIPANTS: Men and women below 86 years old, diagnosed with coronary disease and/or stroke and/or peripheral vascular disease in the preceding year, and who have no serious or terminal disease. INTERVENTION: Primary care centres will be randomised to following usual care (control group), or to following a comprehensive programme of secondary prevention (intervention group). MAIN MEASUREMENTS: Cardiovascular fatal events, cardiovascular non-fatal events, total mortality and health-related quality of life (SF-36).

Adult↗

Polymorphism in the type I collagen (COLIA1) gene and risk of fractures in postmenopausal women.

Twin and family studies have demonstrated that a large part of a population's variance in bone mineral density (BMD) is attributable to genetic factors. A polymorphism in the collagen type I alpha1 (COLIA1) gene has recently been associated with low bone mass and fracture incidence. We analyzed the relationship between COLIA1 gene polymorphism, lumbar spine and hip BMD, and fracture prevalence in a population of 319 postmenopausal women classified by WHO standards, including 98 nonosteoporotic women (NOPW) and 221 osteoporotic postmenopausal women (OPW), divided into 139 osteoporotic women without fracture (OPWnF) and 82 osteoporotic women with fracture (OPWwF). The COLIA1 genotype was assessed by polymerase chain reaction and BalI endonuclease digestion. Genotype frequencies for the total group were 49.2% GG homozygotes, 39.5% GT heterozygotes, and 11.3% TT homozygotes. We found significant differences in the percentage of homozygous TT between NOPW and OPW (6.1% and 13.6%, respectively). Significantly, the occurrence of genotype TT in OPWnF was 6.2%, and 28% in OPWwF. We observed no associations between the COLIA1 genotype and lumbar spine and hip BMD. The prevalence of fractures varied significantly by genotype: GG, 26.1%; GT, 15.9%; and TT, 58.3%. Logistic regression analysis of fracture prevalence showed that, for prevalent fractures, the women with the TT genotype had a 5.9-fold increased risk when compared with the other genotypes (GG + GT). When prevalence was adjusted for age, body mass index, and BMD, the fracture risk was 4.8 for the TT group vs. the genotype GG, whereas it was 0.6 for the GT genotype. In conclusion, we found the COLIA1 Sp1 TT genotype to be associated with an increased fracture risk in postmenopausal women. Interestingly, this genotype-dependent risk could not be explained completely by BMD differences.

Aged↗

Plasma methadone concentrations as an indicator of opioid withdrawal symptoms and heroin use in a methadone maintenance program.

Plasma methadone concentrations and its main metabolite D,L-2-ethylidiene-1,5-dimethyl-3,5-diphenylpyrrolidine (EDDP) were determined in 93 patients under methadone maintenance treatment to assess their relationship with heroin use and opioid withdrawal symptoms. Neither plasma concentrations of methadone nor EDDP were significantly different when patients that used heroin in last 3 months were compared with those testing negative for this drug (methadone, 355 +/- 217 versus 369 +/- 216 ng/ml, t = 0.29, P = NS; EDDP, 49 +/- 28 versus 54 +/- 40 ng/ml, t = 0.51, P = NS). No correlation between opioid withdrawal scale scores and plasma concentrations of methadone (r = 0.02, P = NS) and EDDP (r = -0.14, P = NS) was found. Therapeutic drug monitoring during methadone maintenance seems to be useful for assessing compliance with treatment but not for predicting heroin use and subjective withdrawal symptoms.

Adult↗

Cocaine metabolism in humans after use of alcohol. Clinical and research implications.

The simultaneous administration of cocaine and alcohol implies a pharmacological interaction at pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic levels. The latter involves an alteration of cocaine kinetics and metabolism, as well as the biosynthesis of newly active metabolites, such as cocaethylene. Cocaethylene is metabolized along the same pathways as cocaine. Its detection in biological samples indicates the combined consumption of cocaine and alcohol. From epidemiological and toxicological data, it has been suggested that the combination of alcohol and cocaine produces an increased toxicity in addition to behavioral changes. There has been some debate regarding the contribution of cocaethylene to this rise of toxicity. Its pharmacological and toxicological profile is very similar to cocaine. During the interaction of both substances, the rise in cocaine plasma concentrations can explain many of cardiovascular and behavioral effects observed. The contribution of cocaethylene to the interaction is probably minor; its effects are likely additive to those of cocaine. Perhaps its longer elimination half-life can help in understanding long-lasting effects of the alcohol-cocaine combination.

