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Comparative Study 2010; 31(2): 229-237 PubMed PMID: 20424579 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Antibodies, Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic:blood, Autoantibodies:blood, Blood Sedimentation, China:epidemiology, Female, Humans, Hyperlipidemias:blood, Hypothyroidism:blood, Incidence, Kidney:physiopathology, Liver:physiopathol.   

OBJECTIVE: POEMS syndrome is a unique clinical entity. It was described by the presence of several typical characteristics as paraproteinemia, polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, and skin changes. Few people reported characteristics of Chinese POEMS patients.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: Retrospective evaluation of Chinese patients with POEMS syndrome was carried out to reveal clinical features and compare with foreign series reported previously. In addition to typical characteristics, Chinese patients often were presented with extravascular volume overload (84%), papilledema (44%), bone lesions (41%), raynaud phenomenon (31%) and Clubbing (22%).

RESULTS: Clinical laboratory tests found most patients had increased erythrosedimentation rate, hyperlipidemia, liver disorder and renal involvement. 70% patients had hypothyroidism, including overt hypothyroidism (6 patients) and subclinical hypothyroidism (13 patients). High prevalence of positive antimitochondrial antibody (ANA) and positive antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA) was the more common phenomenon. Chinese patients with bone damage in the incidence are lower than in the West and Japanese reports.

CONCLUSIONS: In summary, our study demonstrate the POEMS syndrome diagnostic criteria proposed by Dispenzieri et al is also more high applicability in the Chinese population.At the time of diagnosis, we should not pay attention on the typical characteristics of the disease, but also on the changes in thyroid, liver, kidney function and lipid metabolism....

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Journal Article 2010; 31(2): 265-269 PubMed PMID: 20424578 Citation  Keywords:  Acromegaly:complications, Adult, Arthralgia:drug therapy, Cognition:drug effects, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Growth Hormone:antagonists & inhibitors, Headache:drug therapy, Humans, Interpersonal Relations, Male, Middle Aged, Motor Activity:drug effects, O.   

OBJECTIVES: Acromegaly is a chronic disease caused by excessive growth hormone secretion resulting in bone and soft tissue overgrowth. Body image changes as well as systemic complications may considerably influence patients' psychological health and disturb everyday activities. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of octreotide treatment on somatic and psychological symptoms of acromegaly, and thus on patients' quality of life.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was conducted on 15 patients with acromegaly. The average duration of octreotide therapy was 5.6 years (1-10 years). The respondents created a list of subjective signs and symptoms of acromegaly before treatment and reported changes observed during therapy. The psychological examination was performed with appropriate test scales assessed patients' self-efficacy, emotional control, psychological gender and their life satisfaction.

RESULTS: The most important changes observed during octreotide therapy were associated with head and joint pain relief and reduction of physical limitations. The patients also noticed the improvement of cognitive functions and interpersonal relations. The study revealed average life satisfaction in the group. The patients on the one hand demonstrated high self-efficacy and on the other hand - intensive repression of emotions. The undifferentiated sex-role schema dominated in group.

CONCLUSIONS: The study proved a significance of octreotide therapy in acromegalic patients' life. In spite of chronic disease, all the respondents reported good quality of life (average life satisfaction). Additionally, their high self-efficacy helps to cope with the disease. Nevertheless, undifferentiated sex role schema in the study group suggests lack of behavioral flexibility and high emotional repression predicts negative somatic consequences....

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Journal Article 2010; 31(2): 256-260 PubMed PMID: 20424577 Citation  Keywords:  Acromegaly:blood, Adult, Cathepsin B:blood, Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitors:blood, Female, Human Growth Hormone:blood, Humans, Insulin-Like Growth Factor I:metabolism, Male, Middle Aged,.   

OBJECTIVE: Acromegaly is a rare disease due to growth hormone (GH) excess. Patients must be carefully follow up because of mortality and co-morbidity increased risks. Since routinely used GH and insulin-like growth factor-1(IGF-1) estimations are not always sufficient, patients require assessment of organ- or tissue-specific tests. Cysteine proteases (CP), including cathepsin B, have been tested in a number of pathologies in respect of a role in pathogenesis and potential utility in the disease activity and prognosis assessment. There is lack of data on CP activity in acromegaly.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: In present study cathepsin B-like and cysteine peptidase inhibitor (CPI) activities have been tested in 29 acromegaly patients and in 15 healthy controls. Cathepsin B activity was assayed with N-bansoyl-DL-arginine-beta-naphthylamide (BANA) as substrate by the Barrett method. CPI activity was determined by measuring the inhibition of papain.

