[Lyme disease of a neurological form. Apropos of 2 new cases of meningoradiculitis].
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to G Llorca.
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The chronopharmacokinetics of indomethacin was studied in patients with rheumatoid diseases after a single oral dose of a new prolonged-release form containing indomethacin 75 mg. The drug was given either at 8, 12 or 20 h and its plasma concentrations, as well as those of its main metabolite, O-desmethyl indomethacin, were followed using a new specific gas chromatographic assay. When given at 20 h plasma indomethacin concentrations did not exhibit a sharp peak and remained much more stable than when the drug was given at 8 or 12 h. In addition, plasma O-desmethyl indomethacin was significantly higher after administration of indomethacin at 20 h than at 8 or 12 h. It is concluded that the pharmacokinetics of the oral prolonged-release form of indomethacin exhibited chronobiological variation. The data are in accordance with clinical studies which suggest that it might be worthwhile to administer this formulation of indomethacin at 20 h.
The analysis of the plasmatic and urinary levels of zinc in 50 patients presenting a non inflammatory disease and in 50 rheumatoid arthritis, points out to an high significative difference between plasmatic data (13,37 +/- 2,72 mumol/l and 11,32 +/- 2,22 mumol/l respectively ; p less than 0,001). No difference was found in urinary levels and neither age, nor sex, duration of the disease, most biologic parameters, nor long term medications can explain the difference which seems related to the inflammatory tissue process.
The authors report 45 personal cases observed over the last ten years, from a series of 520 cases collected during a multi-centre enquiry of the French Society of Rheumatology and a review of the literature; they discuss the present tendencies in the treatment of bone and joint tuberculosis. Antibiotic and chemotherapy uses drugs which are more and more effective, easier and easier to manipulate, ensuring in almost all cases a lasting cure with frequent conservation of joint function, shortening the natural course of the disease, and preventing or curing its complications. The role of surgery thus becomes more restricted, the period of rest may be shortened and it may becomes less strict in many cases; on the other hand, physiotherapy is becoming more important in this treatment. As for the possibility of shortening antibiotic therapy, and although the experience obtained from lung tuberculosis is encouraging, the absence of comparably large series in bone and joint tuberculosis should make one circumspect.
In a study on the frequency of the HLA A, B, C and DR antigens seen in 100 controls and 31 patients with rheumatoid arthritis, the authors found a significant increase in the DR4 antigen in rheumatoid arthritis. (50% as against 25%; X2 = 8,5; 0,04 greater than Pc greater than 0,008; RR = 3,43). The other antigens on loci A, B. C and DR are not altered significantly. However the increase in DR4 which does not seem to be related to the severity of the rheumatoid arthritis, seems to be proportional to the level of rheumatoid factor. The authors review literature on HLA in rheumatoid arthritis and the figures for the antigenic frequency of HLA-DR4 are compared with their own results. The findings are of interest especially from a pathogenic point of view.
The pharmacokinetics of fenbufen (3,4-biphenylcarbonyl proprionic acid) a new antiinflammatory agent, and its metabolites, gamma-hydroxy-4-biphenylbutyric acid and 4-biphenylacetic acid have been studied after oral administration to seven patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Fenbufen was administered as a single oral dose of 600 mg in hard gelatine capsules. A specific, sensitive gas chromatographic method was used to measure the concentration of the three compounds. A linear two-compartment open model appeared suitable to describe the course of the plasma level of fenbufen with time. This compound appeared in the blood after a lag time of 0.45 h and the peak plasma concentration of 5.97 micrograms/ml was observed after 1.19 h. The half-life of plasma disappearance was 10.26 h for fenbufen and 10.07 h and at 9.95 for metabolites II and III, respectively.
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On the basis of four personal cases of osteoid osteomas of the foot, the authors study their frequency, their localization, and their clinical and radiological manifestations. They insist on the special difficulties of diagnosing this condition due to its atypical and uncertain radiological outline, and also on methods of further investigation : arteriography and especially isotopic scintigraphy.
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Vertebral osteomyelitis caused by Candida spp. has recently been described and seems to be rare since only 30 cases have been published so far. Its clinical, laboratory and radiological features are identical with those on non-tuberculous bacterial spondylitis. It develops in subjects with poor general condition who underwent multiple surgical operations or received prolonged antibiotic therapy. The finding of Candida at needle biopsy of the since clinches the diagnosis. Serological tests might provide an earlier diagnosis and, above all, enable therapeutic effectiveness to be evaluated. In 27 of the 30 cases reported here, cure was obtained by prolonged infusions of antifungal drugs, chiefly amphotericin B and/or 5-fluorocytosine.
