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Journal Article 2009; 30(5): 637-642 PubMed PMID: 20035266 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Aged, Biomarkers:blood, Chronic Disease, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Neoplasms:blood, Pain:blood,.   

OBJECTIVE: The objective was a systematic study of the biochemical markers which are descriptive for the dynamics of pain processes.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The patients who had not been systematically treated for pain prior to their participation in this study consisted of 20 non-oncological (mean age 56.5 years) and 20 oncological patients (mean age 64.8 years). Pain intensity, assessed using the visual analogue scale (VAS) on a scale from 0-10, and the following biochemical parameters were measured during the initial patient workups: blood serum total protein, glucose, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, atherosclerotic indexes, triacylglyceroles, apolipoprotein A, apolipoprotein B, albumin, alpha1 globulin, alpha2 globulin, beta globulin and gamma globulin. Biochemical measurements were repeated as soon as VAS assessments fell below 5. Therapy in non-oncological patients involved administration of NSA and weak opioids; while oncological patients received NSA, medium strength and strong opioids, and antidepressants.

RESULTS: Prior to therapy, concentration of albumin in serum, HDL cholesterol, and apolipoprotein A were lower, whereas CRP and alpha1 globulin were higher in oncological patients compared to non-oncological patients. After therapy, levels of glucose and alpha1 globulin were significantly higher and levels of apolipoprotein A were lower in oncological patients compared to non-oncological patients. Irrespective of diagnosis, patients treated with antidepressants showed higher levels of gamma globulin compared to non treated patients.

CONCLUSIONS: We can conclude that observed biochemical markers in patients with malignancies are more similar to the values of patients with chronic benign pain than to the values of patients with acute pain....

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Journal Article 2009; 30(5): 671-674 PubMed PMID: 20035265 Citation  Keywords:  Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Animals, Chlamydia Infections:complications, Chlamydia trachomatis:immunology, Female, Humans, Middle Aged, Vulvar Lichen Sclerosus:etiology, Vulvar Neoplasms:etiology,.   

OBJECTIVE: Chronic infections in the urogenital area often precede or coexist with vulvar cancer. A strong connection between some tumours and the-appearance of Chlamydia trachomatis infection has been observed, but there is little information concerning a connection of that infection with vulvar cancer and lichen sclerosus vulvae (LS). The aim of this study was the analysis of frequency of antigens appearance and antibodies of IgM and IgG Chlamydia trachomatis in patients with vulvar cancer and LS and we wanted to find the correlation between Chlamydia trachomatis infection and vulvar cancer and LS.

METHODS: 80 women treated in the Clinic of Vulva Diseases at the Department and Clinical Ward of Gynaecology, Obstetrics and Oncological Gynaecology in Bytom, in the Silesian Medical University in Katowice were divided into two groups - 30 were treated for vulvar cancer and 50 were treated because of LS. We took bacterial smears vagina and cervical smears for presence of Chlamydia trachomatis antigens and peripheral blood to mark antibodies of IgM and IgG Chlamydia trachomastis.

RESULTS: Chlamydia trachomatis antigen was found in 20% women with vulvar cancer and in 12% women with LS (p>0.05). In 13,3% cases with vulvar cancer we observed IgM Chlamydia trachomatis antibodies. In the group with LS IgM antibodies appeared in 16% women (p>0.05). In 50% patients with vulvar cancer in blood serum we observed IgG Chlamydia trachomatis antibodies, and in 16% women with LS (p<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS: Previous Chlamydia trachomatis infection can lead to vulvar carcinogenesis....

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Journal Article 2009; 30(5): 599-603 PubMed PMID: 20035264 Citation  Keywords:  Adolescent, Adult, Anticonvulsants:therapeutic use, Child, Circadian Rhythm, Epilepsy:drug therapy, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Sleep:physiology, Sleep Wake Disorders:physiopathology, Surveys and Questionnaires, Young Adult,.   

OBJECTIVE: The relationship between epilepsy and sleep has been known for many years. Yet is still not well understood because of it's reciprocal and intrinsic influences. Epileptic manifestations during sleep may lead to fragmentation of sleep stages. On the other hand insomnia or other sleep disorders may cause sleep deprivation and increase number of epileptic seizures in patients with epilepsy. The study is designed to compare daytime sleepiness and architecture of sleep in patients with epilepsy and control subjects. We tried to evaluate factors that have influence on sleep architecture of patients with epilepsy.

