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Biomedical subjects

A Achiron

Publications and source records attributed to A Achiron.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1994

T-cell subsets in acute psychotic schizophrenic patients.

Two-color flow cytometric analysis was performed on peripheral blood lymphocytes of 16 untreated schizophrenic patients during an acute psychotic attack and 16 healthy control subjects to evaluate differences in T-cell subpopulations. In schizophrenic patients, we observed decrease in CD4+ 2H4+ (suppressor-inducer) and CD8+ 2H4+ (suppressor-effector) T-cell subsets. The selective loss of 2H4+ cell markers both on helper and suppressor T cells was not correlated to the severity of the acute psychosis. Our results may indicate a mechanism of an immune disequilibrium in schizophrenic patients during an acute psychotic attack.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1994

Can nimodipine affect progression of motor neuron disease? A double-blind pilot study.

Recently, there has been some evidence suggesting that exposure to neuroexcitotoxic amino acids, culminating in excessive neuronal calcium influx, may cause nerve cell destruction in motor neuron disease (MND). We therefore hypothesized that central calcium channel blockade with nimodipine might slow-down progression of MND. Two patients with sporadic MND were treated in a double-blind placebo controlled cross-over study with oral nimodipine (120 mg/day) for 5 months. Disease progression was assessed by repeated computerized measurements of isometric force from 20 muscle groups, and calculation of global force score. Global force deterioration slopes during the 5-month periods of nimodipine or placebo therapy were highly linear and almost identical. Nimodipine therefore does not seem to be effective in changing the course of MND. The observed remarkable linearity of disease course also confirms that cross-over methodology and serial measurements of muscle force are constructive tools in the clinical evaluation of novel therapeutic strategies for this devastating disease.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1994

Intravenous gammaglobulin treatment in multiple sclerosis and experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis: delineation of usage and mode of action.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a central nervous system demyelinating disease of implicated autoimmune aetiology. The effect was evaluated of intravenous gammaglobulin (IVIg), a successful therapy in various autoimmune diseases, in relapsing-remitting MS patients treated for three years. IVIg treatment significantly reduced the number and severity of acute exacerbations and resulted in a lesser neurological disability. There were no significant short or long-term adverse effects to IVIg treatment. To clarify the putative therapeutic effects of IVIg, this treatment was examined in the animal model of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in the rat. IVIg suppressed active EAE in relation to disease severity and duration, despite the presence of T-cell reactivity to specific antigens, while the treatment had no effect on passive EAE induced by adoptive transfer of myelin basic protein specific CD4 + T-cells. It is concluded that IVIg treatment may be a promising treatment in relapsing-remitting MS as it can alter the natural course of the disease.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Schizophrenia and autoimmunity--a possible etiological mechanism?

Schizophrenia is a chronic disease which begins during early adulthood and persists throughout life. It may appear in two main clinical patterns: chronic progressive and relapsing-remitting. The diagnosis is based entirely on clinical data, as no auxiliary laboratory tests are available. Schizophrenia has a heterogeneous clinical expression which may reflect different etiological factors, such as genetic susceptibility, dysfunction of different neurotransmitter systems or environmental, stressogenic and interfamilial influences. Recently, an autoimmune hypothesis has gained acceptance, which proposes that schizophrenia is one of a spectrum of neuropsychiatric diseases in which an autoimmune attack on the brain occurs. It is also possible, however, that the immunological changes seen in schizophrenic patients are secondary to the disease itself. The main evidence supporting an autoimmune hypothesis is the presence of immunological alterations in schizophrenia that also occur in other autoimmune diseases, e.g. an elevation in serum immunoglobulin levels, a decrease in mitogen responses, morphologically abnormal lymphocytes, an increase in antibrain antibodies, an increase in antibodies to nuclear factor, and a decrease in CD4+ T cells. An autoimmune etiology, if proven correct in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia, would have potential implications for the direction of future psychopharmacological therapies.

Autoimmune Diseases↗
PubMed1994

Intravenous immunoglobulin treatment of experimental T cell-mediated autoimmune disease. Upregulation of T cell proliferation and downregulation of tumor necrosis factor alpha secretion.

