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Biomedical subjects

M Pinto

Publications and source records attributed to M Pinto.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1990

Heterogeneity of laboratory test results for antiphospholipid antibodies in patients treated with chlorpromazine and other phenothiazines.

Ninety-seven psychiatric patients who have been treated with the antipsychotic drug chlorpromazine or another phenothiazine have been investigated for the presence of antiphospholipid antibodies. A variety of coagulation studies and specific antiphospholipid immunoassays were performed to define the spectrum of antigen specificity of these antibodies. Coagulation studies showed an increasing sensitivity for the lupus anticoagulant with reagents of differing phospholipid content. Prolonged activated partial thromboplastin times (APTTs) were found in five patients with the use of an insensitive APTT reagent and in 14 patients with a lower phospholipid content reagent. In every case, attempted correction of the clotting time with normal plasma was unsuccessful. Twenty-one patients had abnormal kaolin clotting time profiles. In seven of these patients, test results with both APTT reagents had been normal. Antibody reactivity was tested against three negatively charged phospholipids, phosphatidyl-serine, cardiolipin, and phosphatidylinositol. Only five patients demonstrated reactivity against phosphatidylinositol, whereas high antibody titers were observed in 28 patients against one or both of phosphatidylserine and cardiolipin. Twenty-three of these patients were found to have elevated anticardiolipin-specific IgM antibodies. Overall, 41 of the patients had at least one laboratory abnormality suggestive of antiphospholipid antibody activity. Seven of the 26 patients, taking phenothiazines other than chlorpromazine, had positive test results for antiphospholipid antibodies. No clinical thromboembolic events were recorded in any patient. These findings demonstrate the heterogeneity of antiphospholipid antibody specificity induced in patients treated with various phenothiazine drugs and indicate that none of these patterns of reactivity marks a predisposition for thromboembolism in this population.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Osteoblastomas of the cervical spine.

Osteoblastomas of the cervical spine frequently occur with anterior vertebral body involvement despite the classical teaching, which suggests that involvement is usually confined to the posterior elements. A review of osteoblastomas that involved the cervical spine was conducted at a single institution over 20 years. Four patients were identified with osteoblastoma of the cervical spine from a total of 13 spinal osteoblastomas, and their conditions were assessed to determine the anatomic extent of neoplastic involvement, the surgical margins obtained at resection, methods of spinal stabilization, and local recurrence rate. A mean follow-up time of 11.4 years was obtained. Posterior surgical extirpation of the neoplasm can successfully be accomplished with good long-term results by achieving intralesional margins. Patients with cervical spine osteoblastomas represent a separate subset from patients with other spinal osteoblastomas because of their unique appearances.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Natural autoantibodies against Tamm-Horsfall glycoprotein in normal individuals in relation to age and in adult patients with kidney diseases.

IgM and IgG natural antibodies to Tamm-Horsfall glycoprotein (THP) were found in serum samples of all healthy individuals tested by the ELISA technique. The IgM anti-THP antibody level was higher in the group 1-20 years old than the IgG anti-THP. The IgG anti-THP rose with increase in age (greater than 21 years old groups) and then the IgG and IgM anti-THP activity over aging remained constant. The natural anti-THP antibodies possess a lower degree of specificity and/or avidity than induced antibodies. The antibody titers against THP determined in 61 adult patients with chronic kidney diseases was significantly lower than that in adult controls. This low level of naturally occurring THP antibodies appears to be a general phenomenon. In these patients, diminished antibody levels appeared against a panel of self (collagen, fibronectin, THP) and non self (bovine gamma globulin (BGG), ovalbumin (OVA)) antigens as compared with normal controls. The low levels of these antibodies are not associated with a concomitant drop of IgG and IgM in their sera.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Differential roles of splanchnic and peripheral tissues in determining diurnal fluctuation of glucose tolerance.

To identify the mechanisms and the sites of the diurnal fluctuation in glucose tolerance in humans, we selectively quantitated the components of net splanchnic glucose balance, i.e., splanchnic glucose uptake and hepatic glucose output, as well as peripheral glucose uptake, by combining tritiated glucose infusion with hepatic and femoral venous catheterization. The studies were carried out in 11 healthy volunteers at 8:00 A.M. and at 6:00 P.M. on different days after 12 h of fasting. After intravenous glucose infusion (6.5 mg.kg-1.min-1 for 120 min) blood glucose rose twofold at 8:00 A.M. and threefold at 6:00 P.M. (P less than 0.01). Insulin levels did not differ significantly between the two series of tests. Splanchnic glucose balance switched from the net output of the basal state to a net uptake in both morning and afternoon studies. However, this effect was more marked at 6:00 P.M. than at 8:00 A.M. (at 60-120 min, P less than 0.05). The different pattern of splanchnic glucose balance was entirely accounted for by a greater rise in splanchnic glucose uptake in the afternoon, as the suppression of endogenous glucose output by the glucose load was practically complete in both series of studies. In contrast, glucose uptake by leg tissues increased less at 6:00 P.M. than at 8:00 A.M. (at 30-60 min, P less than 0.05; at 75 and 90 min, P less than 0.01; at 105 and 120 min, P less than 0.005). These data indicate that the mechanism responsible for the reduced glucose tolerance later in the day resides in the peripheral tissues whose ability to dispose of a glucose load is drastically decreased.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Thermal injury-induced non-specific resistance to fatal Pseudomonas aeruginosa burn-infection in mice.