RESULTS: Serum cathepsin B activity (median: 1.38 U/ml) and CPI activity (median: 93.08 U/ml) were higher in acromegaly then in controls (0.93 U/ml and 82.55 U/ml, p=0.000017 and 0.00285, respectively). Neither cathepsin B nor CPI activity was correlated with GH or IGF-1 level. No correlation was recorded between cathepsin B and CPI activity.

CONCLUSION: It was shown for the first time that cathepsin B and CPI activities are increased in acromegaly. These findings suggest to study cathepsin system as an adjuvant parameter in the assessment of the overall acromegaly complications. Moreover, CP may be involved in pathomechanism of organ complications in acromegaly and may interfere with IGF-1 action....

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Journal Article 2010; 31(2): 261-264 PubMed PMID: 20424576 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Aged, Catalase:blood, Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2:blood, Diabetic Neuropathies:blood, Endothelin-1:blood, Endothelium:physiopathology, Female, Glutathione:blood, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Neuralgia:blood, Nitric Oxide:blood, Oxidative Stress, Survey.   

OBJECTIVE: The roles of endothelin-1 (ET-1) and oxidative stress causing vascular injury in the pathogenesis of diabetic neuropathy are debatable. The present study was undertaken to clarify the possible effects of oxidative stress and ET-1 in diabetic patients with and without peripheric neuropathy.

METHODS: We studied plasma ET-1, nitric oxide (NO), catalase, glutathione (GSH) levels of fifty (22 females, 28 males) patients with Type 2 diabetes in order to evaluate endothelial dysfunction and oxidative stress. The neuropathy types (motor, sensorial and sensorimotor), comorbid diseases, antidiabetic treatments, smoking, diabetes duration were also considered. Short McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF-MPQ) was also performed for patients with neuropathy.

RESULTS: There were no significant differences between patients with (n=23) and without (n=27) neuropathy with regards to demographic features except diabetic disease duration. The statistical analysis was done considering this difference. Although NO and ET-1 levels were higher, and catalase and GSH levels were decreased in neuropathic patients, no statistical significancy was found. We also couldn't find any correlations between the parameters and SF-MPQ scores.

CONCLUSIONS: Although there were no relationships between neuropathy and the studied parameters, we found lower levels of catalase and GSH as intracelluler antioxidants and higher NO and ET-1 as markers of endothelial injury in patients with neuropathy. Our data suggest that there is a need of further studies with larger study groups in order to clear out the role of endothelial injury and oxidative status in the pathogenesis of diabetic neuropathy....

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Journal Article 2010; 31(1): 47-55 PubMed PMID: 20150885 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity:blood, Blood Chemical Analysis, Cell Size, Chorionic Villi:pathology, Female, Fetal Blood:cytology, Follow-Up Studies, Humans, Infant, Newborn, Lead Poisoning:diagnosis, Models, Biological, Organ Size, .   

OBJECTIVES: This work follows up with our already published results concerning consequences of lead on prenatal and postnatal development of child in connection with the rise of hyperkinetic syndrome (ADHD). This disease has in children increasing tendency all over the world.

METHODS: In our work we used a set of histological and histochemical methods, method of scanning electron microscopy, infrared spectroscopy and statistical evaluation.

RESULTS: Our new method for proof of lead in placenta enabled us to show how lead is cumulated in syncytiotrophoblast. We have found release of lead from mother's erythrocytes in the intervillous space and receipt of lead by erythrocytes of fetus in the vessels of the villi of placenta. This finding enriches knowledge about relation between mother's erythrocytes, lead, calcium that is lead carrier, syncytiotrophoblast, and erythrocytes of fetus in the vessels of placental villi. We have proved that syncytiotrophoblast is the most frequent place for cumulation of lead deposits. We verified our ecomorphologic results by means of infrared spectroscopy in cooperation with physicists and statistically evaluated occurrence of ADHD in particular age categories what helps to fill gaps in knowledge of ADHD etiology.

CONCLUSIONS: Our finding of lead in umbilical cord blood immediately after the child birth is forewarning against the possible rise of the ADHD. This finding facilitates early diagnostics and means preventing step against the rise, development and consequences of this disease. The obtained results give evidence about the serious influence of mother's dwelling in environment polluted with neurotoxic metal - lead on the prenatal and postnatal development of child....

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Journal Article 2010; 31(1): 122-125 PubMed PMID: 20150884 Citation  Keywords:  Adolescent, Adult, Autistic Disorder:blood, Case-Control Studies, Emotions:physiology, Female, Humans, Lymphocytes:metabolism, Male, Music, RNA, Messenger:metabolism, Receptors, Dopamine D3:genetics, Receptors, Dopamine D4:genetics, Reward, Up-Regulation:.   

