Search NEL Online

Journal Article 2007; 28(6): 861-867 PubMed PMID: 18063934 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Analysis of Variance, Antibody Formation:immunology, Autoimmunity:immunology, Depression:blood, Depressive Disorder, Major:blood, Fatigue:blood, Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic:blood, Female, Humans, Immunoglobulin M:blood, Male, Middle Aged, Neuropsycho.   

: Major depression and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) are accompanied by signs of oxidative and nitrosative stress (O&NS) and an inflammatory response. Phosphatidyl inositol (Pi) is thought to play a role in depression. The aim of the present study is to examine whether depression and CFS are characterized by an IgM-mediated immune response directed against Pi. Toward this end, this study examines the serum IgM antibodies directed against Pi in 14 patients with major depression, 14 patients with CFS, 14 subjects with partial CFS, and in 11 normal controls. We found that the prevalence and mean value for the serum IgM levels directed against Pi were significantly greater in patients with major depression and CFS than in normal controls and patients with partial CFS. There were significant and positive correlations between serum IgM levels directed against Pi and two symptoms of the FibroFatigue Scale, i.e. fatigue and depression. The results show that an IgM-related immune response directed against Pi may occur in both depression and CFS and may play a role in the pathophysiology of the key symptom of CFS and major depression. It is suggested that the above disorders in Pi result from increased O&NS in both depression and CFS. Autoanti-Pi antibodies may have biological effects, for example, by changing inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate (IP3), phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2), diacylglycerol and phosphatidylinositol-3,4,5-triphosphate (PIP3) production, thus interfering with intracellular signalling processes. Future research in major depression and CFS should focus on the functional consequences of the immune responses directed against Pi....

Read abstract  Full text PDF

Case Reports 2007; 28(6): 745-748 PubMed PMID: 18063931 Citation  Keywords:  Adrenal Insufficiency:blood, Adrenocorticotropic Hormone:blood, Empty Sella Syndrome:blood, Female, Hormone Replacement Therapy, Humans, Hydrocortisone:blood, Hypoglycemia:blood, Hyponatremia:blood, Methylprednisolone:therapeutic use, Middle Aged, Pituita.   

: Isolated ACTH deficiency is an uncommon cause of secondary adrenocortical insufficiency and accompaniment with primary empty sella has been reported in several cases. We present a case of isolated ACTH deficiency associated with empty sella. A sixty-two year old woman was admitted to our endocrine clinic with complaints of weakness, fatigue, weight loss, nausea, vomiting, and lack of appetite for about one month. Physical examination indicated orthostatic hypotension and epigastric tenderness. Laboratory investigations revealed hypoglycemia, hyponatremia and anemia, in addition low plasma cortisole and ACTH levels. Serum cortisole responses to short and prolonged ACTH stimulation were tested and partial and accurate responses were obtained, respectively. Plasma ACTH and serum cortisole levels failed to respond after intravenous injection of human corticotropin releasing hormone. Other hypophysial hormone levels were within the normal reference ranges. Although cranial and abdominal computerized tomography images were evaluated as normal, cranial magnetic resonance imaging of the pituitary gland revealed 'primary empty sella turcica'. Replacement therapy with methylprednisolon resulted in the improvement of hypoglycemia, hyponatremia and clinical symptoms. Based on these results, the patient was diagnosed as isolated ACTH deficiency and was scheduled for follow up by our outpatient clinic. Our report is consistent with other reports pointing out that primary empty sella may be responsible for pathogenesis of isolated ACTH deficiency....

Read abstract  Full text PDF

Comparative Study 2007; 28(6): 901-907 PubMed PMID: 18063927 Citation  Keywords:  Adiponectin:blood, Adult, Cholesterol:blood, Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2:blood, Energy Metabolism:physiology, European Continental Ancestry Group, Female, Humans, Male, Matched-Pair Analysis, Middle Aged, Obesity:blood, Statistics, Nonparametric, Triglyceri.   

OBJECTIVES: Adiponectin is a novel plasma protein produced exclusively in adipocytes. Despite early data, its relationship with obesity and diabetes has been recently questioned. Since plasma lipids influence diabetes and obesity, of concern is whether any associations between plasma lipids and adiponectin exist.

DESIGN AND METHODS: The aim of this study was to measure adiponectin levels and to investigate their associations with plasma cholesterol fractions and triglycerides in 73 obese non-diabetic subjects (44 women and 29 men), and 43 obese diabetic subjects (28 women and 15 men), aged 52.7+/-11.2 and 53.1+/-11 years, respectively, and matched for age, sex and BMI. The WHO definitions of obesity and diabetes were used. Adiponectin was determined by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

RESULTS: No correlations between adiponectin and total and LDL cholesterol levels were shown (for the whole cohort: r=0.0130; p=0.8899, and r=0.0807; p=0.3958, respectively). A positive correlation between HDL cholesterol levels and adiponectin occured predominantly in obese women without diabetes (r=0.4531; p=0.0023), resulting in an overall statistical trend in the whole cohort (r=0.2243; p=0.0164). A negative correlation between serum adiponectin and triglycerides was found (r=-0.3413; p=0.0002).

CONCLUSION: Adiponectin correlated only with TG and partially with HDL but not with LDL and total cholesterol in the study group of obese diabetic and obese non diabetic subjects. In view of these results we suggest that the role of adiponectin in human metabolism is unclear and merits further investigation....

