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Journal Article 2008; 29(5): 653-657 PubMed PMID: 18987576 Citation  Keywords:  Adenomatous Polyposis Coli:epidemiology, Adenomatous Polyposis Coli Protein:genetics, Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid, DNA:biosynthesis, Gene Deletion, Mutation, Polymorphism, Single-Stranded Conformational:genetics, Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase .   

OBJECTIVES: The adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) gene was analyzed for germline mutations in 113 familial adenomatous polyposis suspected families from all over Slovakia. Mutation screening was performed using single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) and DNA sequencing.

RESULTS: Mutations in the APC gene were found in 39 (34.5%) Slovak families and 25 different pathogenic mutations throughout the APC gene were identified. Of these, 12 mutations were deletion, one was insertion and 12 were base substitution.

CONCLUSIONS: Molecular diagnostics of Slovak FAP families revealed broad palette of mutations in crucial APC gene. The patients with identified APC gene mutations were assigned to a specific therapeutic FAP program....

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Journal Article 2008; 29(5): 763-769 PubMed PMID: 18987574 Citation  Keywords:  Animals, Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal:toxicity, Capsule Endoscopy:methods, Female, Gastric Mucosa:pathology, Gastroscopy, Indomethacin:toxicity, Intestinal Mucosa:pathology, Microscopy, Confocal, Peptic Ulcer:chemically induced, Swine,.   

OBJECTIVES: The aim was the utilization of capsule microscopy and other diagnostic techniques for prospective pre-clinical research of absorption and biotransformation mechanisms of xenobiotics in the intestinal wall after induction of gastrointestinal dysfunction. Consequently, there is a demonstration of the extrems of gastrointestinal lesions development induced with indomethacin as a representative of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug.

METHODS: The experimental animal species were small adult pigs (n=10; body weight 30-35 kg; 4-5 months old) used for their relative physiological and metabolic resemblance to man. The following experimental methods were used for diagnostic verification of gastrointestinal lesions (damage scale: 1 - erosions, red spots, inflammatory infiltration, 2 - single ulcers, 3 - strings of ulcers): endoscopic image for the diagnostics of gastro-duodenal segment (in vivo conditions), confocal laser microscopy (ex vivo imaging) and optical light microscopy (in vitro), small intestinal imaging by means of wireless capsule enteroscopy (in vivo), macroscopic findings and optical light microscopy (after animal sacrifice).

RESULTS: The mutual confrontation of used methodological approaches proved the conformity in the frequency and extent of damage in the gastric wall and caecum, partly in the duodenal wall and terminal ileum. The signs of first-degree damage were discovered in the jejunal-ileal segment.

CONCLUSIONS: The scale of lesions in particular gastrointestinal segments was verified using the combination of five diagnostic techniques for prospective utilisation of non-invasive capsule enteroscopy for the through-control of mucosal state....

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Historical Article 2008; 29(4): 589-597 PubMed PMID: 18766169 Citation  Keywords:  Androgens, China, Chronobiology Phenomena, Data Interpretation, Statistical, Egypt, History, Ancient, Humans, Male, Models, Theoretical, Periodicity, Social Class,.   

UNLABELLED: DISCOVERY: A periodicity of 500 years has been discovered in the political history of ancient Egypt and documented by means of inferential statistics. Periods of chaos and waning of central power (some of them called "intermediate periods") recurred every 500 years.

DATA & METHODS: Input for the computation is the mean duration of ruling dynasties calculated per each half century. Fisher's periodogram analysis and Halberg's cosinor regression have been used. A highly significant (p < 0.00002) periodicity of approximately 500 years has been found. Data are taken from two different historians and results for low and middle chronology are being compared. FURTHER RESULTS: Lability of dynastic power in ancient Egypt as well as China between 3000 and 500 B. C. culminated each 500 years synchronously. No local events, confined to Egypt or China alone, can serve as an explanation. The rhythm of "dark ages" seems to continue beyond Egyptian and ancient Chinese history into the modern era and seems to be world-wide.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND: It is a surprising fact, that this periodicity has been known already to the priests of Babylon, who ascribed this to the maleficient influence of god Nergal. The same periodicity has been described by the Chinese philosopher Mencius in the 3rd century B.C. and attributed to the will of tian (heaven). Egyptians elevated their war god Seth every 500 years and European kings assumed masculine nicknames.