Nonlethal thermal injury in mice results in rapid death by immediate injection of 10(3) viable P. aeruginosa in the skin of the burn sites. Resistance to the lethal burn combined with P. aeruginosa infection developed 24 h after initial thermal injury and reached maximal effect 7 days later; it then continued for at least 21 days. The optimal survival was achieved when the first thermal injury was made for 7 seconds at 350 degrees C. Increased resistance, but for a short period could also be obtained by injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) 1-4 days prior to the burn-P. aeruginosa infection. However, when the LPS was injected immediately after the burn-infection, the lethal effect was increased. The induction of late protection after thermal injury and bacterial infection was demonstrated with P. aeruginosa organisms only. Under similar schedule of thermal injury resistance was not induced by infection with Semliki forest virus. On the contrary viral infection increased the susceptibility of burned mice to a fatal outcome. Immune or natural antibodies were not elevated in the sera of post burn mice. Furthermore, delayed type hypersensitivity response, as evaluated by a footpad weight assay was inhibited and this inhibition persisted at least for 7 days post burn. The thymus weight and its lymphoid cell content in thermally injured mice decreased significantly 7 days post burn, whereas the weight of the spleen increased and it contained fewer lymphocytes per gram tissue. We suggest that endotoxin entering the systemic circulation post-burn might be one of the factors contributing to the early sensitivity and the late protection against the fatal P. aeruginosa burn-infection.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

[Antiemetic effect of the levo isomer of sulpiride (L-sulpiride) in humans].

Vomiting represents one of the most dangerous complications of general anesthesia. L-sulpiride has been able to control this complication very effectively. We studied the effect on vomiting of two doses of L-sulpiride (50/100 mg). Both these doses have been effective in reducing the episodes of vomiting other than in preventing nausea and retching if considered versus controls and also versus droperidol at the doses of 5 mg (50 mg L-sul = 12%, 100 mg = 4%, droperidol = 20%, controls = 28%). L-sulpiride is an antagonist of dopamine on D2 receptors therefore inhibits the action of dopamine increasing the secretion of prolactin. During the surgical distress per se prolactin levels are increased. Together with the increment of catecholamines, high concentration of prolactin can evoke arrhythmias. In view of this possibility we studied the time course of the administration of the two doses of L-sulpiride and of droperidol on prolactin secretion. Both of the drugs increased the plasma levels of prolactin. Droperidol-induced increase in prolactin secretion was significant already at ten minutes after the administration reaching the peak after 20 minutes. L-sulpiride increased prolactin secretion reaching the maximum increase 20 minutes after the administration of 50 mg of the drug, and 30 minutes after the administration of 100 mg doses. The hyperprolactinemizing action of droperidol lasts for at least 8 hours, whereas L-sulpiride action lasts 4 hours.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Translocation t(1;7) revisited. Report of three further cases and review.

Three white patients, two with myelofibrosis and one with refractory anemia, presented with a t(1;7). The clinical and cytogenetic findings are discussed in the context of 45 cases already published. Rather than the specific association of t(1;7) with a particular hematologic disorder, a review of the literature strongly suggests correlation with therapeutic or environmental exposure to toxic substances. The proposed mechanisms to explain the origin of t(1;7) are briefly reviewed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

B-cell chronic lymphatic leukemia in Hodgkin's disease. A report of two patients with unusual chromosome features.

The development of B-cell chronic lymphatic leukemia in two patients who had previously been treated for Hodgkin's disease is described. In both cases aneuploidy and multiple chromosome aberrations of hemopoietic cells were evident. In one patient these changes included a clonal 14q + abnormality in association with other complex rearrangements, interpreted as translocation abnormalities involving t(6;14), 5(1;15), and t(17;19). Although the chromosome abnormalities in the other patient were nonclonal, a 14q abnormality also was detected, namely t(14q+;18q-). Other chromosome abnormalities (all nonclonal) in the two patients included translocations involving chromosome 5 and deletion of 7q in one patient and trisomy of chromosome 8 in the other. Although these abnormalities have been associated with the presence or development of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, acute nonlymphoblastic anemia, or myelodysplastic disorders, the findings in these patients suggest that the detection of clones and potential clones with these abnormalities may be only one stage in the development of secondary malignancy.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Effects of partial hepatectomy on the immune responses in mice.

