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Biomedical subjects

A Achiron

Publications and source records attributed to A Achiron.

122 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed1990

Cerebral sinus thrombosis as a potential hazard of antifibrinolytic treatment in menorrhagia.

We describe a 42-year-old woman who developed superior sagittal and left transverse sinus thrombosis associated with prolonged epsilon-aminocaproic acid therapy for menorrhagia. This antifibrinolytic agent has been used in women with menorrhagia to promote clotting and reduce blood loss. Although increased risk of thromboembolic disease has been reported during treatment with epsilon-aminocaproic acid, cerebral sinus thrombosis has not been previously described. Careful use of epsilon-aminocaproic acid therapy is recommended.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Recombinant alpha-interferon may be efficacious in acute hepatitis B.

Whereas, in chronic type B hepatitis, the therapeutic effect of alpha-interferon has been studied extensively, data on the effect of interferon on the course and prognosis of acute hepatitis B are scarce in the literature. We report a case of acute type B hepatitis complicated by life-threatening extrahepatic manifestations where recombinant alpha-interferon facilitated clinical, biochemical, and serological recovery.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1989

[Syringomyelic form of leprosy].

A 60-year-old man suffered from recurrent painless burns. During his first neurological work-up, ulcers with trophic changes were noted on the dorsum of both hands. Temperature and pain sensation were decreased over the upper extremities, but touch, vibration and position sense were normal. Syringomyelia was considered, but neuroradiologic evaluation was negative. A year later he was readmitted and was found to have patchy anesthesia involving all extremities, but no distal muscle weakness or wasting; tendon reflexes were normal. Leprosy was diagnosed and confirmed by skin and nerve biopsies. This syringomyelic form of leprosy is difficult to diagnose as it often mimics intraspinal space-occupying lesions. In Israel, where leprosy is still endemic, unusual sensory disturbances, such as patchy dysesthesia, should suggest its possibility.

Diagnosis, Differential↗
PubMed1988

Unilateral interruption of geniculate and callosal inputs to the visual cortex of cats: ocular dominance and responsiveness of cells in the deafferented and in the intact hemispheres.

In order to study the ocular dominance and responsiveness of cells in the deafferented visual cortex, the geniculate and the callosal inputs were interrupted in adult cats by either simultaneous (OTCCX) or separate surgical transection of the optic tract (OTX) and the posterior corpus callosum (CCX). Unit recording was chronically carried out mainly in the boundary of areas 17-18, the callosal projection zone. A small proportion of visually responsive cells was encountered in the deafferented hemisphere of the OTCCX (8.3%) and the OTX (6.3%) cats. In the intact hemisphere, 59.7% of the cells were visually responsive in the OTCCX cats and 57.0% in the OTX cats; they were 61.6% of the cells in the CCX cats and 85.6% in the normal controls (both hemispheres). The majority of the cells in the deafferented hemisphere of the OTCCX (88.9%) and the OTX (82.4%) cats were binocularly driven. In the intact hemisphere of the OTCCX cats, 85.1% of the cells were binocularly driven, in comparison to 77.6% in the OTX cats, 48.8% in the CCX cats, and 81.5% in the normal controls. We therefore concluded that following unilateral elimination of the geniculate input as well as the callosal transection, binocularity in the intact hemisphere was preserved despite the remarkable diminution in the responsiveness level there. Furthermore, the supply of visual input to the deafferented hemisphere was not affected after callosotomy, suggesting an alternative transfer, albeit minor, via an anterior callosal or another commissural pathway.

Afferent Pathways↗
PubMed1987

The deafferented visual cortex: neuronal activity and visual evoked potentials.

The callosal transfer of information to the visual cortex following its unilateral deafferentation from its geniculate input was studied in both hemispheres. Deafferentation was performed in adult cats by sectioning the optic tract. Action potentials of single cortical cells and visual evoked potentials were recorded from area 17-18 boundary in acute and chronic operated cats. In the deafferented hemisphere, cortical cells were usually visually inactive. However, some recovery of function took place in this hemisphere in the chronic cats, as expressed by the increase in the proportion of S-cells. In the intact hemisphere diminution of responsiveness and reduction of selectivity to the stimulus orientation and direction were found. The responsiveness and selectivity level in the intact hemisphere increased with postoperative time. The ocular dominance distribution in this hemisphere was similar to that of our normal control cats. The characteristics of the visual evoked potentials were in keeping with the hemispheric dominance of the cortical cells found in the experimental cats. It was concluded that a plasticity related mechanism is involved in the recovery of callosal activation of visual cortical cells following deafferentation.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A new approach to affective symptoms in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis.

