Comparative analysis of Light's criteria and other biochemical parameters for distinguishing transudates from exudates.

Objectives: To compare the accuracy of Light's criteria for categorizing a pleural effusion as an exudate with several alternative criteria.

Design: Prospective evaluation of patients who underwent a diagnostic thoracocentesis.

Setting: Community teaching hospital in Lleida, Spain.

Elecsys CEA, PSA and AFP. Clinical results of a multicentre evaluation.

Three tumormarker assays, Elecsys CEA, PSA and AFP, have been evaluated in an international multicentre study to characterize their clinical performance and to verify the comparability with the corresponding tests of the Enzymun-Test product line and other methods. For each of the markers results were obtained from four laboratories. On the basis of 314 and 199 specimens respectively, (preliminary) reference ranges could be established for CEA and PSA.

Irritancy potential induced by surfactants derived from lysine.

The ocular irritancy potential of surfactants of the anionic and non-ionic type, derived from lysine has been tested by the hen's egg test-choriollantoic membrane (HET-CAM) to correlate the potential irritation with the structure of the surfactant, in order to synthesize the less irritant surfactant for their use in the pharmaceutical and cosmetics industry. The anionic compounds, independently of the counterion, showed an irritant action higher than non-ionic surfactants. Among the anionic surfactants the presence of lysine as cation reduced the degree of irritation; nevertheless, the salt of lysine of lauric acid was a severe irritant.

Hemolytic action of anionic surfactants of the diacyl lysine type.

Amphiphiles induce hemolysis at a given concentration and that would be dependent on their structure. To know this, we have synthesized anionic surfactants derived from lysine and differing in their chain length and we have studied their hemolytic action. The chain length of the surfactants affects their hemolytic behaviour.

Nasopharyngeal colonization in Costa Rican children during the first year of life.

Background: The establishment of the nasopharyngeal flora was followed in Costa Rican children from birth to 1 year of age.

Methods: Nasopharyngeal cultures were obtained at 1 (n = 413), 3 (n = 393), 6 (n = 376) and 12 months (n = 356) of age from children representative of the population in the Puriscal district. Weekly cultures were obtained from a subcohort of these children (n = 101).

Transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation of kappaB-controlled genes by pp60v-src.

The CEF-4/9E3 gene is expressed aberrantly in chicken embryo fibroblasts transformed by the Rous sarcoma virus. This aberrant expression is dependent on transcriptional activation and on the stabilization of the CEF-4 mRNA. The characterization of the CEF-4 promoter indicated that three distinct regulatory elements corresponding to an AP-1 binding site, a PRDII/ kappaB domain and a CAAT box are involved in the activation by pp60v-src.

Wound coverage after modified hip disarticulation using a total adductor myocutaneous flap.

There are several options available for wound coverage after hip disarticulation and hemipelvectomy. Standard flaps for closure are not always available due to the 3-dimensional extent of the tumor and availability of satisfactory tissue for coverage. This article details a new coverage technique after a modified hip disarticulation using a total adductor myocutaneous flap in a patient with radiation induced osteosarcoma of the femur after Ewing's sarcoma.

Beta-cell function abnormalities in islets from an adult subject with nesidioblastosis and autoantibodies against the islet cells.

Human islets from an adult subject with nesidioblastosis were isolated and used to perform in vitro studies. Isolated nesidioblastotic islets showed an increased basal rate of insulin secretion (nesidioblastotic islets, 81.3 +/- 6.

A study of Light's criteria and possible modifications for distinguishing exudative from transudative pleural effusions.

Study Objective: To determine the usefulness of modifying Light's criteria for the separation of pleural transudates from exudates.

Design: Retrospective review of patients who underwent a diagnostic thoracentesis during a 2-year period.

Setting: Community teaching hospital in Lleida, Spain.

Successful pregnancy after spontaneous remission of familial pulmonary alveolar proteinosis.

In this report we describe a case of a successful pregnancy in a 19-year-old patient suffering from the familial form of pulmonary alveolar proteinosis, a very rare pulmonary disorder. The pregnancy course was complicated by preterm labour. The outcome and management are discussed.

Extinction of Vibrio cholerae in acidic substrata: contaminated cabbage and lettuce treated with lime juice.

Lime juice killed millions of Vibrio cholerae O1, El Tor, Inaba, present on cabbage and lettuce contaminated in the laboratory. The lethal effect was evident within 5 min of exposure to lime juice. No vibrios could be recovered at dilution 1:10 using alkaline peptone water (APW) and thiosulfate-citrate-bile salts-saccharose agar (TCBS).

Extinction of Vibrio cholerae in acidic substrata: contaminated fish marinated with lime juice (ceviche).

