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Biomedical subjects

P Bouche

Publications and source records attributed to P Bouche.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

[Peripheral neuropathies associated with IgM monoclonal gammopathy: clinical and electrophysiological aspects].

Polyneuropathies associated with IgM monoclonal gammopathy (IgM-MG) are the most frequent type of peripheral neuropathy (PN) associated with monoclonal gammopathy. The pathogenic relevance of IgM-MG in PN is supported by several arguments, the more significants are pathological data on neuromuscular biopsies and the demonstration of IgM antibody activity to peripheral nerve antigens, mainly myelin-associated-glycoprotein (MAG) and sulfated glucuronyl paragloboside (SGPG). In addition recently reported series show that there is a significant correlation between clinical/electrophysiological data of PN, and IgM-MG antibody activity, in more than 75% of cases. Those features are in favour of an immune-mediated disease.

Electrophysiology↗

Anti-sulfoglucuronyl paragloboside IgM antibodies in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

We report here our results on IgM anti-sulfated glucuronyl paragloboside (SGPG) antibodies in sera from patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Studies by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay on 72 ALS sera showed IgM polyclonal reactivity towards SGPG in 25 cases. The titer was high in 16 cases. Thin-layer chromatography immuno-overlay showed that reactivity with SGPG was associated to reactivity towards GM1 in five cases and to GM1 and GD1b in one case. Anti-SGPG reactivity was not found in controls and in multifocal motor neuropathy with conduction blocks, in contrast to anti-GM1 antibodies. The presence of anti-SGPG antibodies in ALS patients sera raise again the question of autoimmunity in this pathology.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis↗

Multifocal motor neuropathy with conduction block: a study of 24 patients.

Twenty four patients with pure motor neuropathy are reported. The chronic motor involvement associated with fasciculations and cramps, mainly in the arms, led, in most patients, to an initial diagnosis of motor neuron disease. In some patients (nine of 24), there was no appreciable muscle atrophy. Tendon reflexes were often absent or weak. The finding of persistent multifocal conduction block confined to motor nerve fibres raises questions about the nature and the importance of this syndrome. Segmental reduction of motor conduction velocity occurred at the site of the block, but significant slowing of motor nerve conduction was not found outside this site. The response to intravenous IVIg treatment seems to be correlated with the absence of amyotrophy. Patients with little or no amyotrophy had an initial and sustained response to IVIg, and did not develop amyotrophy during the follow up study. They could be considered to have a variant of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy. Patients with pronounced amyotrophy independent of the disease duration did not respond as well to IVIg treatment, suggesting the existence of a distinct entity. Among the patients treated about two thirds who had an initial good response to IVIg had high or significant antiganglioside GM1 (anti-GM1) antibody titres, but there was no correlation between the high titres before treatment and long lasting response to IVIg treatment.

Adult↗

Clinical, electrophysiologic, and molecular correlations in 13 families with hereditary neuropathy with liability to pressure palsies and a chromosome 17p11.2 deletion.

Hereditary neuropathy with liability to pressure palsies (HNPP) is an autosomal dominant disease characterized by recurrent episodes of acute nerve palsies. We performed a clinical, electrophysiologic, and molecular study of 13 French families with HNPP associated with a chromosome 17p11.2 deletion in 36 individuals. There were electrophysiologic abnormalities in all symptomatic (n = 28) and asymptomatic (n = 8) deletion carriers, even in childhood. Bilateral delayed distal motor latency of the median nerve at the wrist, reduced sensory velocity in the palm-wrist segment, and delayed distal motor latency or reduced motor velocity in the peroneal nerve was diagnostic in at-risk relatives. This large series confirms the reliability of molecular analysis combined with a simplified electrophysiologic examination for the diagnosis of HNPP associated with 17p11.2 deletion.

Adolescent↗

Human immunoglobulin treatment of multifocal motor neuropathy and polyneuropathy associated with monoclonal gammopathy.

Intravenous human immune globulin (IVIg) has been proposed for the treatment of various peripheral neuropathies that are considered to be immunemediated. The results are reported of an open trial conducted in multifocal motor neuropathy and polyneuropathy associated with monoclonal gammopathy. Six cases with multifocal motor neuropathy, selected on clinical and electrophysiological criteria (four of six patients also had significantly high anti-GM1 titres), received IVIg monthly, at doses varying from 1.6 to 2.5 mg/kg, over three to 13 months. The initial response to treatment was dramatic in 3/6 cases (with improvement of at least two grades on the MRC scale in the five more severely affected muscles). The final evaluation showed a good result in 4/6 cases, but the conduction blocks were not significantly reduced. In 13 other cases with polyneuropathy associated with IgM monoclonal gammopathy of unknown significance, IVIg was of benefit, with improvement of at least one grade on the Prineas score, in 4/7 cases previously treated with immunosuppression and 2/3 cases not treated before IVIg. In the last group of four patients with polyneuropathy and IgG monoclonal gammopathy, IVIg was followed by clinical improvement in the two cases with a chronic demyelinating polyneuropathy.

