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Biomedical subjects

A Daragon

Publications and source records attributed to A Daragon.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Vertebral hyperostosis and diabetes mellitus: a case-control study.

OBJECTIVE: To compare glucose metabolism in patients with vertebral hyperostosis (VH), with that in control patients. METHODS: We studied 50 patients aged 60 years or more who had VH according to Resnick's criteria, and 50 control patients without VH, matched for sex, age, weight and height. Plasma glucose was evaluated before and 120 minutes after ingestion of 75 g glucose. World Health Organisation criteria for diabetes mellitus (DM) were used. Radiographs of the pelvis and thoracic and lumbar spine were performed and read blind by two physicians. RESULTS: Statistical analysis showed no difference between cases and control patients for prevalence of DM, and plasma glucose at 0 and 120 minutes. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that glucoregulation in patients with VH does not differ from that in matched controls.

Aged↗

Correlation between soluble serum CD16 (sCD16) levels and disease stage in patients with multiple myeloma.

CD16, the type III receptor for IgG, is expressed on neutrophils, natural killer cells, and some T lymphocytes, mast cells, and activated monocytes but not on cells of the B-lymphocyte lineage including plasma cells. It is also produced in a soluble form found in serum. We analyzed sera from 165 multiple-myeloma patients, 29 patients with monoclonal gammopathies of unknown significance, and 20 normal disease-free donors. We found that the level of soluble CD16 was significantly decreased in sera from patients with multiple myeloma compared to sera from healthy and monoclonal gammopathies of unknown significance donors (P = 0.0001). In addition, a stage-dependent decrease in soluble CD16 was observed, with a highly significant difference (P = 0.004) between stage I and stage II+III myeloma patients. The correlation between the myeloma stage and the serum level of soluble CD16, which is related to the host response, was found to be more sensitive than that of beta 2-microglobulin, which reflects the tumor burden. The concomitant evaluation of the serum levels of these two markers allows better staging and therefore has a more precise prognostic value.

Biomarkers, Tumor↗

[Correlation between the serum level of soluble CD16 and the staging of myeloma: study of 214 serums].

Soluble CD16 (sCD16) are soluble part of Fc receptor for IgG which control in mice, proliferation of hybridoma B cells and IgG production. The levels of sCD16 in 165 myeloma patients and 29 patients with MGUS appear significantly different:25a.u./ml versus 144a.u./ml and values of stage I are significantly higher than those of stages II + III.sCD16 might be a prognosis factor in myeloma.

Antibodies↗

[Remission under treatment of cutaneous xanthomatosis disclosing myeloma: apropos of a case with a three-year course].

We report a case of IgG lambda multiple myeloma with inaugural cutaneous xanthomatosis. A three years follow up showed parallel evolution of xanthomatosis and monoclonal gammapathy during therapy suggesting that the association is not coincidental. A decrease in IDL catabolism could be responsible. The monoclonal gammapathy could react with IDL and disturb the recognition of apolipoprotein E by its hepatic receptor.

Cyclophosphamide↗

[Erosive arthropathies in Crohn disease. Apropos of 3 cases].

Three unusual cases of destructive joint lesions in patients with Crohn's disease are reported. One patient with chronic enteropathic polyarthritis developed erosions of the wrists. The other two patients had spondyloarthropathic disease; erosions developed in the right hip in one and in the hips, knees and tibiotarsal joints in the other. The few similar cases reported in the literature are reviewed.

Adolescent↗

[Still disease in the adult and in pregnancy].

The interactions between pregnancy and adult-onset Still's disease are unclear. Nine pregnancies which occurred from 1983 through 1991 in seven women (mean age 27.7 years; range 23-40) were studied retrospectively. Five patients had one pregnancy and two had two pregnancies. Onset of the joint disease occurred before or during pregnancy. The joint disease occurred at the 5th or 6th month of the first pregnancy in two patients; one of these patients had a second pregnancy which was not associated with a flare. In five patients, onset of the joint disease occurred 4, 15, 42, 44 and 58 months before the first pregnancy, respectively; any effects of the joint disease on the pregnancy were extremely variable. 6 infants were full-term and two were premature (35 weeks); the remaining pregnancy was electively terminated; Apgar scores were normal in all eight infants, who were all male. Adult-onset Still's disease did not influence the outcome of the pregnancy in our patients; no clear-cut effects of pregnancy on adult-onset Still's disease were seen.

