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Biomedical subjects

P Muñoz

Publications and source records attributed to P Muñoz.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed2001

[Personality changes in chronic daily headache: a study in the general population].

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The prevalence and type of personality disorders in unselected patients with chronic daily headache (CDH) are unknown. The aim of this study was to analyze the personality profile of patients with CHD is the general population. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Eighty-nine patients with CDH taken from a sample of 1,883 unselected subjects from the general population completed the EPQ-A (Eysenck Personality Questionnaire-Adult). RESULTS: Sixty percent of the patients with CDH presented a personality profile with high values in the scales measuring both the neurotic component (N scales) and the psychotic component (P scale). No significant differences were observed in the percentage of patients with high scores in these scales according to the diagnoses of transformed migraine (TM) or chronic tension headache (CTH). However, the percentage of questionnaires with high or not adapted scores was significantly greater in the patients abusing of analgesic drugs than is the non-abusers (82% versus 53%). With regard to the personality profile, we found a greater, but not significant, percentage of patients with CDH with a high grade of neuroticism in comparison with psychoticism (52% versus 36%). There were no significant differences in the personality profile between the two main subgroups of CCH, TM and CTC: 56% of the patients with TM showed high grade of neuroticism and 47% psychoticism versus 52% and 30%, respectively in the case of the patients with CTC. Sixty-eight percent of the analgesic abusers presented neurotic features and 50% psychotic features versus 47% and 32%, respectively, for the non abusers. CONCLUSIONS: There is a high percentage of subjects with CDH in the general population who present high scores in the scales measuring the two basic components of the personality, such as neuroticism and psychoticism. This personality profile is still found more frequently in patients presenting symptomatic medication abuse.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

[Folic acid ingestion and associated factors in adult women 15-44 years of age in the Valencian Community].

BACKGROUND: A low folic acid (FA) intake may increase the risk of neural tube defects (NTD). We estimated the proportion of women with a FA intake < 400 micrograms/day, at the Valencian Region, exploring those factors associated with a FA intake < 400 micrograms/day. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: Daily FA intake was estimated for 538 women aged 15 to 44 years participants in the Nutrition Survey of Valencian Region in 1994, and factors associated with an intake lower than 400 micrograms/day were analyzed. RESULTS: The average FA intake was 392 micrograms/day. A 57.6% of women presented a low FA intake. A higher prevalence of low FA intake was found among youngest women with low sports practice, low body mass index and early menarche. CONCLUSIONS: A high proportion of women with a FA intake considered at risk for NTD was observed, particularly among the youngest with low sports practice.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Antigenic characterization of Sphaerospora dicentrarchi (Myxosporea: Bivalvulida), a parasite from European sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax (Teleostei: Serranidae).

The biochemical composition of Sphaerospora dicentrarchi was studied. Periodate and Proteinase K treatments as well as lectin blots were used to analyse carbohydrate terminals. Zymography was applied to detect proteases. Four polyclonal antisera, raised against S. dicentrarchi (RaSdic), S. testicularis (RaStest), Ceratomyxa labracis (RaClab) and C. sparusaurati (RaCspr), were used in SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and immunoblot. Bands with molecular weight (MW) between 32 and 130 kDa were detected by electrophoresis. After Proteinase K treatment, apparent digestion of bands heavier than 43 kDa took place. RaSdic and RaStest detected similar bands with MW between 20 and 50 kDa, whereas RaClab and RaCspr recognized bands between 50 and 140 kDa. The 50 kDa band was recognized by all the polyclonal antisera, suggesting that it could correspond to an antigen shared by several myxosporean parasites. Four proteases were observed by zymography. From the 5 lectins assayed, binding was only observed using Con-A, which detected 2 bands of 96 and 78 kDa. Periodate treatment did not produce any effect on the binding of RaSdic and RaStest, but a high decrease of intensity in the antibody binding occurred at a concentration of 10 and 20 mM periodate when RaClab and RaCspr were tested. These results give information on the antigenic composition of S. dicentrarchi which could be useful for further diagnostic or immunoprevention studies.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Modulation of the in vitro activity of European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax L.) phagocytes by the myxosporean parasite Sphaerospora dicentrarchi (Myxosporea: Bivalvulida).

