[Cocaine induced midline destructive lesions. Report of one case].

Vasculitic midline destructive lesions can be a complication of cocaine use. We report a 44-year-old man who presented with a two months history of left facial pain associated with ipsilateral facial paralysis and a cheek phlegmon. Magnetic resonance imaging showed broad soft tissue destruction linked to important cranial nerve involvement.

[Lupus enteritis as initial manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus. Report of one case].

Although gastrointestinal symptoms are not rare in Systemic lupus erythematosus, enteritis is an atypical manifestation of the disease. We report a 54 year-old woman who presented acute symptoms of diarrhea, fever and abdominal pain, receiving empiric antibiotic therapy for bacterial enteritis with no response. Computed tomography showed diffuse small intestine inflammation and serositis.

Leptin levels and IgF-binding proteins in malnourished children: effect of weight gain.

Objectives: Although it is well known that leptin reflects body fat content in adults, the regulation of leptin levels during childhood malnutrition is poorly understood. Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) and the IGF-binding proteins (IGFBPs) may play important roles in the regulation of body composition. We investigated the relation between leptin, IGF-I, and IGFBPs in children with protein-energy malnutrition (PEM; before and after recovering 10% of their initial body weights) in comparison with well-nourished children.

[Manipulation of genes causing diseases].

The intervention on specific genes causing diseases in mammals as in humans is nowadays feasible. Technology has allowed the expression of a correct gene introduced to a cell or to inhibit the expression of an undesirable gene. This opens therapeutic possibilities for a great assortment of diseases, from genetic errors of metabolism to AIDS.

[Gene therapy: facts and fiction].

The great advances in molecular biology have encouraged the treatment of diseases through gene intervention. According to present knowledge, all diseases somehow have their origin or are related to genes. Different stages must be overcome to intervene in genes: a) Identification of the gene to intervene.