CONCLUSION: This recurring cultural pattern of aggressiveness and strife resembles overall traits of male psyche or mid-life crisis. We suggest to look for an unknown cosmophysical factor impacting the neuroendocrine system of man by raising the levels of androgens periodically. EXPLANATION HYPOTHESES: Sun impacts global weather on Earth, but there is no known significant periodicity of 500 years in solar activity. The Wheeler weather cycle almost fits the cycle of Egyptian political history. But his cold-dry periods seem to lag behind the periods of social destabilization and hence can not cause them. An alternative view (based on idealistic rather than materialistic presuppositions) is, that periodic long-term shifts of archetypes take place within the collective unconscious of mankind independently of external environment....

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Clinical Trial 2008; 29(4): 571-576 PubMed PMID: 18766168 Citation  Keywords:  Acromegaly:drug therapy, Adult, Aged, Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal:therapeutic use, Drug Therapy, Combination, Female, Growth Hormone:blood, Human Growth Hormone:analogs & derivatives, Humans, Insulin-Like Growth Factor I:metabolism, Male, Middle Aged,.   

OBJECTIVE: Somatostatin analogs, dopamine agonists and GH-receptor antagonist--pegvisomant are used in medical therapy of acromegaly. Since pegvisomant has not antitumor effect, the combination of pegvisomant and somatostatin analog could be an attractive option. Aim of study was to assess the effects of pegvisomant and octreotide LAR treatment on GH and IGF-1 levels, and glucose tolerance in acromegaly, and to assess efficacy and tolerability of rapid (after 7 days) pegvisomant dose titration.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: Six patients (4 men, 2 women) aged 47.5 years (median) with active acromegaly, after neurosurgery failed, resistant to maximal doses of octreotide, received daily 10-20 mg pegvisomant throughout 2 weeks. They were given octreotide LAR 30 mg monthly for at least 6 months before pegvisomant therapy. Clinical symptoms, GH, IGF-1, fasting glucose and insulin levels were measured on the 0, 8th and 15th day of pegvisomant therapy. On the 8th day pegvisomant dose was titrated based on serum IGF-1 level.

RESULTS: IGF-1 levels reduced from 739 at the beginning to 418 ng/ml (medians) on the 15th day of treatment and normalized in one patient. These changes were associated with improvement of glucose metabolism. One diabetic patient could even stop insulin therapy.

CONCLUSIONS: Pegvisomant is an attractive adjuvant therapy for controlling acromegaly. Pegvisomant improves insulin sensitivity as well as glucose tolerance. The GH receptor antagonist is good option for patients with active acromegaly coexistent with disturbances of glucose metabolism, especially with diabetes mellitus. Rapid pegvisomant dose increasing to efficient or maximal is well tolerated and effective....

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Case Reports 2008; 29(4): 435-437 PubMed PMID: 18766167 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Antipsychotic Agents:therapeutic use, Aripiprazole, Clozapine:adverse effects, Drug Therapy, Combination, Humans, Male, Piperazines:therapeutic use, Quinolones:therapeutic use, Schizophrenia, Paranoid:drug therapy, Weight Gain,.   

: Clozapine is an atypical antipsychotic indicated for the treatment of refractory schizophrenia. Clozapine treatment is associated with the metabolic side effects. Weight gain, hyperlipidemia and hyperglycemia are the risk factors for onset of diabetes and cardiovascular disorders. We report a case vignette of a patient in whom the decrease in negative and general psychopathology after adjunctive aripiprazole appeared simultaneously with a reduction of clozapine-induced increase in weight and metabolic measures. Combined application of clozapine and aripiprazole is in accordance with a neurobiological rationale and appears to be a safe and well tolerated....

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Journal Article 2008; 29(4): 399-404 PubMed PMID: 18766164 Citation  Keywords:  Animals, Decision Making:physiology, Economics, Humans, Mathematics, Models, Neurological, Physical Phenomena, Physics, Receptors, Neurotransmitter:metabolism, Risk, Risk-Taking,.   

