Search NEL Online

Journal Article 2006; 27(1-2): 137-141 PubMed PMID: 16648783 Citation  Keywords:  Adolescent, Adult, Calcinosis:diagnostic imaging, Cranial Sutures:diagnostic imaging, Female, Humans, Karyotyping, Klinefelter Syndrome:diagnostic imaging, Male, Parietal Bone:diagnostic imaging, Radiography, Skull:diagnostic imaging,.   

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this paper is to report on radiographic features of the cranial vault abnormalities frequently seen but not yet described in detail in patients with Klinefelter syndrome.r />r /> SUBJECTS: Our studies comprised 72 patients with Klinefelter syndrome and 47,XXY karyotype. The majority of the patients were young between the ages of 16 to 28 years.r />r /> METHODS: Plain skull radiographs were taken in the frontal and lateral projections.r />r /> RESULTS: Several abnormalities were observed on skull radiographs of the Klinefelter patients. The most frequent was a premature fusion of the coronal sutures that occurred in 54 of 62 younger patients. In 42 cases extensive calcifications of these sutures were observed. The calcified sutures were dense and widened. In 24 patients the inner table in the anterior part or the parietal bone displayed a marked disruption with thinning of the calvaria at this place. In the posterior part of the parietal bone in 21 patients the inner table was thickened and excessively dense. On frontal radiographs, in 30 patients, there was a flattening of the squamous part of the temporal bones.r />r /> CONCLUSIONS: Skull radiographs in Klinefelter patients frequently display abnormalities: premature fusion and excessive calcifications of the coronal sutures, irregularities of the inner table of the parietal bone, and flattening of the temporal bones. These radiographic features, when present, may draw attention to the XXY syndrome as the underlying cause of the abnormalities....

Read abstract

Comparative Study 2006; 27(1-2): 85-88 PubMed PMID: 16648782 Citation  Keywords:  Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Anticonvulsants:adverse effects, Carbamazepine:adverse effects, Cardiovascular Diseases:blood, Epilepsy:blood, Female, Folic Acid:blood, Humans, Immunoassay, Luminescence, Male, Middle Aged, Phenytoin:adverse effects, Valproic Aci.   

PURPOSE: Previous studies showed an association between the blood levels of folate and vitamin B(12) and the risk for cardiovascular disease. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of chronic use of phenytoin, carbamazepine or valproate monotherapy on the plasma levels of folate and B(12), and to compare folate and B(12) levels in epileptic patients with or without cardiovasular disorders.r />r /> METHODS: The study was conducted in the outpatient neurology clinic at Bahrain Defence Force (BDF) Hospital between January-July, 2005. Medical information was obtained by interviewing the patients and examining their hospital records. Blood folate and vitamin B(12) were measured by Immulite immunoanalysis assay using chemoluminescence.r />r /> RESULTS: A total of 26 consecutive outpatients (17 males, 9 females) were recruited in the study. Their mean age +/- SD was 38.2 +/- 20.1 year (range 15-77 year). Five (19.2%) had complex partial epilepsy and the remainder had tonic-clonic seizures. They had epilepsy for 15.7 +/- 8.1 years (range 2-35 years). Thirteen of them used phenytoin, nine carbamazepine and four used valproate. The duration of the treatment (years), dose (mg/day) and serum concentration (micromol/l) were 18.3 +/- 10.6, 376.9 +/- 180.4, 41.6 +/- 25.6, for phenytoin, 14.5 +/- 11.7, 422.2 +/- 175.0, 31.1 +/- 15.9 for carbamazepine and 18.3 +/- 6.3, 400, 567.7 +/- 78.1 for valproate, respectively. Eleven (42.3%) had established cardiovascular disorders such as hypertension, myocardial infarction or stroke. The mean level of plasma folate (12.94 +/- 6.76 ng/ml) and B12 (484.94 +/- 191.25 pg/ml) in epileptic patients with cardiovascular disorders compared to their values (11.27 +/- 5.84), (514.49 +/- 225.31) respectively in epileptics with no cardiovascular disorders were not statistically significant in the two groups.r />r /> CONCLUSION: In epileptic patients on chronic therapy with phenytoin, carbamazepine or valproate folate and B(12) levels were not different in patients with or without cardiovascular disorders....

