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Comparative Study 2007; 28(6): 761-764 PubMed PMID: 18063947 Citation  Keywords:  Adolescent, Adult, Antibody Formation:immunology, Biomarkers:blood, Biomarkers, Tumor:blood, Central Nervous System Neoplasms:blood, Child, Child, Preschool, Female, Humans, Immunoglobulin G:blood, Immunoglobulin M:blood, Infant, Male, Neurofibroma, Plexi.   

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship of serum levels of neuron-specific enolase, anti-vimentin IgG, and anti-vimentin IgM antibodies in patients with neurofibromatosis type 1 and associated tumors (optic glioma, and plexiform neurofibroma).

METHODS: Measurement of neuron-specific enolase and anti-vimentin antibodies were performed in 131 children and adolescents (67 males, mean age 10 years, range 4-19 years; 64 females, mean age 11 years, range 1-20 years) with three different forms of neurofibromatosis type 1 and in control group of 40 individuals (20 males, mean age 9 years, range 1-19 years and 20 females, mean age 12 years, range 3-18 years).

RESULTS: Anti-vimentin IgG, IgM antibodies and NSE showed similar ability to distinguish between neurofibromatosis type 1 and tumors associated with neurofibromatosis type 1. (AUC=0.57, AUC=0.52 and AUC=0.59 respectively). NSE showed better diagnostic efficiency (AUC=0.68) than the anti-vimentin IgG and anti-vimentin IgM. (AUC=0.63 and AUC=0.56 respectively). Anti-vimentin IgG and IgM antibodies showed higher sensitivity (87.5% and 87.2%) at the cut off value than the NSE (54%). On the contrary, NSE showed higher specificity at the cut off value than both the anti-vimentin IgG and IgM (71% vs. 22.5% and 16% respectively).

CONCLUSIONS: Anti-vimentin IgG and IgM and neuron-specific enolase are relevant markers in investigation of the patients with neurofibromatosis type 1 and associated tumors....

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Journal Article 2007; 28(6): 832-840 PubMed PMID: 18063922 Citation  Keywords:  Autonomic Nervous System:physiopathology, Cardiovascular Diseases:complications, Depressive Disorder:complications, Humans, Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System:physiopathology, Inflammation:complications, Pituitary-Adrenal System:physiopathology, Psychology,.   

: Depressive disorders and cardiovascular disease are inter-connected by a whole range of pathophysiological mechanisms. Three biological mechanisms are fundamental: activation of the hypothalamus-hypohysis-adrenal axis with a subsequent increase in sympathetic-adrenal system activity, decrease in vagal tone with a decrease in heart rate variability, and alterations of thrombogenesis with increased platelet aggregability. Behavioural mechanisms and psycho-social factors are also integral to this common pathophysiology. Recently, research has focused mainly on studying various forms of stress, as well as changes and possibilities of influencing the autonomous vegetative system. Temporal aspects of the incidence and development of depressive episodes in relation to cardiovascular disease and subsequent cardiovascular morbidity and mortality are being studied, as well as general mortality risk factors. These findings are important for clinical practice. It is evident that in patients with untreated depressive disorder, the risk of developing cardiovascular disease is significantly higher than in patients suffering from a depressive disorder being treated with anti-depressants. From the data published so far, it may be surmised that depressive disorders in patients with cardiovascular disease may be reliably and safely treated with anti-depressants that act as inhibitors of serotonin re-uptake....

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Journal Article 2007; 28(Suppl 4): 1-3 PubMed PMID: 18030258 Citation  Keywords:  Animals, Anti-Infective Agents:pharmacology, Cardiovascular System:drug effects, Central Nervous System:drug effects, Central Nervous System Depressants:adverse effects, Ethanol:adverse effects, Flavonoids:pharmacology, Gastrointestinal Tract:drug effects.   

: Moderate intake of wine may be protective against various neurologic, cardiovascular and gastroenteric diseases. Low concentration of alcohol (wine diluted with water 1:2 to 1:10) exhibits strong antimicrobial activity against majority of gastrointestinal pathogens as well as against Chlamydia pneumoniae. In contrast, higher doses of even diluted alcohol (more than 5-7 glasses a day) may cause severe neuropsychic disorders with major social consequences. Wine contains variety of molecules with cardioprotective effect and antiinfectious properties....

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Journal Article 2007; 28(Suppl 4): 10-11 PubMed PMID: 18030257 Citation  Keywords:  Aged:psychology, Alcohol Drinking:psychology, Cardiovascular System:drug effects, Central Nervous System Depressants:pharmacology, Cognition:drug effects, Ethanol:pharmacology, Humans, Neuropsychological Tests,.   

: The studies on the effect of moderate alcohol consumption on mental capacity in elderly and inflammatory markers in coronary heart disease are reviewed....

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Journal Article 2007; 28(Suppl 4): 15-16 PubMed PMID: 18030253 Citation  Keywords:  Alcohol Drinking:epidemiology, Cardiovascular Diseases:epidemiology, Humans, Immune System:drug effects, Infection:epidemiology, Mental Health, Nervous System Diseases:epidemiology, Wine:adverse effects,.   

: Data on both positive (protective) and negative effect of wine on cardiovascular, neurologic and immune system are briefly reviewed....

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Journal Article 2007; 28(5): 604-609 PubMed PMID: 17994006 Citation  Keywords:  Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity:drug therapy, Basal Ganglia:abnormalities, Case-Control Studies, Caudate Nucleus:abnormalities, Central Nervous System Stimulants:therapeutic use, Child, Female, Functional Laterality, Humans, Male, Methylphen.   

: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neuropsychiatry disorder with several key symptoms, such as inattentiveness, impulsivity and hyperactivity. Neuropsychiatry studies have implicated the frontostriatal circuit in the pathological physiology of the disorder. Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), we examined the basal ganglia in 13 ADHD patients and eight unaffected comparison children. The volume of caudate, putamen and globus pallidus was measured. In the ADHD patients, we detected an increased left > right asymmetry of the basal ganglia. This reversal of asymmetry in the globus pallidus and caudate nucleus were statistically significant. These finding provide further evidence of morphological brain abnormalities in ADHD....

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Journal Article 2007; 28(Suppl 2): 47-48 PubMed PMID: 17558382 Citation  Keywords:  Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Anti-Infective Agents:therapeutic use, Bacteremia:complications, Central Nervous System Diseases:etiology, Child, Child, Preschool, Cohort Studies, Endocarditis, Bacterial:complications, Enterococcus, Gram-Positive Bacterial Infec.   

: Within a cohort of 606 cases of infective endocarditis, 263 were complicated and 99 embolizing, of them 32 to the central nervous system (CNS). Significant predictors of CNS embolisation were inappropriate therapy (p<0.01) and enterococcal etiology (p<0.01). Mortality in patients with CNS emboli was 65% what was significantly higher than in cases without embolisation - 15% (p<0.01)....

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Journal Article 2007; 28(Suppl 2): 22-24 PubMed PMID: 17558371 Citation  Keywords:  Aneurysm, Infected:etiology, Anti-Infective Agents:therapeutic use, Bacterial Infections:complications, Brain:microbiology, Central Nervous System Diseases:etiology, Cerebrovascular Disorders:etiology, Endocarditis:complications, Humans, Meningitis:etiolo.   

: Neurologic complications of infective endocarditis, risk factors for mortality and neurologic sequellae are briefly reviewed....

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