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Biomedical subjects

J Rosenthal

Publications and source records attributed to J Rosenthal.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

A randomized double-blind study of fluoxetine versus placebo in the treatment of dysthymia.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of fluoxetine, a selective serotonergic antidepressant, in the treatment of dysthymia. METHOD: Thirty-five patients who met criteria for dysthymia, but not major depression, began randomized, double-blind 8-week trials of fluoxetine or placebo. RESULTS: Of 32 patients who completed the study, 10 (62.5%) of the 16 patients given fluoxetine and three (18.8%) of the 16 given placebo responded to treatment. Response was defined as 1) 50% or greater decrease in Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression score and 2) a score of 1 or 2 on the Clinical Global Impression (CGI) improvement subscale. Fluoxetine subjects showed significantly greater improvement at week 8 than placebo subjects on the Hamilton depression and CGI scales, but not on the Hopkins Symptom Check-list (58-item) or the Cornell Dysthymia Rating Scale. CONCLUSIONS: When compared to placebo, fluoxetine showed short-term effectiveness in treating dysthymic symptoms.

Adult↗

Lipid metabolism: implications of alpha 1-blockade.

Four points summarize the apparent major effects of selective alpha 1-inhibitors on lipid metabolism: stimulation of lipoprotein lipase; reduced VLDL synthesis and secretion; increase in the number of LDL receptors; and perhaps also a decrease in LDL cholesterol synthesis. Similar to the experimental data, the issues concern the type of patient, the clinical condition, normality, high cholesterol values or high triglyceride values, a combination of both, hypertension, and the degree of sympathetic activity.

Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists↗

Serum angiotensin-converting enzyme activity and active renin plasma concentrations in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

We report here the alterations of serum angiotensin-converting enzyme activity (S-ACE) and of active renin plasma concentrations (ARPC) in 41 insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) patients compared with those of 26 control subjects. The IDDM patients had S-ACE activity (54 +/- 16 I.E.) in the upper normal range (controls, 39 +/- 7). When the patients were subclassified according to their diabetic complications, a significant increase of S-ACE within the IDDM group compared to the controls was observed in patients with nephropathy (68 +/- 13, P less than 0.001) with persistent proteinuria and with retinopathy (63 +/- 14, P less than 0.001). A significant correlation was found between proteinuria and S-ACE (r = 0.98, P less than 0.001) and between retinopathy and S-ACE levels (r = 64, P less than 0.001). No correlation between blood pressure and S-ACE or between blood glucose and S-ACE was observed. The ARPC were within the normal range in the IDDM (21 +/- 9 ng/l) and in control (19 +/- 3) groups. No correlations between ARPC and blood pressure or blood glucose or the degree of diabetic complications were registered. These data show that S-ACE activity is elevated in IDDM patients with nephropathy-proteinuria and/or with retinopathy and the circulating renin may not represent the renal renin-angiotensin vascular system.

Adult↗

A preliminary study of serotonergic antidepressants in treatment of dysthymia.

There is increasing evidence that antidepressants may alleviate symptoms of dysthymia, but few prior studies on selective serotonergic agents. Twenty patients meeting criteria for dysthymia, but not meeting criteria for major depression, received open label trials of a serotonergic antidepressant, either fluoxetine or trazodone. Seventeen (85%) completed three-month medication trials, and of these, twelve (70.6% of completers) responded to treatment. Seven (41.2% of completers) were still in remission on follow-up at five months. Both fluoxetine and trazodone were well tolerated in dysthymics, and showed similar short-term effectiveness in treating dysthymic symptoms.

Adult↗

Chronic maxillary sinusitis associated with the mushroom Schizophyllum commune in a patient with AIDS.

