Plasma Rich in Growth Factors as an Adjuvant Treatment for the Management of Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia: A Retrospective Observational Clinical Study.

BACKGROUND: Frontal fibrosing alopecia (FFA) is a scarring alopecia in which the exact etiopathogenesis has not been completely elucidated and the available treatments are not very effective. Plasma rich in growth factors (PRGF) has shown to induce folliculogenesis in hair loss related disorders. However, the scientific evidence when facing FFA is scarce. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to retrospectively analyze the adjuvant use of PRGF compared to the conventional treatment in the management of FFA. METHODS: Participants with clinically diagnosed FFA who had been treated with either conventional therapy (Control Group) or conventional therapy combined with PRGF (PRGF Group) were identified from the center's medical records. The clinical assessment was based on the "Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia Severity Score" (FFASS), which was fulfilled during a period of two and 4 years. RESULTS: This study included 118 patients with clinically diagnosed FFA (Control Group: 57 and PRGF Group: 61). No adverse effects related to the treatments were observed. Both treatments showed to halt the steady progression of hair loss compared to baseline. PRGF treatment also induced significant hair regrowth compared to the Control Group. The scalp inflammation was reduced in response to treatments. The FFASS score indicated that PRGF Group improved the symptoms and severity of FFA in a significant manner. CONCLUSIONS: The adjuvant use of PRGF may exert long-term beneficial effects on hair loss reduction and might reduce the symptoms and severity of FFA.

[The experimental infection of Cebus apella sp. monkeys with Trypanosoma cruzi. Its clinical, electrocardiographic and anatomicopathological assessment]. / Infecção experimental de macacos Cebus apella sp. pelo Trypanosoma cruzi. Avaliaçao clínica, eletrocardiográfica e anatomopatológica.

Thirty-two monkeys were captured and adapted to laboratory conditions captives isolated. They were submitted to multiple xenodiagnosis which were negative. Twelve were infected intraperitoneally with different strains of T. cruzi (1.10(5) to 5.10(6)). Twenty were the control group. Between on to six years both the control group and the infected monkeys, were submitted to xenodiagnosis, serological testing clinical examination and electrocardiography. The clinical examination and the electrocardiogram were always normal. The monkey were autopsied and histological examination detected in the infected group four monkeys with evidence of disease: one with parasites in the tissue and three with chronic myocarditis. Parasitaemia was in 66.66% of the monkeys in the acute phase and the serology was positive in 91.66% in the chronic phase. The authors concluded that Cebus monkeys were not susceptible to the development of the disease but they could be utilized to maintain of such strains and studies of serological research in long-terms infections.

[Serum creatine kinase MM isoforms and lactate dehydrogenase isoenzymes in patients with non-traumatic acute rhabdomyolysis]. / Isoformas de creatin quinasa-MM e isoenzimas de lactico deshidrogenasa en el suero de pacientes con rabdomiolisis aguda no traumática.

We studied lactate-dehydrogenase (LD) isoenzymes and creatinekinase MM (CKMM) isoforms MM1, MM2 and MM3, in the serum of 18 patients with nontraumatic acute rhabdomyolysis, to test the utility of these markers in the diagnosis and disease evolution. The isoenzymes were separated by electrophoresis on agarose gel and were quantified with a densitometer. We studied the correlation between CKMM isoforms calculating the MM3/MM1 ratio, establishing the reference values from control group of 36 healthy adults. MM3 and MM3/MM1 ratio values were significantly increased in patients with rhabdomyolysis (p < 0.001) and progressively decreased coinciding with signs of getting better, showing 10 days after similar values of control group. LD4 and LD5 isoenzymes were significantly increased (p < 0.001) keeping elevated until 8-10 days when they showed a significant decrease compared with admission values (p < 0.05) but keeping elevated respect to control (p < 0.01).

[Isoamylases and isolipases values in the serum from patients wtih renal insufficiency]. / Valoración de isoamilasas e isolipasas en el suero de pacientes con insuficiencia renal.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to test the utility os serum isoamylases and isolipases as determined from patients with renal insufficiency. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Serum levels of isoamylases and isolipases were determined in a group of sixty-eight patients with renal disease, 32 of them suffering acute insufficiency and 36 with chronic renal failure undergoing regular hemodialysis, results obtained were compared from a population of 44 healthy adults. We used a new method for isolipases determination in serum based on its separation on agarose gel. Two forms of lipase, L1 and L2, were identified by this method and quantitated by densitometry. RESULTS: Were found a significant increase of pancreatic isoamylase P2 and P/S isoenzymatic ratio in acute patients (p < 0.001) as chronic (p < 0.05). In both groups, the isolipase L1 activity and L1/L2 isoform ratio were showed significantly elevated (p < 0.01). We studied the relationship between isoamylases and isolipases establishing the P2/L2 ratio (normal range < 0.6) showing, in the two pathologic groups, significantly elevated values compared with the control group (p < 0.001) and a positive and significant correlation between the P2/L2 and P/S isoform ratios (r = 0.76, p < 0.05 in acute patients; r = 0.58, p < 0.05 in chronic patients). CONCLUSION: The combined study of serum levels of isoamylases and isolipases could be an effective marker for diagnosis and evolution of associated pancreatitis with acute or chronic renal failure.