UNLABELLED: Sexual dysfunction secondary to the use of antidepressants, especially clomipramine or SSRI's is an adverse effect that is often underestimated and according to earlier studies, this can affect approximately 60% of the patients. This presents as a decrease in libido, alterations in the ability to reach orgasm/ejaculation, and an erectile dysfunction or a decreased vaginal lubrication. This dysfunction appears to be related with the resulting increase in serotonin and with the stimulation of serotonin 5HT2 receptors. OBJECTIVES: 1) Evaluate the effect of amineptine, a drug with an increased dopamine transmission and scant serotonin transmission, on the sexual function of depressed patients who begin treatment, and 2) evaluate whether the change to amineptine improves the sexual function in patients who presented sexual dysfunction after beginning treatment with a SSRI. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Prospective, observational, open and multicentric design. 111 patients with an average age of 41.3 years (36 men, 75 women) were distributed into three groups: Group 1 (n= 26): patients with depression (DSM IV) who begin de novo treatment with amineptine 200 mg/day. Group 2 (n= 47): depressed patients undergoing treatment with a SSRI who show a favorable response and who present sexual dysfunction secondary to a poorly tolerated treatment, so the treatment is changed to 200 mg/day of amineptine. Group 3 (n= 38): patients with the same characteristics as those of group 2, but whose treatment was changed to 20 mg/day of paroxetine. The < > (Montejo et al, 1996) was used together with the Hamilton Depression Scale, the IGC Scale, and an adverse events scale, over a 6 months follow up period during which visits took place at: baseline, month 1, month 2, month 3, and month 6. RESULTS: In group 1, treated with amineptine from the beginning, of the 5 patients who showed a decrease in the libido at the beginning of the treatment, only one still presented this in the 6th month. The Hamilton Scale decreased from 23.12 (baseline) to 5.25 after 6 months. After substituting amineptine for SSRI's in patients with sexual dysfunction, the incidence of any type of sexual dysfunction decreased significantly from 100% (baseline) to 55.3% after 6 months. (P< 0.001). The incidence of delayed orgasm dropped to 15.8%, anorgasmia to 17.4%, and impotence dropped to 15.8% in this group, with the antidepressant effect that had already been achieved with the SSRI being maintained. However, in group 3 there was barely any improvement on the sexual function after changing to paroxetine (20 mg/day), with the baseline incidence being 100% and the incidence after 6 months being 89.7%. In this last group the antidepressant effect present at the baseline level, was maintained. CONCLUSIONS: Amineptine was shown to be an effective antidepressant in the patients studied, and did not cause secondary sexual dysfunction, and even improved the dysfunction that was present in some patients. In those patients previously treated with SSRI's, amineptine is able to significantly improve the sexual dysfunction and yet maintain the efficacy of the antidepressive treatment used before these 6 months. On the other hand, Paroxetine did not improve the sexual dysfunction of the people in whom this drug substituted another SSRI, as this is an adverse effect common to the entire group of selective serotonin re-uptake inhibiting drugs. Amineptine showed a good safety and tolerance profile. Its most common side effect (anxiety/restlessness) disappeared 2 months after the beginning of the treatment.
BACKGROUND: The presence of sexual function impairment in patients with psychiatric disorders is very common and could be an effect of the medication (mainly antidepressant and neuroleptics). The patient frequently has difficulties to communicate this adverse effect and the assessment of these changes by the physician should be encouraged. The real SD incidence is underestimated and the use of a specific questionnaire is needed. METHODS: The authors analyse psychometric characteristics of the Psychotropic-Related Sexual Dysfunction Questionnaire (PRSexDQ) that includes questions about libido, orgasm, ejaculation, erectile function and general sexual satisfaction. The questionnaire was applied to 62 patients who were taking nefazodone "de novo" (n = 18) or were switched to nefazodone (n = 44) due to bad tolerated sexual dysfunction secondary to other antidepressant. RESULTS: The PRSexDQ has shown an excellent feasibility with nil percentage of patients with missing responses on all items except on items 1 and 2 (1.7% and 15.5% of patients with missing response). Cronbach's alpha value was 0.93, which indicates adequate reliability. The PRSexDQ also showed adequate construct validity. As it may be expected, the PRSexDQ showed a high correlation with a Clinical Global Impression scores on Sexual Dysfunction (r = 0.79) and moderate correlation with Hamilton Depression scores (r = 0.63). PRSexDQ also showed good discrimination between naive and pretreated depressed or dysthymic patients, with statistically significant differences between those groups of patients. Finally, the instrument showed adequate sensitivity for detecting clinical changes on sexual dysfunction with greater changes in the patients treated previously with antidepressants and who were switched to nefazodone than in naive patients (SES = -3.77 in patients switching to nefazodone; SES = -0.64 in naive patients).
The authors study aggression behaviour in a sample of 20 patients with residual schizophrenia, using the Instrument I for the measure of aggression, developed by professors Ledesma, Rodrigues and Izquierdo. A pattern of aggression has been found among residual patients characterized by a decrease of global aggressiveness and hetero-aggressiveness, compared with a control group. It has also been found a low psychomotive potential and small psychomotive aptitude reactivity. We are of the opinion that the aggressiveness pattern among residual schizophrenia is due to a defect personality, with an organic cerebral base.