Indicators of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid status of exclusively breastfed infants at delivery and after 20-22 days

The fatty acid composition of plasma cholesterol esters (CE), erythrocytes (RBC) and mature milk from seven lactating women and their exclusively breastfed newborns, living on Dominica, were studied. Blood samples were taken from umbilical cord and mother at birth. A sample of breastmilk was collected on day 20-22 postpartum, together with a blood sample from the baby. At birth, cord blood plasma CE and RBC total long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LC-PUFA) contents were higher, and linoleic (18:2c, omega 6) and alpha-linolenic (18:3c, omega 3) acid contents lower, than in corresponding maternal compartments. Cord blood RBC LC-PUFA omega 3 content was lower and LC-PUFA omega 6 content higher than in maternal RBC. After birth, feeding with human milk led to a drop in LC-PUFA content in the plasma CE fraction, whereas RBC LC-PUFA content remained virtually constant. Current understanding of the origin and relative affinity of fatty acids incorporated in plasma CE and RBC suggests that RBC LC-PUFA content is a more reliable parameter for LC-PUFA status than plasma CE LC-PUFA content. The RBC LC-PUFA data suggest therefore that at birth the newborn has a lower LC-PUFA omega 3 status than the mother, and that this does not change during three weeks of exclusive breastfeeding (AU)

Folate status of Mexican American, Cuban, and Puerto Rican women.

The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of low serum and red blood cell (RBC) folate values of Mexican American (MA), Cuban (C), and Puerto Rican (PR) women examined in the Hispanic Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1982-1984. Serum and RBC folate were determined for all women aged 18-44 y by use of a radio-assay kit. The percent of women with low serum folate (less than 6.8 nmol/L) was 11.9% for MA, 10.1% for C, and 8.1% for PR. The prevalence of low concentrations of RBC folate (less than 363 nmol/L) was 7.8%, 16.7%, and 13.6% for MA, C, and PR, respectively. The percentages of women with reduced tissue stores of folate were 4.3% for MA, 6.0% for C, and 4.0% for PR. Years of education completed and poverty status did not significantly affect folate concentrations; however, the prevalence of low folate concentrations among users of vitamin or mineral supplements was significantly lower than it was among nonusers in selected subgroups.

Alteraciones electrolíticas en la hipertensión arterial esencial / Electrolytic changes in essential arterial hypertension

Se determinaron las concentraciones de sodio y potasio en plasma sanguíneo, saliva y eritrocitos en 3 grupos de pacientes. Grupo A (n=27) normotensos sin antecedentes familiares de hipertensión arterial y grupo C (n=35), individuos que padecían de hipertensión arterial. Se encontró un aumento estadísticamente significativo (p < 0,05) del sodio y una disminución del potasio intraeritrocitario, así como un aumento del sodio y potasio en la saliva en el grupo C con respecto a los demás grupos estudiados. No hubo diferencias significativas entre los grupos A y B en ninguno de los parámetros.

Técnica de Waaler-rose con eritrocitos formalinizados para la determnianción del factor reumatoide / Waaler-rose technique with formolized erythrocytes for the determination of rheumatoid factor

La técnica de Waaler-Rose donde se emplean eritrocitos de carnero formalinizados y sensibilizados con la fracción IgG de un antisuero de conejo anti-eritrocitos de carnero (WRECFS), se desarrolló sobre láminas portaobjetos, método propuesto por Milgrom y Tönder (1964) para la determinación del factor reumatoideo. Se compararon obtenidos mediante esta técnica y la prueba del Látex, en un grupo de pacientes con el diagnóstico de artritis reumatoide (AR) y en donantes de sangre sanos. El porcentaje de positividad de las técnicas ensayadas y de la prueba del Látex en pacientes con AR, fue de 47,7 y 50,8, respectivamente, y en donantes, de 0 y 1,5. Se encontró una correlación positiva y con coeficiente de correlación * = 0,88, p < 0,005 entre ambas pruebas, valores todos similares a los comunicados por otros autores

Estado de nutrición de un grupo de trabajadores de la pesca al inicio de una campaña / Nutritional status of a group of fishermen at the beginning of a campaign

Se realizó un estudio de trabajadores de la pesca para conocer su estado nutricional con respecto a algunos indicadores antropométricos y bioquímicos al iniciar una campaña de pesca. Los resultados antropométricos mostraron que no existía un problema importante de obesidad. Los resultados bioquímicos indicaron que los niveles medios de hamatócrito, hemoglobina y lípidos séricos eran noramles, pero había una situación desfavorable en cuanto a las vitaminas, pues el 82 % de los individuos tenía valores de vitamina C sérica inferiores a 22,72 *mol/L (0,40 mg/ML) y el 34,8 % tenía valores de vitamina A sérica inferiore a 0,70 *g/dL), lo que sugiere una deficiencia marginal de estas vitaminas

Blood lead and zinc protoporphyrin levels in donkeys and mules near a secondary lead smelter in Jamaica, 1987-88.

