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Biomedical subjects

I Mateo

Publications and source records attributed to I Mateo.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 1A duplication with severe paresis of the proximal lower limb muscles: a long-term follow-up study.

OBJECTIVE: To describe a large pedigree with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 1A (CMT1A) duplication in which severe pelvic and thigh musculature weakness occurred in two patients, detected by analysing the leg muscle atrophy pattern on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). METHODS: The pedigree comprised 18 patients, aged between 15 and 85 (median 46) years, who were serially evaluated for up to three decades. All 18 patients and 13 non-affected at-risk people underwent electrophysiological examination. An MRI study of lower limb musculature was carried out in four patients. Three patients underwent sural-nerve biopsy. Genetic testing was carried out in 17 patients and in all 13 at-risk normal people. RESULTS: Fourteen patients were asymptomatic or slightly disabled. The two oldest patients, aged 84 and 80, showed a moderate phenotype. Two other patients, aged 70 and 53, showed late-onset and gradually progressive peroneal paresis extending up to the thigh and pelvic musculature, resulting in waddling gait. MRI scans of all three patients with a mild phenotype showed subtle and subclinical fatty infiltration of calf anterolateral muscle compartments, with thigh muscle involvement in one patient, and extensive atrophy of intrinsic foot muscles. In the youngest patient with proximal leg weakness, the MRI scan showed massive fatty atrophy of all the calf muscles, posteromedial thigh muscle compartments, and internal and external hip rotator muscles. Sural-nerve biopsy specimens showed hypertrophic neuropathy with no superimposed inflammation. Good correlation was seen between electrophysiological and genetic testing. CONCLUSIONS: Late in the clinical course, a small proportion of patients with CMT1A develop severe proximal leg weakness, and long-term follow-up is essential for its detection. MRI scans may show subclinical involvement of the thigh musculature.

Adolescent↗

[Cannabis and cerebrovascular disease].

INTRODUCTION: Drug use is a well-kown risk factor for cerebrovascular disease in young people. Cannabis is the most widely consumed among the illicit drugs worldwide, but it has only exceptionally been associated to cerebrovascular disease. CLINICAL CASE: We here describe 2 young patients (26 and 29 years, respectively) who suffered from ischemic stroke in temporal relation with cannabis consumption. CONCLUSIONS: The review of the literature on this topic reveals another 18 patients with stroke in association to cannabis use. They all were young people with ischemic stroke. Although a causal relationship is difficult to establish due to the widespread use of cannabis, this drug may play an etiologic role in ischemic stroke.

Adolescent↗

Cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) polymorphism modifies the Alzheimer's disease risk associated with APOE epsilon4 allele.

Cholesterol regulates the production of amyloid beta (Abeta), which is central to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD), with high cellular cholesterol promoting and low cellular cholesterol reducing Abeta in vitro and in vivo. High density lipoprotein (HDL) plays a central role in the removal of excess cholesterol from cells, and cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) is a crucial protein involved in the regulation of HDL levels. Two common polymorphisms in the promoter region (C-629A) and exon 14 I405V of the CETP gene are associated with CETP activity and HDL levels. To investigate if these sequence variants in CETP might be of importance in mediating susceptibility to AD, independently or in concert with apolipoprotein E (APOE) epsilon4 allele, we studied a sample of 286 Spanish AD patients and 315 healthy controls. In APOE epsilon4 carriers, homozygous for the CETP (-629) A allele had approximately a three times lower risk of developing AD (odds ratio 2.33, 95% CI 1.01-5.37), than homozygous and heterozygous carriers of the CETP (-629) C allele (odds ratio 7.12, 95% CI 4.51-11.24, P for APOE epsilon4/CETP (-629) AA genotype interaction < 0.001). Our data suggest that CETP behaves as a modifier gene of the AD risk associated with the APOE epsilon4 allele, possibly through modulation of brain cholesterol metabolism.

Aged↗

Recurrent stroke associated with cannabis use.

Drug misuse represents a risk factor for cerebrovascular disease, especially among young people. Despite the fact that cannabis is the most widely used illicit drug, there are only a few reports associating its use with cerebrovascular disease. We describe a patient who suffered three ischaemic strokes immediately after cannabis consumption. Other stroke aetiologies were ruled out, and neuroimaging revealed infarcts in different arterial areas as well as evidence of non-atherosclerotic arterial disease, which suggests an underlying vasculopathy of uncertain (toxic or inflammatory) origin. Cannabis use may be associated with ischaemic stroke in young patients, but its mechanism is unclear.

Adult↗

Expanded GAA repeats and clinical variation in Friedreich's ataxia.

