Biomedical subjects

H Kumbasar

Publications and source records attributed to H Kumbasar.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2000

Increased serum arginase activity in depressed patients.

1. Arginase, an important part of the arginine-regulating system modulates nitric oxide generation; a neuroregulatory agent, which has been implicated in various neuropathological conditions. 2. In this regard, the authors investigated the arginine-nitric oxide pathway by measuring serum arginase activity in drug free major (n=18) and minor depressed outpatients (n=12) and healthy control subjects (n=30) in order to make a contribution to the understanding of disease mechanism. 3. Major depressed patients were found to have significantly higher serum arginase activity compared to controls (p<0.001) and minor depressives (p=0.001). Moreover, there was significant positive correlation between arginase activity and severity of depression in patients (p<0.001). 4. Results suggest that the arginine-nitric oxide pathway is involved in depression. Enhanced arginase activity in major depressed patients possibly leading to a decrease in nitric oxide synthesis may contribute to the symptomatology of depression.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

The depression, anxiety, life satisfaction and affective expression levels in psoriasis patients.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of stressful life events on the onset and exacerbation of psoriasis, depression, anxiety, life satisfaction and affective expression levels in psoriasis patients and psychological risk factors related to psoriasis. METHOD: Fifty psoriasis patients were examined dermatologically and psychiatrically and then administered the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Scale (STAI I-II), Life Satisfaction Scale (LSS), Courtauld Emotional Control Scale (CECS) and Body Image Satisfaction Scale (BIS). Symptom severity was measured by the Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI). RESULTS: Thirty-four patients declared that they had had a psychologically stressful life event in the last 3 months prior to the beginning of the illness. The mean PASI score was 1.75+/-1.65; BDI score 13.58+/-6.11; STAI-I score 39.54+/-9.18, STAI-II score 46.58+/-8.05; LSS score 9.18+/-4.39; CECS score 51.64+/-9.75; BIS score 93.74+/-16.67. CONCLUSION: Psoriasis patients reported significantly higher degrees of depression and more body cathexis problems than controls. In addition, the risk for developing psoriasis increased significantly in patients with moderate and severe depression. We also found a relationship between symptom severity and low affective expression and high BDI scores in this study. These findings suggest that the relationship between psoriasis and psychological problems can be reciprocal and requires further investigation.

Adult↗

PubMed1999

Dipeptidyl peptidase IV and adenosine deaminase activity. Decrease in depression.

Dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPPIV) and adenosine deaminase (ADA), two T cell associated enzymes, are known to have a possible interaction and play essential roles in immune system functioning. On the other hand, depression has been shown to be accompanied with some immune-inflammatory alterations. In this regard, in order to make a contribution to the understanding of the ongoing immune disturbances in depression, serum DPPIV and ADA activities were determined in minor and major depressives and compared with healthy controls. Both enzyme activities were found to be decreased in major depressives compared to controls while only DPPIV activity was significantly lower in major depressives than the minor depressives. There were significant inverse relationships between enzyme activities and the severity of depression. Moreover, a positive intracorrelation was found between decreased DPPIV and ADA levels. The correlated decrease in DPPIV and ADA, might be a further support for their possible association. Results also suggest that decreased enzyme activities might reflect the impaired immune state in depression while major depressed patients might have a greater tendency to immune dysfunction than the minor depressed ones.

Adenosine Deaminase↗

PubMed1992

Regional cerebral blood flow changes in chronic alcoholism using Tc-99m HMPAO SPECT. Comparison with CT parameters.

Twenty-eight patients were studied for regional cerebral blood flow changes as a result of chronic alcoholism. After the administration of 550 to 600 MBq Tc-99m HMPAO, tomographic slices were obtained using a SPECT camera. Eight regions per hemisphere were drawn on each transaxial section, and tracer redistribution was calculated for each region. Region-to-whole slice ratios were determined for each patient. Patients had significantly decreased frontal/whole slice (1 +/- 0.02) ratios in comparison with a normal group (p less than 0.01). Twenty-four out of 26 patients (85.7%) demonstrated abnormal rCBF. Eighteen out of 28 (64.3%) showed activity lower in the left hemisphere than in the right. Using CT parameters, 60% of the patients had either sulcal widening and/or ventricular enlargement. The frontal region and the left hemisphere were more affected by alcohol than other regions. More cerebral blood flow changes than morphologic changes were found caused by alcoholism.

Adult↗

PubMed1990

Tc-99m HMPAO/SPECT determination of regional cerebral blood flow changes in schizophrenics.

Hypofrontality (hypometabolism and hypoperfusion) has been demonstrated in patients with schizophrenia by the use of several imaging methods, such as positron emission tomography (PET). In this study, Tc-99m hexamethylpropylene amineoxime (HMPAO) and SPECT were used to investigate regional blood flow changes in 20 schizophrenic patients (12 males and 8 females, aged 15-50 years) experiencing acoustic hallucinations. Tc-99m HM-PAO (15-20 mCi) was injected intravenously, eight regions/hemisphere were drawn on transaxial sections, and tracer redistribution was calculated for each region. Frontal/occipital ratios (0.917 +/- 0.045) and frontal/whole-slice ratios (0.984 +/- 0.036) were determined for each patient. The patients had significantly lower frontal/occipital ratios (P less than 0.0005) and lower frontal/whole-slice ratios (P less than 0.01) in comparison to a normal group (11 cases).

Adolescent↗