: Decision under risk and uncertainty has been attracting attention in neuroeconomics and neuroendocrinology of decision-making. This paper demonstrated that the neurotransmitter receptor theory-based value (utility) function can account for human and animal risk-taking behavior. The theory predicts that (i) when dopaminergic neuronal response is efficiently coupled to the formation of ligand-receptor complex, subjects are risk-aversive (irrespective of their satisfaction level) and (ii) when the coupling is inefficient, subjects are risk-seeking at low satisfaction levels, consistent with risk-sensitive foraging theory in ecology. It is further suggested that some anomalies in decision under risk are due to inefficiency of the coupling between dopamine receptor activation and neuronal response. Future directions in the application of the model to studies in neuroeconomics of addiction and neuroendocrine modulation of risk-taking behavior are discussed....

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Journal Article 2008; 29(4): 522-528 PubMed PMID: 18766163 Citation  Keywords:  Asphyxia Neonatorum:diagnosis, Brain:pathology, Electroencephalography, Humans, Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain:diagnosis, Infant, Infant, Newborn, Prognosis,.   

INTRODUCTION: This study was based on foreign studies which confirmed the importance of amplitude-integrated electroencefalographic monitoring (aEEG) in the early prediction of the future neurological development of newborn infants with hypoxic syndrome. Our aim was to confirm the correlation between the type of aEEG trace and the level of brain damage in newborn infants in the early hours after the hypoxic event and to introduce this method into routine practice.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: With 56 newborn infants having suffered a perinatal hypoxic event (the average umbilical arterial pH was 6.95, the average BE value -17.3) and in 2 newborn infants after early postnatal hypoxia, aEEG monitoring was performed continually. The aEEG records of brain activity obtained were analyzed using the Hellström-Westas classification. The level of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy was evaluated according to the Sarnat-Sarnat classification. Assessment of future neurological development is not included in this work.

RESULTS: 12 (21%) of the 56 newborn infants did not develop any hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, 8 (14%) newborn infants had hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) grade I, 19 (35%) had HIE grade II and 17 (30%) had HIE grade III. The newborn infants without hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy had normal or slightly abnormal aEEG trace. In the case of newborn infants who had HIE grade I, we recorded a normal or slightly abnormal aEEG trace. In the case of newborn infants who had HIE grade II, we recorded all types of aEEG trace--from normal to seriously pathological. Of the newborn infants who had HIE grade III, all had a pathological aEEG trace of "burst suppression patterns", low voltage pattern or flat trace pattern. The results show that if a newborn infant had a pathological type of aEEG trace in the early hours after a hypoxic event he or she later developed at least HIE grade II. 53% of the newborn infants with a flat aEEG trace later had HIE grade III.

CONCLUSION: Cerebral function monitoring is a non-invasive method used for the early assessment of the severity of a hypoxic event. As it could be used in the first few hours after birth, this method could be applied to select patients suitable for therapeutic hypothermia....

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Journal Article 2008; 29(4): 558-570 PubMed PMID: 18766162 Citation  Keywords:  Adolescent, Autistic Disorder:physiopathology, Child, Child, Preschool, Electroencephalography, Epilepsy:complications, Female, Humans, Intellectual Disability:etiology, Intelligence, Male, Retrospective Studies,.   

: We retrospectively evaluated a set of 205 children with autism and compared it to the partial sub-set of 71 (34.6%) children with a history of regression. From 71 children with regression, signs of epileptic processes were present in 43 (60.6%), 28 (65.12%) suffered clinical epileptic seizures, and 15 (34.9%) just had an epileptiform abnormality on the EEG. In our analysis, autistic regression is substantially more associated with epileptic process symptoms than in children with autism and no history of regression. More than 90% of children with a history of regression also show IQ < 70 and reduced functionality. Functionality and IQ further worsens with the occurrence of epileptic seizures (98% of children with regression and epilepsy have IQ < 70). We proved that low IQ and reduced functionality significantly correlate rather with epileptic seizures than just sub-clinical epileptiform abnormality on EEG. Clinical epileptic seizures associated with regression significantly influence the age of regression and its clinical type. The age of regression is higher compared to children with regression without epileptic seizures (in median: 35 months of age in patients with seizures while only 24 months in other patients). Patients with seizures revealed regression after 24th months of age in 68% of cases, while patients without seizures only in 27%. However, coincidence with epilepsy also increased the occurrence of regression before the 18th month of age (23% of patients), while only 4% of patients without epilepsy revealed regression before the 18th month. Epileptic seizures are significantly associated especially with behaviour regression rather than speech regression or regression in both behaviour and speech. Also epileptic seizures diagnosed before correct diagnosis of autism were significantly associated with delayed regression (both behavioural and speech regression)....

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