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Journal Article 2008; 29(1): 17-28 PubMed PMID: 18283265 Citation  Keywords:  Antidepressive Agents:pharmacology, Biomarkers:blood, Depression:blood, Humans, Predictive Value of Tests, Signal Transduction:drug effects,.   

: The biological attributes of affective disorders and factors which are able to predict a response to treatment with antidepressants have not been identified sufficiently. A number of biochemical variables in peripheral blood constituents have been tested for this purpose, as a consequence of the lack of availability of human brain tissue. At first, the biological attributes of mental disorders were sought at the level of concentrations of neurotransmitters and their metabolites or precursors. Later on, attention shifted to receptor systems. Since the 1990s, intracellular processes influenced by an illness or its treatment with psychopharmaceuticals have been at the forefront of interest. Interest in biological predictors of treatment with antidepressants has reappeared in recent years, thanks to new laboratory techniques which make it possible to monitor cellular processes associated with the transmission of nerve signals in the brain. These processes can also be studied in plasma and blood elements, especially lymphocytes and platelets. The selection of the qualities to which attention is paid can be derived from today's most widely discussed biochemical hypotheses of affective disorders, especially the monoamine hypothesis and the molecular and cellular theory of depression. Mitochondrial enzymes can also play an important role in the pathophysiology of depression and the effects of antidepressants. In this paper, we sum up the cellular, neurochemical, neuroendocrine, genetic, and neuroimmunological qualities which can be measured in peripheral blood and which appear to be indicators of affective disorders, or parameters which make it possible to predict therapeutic responses to antidepressant administration....

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Controlled Clinical Trial 2008; 29(1): 117-124 PubMed PMID: 18283240 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Bacterial Translocation:physiology, Brain:physiopathology, Depressive Disorder, Major:immunology, Enterobacteriaceae:metabolism, Female, Gastrointestinal Tract:physiopathology, Humans, Immunoglobulin A:blood, Immunoglobulin M:blood, Intestinal Muco.   

: There is now evidence that major depression (MDD) is accompanied by an activation of the inflammatory response system (IRS) and that pro-inflammatory cytokines and lipopolysacharide (LPS) may induce depressive symptoms. The aim of the present study was to examine whether an increased gastrointestinal permeability with an increased translocation of LPS from gram negative bacteria may play a role in the pathophysiology of MDD. Toward this end, the present study examines the serum concentrations of IgM and IgA against LPS of the gram-negative enterobacteria, Hafnia Alvei, Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, Morganella Morganii, Pseudomonas Putida, Citrobacter Koseri, and Klebsielle Pneumoniae in MDD patients and normal controls. We found that the prevalences and median values for serum IgM and IgA against LPS of enterobacteria are significantly greater in patients with MDD than in normal volunteers. These differences are significant to the extent that a significant diagnostic performance is obtained, i.e. the area under the ROC curve is 90.1%. The symptom profiles of increased IgM and IgA levels are fatigue, autonomic and gastro-intestinal symptoms and a subjective feeling of infection. The results show that intestinal mucosal dysfunction characterized by an increased translocation of gram-negative bacteria (leaky gut) plays a role in the inflammatory pathophysiology of depression. It is suggested that the increased LPS translocation may mount an immune response and thus IRS activation in some patients with MDD and may induce specific "sickness behaviour" symptoms. It is suggested that patients with MDD should be checked for leaky gut by means of the IgM and IgA panel used in the present study and accordingly should be treated for leaky gut....

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Journal Article 2007; 28(6): 807-810 PubMed PMID: 18063948 Citation  Keywords:  Adolescent, Adult, Area Under Curve, Blood Glucose:metabolism, Body Mass Index, Chi-Square Distribution, Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2:blood, Energy Metabolism:physiology, Fasting:blood, Female, Glucose Tolerance Test, Homeostasis:physiology, Humans, Insulin:.   

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the clinical and metabolic characteristics of large-scale Chinese women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

DESIGN: Retrospective study.