A variety of psychiatric disorders accompany multiple sclerosis (MS), affecting the spheres of cognition, affect, and personality. These disorders may be of primary and/or secondary nature, reflecting, respectively, neurologic damage and/or functional distress associated with a disabling disease. Evaluation of the nature, severity, and frequency of affective symptoms of MS patients is of importance to sensitize the treating physician to the possible need for specific psychiatric treatment. We conducted a prospective cross-sectional study assessing correlations of psychiatric symptomatology and the neurologic parameters of disease duration, disease activity (as expressed by the number of disease exacerbations per year), and disease severity (as measured by the Kurtzke Expanded Disability Status Scale [EDSS]) in 20 relapsing-remitting (RR)-MS patients. Patients were also evaluated by a semistructured psychiatric interview and the following rating scales: Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAS), Hamilton Depression Scale (HDS), Hackett-Cassem Denial Scale, and Lubin Adjective Affective List. Results demonstrated a high prevalence of anxiety (90%) and to a lesser extent depression (50%) in RR-MS patients. Depression and anxiety were found to be associated with disease activity, but not with disease duration or severity. The mechanism of denial played a significant role in the psychiatric profile of the disease and was correlated with disease duration. We suggest that in RR-MS patients, psychiatric evaluation should also include assessment of defense and coping mechanisms, which in turn could guide specific individualized treatment.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Pregnancy during residency--an Israeli survey of women physicians.

The objective is to assess the impact of workload on pregnancy among women physicians in public hospitals in Israel. A self-administered, cross-sectional study of pregnancies among women physicians in public hospitals was conducted. An 82-item questionnaire was mailed to women physicians in the three largest university hospitals in Israel. The questionnaire assessed demographic data, pregnancy course, perceived stress, and complications during pregnancy. Response rate was 52% (207/400). The complication rates were compared with rates in the Jewish population and expressed as mean +/- SD. Mean number of pregnancies during residency was 1.3 +/- 1.2. Mean age at the first delivery was 27 +/- 3.2 years. There was a significant difference in the rates of stillbirth (32/1000 births versus 3.7/1000, p < 0.001) and premature delivery (12.4% versus 7.6%, p = 0.0014) between women physicians and the general population. There was no significant difference in the proportion of spontaneous abortions (12.7%), pregnancy induced hypertension (3.2%), hyperemesis gravidarum (3.2%), and diabetes (1%). Seven percent of women physicians changed their specialty due to pregnancy while in residency. Our results suggest that working long hours in a stressful occupation in a hospital environment has an adverse effect on pregnancy course and is associated with increased rates of stillbirth and premature delivery.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Understanding autoimmune mechanisms in multiple sclerosis using gene expression microarrays: treatment effect and cytokine-related pathways.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a central nervous system disease in which activated autoreactive T-cells invade the blood brain barrier and initiate an inflammatory response that leads to myelin destruction and axonal loss. The etiology of MS, as well as the mechanisms associated with its unexpected onset, the unpredictable clinical course spanning decades, and the different rates of progression leading to disability over time, remains an enigma. We have applied gene expression microarrays technology in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) to better understand MS pathogenesis and better target treatment approaches. A signature of 535 genes were found to distinguish immunomodulatory treatment effects between 13 treated and 13 untreated MS patients. In addition, the expression pattern of 1109 gene transcripts that were previously reported to significantly differentiate between MS patients and healthy subjects were further analyzed to study the effect of cytokine-related pathways on disease pathogenesis. When relative gene expression for 26 MS patients was compared to 18 healthy controls, 30 genes related to various cytokine-associated pathways were identified. These genes belong to a variety of families such as interleukins, small inducible cytokine subfamily and tumor necrosis factor ligand and receptor. Further analysis disclosed seven cytokine-associated genes within the immunomodulatory treatment signature, and two cytokine-associated genes SCYA4 (small inducible cytokine A4) and FCAR (Fc fragment of IgA, CD89) that were common to both the MS gene expression signature and the immunomodulatory treatment gene expression signature. Our results indicate that cytokine-associated genes are involved in various pathogenic pathways in MS and also related to immunomodulatory treatment effects.

Apoptosis↗