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Biomedical subjects

G Kirov

Publications and source records attributed to G Kirov.

64 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1996

Do obstetric complications cause the earlier age at onset in male than female schizophrenics?

We compared the age at onset of 184 patients with functional psychoses with and without a history of obstetric complications (OCs) as defined by the scale of Lewis et al. (1989). OCs had no significant influence on the age at onset in those patients who had affective psychoses or were non-white. There were 73 white patients with a DSM-III-R diagnosis of schizophrenia. The mean age at onset of those 25 who had a history of at least one definite OC was 2.6 years earlier than that of the 48 patients with no history of OCs. This effect was entirely due to the male patients with histories of OCs who had, on average, a 3.5 years earlier age at onset. There were no gender differences in age at onset among schizophrenics without a history of OCs. We suggest that a subgroup of male patients with a history of OCs is responsible for the earlier age at onset in male compared to female schizophrenics.

Black or African American↗
PubMed1996

A novel functional polymorphism within the promoter of the serotonin transporter gene: possible role in susceptibility to affective disorders.

The serotonin transporter (5-HTT) is a candidate locus for aetiological involvement in affective disorders. Biochemical studies in suicides and depressed patients suggest that 5-HT uptake function is frequently reduced in affective illness. Furthermore, 5-HTT is targeted by widely used antidepressant drugs such as fluoxetine. We have performed an association study of a short variant of the 5-HTT-linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR), which restricts transcriptional activity of the 5-HTT promoter leading to low functional expression of the 5-HTT, in 454 patients with bipolar or unipolar affective disorder and 570 controls, derived from three European Centres (London, Milan and Würzburg). In all three centres, the frequency of the low activity allele was higher in patients than in controls (50% vs 45% in London, 45% vs 43% in Milan, 47% vs 40% in Würzburg). Although these differences were not individually significant, a stratified analysis of all three samples gave a significant overall odds ratio of 1.23 (95% confidence interval 1.02-1.49, P = 0.03). The excess of the homozygous low-activity genotype among the patients was even greater (odds ratio 1.53, 95% confidence interval 1.04-2.23, P = 0.02), suggesting partial recessively of the low-activity allele. Given the functional role of 5-HTT, our findings suggest that 5-HTTLPR-dependent variation in functional 5-HTT expression is a potential genetic susceptibility factor for affective disorders. If this finding is replicated, further work on genetic variants with low 5-HTT activity may facilitate the differential diagnosis of affective disorders, the assessment of suicidal behaviour, and the prediction of good clinical response to antidepressants.

Alleles↗
PubMed1994

Prevalence of delusional misidentification syndromes.

The prevalence of delusional misidentification syndromes (DMS) in a consecutive sample of 195 inpatient admissions with functional psychosis was found to be 4.1%. It is argued that DMS symptoms are more common than previously supposed.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

[Retroperitoneal sarcomas].

Sixteen years experience (1974-1989) is recorded with the treatment of 18 patients with retroperitoneal sarcoma. The tumor was palpable in all. Four syndromes could be differentiated in these patients: gastrointestinal, renal, vascular and neurologic. All modern methods of diagnosis were applied: ultrasonography in 12 patients, computer tomography--13, angiography--3, X-ray examination of the gastrointestinal tract--7, gamma-renography--5, urography--2. Radical operative intervention is considered treatment of choice, followed by radio- or hemotherapy. Radical extirpation of the tumor was performed in 10 patients (55.5 per cent). Extended operative interventions with resection of adjacent organs were performed in 4 patients (22.2 per cent). After histologic verification 10 patients (55.5 per cent) were subjected to chemotherapy and 7 to radiotherapy. Postoperative case fatality rate was 17 per cent (3 patients died). Four patients 22.2 per cent) had relapse of the tumor between the first and the third year.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

[Retroperitoneal and mesenteric cysts].

Experience is recorded with the diagnosis and successful surgical treatment of 5 patients with retroperitoneal and mesenterial cysts. According to available data in the literature, one patients with retroperitoneal or mesenteric cyst falls among an average of 34,000-105,000 in-lying patients. Basic symptom on physical examination was a palpable tumor mass in the abdomen. In recent years correct preoperative diagnosis of these diseases has been established in 85-95 per cent of the cases with the help of echography and computer tomography. The surgical approach was determined from the possibility for total or partial removal of the cyst, which was sometimes accompanied by partial or total removal of abdominal organs involved in the pathologic process.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

[In vitro research on the interaction of natural zeolites with diploid cells from the human embryonic lung].

A study of the biological effect of the natural zeolites, clinoptilolite, mordenite and erionite on monostratum cellular culture of human embryonic lung is performed. The number of pyknotic cells, morphological changes in the cells, and monostratum, mitotic activity and changes in the cellular culture are reported during a continuous experiment. As positive control is used standard quartz dust DQ-12 and for negative dust of TiO2. It is already established that the dust particles of natural zeolites with dimensions under 5 micron display biological aggressiveness. With most strongly expressed effect is the clinoptilolite dust, which related to identical active surface, is comparable to that of quartz DQ-12. The mordenite is with moderate cytotoxic effect, proportional to the time and concentration, while erionite is with slight and very delayed effect. There are differences concerning the effect on the miotic activity of the cells. The biologic aggressiveness of the zeolites is discussed in relation to their strong active surface, their ionometabolic properties and their capacity to generate hydrogen at moistering.

Aluminum Silicates↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Stercoral perforation of the normal colon: report of five cases.

A series of five consecutive patients with stercoral perforation of the colon is presented. Four of the patients had free perforation and one had an abscess between the splenic flexure, spleen and surrounding organs, a yet unreported entity. All patients underwent emergency surgery including laparostomy with repeated explorations and lavages in two of them. The ethiology, pathophysiology and treatment of the condition are updated. A graphic algorithm for decision-making in appropriately dealing with stercoral perforation of the colon is proposed.

Aged↗