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Biomedical subjects

S Sampaio

Publications and source records attributed to S Sampaio.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

Body composition assessed by impedance changes very early with declining renal graft function.

BACKGROUND: Kidney transplant (Tx) restores renal filtration, although it does not achieve the function of two native kidneys, and with time it may variably involute back to chronic renal failure. We hypothesized that bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) might highlight differences for body compartments among Tx with different filtration rates, and we compared them with healthy controls. METHODS: 38 Tx patients (25 males, 13 females) were studied at 75.9 +/- 37.8 months postsurgery and divided into three groups: good creatinine clearance (CrCl, ml/min/1.73 m2; > 65.0), borderline (35.0 < CrCl < 60.0) and bad (CrCl < 35.0). BIA was assessed three times in a year. Total body water, extracellular water (ECW), intracellular water (ICW), Na:K exchange rate (Nae:Ke) and phase angle were studied. Healthy (n = 11) and hemodialysis (n = 11) groups were also studied. RESULTS: BIA showed no differences between healthy controls and good Tx while both borderline and bad Tx presented a significantly higher ECW and lower ICW than either good Tx or normal controls. Only good CrCl was different from predialysis. CONCLUSIONS: A good kidney graft manages to restore and maintain normal body composition, even with potential disturbances brought about by steroids and cyclosporine. With mild renal dysfunction a change in body compartments was observed, moving towards the composition of that with chronic renal failure patients.

Adult↗

The PORtromb Project: prothrombin G20210A mutation and venous thromboembolism in young people.

Recently a new identified genetic variant in the 3'-untranslated region of the prothrombin gene (G20210A allele) associated with increased plasma prothrombin levels has been linked to an increased risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE). To determine the importance of this G20210A allele as a causative risk factor for VTE in the general population, we analysed the data of an epidemiologic investigation on thrombophilia in young people, the Oporto Thrombophilia Study (PORtromb). Forty cases (mean age: 27 yr old) with a first episode of VTE under 40 yr old, and 100 healthy subjects, were evaluated. Heterozygosity for the G20210A allele was present in 12.5% of VTE cases and in 5% of controls, indicating a possible marginal increase of VTE risk in carriers of the allele (odds ratio: 2.71: 95% CI 0.74-9.95).

3' Untranslated Regions↗

Microemulsion cyclosporin formulation, in contrast to the old formulation, widens the T lymphocyte subsets differences between stable and acute rejection of kidney transplants.

BACKGROUND: The new cyclosporin (CsA) formulation, Neoral, has different pharmacokinetics compared with Sandimmune (SIM). Larger area under the curve (AUC) values with equivalent trough blood values are reached when Neoral is administered at equivalent doses to SIM. Previously, we showed a great diagnostic reliability when using cytofluorometric analysis from fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) samples. We investigated possible changes brought about by Neoral on lymphocyte subsets and the repercussions on the activation score cut-off for acute rejection, defined under SIM treatment. METHODS: Of 63 patients that received SIM, 40 remained rejection-free and 23 suffered one episode of rejection. Of 52 patients that received Neoral, 38 remained rejection-free. Peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) and lymphocytes from FNAB taken on days 7 and 14 post-transplantation and on the first day of acute rejection were analysed by flow cytometry. RESULTS: Trough blood CsA levels were not different between SIM and Neoral treatments. Among rejection-free patients, a significant down-regulation of CD3DR and of CD8DR expression on both graft-infiltrating lymphocytes (GIL) and PBL, and significant up-regulation of naïve T cells on GIL were observed with Neoral. These changes were followed by a significant down-regulation of the activation score with Neoral. Conversely, within the acute rejection group, the activation score was significantly higher with Neoral than with SIM. The activation score performed equally well in Neoral transplants compared with what we had reported with SIM. CONCLUSIONS: Our study indicates that Neoral elicits stronger immunosuppressive effects in stable patients, which eventually should translate into better clinical efficiency. However, when acute rejection supervenes, the treatment breakthrough seems stronger with Neoral. Cytofluorometric studies from FNAB samples showed that diagnostic reliability was maintained at a high level under Neoral therapy.

Antigens, CD↗

A specific T-cell receptor genotype preference in the immune response to a synthetic Plasmodium falciparum malaria vaccine.

In recent studies with 63 and 122 volunteers vaccinated with the SPf 66 synthetic malaria vaccine, specific antibody patterns were classified as high or low responders. Using the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), a specific and selective preference was shown for the V beta arrangement of the T-cell receptor in the high responder group involving the V beta-8 gene. The low responder group showed the rearrangement of a different set of genes, and a particular association with V beta-10.

Animals↗

Substrate specificity of anti-epithelial antibodies of pemphigus vulgaris and pemphigus foliaceus sera in immunofluorescence tests on monkey and guinea pig esophagus sections.

The indirect immunofluorescent (IF) reactivity of the pemphigus antibodies in sera of 21 cases of pemphigus vulgaris (PV), 15 cases of pemphigus foliaceus (PF), and 14 cases of Brazilian PF (BPF) was compared on 2 substrates, notably monkey esophagus (ME) sections and guinea pig esophagus (GPE) sections. The IF reactions of the pemphigus antibodies of PV could be distinguished from those of PF or BPF by differences in their reactivity on ME and GPE sections in 98% of the cases examined in this study. In most cases, the pemphigus antibodies of PV cases gave higher titers and stronger IF staining reactions on ME sections, while those of PF and BPF cases gave stronger reactions on GPE sections. In addition, most (13 of 21) PV sera react with the lowest 3-4 cell layers of ME sections, while most (13 of 15) PF sera failed to do so but did react with the upper layers of the sections. Importantly, in 8 of the 50 cases examined by IF, the choice of substrate affected the detectability of the pemphigus antibodies, i.e., 4 of 15 PF and 2 of 14 BPF sera reacted only with GPE and 2 of 21 PV sera reacted only on ME. These research findings point to the need for an evaluation of the combined use of ME and GPE in routine diagnostic studies of pemphigus antibodies.

Animals↗

Nutritional status and body composition evolution in early post-renal transplantation: is there a female advantage?

OBJECTIVE: Chronic renal failure is associated with metabolic derangements, affecting proteins, amino acids, and lipids. Usually these patients follow a restricted diet. Kidney transplant patients enjoy a recovery of renal function, but their therapeutics may entail significant changes in general metabolism. We compare the anthropometric results during the first 3 months after successful transplant for male and female patients versus a healthy group. METHODS: Eighteen patients (11 men and 7 women) were studied. Anthropometry was assessed before and at month 1 and month 3 posttransplant including body weight (Wt), body mass index (BMI), triceps (TSF), biceps (BSF), subscapular (SCSF), and suprailiac skinfolds (SISF), midarm circumference (MAC), midarm muscle circumference (MAMC), corrected arm muscle area (CT.AMA), total body muscle mass (MM), body density (D), fat mass (FM), and fat-free mass (FFM). The healthy group was evaluated three times in the first year. RESULTS: Pretransplant men showed lower Wt, BMI, TSF, BSF, SCSF, SISF, MAC, MAMC, CT.AMA, MM, FM and FFM than controls, while women displayed no differences from controls. By the third month, men showed only a partial recovery and women higher TSF and SCSF than controls. CONCLUSIONS: Uremic men before transplant displayed undernutrition indices. During the first 3 months posttransplant men showed an incomplete recovery of anthropometric parameters. Quite differently, women started close to normal and had significantly increased body weight and fat content posttransplant. We suggest that nutritional requirements post-kidney grafting may be significantly different among male compared to female patients.

Adipose Tissue↗