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Biomedical subjects

A Legrand

Publications and source records attributed to A Legrand.

174 records · Page 10Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Anhedonia in the deficit syndrome of schizophrenia.

Previous studies have shown that anhedonia characterizes the deficit syndrome of schizophrenia. Anhedonia is also one of the main symptoms of the depressive state. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between anhedonia and depression in the deficit syndrome of schizophrenia. Self-evaluations of anhedonia and depression were performed by three groups of subjects (32 deficit schizophrenics, 32 major depressives, 35 healthy subjects) matched for sociodemographic variables. Deficit schizophrenics and major depressives are more anhedonic than controls, but there is no difference between the two study groups. Contrarily to what is evidenced for major depressives and for healthy subjects, the depressive symptomatology correlates with anhedonia in deficit schizophrenics. When deficit schizophrenics are dichotomized into depressed versus non-depressed patients, no difference is observed concerning anhedonia. These results suggest that anhedonia in the deficit syndrome of schizophrenia has no specificity but appears independent of coexisting depression and covaries with several characteristics of depression (retardation, cognitive distortions). Our results support the hypothesis that the deficit syndrome of schizophrenia could constitute a non-depressive mood disorder.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Quantification of lipoprotein X and its relationship to plasma lipid profile during different types of parenteral nutrition.

An abnormal lipoprotein (LP), detected in plasma during total parenteral nutrition, has been shown to be similar to LPX observed in cholestasis and in familial lecithin-cholesterol-acyl-transferase (LCAT) deficiency. However, the conditions which facilitate the appearance of LPX during total parenteral nutrition are unclear; potential determining factors could be lipid input, plasma lipid levels, and/or inhibition of LCAT activity. An investigation was conducted on 12 patients receiving total parenteral nutrition for 3 wk by simultaneously evaluating plasma LPX (via a quantitative method) as well as total cholesterol, phospholipids (PL), triglycerides (TG), apolipoprotein B, and LCAT activity. Daily total nonprotein calories (40 kcal/kg body weight) and nitrogen input (250 mg/kg body weight) were fixed in this study. Three 7-day periods were defined: during periods 1 and 3, lipid emulsion (10 or 20% Intralipid) and glucose were given as nonprotein calories (glucose-lipid periods); in period 2, glucose was administered alone as the sole source of nonprotein energy (glucose period) so that the total energy input was not modified. During periods 1 and 3, the patients were randomly assigned to receive either 9 g (period 1) and 12 g (period 3) of PL/day for 7 days, or 12 and 9 g of PL/day. By infusing either 10 or 20% Intralipid, TG input was varied concomitantly so that the subjects received 75, 100, or 150 g/day in periods 1 and 3. During the glucose-lipid periods, plasma LPX was measurable from the 2nd day and increased progressively. Its increment was closely related to a rise in unesterified cholesterol and PL (r = 0.7; p less than 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Multicenter evaluation of four homogenous LDL-cholesterol assays].

International guidelines emphasize the importance of LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) assay in the care and follow-up of patients with cardiovascular risk. Most studies and common practice use Friedewald's formula for LDL-C calculation. The accuracy of the result depends closely on the precision of the input parameters (total cholesterol, triglycerides (TG) and HDL cholesterol), and discrepancies between calculated LDL-C and measurement by reference methods appear when TG exceed 4.5 mmol/L, or in the presence of abnormal lipoproteins. These restrictions and uncertainties in calculations have prompted the recent development of direct and homogeneous methods that fit all analyzers. A multicenter evaluation of four direct assays of LDL-C (Daiichi, Denka Seiken, Kyowa, Wako) was carried out on 45 serum samples (TG below 3.1 mmol/L) in eight laboratories using different analyzers. For three methods (Daiichi, Kyowa, Wako), the interlaboratory reproducibility was markedly improved relative to that of calculation. A strong correlation was found for all new methods when compared with a beta-quantification assay. Average bias in Denka Seiken assays was greater than Kyowa's and Daiichi's (although less dispersed for the latter) and for Wako all bias were positive. The relationship between bias variations and the lipid parameters of the samples was studied. Three methods, Daiichi, Kyowa and Wako, revealed a significant positive correlation between bias and serum VLDL-C/TG ratio, clearly indicating that cholesterol enrichment of VLDL was a source of variability in these assays. Specificity of the four methods was tested in situation of dyslipidemia by spiking isolated lipoproteins (chylomicrons, VLDL and HDL). This experiment revealed differences in behavior, most evidently upon addition of VLDL. No method was truly specific, but up to 8 mmol/L of TG the variations were acceptable. In the presence of type III hyperlipoproteinemia, however, only the Denka Seiken method was reliable. Linearity up to 20 mmol/L (Daiichi, Denka Seiken) or 14 mmol/L (Kyowa, Wako) of LDL-C allows these tests to be used in main routine cases. New direct assays are an obvious technological advance in terms of analytical performance and conveniency. Their use for the diagnosis and follow-up of hyperlipidemic patients offers an alternative that overcomes the limitations of the Friedewald calculation.