Experiments were performed to investigate the immune responses occurring as a result of partial hepatectomy (HEP) in mice. On Day 12 mice subjected to HEP showed a twofold rise in serum levels of IgG when compared with sham-operated (ShO) controls. The effects of HEP on specific antibody production following a single immunization with sheep red blood cells (SRBCs) were investigated. An early appearance of direct (IgM) splenic plaque-forming cells (PFCs) and significantly elevated indirect (IgG) PFCs were found in HEP mice. Elevated, early-appearing mercaptoethanol-resistant (IgG) hemagglutinating antibodies were also demonstrated in the sera of HEP mice. In addition to these findings our study showed that humoral and cell-mediated responses are affected by HEP in opposing fashion. Partial hepatectomy performed immediately after skin grafting suppressed a first set allograft rejection in mice. Furthermore, inhibited delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) response against SRBCs, as evaluated by a footpad weight assay, was demonstrated in HEP mice compared with the ShO controls. When SRBC-primed mice were partially hepatectomized 15 days later, they responded in a manner typical of the secondary immune response, showing an increased production of indirect (IgG) splenic PFCs. A similar anamnestic response was observed in mice sensitized with leptospiral antigen 50 days prior to HEP or exposed to carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) hepatotoxin. The mice responded by elevated serum IgG-specific antibodies as measured by solid-phase enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Since HEP induced in mice immunological disturbances similar to those associated with liver disease, it is suggested that partial hepatectomy creating liver deficiency followed by regeneration may be a useful experimental model to study the immune status of various forms of hepatic damage.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Isolation of a cDNA probe for a human jejunal brush-border hydrolase, sucrase-isomaltase, and assignment of the gene locus to chromosome 3.

We report the nucleotide sequence and derived amino acid sequence of a cDNA clone encoding most of the N-terminal, isomaltase region of human sucrase-isomaltase (SI). A plasmid containing this cDNA, pS12, identifies a 6-kb mRNA found in human jejunum and the human colon carcinoma cell line Caco-2. This human SI cDNA shows extensive overall homology with recently published rabbit SI cDNA. Using pS12 to probe DNA from a panel of somatic cell hybrids, we have assigned the gene encoding human SI to chromosome 3.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1987

Electrocardiographic changes during antihypertensive therapy in the International Prospective Primary Prevention Study in Hypertension.

In the International Prospective Primary Prevention Study in Hypertension, electrocardiographic changes before and during 3- to 5-year antihypertensive treatment were investigated in a cohort of 5819 men and women aged 40 to 64 years with entry diastolic blood pressures of 100 to 125 mm Hg. They were randomly allocated to treatment regimens that either included or excluded the slow-release beta-blocker oxprenolol. Electrocardiograms (ECGs) were assessed using the Minnesota Code and assigned to groups of normal ECGs or ECGs with pressure-related, ischemic, "intermediate," or "other" abnormalities. Antihypertensive treatment was associated with a decrease (mainly in men) of pressure-related and (mainly in women) of intermediate abnormalities. Ischemic abnormalities increased, particularly in men. Inclusion of the beta-blocker resulted in a greater reduction in intermediate abnormalities and in a lesser increase in ischemic abnormalities. Better blood pressure control was associated with a lesser increase in ischemic abnormalities and in a regression of pressure-related abnormalities. The presence of ST segment depression and of a complete left bundle branch block in the entry ECG was associated with a significant risk for sudden death and myocardial infarction. Optimal blood pressure control prevents pressure-induced cardiac target organ damage and, hence, heart failure, and may delay the progression of ischemic abnormalities. This tallies with the lower critical cardiac event rate associated with lower blood pressure that was observed in the same study.

Antihypertensive Agents↗
PubMed1986

Circulating somatostatin concentrations in healthy and cirrhotic subjects.