It has been reported previously that intravenous administration of normal human immunoglobulins (IVIg) to human patients can suppress the clinical signs of certain autoimmune diseases. However, the mechanism(s) by which normal Ig interferes with the various disorders and the scheduling of treatment have been poorly delineated. To study these questions, we examined IVIg treatment of two experimentally induced T cell autoimmune diseases in rats: experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) and adjuvant arthritis (AA). We now report that IVIg treatment (0.4 g/kg) inhibited the active induction of both EAE and AA, and that this treatment did not affect the acquisition of resistance to reinduction of EAE. The importance of the site of administration and schedule of treatment were studied in the AA model. Ig was effective when given intravenously, but not when administrated subcutaneously or intraperitoneally. IVIg treatment was effective when given daily from immunization to outbreak of disease; but it was also effective when given once at the time of immunization or once 2 wk after induction of AA, just at the clinical outbreak of disease. Administration of IVIg between immunization and outbreak of AA was less effective. Prevention of disease by IVIg occurred despite the presence of T cell reactivity to the specific antigens in the disease. In fact, IVIg administrated to naive rats activated T cell reactivity to some self-antigens. Nevertheless, IVIg treatment led to decreased production of the inflammatory cytokine TNF alpha. Thus, IVIg treatment may exert its therapeutic power not by inhibiting T cell recognition of self-antigens, but by inhibiting the biological consequences of T cell recognition.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Low-back pain of pregnancy.

BACKGROUND: Low-back pain (LBP) is a commonly observed symptom during pregnancy. Despite its high frequency the extent of the problem is less well documented and detailed studies concerning related risk factors are scarce. Furthermore, efforts to address the problem are hampered by the inability to predict accurately which pregnancies are at risk. This study was conducted in order to assess the frequency, manifestations and the contribution of various factors to the development of LBP during pregnancy. METHODS: The study included 449 pregnant women who were consecutively referred for an antenatal ultrasonographic examination for various reasons. A simple questionnaire which consisted of several items along with ultrasonographic measurements was devised to evaluate the incidence of and risk factors for LBP during pregnancy. RESULTS: 246 (54.8%) women reported LBP in the present pregnancy. Factors which were found to be significantly associated with an increased risk to develop LBP during pregnancy included low socioeconomic class, existence of LBP before the first pregnancy, during previous pregnancy, and interim pregnancies. Moreover, in nulliparous women, body mass index (BMI) was found to be significantly higher in women suffering from LBP. A tendency was observed between posterior/fundal location of the placenta to the presence of LBP during pregnancy. This tendency was also observed among parous but not among nulliparous women. Among pregnant women with LBP, pain radiation correlated significantly to fetal weight. Moreover, this correlation was also of statistical significance in nulliparous women with anterior placental location. Back care advice given to women suffering from LBP was found to significantly reduce LBP. The age, number of prior pregnancies, gestational age, average maternal height, weight and BMI were not found to be risk factors in LBP. Furthermore, we found no influence of previous abortion/s, instrumental delivery, previous cesarean section, or a history of epidural anesthesia during a previous labor were risks to develop LBP in the subsequent pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS: In the present pregnancy, LBP during pregnancy was associated with a history of LBP various socioanthropometric measures, as well as several ultrasonographic and obstetrical data. Back care advice offered to pregnant women who are prone to develop LBP during pregnancy, as early in their pregnancy as possible, may prevent or result in less 'troublesome' and 'severe' LBP during pregnancy.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Body esteem in Israeli university students.

Body-esteem is an important dimension in the general concept of body-image. The Body Esteem Scale (BES) was developed and tested in the USA. We tested young men and women in Israel all of whom were university students after their army service. Our results show that Israeli men score lower (feel more negative) on the virility reflecting subscale while Israeli women score higher (feel more positive) in the weight concern subscale--compared to their American counterparts. We discuss the possible explanations of this difference, focusing mainly on the impact of army discharge and the move to the academic field.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Myotonic dystrophy gene analysis in affected Israeli families.

Myotonic dystrophy (DM) is an autosomal dominant disease with an estimated incidence of 1:7,500 individuals. The clinical manifestations are variable and include muscle wasting and weakness, myotonia, intellectual impairment, cardiac abnormalities, cataracts, and testicular atrophy. Despite its phenotypic variability, the disease is genetically homogeneous, and a specific molecular defect has been located to chromosome 19q13.3 and found to be associated with the expansion and instability of trinucleotide (CTG) repeats. Whereas normal individuals have 5-36 CTG repeats, affected individuals have 50 to several thousands. Therefore, DM can now be diagnosed accurately using molecular biology techniques that allow detailed analysis and determination of the size of DNA in the unstable DM gene region. In this way even mildly affected patients can be identified. We used this method to study the DM gene in 11 affected Israeli families (39 individuals). In most of the families, the unstable DNA sequence increased in size when transmitted to offspring. In one of the families we found contraction of the CTG repeat in a DM offspring of an affected male; and in another family a CTG repeat contraction occurred in three offspring of an affected female while in the fourth offspring there was CTG expansion. Southern blot analysis using BglI restriction provided the most accurate technical results. There was an obvious phenotype/genotype correlation between the size of the CTG repeat and severity of disease.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Fetal mild idiopathic lateral ventriculomegaly: is there a correlation with fetal trisomy?

