Low bone mineral density and associated factors in patients with haemophilia in Colombia.

INTRODUCTION: Patients with haemophilia may have lower levels of bone mineral density (BMD) compared with the general population. Moreover, haemophilic patients have increased risk factors for low bone mineral density (LBMD) such as arthropathy and resulting immobility, increasing their risk for osteoporosis and fractures. AIM: To assess the prevalence of LBMD and associated risk factors among a group of Colombian haemophilic patients. METHODS: In this case-control study, 90 patients with haemophilia A and B, over the age of five, were recruited. Controls were healthy participants matched by age, gender, body mass index (BMI), socioeconomic status, and race. All participants underwent dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire. Blood tests were collected to evaluate LBMD determinants in cases. RESULTS: BMD was lower in cases than in the control group. BMD of femoral necks was 0.907 g/cm2 in cases vs. 1.020 g/cm2 in controls (P = .019), and BMD of hips 0.930 g/cm2 in cases vs. 1030 g/cm2 in controls (P = .019). The greater the severity of haemophilia, the lower BMD in spine, femoral neck, and hips. Elevated C-protein levels were found in 44.1% of patients with LBMD and 14.8% with normal BMD (P = .003). The study found an adjusted prevalence ratio of 2.11, indicating that haemophilic patients are two times more likely to have LBMD (CI95% = 1.43-3.11 P < .001). CONCLUSION: Results from the present study showed that haemophilia was associated with a higher frequency of LBMD. Severity of haemophilia, haemophilic arthropathy, and elevated C-reactive protein levels was directly associated with LBMD.

Identification of the three major coeliac immunoreactive proteins and one alpha-amylase inhibitor from oat endosperm.

Six chloroform/methanol-soluble proteins from oat endosperm (Avena sativa) have been isolated and characterized by a purification procedure based on extraction with volatile solvents, followed by reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography. Three of these proteins, with an assessed molecular weight of 25,000, 27,000 and 32,000 Da, respectively, have been identified by immunoblotting using coeliac sera, as the major coeliac serum IgA-binding components of oat endosperm. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of these proteins indicates that they correspond to alpha 2, gamma 4, and gamma 3 avenins, respectively. We have tentatively named them 'coeliac immunoreactive proteins'. Another chloroform/methanol oat component shows weak alpha-amylase inhibitory activity and exhibits strong homology (60% identity) at the N-terminus with the alpha-amylase inhibitor from ragi (Eleusine coracana).

Imidazole-SDS-Zn reverse staining of proteins in gels containing or not SDS and microsequence of individual unmodified electroblotted proteins.

A reverse staining procedure is described for the detection of proteins in acrylamide and agarose gels with and without SDS. Protein detection occurs a few minutes after electrophoresis. The sensitivity on acrylamide gels is higher than that of Coomassie blue staining either on acrylamide gels or on electrotransferred membranes. Sequencing of protein bands only detected by reverse staining on the gel and not by Coomassie blue is demonstrated.

A characterization of performance by men and women in a virtual Morris water task: a large and reliable sex difference.

In many mammalian species, it is known that males and females differ in place learning ability. The performance by men and women is commonly reported to also differ, despite a large amount of variability and ambiguity in measuring spatial abilities. In the non-human literature, the gold standard for measuring place learning ability in mammals is the Morris water task. This task requires subjects to use the spatial arrangement of cues outside of a circular pool to swim to a hidden goal platform located in a fixed location. We used a computerized version of the Morris water task to assess whether this task will generalize into the human domain and to examine whether sex differences exist in this domain of topographical learning and memory. Across three separate experiments, varying in attempts to maximize spatial performance, we consistently found males navigate to the hidden platform better than females across a variety of measures. The effect sizes of these differences are some of the largest ever reported and are robust and replicable across experiments. These results are the first to demonstrate the effectiveness and utility of the virtual Morris water task for humans and show a robust sex difference in virtual place learning.

Glycoconjugate histochemistry in the small and large intestine of normal and Solanum glaucophyllum-intoxicated rabbits.

Vitamin D participates in mineral homeostasis, immunomodulation, cell growth and differentiation. The leaves of Solanum glaucophyllum contain high levels of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 as glycoside derivatives and their chronic ingestion generates a hypervitaminosis D-like state. We analyzed changes on carbohydrate expression as a cell differentiation indicator on samples of the small and large intestine of S. glaucophyllum-intoxicated rabbits, using conventional and lectin histochemistry. Male New Zealand white rabbits were intoxicated with S. glaucophyllum during two or four weeks and killed the day after. A group of animals ("possibly recovered group") were intoxicated during 15 days and killed at day 45 of the beginning of the experiment. We found changes in the lectin binding pattern in the small and large intestine of the intoxicated rabbits. Some of these changes were reverted in the possibly recovered group. Vitamin D could be a new regulator factor of the intestinal glycosylation process.

