[Molecular research methods in the detection of germinal mutations in hereditary colorectal cancer]. / Metodos de investigacion molecular en la deteccion de mutaciones germinativas en cancer colorrectal hereditario.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the main causes of death in South American countries. The hereditary forms of CRC are, familial adenomatous (FAP) and hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) or Lynch Syndrome (LS), which is the most common form. The detection of mutations in the DNA repair genes (MMR) and in the APC genes enables the development of prevention strategies. Some of these methods for molecular diagnosis are applied in research and the detection of mutations of these genes, such as the partial thromboplastin time test (PTT), the single strand conformational polymorphism test (SSCP), the Denaturing High Performance Liquid Chromatography test (DHPLC) and the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) in real time (qPCR).

[Prevalence of atopic dermatitis in schoolchildren in Granada, Spain]. / Prevalencia de dermatitis atópica en escolares de Granada.

INTRODUCTION: Atopic dermatitis is a common and increasingly prevalent disorder. The International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) made a major contribution to the understanding of its epidemiology. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence and severity of atopic dermatitis in a representative sample of 6 to 7-year-old and 13 to 14-year-old children from the province of Granada, Spain, using validated questionnaires and to analyze potential differences between coastal and inland regions. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This was a descriptive cross-sectional observational study of schoolchildren from Granada, Spain, aged between 6 and 7 years and 13 and 14 years. The main instrument was the core questionnaire module for dermatitis used in phase I of the ISAAC study. RESULTS: Statistically significant differences were found in Granada schoolchildren aged 6 to 7 years in terms of prevalence of dermatitis at some time, typical site, resolution in the last 12 months, and diagnosis of atopic dermatis. No significant differences were observed on comparison of the prevalence of atopic dermatitis between coastal and inland populations. Finally, in the comparison of schoolchildren aged 6 to 7 years, we observed almost significant differences for dermatitis at some time, resolution in the last 12 months, and diagnosis of atopic dermatitis on considering age and geographic location of the study population. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of atopic dermatitis is similar in the coastal population and the provincial capital. In terms of clinical symptoms and disease course, atopic dermatitis tends to stabilize with age.

Prevalence and prevention of deep venous thrombosis of the lower extremities in high-risk pulmonary patients.

Information is lacking about the prevalence of, and the best method of preventing deep venous thrombosis (DVT) of the lower extremities in patients forty years or older with pulmonary disease that keeps them in bed for three consecutive days or more and who are thus at high risk of developing DVT or pulmonary embolism (PE). In this study, 192 high-risk patients, aged forty to ninety-two, received 125I fibrinogen and had daily radioactive scans, venous Doppler, and strain gauge plethysmography. Four preventive methods were used until patients became ambulatory: graded compression stockings (GCS) in 39, elastic bandages (EB) in 33, subcutaneous administration of 5,000 USP units of heparin (HEP) bid in 39, and oral administration of 0.5 g of acetylsalicyclic acid (ASA) bid in 35. Results were compared with those in 46 patients in a control group (CG). Twelve patients in CG, none in GCS, 4 in EB, 1 in HEP, and 2 in ASA developed DVT proved by contrast venography. There was a statistically significant difference between GCS and CG (P less than 0.0003), HEP and CG (P less than 0.0022), and ASA and CG (P less than 0.0148) but not between EB and CG (P greater than 0.10); no significant differences were found between any pair of prophylaxis groups. The significant differences could not be attributed to differences in age, sex, or length of stay in bed. PE occurred in 3 patients in CG and 1 in EB. Hemorrhagic complications occurred in 7 patients in HEP and 4 in ASA, requiring exclusion of 2 patients and 1 patient, respectively, from the study.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Immunological determination of muscle-type enolase in the serum as a diagnostic test for myocardial infarction.

An antiserum raised in the chicken against purified rat skeletal muscle enolase neutralized 86% of the enolase activity of human heart muscle and 8.7% +/- 4.8% (mean +/- S.D.) of the enolase activity in normal human serum. The fraction of enolase inhibited by the antiserum, designated as 'immunologically reacting muscle enolase', promptly rose after myocardial infarction in the serum of affected subjects, reaching peak values in excess of 40% in all but one of 23 subjects. Only one subject with ischaemic heart disease, but without infarction, and 2 with miscellaneous conditions, among 117 such patients tested, yielded comparable values. The test appears to be highly specific for myocardial infarction when muscle disease can be excluded and would not be difficult to introduce as a laboratory routine.