Read abstract

Journal Article 2006; 27(1-2): 97-104 PubMed PMID: 16648781 Citation  Keywords:  Animals, Benzhydryl Compounds, Calcium:metabolism, Calcium Channel Blockers:pharmacology, Calcium Signaling:drug effects, Cells, Cultured, Estradiol:analogs & derivatives, Estrogen Antagonists:pharmacology, Estrogens, Non-Steroidal:pharmacology, Excitator.   

OBJECTIVES: Bisphenol A (BPA) is a typical endocrine disrupter. We investigated the mechanisms of rapid Ca(2+) signaling induced by a low dose BPA application in cultured hippocampal neurons.r />r /> MATERIALS AND METHODS: The primary culture of hippocampal neurons were prepared from postnatal 3 to 5-day-old rats. Cells were loaded with Calcium Green-1 fluorophore. Ca(2+) imaging and analysis were performed by Argus system.r />r /> RESULTS: The application of BPA at 10-100 nM induced a transient increase in the intracellular Ca(2+) of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-responsive neurons. The Ca(2+) transient occurred within 30 sec after the BPA application. The proportion of BPA-responsive neurons was 9.6 % and 8.5 % of the total NMDA-responsive neurons, respectively, upon 10 nM and 100 nM BPA application. The pre-treatment of neurons with Ca(2+) channel blockers, thapsigargin and nifedipine, considerably decreased the proportion of BPA-responsive neurons to 0.7 % and 3.7%, respectively. The treatment of neurons with an antagonist of estrogen receptor, ICI 182,780, also significantly decreased the proportion of BPA-responsive neurons down to 1.1 %.r />r /> CONCLUSION: These results suggest that a low dose BPA application rapidly drives the Ca(2+) signaling system via activation of non-genomic pathway including estrogen receptors....

Read abstract

Case Reports 2006; 27(1-2): 260-262 PubMed PMID: 16648780 Citation  Keywords:  Anticonvulsants:therapeutic use, Antidepressive Agents:therapeutic use, Carbamazepine:therapeutic use, Catatonia:classification, Depression:complications, Electroencephalography, Female, Humans, Hypnotics and Sedatives:therapeutic use, Middle Aged, Moclob.   

: We describe a patient who was ill for more than 15 years. She was treated predominantly as a neurological case because of multiple motor signs. The diagnosis of catatonia was considered at the time when she was hospitalized in a psychiatric hospital after a suicidal attempt. The "therapeutic blindness", which was obviously present during 15 years of her illness, is discussed: the ICD--10 is perhaps misleading regarding this diagnosis while it associates it too tightly only to schizophrenia....

Read abstract

Journal Article 2006; 27(1-2): 16-20 PubMed PMID: 16648779 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Anticonvulsants:therapeutic use, Brain:pathology, Electroencephalography, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Risk Factors, Secondary Prevention, Seizures:drug therapy, Social Environment,.   

: Patients experiencing solitary unprovoked epileptic seizure have different risks of recurrence. The possible risk factors include in particular: structural cerebral lesion and its cause, history of febrile seizures, family history of epilepsy, the type of seizure, epileptiform EEG discharges and the problem of initiation or (or not initiation) of antiepileptic treatment after the first paroxysm. The factors shown above were evaluated in a group of 30 patients with solitary unprovoked epileptic seizure. Regarding recurrence of epileptic seizure, the only significant factor appeared to be initiation of treatment after the first unprovoked paroxysm (p<0.001). We observed a 30% and 33.33% risk of recurrence following the initial epileptic seizure in patients after the first unprovoked seizure in less than 1 and 3 years, respectively....

Read abstract

Journal Article 2006; 27(1-2): 121-127 PubMed PMID: 16648778 Citation  Keywords:  Adrenergic alpha-Agonists:therapeutic use, Aged, Blood Pressure:drug effects, Cardiac Output:drug effects, Cardiotonic Agents:pharmacology, Critical Illness, Dobutamine:therapeutic use, Female, Heart Rate:drug effects, Humans, Hydrazones:pharmacology, Int.   