Invasive infection with fungi of the Basidiomycota (rusts, smuts, toadstools, mushrooms, and puffballs) is extremely rare. We report such an infection in a patient with human immunodeficiency virus disease who presented with chronic maxillary sinusitis associated with the mushroom Schizophyllum commune. The organism was isolated from the surgical drainage material, and septate hyphae were seen invading the maxillary submucosa. The limited literature on this subject is reviewed.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

The Blood Pressure Study in Mexican Children (BPSMC): I. Distribution and correlates of blood pressure in adolescent Mexican girls.

Blood pressure rises in adolescence and its increase appears to be more closely related to body size than to age. This cross-sectional study assessed the relationship between selected anthropometric and demographic factors and blood pressure during early adolescence in a sample of 233 females aged 10-12 years enrolled in public and private primary schools in Tlalpan, Mexico. Standardized measurements of blood pressure, arm circumference and length, height, weight, body mass index, and triceps skinfold were obtained. All anthropometric attributes were strong univariate correlates of blood pressure. Multiple regression analyses suggest positive associations between both body mass index and arm length and systolic blood pressure early in adolescence. When cross-cultural comparisons were made of blood pressure levels in the Blood Pressure Study in Mexican Children (BPSMC) with results in other countries, the BPSMC mean blood pressure levels were found to be the lowest. Possible explanations are discussed.

Adolescent↗

Lovastatin alters blood rheology in primary hyperlipoproteinemia: dependence on lipoprotein(a)?

As part of a randomized, single-blind, comparative study evaluating the efficacy of lovastatin and bezafibrate retard in the treatment of primary hypercholesterolemia, hemorheologic parameters (whole blood viscosity, hematocrit, plasma viscosity, red blood cell aggregation and deformability, and fibrinogen) were studied in 35 patients. Whole blood viscosity and plasma viscosity improved significantly after 3 months of treatment with lovastatin, whereas other hemorheologic variables remained unchanged. Stratifying 24 patients by their lipoprotein Lp(a) levels showed that in those with low Lp(a) (less than or equal to 25 mg/dL) high-density lipoprotein cholesterol increased and red blood cell aggregation as well as deformability decreased considerably, whereas in the group with high Lp(a) levels (greater than 25 mg/dL), the opposite behavior was observed. Treatment of primary hypercholesterolemia with lovastatin may not only reduce the risk for atherosclerotic complications by its pronounced decrease of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, but also may favorably alter blood rheology, and may decrease insudation of plasmatic components into the arterial wall and improve tissue perfusion, in particular on the microcirculatory level. The possible relevance of Lp(a) levels for the hemorheologic effects of lovastatin remains to be elucidated.

Bezafibrate↗

Systolic and diastolic cardiac function in hypertension.

Hemodynamic variables in hypertension are governed in part by pressure-volume relationships that in turn can be subdivided between systolic and diastolic cardiac functions. These variables are of great consequence when screening patients with high blood pressure, in particular in the early stages. Both systolic and diastolic cardiac function, now detectable by echocardiography, can be affected by antihypertensive agents. Against this background, various antihypertensives gain significance, as in addition to their blood pressure-lowering effect they may also change detrimental metabolic and (para-) endocrine variables associated with hypertension.

Antihypertensive Agents↗

Thyrotropin-releasing hormone: pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties in chronic renal failure.

