-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: To elucidate whether cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) concentrations of the microtubule-associated tau protein are related to the risk for sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (SALS).
We measured tau concentrations in the CSF of 18 patients with SALS and 75 age- and sex-matched controls, using a specific ELISA method.
The mean CSF concentrations of tau protein did not differ significantly between SALS patient and control groups, were not influenced by the clinical form (spinal vs bulbar) of ALS, and were not correlated with age, age at onset, and duration of the disease.
CSF tau concentrations are not a biochemical marker of ALS.
Acta Neurologica Scandinavica 03/2005; 111(2):114-7. · 2.47 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: FUNDAMENTALS AND OBJECTIVE: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the prototype of demyelinating disease, but recently, it has been shown that the existence of axonal lesions contribute to irreversible central nervous system damage in this disease. Tau proteins are considered to be important for maintaining the stability of axonal microtubules involved in the mediation of fast axonal transport of synaptic constituents. There have been reports of increased cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) tau concentrations in patients with MS, and it has been suggested that this could be a marker of axonal damage. The objective of the present study was to elucidate whether CSF tau levels could be a marker of MS activity.
We measured tau concentrations in the CSF of 20 patients with MS (nine in the first, seven in the second, one in the fourth exacerbation, and three patients with chronic progressive course) and 32 age- and sex-matched controls, using a specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method.
The CSF tau concentrations of patients with MS did not differ from those of controls, and they were not correlated with age at onset and duration of the disease.
CSF tau concentrations are not a marker of MS activity.
Acta Neurologica Scandinavica 01/2003; 106(6):351-4. · 2.47 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Thiamine is an essential cofactor for several important enzymes involved in brain oxidative metabolism, such as the alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase complex (KGDHC), pyruvate-dehydrogenase complex (PDHC), and transketolase. Some investigators reported decreased thiamine-diphosphate levels and decreased activities of KGDHC, pyruvate-dehydrogenase complex and transketolase in the brain tissue of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients. We measured cerebrospinal (CSF) levels of thiamine-diphosphate, thiamine-monophosphate, free thiamine, and total thiamine, using ion-pair reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography, in 33 patients with sporadic AD and 32 matched controls. The mean CSF levels of thiamine-derivatives did not differ significantly from those of controls, while the mean plasma levels of thiamine-diphosphate, free and total thiamine were significantly lower in the AD-patient group. CSF and plasma thiamine levels were not correlated with age, age at onset, duration of the disease, and scores of the MiniMental State Examination, with the exception of plasma thiamine-diphosphate with MiniMental State Examination (r = 0.41, p < 0.05) in the AD-patients group. CSF and plasma values did not predict dementia progression, assessed with the MiniMental State Examination scores. These results suggest that CSF thiamine levels are not related with the risk for and the progression of AD.
Acta Neurovegetativa 07/2002; 109(7-8):1035-44. · 2.73 Impact Factor
-
Journal of Neurology 07/2000; 247(6):461-2. · 3.47 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: The available literature on hexamethylenetetramine (hexamine) was reviewed with emphasis on its toxicology and epidemiology, its thermal decomposition and regulatory concerns related to its uses. Large quantities of hexamine are used in the foundry, tire and rubber, and phenolformaldehyde resins industries and in other diverse applications. Excessive exposure to solid hexamine or its vapor has been reported to cause dermatitis and respiratory allergies. Although hexamine produces a positive Ames test, most animal studies have shown hexamine to be of very low genetic risk even in very high doses. The effectiveness of hexamine as an antibacterial agent has been attributed to its slow hydrolysis to ammonia and formaldehyde. Concerns have developed in industries which use hexamine at high temperatures over emissions of HCN, NH3, CO, CO2, nitrogen oxides, and formaldehyde. The studies reviewed are in general agreement that hexamine thermal decomposition in the temperature range of 300-800 degrees C is characterized by an increase in HCN and a decrease in NH3 emissions with increasing temperature. At temperatures of 200-300 degrees C hexamine decomposition is reported to produce mainly ammonia and formaldehyde.
AIHAJ 12/1989; 50(11):579-85.
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Recently, there have been report sleep attacks in parkinsonian patients as a side effect of pramipexole and ropinirole. We report a patient with similar episodes related with pergolide.
A 64 year old man with rigid akinetic parkinsonism, treated with carbidopa/levodopa and pergolide, developed sudden, irresistible sleep episodes after increasing the dose of pergolide to 2.25 mg/day because of bad control of parkinsonian symptoms. These episodes started 30 minutes after each dose of pergolide and lasted 2 hours. Following reduction of the dose of pergolide to 1.5 mg/day the sleep episodes disappeared. Two double blind multiple sleep latency tests were performed, one after intaking pergolide and other after intaking placebo.
The latencies to sleep onset were lower with pergolide than with placebo, but the differences did not reach statistical significance. There was no premature REM sleep onset.
Sleep episodes are likely a not specific effect of dopamine agonists
Revista de neurologia 34(12):1140-1. · 0.65 Impact Factor