UNLABELLED: Levosimendan may improve the outcome of acute heart failure patients with preserved arterial blood pressure. However, the data on its use in critically ill patients are scarce.r />r /> OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to assess the effects of levosimendan on global haemodynamics in patients with cardiogenic shock.r />r /> MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fourteen adult patients in cardiogenic shock were studied prospectively. One patient died after 10 hours and was excluded from final analysis. Haemodynamic monitoring included arterial and pulmonary arterial thermodilution catheters. Before levosimendan administration, 12 patients required norepinephrine, 6 patients dobutamine and 4 patients intraaortic balloon pump. Levosimendan was given as a bolus (12 microg x kg(-1) x 10 min(-1)) followed by 24 hrs infusion (0.1 microg x kg(-1) x min(-1)). Baseline data had been collected before levosimendan administration. Following data sets were obtained after 1, 8, 16 and 24 hours. Positive haemodynamic response was defined as an increase of > or = 30% in cardiac output.r />r /> RESULTS: Eleven patients met the criterion for the positive haemodynamic response. During levosimendan infusion systemic vascular resistance decreased (p<0.05) whereas cardiac output (p<0,001) and urine output increased (p<0.01). Mean arterial pressure and heart rate remained unchanged. No severe arrhythmias occurred and norepinephrine-dose did not change. Two patients were classified as non-responders.r />r /> CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that levosimendan infusion given as adjunctive therapy in patients with cardiogenic shock may be safe with beneficial effects on global haemodynamics....

Read abstract

Journal Article 2006; 27(1-2): 231-235 PubMed PMID: 16648777 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Alcoholism:enzymology, Alleles, Amino Acid Substitution, Catechol O-Methyltransferase:genetics, DNA:genetics, Female, Gene Frequency, Humans, Japan:epidemiology, Male, Middle Aged, Mutation:physiology, Polymorphism, Genetic:genetics, Polymorphism, .   

OBJECTIVES: The catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) is an enzyme involved in the metabolism of dopamine, adrenaline and noradrenaline. The Val158Met polymorphism of the COMT gene has been previously associated with a variability of the COMT activity, and alcoholism. The aim of the present association study was to examine the relationship between the Val158Met polymorphism of the COMT gene and dispositions to alcoholism.r />r /> METHODS: In our case control study we analyzed DNA samples from 799 subjects in total (279 male alcoholics and 120 female alcoholics, 151 male controls and 249 female controls). The restriction analysis for the detection of the Val158Met polymorphism was used.r />r /> RESULTS: We found a relationship between the Val158Met polymorphism of the COMT gene and alcoholism in male subjects. We found the significant difference between male alcoholics and male controls in allele and genotype frequencies (p<0,007; and p<0,04 respectively).r />r /> CONCLUSIONS: Our study confirmed the relationship between the COMT polymorphism and alcoholism in the Czech male population....

Read abstract

Journal Article 2006; 27(1-2): 214-218 PubMed PMID: 16648776 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Electrocoagulation, Female, Gonadal Steroid Hormones:blood, Gynecologic Surgical Procedures, Humans, Laparoscopy, Ovulation:physiology, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome:blood, Pregnancy, Pregnancy Rate,.   

OBJECTIVES: To compare the efficacy of ovarian electrocautery performed during microlaparoscopy and laparoscopy, basing on ovulation and pregnancy rates obtained within one year of follow-up.r />r /> MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ovarian drillings, performed with the use of endoscopic methods, were carried out in 135 women with hormonal and ultrasound features of PCOS, aged 30-39 (average age 36 +/- 3.3). Laparoscopic ovarian electrocautery was carried out in 65 cases, whereas microlaparoscopic drilling was conducted in 70 cases. The obtained results were compared in regard to duration of the procedure and ovulation/pregnancy rates within one year of follow-up. Changes in hormonal profiles were also compared in both groups, measured in patients who did not get pregnant before, and 3 months after, the procedures.r />r /> RESULTS: The difference in durations between the two studied procedures was statistically significant (19 +/- 3 min vs. 24 +/- 4.4 min; p<0.001). However, the ovulation and pregnancy rates did not differ significantly between the two groups (72% vs. 77.7%; p<0.5 and 19.4% vs. 20%; p<0.95, respectively). There were also similar trends in hormonal changes after microlaparoscopic and laparoscopic drilling.r />r /> CONCLUSIONS: The efficacy of ovarian drilling in PCOS, estimated by ovulation and pregnancy rates within 12 months of follow-up is similar for microlaparoscopy and laparoscopy, as well as the trends in hormonal changes. Ovarian electrocautery is significantly longer in microlaparoscopy, but the difference in time is of no practical impact....

Read abstract