[Sjögren's syndrome and acute renal failure after oral surgery].

Primary Sjögren s syndrome is a multisystemic inflammatory disorder that mainly affects the exocrine glands and usually presents as dryness of the mouth and eyes. The wide clinical spectrum of the disease also includes general symptoms, extraglandular manifestations and lymphoma. It is frequently associated with renal diseases.

Is the in vitro ejection of bacteriophage DNA quasistatic? A bulk to single virus study.

Bacteriophage T5 DNA ejection is a complex process that occurs on several timescales in vitro. By using a combination of bulk and single phage measurements, we quantitatively study the three steps of the ejection-binding to the host receptor, channel-opening, and DNA release. Each step is separately addressed and its kinetics parameters evaluated.

T-wave Oversensing with Inappropriate Therapy in Remote Monitoring.

T-wave oversensing can cause inappropriate implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) therapies that are difficult to correct. Remote monitoring allows follow-up of ICD patients without visiting the hospital and can help in early detection of any malfunctions. We describe the case of a patient who experienced inappropriate antitachycardia pacing therapy due to T-wave oversensing; the problem was promptly detected by remote monitoring and corrected by device reprogramming.

Evaluation of the effect of the immunopurification-based procedures on the CZE-UV and CZE-ESI-TOF-MS determination of isoforms of intact alpha-1-acid glycoprotein from human serum.

Differences in alpha-1-acid glycoprotein (AGP) peptidic and glycan moieties originate several isoforms, whose modifications have been related to different pathophysiological situations. Differences in the isoforms of AGP existing in serum of individuals suffering from different diseases compared to healthy ones could be potentially used as biomarkers. CZE has been proven to be a useful technique for the analysis of glycoprotein isoforms.

Development of a fast and simple immunochromatographic method to purify alpha 1-acid glycoprotein from serum for analysis of its isoforms by capillary electrophoresis.

Alpha 1-acid glycoprotein (AGP) is a very heterogeneous glycoprotein presenting several isoforms due to variations in its polypeptidic and glycosidic moieties. Differences in AGP isoforms between healthy and diseased individuals have been related to different pathological situations such as cancer or cardiovascular diseases, among others. Capillary electrophoresis study of the role of AGP isoforms as biomarkers requires prior purification of AGP from biological samples.

Role of health-related quality of life measurements in the design of drug clinical trials.

Objective: Health-related quality of life (HRQL) measurements enable us to take patient perception into account when evaluating treatment outcomes from clinical trials (CTs). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of HRQL questionnaires as a measurement of efficacy in CT design.

Methods: A duplicate systematic review of the CTs examined by a Clinical Research Ethics Committee between 1995 and 2006 was performed to check for use of HRQL.

Protein fingerprinting of Staphylococcus species by capillary electrophoresis with on-capillary derivatization and laser-induced fluorescence detection.

Capillary electrophoresis (CE) coupled with laser-induced fluorescence detection (LIF) has allowed to obtain protein fingerprints, which have demonstrated to be useful in microorganisms characterization. In this work, protein fingerprints of two species of Staphylococcus grown in different culture media and submitted to temperature and nitrosative stress were studied by CE-LIF. After the growth of the bacteria, protein extracts were obtained by cell lysis using sonication.

Development of an optimized ELISA and a sample preparation method for the detection of beta-lactoglobulin traces in baby foods.

Dairy products can induce allergic reactions even when present at very low levels, such as levels found in involuntary contamination during food manufacturing. beta-Lactoglobulin (betaLG) is the main allergen in cow's milk. The objective of this work was to develop a sensitive method for betaLG detection in baby foods through the optimization of an innovative sample preparation method.

Gastrojejunal anastomotic stenosis in laparoscopic gastric bypass with a circular stapler (21 mm): incidence, treatment and long-term follow-up.

Background: One of the keys to the long-term success of laparoscopic gastric bypass (LGBP) is performing a small-diameter gastrojejunal anastomosis, which occasionally involves an increased incidence of stenosis.

Methods: Between May 2000 and October 2008, 676 patients underwent LGBP with a no. 21 circular stapler to create the gastrojejunoanastomosis (GJA).

A new sample preparation method compatible with capillary electrophoresis and laser-induced fluorescence for improving detection of low levels of beta-lactoglobulin in infant foods.

Beta-lactoglobulin (betaLG) is the main allergenic protein in cow's milk and can cause allergy even when present at very low concentration. The aim of this work is to develop an innovative sample preparation method fully compatible with capillary electrophoresis and laser-induced fluorescence detection for improving the sensitivity when analyzing betaLG. Different types of baby food were on purpose contaminated with diverse dairy desserts and submitted to thermal treatment to simulate potential contamination at production.

Randomized clinical trial comparing laparoscopic and open surgery in patients with rectal cancer.

Background: The laparoscopic treatment of rectal cancer is controversial. This study compared surgical outcomes after laparoscopic and open approaches for mid and low rectal cancers.