[Alkaline phosphatase isoenzymes in the serum of patients with renal insufficiency]. / Isoenzimas de fosfatasa alcalina en el suero de pacientes con insuficiencia renal.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to test the utility of serum alkaline phosphatase isoenzymes determination from patients with renal insufficiency. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Serum levels of alkaline phosphatase isoenzymes were determined in a group of 58 patients: 22 of them suffering acute renal insufficiency (ARI) and 36 with chronic renal failure (CRF) undergoing regular hemodialysis, results obtained were compared from a population of 30 healthy adults. Intestinal, bone, liver, macromolecular and intestinal variant isoenzymes, were separated by electrophoresis on agarose gel and quantified using a densitometer. RESULTS: Were found a significant increase the total alkaline phosphatase activity in both pathologic groups (p < 0.05 in ARI and p < 0.01 in CRF). Isoenzymatic profiles showed: increase of the bone fraction (p < 0.05 in ARI and p < 0.001 in CRF), decrease of the liver isoenzyme (p < 0.001) in both groups, macromolecular fraction elevated in acute patients (p < 0.05) and a significant increase of the intestinal and intestinal variant isoenzyme in the chronic patients (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The renal insufficiency modified the normal distribution of alkaline phosphatase isoenzymes and the study of their serum levels could be an effective non-invasive marker, for the evaluation of bone disease and intestinal disorders associated with renal failure.

[Alkaline phosphatase isoenzymes in serum and bronchoalveolar lavage from patients with bronchopulmonary disease]. / Isoenzimas de fosfatasa alcalina en el suero y lavado broncoalveolar de pacientes con patología broncopulmonar.

OBJECTIVE: In this study, we are looking at the principal isoenzymes of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), as injury markers of cellular membranes from bronchial epithelium, in 80 patients diagnosed with bronchopulmonary pathology from different ethology, using serum samples and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BAL). METHOD: Patients were grouped according to age as following: 26 preterm neonates suffering respiratory distress syndrome requiring mechanical ventilation; 32 children ranging from 2 to 12 years old, and 22 adults (30-65 years old) examined by bronchoscopy for the purpose of diagnosis. Results obtained from all pathological groups were compared with a control group showing similar characteristics. Isoenzymes were separated by electrophoresis on agarose gel and were quantified by desitometry. Total protein was measured in BAL; ALP activity was expressed in UI/mg x 10-3 of protein. RESULTS: We found that macromolecular ALP fraction was significantly increased in the serum of neonates with distress (p < 0.01), in the patients 2-12 years and adults affected by pulmonary pathology (p < 0.001). The electrophoresis of ALP isoenzymes showed a unique isoenzymatic band corresponding with its macromolecular fraction in the BAL fluid. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that increased macromolecular fraction of alkaline phosphatase found in the serum of patients diagnosed with respiratory problems could have its origin in damaged pulmonary tissue.

An earmold for the geriatric patient.

This article describes a rehabilitation innovation for the elderly hearing-impaired patient. To minimize the problem of lack of fine finger dexterity in the elderly, an earmold was designed with a small handle. A brief description of the design is provided. A case study describes the usefulness of this earmold.

Auditory-visual interaction in a dichotic listening task.

Eleven normal adults identified consonant-vowel syllables (CV's) under three conditions after extensive training in the tasks. The auditory condition consisted of the simultaneous presentation of dichotic CV's. The Auditory-Visual I condition was the presentation of dichotic CV's with the simultaneous presentation of a visual CV to both eyes. The visual CV was always the same as one of the two auditory CV's. In the Auditory-Visual II condition, the auditory dichotic and visual CV's were again presented, but the visual CV was radomly varied so that it might or might not be identical to one of the auditory CV's. No significant difference between the right and left ears were found; however, there was a slight numerical superiority, especially in the auditory condition, in favor of the right ear. The presence of a visual stimulus tended to reduce the numerical superiority so that both ears performed more nearly the same. No significant differences were found in the performance of the right ear under the 3 test conditions. The left ear performance, however, tended toward enhancement with the presentation of a noncompeting visual stimulus but was significantly reduced when the visual stimulus competed with the auditory stimulus. A similar pattern was found under a double correct data analysis. Overall auditory performance was significantly poorer than was visual performance regardless of ear or test condition. Finally, error responses were more likely to be placed of articulation errors than voicing errors.