During the course of an investigation into community lead poisoning near a secondary lead smelter in Jamaica, blood lead and zinc protoporphyrin levels were measured in 8 exposed and 6 (3 Jamaican, 3 US) unexposed donkeys and mules. The blood lead levels of 6 animals in the contaminated area ranged from 7.5 to 33 micrograms/dl (mean = 17.6 micrograms/dl), compared to 1.8 and 2.4 in unexposed Jamaican animals. More striking was the difference in zinc protoporphyrin levels; all 8 exposed donkeys and mules had values between 900 and 1890 micrograms/dl, compared with a range of 34-46 micrograms/dl for 3 Jamaican control donkeys. These findings suggest that zinc protoporphyrin may be a useful method of screening for subclinical lead toxicity in equines.

Blood lead and zinc protoporphyrin levels in donkeys and mules near a secondary lead smelter in Jamaica

During the course of an investigation into community lead poisoning near a secondary lead smelter in Jamaica, blood lead and zinc protoporphyrin levels were measured in 8 exposed and 6 (3 Jamaican, 3 US) unexposed donkeys and mules. The blood lead levels of 6 animals in the contaminated area ranged from 7.5 to 33 ug/d1 (mean=17.6 ug/d1), compared to 1.8 and 2.4 in unexposed Jamaican animals. More striking was the difference in zinc protoporphyrin levels; all 8 exposed donkeys and mules had values between 900 and 1890 ug/d1, compared with a range of 34-46 ug/d1 for 3 Jamaican control donkeys. These findings suggest that zinc protoporphyrin may be a useful method of screening for subclinical lead toxicity in equines (AU)

Cálculo del tiempo de vida promedio de los hematies mediante un método computarizado / Calculation of erythrocyte mean life by a computarized method

Para calcular el tiempo de vida promedio de los hematíes (TVPH), el Comité Internacional de Estandarización en Hematología ha propuestpo varias funciones matemáticas. En este trabajo se presentan los resultados obtenidos en el estudio de la supervivencia de los hematíes (SH) a 11 pacientes con varias enfermedades hematológicas, donde el TVPH se calculó mediante un programa de computación escrito en BASIC que ajusta una de esas funciones a los datos experimentales. Aunque el número de pacientes estudiados fue pequeño, los resultados obtenidos muestran que el TVPH es el que mide con mayor exactitud la SH y está acorde con el estado y la enfermedad de los pacientes

Validación de algunas variables bioquímicas en el estudio de la desnutrición y recuperación nutricional en ratas: II / Validation of some biochemical variables in the study of malnutrition recuperation in rats: II

Se estudia la validación de las variables relaciòn de aminoácidos no esenciales/esenciales y aminoàcidos totales en plasma, eritrocitos en músculo, así como sus cocientes respectivos eritrocitos/plasma durante la etapa de desnutrición y recuperación nutricional en un modelo experimental en ratas de uno y otro sexo, a partir de los 28 días de edad. Los resultados mostraron la efectividad del modelo empleado en las variables estudiadas y su comparabilidad con lo observado en niños desnutridos y durante la recuperación nutricional. Los estudios en músculos son de interés por evidenciar los fenoménos metabòlicos durante la desnutrición y recuperaciòn nutricional en ratas

Alteraçoës eletrocardiográficas nas pancreatites / Electrocardiographic changes in pancreatitis

A pancreatite é uma doença grave com mortalidade superior a 20%. A sua apresentaçäo clínica pode confundir-se com infarto do miocárdio ou angina de peito. Foi propósito deste trabalho o estudo dos eletrocardiogramas (ECG) de pacientes internados no Hospital das Clínicas da FMUSP com diagnóstico de pancreatite. Foram obtidos os ECG de 54 pacientes de um total de 400 doentes atendidos. Cerca de 80% dos traçados estavam alterados e as alteraçöes mais freqüentes foram: taquicardia sinusal e alteraçöes difusas da repolarizaçäo. Foram registrados bloqueios de ramo na vigência de pancreatite que näo existiam antes ou que desapareceram depois da fase aguda. Também foram observados efeito dielétrico (complexos de baixa voltagem) e corrente de lesäo

Erythrocyte receptors for cholera and heat-labile enterotoxins of Escherichia coli.

Many serological reactions using red blood cells (RBC) such as radial immune haemolysis (RIH) and indirect haemagglutination (IH) tests have often been used for the detection of cholera toxin (CT) and heat-labile (LT) enterotoxin produced by porcine and human Escherichia coli strains. In these tests, the enterotoxins bind to sheep, bovine and guinea-pig RBC without any ligand. We studied several factors which might interfere with such binding, as well as the nature of the receptors involved. Treatment of erythrocytes with different enzymes revealed that proteolytic enzymes had no effect on the adsorption of enterotoxins to RBC. Conversely, treatment with neuraminidase increased the adsorption. Experiments carried out with delipidized RBC revealed that none of the enterotoxins under study bound to the cells thus treated. Pre-incubation of ganglioside fractions with the enterotoxins blocked RIH and IH reactions and the biological effect of them on Vero cells. Assaying RBC ganglioside fractions by thin-layer chromatography revealed the presence of GM1. Our results suggest that the receptors for GT and LT enterotoxins in sheep, bovine and guinea pig RBC are gangliosides: mainly GM1.

