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Biomedical subjects

M Noel

Publications and source records attributed to M Noel.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1993

Association of levels of N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase with specific psychiatric symptoms in bipolar patients.

The levels of N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase (NAG) in urine from 35 patients with bipolar affective disorder were compared with scores for the 90 items (symptoms) of the Symptom Checklist (SCL-90). There were significant negative correlations between NAG levels and 23 of the SCL-90 variables (symptoms). These symptoms could be grouped into the following categories: anxiety, unusual or psychotic thinking, suicidal thinking, dysphoria, irritability, nausea, headaches, memory problems, and loss of interest. Serotonin abnormalities may play a role in the production of many of these symptoms. The hypothesis that NAG could be a marker for a serotonin activity is discussed.

Acetylglucosaminidase↗
PubMed1992

CCP II: a novel calcitonin carboxy terminal peptide is expressed in normal thyroid tissue.

We have recently identified in medullary thyroid carcinoma the existence of a second calcitonin messenger, generated by a splicing between the 3' coding region of exon 4 and exon 5 of Calc I gene. It differs from the first one in its 3' coding sequence and codes for a calcitonin precursor which generates the same N terminal peptide, calcitonin and a specific 21 amino acid carboxy terminal peptide differing from Katacalcin by its 8 last amino acids. We searched for the expression of this new messenger in normal human thyroid tissue by Northern and by polymerase chain reaction techniques. This second calcitonin messenger was expressed in 4/4 normal thyroids and 4/5 medullary thyroid carcinoma tissue samples. The expression of this second messenger is apparently a common occurrence in C cells whether normal or tumoral.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1991

Demonstration of a heterogeneous transcription pattern of thyroglobulin mRNA in human thyroid tissues.

Previous reports on human thyroglobulin (hTg) modifications in thyroid carcinomas prompted us to study hTg mRNA in thyroid adenomas and carcinomas. The quantification of hTg mRNA showed a decrease in its levels of expression in both pathological conditions which differed by a factor of 2 between adenomas and carcinomas. Furthermore, PCR was used to analyse the characteristics of hTg mRNA by amplifying 4 regions of the hTg mRNA. When applied to 2 normal, 17 benign and 13 malignant pathological tissue specimens, PCR showed no modification in the size of Tg mRNA. However, abnormal sized cDNAs appeared in all tissues with no distinction between the pathologies; the Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism study of these cDNAs suggests the existence of alternate splicing patterns in thyroglobulin mRNAs.

Adenoma↗
PubMed1991

Activated CD-8 cells and HLA DR expression in alcoholics without overt liver disease.

Lymphocytes from alcoholics without liver disease were immunophenotyped by flow cytometry immediately after admission for detoxication and again after 4 to 10 days of abstinence. We found a small but significant elevation of T lymphocytes at admission compared to controls and decreases in the numbers of B cells and natural killer cells in many patients. A significant elevation of activated T cells was confirmed. The ratio of activated T cells to activated non-T cells was also substantially increased, but declined slightly during early withdrawal. The increase in activated T cells was due mostly to increased numbers of activated CD8hi cells. These activation changes did not revert toward normal as quickly as the other changes and may represent an indication of immune damage at a preclinical stage. An additional finding of interest was a substantial decrease in the expression of HLA DR on CD4+ and non-T cells. The significance of this decrease is not known, but we speculate that it may result in a decline in the efficiency of antigen presentation.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Study of calcitonin and thyroglobulin gene expression in human mixed follicular and medullary thyroid carcinoma.