Mild idiopathic lateral ventriculomegaly in the mid-trimester fetus can be accurately detected using modern prenatal ultrasonography. Since an abnormal karyotype has been reported in some of these cases, the present prospective study was designed to evaluate, first, the prevalence of mild idiopathic lateral ventriculomegaly in the general obstetric population and, second, to determine the incidence of abnormal fetal karyotype associated with mild idiopathic lateral ventriculomegaly. Eight cases of mild idiopathic lateral ventriculomegaly (0.15%) were detected among 5400 routine prenatal sonographic examinations, between 16 and 22 weeks' gestation. Three newborn infants were found to be normal; in one baby, spontaneous resolution of the lesion occurred in utero, and, among the other five cases, two had an abnormal karyotype: one had Down's syndrome, and one trisomy 18. A review of the English literature revealed that 12% of fetuses with mild idiopathic lateral ventriculomegaly have an abnormal karyotype. Since 3% of the fetuses with Down's syndrome can be visualized in utero with mild idiopathic lateral ventriculomegaly, the calculated risk for Down's syndrome when such lesions appear is about 3%. We, therefore, conclude that karyotypic study is warranted in the mid-trimester fetus with incidental findings of mild idiopathic lateral ventriculomegaly.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1993

Detection and measurement of an endogenous clonidine-displacing substance in human cerebrospinal fluid.

Clonidine-displacing substance (CDS) is a novel endogenous ligand for clonidine receptors previously detected in bovine brain and human serum. We examined for the first time whether CDS can be detected and measured in human cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Using the [3H]clonidine displacement assay, we found that CDS could be identified and quantified in each of the CSF samples obtained from 81 patients with various neurological disorders. Mean level of CDS in CSF was 4.66 units/ml. Exceedingly high levels were observed in the CSF of patients with neoplastic meningitis (mean, 36.75 units/ml) and stroke (mean, 19.5 units/ml) (P < 0.0001). No correlation was found between CDS levels in CSF and age, gender, CSF protein or number of cells. CDS levels in CSF were higher than those in the serum (P < 0.01). We conclude that CDS is present and can be measured in human CSF. High CDS levels in CSF from patients with leptomeningeal metastases may serve as a tumor marker for malignant infiltration of the meninges. Additional studies in stroke patients will determine whether this endogenous ligand plays a role in the pathogenesis of cerebral ischemia.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Spastic paraparesis associated with human T-lymphotropic virus type I: a clinical, serological, and genomic study in Iranian-born Mashhadi Jews.

The Mashhadi-Jewish community originating in Iran is a closed and ethnically segregated population with a unique history and a high rate of intrafamilial marriage among its members. A high risk of infection by human T-lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) and of adult T-cell leukemia associated with such infection was found in this population. HTLV-I is also associated with a syndrome of progressive spastic paraparesis. We therefore evaluated the occurrence of HTLV-I infection and spastic paraparesis in Mashhadi-born Iranian Jews who immigrated to Israel. We examined 83 Mashhadi-born subjects (52 women, 31 men; mean age, 61 +/- 15.5 years) and 73 age-matched non-Mashhadi Iranian-born Jews. Blood samples were tested for HTLV-I antibodies by particle agglutination test. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to detect HTLV-I proviral DNA sequences from peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Fifteen Mashhadi-born Jews (18%) were both seropositive and PCR-positive for HTLV-I. Four HTLV-I-seronegative subjects were found to be positive for HTLV-I proviral DNA by PCR. Of the 19 HTLV-I-infected subjects (11 women, 8 men; mean age, 59 +/- 16 years), 13 (68%) had spastic paraparesis of varying severity. There were no signs of myelopathy in the Mashhadi-born subjects who were negative for HTLV-I proviral DNA by PCR. None of the non-Mashhadi Iranian Jews was seropositive or PCR-positive for HTLV-I proviral DNA, or had clinical signs of spastic paraparesis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Primary progressive freezing gait.