Millions of Vibrio cholerae O1 El Tor were rapidly eliminated when added to commercial ceviche prepared by marination of mahi-mahi fish in lime juice. Likewise, large masses of viable vibrios present in laboratory contaminated fish, were readily eliminated after immersion in lime juice, during the preparation of ceviche. The killing effect was evident within 5 min of exposure of vibrios to lime juice, with reductions of more than 99.

Functional properties of isolated human pancreatic islets beneficial effects of culture and exposure to high glucose concentrations.

In order to assess the functional properties of human pancreatic islets we have evaluated insulin secretion, glucose metabolism and insulin mRNA synthesis. Particular attention was given to evaluate how culture and exposure to high glucose concentrations "in-vitro" influence the subsequent function of these cells. Islets were cultured for 1 and 7 days at 5.

Deleterious effect of dithizone-DMSO staining on insulin secretion in rat and human pancreatic islets.

Dithizone (DTZ) is a selective stain for pancreatic islets which facilitates their identification, being of special interest in human islet isolation assessment. Nevertheless, there are few studies concerning its potential toxic effects on islet function. In our study, we have evaluated the effects of DTZ (dissolved in dimethyl sulfoxide [DMSO] 1% w/v) at three different concentrations (2, 10, and 100 micrograms/ml) on insulin response to glucose in human and rat islets.

Reevaluation of autoantibodies to islet cell membrane in IDDM. Failure to detect islet cell surface antibodies using human islet cells as substrate.

Since their demonstration in 1975, ICSAs have been proposed as serological markers and pathogenic elements in IDDM. ICSAs are detected in the sera of most newly diagnosed IDDM patients by indirect IFL that uses viable preparations of rat islet or insulinoma cells as substrate, but they also can be detected by using human insulinoma or fetal islet cells. We have tried to demonstrate ICSAs in the sera of 31 newly diagnosed diabetic patients, including 6 positive samples on human fetal islet cells, which used their natural target for the first time: normal human islet cells.

Prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in rural and urban Costa Rica.

Background: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is becoming more prevalent in developing countries, particularly in the urban areas, in contrast to the CAD mortality trends observed in some industrialized nations.

Methods And Results: We determined the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors (hypertension, diabetes, smoking, obesity, total cholesterol greater than or equal to 240 mg/dl and greater than or equal to 200 less than or equal to 239 mg/dl, low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol greater than or equal to 160 mg/dl and greater than 130 less than or equal to 159 mg/dl, and high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol less than 35 mg/dl) in 222 men and 243 women from rural and urban areas of Puriscal, Costa Rica, using the American Cholesterol Education Program guidelines. Urban Puriscal men had a significantly (p less than 0.

Adhesion molecules in human islet beta-cells. De novo induction of ICAM-1 but not LFA-3.

Understanding how T lymphocytes recognize beta-cell autoantigens is essential for the elucidation of the pathogenesis of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. The increased and ectopic expression of HLA class I and II molecules detected in human beta-cells may facilitate this interaction. T-lymphocyte recognition of surface antigens also involves adhesion accessory molecules: intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) and lymphocyte function-associated antigen 3 (LFA-3).

Results and histological development of various surgical techniques for correcting eversion of the third eyelid in dogs.

An experimental study was made of 20 dogs in order to compare various surgical techniques used to correct eversion of the third eyelid, namely resection of most of the cartilage, resection of the central portion of the cartilage, and cartilage homotransplantation. An analysis was made of histological results obtained 45 days after operation, the most satisfactory result being recorded for homotransplantation of the third eyelid cartilage.

Inappropriate expression of HLA class II molecules in endocrine epithelial cells: the phenomenon, the new experimental data and comparison with animal models.

Physiologically, HLA Class II molecules are primarily expressed on immunoregulatory cells. In recent years, it has been shown that tissues affected by autoimmunity, including beta cells of 'diabetic' pancreases, 'inappropriately' express these glycoproteins. Cytokines are potent Class II inducers on a variety of cells but they exert a heterogenous effect when incubated with different human endocrine cells, i.

Low endemicity and low pathogenicity of rotaviruses among rural children in Costa Rica.

Rotaviruses were prospectively studied in 51 rural Costa Rican children from birth to two years. Samples of feces were collected weekly over a 33-month period. Rotavirus was detected in 45 (1.

[Cryptosporidiosis in children of Costa Rica: a cross section and longitudinal study].

The present report is a systematic study of children, with and without diarrhea from Costa Rican metropolitan areas and southern rural higlands. Children were observed, respectively, at emergencies, Hospital Nacional de Niños, and in a field station in Puriscal; urban children were studied vertically, rural children were observed prospectively (cohort study). Cryptosporidium sp.