Estandarización de un método diagnóstico diferencial no invasivo para la detección de enfermedad celíaca / Standardization of a method diagnoses differential non invasive for the detection of disease celiaca

La transglutaminasa tisular (tTG) se conoce como el autoantígeno más específico en pacientes con enfermedad celíaca. Por ello, nuestro objetivo fue estandarizar un ensayo ELISA para detectar anticuerpos específicos anti-tTG en pacientes con dicha patología. Se purificó la tTG a partir de hígado de cobayo y compararla con la tTG de una casa comercial, comprobando su eficacia en la inducción de anticuerpos en conejos inmunizados. La tTG procesada en el laboratorio se purificó unas 100 veces respecto al extracto original, conservando una elevada actividad tTG; además se demostró que la tTG purificada estaba en condiciones más puras que la de la casa comercial. El método ELISA para detección de anticuerpos IgA anti tTG se probó con ambas tTG (purificada y comercial) en 5 pacientes celíacos, 15 controles de diagnóstico diferencial y 8 controles sanos. A pesar de lo bajo de la muestra se observó una diferencia significativa (p=0.019) en el grupo de celíacos respecto a los sanos empleando la tTG purificada, no así en los otros grupos ni con la tTG comercial. La tTG purificada es mejor con relación a los resultados obtenidos con la tTG comercial, a pesar de la ausencia de estandarización del ensayo por la baja muestra de pacientes con enfermedad celíaca activa

[Potentials of and approaches to prevention. Current developments in Germany]. / Potenziale und Ansätze der Prävention. Aktuelle Entwicklungen in Deutschland.

Prevention and health promotion are rewarding investments to stabilize our health security systems. They yield sustainable social and individual profit. This is precisely one of the explicitly declared aims of the government's coalition agreement of October 2002 - to upgrade and extend prevention and health promotion in Germany. The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Security is initiating measures and strategies to improve the framework for effective prevention and health promotion, for instance by initiating measures in the field of legislation and by establishing the German Platform for Prevention und Health Promotion.

Effects of Ajoene on lymphocyte and macrophage membrane-dependent functions.

Ajoene, (E, Z) -4, 5, 9-trithiadeca-1, 6, 11-triene 9 oxide, is a compound originally isolated from ethanolic extracts of garlic that impairs platelet aggregation by inhibiting the functional exposure of platelet integrins GPIIb/IIIa. In vitro, Ajoene is toxic for several tumoral cell lines, and exert an antiproliferative effect on T. cruzi and murine malaria parasites. Here we show that Ajoene strongly inhibited the proliferation induced in human lymphocytes by the mitogens phytohemagglutinin (PHA), phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) and anti-CD3, and the capping formation induced in B lymphocytes by anti-IgM antibodies. On macrophages, Ajoene was also found to partially inhibit the lypopolysaccharide-induced production of Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF), and to decrease the phagocytic activity of thioglycolate-elicited mouse peritoneal macrophages for IgG-opsonized, human erythrocytes. Ajoene also partially prevented the lytic effect of human and rabbit TNF on Actinomycin D-treated WEHI 164 cells. These results strongly suggest that Ajoene is a potent modulator of membrane-dependent functions of immune cells.

Dietary fatty acids in athero-thrombogenesis: influence of palm oil ingestion.

Dietary experiments, performed in metabolic wards, gave rise to predictive regression equations relating changes of plasma cholesterol concentration to the intake of fatty acids of the diet. It has been established that polyunsaturated fatty acids diminish and most saturated fatty acids increase plasma cholesterol concentration. This information led to expect that dietary use of palm oil may induce an unfavorable plasma lipoprotein profile. This has not been the case as shown in various dietary experiments. The reasons for this discrepancy is discussed. The influence of palm oil enriched diets on prothrombotic variables show that platelets are not affected in their function during prolonged dietary intervention. It is important to continue research on the effects of palm oil based diet on plasma fibrinogen, factor VII. There is still discordant information in this field.

In vivo activity of ajoene against rodent malaria.

Ajoene (4,5,9-trithiadodeca-1,6,11-triene 9-oxide), a product initially isolated from extracts of garlic (Allium sativum), was tested for its antimalarial activity in vivo in a well-characterized murine model. A single ajoene dose of 50 mg/kg, on the day of infection, suppressed the development of parasitemia; there were no obvious acute toxic effects from the tested dose. The combination of ajoene (50 mg/kg) and chloroquine (4.5 mg/kg), given as a single dose on the day of the infection, completely prevented the subsequent development of parasitemia in treated mice.

Functions of neutrophils in endemic Chediak-Higashi syndrome.

Endemic Chediak-Higashi Syndrome occurs in a restricted geographic area (Pregonero, State of Táchira, Venezuela). Neutrophils from these patients were unable to digest Candida albicans in vitro, but showed normal or increased metabolic activities. This finding supports the view that the endemic syndrome is bona fide Chediak-Higashi Syndrome.

[Pancreatic fistula]. / Fistulas pancreáticas.

The authors present the result of an investigation on the use of cement and bentonite in the treatment of pancreatic fistulas that coexisted with permeable duct and which has been closed by the local application of said elements.