Methods: Some 204 patients with mid and low rectal adenocarcinomas were allocated randomly to open (103) or laparoscopic (101) surgery.

DNA condensed by protamine: a "short" or "long" polycation behavior.

Using centrifugation assay and light scattering measurements, we study the condensation of DNA by the salmon protamine, a highly basic protein carrying 21 positive charges out of 30 amino acids, in the presence of a high amount of monovalent salt. The DNA condensation is followed by a macroscopic phase separation. It occurs while a large amount of polycations remains freely diffusing in the bulk.

Grafting strategy to develop single site titanium on an amorphous silica surface.

Titanium/silica systems were prepared by grafting a titanium alkoxide (titanium isopropoxide and titanium (triethanolaminate) isopropoxide) precursor onto amorphous silica. The grafting process, which consisted of the hydrolysis of the Ti precursor by the hydroxyl groups on the silica surface, yielded samples containing Ti-loadings of 1-1.6 wt %.

CIEF and MALDI-TOF-MS methods for analyzing forms of the glycoprotein VEGF 165.

The vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is involved in different sicknesses (cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and other). Out of the many components of the VEGF family, the A splice variant with 165 amino acids (VEGF(165)) is the main component. In spite of the potential as biomarker that this protein has, information about its physico-chemical characteristics is scarce.

Development of CE methods to analyze potential components of the angiogenic glycoprotein vascular endothelial growth factor 165.

The vascular endothelial growth factor 165 (VEGF(165)) is the predominant form of the complex VEGF family. This glycoprotein has, among others, an angiogenic effect in many physiological and pathological events. For this reason, its roles as a biomarker and as a therapeutic drug have been considered.

[Comparing Argentinian reference with WHO standards for the anthropometric evaluation of children less than 5 year-old].

Introduction: The new WHO growth standards, were the result of a multicenter growth reference study, performed on a sample of children with rigorous criteria of health, with families that had complied with the health recommendations that are made in the field of breastfeeding and not smoking.

Objective: To compare the argentine references with the WHO standard for the anthropometric evaluation of a population of children under 5 years.

Population: 474 children younger than 5 years old who attended the Municipal Health Centers during October 2004.

Incidence, organ dysfunction and mortality in severe sepsis: a Spanish multicentre study.

Introduction: Sepsis is a leading cause of admission to non-cardiological intensive care units (ICUs) and the second leading cause of death among ICU patients. We present the first extensive dataset on the epidemiology of severe sepsis treated in ICUs in Spain.

Methods: We conducted a prospective, observational, multicentre cohort study, carried out over two 3-month periods in 2002.

Profile of organ donors not authorized for judicial reasons.

Loss of donors as a consequence of a coroner's refusal to authorize is an unusual problem that prevents organs becoming available for transplantation. Of 1123 effective donors, 433 (38.5%) died of accidental death.

Assessment of an educational program for adolescents about organ donation and transplantation.

The aim of this study is to determine the effectiveness of an educational program in 157 students with a mean age of 15.36 years at three schools in Malaga. The program included the evaluation of two tests before and after four sessions in an intervention group as compared with a control group.

Organ donors with exceptional medical conditions also count!

All organ donors, even those who have died under exceptional conditions, can provide at least one valid organ for transplantation. It is thus necessary to evaluate the outcomes of donors with unusual diseases. We reviewed 909 organ donors at six hospitals over the last 15 years.

Increased organ donations from people born outside Spain.

Organs donated from persons born outside Spain are becoming increasingly numerous. These persons now account for 26.1% of all donors in the "Malaga sector," an area of tourism with a high percentage of immigrants.

Bacteriophage T5 DNA ejection under pressure.

The transfer of the bacteriophage genome from the capsid into the host cell is a key step of the infectious process. In bacteriophage T5, DNA ejection can be triggered in vitro by simple binding of the phage to its purified Escherichia coli receptor FhuA. Using electrophoresis and cryo-electron microscopy, we measure the extent of DNA ejection as a function of the external osmotic pressure.

[Giant renal arteriovenous malformation: a suspicious bruit].

Arteriovenous (AV) malformations remain relatively rare clinical lesions consisting in abnormal shunts between the arterial and venous vascular systems. Both,congenital or acquired fistulas, are unusual causes of renal or heart failure. Congenital AV fistulas usually present with hematuria, while acquired ones are more likely to present with hemodynamic changes, such as hypertension, cardiomegaly and congestive heart failure.

[Long-term results of laparoscopic gastric bypass in patients with morbid obesity. a prospective study of 508 cases].

Introduction: Although there are publications on the short-medium term results of gastric bypass, publications of long-term results are very limited and the results are less documented.

Patients And Method: In this article we present the experience of the same surgical team with laparoscopic gastric bypass over 7 years, with a follow-up of 97% of the patients. From March 2000 until May 2007, 508 laparoscopic gastric bypasses were performed by the same surgical team.