[Electrocardiographic changes in pancreatitis]. / Alterações eletrocardiográficas nas pancreatites.

Of 400 patients with acute, chronic or chronic relapsing pancreatitis surveyed in the present study, only 54 had had ECG in their files. Among these, 80% showed ECG alterations, mostly sinus tachycardia and diffuse disturbances of ventricular repolarization. The causes of these alterations are, as yet controversial. Some explanations for these alterations are hypovolemia, sepsis and acute inflammatory state. Other important findings in the patients were bundle branch block, not encountered either before the pancreatic crisis or after its resolution, nor was dielectric effect and lesion current observed in either the acute and chronic forms. The possibility of the presence of previous cardiopathy in patients with high alcoholic intake, Chagas' disease, high blood pressure or diabetes, which are quite likely in these patients, should be recalled as important factors: marked electrolytes disorders were not frequent and did not correlate with ECG findings. The aim of this study is to highlight the importance of ECG during systematic search in the follow-up of patients with pancreatitis, in order to better understand associated cardiac disorders and to improve diagnosis, prevention and treatment.

Association of microneme antigens of Plasmodium brasilianum merozoites with knobs and other parasite-induced structures in host erythrocytes.

The localization of Plasmodium brasilianum antigens, common to merozoite micronemes and parasite-induced structures in the host erythrocyte, was determined by means of immunogold electron microscopy and monoclonal antibodies directed against blood stages of this parasite. All monoclonal antibodies reacted with micronemes. In addition, some reacted with either knob protrusions or caveolae of the host erythrocyte membrane; one reacted with a parasite-derived antigen present in the erythrocyte cytoplasm. Gold particles appeared over the membranes of ring-infected cells before the appearance of knobs and caveolae. We hypothesize that at least some knob- and caveolae-associated antigens of P. brasilianum are inserted into the erythrocyte membrane at the time of merozoite invasion.

[Intraerythrocytic potassium and diuretic therapy]. / Potássio intra-eritrocitário e diureticoterapia.

Diuretic-induced hypokalemia is one of the most common and important disturbances during antihypertensive therapy. However, it has been suggested that determination of serum potassium levels may not reflect significant changes of its intracellular concentration. This study was performed to evaluate whether there is any change of red cell potassium concentration as compared to serum potassium levels, in ten patients receiving chlorthalidone, 25 mg/day, during 4 weeks. Significant antihypertensive effect was achieved and despite serum potassium levels less than 3.5 mEq/1 occurred in four patients, no significant change in intracellular concentration of potassium was observed in this population with essential hypertension.

Potássio intra-eritrocitário e diureticoterapia / Intraerythrocytic potassium and diuretic therapy

A hipocalemia induzida por diurético é um dops distúrbios mais comuns e importantes durante a terpapêutica anti-hipertensiva. No entanto, tem sido sugerido que mediçöes dos níveis de potássio sérico possam näo refletir alteraçöes significativas da concentraçäo intracelular. Este estudo foi realizado para avaliar alteraçöes na concentraçäo de potássio das hemácias, comparada aos níveis séricos de potássio, em 10 pacientes que receberam clortalidona, 25 mg/dia, durante 4 semanas. As respostas anti-hipertensivas alcançadas foram significativas e, apesar dos níveis séricos de potássio em quatro pacientes, terem ficado abaixo de 3,5 mEq/1, näo ocorreram alteraçöes na concentraçäo intracelular de potássio nesta populaçäo com hipertensäo essencial

The erythrocyte density test (EDT) and erythrocyte creatine concentration (ECE) as laboratory indexes of perinatal hypoxia.

To study the influence of gestational age and asphyxia on the behaviour of EDT and ECE a group of cuban control and asphyxiated newborns was investigated. A total number of 203 newborns at the age of 0-3 days of life, all with adequate weight for gestational age, were classified into 4 groups according to their gestational age, the 1 min and 5 min Apgar score and the presence of meconium stained amniotic fluid and/or respiratory distress syndrome immediately after birth. In the group of asphyxiated newborns higher values for both parameters were found when they were compared with the respective control groups (p less than 0.05). These techniques could help the neonatologists to more precisely identify newborns with severe perinatal asphyxia and to improve the prognosis of the outcome.

Amostra para controle de qualidade do eritrograma estavel durante 100 dias / Sample for quality control of red blood cells measurements with stability for up to 100 days

Eritrocitos de sangue humano de doadores saudaveis foram suspensos em meio CE de preservaçao, incubados durante 1 hora em glutaraldeidoa 0,5g/l, sob constante homogeneizaçao, e ressuspensos em meio CE contendo vitamina E (concentraçao final de 21 mg/l). Os resultados obtidos indicam que o tratamento e conservaçao de eritrocitos nas condiçoes especificadas podem levar a obtençao de amostras adequadas ao controle de qualidade do eritrograma, validas durante aproximadamente tres meses.