ABSTRACT
INSL3 (insulin-like peptide 3) is a relaxin peptide family member expressed by Leydig cells in the vertebrate testis. In mammals, INSL3 mediates testicular descent during embryogenesis but information on its function in adults is limited. In fish, the testes remain in the body cavity, although the insl3 gene is still expressed, suggesting yet undiscovered, evolutionary older functions. Anti-Müllerian hormone (Amh), in addition to inhibiting spermatogonial differentiation and androgen release, inhibits the Fsh (follicle-stimulating hormone)-induced increase in insl3 transcript levels in zebrafish testis. Therefore, the two growth factors might have antagonistic effects. We examine human INSL3 (hINSL3) effects on zebrafish germ cell proliferation/differentiation and androgen release by using a testis tissue culture system. hINSL3 increases the proliferation of type A undifferentiated (Aund) but not of type A differentiating (Adiff) spermatogonia, while reducing the proliferation of Sertoli cells associated with proliferating Aund. Since the area occupied by Aund decreases and that of Adiff increases, we conclude that hINSL3 recruits Aund into differentiation; this is supported by the hINSL3-induced down-regulation of nanos2 transcript levels, a marker of single Aund spermatogonia in zebrafish and other vertebrates. Pulse-chase experiments with a mitosis marker also indicate that hINSL3 promotes spermatogonial differentiation. However, hINSL3 does not modulate basal or Fsh-stimulated androgen release or growth factor transcript levels, including those of amh. Thus, hINSL3 seems to recruit Aund spermatogonia into differentiation, potentially mediating an Fsh effect on spermatogenesis.
Subject(s)
Aging/physiology , Cell Differentiation/drug effects , Insulin/pharmacology , Proteins/pharmacology , Spermatogonia/cytology , Zebrafish/growth & development , Aging/drug effects , Androgens/metabolism , Animals , Bromodeoxyuridine/metabolism , Cell Proliferation/drug effects , Cell Shape/drug effects , Follicle Stimulating Hormone/metabolism , Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental/drug effects , Humans , Male , Protein Transport/drug effects , RNA, Messenger/genetics , RNA, Messenger/metabolism , Sertoli Cells/cytology , Sertoli Cells/drug effects , Sertoli Cells/metabolism , Testis , Zebrafish/geneticsABSTRACT
Peginterferon alfa plus ribavirin is currently the treatment of choice for chronic hepatitis C. Peginterferon alfa-2a (40KD) plus ribavirin has given an overall sustained virological response of 18% in F3/F4 previous nonresponder US patients. We evaluated the effectiveness of peginterferon alfa-2a (40KD) plus ribavirin in Brazilian patients who were relapsers or nonresponders to previous interferon-based therapy. One-hundred-thirty-four patients with biopsy-proven chronic hepatitis C, HCV RNA positive, elevated ALT and who were either relapsers (n=37) or nonresponders (n=97) to at least 24 weeks of conventional interferon/ribavirin therapy were retreated with peginterferon alfa-2a (40KD) 180mg/qw and ribavirin 800 mg bid for 48 weeks. Efficacy was assessed as virological response (defined as undetectable HCV RNA) at the end of treatment (EoT) and at the end of follow-up (SVR - Sustained Virological Response). Safety assessments consisted of clinical and laboratory evaluations. In the patient sample, 72% were genotype 1 and 34% were cirrhotic. In an intention-to-treat analysis, relapser patients showed 78% EoT response and 51% SVR. Nonresponders showed 57% EoT response and 26% SVR. Positive predictive factors of SVR were non-1 genotype and relapser state. Six percent of the patients interrupted treatment because of adverse events and 45% had dose reduction (mainly associated with leucopenia and anemia). Brazilian patient relapsers and nonresponders to conventional interferon and ribavirin treatment can achieve a sustained virological response when retreated with peginterferon alfa-2a (40KD) and ribavirin. The safety profile is similar to that of naive patients.
Subject(s)
Antiviral Agents/administration & dosage , Hepatitis C, Chronic/drug therapy , Interferon-alpha/administration & dosage , Polyethylene Glycols/administration & dosage , Ribavirin/administration & dosage , Adult , Aged , Antiviral Agents/adverse effects , Drug Therapy, Combination , Female , Genotype , Hepacivirus/drug effects , Hepacivirus/genetics , Humans , Interferon alpha-2 , Interferon-alpha/adverse effects , Male , Middle Aged , Polyethylene Glycols/adverse effects , RNA, Viral/analysis , Recombinant Proteins , Retreatment , Ribavirin/adverse effects , Treatment Outcome , Viral LoadABSTRACT
Peginterferon alfa plus ribavirin is currently the treatment of choice for chronic hepatitis C. Peginterferon alfa-2a (40KD) plus ribavirin has given an overall sustained virological response of 18 percent in F3/F4 previous nonresponder US patients. We evaluated the effectiveness of peginterferon alfa-2a (40KD) plus ribavirin in Brazilian patients who were relapsers or nonresponders to previous interferon-based therapy. One-hundred-thirty-four patients with biopsy-proven chronic hepatitis C, HCV RNA positive, elevated ALT and who were either relapsers (n=37) or nonresponders (n=97) to at least 24 weeks of conventional interferon/ribavirin therapy were retreated with peginterferon alfa-2a (40KD) 180mg/qw and ribavirin 800mg bid for 48 weeks. Efficacy was assessed as virological response (defined as undetectable HCV RNA) at the end of treatment (EoT) and at the end of follow-up (SVR - Sustained Virological Response). Safety assessments consisted of clinical and laboratory evaluations. In the patient sample, 72 percent were genotype 1 and 34 percent were cirrhotic. In an intention-to-treat analysis, relapser patients showed 78 percent EoT response and 51 percent SVR. Nonresponders showed 57 percent EoT response and 26 percent SVR. Positive predictive factors of SVR were non-1 genotype and relapser state. Six percent of the patients interrupted treatment because of adverse events and 45 percent had dose reduction (mainly associated with leucopenia and anemia). Brazilian patient relapsers and nonresponders to conventional interferon and ribavirin treatment can achieve a sustained virological response when retreated with peginterferon alfa-2a (40KD) and ribavirin. The safety profile is similar to that of naive patients.