The pharmacokinetics of thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) were determined following a single i.v. administration in ten patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) maintained on chronic hemodialysis and in six normal subjects. A TRH-test (200 micrograms) was performed in all subjects on nondialysis days and was followed by sequential venous blood sampling at 0, 2, 5, 10, 20, 30 and 60 min. Plasma TRH and serum concentrations of TSH, T4, FT4 and T3 were measured by specific and sensitive RIA's. Serum thyroid hormone concentrations were lower in the hemodialysis patients than in the normals (p < 0.001). Basal TRH and TSH levels were similar in patients and in controls, however, a blunted response of TSH to TRH in CRF (3.8 +/- 2.4 vs. 11.2 +/- 2.6 mU/l, p < 0.001) was observed. Mean peak TRH concentrations (Cmax) were 34.445 (11.085, SD) fmoles/ml in CRF and only (13,400 (1.020) in the normals 2 min after TRH administration (tmax). The mean elimination half-life (t1/2) of TRH was 16 min in CRF and 6.5 min in normals (p < 0.001). The metabolic clearance rate (MCR) was markedly lowered in CRF, 58.3 (19.1) compared to normals (82.2 [15.3] l/m2/day, p < 0.001). The area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC) was 57.529 (28.562) fmoles.ml-1.min in CRF and 37.339 (5.026) (p < 0.005) in normals. These findings indicate that the pharmacokinetic properties of TRH are impaired in CRF. The kidney might be an important catabolic organ for exogenous TRH. Dosing schedules of TRH require possible adaptation to renal function.

Half-Life↗

The growth hormone response to clonidine in acute and remitted depressed male patients.

The growth hormone (GH) response to clonidine was evaluated in 28 acutely depressed male patients, 17 remitted depressed patients, and 26 normal control subjects. The GH response to clonidine was blunted (delta less than 4 ng/ml) in a significantly increased proportion of both acute and remitted patients compared to control subjects. Covarying for age effects, the GH response to clonidine (as area-under-the-curve) was not significantly different between any of the three groups, but was significantly diminished in both the acute and remitted depressed patients who were ever hospitalized for an episode of depression, compared to control subjects. Six patients studied in both the acute and remitted states were blunted in both states. These findings could not be accounted for by other clinical and demographic variables including weight, time off antidepressants, severity of current depressive symptoms, and subtype of depression. These results raise the possibility that the blunted GH response to clonidine may represent a state-independent correlate of some forms of severe depression. Issues regarding the specificity and interpretation of this finding require further clarification.

Acute Disease↗

HLA DR2 in narcolepsy with sleep-onset REM periods but not cataplexy.

To determine the association of HLA DR2 in patients with narcolepsy without cataplexy, a case-control study was performed. Patients receiving the diagnosis of narcolepsy without cataplexy had excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) and polysomnographic findings consistent with narcolepsy but no clinical evidence of cataplexy. Of 28 patients identified, 12 agreed to return for HLA typing. Respondents did not differ from nonrespondents in demographic, clinical, or sleep laboratory data. The comparison group was 503 individuals, those 30 years and older, on the Michigan Kidney Transplant Registry. The odds ratio obtained from logistic regression indicated a strong association between narcolepsy without cataplexy and HLA DR2. To control for potential confounding variables, multivariate models were constructed to explore the joint effects of HLA DR2 and each one of the covariates (age, sex, and race), their possible combinations, and the effect of all three covariates. The odds ratios decreased minimally and the association between the disease and HLA DR2 remained significant.

Adult↗

Acute monarticular arthritis. Sleuthing out the cause.

The diagnosis of acute monarthritis depends heavily on a thorough history and physical examination. When these are combined with a few diagnostic tests, such as synovial fluid analysis, x-ray studies, complete blood cell count, and common blood chemical analyses, the majority of cases can be correctly diagnosed and properly treated.

Acute Disease↗

Comparison of once daily felodipine 10 mg ER and hydrochlorothiazide 25 mg in the treatment of mild to moderate hypertension.