A comparison of custom in-the-ear hearing aids.

Custom-built in-the-ear hearing aids from five manufacturers were submitted to an extensive battery of audiologic tests to compare the usefulness of each unit for a moderate-severe sensorineural hearing loss as well as to examine differences between monaural versus binaural fittings. Using a ranking procedure, the hearing aids from one manufacturer were determined to be the best for this 30-year-old patient. Substantial differences were observed in each test condition. The variability of speech discrimination measures, however, was not definitive in determining the hearing aid which was best, whereas the acoustic reflex and warbletone threshold data clearly identified one manufacturer's aids as best for this patient.

[Serum CK-BB. A biochemical marker in neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis]. / CK-BB sérica. Marcador bioquímico en la enterocolitis necrotizante neonatal.

OBJECTIVE: We performed a prospective study of 72 preterm neonates with high-risk predisposing them to necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in which isoenzyme CK-BB activity in serum was measured at birth and after establishment of feeding with the purpose being to investigate whether CK-BB isoenzyme measurement may be useful in the diagnosis of NEC and an efficient marker in the evolution of the disease. DESIGN AND METHODS: In 12 neonates with NEC, CK-BB was measured in serum, at the beginning of symptoms and every 48 hours until remission of the acute episode. Control data were obtained from 26 healthy preterm and 20 preterm neonates with diarrhoea of several etiologies. Fourteen infants were excluded from the study due to complications. Electrophoresis on an agarose gel was used determine CK isoenzymes and these are expressed as the percentage of total CK activity. RESULTS: There were no differences in CK-BB values between the control groups. At the beginning of symptoms, the CK-BB in serum was significantly greater in neonates with NEC (p < 0.001) than in the control groups and were continuously elevated until complete recovery from NEC. CONCLUSION: The CK-BB was shown as a useful marker in the diagnosis and evolution of NEC.

Morphological evidence by scanning electron microscopy of excretion of metacyclic forms of Trypanosoma cruzi in vector's urine.

Comparison by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of Trypanosoma cruzi flagellates attached to the cuticle of the rectal gland of infected Dipetalogaster maxima nymphs, showed marked differences before and after feeding. Before feeding numerous metacyclic trypomastigotes were observed among the abundant epimastigotes that formed the carpet of flagellates. On the other hand, in insects that were allowed to urinate for 24 hours after a meal, the metacyclics were scarce, indicating that they had been detached by the urine flow. An asymmetric type of cell division, probably originating both an epi- and a trypomastigote, was occasionally observed. The occurrence of swellings at different levels of the flagella of epimastigotes suggests that secondary sites of attachment may be common.

[Creatine kinase BB activity in the serum and bronchial aspirate of preterm newborns with respiratory distress syndrome]. / Actividad de la isoenzima CKBB en suero y broncoaspirado de recién nacidos pretérmino con síndrome de distrés respiratorio.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to test the utility of serum creatine kinase (CK) isoenzyme determinations as a marker of tissue injury in preterm newborns with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Two groups of neonates were studied, 26 suffering from RDS who required mechanical ventilation and 20 healthy newborns with gestational ages, hours of life and birth weights similar to the first group. The activity of CK and its isoenzymes was determined in the bronchial aspirate and serum samples that were obtained before and 24 hours after exogenous surfactant therapy. The isoenzymes were separated by electrophoresis on agarose gel and their activity expressed as a percentage of the total CK. Total proteins were quantified in the bronchial aspirate and CK enzymatic activity expressed in U/mg of protein x 10-3. RESULTS: The CK-BB isoenzyme was significantly increased (p < 0.001) in the serum of infants with RDS compared with the control group. In the bronchial aspirate, the isoenzymatic study showed that the CK-BB isoenzyme represented 98-100% of the total enzymatic CK activity. CONCLUSIONS: The study shows significant differences in the CK isoenzyme patterns of neonates with RDS compared to controls. An increase in serum levels of the CK-BB isoenzyme could be an effective marker of tissue injury in lung disease in the newborn.

[Lactate dehydrogenase isoenzymes in the serum and bronchial aspirate of newborn infants with respiratory difficulty of different etiologies]. / Isoenzimas de lactato deshidrogenasa en el suero y aspirado bronquial de recién nacidos con dificultad respiratoria de etiología diversa.