Blood Chemical Analysis↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Serum LpAI lipoprotein particles in diabetic patients with and without renal lesions of different grades.

Among high density lipoprotein particles, LpAI particles which contain apolipoprotein A1 alone, appear to be involved in cholesterol transport from peripheral tissues to the liver. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to examine serum LpAI particle concentrations in Type 1 and Type 2 diabetic patients with renal lesions of differing grades, in comparison with normal controls and with nondiabetic patients presenting with chronic renal failure. LpAI concentrations and LpAI-to-apo A1 ratios were increased in Type 1 diabetic patients with normal albumin excretion. In Type 1 and in Type 2 diabetic patients with increased urinary albumin excretion, LpAI concentrations and LpAI-to-apo A1 ratios were found to be not different from those of normal controls. In diabetic and in nondiabetic patients with chronic renal failure, LpAI concentrations were decreased. These abnormalities may contribute to the development of macrovascular complications.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Furosemide-sensitive K+ transport in transformed and nontransformed rat liver epithelial cells: regulation by protein kinase C and involvement in cell growth.

Using Rb+ as a K+ tracer and atomic absorption spectrophotometry for measuring the Rb+ stable isotope, we studied K+ transport systems and their regulation by protein kinase C in nontransformed and spontaneously transformed rat liver epithelial cells. Ouabain-sensitive Na+/K(+)-ATPase and the furosemide-sensitive Na+/K+/Cl- cotransport had comparable activity ratios in both cell types (0.92 and 1 in nontransformed and transformed rat liver epithelial cells, respectively). The protein kinase C activators, dioctanoylglycerol and phorbol myristate acetate, partly inhibited the Na+/K+/Cl- cotransport in both cell types but their effect was stronger in nontransformed cells, suggesting that, in transformed cells, the Na+/K+/Cl- cotransport had partly lost the ability to be inhibited by protein kinase C. In both cell types, phorbol myristate acetate had little and dioctanoylglycerol had no inhibitory effect on Na+/K(+)-ATPase. Furosemide (1 mM) partly inhibited the [3H]thymidine incorporation in both cell types, suggesting an involvement of the Na+/K+/Cl- cotransport in rat liver epithelial cell growth.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Anhedonia in schizophrenia].

A study on 61 subjects who meet Spitzer's Research Diagnosis Criteria of schizophrenia and on 56 normal subjects has been conducted to explore anhedonia. Anhedonia was evaluated by two rating scales, the Physical Anhedonia Scale (PAS) and a sub-scale of physical pleasure (FCPCS-PP) extracted from the pleasure scale of Fawcett. The reliabilities of the scales were studied in the schizophrenic group by the Cronbach alpha and the Kuder Richardson (KR 20) coefficient and by the correlation between the two scales (concurrent validity). The Cronbach alpha was 0.77 for the FCPCS-PP and the KR 20 was 0.82 for the PAS. The correlation between the two scales was -0.37 (p < 0.01). The schizophrenics were significantly more anhedonic than normals with higher score on the PAS and with a lower score on the FCPCS-PP. Using the Beck Depression Inventory to rate depression in the schizophrenic group and to dichotomize these subjects into depressed schizophrenics and no depressed schizophrenics, we failed to find significantly differences concerning anhedonia scales between these two sub-groups of schizophrenics. There was no difference between in and outpatients concerning the anhedonia scales. Our results suggest that anhedonia would be a possible marker of schizophrenic disease. The distribution of the anhedonia scales in the schizophrenic group is normal or unimodal and it doesn't support the hypothesis of a qualitative sub-group of schizophrenics characterised by severe anhedonia.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Clinical characteristics of chronic schizophrenic patients presenting with severe anhedonia].