mRNAs were isolated from 2 patients suffering from a familial form of a rare variant of medullary carcinoma of the thyroid (MTC), called mixed follicular and medullary carcinoma. The presence of calcitonin (CT) and thyroglobulin (Tg) mRNAs was checked by northern and in situ hybridization and compared with immunohistochemical results. In each case, mRNAs hybridizing to probes specific for CT and Tg were detected. Both proteins were quantified by radioimmunoassay determination in tissue extracts. Patient 1 had 20 ng Tg and 68 ng CT per micrograms total protein, and patient 2 had 0.4 ng Tg and 1.7 ng CT per micrograms total protein. Northern analysis showed that mixed carcinoma expressed several species of both CT mRNAs and Tg mRNAs. The main Tg transcripts present in neoplastic cells (8.5 and 4.8 kb for patient 1 and patient 2) were identical to or smaller than those of normal thyroid tissue (8.5 kb). The tumor CT mRNA (1 kb) was identical to that of normal tissue. In situ hybridization confirmed the presence of CT and Tg mRNA in the great majority of tumor cells. Furthermore, the presence of small amounts of organified iodine was evidenced by analytical ion microscopy in 35% of these cells. This raises an important question regarding the histogenesis of this tumor.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1990

Elevated levels of N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase in affective disorders and chemical dependence.

Levels of N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase (NAG) were examined in 575 patients with various psychiatric diagnoses and 38 non-ill controls. Ten percent of affectively disordered patients and 19% of chemically dependent patients had abnormal NAG levels, whereas none of the 38 controls did (P less than 0.05 and P less than 0.003 respectively). Other psychiatric diagnostic groups were not associated with abnormal levels of this enzyme.

Acetylglucosaminidase↗
PubMed1989

Imaging and relative quantification of 127I in human thyroid follicles by analytical ion microscope: characterization of benign thyroid epithelial tumors.

Analytical ion microscopy (AIM) can be used for imaging and relative quantification of chemical elements in tissue sections. We used this technique to assess the changes in 127I mapping within thyroid follicular cells and follicular lumina in benign thyroid epithelial abnormalities from 17 patients and in macroscopically normal perinodular tissue surrounding solitary cold nodules from 8 patients. Among the 17 patients, 9 had simple goiters, 5 had toxic nodular goiters, and 3 had hypofunctioning (cold) nodules. The tissue samples were fixed chemically and embedded in methacrylate resin to ensure preservation of organified iodine, and thin sections were analyzed by AIM. 127I was found in the follicular lumina and follicular epithelial cells of most specimens. The local concentration of 127I, which is proportional to the ratio of the two secondary ion beam currents of iodine and carbon, was evaluated in 30 follicular lumina and 30 follicular epithelial cells of each specimen. In normal tissue, the relative 127I concentration within follicular cells (mean, 0.72; range 0.01-8.30) was much lower than that in follicular lumina (mean, 4.63; range, 0.18-36.74). In simple goiter tissue, follicular lumen (mean, 0.57; range, 0.00-5.76), and cell (mean, 0.17; range, 0.002-1.82) relative 127I concentrations were below normal, but both distributions remained different. On the contrary, in toxic nodular goiter tissue the follicular cell relative 127I concentration (mean, 0.96; range, 0.003-27.3) largely overlapped that of the follicular lumina (mean, 2.1; range, 0.001-36.5). The cold nodules had the lowest relative follicular lumina 127I concentration (mean, 0.008; range, undetectable-0.07), and the relative cellular 127I concentrations were undetectable in 67%. These results demonstrate the capacity of AIM to characterize the functional activity of thyroid tissue without prior administration of radio-iodine.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Metformin in the digestive tract.

After ingestion of metformin, a drug of the biguanide class, there are gastrointestinal effects in the form of nausea and vomiting, and about 30% of the drug is recovered in feces. The purpose of this work was to explain these two phenomena. Two sets of experiments were carried out. Study I evaluated the gastroduodenal (GD) absorption in six healthy volunteers by means of an intubation method, employing a twin-lumen tube introduced into the intestine and another into the stomach. Metformin 1 g was introduced into the stomach with a homogenized meal containing a non-absorbable marker, 14C-PEG 4000; another marker, PEG 4000, was perfused continuously into the duodenum at the ampulla of Vater. Samples of GD contents were collected every 15 min during 4 h. Metformin was poorly absorbed from the stomach, about 10% over a 4-h period. It did not modify the gastric emptying of a meal but induced a duodeno-gastric reflux in five out of six subjects. About 20% of the amount of drug emptied from the stomach were absorbed from the duodenum. The delivery process was the rate-limiting factor for metformin absorption from the duodenum. The AUC/24 h increased as the absorption rate from the duodenum increased. Study 2 investigated in six healthy volunteers, using another intestinal perfusion technique, the jejunal and ileal absorption of metformin. Metformin 400 mg in saline solution was perfused, over a 2-h period, below an inflated balloon, directly into either the jejunum or the ileum.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1985