Plasma insulin, glucagon, somatostatin, and glucose concentrations were measured in the fasting state as well as after mixed meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) in 10 cirrhotic patients and 10 control subjects during a 24-hour period. Cirrhotic patients had fasting glucose values higher than controls (at -15 min: 5.2 +/- 0.2 mmol/L v 3.9 +/- 0.5 mmol/L, P less than 0.05; at 0 min: 5.5 +/- 0.3 mmol/L v 4.3 +/- 0.5 mmol/L, P less than 0.01). After meals blood glucose values remained higher in cirrhotics than in controls. Insulin levels did not differ between the groups in the fasting state, but cirrhotics showed a lower response to meals. Corresponding glucagon concentrations were greater in cirrhotics than in controls before and after meals throughout the 24-hour period (from -15 min to 24 hour: P less than 0.01). BAsal plasma somatostatin levels in the cirrhotic group were significantly higher than in control subjects (at -15 min and at 0 min: P less than 0.05) and further increased after meals. Plasma somatostatin was heterogeneous in normal and cirrhotic group, but the increase in its concentrations in patients with chronic liver disease was for the most part a consequence of elevations in the 1600 and 3500 molecular weight components. The half-life of exogenously infused somatostatin in cirrhotics was comparable to that of controls. These results indicate that in liver cirrhosis elevated levels of circulating somatostatin are associated with hyperglucagonemia and impaired insulin release. The high plasma somatostatin levels observed in cirrhotic patients are the result of hypersecretion of the D cell rather than impaired removal of the peptide.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Chromosome 3q21 abnormalities associated with hyperactive thrombopoiesis in acute blastic transformation of chronic myeloid leukemia.

Two patients with acute blastic transformation of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) associated with strikingly elevated platelet counts showed abnormalities of chromosome 3q in addition to the standard Philadelphia (Ph1) chromosome translocation. The first patient had an inversion of chromosome 3 (q21q26) cytologically identical to an inversion 3 previously reported in de novo acute megakaryoblastic leukemia, and the second patient showed a translocation between chromosome 3q and the chromosome 9 homologue not involved in the Ph1 translocation, [t(3;9)(q21;q34)]. Previous studies had incriminated either 3q21 or 3q26 as the locus for a regulatory thrombopoietic gene, but the current study suggests that 3q21 is the relevant site.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Chorionic villus sampling for first trimester diagnosis of beta-thalassaemia. Report of the first South African case.

The first South African report of chorionic villus sampling for molecular diagnosis of beta-thalassaemia in a 10-weeks' pregnant Indian Muslim woman is presented. The sampling procedure and molecular techniques for sexing the fetus and establishing whether it was affected by beta-thalassaemia are described. From the sample of villi obtained a male fetus was identified, using an X-Y-specific DNA probe. A preliminary family study on both parents, the affected proband and his 4 phenotypically normal siblings, revealed two informative restriction fragment length polymorphisms in the mother, but none in the father. It was therefore not possible to differentiate between the two beta-globin gene alleles of the father. The fetus thus had a 50% chance of being a heterozygote or a 50% risk of being affected. Synthetic oligonucleotide hybridization of parental and fetal DNA was attempted by the Genetics Unit of Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, but the fetal hybridization was unsuccessful. Results on the parents were obtained too late to be of assistance in the present pregnancy as the parents requested termination of the pregnancy before 16 weeks' gestation for religious reasons.

Chorionic Villi↗
PubMed1985

The intracellular accumulation of UDP-N-acetylhexosamines is concomitant with the inability of human colon cancer cells to differentiate.

The relationship between the intracellular concentration of various nucleotides as measured by high-performance liquid chromatography analysis, and the differentiation of 2 human colon cancer cell lines was studied. HT-29 cells were induced to undergo both structural and functional enterocytic differentiation (as determined by electron microscopy and the presence of brush-border specific enzymes, respectively) by changing the carbon source or adding Na butyrate to standard tissue culture media. This differentiation occurred after the cells reached confluency when they were cultured in galactose, uridine, inosine, or without nucleosides (all in the absence of glucose) and in the presence of glucose plus Na butyrate. Cells cultured in 25 mM fructose or glucose +/- nucleosides did not differentiate. In all culture conditions where HT-29 cells did not differentite, the intracellular concentrations of 2 compounds which co-migrated with UDP-N-acetylglucosamine and UDP-N-acetylgalactosamine rose approximately equal to 10-fold at confluency and remained elevated throughout the stationary phase, whereas their concentrations remained constant and low after confluency in cells that underwent differentiation. This indicated that the accumulation of these compounds is associated with the inability of these cells to differentiate since other nucleotides and nucleotide sugars did not change in a similar fashion. Purification of the presumed UDP-N-acetylhexosamines, followed by the identification of the products from their chemical and enzymatic hydrolysis, confirmed the identity of these two peaks. Nucleotide analysis of Caco-2 cells, which undergo enterocytic differentiation after they reach confluency even when cultured on glucose, revealed the same pattern of UDP-N-acetylhexosamine levels as differentiated HT-29 cells, with its concentration remaining relatively constant and very low, even after the cells were confluent. The significance of the accumulation of UDP-N-acetylhexosamines in cells unable to differentiate is discussed.

Adenocarcinoma↗