SETTING: Hospital-based IVF center.

PATIENT(S): Patients with PCOS.

METHODS: In the present study, one thousand and forty PCOS patients were selected from women who visited the Reproductive Medicine Center at Shandong Provincial Hospital Shandong University between January 2002 and December 2006. All the patients had been performed a 75 g OGTT. Clinical characteristics, serum hormonal levels, glucose levels, insulin levels and lipid profiles were reviewed.

INTERVENTIONS: An oral glucose tolerance test and insulin release test were performed for each woman. After overnight fasting, blood samples were collected to determine fasting blood glucose, blood glucose and insulin (30 min, 60 min, 120 min, 180 min) after digesting 75 g glucose, luteotrophic hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), testosterone (T), prolactin (PRL), estradiol (E2), and blood lipid levels.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Height, weight, waistline, hip circumference, F-G grade for hirsutism, gonadal hormone results, blood lipid level, blood glucose tolerance, each-moment insulin level, and family history were determined.

RESULTS: (i) The presence of oligomenorrhea was 62.6% while amenorrhea was 19.71%. Menstrual disorder of all the adult patients could be traced back to their adolescent menarche. There were 450 obesity cases of which 259 patients were central obesity. The incidence of acanthosis nigricans was 15.19%, 65.19% with obesity. (ii) Cholesterol (4.8 +/- 0.98 vs 4.61 +/- 0.86) and LDL (3.80 +/- 6.92 vs 2.88 +/- 1.01) were both significantly higher in the obesity patients than the non obesity patients. (iii) 173 patients were diagnosed as diabetes mellitus (DM), 179 IGT, 27 IFG and 9 (IFG and IGT). Those women with plasma glucose values abnormality of 0, 30 min, 60 min, 120 min, 180 min were 19 cases 0.98% (19/173), 74 cases 42.77% (74/173), 110 cases 63.58% (110/173), 42 cases 24.28% (42/173) and 12 cases 6.94% (12/173) respectively. Ten (10/173) patients would have been undetected if fasting plasma glucose levels were not evaluated, while omission of 30 min, 60 min, 120 min, or 180 min plasma glucose levels would have resulted in 16 cases (16/173), 50 cases (50/173), 28 cases (28/173) and 1 case (1/173) being missed respectively. If we took three times blood samples to evaluate plasma glucose levels, 39 cases (39/173) (0 min + 30 min +60 min), 102 cases (0 min + 30 min + 120 min), 21 cases (0 min + 30 min + 180 min), 34 cases (0 min + 60 min + 120 min), 45 cases (0 min + 60 min + 180 min), 123 cases (0 min + 120 min + 180 min) would be missed. Compared AUC of plasma glucose and insulin in 5 times with 3 times (0 min + 30 min + 60 min), the differences were statistically significant. Body mass index (BMI) was positively correlated with HOMA-IR (r = 0.29987 (P<0.01) as well as WHR (r = 0.12441, P<0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS: (i) The prevalence rate of obesity was higher in PCOS. The state of obesity had a positive relation with insulin resistance. (ii) The prevalence rate of lipid profiles abnormality in obesity group was higher than in non-obesity. (iii) OGTT was the essential examination for all the PCOS patients....

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Comparative Study 2007; 28(6): 801-806 PubMed PMID: 18063945 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Age Factors, Aging:physiology, Anthropometry, Biomarkers, Blood Pressure:physiology, Body Mass Index, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Paraplegia:physiopathology, Reference Values, Vision Tests, Vision, Ocular:physiology, Vital Capacity:physiology,.   

: The actual level of the true aging of an organism is characterized by its biological age. By the means of measuring the function ability of its physiological systems, it is possible to evaluate the biological age and use it as an indicator of premature aging. Inclusion of the biological age screening among the basic health precautions should offer yet another viewpoint on how to objectively measure the changes in an organism corresponding to aging. The article presents a comparison of age dependency of selected biomarkers between groups of healthy men and paraplegics. The measurement of the battery of biomarkers was run in a group of 25 healthy male adults between 36 and 54 years of age. The second group was formed by 20 paraplegics - men between 33 and 50 years of age. In spite of small size of the groups, significant differences were found in 4 of 6 biomarkers....

