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Biomedical subjects

S Aquino

Publications and source records attributed to S Aquino.

11 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Occupational exposures to bloodborne pathogens among healthcare workers in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Healthcare workers (HCWs) frequently face the risk of occupational infection from bloodborne pathogens following exposure to blood and body fluids. This study describes the results of a surveillance system of occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogens among HCWs in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, during an eight-year period. A total of 15 035 exposures reported from 537 health units were reviewed. Six circumstances comprised nearly 70% of the reported exposures: recapping needles (14%), performing surgical procedures or handling surgical equipment (14%), handling trash (13%), during disposal into sharps containers (13%), performing percutaneous venepuncture (10%) and during blood drawing (5%). Easily preventable exposures, such as incidents related to recapping needles, handling trash, and sharps left in an inappropriate place, represented 30% of the exposures reported. Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) was initiated for 46% of exposed HCWs. Although Brazilian guidelines indicate that PEP is usually not recommended for exposures with insignificant or very low risk of HIV infection, PEP was prescribed to a large proportion of exposed HCWs under these circumstances. The prevention of occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogens among HCWs and their safety must be considered as a public health issue. Although infection-preventative measures such as antiretroviral drugs and rapid tests are available, this study shows that there are still a high number of easily preventable exposures. The implementation of more effective prevention strategies is urgently required in this country.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Monitoring molecular response by BCR-ABL, JH and WT-1 in Ph+ all treated with imatinib containing regimen: preliminary report of two cases.

We carried out sequential molecular monitoring of different markers on two BCR-ABL positive ALL patients receiving a standard dose induction regimen, which was followed by a maintenance therapy that alternated imatinib and chemotherapy administration. Molecular study was performed at diagnosis, at the end of the induction phase, and then every three months during maintenance therapy. Each marrow sample underwent BCR-ABL analysis (p210 and p190 expression by RT-PCR and Real-time PCR) and monoclonal JH rearrangement analysis, while WT1 gene expression was detected by Real-time PCR. At diagnosis we detected high WT1 expression associated with the presence of both BCR-ABL transcripts and monoclonal JH rearrangement in both patients. Hematological remission, as well as a molecular status characterized by undetectable BCR-ABL expression, normal levels of WT1 expression, and persistence of monoclonal JH rearrangement, were achieved by both patients post-therapy. Follow up of patient 1 showed a progressive increase in WT-1 and in p-190 transcript, which was followed by cytogenetic and hematological relapse. We observed a progressive increase in the p210 transcript without a concomitant increase in WT-1 levels in patient 2. JH rearrangement was detected in all the samples analyzed. The molecular results may indicate the persistence of JH rearranged clonal cells with undetectable BCR-ABL. From a clinical point of view, our preliminary experience suggests that simultaneous analysis of BCR-ABL, JH and WT-1 expression may improve the study of MRD in Ph+ ALL.

Aged↗
PubMed2001

How do the atypical antipsychotics work?

Understanding the action of atypical antipsychotics is useful in exploring the pathophysiology of schizophrenia and in synthesizing drugs that improve various domains of psychopathology without unwanted side effects. In animal models, atypical antipsychotic drugs appear to have a preferential action in the limbic dopaminergic system. Regionally specific action has been studied by measuring the amount of Fos protein produced in a particular brain region as a consequence of a drug's effects on the c-fos gene. Evidence suggests that the atypical and typical antipsychotic drug-induced increases in Fos levels in the nucleus accumbens are related to improvements in positive symptoms, whereas Fos increases in the prefrontal cortex, with the atypical antipsychotics only, correlate with negative symptom improvement. The extrapyramidal effects seen with typical antipsychotics are thought to be related to Fos increases in the striatonigral pathway. However, studies of Fos levels in specific brain regions reveal only the site of action, not the mode of action. The finding that atypicality is related to surmountable D2 dopamine receptor blocking provides another venue to define and explore atypical antipsychotic drug action.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Metastases to the human mandible.

Two clinical cases are reported of mandibular swelling caused by metastatic jaw neoplasms. They analyse. The clinical characteristics of the swelling are analysed and all laboratory and radiographic tests performed are examined. It is concluded that metastatic localisations in the maxillofacial bone are very rare, but that the mandible is certainly the most frequent site. The authors also highlight the fact that the presence of metastatic lesions in the jaw may be the first symptom of the neoplastic disease.

Aged↗
PubMed1997

[Fibrous dysplasia of the maxillofacial bones. Clinical considerations].