METHODS: We evaluated the daytime sleepiness through a certain type of questionnaire called Epworth Scale of Sleepiness (ESS). The questionnaire was filled out by patients with epilepsy (83 patients) and a group of healthy controls (80 persons). Furthermore we evaluated the quatity of night sleep in both groups using polysomnograph (electroencephalography - EEG, electrooculography - EOG, electromyography - EMG). Sleep stages were scored according to Manual of Standardized Terminology, Techniques and Scoring System for Sleep Stages of Human Subjects (Rechtschaffen, Kales, 9). Multiple sleep latency test (MSLT) was performed in the group of patients with epilepsy in order to objectivise daytime sleepiness.

RESULTS: Measuring by Epworth scale of sleepiness we found out that the patients with epilepsy suffered from a significantly higher daytime sleepiness than the healthy controls. Patients with epilepsy also experienced significant changes in sleep architecture, the reduction of NREM S3, S4 and REM stages and the increase of NREM S2 stage. These changes were not related to used antiepileptic medication....

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Journal Article 2009; 30(5): 604-609 PubMed PMID: 20035263 Citation  Keywords:  Adolescent, Animals, Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity:blood, Biomarkers:metabolism, Child, Dopamine beta-Hydroxylase:blood, Female, Humans, Male, Mental Disorders:blood,.   

BACKGROUND: Developmental study of dopaminergic and noradrenergic systems in child psychiatric disorders are rare. DBH activity is one of noradrenergic biochemical marker that is correlate in psychiatry to clinical and genetic data.

OBJECTIVES: The main aim of the present study was to measure DBH activity at the onset of acute schizophrenia and depressive disorder in children and adolescents without pharmacological treatment and to compare these values with DBH activity in healthy controls. The authors also investigated untreated ADHD children.

METHODS: We examined 42 control healthy children, 15 children non-treated with acute schizophrenia, 15 non-treated children with acute depressive disorders and 30 non-treated ADHD children, all in age 7-14. Plasma DBH level was provided by Nagatsu (1972; 1974). Depressed children were reexamined after clinical remission.

RESULTS: DBH activity is statistically significantly decreased in non-treated depressive disorder and ADHD in children and adolescents. DBH activity is normalised during antidepressant therapy in child depression. Child schizophrenia patients present with normal DBH activity.

CONCLUSION: These results are similar to the results that have been observed in adult patients with schizophrenia and depression and in previous studies of DBH activity in children with ADHD. These results also indicate hypoactivity of the noradrenergic system in children with ADHD and depression....

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Journal Article 2009; 30(5): 574-581 PubMed PMID: 20035262 Citation  Keywords:  Animals, Antioxidants:pharmacology, Brain Ischemia:drug therapy, Edema:drug therapy, Electrophysiology, Female, Hippocampus:cytology, Humans, Indoles:pharmacology, Male, Neuroprotective Agents:pharmacology, Pyridines:pharmacology, Rats, Rats, Wistar,.   

OBJECTIVES: The idea of neuroprotective therapy for ischaemic stroke is based on results from studies on experimental animal models of brain ischaemia demonstrating efficacy of many natural and synthetic agents. Contrary to positive conclusions with antioxidants from animal models, clinical experience failed to find neuroprotectants so efficient in human stroke, infarction, brain trauma, tissue preservation, etc. Thus new highly effective neuroprotective agents need to be discovered.

METHODS: Effects of 10-day oral treatment with the new pyridoindole derivative, code SMe1EC2, was analysed in the model of ischaemia in vitro measured five days after oral treatment, with focus on neuronal function recovery. The responses were determined by extracellular recording from rat hippocampal slices. Further, effect of SMe1EC2, applied into the incubation medium before and during ischaemia in vitro, was studied on the oedema extent in neurons of the CA1 area.

RESULTS: Ten-day oral treatment of rats with SMe1EC2 at the doses 50 or 250 mg/kg resulted in improved resistance of hippocampal neurons to 6.5-min hypoxia/hypoglycaemia in vitro measured during reoxygenation, compared to untreated rats. Application of the drug tested into the incubation medium 30 min before and during 6-min hypoxia/hypoglycaemia resulted in reduction of oedema formation in the CA1 area compared to untreated slices exposed to ischaemia in vitro.

CONCLUSION: The current study confirmed the neuroprotective effect of the pyridoindole antioxidant SMe1EC2 on the level of recovery of neuronal function as well as on affection of morphological changes expressed by reduced oedema extent in the rat hippocampus under ischemic conditions in vitro....

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Journal Article 2009; 30(5): 652-656 PubMed PMID: 20035261 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Biometry:methods, Blood Glucose:metabolism, Diabetes, Gestational:blood, Female, Fetal Development, Fetus:anatomy & histology, Gestational Age, Glucose Tolerance Test, Humans, Lipids:blood, Pregnancy, Ultrasonography, Prenatal:methods,.   