BACKGROUND: People with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) are affected by a long-life disabling condition, characterized by communication deficits, severe impairments in social functioning, and stereotyped behaviors. Although ASD individuals display several problems in interactions, it has been reported that they may show a peculiar interest in music. Previous studies have suggested a pivotal role for the dopaminergic system in the psychobiology of reward, including the pleasure of music.

DESIGN: In the present study, we sought to investigate dopamine DRD3 and DRD4 receptor expression in peripheral blood lymphocytes of adult healthy musicians and age- and gender-matched patients with ASD against the background hypothesis that the dopaminergic system may contribute a biological cause to the reward dimensions of the musical experience in both healthy and autistic individuals.

RESULTS: ANOVA showed significant differences in DRD4 mRNA expression between the groups (P = 0.008). Post-hoc analysis showed significant differences between the control group and both musicians (P < 0.05) and ASD individuals (P < 0.05). No differences were found for DRD3 mRNA expression between the groups.

CONCLUSION: Our current results provide intriguing preliminary evidence for a possible molecular link between dopamine DRD4 receptor, music and autism, possibly via mechanisms involving the reward system and the appraisal of emotions....

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Journal Article 2010; 31(1): 131-136 PubMed PMID: 20150882 Citation  Keywords:  Adolescent, Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity:epidemiology, Child, Czech Republic:epidemiology, Deoxyribonucleases, Type II Site-Specific:metabolism, Gene Frequency, Genetic Predisposition to Disease, Genotype, Humans, Male, Polymorphism, Rest.   

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was the correlation of the combined type of ADHD in children and Taq IA polymorphism DRD2 gene. We hypothesized a positive correlation of DRD2 polymorphisms in the combined type of ADHD patients without co-morbidity.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: Our research sample included 586 unrelated boys of the Czech origin aged between 6 and 13 years. The ADHD group consisted of 269 boys and the control group consisted of 317 boys. PCR detection of the DRD2 polymorphism was carried out by using primers, described by Grandy (Grandy et al. 1989).

RESULTS: The comparison of genotype frequencies showed statistically highly significant difference between the studied groups (p<0.0001). A statistically significant difference was also found when the allelic frequencies between the two groups were compared (p<0.0001), with the A1 allele having a 4.359 fold higher risk of ADHD (Risk Ratio=4.359, 95% CI of RR=3.5753 to 5.3144, Odds Ratio= 7.7824; 95% CI of OR=10.315 to 13.6719).

CONCLUSIONS: Our results presented a highly positive correlation between the combined type of ADHD without co-morbidity and ANKK l (DRD2) polymorphism ....

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Journal Article 2010; 31(1): 103-112 PubMed PMID: 20150881 Citation  Keywords:  Animals, Female, GABA Antagonists:pharmacology, Ganglia, Sympathetic:drug effects, Gonadal Hormones:secretion, Nerve Growth Factor:metabolism, Neuropeptides:pharmacology, Nitric Oxide:metabolism, Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II:metabolism, Norepinephrine:ph.   

OBJECTIVE: Ovarian steroids are modulated by neural influences. In this work we investigate whether norepinephrine (NE) modifies the vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) or neuropeptide Y (NPY) actions in coeliac ganglion (CG) on the ovarian hormone release, and evaluate the participation of nitric oxide (NO), measured as nitrite, and of inducible nitric oxide synthetase (iNOS) protein, nerve growth factor (NGF) and its trkA receptor gene expression in the ovarian response.

METHODS: The study was performed in the ex vivo CG-superior ovarian nerve (SON)-ovary system of rats on diestrus day 2 (D2). CG and ovary were placed in separate compartments connected by the SON and incubated with Krebs-Ringer buffer. After addition of 50 ng/ml VIP, 50 ng/ml NPY, 10-6 M NE, or a mix of VIP+NE or NPY+NE in ganglion, samples from the ovarian compartment were taken at different times throughout 180 minutes to measure progesterone, androstenedione and nitrite levels.

RESULTS: VIP and NPY in ganglion induced an increase of progesterone release that was associated for VIP, but not NPY, with a decrease of ovarian nitrite levels, iNOS protein, and NGF/trkA receptor mRNA expression. By contrast, NE in ganglion decreased progesterone, an effect that was suppressed by addition of propranolol in ganglion, and increased nitrites/iNOS and NGF/trkA receptor expression in ovary. GABA A receptor antagonist bicuculline (20 muM) added in ovarian compartment prevented the inhibitory effect on progesterone caused by NE in CG. Androstenedione was not modified under neuropeptides or NE ganglionic stimulation.

CONCLUSIONS: Finally, results from VIP+NE or NPY+NE in ganglion showed that ovarian response on D2 induced by VIP or NPY alone is moderated by the opposite action of NE, and occurs only on progesterone, the most sensitive steroid to neural action....

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