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Comparative Study 2007; 28(6): 789-800 PubMed PMID: 18063942 Citation  Keywords:  3-Iodobenzylguanidine, Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine:classification, Diagnostic Imaging:instrumentation, Female, Humans, Indium Radioisotopes, Intestinal Neoplasms:diagnosis, Iodine Radioisotopes, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Ma.   

AIM: The aim of the study was to review the current diagnostic approach, based on the experience of one center performed during a 4-year period, according to WHO criteria of GEP - NET.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study group comprised case records of 134 patients with confirmed GEP-NET carcinomas (WHO groups 2-4). All patients were subjected to clinical, biochemical and imaging examinations performed as routine clinical work-up. The imaging techniques consisted of anatomical (CT, EUS) and functional approaches (SRS, mIBG and FDG PET).

RESULTS: The clinical classification considered the primary origin of the tumor as follows: 49% - foregut tumors, 44% - midgut, and 7% of tumors of unknown origin. Group of patients with WHO 2 consisted of 98 (73%) subjects. Considering those with foregut tumors EUS followed by CT and SRS were used in each case. SRS and CT imaging was used to assess the extent of the tumor. Patients with midgut tumors had CT and SRS as routine diagnostic imaging examinations. Considering the above-mentioned patients, CT and SRS were used to localize the primary tumor, and assess tumor extent. Overall sensitivity of CT considering the active disease amounted to 96%, while specificity - 75%. Sensitivity of SRS was 97%, while specificity- 85%. WHO 3-29 patients, 17 foregut and 9 midgut tumors, and 3 of unknown origin. Diagnostic imaging examinations consisted of CT. Standard SRS (sst2) was negative in most cases. The aggressive behaviour of this type of tumors was detected by means of FDG-PET. Sensitivity of CT amounted to 100%, and that of SRS - 44%. Specificity of CT amounted to 67% and that of SRS - 100%. WHO 4-7 patients, including 4 foregut and 3 midgut neoplasms. The imaging approach consisted of CT/MR and in 5 cases FDG-PET. Sensitivity of CT amounted to 100%. Only one patient presented with a SRS positive study. FDG-PET sensitivity amounted to 100%.

CONCLUSION: Diagnostic imaging of GEP-NET, consider anatomical and functional techniques, which should be read together. The diagnostic value of CT and SRS were similar in case of WHO 2, while in case of WHO 3 CT had a higher diagnostic accuracy. FDG-PET seems to be a very attractive imaging functional modality in case of patients with WHO 3 and WHO 4....

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Journal Article 2007; 28(6): 822-825 PubMed PMID: 18063938 Citation  Keywords:  Adaptation, Physiological, Age Factors, Analysis of Variance, Blood Flow Velocity:physiology, Female, Hemodynamics, Humans, Infant, Newborn, Intestines:blood supply, Male, Mesenteric Artery, Superior:diagnostic imaging, Reference Values, Regional Blood Fl.   

OBJECTIVES: After birth, the newborn intestinal circulation undergoes physiological changes. The purpose of this work was to characterize the changes in mesenteric blood flow velocity occuring during the first three days of life in healthy term infants.

METHODS: 30 healthy term newborns were studied repeatedly at the age of 2, 24 and 70 hours. Blood flow velocity in superior mesenteric artery (SMA) was measured by Doppler ultrasound, peak systolic velocity (PSV), end-diastolic velocity (EDV) and time-averaged mean velocity (TAV) were recorded at each time point. Resistance index (RI) and pulsatility index (PI) were calculated.

