Seguimiento de áreas cruentas cubiertas con queratinocitos autólogos cultivados en suero autólogo: Estudio multicéntrico en Bogotá

En 2009 se presento la estandarización de cultivos de queratinocitos autólogos cultivados en suero autólogo. En este estudio los autores describen la efectividad de estos parches de regeneración de piel, para la cobertura de áreas cruentas con indicación de injerto de piel parcial. El porcentaje de epitelización del área cruenta fue el punto principal. Métodos: 47 pacientes fueron incluidos consecutivamente, equivalentes a 78 áreas cruentas. Las áreas fueron estratificadas según la profundidad: grupo 1:IIA (n=8) grupo 2: IIB (n=39); grupo 3,III (n=24) y grupo 4, etiología diferente: Otras (n=7). Todas las áreas fueron tratadas con injertos de queratinocitos autólogos cultivados en suero autólogo y se realizo registro fotográfico y del porcentaje de epitelización al día 5, 7, 15 y 30. Resultados: La efectividad de los injertos de queratinocitos autólogos es de 53.16% ± 46.46%. El porcentaje de epitelización es mayor para el grupo 1 (100%) y grupo 2 (62.79%) que para el grupo 3 (27.57%) y el grupo 4 (33.86%). Se encontró relación entre la interacción de las medianas del porcentaje de epitelización entre área corporal y grado de quemadura (p<0.001 KW) siendo mayor para el grupo 1 en todas las áreas, grupo 2 en cara, grupo 3 en tronco y grupo 4 en cara; y el menor porcentaje de epitelización en el grupo 3 y grupo 4 de las áreas ubicadas tronco. Conclusión: Los injertos de queratinocitos autólogos cultivados en suero autólogo son un método de cobertura eficaz para áreas cruentas producidas por quemaduras IIA y IIB independientemente del tamaño y la localización , y para las áreas cruentas pequeñas (<9cm2) de etiología diferente o grado III de profundidad. Palabras Clave: Cultivo queratinocitos, cobertura áreas cruentas, efectividad.

Corticosterone plasma concentrations in Carioca High- and Low-Conditioned freezing rats after a fear conditioned task

Our group in the Psychology Department at Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio) developed a rat genetic model of extreme freezing in response to contextual cues in an experimental chamber previously associated with footshock. One of the lines, Carioca High Freezing (CHF), exhibits an enhanced conditioned freezing response, whereas the other line, Carioca Low Freezing (CLF), shows the opposite response. The present study investigated corticosterone concentration between these two lines of animals and a random (RND) line of rats both under basal conditions and test condition after an emotional challenge using a contextual fear conditioning protocol. Comparisons between basal and test plasma corticosterone concentrations suggested differential basal and fear-induced differences between the two lines. The differences between basal conditions is an important and relevant aspect to be considered in behavioral experiments using or assessing stress and could help to understand variability in naïve populations.

Biological Basis and Clinical Application of Serum Tumor Markers

Cancer is the result of the accumulation of changes in molecules with important functions in processes such as cell proliferation, apoptosis, cell death and gene repair. Molecules, substances or altered pathways constitute tumor markers or biomarkers useful in clinical monitoring of cancer patients, because they have demonstrated to be suitable for the valuation of the patient’s treatment and it efficiency. Determination of tumor markers has not been very successful due to the low sensitivity and specificity of the techniques used and the requirement of large volumes of biological samples or the use of invasive methods for collecting them. The serum tumor markers arise, as a useful tool to obtain information about the disease progress and constitute as a scientific challenge to improve its applicability in early diagnosis, prognosis, monitoring of the disease and evaluation of therapeutic efficacy.

The pattern of fall of serum bilirubin after operative relief of obstructive jaundice. A preliminary report

This is the beginning of a prospective study on patients who have obstructive jaundice to see how the serum bilirubin falls after operative relief of the obstruction. Seven of such patients have been studied; four had carcinoma of the head of the pancreas while the other three had choledocholithiasis. The patients with carcinoma had relief of the jaundice through a biliary-enteric anastomosis and those with common bile duct stones had choledochotomy with stone extraction which was completed with insertion of a T-tube. Serial bilirubin estimations were then performed post-operatively to chart the pattern and rate of descent of this in each patient. Our observations suggest that the pattern of fall of serum bilirubin after successful decompression of the extra-hepatic biliary tree exhibit a distinct pattern regardless of the surgical procedure performed for the relief of the obstruction.