Alcohol Drinking↗

Cocaine and alcohol interactions in humans: neuroendocrine effects and cocaethylene metabolism.

The effects of 100 mg of intranasal cocaine in acute alcohol intoxication (0.8 g/kg) were evaluated in eight experienced and nondependent healthy volunteers in a double-blind double-dummy, controlled, randomized, crossover clinical study. The combination of alcohol and cocaine produced greater increases in HR, rate-pressure product and pleasurable-related subjective effects (euphoria, well-being) compared with the effects of cocaine. The drug combination reduced the alcohol-induced sedation, but feelings of drunkenness were not significantly counteracted. Cardiovascular changes induced by the combination condition caused an increase in myocardial oxygen consumption that may be related to an increased risk of cardiovascular toxicity. The augmented subjective euphoria may explain why the drug combination is more likely to be abused than is cocaine or alcohol alone. Plasma cortisol concentrations were significantly higher after concomitant alcohol and cocaine use than with cocaine alone. The administration of cocaine did not alter alcohol-induced hyperprolactinemia. Although cocaine produced a slight decrease in plasma concentrations of prolactin when administered alone, it did not antagonize the effects of alcohol on prolactin secretion when alcohol and cocaine were given simultaneously. The combination increased cocaine and norcocaine plasma concentrations, and induced the synthesis of cocaethylene and norcocaethylene. The enhancement of cocaine effects in the drug combination may be due to initially increased cocaine plasma levels followed by the additive effect of cocaethylene, although a pharmacodynamic interaction could not be excluded.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone↗

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, immunoblot analysis and RAST fluoroimmunoassay analysis of serum responses against crude larval antigens of Anisakis simplex in a Spanish random population.

The results obtained in a study of seroprevalence by means of ELISA and immunoblot with crude larval extracts of Anisakis simplex using 1008 human sera from Spanish people showing no clinical suspicion of anisakidosis are given. For the evaluation of the results obtained by ELISA the Diagnostic Index (DI) was used, as the ratio between the optical density resulting from the test serum and the optical density of the negative control. Forty-seven sera showed DIs between 1.5 and 2, and 14 sera were greater than 2. After comparison of the immunoblot analysis with the immunorecognition pattern of a human anisakidosis reference serum, a diagnostic criterion could be established for those sera that, at a 1/100 dilution, showed a DI by ELISA greater than 1.5. Seven of 14 selected sera with DIs in ELISA higher than 1.3 showed anti-Anisakis specific IgE antibodies by RAST fluoroimmunoassay.

Adult↗

Influence of the injection technique on the thermal degradation of cocaine and its metabolites in gas chromatography.

Thermal degradation of some substances due to high temperature at the injection port and/or the type of injection technique used may limit the usefulness of gas chromatography with conventional detectors or coupled to mass spectrometry. To minimize thermal degradation of cocaine and its metabolites, chromatography was performed using two different insert liners and a cool on-column inlet. When using a packed liner, marked degradation of all compounds was observed. The degradation process was reduced by the use of an open liner and, when the cool on-column inlet was employed, essentially no degradation occurred.

Cocaine↗

Determination of cocaine and its metabolites in human urine by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry after simultaneous use of cocaine and ethanol.