OBJECTIVE: After a wide survey of the literature, the results of a clinical-statistic study carried out on twelve cases of maxillo-facial bones fibrous dysplasia, diagnosed and treated at the Oral and Maxillo-Facial Surgery Department of the II University of Naples, are reported. EXPERIMENTAL ASSAY: Retrospective study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All the patients examined showed fibro-osseus lesions involving the mandible in eight cases, the maxilla in three cases and the frontal bone in one case. Seven patients were females and five males, aged between nine and seventy-two years. The surgical treatment was carried out on eleven patients: four cases were treated by complete surgical excision of the fibro-osseous lesions and seven cases by a conservative removal of the portion of the lesion contributing to the bone deformity. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: All cases examined involved maxillo-facial skeleton structures as a sole localization, confirming that the polyostotic forms are more infrequent than the maxillary monostotic ones. The distribution of the cases according to age classes and lesion localization showed a higher incidence of fibrous dysplasia in the third decade of life and a clear predilection for the mandible. The observation of active lesions in old age shows that the disease may evolve also after the growth. The cases treated by radical excision of the lesions have not been followed from relapse; on the contrary three of the seven cases treated by conservative excision relapsed after a few years.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Differential induction of hematopoiesis and immune suppressor cells in the bone marrow versus in the spleen by Lewis lung carcinoma variants.

Mice bearing large (greater than or equal to 3 g) metastatic and nonmetastatic Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) tumors were studied to determine if the tumor variants differentially induced bone marrow versus splenic hematopoiesis and the appearance of hematopoiesis-associated immune suppressor cells. The metastatic LLC-C3 and nonmetastatic LLC-C8 tumors were equal in their stimulatory effects in vivo on both the number of bone marrow myeloid progenitor cells (CFU) and the appearance of bone marrow immune suppressor cells. In contrast, the tumor variants differed in their effects on the spleen, with the metastatic tumors causing a more pronounced increase in the number of nucleated cells and CFU, a reduced blastogenic responsiveness to concanavalin (Con-A), and an increased suppressor cell activity than nonmetastatic LLC-C8 tumors. The splenic suppressor cells of mice bearing large LLC-C3 tumors resembled the bone marrow suppressor cells which we previously described (Young et al.: Cancer Res. 47, 100, 1987) in that they were nonadherent to nylon wool, sensitive to treatment with L-leucine methyl ester, insensitive to treatment with complement and Thy-1.2, MG-1.2, asialo-GM1, or anti-IgM antibodies, and mediated their suppression through a mechanism which was only partially indomethacin sensitive. The stimulatory effects on hematopoiesis and suppressor cells by the LLC variant tumors may have been mediated by the tumor-derived colony stimulating factor (CSF) activities. Bone marrow cell proliferation and colony formation were stimulated in vitro by culture supernatants of metastatic LLC-C3 cells and, to a lesser degree, of nonmetastatic LLC-C8 cells. These colony-stimulating factor (CSF)-containing supernatants also induced normal bone marrow cells to become immune suppressive. In contrast, supernatants of only LLC-C3 cells, and not of LLC-C8 cells, stimulated in vitro growth of splenic CFU from LLC-C3-bearing mice; spleen cells from normal mice and from LLC-C8 bearers were unresponsive to supernatants of the LLC variants. These results suggest that CSF produced by either the metastatic LLC-C3 or the nonmetastatic LLC-C8 tumors could concurrently stimulate bone marrow hematopoiesis and the appearance of bone marrow suppressor cells. However, the metastatic LLC-C3 tumor cells, and not the nonmetastatic LLC-C8 cells, could also cause expansion of progenitor cells and hematopoiesis to the spleen and, consequently, induce the appearance in the spleen of hematopoiesis-associated immune suppressor cells.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Vascular relaxing effects of bumetanide.

Bumetanide reduced basal tension of resting carotid arteries as well as tonic contraction elicited by 36 mM of KCl, KNO3 and 0.1 mM norepinephrine but had little effect on phasic response to norepinephrine and angiotensin II. Bumetanide was much more active against norepinephrine than KCl, KNO3 and its effect was not reduced by propranolol. These findings establish a distinction between bumetanide and the Ca antagonists, which do not affect basal tension but selectively inhibit potassium (K+) contracture. On the contrary, this compound resembles the nitrocompounds in that vascular relaxation does not require the integrity of endothelium but is abolished by methylene blue. These two common traits support the view that the increased synthesis of cyclic GMP secondary to guanylate cyclase activation may be directly involved in the vasodilating properties of the drug.

Angiotensin II↗