The efficacy of extended release felodipine 10 mg (ER) o.d., a new dihydropyridine calcium antagonist, and 25 mg hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) o.d. have been compared in a randomized, double-blind, crossover trial in 28 mildly to moderately hypertensive subjects (supine diastolic blood pressure, BP, greater than or equal to 95 mm Hg and less than or equal to 110 mm Hg on three separate occasions). Both drugs significantly reduced systolic and diastolic BP in the sitting position felodipine from 157.1/93.8 mm Hg at baseline to 133/78.9 mm Hg 2.5 h after medication and to 138/82.7 mm Hg after 2 weeks of treatment, and HCTZ from 156/95.6 mm Hg to 147/88.4 mm Hg 2.5 h after medication and to 149/89.5 mm Hg also after 2 weeks. A decrease of the same magnitude in standing systolic and diastolic BP was observed after both treatment regimens with the exception of diastolic BP 2.5 h after dosing with HCTZ, which was not significantly lower. At all times (2.5 h and 2 weeks), the reduction in systolic and diastolic BP was greater after felodipine compared to HCTZ. Heart rate was significantly increased after felodipine in both the sitting and standing positions, and both 2.5 h following medication and after 2 weeks of treatment. The difference between the regimens was significant only 2.5 h after dosing. Overall, felodipine 10 mg ER o.d. was superior to 25 mg HCTZ o.d. in lowering BP.

Administration, Oral↗

Thyrotropin-releasing hormone: further extraction studies and analysis by fast protein liquid chromatography and radioimmunoassay.

We describe the clinical application of a radioimmunoassay combined with fast protein liquid Chromatography (FPLC) for measuring TRH immunoreactivity (TRH-IR) in blood samples extracted previously with methanol or with Sep Pak C18 cartridges. Sensitivity of the RIA was 3 fmol/tube, displacement at 50% B/B0 was achieved by 55 fmol of unlabelled TRH. Our specific antibody K2B7 (km = 2.2 fM) showed no cross reaction with other peptides. No difference was observed between the mean values of TRH-IR in 19 euthyroid, 22 hyperthyroid, 18 hypothyroid and 10 hypophysectomised patients (45 +/- 17.8, 58 +/- 30, 40 +/- 22 and 36 +/- 12 fmol/ml, mean +/- SD, respectively), whereas TRH-IR was significantly lowered (p less than 0.05) in 6 euthyroid pancreatectomised patients (21 +/- 5 fmol/ml). The reversed phase FPLC analysis of the TRH-IR presented in the methanol extracts was shown to have the same retention time as synthetic TRH. TRH could not be measured in unextracted blood samples. TRH added in preincubated (60 min, at 37 C), before extraction, blood samples showed a loss of 83.4% of immunoreactivity. Our results demonstrate that this method is able to detect TRH-IR in human blood by whole methanol extraction and/or by Sep Pak C18 cartridges extraction. Furthermore the findings suggest that the main source of circulating TRH-IR may be of extrahypothalamic (pancreatic?) origin and that the basal peripheral TRH levels are not involved or they do not clearly represent a pathological condition.

Adult↗

Association between plasma viscosity and blood pressure. Results from the MONICA-project Augsburg.

The relationship between determinants of blood viscosity and blood pressure (BP) variables was studied in a large sample of a population aged 25 to 64 years. Plasma viscosity, hemoglobin, and total serum protein were examined. Systolic and diastolic BP and the prevalence of hypertension showed a crude positive association with plasma viscosity levels in both sexes. Age, body mass index, and total serum protein appeared to have a confounding effect on this relationship, whereas hemoglobin, smoking behavior, and alcohol consumption did not. A crude positive association was also found between total serum protein levels and the prevalence of hypertension in men and women; however, since total serum protein was treated as a covariable, no further analyses were carried out. In contrast to findings reported in the literature, hemoglobin levels were not correlated with BP variables in either sex. After adjusting for all confounders, a significant main effect of plasma viscosity still was found. However, the magnitude of the effect was not as large as for body mass index, a well-established risk variable for hypertension. These results indicate that BP is positively associated with plasma viscosity. Whether increased plasma viscosity in hypertension constitutes a primary or a secondary phenomenon remains to be answered. Since plasma viscosity is significantly associated with hypertension but any BP variable, increased levels of plasma proteins (particularly fibrinogen as the main determinant of plasma viscosity) may represent the cause for elevated plasma viscosity. This might contribute to persistently increased resistance to blood flow on the microcirculatory level in arterial hypertension.

Adult↗