Humans↗

Detection of deletion within 17p11.2 in 7 French families with hereditary neuropathy with liability to pressure palsies (HNPP).

Hereditary neuropathy with liability to pressure palsies (HNPP) is an autosomal dominant peripheral neuropathy which is characterized by recurrent episodes of truncular palsies. We have analyzed the D17S122 locus in 7 French families, including 18 affected members, with microsatellite RM11GT and the RFLP probe VAW409R3a. Only one allele could be detected in all affected individuals with the highly polymorphic RM11GT marker. Allele segregation at D17S122 showed no contribution from the affected parent to the affected child, demonstrating that an interstitial deletion within the 17p11.2 region is associated with HNPP in the 7 families studied. This same region is duplicated, however, in another inherited neuropathy, Charcot-Marie-Tooth 1A disease. This would be the first example of two dominantly inherited diseases caused by a 'in mirror image' deletion/duplication mechanism where a gene dosage effect would be sufficient to produce two different phenotypes characterized by abnormal myelination of the peripheral nerves. The RM11GT microsatellite is an informative tool for the molecular diagnosis of HNPP.

Alleles↗

Hereditary neuralgic amyotrophy and hereditary neuropathy with liability to pressure palsies: two distinct clinical, electrophysiologic, and genetic entities.

Hereditary neuralgic amyotrophy (HNA) is an autosomal disease characterized by painful episodes of brachial palsy. The presence of tomacula in some patients suggested that HNA might be genetically related to hereditary neuropathy with liability to pressure palsies (HNPP), caused by point mutations in the PMP22 gene or deletion of the region containing this gene. In a clinical, electrophysiologic, and molecular study of two families with HNA, we show that the PMP22 gene is not deleted, duplicated, or mutated in HNA and that the disease is not linked to any other gene in the HNPP deleted region. We conclude that HNA and HNPP are distinct genetic entities.

Adolescent↗

[Do neuromyosites exist?].

Neuromyositis defined as the association of dermatomyositis or polymyositis and a neuropathy without any found cause is a very controversial entity because of the possibility of, in one hand, muscular modifications caused by neurological involvement and, on the other hand, neurogenic type manifestations caused by polymyositis. The study of 4 cases seen in an Internal Medicine department and the review of the literature allowed us to show that the concept of neuromyositis corresponds to a clinico-pathological reality when the diagnosis is based on the association of definite criteria of both primary muscle and nerve involvement excluding muscular abnormalities that could be the consequence of nerve involvement and vice versa. The criteria, most relevant when associated are: a) for muscular involvement: high increase of muscular enzyme over 6 times the superior limit of the normal values, pseudomyotonic electrical discharges, perifascicular atrophy, intense inflammatory infiltrates and massive necrosis, b) for neurological involvement: early abolition of tendinous reflexes in a patient without notable muscular atrophy and with little or no myalgia, sensitive abnormalities in areas other than those of muscular involvement, especially when they are intense, early weakness of distal muscles, decrease of nerve conduction speed, target fibers and lesions of nerve trunks (and albuminocytological dissociation in the particular case of polyradiculoneuritis). Once the diagnosis of neuropathy settled, it is necessary to exclude an usual cause (alcoholism, diabetes...) before concluding to neuromyositis. When we apply these restrictive (but nevertheless necessary for the validity of diagnosis) criteria, only 6 cases of the literature respond to this entity. It is a peripheral neuropathy in 5 cases (like two of ours) and a polyradiculoneuritis in one case (like our two others). Among these 6 cases, there is a vasculitis in two, frequency much higher to what is observed in adult polymyositis, which suggest a possible causative role of vascular involvement in neuropathy arising. In the other cases we can just give pathogenic hypothesis making the neuropathy and the polymyositis the result of the same process (immunological disturbance, paraneoplastic origin, viral disease). In one of our four patients, who have shown an HTLV-I infection by polymerase chain reaction in situ hybridization was positive in muscle which suggest a direct pathogenic role of the virus. HTLV-I infection should be considered as a possible cause of neuromyositis especially in endemic areas.