Several in vitro studies were performed to study the cellular reaction of European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax L.) against Sphaerospora dicentrarchi. Head kidney phagocytes were obtained from parasitised (P) and non-parasitised (NP) fish. The production of superoxide anion (O2-), tested by the NBT method, was higher in P than in NP fish. The addition of increasing amounts of sea bass serum (SBS) produced a gradual increment of the respiratory burst with SBS from parasitised animals (P-SBS), whereas this increment reached a plateau at lower concentration with SBS from nonparasitised ones (NP-SBS). O2- production was higher when adding NP-SBS than with P-SBS or fetal bovine serum. Heat inactivation of NP-SBS and FBS reduced the respiratory burst significantly, whereas it did not change the effect of P-SBS. The number of NBT-positive cells after particulate stimulation was significantly higher using S. dicentrarchi spores than using SRBC, but lower than with phorbol myristate acetate. Phagocytes primed overnight with spore extracts produced higher amounts of O2- than those LPS-primed or non-primed ones. A similar percentage of phagocytosis was detected using glutaraldehyde fixed spores and SRBC. Most of the phagocytes engulfed three or more SRBC, whereas most of the phagocytes engulfed only one spore. Complement mediated opsonisation by NP-SBS may occur, as the phagocytic index was reduced when the serum was heat inactivated.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Monotherapy versus combination therapy for bacterial infections.

The authors discuss the latest findings regarding the use of one or more antimicrobial drugs for a variety of infections. They offer suggestions for treatment based on a host of considerations, including the synergy and antagonism of specific drugs, type of infection, potential toxicities, and cost.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed2000

Criteria used when initiating antifungal therapy against Candida spp. in the intensive care unit.

Invasive candidiasis is a life threatening complication for intensive care unit (ICU) patients. The infection is difficult to recognise so that treatment may be delayed or even not given. Risk factors for candidiasis include the use of antimicrobial agents, central intravascular devices (mainly Hickmann catheters), recurrent gastrointestinal perforations, surgery for acute pancreatitis or splenectomy and renal dysfunction or haemodialysis. Therapy against Candida spp is recommended in ICU patients with endophthalmitis or chorioretinitis possibly caused by Candida spp., in symptomatic patients with risk factors for invasive candidiasis especially if two or more anatomical sites are colonised and for asymptomatic high-risk surgical patients (with recent abdominal surgery or recurrent gastrointestinal perforations or anastomotic leakages). The isolation of Candida from any site poses an increased risk but there are a few microbiological data that might help to establish the predictive value of a particular isolate. These include the site of isolation, the number of culture positive, noncontigous sites, the density of colonisation and the species isolated. Antifungals should be started when Candida spp. are recovered from blood cultures or from usually sterile body fluids, abscesses or wounds in burns patients. They should also be considered in patients with a colonisation index >0.5 or a corrected colonization index >0.4 or when the isolate is identified as Candida tropicalis.

Antifungal Agents↗
PubMed2000

Lung nodular lesions in heart transplant recipients.

To describe the characteristics and etiology of lung nodules after heart transplantation (HT). During a 6-year period 147 patients received HT and 130 survived more than 1 week. Nodular lesions were demonstrated after HT in 13 patients (10%). Median age was 53 years, and all patients were male. Nodules were detected 23 to 158 days after HT (median, 66 days). An etiologic diagnosis was made in all but 1 case: Aspergillus (5), Nocardia-Rhodococcus (4), and cytomegalovirus (CMV) (3). Previous severe infection was present in 50% of the patients and rejection in 33% (75% with nocardiosis). Initially all patients with Nocardia but only 1 patient with aspergillosis were asymptomatic. The most common symptoms were fever (67%) and cough (50%). Central nervous system (CNS) involvement appeared in only one Aspergillus-infected patient. An average of 1.8 diagnostic procedures per patient were performed. Median time to establish a diagnosis was 8 days (0 to 24). Median hospital stay was 36 days and reached 60 in patients with Aspergillus. No patient died, although aspergillosis, which must be suspected in the presence of dyspnea, pleuritic pain, and CNS symptoms, caused the highest morbidity. Overall diagnostic yield was 60% for transtracheal aspiration, 70% for bronchoalveolar lavage, and 75% for transthoracic aspiration. Ten percent of HT patients developed lung nodules that were mainly caused by Aspergillus, Nocardia, and CMV. The time of appearance and some clinical manifestations may suggest the etiology and may help in the empirical treatment.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Cellular and humoral immune response of European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax L.) (Teleostei: Serranidae) immunized with Sphaerospora dicentrarchi (Myxosporea: Bivalvulida).

The immune response of European sea bass after intracaelomic immunization with Sphaerospora dicentrarchi was studied. Fish were injected with S. dicentrarchi spores (DIC), with spores plus adjuvant (DIC + FCA), with adjuvant alone (FCA) or with PBS. Several parameters of the immune response were measured. Serum lysozyme increased significantly in DIC fish 1 week after immunization (p.i.) and it remained significantly higher in DIC + FCA fish 4 weeks p.i., and in DIC fish 8 weeks p.i. than in PBS-injected fish. The number of nitroblue tetrazolium-positive blood cells was significantly higher in DIC + FCA fish 1, 4 and 8 weeks p.i, but the highest values were detected 1 week p.i. The highest stimulation index was detected in phagocytes from DIC + FCA fish. The number of S. dicentrarchi antibody-secreting cells was significantly higher in DIC + FCA fish than in DIC fish. Serum from DIC and DIC + FCA fish, stained the polar capsules and the valves of S. dicentrarchi spores in immunohistochemistry. Serum antibodies could not be detected using immunoblot assay. All these results show that immunization with S. dicentrarchi resulted in the activation of the non-specific immune response, mainly 7 days p.i. A specific humoral response against the parasite was also demonstrated but it had a low magnitude.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Ultrastructural localisation of carbohydrates in four myxosporean parasites.