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine whether there is an association between ultrasound fetal biometry and lipids and glucose profiles at the beginning of gestational diabetes (GDM) treatment.

METHODS: In 98 women with GDM plasma glucose and lipid profile were measured between 27-32 weeks' of gestation. The association between the biochemical parameters and the measurements and percentiles of the biparietal diameter (BPD), femur length (FL) and abdominal circumference (AC), estimated fetal weight (EFW) and the actual birthweight (BW) were analyzed.

RESULTS: There was no significant association between fetal and neonatal biometry measurements and maternal glucose concentrations. Highly significant positive correlation was found between triglicerydes and fetal biometry at the beginning of GDM treatment: AC, BPD, FL and EFW (p=0.007, p=0.018, p=0.018, p=0.013, respectively), as well as between total cholesterol and bi-parietal diameter (p=0.04). Associations between maternal plasma lipids and birthweight or birthweight percentile were not evident.

CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that maternal lipids and carbohydrates metabolic disturbance are an important determinant for fetal growth in pregnancy before gestational diabetes is diagnosed....

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Journal Article 2009; 30(6): 715-722 PubMed PMID: 20035260 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Biomarkers:blood, Cardiovascular Diseases:epidemiology, Creatinine:urine, DNA Damage:physiology, Depressive Disorder, Major:epidemiology, Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay, Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic:epidemiology, Female, Guanine:analogs & derivativ.   

BACKGROUND: There is now evidence that major depression and myalgic encephalomyelitis / chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) are accompanied by partially overlapping pathophysiological mechanisms, i.e. activation of various inflammatory and oxidative & nitrosative (IO&NS) pathways.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to examine the urinary excretion of 8-hydroxy-deoxyguanosine (8-OhdG), a marker of oxidative damage to DNA, in depression; ME/CFS; and depression and ME/CFS.

METHODS: Toward this end, morning urine was sampled for the assays of 8-OHdG and creatinine, in 44 patients with ME/CFS; 25 with major depression; 23 with depression and ME/CFS; and 17 normal controls. Severity of fatigue and somatic symptoms was measured by means of the Fibromyalgia and CFS Rating (FF) scale.

RESULTS: We found that 49.0% of the variance in the urinary excretion of 8-OHdG was predicted by the regression on creatinine. Consequently, the urinary 8-OHdG excretion should be expressed as the residualized 8-OHdG values after partialling out the effects of creatinine and not by computing the 8-OHdG / creatinine ratio. We found that the residualized urinary excretion of 8-OHdG (adjusted for creatinine) was significantly higher in patients with depression and ME/CFS than in normal controls and all other patients. In the patient group, there were significant correlations between the urinary 8-OHdG and the total score on the FF scale and sadness and flu-like malaise.

CONCLUSIONS: The findings show increased oxidatively generated DNA damage in patients with major depression and ME/CFS and, therefore, further extent the role played by IO&NS pathways in the pathophysiology of both disorders. Since oxidatively damage to DNA is a risk factor for atherosclerosis and neurodegeneration, our results also explain previous findings on increased cardiovascular morbidity in depression and ME/CFS, and neurodegenerative processes in depression....

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Journal Article 2009; 30(5): 663-670 PubMed PMID: 20035259 Citation  Keywords:  Animals, Behavior, Animal:drug effects, Central Nervous System Stimulants:administration & dosage, Estradiol:pharmacology, Female, Humans, Infusions, Intravenous, Male, Methamphetamine:administration & dosage, Ovariectomy, Rats, Rats, Wistar, Reinforcemen.   

OBJECTIVE: The female animals were already recorded to respond differently to methamphetamine (MET) abuse than males. This gender dissimilarity may be caused by the influence of estral cycles and different susceptibility to behavioural sensitization.

METHODS: Influences of gender and pre-exposure to MET were studied in the rat model of MET intravenous self-administration (IVSA). The fixed ratio (FR) paradigm was employed in male rats (M) and estrogenized (F-ESTR) and non-estrogenized ovariectomized female rats (F-OVX) either pre-exposed or not-exposed to MET pretreatment.

RESULTS: In rats that were not pre-exposed to MET, F-ESTR self-administered more MET infusions than each of the other groups, but F-OVX self-administered less than each of the other groups; the same trend was apparent in the MET pretreated groups. MET pre-exposure decreased subsequent MET IVSA in all groups except F-OVX.

CONCLUSION: Thus, pre-exposure to MET and the loss of inherent estrogen in females notably decreased the intake of MET by rats, suggesting that abuse liability was reduced. Estrogen's effects on MET self-administration here correspond with accumulating evidence of stronger behavioural responses of females to drugs of abuse....

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