A case-control study of food hyper-sensitivity, timing of weaning and family history of allergies in young children with atopic dermatitis.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between food hypersensitivity and atopic dermatitis (AD) in young children. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In a case-control design, 28 patients < 3 years old, with AD and 28 age-matched healthy children were included in the study. A detailed medical history of allergies and timing of weaning was obtained. Children underwent skin tests (prick and patch) to evaluate food hypersensitivity. The status of DA and food allergies in the study participants was investigated 4 years later. RESULTS: There were more children with positive skin tests for food hypersensitivity among cases than controls, OR 4.2 (95%CI 1.3 to 13.4). In contrast, there were no differences in the number of children with positive family history of allergic diseases or weaned at < or = 6 months of age between groups. Four years later, out of the 28 original cases, the state of AD was investigated in 13 (46.4%) infants. Of them, 11 followed an exclusion diet; 6 (46.1%) remained with AD. Of 28 original controls, 15 (51.7%) infants were investigated 4 years later; only one case developed AD. CONCLUSIONS: Young children who had hypersensitivity to cow's milk, hen egg, wheat, fish, soy, or legumes were found to have a higher risk of AD. Positive family history of allergies and early weaning were not found to be relevant risk factors.

Mesiodens: presentación de tres casos / Mesiodens: three case reports

El mesiodens es el diente supernumerario que aparece con mayor frecuencia en la denticióndefinitiva. En la mayoría de ocasiones se trata de un hallazgo casual. El diagnóstico precozpermite realizar la extracción de forma temprana, favoreciendo la erupción espontáneade los incisivos permanentes, y evita tener que efectuar otros tratamientos más complejos,quirúrgicos u ortodóncicos. Presentamos tres casos de pacientes pediátricos con mesiodens.Todos ellos fueron hallazgos radiológicos. En el primer caso, el paciente presentaba un mesiodensdoble que impedía la erupción de los incisivos centrales y laterales superiores definitivos.En el segundo caso, el mesiodens provocó la rotación de los incisivos centrales superiores.Se le realizó una extracción temprana para favorecer la erupción espontánea de losincisivos. En el tercer caso, el mesiodens se hallaba en inclusión total, sin producir sintomatologíani complicaciones. Este hecho permitió la erupción normal del sector anterior. No ha requeridotratamiento y sólo se le realizan controles periódicos. Este paciente presentaba, además,agenesia de un premolar inferior. Es importante sospechar la presencia de un mesiodensen el paciente que acude a la consulta de pediatría u odontología cuando exista algún trastornoen la erupción de los incisivos superiores permanentes (AU)

Mesiodens is the supernumerary tooth that most frequently appears in the permanentdentition. In most cases this is an accidental finding. Early detection allows the early extraction.It also favors the spontaneous eruption of the permanent incisors and helps avoid morecomplex surgical or orthodontic treatments. We present three cases of paediatric patientswith mesiodens, all of them have been radiological findings. In the first case, the patienthad a double mesiodens which blocked the eruption of the upper permanent central and lateralincisors. In the second case, mesiodens has produced the rotation of maxillary centralincisors. Early removal has been practiced in order to favor the spontaneous eruption of theincisors. In the third case, mesiodens is in total inclusion, not producing symptoms or complications,and it has allowed normal eruption of the previous sector. It has not required treatment, only periodic controls. This patient also presents agenesis of a lower premolar. It isreasonable to suspect the presence of a mesiodens in the patient who goes to pediatric orodontology consultation when there is some kind of disorder in the eruption of the upperpermanent incisors (AU)

[Degradation of oil derivatives by Acinetobacter calcoaceticus MM5]. / Degradación de derivados del petróleo por Acinetobacter calcoaceticus MM5.

This paper describes the isolation of microorganisms from polluted heating oil. The growth of one of them has been studied (Acinetobacter calcoaceticus MM5) in several linear and branched hydrocarbons as well as the effect of its growth on commercial diesel oil. Acinetobacter calcoaceticus MM5 is not capable of using glucose as its only source of carbon, and it needs the presence of nitrogen and phosphorus sources to degrade any petroleum by-product.

Study of a hydrocarbon-utilizing and emulsifier-producing Acinetobacter calcoaceticus strain isolated from heating oil.

Twenty bacterial strains were isolated from a sample of contaminated heating oil and screened for their ability to use petroleum and several common fuels as the sole source of carbon and energy. One of the isolates, named MM5, was able to grow on petroleum derivatives and brought about an emulsification of those compounds. Gas chromatography studies showed that strain MM5 was able to degrade hydrocarbons of heating oil. MM5 has been tentatively identified as a strain of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus. The fine structure of MM5 was examined by transmission electron microscopy. Incubation in the presence of hydrocarbon substrates resulted in the development of intracellular electron-transparent inclusions. These structures were absent in the non-hydrocarbon cultures studied.