The existence and localisation of carbohydrates in four myxosporean parasites was investigated at transmission electron microscope, using lectin histochemistry techniques. The Myxosporea studied showed different lectin binding patterns. N-acetyl-glucosamine or its polymers were predominant in the valves of Leptotheca sp. and were also present in Sphaerospora dicentrarchi and Polysporoplasma sparis ones. Mannose and/or glucose terminals were mainly detected in S. dicentrarchi and P. sparis valves. Polar capsule walls were intensively recognised by Con-A is S. dicentrarchi and with medium intensity in P. sparis and Leptotheca sp. The polar filament was scarcely labelled except in Leptotheca sp. with BS-I. The sporoplasms of the studied parasites were stained with all the lectins tested with each myxosporea, except those of Leptotheca sp. with BS-I. Some structures of the developmental stages of Zschokkella mugilis and Leptotheca sp. were stained with BS-I. The possible role of these carbohydrate terminals found in the studied Myxosporea is discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Study of omeprazole-gamma-cyclodextrin complexation in the solid state.

The possibility of obtaining inclusion complexes between omeprazole (OME) and gamma-cyclodextrin (gamma-CD) by kneading, spray-drying, coprecipitation, and freeze-drying was evaluated. All these methods lead to the isolation of a true inclusion compound, as evidenced by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray diffractometry on powder (PXRD). Moreover, PXRD and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) afforded data concerning crystallinity and surface characteristics of the solid phases obtained. In all cases, a significant increase of the release rate with respect to the drug alone was found, and it was attributed to the formation of an inclusion compound. Among the solid phases obtained, the comprecipitated product presented the highest dissolution rate.

Anti-Ulcer Agents↗
PubMed2000

A prospective search for ocular lesions in hospitalized patients with significant bacteremia.

The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence, risk factors, and prognostic value of ocular lesions in unselected patients with bacteremia. A total of 202 bacteremic patients, 101 nonbacteremic septic patients, and 90 nonseptic control patients were compared in a prospective, controlled, observational study. Ocular lesions related to bacteremia were found in 12% of the bacteremic group, 5% of the septic group, and 2% of the control group. Ocular lesions were significantly more frequent in the bacteremic patients than in the control patients (P=.007). The severity of the clinical condition and the presence of fungemia predict independently a higher risk of ocular lesions. Mortality rates among bacteremic patients with and without ocular lesions were, respectively, 32% and 8% (P<.01; OR, 3.99). The asymptomatic nature of most ocular lesions in patients with bloodstream infections and the impossibility of amelioration in most cases lead us to recommend ophthalmologic examination for bacteremic patients only when prognostic information is needed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Blastoschizomyces capitatus infection in acute leukemia patients.

Blastoschizomyces capitatus (BC), a filamentous fungus of genus Trichosporum, is as an important opportunistic pathogen in the compromised host. Within the past 10 years, 47 cases of BC infection have been published. Most of the patients had acute leukemia (AL) or related disorders and had received chemotherapy treatment. Due to BC's resistance to currently used antifungal agents, this infection represents a therapeutic challenge and serious complication in the treatment of hematology malignancies. Here we report our experience with BC infection in four patients with acute leukemia or related disorders.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2000

The cellular mechanisms of body iron homeostasis.

Cells tightly regulate iron levels through the activity of iron regulatory proteins (IRPs) that bind to RNA motifs called iron responsive elements (IREs). When cells become iron-depleted, IRPs bind to IREs present in the mRNAs of ferritin and the transferrin receptor, resulting in diminished translation of the ferritin mRNA and increased translation of the transferrin receptor mRNA. Similarly, body iron homeostasis is maintained through the control of intestinal iron absorption. Intestinal epithelia cells sense body iron through the basolateral endocytosis of plasma transferrin. Transferrin endocytosis results in enterocytes whose iron content will depend on the iron saturation of plasma transferrin. Cell iron levels, in turn, inversely correlate with intestinal iron absorption. In this study, we examined the relationship between the regulation of intestinal iron absorption and the regulation of intracellular iron levels by Caco-2 cells. We asserted that IRP activity closely correlates with apical iron uptake and transepithelial iron transport. Moreover, overexpression of IRE resulted in a very low labile or reactive iron pool and increased apical to basolateral iron flux. These results show that iron absorption is primarily regulated by the size of the labile iron pool, which in turn is regulated by the IRE/IRP system.

