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Biomedical subjects

M Lerma

Publications and source records attributed to M Lerma.

10 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

[Activity of cefpodoxime and other oral beta-lactams against Haemophilus influenzae and Streptococcus pneumoniae with different susceptibilities to penicillin].

This study explores the influence on the intrinsic activity of different oral beta-lactams of beta-lactamase production in Haemophilus influenzae and penicillin resistance in Streptococcus pneumoniae. Three substudies were performed: a) a general susceptibility study, analyzing 550 strains received by the Spanish Laboratorio de Referencia de Neumococos throughout February and March 2005; b) a study on the influence of penicillin resistance on the activity of beta-lactams, analyzing 251 penicillin-susceptible strains (MIC or=2 mg/l) randomly chosen among those received by the Spanish Laboratorio de Referencia de Neumococos throughout 2005; and c) an H. influenzae susceptibility study analyzing 150 strains received by Instituto Valenciano de Microbiologia throughout 2005. A total of 71% of S. pneumoniae strains were susceptible to penicillin, 21% exhibited intermediate resistance and 8% strains presented full resistance. H. influenzae beta-lactamase production rate was 18.6%. Of the non-beta-lactamase-producing strains, 3% were not susceptible to ampicillin. Cefpodoxime and cefixime exhibited the highest intrinsic activity against H. influenzae, while amoxicillin and cefpodoxime were the most active compounds against S. pneumoniae. All H. influenzae strains were susceptible to oral cephalosporins and amoxicillin/clavulanic acid. The increase in penicillin resistance in S. pneumoniae influenced cefixime, cefaclor and cefuroxime to a higher degree than amoxicillin and cefpodoxime.

Ceftizoxime↗
PubMed2002

Epidemiology of invasive streptococcus pneumoniae infections in children in Spain, 1996-1998.

BACKGROUND: Streptococcus pneumoniae is a significant cause of meningitis and septicemia in early infancy, being associated to a high case-fatality rates and serious sequelae. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the burden of invasive disease caused by S. pneumoniae in Valencia, Spain, during a three-year period (1996-1998). METHODS: Hospital-based prospective active surveillance program for invasive bacterial diseases in children < or = 15 years of age in Valencia, from December 1, 1995 to January 1999. RESULTS: A total of 94 cases of invasive pneumococcal disease were detected in patients < or = 15 years of age. The overall annual incidence of invasive pneumococcal disease was 4.6/100,000 persons, < or = 15 years of age. The incidence of invasive disease and meningitis was higher among children younger than 2 years of age (16.8 and 3.8, respectively). Serotypes 19, 14 and 6 accounted for 83% of the isolates. CONCLUSIONS: The age distribution of invasive pneumococcal disease and meningitis shows a peak in the first two years of life and a decline thereafter. Serotypes 19, 14 and 6 are those primarily responsible for invasive pneumococcal disease in children of this region of Spain.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Epidemiological pattern of meningococcal disease in Valencia, Spain. Impact of a mass immunization campaign with meningococcal C polysaccharide vaccine.

The objective of this study was to define the epidemiological pattern of meningococcal disease in the autonomous region of Valencia, Spain, and the impact of a mass immunization campaign against serogroup C meningococcus. Data were obtained from a prospective surveillance program for invasive bacterial diseases in children < 15 y of age that began in the Valencia region on 1 December, 1995. During the period 1996-98, 213 cases of meningococcal disease were detected, representing an annual incidence of 11.3/100,000 children < 15 y. Serogroup C accounted for 31% and 38.5% of cases in 1996 and 1997, respectively (annual incidences of 2.9 and 5.4 cases/100,000 children < 15 y). An immunization campaign with the meningococcal C polysaccharide vaccine, which included all persons between 18 months and 19 y of age, began in late 1997 (vaccination coverage of 86%). In 1998, the annual incidence of meningococcal C disease fell to 1.4 cases per 100,000 children < 15 y of age. These results mirror the increase in the reported incidence of serogroup C meningococcal disease in Spain in the 1990s, a trend that was reversed after the introduction of the mass vaccination campaign. Meningococcal polysaccharide vaccine seems to be an effective public health tool for the management of this serious communicable disease.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Seasonal changes in peripheral blood leukocyte functions of the turtle Mauremys caspica and their relationship with corticosterone, 17-beta-estradiol and testosterone serum levels.

We have studied the most representative functions of lymphocytes such as adherence to substrate, mobility directed to a chemoattractant gradient (chemotaxis), proliferative response to mitogens and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC), as well as natural killer (NK) activity in peripheral blood cells from the turtle Mauremys caspica, and the seasonal changes of these functions in both female and male animals. The plasma levels of steroid hormones were determined to study their relationship with the immune functions. Our results show high chemotaxis, lymphoproliferative response and ADCC as well as NK activity in winter when the levels of corticosterone, testosterone and 17-beta-estradiol were depleted. Proliferative responses to phytohaemagglutinin (PHA), concanavalin A (Con A) and pokeweed mitogen (PWM) were increased in spring correlating with low levels of corticosterone and testosterone in middle and late spring. In summer, the proliferative response was decreased but adherence, chemotaxis, ADCC and NK activity were increased, although steroid hormones showed high plasma levels. In autumn, a depletion of both the hormone levels and the immune response were found except for adherence to substrate. The immune functions studied were strikingly influenced by the seasonal cycle, which induced a different pattern of response depending on the function analyzed. Moreover, these immune cells showed a different degree of dependence on steroids in relation to the function and the season considered, suggesting the existence of other factors that modulate the immune response studied.

Animals↗