OBJECTIVE: To study the usefulness of lactate dehydrogenase isoenzymes serum determination as tissue injury markers in newborns with respiratory distress. DESIGN AND METHODS: Ninety four neonates were studied and classified in two groups: 64 suffering various types of respiratory problems, and 30 healthy newborns of a similar birth weight and gestational age. LDH activity and its isoenzymes was determined in the serum of all the infants and in 23 samples of the bronchial aspirate of infants who required ventilation support. The isoenzymes were separated by electrophoresis on agarose gel and their activity was expressed as percentage of the total LDH. RESULTS: LDH1 and LDH2 isoenzymes were decreased, and LDH4 and LDH5 isoenzymes were significantly increased (p > 0.001) in infants serum with respiratory distress, compared with controls. We compared LDH isoenzymes values found in bronchial aspirate with their values found in serum of ventilate infants, and we found a significant levels of LDH2 and LDH3 were lower, and those of LDH5 were higher (p < 0.001) in bronchial aspirate than in serum and a positive correlation (r = 0.47, p < 0.01) between LDH5 values in both samples. CONCLUSIONS: The study shows significantly differences in the LDH isoenzyme profiles of neonates with respiratory distress compared with controls. The increase in serum of LDH4 and particularly of LDH5 isoenzymes could be an effective marker of tissue damage in lung disease in the newborn.

Thermographic study of laser on arteries.

We analyzed the different effects of CO2, Nd-YAG, and argon lasers on aorta by using a Thermovision infrared system that registered the laser interaction with mongrel dog aorta. The images (thermograms) obtained were processed by a computer, which associated each area of the same temperature with a determined color. These thermograms were compared to histological analysis of the respective samples and the following results were obtained: (1) After the application of each laser there is very little propagation of heat in tissue. (2) The CO2 laser makes tissue reach 100 degrees C in less than 0.05 seconds. (3) The heat dissipation time was higher with the Nd-YAG laser due to higher scattering on tissue. Based on this research we conclude that the CO2 laser was best absorbed, the Nd-YAG laser penetrated human tissue with the best results, and the argon laser had the most significant backscattering.

Methods for tissue extraction of sodium diphenylhydantoinate.

Procedures (I and II) are described here for tissue extraction of sodium diphenylhydantoin. Both methods imply: a) cell lysis with distilled water and sodium hydroxide respectively, and b) protein precipitation. Procedure I utilizing trichloroacetic acid to a 20 per cent dilution in tissue homogenates and II requiring two protein precipitation stages, one with hot acetone and the second with concentrated hydrochloric acid. Sediment and acidified aqueous phases were extracted several times with chloroform. An experiment implied in vitro application of the radioactive compound to previously weighed portions of the brain, cerebellum, liver and kidney of gerbo mongol. Another experiment consisted in applying the same procedures for tissue drug extraction after injection of the marked compound. In both experiments recoveries ranged from 95 to 98 per cent with variation coefficients under 8 per cent and p less than 0.01. Therefore we recommend both procedures although the second yields more transparent end extracts.

Valproic acid effects on leukocytes and platelets of Sprague-Dawley rats.

A study with valproic acid (VPA) was performed in Sprague-Dawley rats with the aim of relating drug serum levels to variations of leukocytes, platelets, coagulation time and other haematological parameters. VPA, 20 and 240 mg/kg, were administered orally, three times a day in groups of rats of both sexes throughout 7, 14, 30, 60 and 90 day periods. Total blood leukocytes averaged 7296 +/- 443 in control as well as in treated groups. Lymphocytes and monocytes decreased in all five groups when receiving the TD50 of 240 mg/kg (P less than 0.05). The VPA fasting serum levels were detectable if administered at 8 hr intervals. Nevertheless, VPA caused modification of the chosen parameters. VPA t1/2 averaged 3 hr in rats. Thus, even if the VPA effects were observed in our experiments, we suggest dividing the whole VPA dose into eight portions to be administered at 3 hr intervals in rats to attain constant serum VPA levels as well as constant drug effects.

Morphological evidence by scanning electron microscopy of excretion of metacyclic forms of Trypanosoma cruzi in vector's urine

Observando-se, em microscopia eletrônica de varedura, formas flageladas do Trypanosoma cruzi presas a cutícula da glândula retal de ninfas infectadas de Dipetalogaster maxima verificaram-se nítidas diferenças antes e depois da alimentaçäo. Antes, viam-se numerosos tripomastigotas metacíclicos entre os abundantes epimastigotas que formavam o tapete de flagelados, ao passo que nos insetos que urinavam dentro das 24 horas após o repasto os metacíclicos eram raros, indicando que haviam sido desprendidos pelo fluxo urinário. Foi notado, as vezes, um tipo assimétrico de divisäo celular, originando um epi e um tripomastigota. Nos flagelados dos epimastigotas a presença de dilataçöes a diferentes níveis sugere que lugares secundários de aderência podem ser comuns