Cocaethylene is an active metabolite produced when cocaine is consumed jointly with ethanol. The development of analytical techniques for determining cocaethylene and other cocaine metabolites is highly relevant for pharmacokinetic and toxicology studies of the cocaine and alcohol interaction in humans. The gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) method here reported is based on a single solid-phase extraction together with deuterated internal standards previously added to urine, followed by derivatization with pentafluoropropionic anhydride (hydroxyl and amine functions) and 1,1,1,3,3,3 hexafluor-2-propanol (carboxylic acid function) and injection into a capillary GC system coupled to a mass spectrometric detector in the selected ion monitoring acquisition mode. A sensitivity of 1-2 ng ml-1 for the quantitative analysis of cocaine and its main metabolites (ecgonine methyl ester, benzoylecgonine, cocaethylene and norcocaine) was achieved. In addition, some other minor metabolites were easily extracted and detected.

Adult↗

[The evaluation of acute viral hepatitis seen in a regional hospital].

UNLABELLED: 40 patients have been considered (23 males and 17 females), all affected by acute viral hepatitis, over a period of two years. All where followed up using the facilities of a regional hospital. The following items were evaluated: ETIOLOGY: 23 patients (57.5%) with viral hepatitis A (HVA), 14 (35%) with viral hepatitis No A, No B (HVNANB) and 3 (7.5%) with viral hepatitis B (HVB). RISK FACTORS: we found a significative difference (P > 0.05) between HVA and the other etiologic groups. CLINICAL SYMPTOMS: the most important were jaundice, hyperthermia and asthenia. Several biological parameters where evaluated, including the Ritis Index (GOT/GPT) and prothrombin time and concentration, none correlated with the degree of liver damage. Evolution was followed: 30 patients (75%) showed the usual hepatocellular jaundice; 8 (20%) showed cholestasis and 2 (5%) were anicteric forms. Our results where comparable with those registered by other authors. We remark the high incidence of viral hepatitis A in our patients considering they where all adults.

Acute Disease↗

Melatonin administration during pregnancy retards sexual maturation of female offspring in the rat.

The influence of pineal gland function and of melatonin during pregnancy upon sexual maturation of female offspring in rats was examined. The following groups of Wistar rats were studied: (A) control, (B) melatonin treated (250 micrograms/100 g.b.w. per day) throughout pregnancy, and (c) pinealectomized (pin-x). Melatonin was injected subcutaneously 2 hr before lights off. All groups were housed in 12-hr L:12-hr D. The female offspring were observed until the onset of puberty, and blood samples were collected 5.5 hr after lights off under red light for melatonin and LH determinations by RIA. Ovary, pineal, and pituitary gland as well as body weights were recorded. The offspring of melatonin-treated rats showed later vaginal opening than did those of the other two groups (P less than 0.05 vs. control and P less than 0.01 vs. pin-x offspring), which was accompanied by a lower LH concentration, 0.42 + 0.05 ng LH/ml, showing statistically significant differences with the control levels [1.00 + 0.22 ng LH/ml (P less than 0.05)] and with the pin-x group [1.16 + 0.22 ng LH/ml (P less than 0.05)]. The percentage of rats in proestrus was higher in the offspring of pin-x rats (78.6%; P less than 0.01) compared to control offspring (30%) and offspring of melatonin-treated rats (11.8%). The concentrations of melatonin, 5.5 hr after darkness, were not significantly different among groups. No differences were observed in the body, ovarian, and pineal weights of the studied offspring. The pituitary weight was significantly lower (P less than 0.05) in the offspring of pin-x rats than in the other two groups.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

Intradermal and intramuscular route for vaccination against hepatitis B.

A recombinant hepatitis B vaccine was administered to high-risk hospital personnel by intramuscular (20 micrograms) or intradermal (2 micrograms) injections for the primary immunization (n = 69) with three doses and booster immunization (n = 51) with one dose. Basic vaccination performed intramuscularly gave rise to significantly higher seroconversion levels (97.2% versus 78.1%) and geometric mean titres of antibody (1649 versus 126 IUl-1) as compared with the intradermal route. Intradermal administration did not boost antibody titres in patients previously vaccinated intradermally. Adverse reactions were not serious or severe. The intramuscular route is recommended as the procedure of choice when vaccinating against hepatitis B.

Adult↗