Subject(s)
Adult , Aged , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Antiviral Agents/administration & dosage , Hepatitis C, Chronic/drug therapy , Interferon-alpha , Polyethylene Glycols/administration & dosage , Ribavirin/administration & dosage , Antiviral Agents/adverse effects , Drug Therapy, Combination , Genotype , Hepacivirus/drug effects , Hepacivirus/genetics , Interferon-alpha , Polyethylene Glycols/adverse effects , Retreatment , RNA, Viral/analysis , Ribavirin/adverse effects , Treatment Outcome , Viral LoadABSTRACT
Objetivos: conocer el estado nutricional de los pacientes que ingresan al hospital a través de un tamizaje nutricional. Determinar el día de inicio de la alimentación. Relacionar días medios de internación según estado nutricional y patología de base. Material y método: se estudiaron en forma prospectiva todos los pacientes ingresados en la salas de clínica médica (n:453) durante un período de tres meses. A través de una planilla se registraron los siguientes datos: fecha de ingreso y egreso; edad; sexo; diagnóstico de ingreso; peso; talla; día de inicio de la alimentación. Para evaluar el estado nutricional se tomó como patrón de referencia las tablas de NCHs/OMS y la clasificación del mismo se realizó en base a los criterios de Waterlow. Resultados: evaluaron 453 pacientes. El tamizaje nutricional mostró que el 47 por ciento de los pacientes al ingresar al hospital eran eutróficos y el 53 por ciento restante presentó algún grado de malnutrición: desnutrición aguda Iº (15 por ciento), desnutrición aguda IIº (8 por ciento), desnutrición aguda IIIº (3 por ciento); desnutrición crónica Iº (9,5 por ciento)...(AU)
Subject(s)
Humans , Child, Preschool , Adolescent , Child , Infant, Newborn , Infant , Nutritional Status , Child, Hospitalized , Nutrition AssessmentABSTRACT
Objetivos: conocer el estado nutricional de los pacientes que ingresan al hospital a través de un tamizaje nutricional. Determinar el día de inicio de la alimentación. Relacionar días medios de internación según estado nutricional y patología de base. Material y método: se estudiaron en forma prospectiva todos los pacientes ingresados en la salas de clínica médica (n:453) durante un período de tres meses. A través de una planilla se registraron los siguientes datos: fecha de ingreso y egreso; edad; sexo; diagnóstico de ingreso; peso; talla; día de inicio de la alimentación. Para evaluar el estado nutricional se tomó como patrón de referencia las tablas de NCHs/OMS y la clasificación del mismo se realizó en base a los criterios de Waterlow. Resultados: evaluaron 453 pacientes. El tamizaje nutricional mostró que el 47 por ciento de los pacientes al ingresar al hospital eran eutróficos y el 53 por ciento restante presentó algún grado de malnutrición: desnutrición aguda I° (15 por ciento), desnutrición aguda II° (8 por ciento), desnutrición aguda III° (3 por ciento); desnutrición crónica I° (9,5 por ciento)...
Subject(s)
Humans , Child, Preschool , Adolescent , Child , Infant, Newborn , Infant , Child, Hospitalized , Nutrition Assessment , Nutritional StatusABSTRACT
El presente estudio tuvo como objetivo el determinar la prevalencia de parasitosis intestinal en las guarderias de la ciudad de Cochabamba. Entre los resultados mas importantes se tiene que el 57// de los ninos estudiados tienen alguna enteroparasitosis, de este grupo, el 31// lleva Giardia Lamblia, 10// Entamoeba histolitica y 2// Ascaris lumbricoides. La mayor parte de los estudiados presentaron multiparasitos.
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Female , Child, Preschool , Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic/epidemiology , Ascaris/parasitology , Bolivia/epidemiology , Entamoeba histolytica/parasitology , Schools, Nursery/standards , Schools, Nursery/trends , Giardia lamblia/parasitology , Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic/transmission , PrevalenceABSTRACT
La importancia del consumo de carne de cerdo infectada con cisticerco cellulosae causante de la teniasis, radica sobretodo en adquirir una posterior cisticercosis de localizacion cerebral. El grupo estudiado, constituido por la totalidad de los trabajadores del Matadero Municipal, es considerado de alto riesgo por la manipulacion de carnes contaminadas y el supuesto gran consumo de las mismas de las mismas por su costo reducido. En el estudio, se recabaron datos en ralacion a habitos higienicos, alimenticios y vivienda simultaneamente se realizaron examenes coproparasitologicos duplicados. El estudio inmunologico para cisticercosis, correlacionado a tecnicas de inmunofluorecencia indirecta (IFI) y ensayo de la enzima ligada al inmuno absorbente (ELISA) fue realizado en el Instituto Boliviano de Biologia de la Altura (IBBA) de La Paz. Los resultados mas descollantes fueron que de la totalidad de los trabajadores el 8,5% presentaron teniasis, entretanto que el analisis inmunologico dio un 36,5% de posivilidad mas un 11,5% de casos dudosos, sobre el total de la poblacion estudiada