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Biomedical subjects

A Peretz

Publications and source records attributed to A Peretz.

125 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Trace element status and inflammation parameters during chronic indomethacin treatment in adjuvant arthritic rats.

Oral indomethacin administration (2 mg/kg/d) was investigated in rats with adjuvant arthritis up to a period of 5 wk. Baseline low serum zinc levels in arthritic rats increased rapidly from the first week of indomethacin treatment (started 1 or 2 wk after disease induction), whereas baseline high serum copper decreased after 1-2 wk. After 3-4 wk of treatment, serum zinc levels returned to control values, but serum copper was somewhat higher in arthritic animals having received indomethacin 2 wk after disease induction than in controls. Clinical indices of inflammation simultaneously improved to reach control values at the end of the trial. Biological indicators of inflammation also improved, but did not reach control levels. Serum zinc correlated negatively with plasma fibrinogen (r = -0.69, p < 0.0005) and serum copper correlated positively with serum ceruloplasmin (r = 0.92, p < 0.0005) both in indomethacin-treated and untreated arthritic rats. Contrary to long-term glucocorticoid administration that was previously reported to maintain or aggravate hypozincemia, indomethacin treatment normalized perturbed zinc and copper status in arthritic animals.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Pharmacokinetic study of orally administered zinc in humans: evidence for an enteral recirculation.

Starting from the experimental design of the established 'Zinc Tolerance Tests', the absorption and distribution of the essential trace element zinc in humans was investigated in 10 subjects by performing a pharmacokinetic study of the serum zinc profile after oral administration of a pharmacological dose of the metal, i.e. 0.69 mmol (45 mg) zinc as ZnSO4.7 H2O. The adopted experimental conditions include frequent measurements of serum concentrations, a total investigation time of 8 h after ingestion, and a correction of basal zinc levels taking into account the circadian variation. Rebound effects were evidenced in the time versus concentration curves showing a regular recycling of the element in the digestive tract. Estimation of the parameters by an original method allowed us to calculate the characteristics of the cycles. The first one occurred after 1.4 h, before the time needed for appearance of the maximum concentration which was around 2.3 h, and exhibited mean reabsorption of 70% of administered dose. The subsequent ones, maximum 5 during the investigation period, appeared at regular intervals of approximately 1.2 h, with a decrease in the quantity reabsorbed. These observations are consistent with the previously reported endogenous secretion of zinc, a physiological mechanism contributing to zinc homeostasis.

Absorption↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis spondylitis.

We report a case of multidrug-resistant spinal tuberculosis complicated by epiduritis and paraspinal abscess in a 68-year-old black woman. Multidrug-resistant tuberculous spondylitis is still rare in Belgium. Two others cases were reported from 1992 to 1997. The optimal therapy is not standardized and the mandatory duration of treatment is not known. Clinical presentation, radiological findings, and treatment are presented. The need for prompt diagnosis and optimal therapy is emphasized.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Posterior cortical atrophy variants of Alzheimer's disease.

Posterior cortical atrophy (PCA) was first described by Benson in 1988 and, since then, has been regarded as a variant of Alzheimer's disease. We present 2 patients with symptoms suggestive of PCA and 2 patients with apraxia as the initial manifestation. Primary motor and sensory modalities were intact. Mild memory impairment was present early in the course of the disease and gradually worsened. Parieto-occipital atrophy was evident on brain MRI. HMPAO-SPECT demonstrated parieto-occipital hypoperfusion significantly different from the temporoparietal hypoperfusion usually described in senile dementia of the Alzheimer type. These findings suggest that HMPAO-SPECT can help in diagnosing atypical variants of Alzheimer's disease. We suggest that PCA represents two clinically related behavioral phenotypes: PCA with predominantly apraxia manifestations and PCA with predominantly visuospatial disturbances. Copyrightz1999S.KargerAG,Basel

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Uveitis management: a multidisciplinary approach to assess systemic involvement and side effects of treatments.

OBJECTIVE: Non-infectious uveitis is often associated with systemic diseases severe enough to require corticosteroids (CS) and immunosuppressive drugs, which have potential serious side effects. METHODS: 28 patients with non-infectious uveitis were referred by the ophthalmologist. RESULTS: A systemic disease was found in 17/28 patients (60%): sarcoidosis in 11, spondylarthropathy in 3, Behcet's disease in 2, Crohn's disease in 1 patient. Eighteen patients received CS, 21 patients received immunosuppressive drugs. Most side effects were due to CS treatment: Cushing's syndrome in 12, cataract in 11, glucose intolerance in 3, gastric ulcus in 1, hypertension in 1, osteoporosis in 17, avascular bone necrosis in 3 patients. Prophylaxis or treatment of corticosteroids induced osteoporosis consists in calcium, 500 mg/day and vitamin D 400 IU in most of them with in addition hormone replacement therapy (n = 8) or bisphosphonates (n = 13). CONCLUSION: Sixty percent of patients with severe uveitis had a systemic disease. CS were the most deleterious drugs in spite of bi- or tri-therapy with CS sparing immunosuppressive drugs.

Adrenal Cortex Hormones↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Effects of selenium supplementation on immune parameters in gut failure patients on home parenteral nutrition.

The relationships between some parameters of the immune response and selenium were investigated in five patients receiving home parenteral nutrition for short-bowel syndrome. They were first submitted to a relative depletion by providing 20 micrograms selenium/day as L-selenomethionine for 1 mo. Then, daily selenium intake was raised to 200 micrograms for 2-4 mo. On entering the study, the patients presented a relatively good health status, and immunological parameters were at the lowest limit of the normal range. Four patients rapidly responded to the 200-micrograms supplementation by a continuous increase in their plasma selenium levels, whereas the fifth patient showed a moderate and late increase. At the end of the trial, there was an improvement in the lymphocyte response to pokeweed and phytohemagglutinin mitogens in four patients and to CD3 in three patients. The response to two of three antigens (Candidin, Varidase) tested was also enhanced in the same patients, but the response to the third antigen (tetanus toxoid) was uniformly low in all patients. The only patient showing essentially no immune improvement after selenium supplementation was the one with a low and delayed increase in plasma selenium. This study supports a role for selenium in the maintenance of an optimal immune response in humans.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Metabolic disorders of essential trace elements related to rheumatic disorders].

