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Biomedical subjects

Itzhak Wirguin

Publications and source records attributed to Itzhak Wirguin.

11 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Stimulated-single fiber electromyography monitoring of anti-sense induced changes in experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis.

The neuromuscular weakness associated with myasthenia gravis (MG) can be transiently relieved by pharmacological inhibitors of acetylcholinesterase (AChE). Here, we expand the anticholinesterase repertoire to include 2'-O-methyl-protected antisense oligonucleotides targeted to AChE mRNA (EN101). Using stimulated-single fiber electromyography, we show that EN101 treatment of rats with experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis (EAMG), improved the mean consecutive difference (MCD) and blocking for 24h. This treatment was more efficient than pyridostigmine and was accompanied by marked improvement in stamina and clinical profile.

Acetylcholinesterase↗
PubMed2006

Traumatic intracranial hemorrhage in patients with seizures: descriptive characteristics.

We reviewed the records of all patients with recurrent seizures and severe head injury-induced traumatic intracranial hemorrhage (TIH) between 1989 and 2003 in three Israeli medical centers. We identified 52 cases (44 males, mean age=43+/-19 years, range=8-84; 8 females; mean age=74+/-12 years, range=48-85). Twenty-seven (52%) had additional known risk factors for TIH, e.g., older age, alcohol abuse, and anticoagulant use. All five children and adolescents had mental retardation. Approximately one-half of patients with seizures and TIH have additional risk factors for TIH. Non-mentally retarded children and adolescents with seizures are probably at low risk of developing TIH. Women less than 70 years old with seizures are much less prone to TIH than men. In young "otherwise healthy" patients with epilepsy, suboptimal treatment seems to be an important factor in the occurrence of TIH.

Accidental Falls↗
PubMed2006

Triptans--why once?

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate triptan use patterns in a large Israeli HMO district. BACKGROUND: Triptans, 5HT(1B/1D) agonists, provide an effective and safe relief of headache and accompanying symptoms during an acute migraine attack. METHOD: We retrospectively reviewed the computerized prescription filling data of 1498 patients who filled a first triptan prescription between July 2003 and June 2004. RESULTS: During a 1-year follow-up period, 841 patients (56.1%) purchased triptans only once. Single-time users were significantly more prevalent among men and in patients younger than 30 or older than 70 years. CONCLUSIONS: It seems that many migraine patients choose not to use triptans after their first experience with the drug.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Inhibition of Ras attenuates the course of experimental autoimmune neuritis.

EAN induced in Lewis rats by immunization with peripheral bovine myelin was treated by the Ras inhibitor farnesylthiosalicylate (FTS). Treatment from day 0 with FTS (5 mg/kg intraperitoneally twice daily) attenuated peak clinical scores (mean+/-S.E., 2.5+/-0.5 compared to 4.1+/-0.5 in saline treated controls, p=0.018, t-test) but not recovery. Treatment from day 10 with FTS attenuated peak disability (2.5+/-0.6, p=0.032 compared to saline treated controls) and improved recovery (0.84+/-0.42, untreated controls 2.4+/-0.6, p=0.028 by repeated measures ANOVA). Effects were confirmed by rotarod and nerve conduction studies. An inactive analogue, geranylthiosalicylate, had no clinical effect. Inhibition of Ras is of potential use in the treatment of inflammatory neuropathies.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed2003

Induction of conduction block by Campylobacter jejuni lipopolysaccharides and focal neural insult.

A systemic exposure to gram negative LPS have caused transient conduction abnormalities in a certain strain of rats probably associated with the action of cytokines secreted by macrophages. Our previous studies demonstrated that anti-GM1 antibodies induced in rats by the cross-reactive Cj-LPS, caused no conduction abnormalities. We designed the present study to evaluate the effect of systemic exposure to Cj-LPS on nerve conduction after a focal minor neural trauma. Female Lewis rats were sensitized against KLH by repetitive subcutaneous injections. After 28 days rats were intraneurally injected with saline in the right sciatic nerve and concomitantly with intraperitoneal Cj-LPS. Sciatic nerve conduction studies were performed on days 0, 1, 2, 3, and 7 after injections. Nerve conduction blocks developed in all the rats (n=10) which received an intraneural injection of saline concomitantly with the systemic Cj-LPS exposure, before titers of anti-ganglioside antibodies were detected. We conclude that humoral factors (possibly cytokines), other than antibodies are secreted by lymphocytes and macrophages stimulated by gram negative LPS, and cause functional conduction abnormalities when the blood-nerve barrier is disrupted.

Action Potentials↗
PubMed2002

Detection of anti-ganglioside antibodies in Guillain-Barré syndrome and its variants by the agglutination assay.

Sera from 40 patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), including the subtypes acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (AIDP), acute motor axonal neuropathy (AMAN), acute motor and sensory axonal neuropathy (AMSAN), and Miller Fisher syndrome (MFS) were examined for the presence of anti-ganglioside antibodies using the ganglioside agglutination assay, and the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In the ELISA system, sera were tested for IgM and IgG antibodies to GM1, GM2, GD1a, GD1b, GT1b, and GQ1b gangliosides. Antibodies to gangliosides were detected in 21 (53%) of the GBS patients by agglutination assay and in 17 (43%) of the patients by ELISA. Some of the sera reacted with more than one ganglioside. Antibodies were not found in the control sera that were studied. The agglutination assay may be useful for rapid screening of GBS sera for antibodies to multiple gangliosides.

Agglutination Tests↗
PubMed2002

Anti-heparan sulfate antibodies in neurological disease.

Antibodies to heparan sulfate (HS) have previously been found in association with peripheral neuropathy. We tested sera from patients with neuropathies and with other neurological diseases for antibodies to HS using an avidin-biotin enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) system. Increased titers of anti-HS antibodies were found in 3.4% of patients with neuropathy, and in 3% of patients with other neurological diseases. In all cases, however, an inflammatory disease was present, including chronic inflammatory neuropathy, cerebral vasculitis, or multiple sclerosis. Antibodies to HS appear not to be specific for neuropathy, as they occur in several inflammatory diseases. They might contribute to the associated breakdown of the blood-brain or blood-nerve barrier.

Autoantibodies↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A high incidence of migraine with aura among morbidly obese women.

INTRODUCTION: Nearly two-thirds of adults in the United States and an increasing percentage of the population worldwide are overweight or obese. The relationship of obesity to headache has received inadequate attention. We evaluated the incidence of headache in a sample of morbidly obese women. METHODS: Morbidly obese women, attending the surgical preoperative clinic of Soroka University Medical Center for preoperative assessment for laparoscopic gastric banding were evaluated using a structured interview and their medical charts were reviewed. RESULTS: During a 2-month period, 27 morbidly obese women were interviewed, with a mean BMI of 41.07. Ten patients suffered from migraine with aura, three from migraine without aura, and four from tension headache. CONCLUSION: The unusually high incidence of migraine with aura can be attributed to extraovarian production of estrogen and estradiol in the adipose tissue. Further study is indicated to explore the therapeutic role of weight loss in headache care.

Adult↗