Biological Transport↗
PubMed2000

Implication of the G2 checkpoint in the maintenance of genome integrity.

Checkpoints are surveillance mechanisms that block cell cycle transitions, for instance in response to DNA damage. We summarise here recent progress in the molecular characterisation of the G2 checkpoint which controls the entry into mitosis, and review new evidence which implicates deregulated expression of checkpoint proteins and proteins involved in DNA damage repair in cancer development. There now exists good evidence that individuals who have inherited mutations in genes involved in G2 checkpoint and DNA damage repair are predisposed to the development of various types of cancer, their cells having a strong tendency to accumulate additional mutations. However, the occurrence of mutations of most of these genes in sporadic tumors has yet to be analysed more accurately.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

A GEE moving average analysis of the relationship between air pollution and mortality for asthma in Barcelona, Spain.

Several studies have assessed the association between air pollution and hospital admissions or emergency room visits for asthma. Because of both the presence of missing data and the small number of observations, the relationship between air pollution and mortality for respiratory causes has been rarely analysed, and when it has, the results are very inconclusive or even inconsistent. The objective of this study is to assess the relation between levels of air pollutants (black smoke, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and ozone), meteorological variables (24th average temperature and relative humidity) and daily mortality for asthma (ICD-9 493, 2 to 45 years old) in Barcelona, Spain, during the period 1986-1989. Since the range of daily mortality for asthma (2 to 45 years old) during the period 1986-1989 was 0-1), we have preferred to consider this variable as dichotomous. First, the relationship between air pollutants, meteorological variables and daily mortality (controlled for the occurrence of asthma epidemics) was estimated using logistic regression models. As was expected, the residuals from this regression were autocorrelated, showing a complex moving average (MA) structure. If covariates were not time dependent the so-called generalized linear mixed models, could be applied. In our case the covariates vary. As a consequence the likelihood is numerically intractable because it involves the evaluation of n-fold integral. An alternative method that avoids these numerical problems is the generalized estimating equations method (GEE). It is a multivariate analogue of quasi-likelihood estimation. In the absence of a likelihood function the parameters can be estimated by solving a multivariate analogue of the quasi score function. We have modified the GEE method in this paper, allowing for a different structure in the error covariance matrix (MA). Both air pollutants and meteorological variables are related with the occurrence of a death for asthma. In this sense, nitrogen dioxide, NO(2) (ss=0.037, p<0. 05), ozone, O(3) (ss=0.021, p<0.06) and high temperature (the ss's were in the range (0.098-0.182), p<0.05) increased the probability of dying for asthma in Barcelona during the period 1986-1989.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Immunohistochemical reactivity of polyclonal antibodies against Sphaerospora testicularis and Ceratomyxa labracis (Myxosporea: Bivalvulida), with other myxosporean parasites.

Immunological staining with rabbit antibodies raised against Sphaerospora testicularis and Ceratomyxa labracis was used to characterise their specificity and their reactivity towards other fish parasites. Polar capsules and valves of S. testicularis and C. labracis were labelled with their homologous antibody and cross reaction was observed with all the myxosporean parasites assayed from marine and freshwater fish hosts. All polar capsules were stained with both antibodies, except those of Zschokkella mugilis, which were not labelled with anti-S. testicularis serum. These observations suggest that polar capsules may be very conserved structures in myxosporean parasites from different hosts.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Benfluorex improves muscle insulin responsiveness in middle-aged rats previously subjected to long-term high-fat feeding.

It has been reported that benfluorex ameliorates the insulin resistance induced by high-fat feeding when its administration is initiated at the same time as the change in diet. Here we have examined whether benfluorex reverses insulin resistance when this is established in middle-aged rats chronically maintained on a high-fat diet. Untreated 12-month-old rats that had been subjected to a high-fat diet for the last 6 months showed markedly lower insulin-induced stimulation of 2-deoxyglucose uptake by strips of soleus muscle and a reduced expression of GLUT4 glucose carriers in skeletal muscle. However, animals subjected to the same protocol but treated with benfluorex during the last month of high-fat feeding showed marked improvement in insulin-stimulated glucose transport by soleus muscle. Benfluorex treatment caused a substantial increase in the content of GLUT4 protein in white muscle; however, GLUT4 levels in red muscle remained low. Our results indicate: (i) that benfluorex treatment in middle-aged rats reverses the insulin resistance induced by high-fat feeding in soleus muscle; (ii) benfluorex is active even when it is administered once the insulin-resistant state is already established; (iii) reversion of muscle insulin resistance by benfluorex can occur independently of modifications in GLUT4 protein expression.

Aging↗