Adult↗

Clinical and electrophysiological study of the peripheral nervous system in the elderly.

The effect of age on the peripheral nervous system was investigated by clinical examination and neurophysiological studies in 59 subjects aged 60-103 years and 23 young subjects. A full laboratory screen for factors which, though clinically silent, may constitute risk factors (RFs) for peripheral neuropathy was also performed in the elderly subjects. Our findings show that the presence of RFs affects exceptionally the electrophysiological parameters in a statistically significant way. The age-dependent changes in nerve conduction parameters were well predicted by non-linear models. The simultaneous electromyographical study demonstrates the re-innervation capacity of the motor system.

Action Potentials↗

[Paraneoplastic myasthenic syndrome].

We report a case of neuromuscular disease overlap between myasthenia gravis and Lambert-Eaton syndrome (LES). Clinical features were those of LES and occurred insidiously in this 68-year old man: proximal weakness predominant in the lower limbs, generalized areflexia, dryness of the mouth and partial right eye palsy. Investigations disclosed a small cell lung cancer. On the other hand, an electrophysiological study showed low amplitude of all motor evoked potentials, and significant decrement in the median nerve at repeated 3 Hz stimulation, but failed to disclose any increment of the motor evoked potential in abductor digiti minimi pedis muscle after both maximal voluntary contraction and repeated 20 Hz stimulation. In addition, the patient improved under anticholinesterase drugs, but failed to respond to guanidine. Titres for both anti-acetylcholine-receptor antibodies and calcium channel antibodies were negative. The relationship between our case and recently reported cases of co-existence of the Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome and myasthenia gravis is discussed.

Aged↗

[4 new cases of neuromyositis, one of them associated with HTLV-I infection].

Neuromyositis is a very rare type of polymyositis where, beside the usual muscular manifestations, there are signs of peripheral neuropathy which can be found at clinical, electromyographic and/or pathological examination. We have seen between 1983 and 1990 four cases of neuromyositis. The neurological disorder was an axonopathy in two cases which is usual in neuromyositis; in the other two cases, there was a polyradiculoneuritis which seems to be very rare in this syndrome. In the four patients the disease was particularly severe and unresponsive to treatment. One of our patients had HTLV-I infection diagnosed by polymerase chain reaction amplification and in situ hybridization, while the serological test was negative. To our knowledge only three cases of HTLV-I associated neuromyositis have been reported in the literature.

Adult↗

[Neuropathy caused by necrotizing vasculitis in HIV-1 infection].

A 33 year-old male homosexual infected with human immunodeficiency virus type I developed an asymmetrical and painful neuropathy in the lower limbs. Neuro-muscular biopsy showed a necrotizing vasculitis. There were no clinical features indicative of systemic vasculitis. Prednisone therapy dramatically improved the neuropathy, without adverse effects. Although rare, necrotizing arteritis must be considered in HIV-1 patients with neuropathy, especially in case of mononeuropathy multiplex and when immunodepression is mild or absent, since a successful corticosteroid therapy can be prescribed.

Adult↗

[Treatment of immune deficient neuropathies with intravenous polyvalent immunoglobulins. An open study of 16 cases].

UNLABELLED: Between June 1989 and February 1992, in an open controlled study 16 patients with various types of polyneuropathy were treated with high-dose intravenous immunoglobulins (IgIV). Every month during 3 months, each patient received three courses of IgIV in doses of 0.4 g/kg/day during 5 successive days. The trial was discontinued in case of no response or if the neuropathy was considered as being in remission. In the other cases, at most one course of IgIV was given once a month if there was significant improvement (assessed by previously published clinical functional scales, electrophysiological examinations and titers of specific antibodies), or spaced at intervals which varied according to each patient, and sometimes in low doses. RESULTS: 1) A first group of 6 patients had chronic demyelinating polyneuropathy with severe motor disability. The first infusions of IgIV resulted, in 4/6 cases, in a dramatic improvement which lasted under regularly spaced courses in lower doses. 2) Four patients had chronic neuropathy associated with monoclonal IgM gammopathy of undetermined significance (3 had anti-MAG and anti-SPG antibodies, and 1 had anti-GD1a and GD1b antibodies) and had not been improved by the usual immunosuppressive treatments. In 1 case the IgIV treatment had to be discontinued because of skin allergy. In the remaining 3 patients the clinical disorders (mainly the sensory ones) were reduced, but no significant improvement of neurophysiological or immunological data was observed. 3) Three patients had a purely multifocal motor neuropathy with persistent conduction blocks at EMG and high titers of anti-GM1 antibodies in 2/3 cases.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