INTRODUCTION: One of the main features of Friedreich's ataxia (FA) is phenotypic variability that can now be explained by the molecular mechanism (GAA expansion) underlying the disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We have analyzed genotype-phenotype correlations in a group of 40 patients homozygous for the GAA expansion. RESULTS: The smaller GAA expansion (GAA1 allele) size correlated with age at onset and progression disease rate, but we found no correlation between the larger GAA expansion (GAA2 allele) size and these clinical parameters. The frequency of pes cavus, scoliosis, axonal sensory neuropathy and areflexia increased with the size of GAA1, whereas some signs such as sphincter disturbances, cerebellar atrophy on MRI, amyotrophy, dysarthria and decreased vibration sense were associated with increased duration of the disease. CONCLUSION: GAA1 size is the main determinant of FA phenotype and GAA2 size is a poor predictor of clinical variation. Some clinical features are independent of GAA1 and GAA2 sizes and are determined by the duration of the disease.

Adolescent↗

[Acute confusional state secondary to transient headache and neurological deficits with cerebrospinal fluid lymphocytosis].

Pseudomigraine with pleocytosis (now referred to as syndrome of transient headache and neurological deficits with cerebrospinal fluid lymphocytosis, IHS ICHD-II code 7.8) is only infrequently accompanied by a confusional state and no cases have been described so far in association with severe agitation. We report on a patient who suffered from two episodes of headache with transient focal neurological deficits that were consistent with pseudomigraine with pleocytosis but that were followed by an intense confusional, agitated state that required admission in the intensive care unit. This possibility should be included in the differential diagnosis of confusional, agitated states.

Acute Disease↗

The chemoattraction of lymphocytes by rheumatoid arthritis - synovial fluid is not dependent on the chemokine receptor CCR5.

OBJECTIVE: The objective was to study the potential role of the chemokine receptor CCR5 in the chemoattraction of lymphocytes by rheumatoid arthritis synovial fluid (RA-SF). METHODS: The expression of the CCR5 receptor was studied by flow cytometry. Chemotaxis of peripheral blood lymphocytes in response to RA-SF was analyzed on transmigration chambers. Chemotaxis of immortalized lymphocytes from individuals homozygous for the Delta32 deletion of the CCR5 gene (CCR5-/-) was analyzed. The effect of a neutralizing anti-CCR5 antibody on the migration of CCR5+/+ cells was also studied. RESULTS: We confirmed an increase in the proportion of CCR5-expressing lymphocytes in RA-SF and a preferential migration of CCR5+ lymphocytes toward RA-SF in vitro. CCR5-/- lymphocytes showed decreased chemotactic responses to the chemokine MIP-1beta but not to RA-SF. The chemotactic responses of CCR5+/+ lymphocytes to RA-SF were not modified by anti-CCR5 neutralizing antibody. CONCLUSIONS: We confirm a preferential accumulation of CCR5-expressing lymphocytes into RA-SF. However, the chemotactic responses of lymphocytes to RA-SF were not dependent on a functional CCR5 receptor, suggesting that CCR5 is a marker of a lymphocyte subset rather than a specific mediator of chemotactic responses to chemokines in RA-SF.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

Friedreich ataxia with minimal GAA expansion presenting as adult-onset spastic ataxia.

Around a quarter of Friedreich ataxia (FA) patients, despite being homozygous for GAA expansion within the FRDA gene, show atypical presentations. Our aim is to describe the case of three brothers with long-term follow-up suffering from late onset FA manifested with spastic ataxia. The three patients belong to a family with occipital dysplasia (OD) and Chiari I malformation previously reported by us. We have carried out serial examinations since 1977. Electrophysiological and neuroimaging studies, and molecular genetic analyses of hereditary ataxias are available in all three patients. Onset of symptoms occurred between 25 and 35 years. The clinical picture consisted of progressive spastic gait, truncal and limb ataxia, dysarthria, nystagmus, hyperreflexia with knee and ankle clonus and extensor plantar response, and mild hypopallesthesia. Ages at present vary between 50 and 59. One patient is wheelchair-bound but the other two are able to walk with support. Leaving OD aside, skeletal anomalies are not prominent. All three patients showed cardiomyopathy. MR imaging revealed atrophy of the cerebellum and spinal cord. Motor and sensory nerve conduction velocities were normal. Central conduction time of both motor and sensory pathways was delayed or unobtainable. All three patients were homozygous for the GAA expansion, the smaller expanded allele ranging between 131 and 156 repeats. Four heterozygotic carriers were detected among non-ataxic relatives including one with OD; furthermore, an asymptomatic OD patient showed normal genotype. We conclude that adult onset spastic ataxia is a distinctive FA phenotype associated with minimal GAA expansion. This phenotype represents a new cause of selective distal degeneration of central sensory axons. The present concurrence of OD and FA reflects coincidental cosegregation of two different inherited disorders.