RESULTS: SMA EDV increased from 2 h [-5.2+/-6.8 cm/s (mean +/- SD)] to 24 h (12.9+/-3.8 cm/s, p<0.001) with further insignificant increase to 70 h (14.9+/-4.7 cm/s). At 2 h of age the mean EDV was negative in 23 of 30 cases (76.7%). PSV did not change between 2 h (58.0+/-21.8 cm/s) and 24 h (58.5+/-15.0 cm/s) but it increased to 70 h (79.6+/-17.7 cm/s). TAV showed a significant increase with time. RI decreased from 2 h (1.09+/-0.11) to 24 h (0.78+/-0.06, p<0.001) with further insignificant increase to 70 h (0.81+/-0.06).

CONCLUSIONS: The blood flow velocity in SMA increases during the early neonatal period in term infants. The most remarkable changes occur within the first 24 hours of life. At 2 h of age a reversed blood flow is present in majority of infants....

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Journal Article 2007; 28(6): 811-814 PubMed PMID: 18063925 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Antipsychotic Agents:therapeutic use, Humans, Male, Psychiatric Status Rating Scales, Risperidone:therapeutic use, Schizophrenia:blood, Schizophrenic Psychology, Severity of Illness Index, Statistics, Nonparametric, Testosterone:blood,.   

OBJECTIVE: Recent neuroendocrinological studies have suggested that gonadal sex hormones play a significant role in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. Low testosterone is associated with negative symptoms in chronic schizophrenia. The relevance of these findings has not yet been elucidated. The aim of our naturalistic open study was to explore the association between symptoms, drug response and testosterone levels in first-episode schizophrenia to exclude the effects of age, chronic illness, long-term treatment and institutionalization.

METHODS: 68 males, consecutively hospitalised for the first time with first-episode schizophrenia were evaluated using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) on admission (before treatment) and at discharge. Further, plasma testosterone was measured. Total testosterone was assayed using chemiluminescent immunoanalysis (CMIA). All patients were treated openly by monotherapy; risperidone being the drug of first choice. Treatment response was defined as delta PANSS (PANSS total on admission - PANSS total at discharge /PANSS total on admission).

RESULTS: On average the total PANSS and PANSS subscales scores significantly decreased during the acute treatment. In contrast to results in chronic schizophrenia, the mean values of testosterone were within the normal range (15.36 and 22.55 nmol/l respectively) both before and after acute treatment. The range of normal values for the method used is given as 5.76-30.43 nmol/l for males <50 years old. On admission only 6 patients had testosterone values lower than 5.76 nmol/l. No significant correlation between negative symptoms (negative PANSS subscale) at the beginning or at the end of acute treatment or between treatment response and testosterone plasma levels was found.

CONCLUSIONS: During the first psychotic breakdown no significant association was observed either between total testosterone plasma levels and symptoms or treatment reactivity. However, schizophrenia is a heterogeneous disease. In some patients with first-episode schizophrenia an alteration of psychoendocrinology parameters has been observed. These patients may be more vulnerable to development of enduring negative symptoms, and pharmacotherapy based on neuroendocrinology profile should be considered....

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Journal Article 2007; 28(Suppl 4): 4-6 PubMed PMID: 18030259 Citation  Keywords:  Animals, Antioxidants:pharmacology, Catalase:metabolism, Ethanol:pharmacology, Intestinal Absorption:drug effects, Longevity:drug effects, Male, Progeria:chemically induced, Rats, Rats, Wistar, Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms, Superoxide Dismutase:metabo.   

: Whole-life consumption of the pure Tokaj wine (The Furmint variety) with documented antioxidative activity significantly elongated (p<0.05) the life of laboratory animals in comparison to the control group consuming water and in comparison to group consuming ethanol (10%). Whole-life intake of ethanol (10%) diluted with water neither shortened nor elongated life of laboratory animals in comparison to control group consuming water. An increased dosing of the Tokaj wine combined with water shortened life expectation (p<0.001). Obviously mixing of wine and water increases the absorption of toxic elements influenced by an acid medium through the change of anions to cations, but also increased appetite resulting into obesity on the basis of hyperphagia....

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