Read abstract  Full text PDF

Journal Article 2007; 28(Suppl 3): 20-21 PubMed PMID: 18030269 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Aged, Ampicillin:therapeutic use, Anti-Bacterial Agents:therapeutic use, Cefotaxime:therapeutic use, Drug Resistance, Bacterial, Female, Humans, Listeriosis:drug therapy, Male, Meningitis, Bacterial:drug therapy, Middle Aged, Outcome Assessment (He.   

: Listeria monocytogenes is not a rare pathogen causing meningitis, mainly in small children and in close contacts to livestock. The pathogen is naturally resistant to cephalosporins and some glycopeptides as well, therefore despite of syndromologic diagnosis of meningitis and initial therapy with 3rd generation cephalosporins according to the guidelines therapeutic failures with clinical consequences may occur....

Read abstract

Journal Article 2007; 28(Suppl 4): 10-11 PubMed PMID: 18030255 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Aged, Alcohol Drinking:epidemiology, Beer, Biomarkers:blood, Cross-Sectional Studies, Europe:epidemiology, Female, Humans, Inflammation:blood, Male, Middle Aged, Wine,.   

: Anti-inflammatory effects of moderate alcohol consumption have been proposed to explain why moderate alcohol intake lowers coronary heart disease risk. The relationship between overall alcohol, beer or wine consumption and markers of systemic inflammation in three different geographical areas in Europe, was investigated....

Read abstract

Journal Article 2007; 28(5): 639-642 PubMed PMID: 17984948 Citation  Keywords:  Adaptation, Psychological, Adult, Depressive Disorder:blood, Dissociative Disorders:blood, Female, Humans, Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System:physiopathology, Male, Middle Aged, Pituitary-Adrenal System:physiopathology, Prolactin:blood, Statistics, Nonparamet.   

OBJECTIVES: Usual neuroendocrinological manifestation of traumatic stress and dissociation is dysregulation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. The aim of the present study is to perform examination of HPA axis as indexed by basal serum prolactin and test its relationship to dissociative symptoms and symptoms of traumatic stress.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: 25 inpatients treated at the university hospital with diagnosis of unipolar depression mean age 41.23 (SD=11.53) were assessed using psychometric measures of dissociation (DES) and traumatic symptoms (TSC-40), and using standard biochemical analytical methods basal serum prolactin levels were investigated.

RESULTS: Data show that prolactin manifests significant relationship to dissociative symptoms (r=0.52, p=0.004). Significant correlation was not found between prolactin and traumatic symptoms measured by TSC-40 (r=0.31, p=0.07).

CONCLUSIONS: The present data suggest that serum prolactin levels in unipolar depressive patients are related to dissociative symptoms that is likely caused by passive coping mechanisms leading to dissociation....

Read abstract  Full text PDF

Comparative Study 2007; 28(5): 575-579 PubMed PMID: 17984939 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Aged, Circadian Rhythm:physiology, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Nerve Growth Factors:blood, Oxygen:blood, Polysomnography, S100 Calcium Binding Protein beta Subunit, S100 Proteins:blood, Severity of Illness Index, Sleep Apnea, Obstructive:blood, Stat.   

OBJECTIVE: Responsible for sleep brain perfusion changes, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) constitutes a cardiovascular risk. To find out about any diffuse damage to the brain tissue, we studied the S100B protein, whose serum level is known to rise in stroke and craniocerebral trauma.

METHODS: 60 men (mean age 51.7+/-11.8 years) referred to us for OSA without any major comorbidity were examined polygraphically. S100B was determined with electrochemiluminiscence immunoassay (ECLIA) from evening and morning blood samples.

RESULTS: All sixty men were diagnosed with OSA. The difference between the evening level of S100B 0.068+/-0.030 microg/l and the morning level 0.059+/-0.029 microg/l was significant (p=0.0004). Patients with mild OSA were found to have the evening S100B 0.063+/-0.023 microg/l, the morning level 0.042+/-0.012 microg/l, the difference being significant (p=0.00051). In moderate OSA the difference between the evening -0.070+/-0.017 microg/l and morning levels -0.055+/-0.025 microg/l was less significant (p=0.043). In severe OSA no difference was found between the evening and morning concentrations of S100B (0.070+/-0.036 microg/l and 0.070+/-0.031 microg/l respectively). The difference between the evening and morning S100B levels correlated negatively with AHI and ODI and positively with basal saturation and average minimal oxygen saturation.

CONCLUSIONS: Sleep with signs of severe OSA influences S100B protein release....

Read abstract  Full text PDF

Journal Article 2007; 28(5): 629-632 PubMed PMID: 17984934 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Amino Acid Substitution, China, Female, Fibrillin-1, Fibrillins, Genetic Predisposition to Disease, Humans, Latent TGF-beta Binding Proteins:metabolism, Male, Marfan Syndrome:genetics, Microfilament Proteins:genetics, Middle Aged, Mutation, Missens.   

: In order to further understand the role of fibrillin-1 (FBN1, OMIM 134797) perturbations in the pathogenesis of Marfan syndrome (MFS, OMIM 154700) we studied a Han Chinese family in which MFS was segregating. In the Chinese family with 5 affected members, mutation screening for FBN1 was performed using direct sequencing. A novel non-synonymous mutation in the transforming growth factor beta binding protein-like (TB) domain of the FBN1 gene was found. The missense mutation c.3022T>C (C1008R) located in exon 24. This mutation was present in the proband and in two other affected family members, but in neither unaffected family members nor unrelated control subjects. The novel non-synonymous mutation, c.3022T>C (C1008R) in the TB domain of FBN1 gene, may be involved in the pathogenesis of MFS in a Han Chinese family....

Read abstract  Full text PDF