[Value of total thyroxine determination by fluorescence polarization in examination for dysthyroidism].

Total T4 has been measured by fluorescence polarization (Abbott TDX). The intra-assay variation coefficient is three fold smaller than that obtained by radioimmunoassay (T4 RIA). The interassay variation coefficient of T4 TDX (7%) is better than that of T4 RIA (9%). There is a strong correlation between the two methods (r = 0,95). The mean value of T4 TDX is significantly lower than that of T4 RIA in 218 euthyroid patients without treatment as well as in 92 euthyroid patients under T4 treatment and in 14 hypothyroid patients. In 30 hyperthyroid patients the mean values were identical. The automatization and the short time of manipulation (0,5 hour) allow to obtain the result during the consultation.

Fluorescence Polarization↗
PubMed1985

[Evaluation of the diagnostic power of 3 methods for assaying free T4. Results in the diagnostic strategy of hyperthyroidism].

The free thyroxin (FT4) tests of Amersham, Clinical Assay and Corning Medical were evaluated in 240 patients who were suspected of hyperthyroidism. The diagnostic performances of the Corning method were of less value while those of the other methods were equivalent to that obtained with the free thyroxin index for an average cost reduced. Furthermore our results show that T3 determination is better than T4 determination in patients who remained doubtful after FT4. However the development of ultra-short methods of measurement of total thyroid hormone blood levels using fluorescence polarization could lead to reconsider the diagnostic strategy of hyperthyroidism.

Evaluation Studies as Topic↗
PubMed1983

Selective increase in cytokeratin synthesis in cultured rat hepatocytes in response to hormonal stimulation.

Addition of a combination of insulin, dexamethasone and EGF at seeding time to cultured rat hepatocytes in serum-free medium caused a selective increase in the biosynthesis of particular cytokeratin components. This increase was prominent during the first day in culture. No significant increases were detected in the absence of hormones or in the presence of either hormones added alone or in pairs, except in the case of insulin plus dexamethasone, which yielded an effect close to that obtained with the three factors. Interestingly, the latter condition also maintained a high level of albumin production over a 6-day period in culture.

Aging↗
PubMed1980

A girl with the Prader-Willi syndrome and Robertsonian translocation 45,XX,t(14;15)(p11;q11) which was present in three normal family members.

A 21-year-old girl with classical Prader-Willi Syndrome was found to have a 14;15 Robertsonian translocation--45,XX,t(14;15)(p11;q11). This type of Robertsonian translocation was not found in any patient from 8 surveys covering 6144 patients with mental retardation. Chromosome 15 has been involved in translocations in patients with the Prader-Willi Syndrome with greater than expected frequency. This is the first report of a 14;15 translocation and the Prader-Willi Syndrome. The same balanced translocation was present in the patient's mother and 2 normal siblings. Future genetic counselling for these 2 siblings will be difficult.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Three siblings with premature gonadal failure.

Of a brother and two sisters with infertility, one female sibling was found to be mosaic for Turner's syndrome. The brother and the other sister, of average intelligence, were phenotypically normal, with no dysmorphic features or ambiguous genitalia, but both showed hypergonadotropic hypogonadism. It is suggested that the basic defect in these two siblings is the same and is of genetic origin. As the parents were consanguineous, the defect is most likely due to an autosomal recessive gene.

Female↗