Adult↗

[Hereditary ataxias and paraplegias: a clinicogenetic review].

Hereditary ataxias encompass a series of syndromes basically characterised by progressive cerebellar ataxia of slow clinical course (occasionally, periodic ataxia or spastic paraparesis) and primary spinocerebellar degeneration. The prevalence ratio of these syndromes in Spain is 20 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. Initially the ataxias were classified on the basis of clinicopathological criteria. Starting from the seminal papers by Harding published 20 years ago, a clinicogenetic classification was introduced that has given way to the present molecular classification. There have been localised about forty loci. In dominant ataxias the most frequent molecular defect is a dynamic CAG expansion responsible for abnormal polyglutamine tract transcription. The identification of such molecular defect has made it possible detection of gene carriers in clinical practice, this involving both presymptomatic and prenatal diagnosis; moreover, such molecular discoveries have contributed to develop a new pathogenetic era. A homozygous and intronic GAA expansion is the molecular basis of Friedreich's ataxia. This finding has also made it possible a molecular diagnosis in clinical practice. Molecular studies have demonstrated that hereditary spastic paraplegia is another heterogeneous genetic disorder.

Ataxia↗

Coexistence of chronic paroxysmal hemicrania and benign cough headache.

We report on the coexistence of both chronic paroxysmal hemicrania and cough headache in a middle-aged woman. Typical chronic paroxysmal hemicrania and cough headache episodes appeared independently and responded to indomethacin. The possible pathophysiological significance of this concurrence of both types of indomethacin-responsive pain is discussed.

Adult↗

Local and remote sustained trigger point therapy for exacerbations of chronic low back pain. A randomized, double-blind, controlled, multicenter trial.

STUDY DESIGN: A randomized, double-blind, controlled, multicenter trial was conducted. OBJECTIVES: To assess the efficacy of neuroreflexotherapy in the management of low back pain. SUMMARY AND BACKGROUND DATA: Neuroreflexotherapy consists of temporary implantation of epidermal devices in trigger points in the back and referred tender points in the ear. METHODS: The rheumatology and rehabilitation departments of three teaching hospitals in Madrid recruited 78 patients with chronic low back pain. These patients were randomly assigned to the control group (37 patients) or to the treatment group (41 patients). Patients in the treatment group underwent one neuroreflexotherapeutic intervention. The control group received sham treatment consisting of placement of the same number of epidermal devices within a 5-cm radius of the target zones. Patients from both groups were allowed to continue drug treatment as previously prescribed. The use of medications during the trial was recorded. RESULTS: Patients underwent clinical evaluations on three occasions: within 5 minutes before intervention, within 5 minutes after intervention, and 45 days later. The preintervention assessment was carried out by the physician from each hospital department who included the patient in the study. Each of the two follow-up assessments were carried out independently by two of three physicians who had no connection with the research team. Patients in the treatment group showed immediate lessening of pain compared with the results in patients in the control group. The pain relief was clinically relevant and statistically significant, and it persisted up to the end of the trial. CONCLUSIONS: Neuroreflexotherapy intervention seems to be a simple and effective treatment for rapid amelioration of pain episodes in patients with chronic low back pain. At this time, the duration of pain relief beyond 45 days has not been evaluated.

Adult↗

Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain in systemic lupus erythematosus.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain is a sensitive method to detect parenchymal tissue lesions. Its value in the diagnosis of central nervous system (CNS) lupus is disputed. To address this question, we have conducted an open and prospective study in a population of 44 SLE patients. We investigated 24 patients (mean age 33 +/- 13 yr) with past or active CNS lupus (group A) that included organic brain syndrome (12), migraine (8), focal neurological signs (7), seizures (2), myelopathy (1) and narcolepsy-cataplexy (1), and 20 patients (mean age 32 +/- 12 yr) without CNS lupus (group B). Health controls comprising nine females and one male aged 31 +/- 9 yr were also studied for comparison (group C). MRI was performed using sagittal T1-weighted images, axial and coronal spin density, and T2-weighted images. All scans were read blindly. Thirteen patients in group A and 10 in group B had well-identified lesions on sequences with long repetition time. Lesions were mostly multiple, small, punctate areas of increased signal at periventricular or subcortical white matter of both cerebral hemispheres. The number and location of lesions were not significantly different in both groups. None of the group C patients had MRI lesions. The presence of lesions was significantly associated with age at study and disease duration, but not with the presence of CNS lupus. In summary, MRI abnormalities are detected in neurologically asymptomatic SLE patients. Whether this represents subclinical brain involvement remains unknown.

Adolescent↗