PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

S Pinto

Publications and source records attributed to S Pinto.

43 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Critical evaluation of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase levels in rheumatoid arthritis and laboratory indices of disease activity.

Fifty patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were studied to find a possible correlation between some humoral parameters, considered as indexes of the active inflammation, and serum gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGTP); 31 patients with osteoarthrosis were examined as controls. The low coefficient of correlation, obtained in subjects with RA, between GGTP and CRP, alpha 1-acid glycoprotein, fibrinogen and ESR (p less than 0.05) seems to indicate that measurement of this enzyme is of little practical value as an index of the activity of RA. Furthermore, the resulting correlations between serum GGTP and other liver function tests in relation to anti-inflammatory and sedative therapy in patients with RA are considered.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Activity of dipyrone on intraplatelet arachidonic acid metabolism: an in vitro study.

The effects of dipyrone on platelet cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase were investigated in vitro by the study of 1-14C arachidonic acid (AA) conversion by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) on washed platelets at seven different drug concentrations (from 5 to 300 micrograms/ml). The effects of dipyrone on thromboxane (TX) B2 generation from endogenous AA were also studied in platelet-rich plasma and in washed platelets by radioimmunoassay. In the study of 1-14C AA metabolism the inhibitory concentration (IC) 50 for TXB2 was 40 micrograms/ml. However, at the lowest drug concentration (5 micrograms/ml) a slight but significant inhibition was found (25.3%, P less than 0.001) and a complete one at 300 micrograms/ml. A relationship between TXB2 inhibition and log drug concentration was found (r = 0.97, P less than 0.001). Lipoxygenase (LO) activity showed an increase of 45.9% at 20 micrograms/ml and of 251.5% at the highest concentration (r = 0.97, P less than 0.001). The inhibition of TXB2 generation from endogenous AA by washed platelets was of the same order of magnitude of the inhibition of TXB2 production from exogenous 1-14C AA. Our results indicate that dipyrone affects intraplatelet AA metabolism at very low concentrations, however its activity, on a molar ratio basis, appears to be lower than that of other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Treatment of renovascular disease and of renovascular hypertension.

Treatment of occlusive lesions of renal arteries, defined as renovascular disease (RVD), is aimed both at preventing ischemic renal disease (IRD) and rescuing renal function through revascularization procedures, such as PTRA, endovascular stenting and surgical revascularization, as well as curing or improving hypertension in the presence of renovascular hypertension (RVH), i.e. hypertension caused by these vascular lesions. Preventive treatment of IRD is still an individual decision making process based on the type of renal lesions, degree of renal stenosis and progressive loss of renal mass as well as on immediate and late technical success of revascularization procedures together with their rate of complications. Rescue of renal function and-or prediction of the outcome of renal function after successful revascularization depends not only on the possibility of clarifying whether the decrease in renal function is a functioning-reversible phenomenon linked to renal hypoperfusion but also on the potential risk that the revascularization procedure may induce irreversible kidney damage. The rationale for treating RVH through revascularization procedures derives from the possibility of establishing a pathogenetic link between the occlusive lesions and hypertension, mainly through renal vein renin measurement and captopril renography and possibly their combination. Finally, medical treatment of hypertension is needed in patients who cannot undergo or refuse revascularization and whose blood pressure is not normalized by these procedures.

Humans↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Increased thrombin generation in normal pregnancy.

The aim of this longitudinal study was to evaluate whether an increased thrombin generation takes place in normal pregnancy by determining fibronopeptide A plasma concentration in 24 women at three stages of gestation. The activity of the main blood clotting inhibitors, antithrombin III and protein C., and platelet agregability were also investigated. Our study showed a significant rise of fibrinopeptide A plasma levels already manifest at the first trimester. Antithrombin III activity was found to slightly but significantly decrease during pregnancy, whereas protein C levels showed a moderate, significant increase. A slight platelet activation was observed in the second and third trimester. These findings indicate that during pregnancy a new equilibrium of blood clotting system arises, shifted to a hypercoagulable state which leads to the increased risk of thromboembolism observed in pregnancy.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[A resurgence of rheumatic fever. New causes or old attitudes?].

Bearing in mind that in the last years there has been an increase in rheumatic fever episodes, the authors evaluate the cases recently observed in the department. The data of 3 children born and living in Portugal, the first known outbreak of rheumatic fever observed between June 93 and March 94, were examined. One case presented polyarthritis, another polyarthritis and carditis and the third chorea and carditis. In just one case was the diagnosis of rheumatic fever considered in the beginning, and over-all, failures in the diagnosis and treatment of tonsillitis, and in echocardiographic diagnosis were detected. In view of these examples, the authors conclude that the increasing incidence and morbidity of rheumatic fever is more probably due to forgetfulness of old attitudes than to new causes. Delay in the diagnosis and errors in secondary prophylaxis may influence long term results.

Child↗