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Journal Article 2006; 27(1-2): 149-152 PubMed PMID: 16648787 Citation  Keywords:  Body Height:physiology, Child, Female, Growth:drug effects, Growth Hormone:therapeutic use, Human Growth Hormone:deficiency, Humans, Male, Parents, Prognosis,.   

INTRODUCTION: Parental height is the most important identifiable factor influencing final height (FH) of children with growth hormone (GH) deficiency (GHD), treated with GH.

AIM: Assessment of FH of patients with GHD--classified into familial short stature (FSS) and non-familial short stature (non-FSS) according to parentally adjusted deficit of height.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: The analysis comprised 101 patients (76 boys) with childhood-onset GHD. Final height was compared with patients' height before GH therapy, predicted adult height (PAH) and target height (TH).

RESULTS: Both GH peak in stimulating tests and height standard deviation score (SDS) before the therapy were significantly lower in non-FSS than in FSS. Target height was significantly lower in FSS than in non-FSS. Parentally-adjusted deficit of height was significantly more profound in non-FSS than in FSS. The prognosis of adult height was very similar in both groups of patients, being significantly worse in non-FSS than in FSS while corrected by TH. The absolute FH was similar in FSS and non-FSS, being, however, significantly lower in non-FSS than in FSS while corrected by TH. Improvement of height was significantly better in non-FSS than in FSS. In both groups, FH SDS was significantly better than height SDS before the therapy (H0SDS). In FSS group, PAH was similar to TH, moreover, FH corresponded to both PAH and TH. In non-FSS group FH was significantly higher than PAH, but both FH and PAH were significantly lower than TH.

CONCLUSIONS: 1) Growth hormone therapy was more effective in the patients with non-FSS than in those with FSS. 2) Parentally-adjusted deficit of height is an important prognostic factor of GH therapy effectiveness....

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Journal Article 2006; 27(1-2): 105-113 PubMed PMID: 16648786 Citation  Keywords:  Adrenergic beta-Agonists:pharmacology, Adrenergic beta-Antagonists:pharmacology, Albuterol:pharmacology, Algorithms, Alprenolol:pharmacology, Animals, Animals, Newborn, Body Mass Index, Body Weight:drug effects, Female, Isoproterenol:pharmacology, Male, M.   

BACKGROUND: beta-adrenergic ligands have been shown to influence sexual differentiation of the brain. In the present study we document that short postnatal treatment with beta-adrenergic agonists or antagonists may permanently reverse the morphological sex of the brain, as judged by the volume of sexually dimorphic nucleus of the preoptic area (SDN-POA). Female rats treated by beta(2)-adrenergic stimulating ligands exhibit an increased, male type SDN-POA volume while male rats treated by beta1-adrenergic antagonists show a decreased, female type of SDN-POA volume.

OBJECTIVES: To analyze the volume of SDN-POA of adult rats after postnatal administration of betaadrenergic ligands.

METHODS: From the second day of life, over 5 consecutive days, all the neonates were injected subcutaneously with the following drugs: isoproterenol, salbutamol, metoprolol alprenolol or saline. SDN-POA volumes were estimated planimetrically on serial brain slides.

RESULTS: In male rats the mean volume of SDN-POA was 9.97 +/- 1.66 x 10(-3) mm(3), in female rats the respective volume reached 4.02 +/- 1.26 x 10(-3) mm(3) only and was 2.5 times lower, the difference being highly statistically significant. Postnatal administration of isoproterenol remained without effect in male rats but diminished the SDN-POA volume in female rats, thus increasing the sexual dimorphism. The disappearance of sexual dimorphism was noted in rats treated postnatally with salbutamol. This effect was due to the increase in SDN-POA volumes in female rats, up to 9.81 +/- 2.64 x 10(-3) mm(3), the levels approaching the male type of POA differentiation. Postnatal alprenolol treatment influenced the sexual dimorphism of the brain by decreasing the SDN-POA volume reached by adult males. In fact, in rats treated postnatally with alprenolol, the volume of the nucleus reached only 4,44 +/- 1,61 x 10(-3) mm(3), being not statistically different from female nuclei. The effect of metoprolol pretreatment was similar to alprenolol. Male volumes of SDN-POA were restored both by isoproterenol and salbutamol in metoprolol pretreated rats and by isoproterenol only in alprenolol treated rats.

CONCLUSION: It appears that inhibition of beta(1)-adrenergic pathway is able to shut off the physiologic mechanisms of male differentiation of SDN-POA, and the subsequent beta(2)-adrenergic stimulation activates an alternative mechanism of masculinization. beta(2)-adrenergic signal is able to masculinize rat preoptic area in females as well. From the presented data it may be concluded that beta adrenoreceptors participate in sexual differentiation of preoptic area in rats and the modulation of their activity in postnatal period permanently influences the morphology of the sexually differentiated nucleus of the preoptic area....

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Case Reports 2006; 27(1-2): 145-148 PubMed PMID: 16648785 Citation  Keywords:  Eye:diagnostic imaging, Eye Neoplasms:diagnostic imaging, Humans, Male, Melanoma, Amelanotic:diagnostic imaging, Middle Aged, Photochemotherapy, Photosensitizing Agents:therapeutic use, Porphyrins:therapeutic use, Ultrasonography,.   

: A 57-year old man with 2.7 mm thick subfoveal amelanotic choroidal melanoma of the right eye was indicated for photodynamic therapy with verteporfin. The tumor fully disappeared 1 month after the treatment, the visual acuity improved from 4/16 to 4/4. The disease did not recur during 24-month follow-up....

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Journal Article 2006; 27(1-2): 236-240 PubMed PMID: 16648784 Citation  Keywords:  Adolescent, Alleles, Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity:epidemiology, Child, Czech Republic:epidemiology, DNA:genetics, Gene Frequency, Humans, Male, Polymorphism, Genetic, Psychiatric Status Rating Scales, Receptors, Dopamine D2:genetics, Reve.   

OBJECTIVES: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a prevalent childhood disorder. Evidence from the family and twin studies suggest that ADHD is familiar and highly heritable. Association studies are frequently used for the searching of markers responsible for genetic basis of ADHD. We investigated TaqI polymorphism of the dopamine receptor D2 (DRD2) in relationship with ADHD. The association between TaqI A polymorphism of DRD2 gene and ADHD has previously been published.

DESIGN: We used the association study to test the relationship between TaqI A polymorphism of DRD2 gene and ADHD on groups of ADHD boys and control boys.

SETTING: For DNA isolation, buccal tissue was used. PCR with restriction analysis of PCR products was used for genotyping.

RESULTS: We found statistically different genotypic and allelic frequencies (p < 0.008, p < 0.002, respectively) of DRD2 polymorphism between two studied groups of boys.

MAIN FINDINGS: According to our results we suppose that polymorphism TaqI A of DRD2 gene is involved in the pathogenesis of childhood ADHD in male subjects. Allele A1 and genotype A1A1 in male subjects is associated with ADHD.

CONCLUSIONS: Our study confirmed the relationship between TaqI A polymorphism of DRD2 gene and ADHD published previously....

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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....

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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....

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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.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to assess the effects of levosimendan on global haemodynamics in patients with cardiogenic shock.

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.

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.

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....

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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.

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.

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).

CONCLUSIONS: Our study confirmed the relationship between the COMT polymorphism and alcoholism in the Czech male population....

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