Adult↗

[Aspergillus spondylodiscitis. Apropos of 3 cases].

Three cases of Aspergillus discitis are reported in immunodepressed patients. Vertebrae osteomyelitis was preceded in 2 cases by pulmonary infection. The diagnosis was established in every case by disc aspiration or closed-needle-biopsy and mycological examination of the material. Aspergillus fumigatus was identified in two cases; in one case itroconazole led to recovery within three months.

Adult↗

Adult onset Still's disease and pregnancy.

The interactions between pregnancy and adult onset Still's disease (AOSD) are unclear. Between 1983 and 1990, 5 pregnancies occurred in 4 women with AOSD. AOSD occurred at the 5th and 6th month of the 1st pregnancy in 2 patients; a 2nd pregnancy occurring in one of them was not associated with a flare. In the other 2 patients pregnancy occurred 36 and 44 months after the AOSD; during gestation only transient arthralgia were observed in both cases. Pregnancy seems to have no effect on AOSD, and conversely, in our experience, AOSD has no influence on pregnancy, fetal growth or infant health.

Adult↗

[Idiopathic hypercalciuria and bone density].

A decrease in bone density of the spine has been reported in individuals with hypercalciuria and the finding of the latter in osteoporosis patients is not uncommon. We studied 21 men and 8 women (mean age 47 +/- 13) with idiopathic hypercalciuria (IHCU) defined by an urinary calcium of more than 7.5 mmol/24 h in men and 6.25 mmol/24 h in women. The duration of IHCU was 10 (+/-) 8 years. Among the 29 patients, 24 had one or more renal calculi. Twenty one had been treated, by low calcium diet only (and diuresis), combined with a thiazide diuretic, or sodium phytate, or phosphorus. Bone mineral content (BMC) was measured in the lumbar spine and the upper end of the femur using an ORIS ODC 200 densitometer and compared with 29 control subjects paired for age and sex. No difference was found between the two groups concerning BMC values in either the spine or the 3 femoral sites (neck, Ward, trochanter). BMC was not correlated with urinary calcium. Thus individuals with IHCU showed no decrease in their bone mass, among this group seen in a department of nephrology. The influence of the treatment of IHCU remains to be defined.

Adult↗

Total and ultrafiltrable plasma magnesium in hyper- and hypoparathyroidism, and in calcium-related metabolic disorders.

Serum total, ultrafiltrable and protein-bound magnesium, and urinary fractional excretion of magnesium were studied in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (before and after surgery) and in patients with hyperparathyroidism, malignant hypercalcemia and chronic renal failure with or without hemodialysis. Whereas serum total Mg was unchanged in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism, the ultrafiltrable magnesium concentration was higher than in the control group and higher before than after surgery. The total and the ultrafiltrable magnesium concentrations were highly correlated in the overall patients with Ca-related metabolic disorders, suggesting that renal function had no influence on the relation between these two parameters. Moreover, in malignant hypercalcemia, our results suggested that PTH-like peptides might be less effective than PTH in renal handling of Mg as previously described for Ca.

Adult↗

[Infectious spondylodiscitis after a cure for genital prolapse. 5 cases].

Bacterial osteitis of the discs and the vertebrae is rare after fixing the uterus to the promontary of the sacrum. Only 30 cases have been reported in the literature. Twelve cases were found in a Rheumatology Unit over a period of 12 years from 1975-1987. The initial symptoms of septic osteitis were low back pain or sciatica, and fever. They were confirmed by radiological evidence. Bacteriological diagnosis was obtained in every case by fine needle aspiration of the disco-vertebral space retrieving staphylococci or gram-negative bacilli. The same agent was found in blood cultures in four or five cases. Potentiating pathogenic factors include urinary tract infections, prosthetic material, and surgical errors.

Adult↗