Trace elements are usually considered as "alternative" therapy. The present work is devoted to the analysis of the modifications in zinc, copper and selenium status in rheumatic diseases. The effect of the usual drug treatment is further studied as well as the therapeutic opportunities in "classic" medicine.

Copper↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Effects of sobrerol treatment on macromolecule secretion, ion and water fluxes in sheep trachea.

We studied the effects of sobrerol treatment on airway mucus secretion. Normal sheep and sheep with airways sensitized to Ascaris suum antigen were treated in vivo with sobrerol, 1 mg.kg-1 i.m., twice a day for five days. Composition and secretion of mucus macromolecules, and fluxes of ions and water were subsequently measured in tracheal tissues in vitro, and were compared to values from untreated (normal and sensitized) sheep. Macromolecules were radiolabelled with 35SO4 and 3H-threonine and we measured the secretion of macromolecule-bound radiolabel on to the mucosa. We also measured secretion of total protein and of sialic acid. Unidirectional fluxes of Cl-, Na+ and water were measured with radioactive tracers. Net fluxes were calculated from appropriately paired tissues. Sobrerol treatment decreased total protein secretion in both normal and sensitized sheep. Specifically, it decreased secretion of sialylated but not sulphated macromolecules. Sobrerol had no effect on tracheal ion or water fluxes in normal sheep, but in sensitized sheep it significantly decreased net Na+ absorption and induced secretion of water. These changes are likely to alter the physical properties of the mucus, and may alter its transportability by airway cilia and/or by gas-liquid two-phase flow.

Airway Obstruction↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Bone following the menopause].

Bone is a tissue undergoing permanent remodeling, submitted to the influence of endocrine and local (or paracrine) factors. After reaching a peak, bone mass decline physiologically with age, showing a more important decrease during early postmenopausal years. Bone remodeling tightly couples bone resorption due to osteoclasts to bone formation due to osteoblasts. Both osteoclasts and osteoblasts originate from bone marrow and therefore synthesize and respond to common cytokines such as interleukin 1, 6, 11 or to growth factors as colony stimulating factors (CSF). The understanding of the mechanisms that regulate osteoclasts and osteoblasts activation both in physiological situation or during the loss of gonadal functions is in progress. In the next future, it would be possible to give a more efficient and rational therapy than today.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Overview of the clinical usefulness of bone mineral measurements in the prevention of postmenopausal osteoporosis.

Bone mass measurements might be useful in two ways in prevention of postmenopausal osteoporosis: the decision to start HRT, or other therapy, could be based on such measurements; and, possibly, compliance to treatment would be enhanced. Bone density measurement appears to have sufficient predictive value for osteoporotic fracture, especially when density is measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. However, choice of skeletal site for the measurement cannot be made with certainty, although a vertebral site may be best early in menopause; and in women with osteophytes or scoliosis, and with older women, the femur or wrist may be preferred. With respect to enhancement of patients' compliance to HRT, as well as clinicians' willingness to prescribe treatment, it has not yet been clearly shown that bone mass measurements have a significant effect. This topic involves economic efficiency and should be evaluated by considerations of economics weighted against medical efficacy.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Bone mineral content of women with uterine fibromyomas.

OBJECTIVE: To determine if the bone mineral content (BMC) of women suffering from fibroids is different from that of the reference population. DESIGN: Cross-sectional retrospective study. PARTICIPANTS: Fifty-nine women suffering from fibroids, compared to the reference population. OUTCOME MEASURES: BMC was measured at the vertebral L2-L4 site (BMC-1) and at the midradius site (BMC-r). RESULTS: The patients with fibroids exhibited no significant difference in BMC-r). RESULTS: The patients with fibroids exhibited no significant difference in BMC-r, but had a significantly higher (P < or = .001) BMC-1 than the reference population. CONCLUSION: Since BMC-1 is mainly constituted by trabecular bone and BMC-r by cortical bone, and since trabecular bone is more sensitive to estrogens than cortical bone, it is suggested that a hyper-estrogenic state co-existing with fibroids may induce a slight protective factor against osteoporosis of the vertebral skeleton.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Some factors influencing the bioavailability of zinc in oral pharmaceutical dosage forms].

Absorption and distribution of zinc in 6 dosage forms were determined in 10 subjects by performing a pharmacokinetic study of the serum zinc profile after oral administration of a dose corresponding to 45 mg elemental zinc. The aim of this study was to document the influence on zinc bioavailability of factors such as the chemical form of zinc, the pharmaceutical form, and the division of the administered dose. The pharmacokinetic parameters indicate for gelatin capsules without excipients taken in a non divided dose better performances for zinc gluconate in comparison to zinc sulfate. Concerning the pharmaceutical form, little difference is observed between an aqueous solution and a gelatin capsule for zinc sulfate and a non divided dose; on the contrary, a commercial gelatin capsule containing zinc gluconate with various excipients show better performances than gastro-resistant tablets when zinc intake is 3 times 15 mg. Finally, the division in 3 parts of the dose of zinc sulfate given in gelatin capsules very significantly improves zinc absorption. These results demonstrate the interest of the developed pharmacokinetic method in the assessment of zinc bioavailability in different pharmaceutical dosage forms.

Administration, Oral↗