Freezing gait is an incapacitating symptom often observed in patients with Parkinson's disease. It has been less frequently described in association with multi-infarct state, multisystem atrophies, and normotensive hydrocephalus. In our movement disorder clinic, we have diagnosed (and followed up to 3 years; median, 16 months), 18 patients in whom progressive freezing gait was the sole neurological dysfunction. These 15 men and 3 women (aged 60-82 years; 74 +/- 6) were subjected to an extensive neurological workup that included clinical evaluation, videotaping for grading of gait disability, comprehensive blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis, and brain computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Mean disease duration was 2.5 +/- 1.9 years (range, 0.5-6). Neurological examination disclosed freezing gait, often associated with varying degrees of postural instability. The degree of freezing gait ranged from sudden motor blocks only when confronted with obstacles to severe disability with total inability to start walking requiring a walker, massive assistance, or a wheelchair. However, patients could mimic gait movements with absolutely no freezing when seated or lying prone, and most of them could overcome arrests by the "walking-over-lines" maneuver. Otherwise, neurological examination was normal with no signs of bradykinesia, rigidity, or tremor. Blood chemistry and CSF analysis were normal. Brain CT and MRI were normal or showed mild cortical atrophy in 12 and putative lacunes in 6 patients. Therapy with levodopa or dopamine agonists was ineffective. During the follow-up period, a gradual progression of the freezing gait was observed. However, it remained unaccompanied by any other neurological findings.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Aged↗
PubMed1993

The possible role of intravenous immunoglobulin in preventing pre-eclampsia.

Our understanding of the pathophysiologic abnormalities contributing to pre-eclampsia has increased substantially over the past decade. This has been accompanied by the introduction of various methods which reduce the incidence of pre-eclampsia to approximately the same range (4-11.8% in high risk group), by attempting to correct the pathophysiologic abnormalities involved, rather than averting its occurrence. Numerous reports suggest that pre-eclampsia is caused by an abnormal maternal immune response to antigenic challenge by the fetoplacental allograft. If this assumption is true, it may be possible to manipulate the maternal immune response to fetal allograft and to assist the immunologic homeostasis of the maternal host with her conceptus by passive immunization with intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIg) and thus, to prevent pre-eclampsia. Recently IV preparations of Ig have become available for clinical use including treatment of various immunologic disorders during pregnancy. The effectiveness of this new mode of therapy can be related to several immunological mechanisms such as blockade of antibody binding to receptors on macrophages, increase in T suppressor cells, or decrease in antibody synthesis. The latter effect may be mediated by anti-idiotypic antibodies in the Ig preparation, which may bind to idiotypes on pathogenic autoantibodies and neutralise their activity.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Short-term beneficial effect of deprenyl monotherapy in early Parkinson's disease: a quantitative assessment.

It was recently shown that early treatment with deprenyl in patients with Parkinson's disease can delay the need for initiation of levodopa therapy. It was therefore suggested that deprenyl may slow down disease progression. Alternatively, the observed stabilization of clinical disability may merely reflect drug-induced symptomatic benefit. We therefore examined a possible short-term beneficial effect of deprenyl (10 mg/day) as the first and only drug in 15 consecutive de novo patients. Bradykinesia was quantitatively assessed by computerized analysis of isometric force/time curves of biceps and triceps bilaterally and by calculation of simple reaction time (RT) and maximal muscle contraction rate (MMCR). We also measured maximal muscle force, evaluated clinical status by the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) motor score, and recorded patients' subjective reports. All tests were carried out before and at 1 and 2 months of treatment. Only one patient reported a beneficial effect. No significant changes in the UPDRS or score or muscle force were observed. In contrast, MMCR and RT improved at 1 month by an average of 12.1 and 7.2%, respectively (p < 0.01, paired t test). This improvement persisted after 2 months of treatment. Study shows that deprenyl monotherapy exerts a short-term beneficial effect in de novo parkinsonian patients. This effect, however, appears to be small, subclinical, and probably cannot account for the observed delay in the need to start levodopa therapy.

Aged↗
PubMed1993

Drop attacks induced by hypothyroidism.

Drop attacks (DA) are defined as sudden repeated falls without warning and without loss of consciousness. A variety of etiologies are known to be responsible for symptomatic DA, but the reason for idiopathic DA remains obscure. A 70-year-old woman who suffered from classic DA over a period of a year is described. The diagnostic work-up revealed severe myxedema. Treatment with eltroxin resulted in complete clinical and endocrine recovery and disappearance of DA while with discontinuation of hormone replacement therapy, DA reappeared. Thus, a direct relationship between hypothyroidism and DA can be considered.

Accidental Falls↗