Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

E Nikoskelainen

Publications and source records attributed to E Nikoskelainen.

62 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1975

Virus antibody levels in the cerebrospinal fluid from patients with optic neuritis.

Virus antibody levels were studied in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of 58 patients with optic neuritis and 58 control patients with no indication of multiple sclerosis (MS) or infectious disorders of the central nervous system (CNS). The specimens were tested against three different structural components of measles virus with measles hemagglutination inhibition (HI), measles hemolysis inhibition (HLI) and gel precipitation (GP) tests. Measles antibodies occurred in 62 per cent of CSF specimens from patients with optic neuritis, and 21 per cent of the controls. In the specimens from patients with optic neuritis, the positive rate figures were: for rubella HI test 35, parainfluenza-1 HI 16, and Epstein-Barr virus immunofuorescence (IF) 53 per cent. The frequencies in the control group were 10, 10 and 26 per cent, respectively. Serum/CSF antibody ratios below 80 occurred in measles tests in 45 per cent of patients with optic neuritis and 16 per cent of the control group. Some patients with optic neuritis (but none from the control group) had a reduced serum/CSF antibody ratio in more than one measles antibody test, The patients with optic neuritis had a higher frequency of low serum/CSF albumin ratios indicating blood brain barrier damage, There were, however, several patients with a normal serum/CSF albumin ratio but low serum/CSF immunoglobulin G and measles antibody ratios. This supports the hypothesis that local production of measles antibodies takes place in CNS in some patients with optic neuritis as well as in MS patients. The CSF specimens were further tested against 12 other viruses and mycoplasma pneumoniae complement fixation, but there were no positive specimens. New CSF specimens were taken from five patients during optic neuritis, and from seven patients later on during the follow-up because of the appearance of new neurological symptoms. There were no changes in virus antibody levels, except for two patients with an increase of measles virus antibody titres.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1975

Symptoms, signs and early course of optic neuritis.

The study was an anlysis of the early course of optic neuritis based on the case histories of 185 patients, 57% of whom were females and 43% males. More than half of the patients suffered from multiple sclerosis. In 28% of the patients the etiology remained unknown. The most common initial symptom was acute decrease in visual acuity, but in 25% the onset was subacute or slow. Pain occured in 62% and preceded decrease in visual acuity in 16% of the cases. The initial attack was unilateral in 70% and bilateral in 30% of the patients. On admission, in 64% of the involved eyes, visual acuity was poor and in 73% the defect in the visual field involved the central field. The optic disc was normal in 46%, blurred and /or hyperaemic in 20%, oedematous in 23% and in 11% there was temporal or total pallor already on admission. The last finding was common in patients with bilateral optic neuritis with a slow onset. Six months after admission visual acuity was good or excellent in 56% and the visual field was normal in 45% of the involved eyes.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1975

Later course and prognosis of optic neuritis.

The study was a re-examination of 176 patients with optic neuritis. The follow-up period was for 38 patients, 6-12 months, for 52 patients, 1-5 years and for 86 patients, 6-24 years from the initial attack of optic neuritis. In 66% of the involved eyes visual acuity had again become good or excellent, but in 25% it was poor. The visual field was normal in only 38%, in 30% there was an absolute or relative central defect and in 31% a paracentral or peripheral defect. Recurrent attacks of optic neuritis occurred in one fourth of the patients and was a common finding in MS patients. Nineteen per cent of the eyes had suffered from more than one attack. Visual acuity was good or excellent in more than half, but the visual field was normal in only 29% of the eyes with more than one attack of optic neuritis. The frequency of bilateral involvement was high at the end of the follow-up period, 44% of patients had both eyes involved by optic neuritis. In 47 patients the initial attack was bilateral optic neuritis and 34% of these patient had permanently poor vision in both eyes. The initial attack was unilateral in 30 patients but the other eye became involved later. In 26% of all patients with bilateral involvement, visual acuity was permanently poor in both eyes. Bilateral papillitis was a common manifestation in young patients and in this age group the disease had a tendency towards good recovery.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

mtDNA haplotype analysis in Finnish families with leber hereditary optic neuroretinopathy.

The mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequence variation of 24 Finnish Leber hereditary optic neuroretinopathy (LHON) probands was characterized by sequencing and restriction endonuclease analyses. All LHON-associated substitutions and Caucasoid haplogroup-specific mutations were screened in the families. Analysis of the mtDNAs revealed that the Finnish LHON families have two unique features: an absence of the ND6/14484 mutation and a high number of families (10/24) without the primary mutations ND1/3460 and ND4/11778. Furthermore, the LHON families showed considerable mtDNA heterogeneity: among 24 families 22 haplotypes were detected. Overall, the haplogrouping of LHON families was similar to other European populations. However, the frequency of ND4/11778-positive families in haplogroup J was high, which may indicate that background mutations in this haplogroup together with the ND4/11778 primary mutation promote the penetrance of LHON.

Adolescent↗