The aim of the present study is first to test the existence of a sub-group of chronic schizophrenics characterized by a severe anhedonia and secondly to determine the characteristics of that sub-group. 150 patients meet the DSM III-R and RDC criteria for chronic schizophrenia and 151 healthy subjects constituted the control group. The subjects filled out the Physical Anhedonia Scale of Chapman (PAS), the Fawcett Clark Pleasure Capacity Scale-Physical Pleasure (FCPCS-PP) and the abridged form of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). The distributions of the PAS and FCPCS-PP were studied using a test of normality. In the normal group the distributions of the anhedonia scales were unimodal and in the schizophrenic group the distributions were not. The schizophrenics were dichotomized into anhedonic schizophrenics (PAS scores higher or equal to 29) and hedonic schizophrenics (PAS scores lower than 29) and these subgroups were compared on socio-clinical variables and PANSS, BPRS and BDI scores using chi 2 square tests or Mann and Whitney tests. They were 32 subjects in the anhedonic sub-group and 128 subjects in the hedonic sub-group. They were not significant differences between the sub-groups concerning the sex-ratio, educative level, age, mean duration of the illness, mean number of hospitalization and the mean dose of antipsychotics. The proportions of depressive and deficit syndromes did not differ between the two sub-groups but the proportion of "negatives" (using the composite score of the PANSS) was greater in the anhedonic sub-group. A discriminant analysis has been done on the items of the BPRS, PANSS and BDI and the results have shown that the anhedonic schizophrenics had more hallucinatory behavior, disorientation, blunted affect, social withdrawal, cognitive distorsions and less anxiety and displeasure than hedonic schizophrenics. Our results allow to identify a sub-group of chronic schizophrenia characterized by a severe anhedonia and will be confirmed by others studies using prospective methodology.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[A four-dimensional model of chronic schizophrenia based on the factorial structure of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). A study of a group of 153 chronic schizophrenic patients and comparison with the factorial structure of the BPRS].

The aim of the study is to explore the latent dimensions in chronic schizophrenia using factorial analysis methods. 153 subjects (89 males, 64 females) with a mean age of 38.83 years (sd = 10.15) meet the RDC criteria for chronic schizophrenia and were included in the study. They were 127 inpatients and 26 outpatients and the mean duration of the illness since the first psychotic episode was 14.69 years (sd = 9.64). The majority of the schizophrenics received antipsychotic treatment with a mean dose (in chlorpromazine-equivalent) of 401.86 mg (sd = 368.13). The schizophrenics were rated using the French versions of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS). Two successive principal components analyses (PCA) were carried out on the correlation matrix of the 30 PANSS and 18 BPRS items. The numbers of factors were limited using several guidelines : eigenvalues higher than 1, screen test and the parallel analysis of Horn. Then an orthogonal equamax rotation was made and the saturation value was chosen using and ad-hoc paradigm. The results have shown a four-factors solution for the PANSS with the following factors : negative, positive-hostility, disorganization-impulsivity, depressive-anxious. The composition of the four preceding factors was respectively : negative [N1, N2, N3, N4, N6, N7, G7, P4 (-)]; positive-hostility (P1, P2, P3, P5, P6, P7, G8, G9, G12, G15, G16); disorganization-impulsivity (G5, G10, G11, G13, G14, N5); depressive-anxious (G1, G2, G3, G4, G6). The ACP of the BPRS have shown a three factors solution (positive-disorganization, negative, depressive-anxious). The factorial structure of the PANSS was discussed with the different studies. Our results confirm the division of the productive symptomatology into two components, delusions-hallucinations and cognitive (disorganization). Moreover depressive and negative symptomatology constitute two separate dimensions. Contrary to the others studies we did not find an excited component, the corresponding items were found in the positive and disorganization factors. The inclusion of solely chronic schizophrenics could explain the lack of the excited component. Our data in chronic schizophrenia allow us to propose a four-dimensional model explaining the symptomatology of this disease.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Reference values of apolipoproteins A1 and B. Contribution of international standardization. Travail collaboratif entre la SFBC, l'Arcol et le SFRL].

The utilization of two WHO reference materials, liquid and lyophilized, permitted international standardization of apolipoprotein measurements. We report here the results of a collaborative study between Arcol, SFBC and SFRL in order to establish reference ranges for apo A1 and B on nine standardized systems. A population of 1027 men and women supposed healthy, 4 to 60 year old, have been selected in two Centers for Preventive Medicine. The serum samples were aliquoted frozen at -20 degrees C the day of sampling and analysed by the manufacturers with IFCC standardized calibrants. A specific quality control was performed using a frozen pool of sera. For apo A1, the centile 2.5 of the reference population varies from 1.04 to 1.16 g/l. The range values for the centile 97.5 varies from 1.87 to 2.24 g/l. For apoB, the centile 2.5 varies from 0.43 to 0.57 g/l, and the centile 97.5 from 1.30 to 1.39 g/l. Only one system has a problem of dispersion with an upper limit equal to 1.20 g/l. These results improve that international standardization allowed actually a good comparability of the results, especially for apoB.

Adolescent↗