[Metabolic disorders in children with urolithiasis]. / Zaburzenia metaboliczne u dzieci ze skapoobjawowa postacia kamicy dróg moczowych.

Nephrolithiasis is a common disease of multifactorial ethiopatogenesis. The majority of stone formers has disturbances in the metabolism and excretion of stone constituents, promotors or inhibitors of crystallization. The aim of our study was to evaluate metabolic disturbances in children with nephrolithiasis in the early stages of the disease. Cases with severe urinary obstruction, infection and glomerular filtration decrease were excluded. Daily calcium, uric acid, oxalate, phosphate, sodium, potassium, chloride, citrate, and magnesium excretion was examined in 27 children (12 M, 15 F, mean age--10.4 +/- 3.9 y). Hypercalciuria (10 cases) and hiperurykosuria (8 cases) were most often found in the studied group. We concluded that early diagnosis of metabolic background of stone formation (promotors and inhibitors) enables to apply proper preventive measures.

Age-associated memory loss: initial neuropsychological and cerebral metabolic findings of a longitudinal study.

To determine the relationships between clinical and brain function in persons with a familial risk for Alzheimer's disease, the authors assessed subjective and objective cognitive abilities, mood state, and cerebral glucose metabolism (using positron emission tomography) in 43 persons with age-associated memory impairment, with and without first-degree relatives with a clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. Subjective complaints of memory loss, mood state ratings, and objective memory measures were similar in persons with a family history of Alzheimer's disease (n = 29) compared to those without such a history (n = 14). Metabolic ratios in the frontal regions correlated with a decrease in a specific type of subjective memory complaint (mnemonics usage; p < .001) and some mood state ratings. These results indicate that parietal and temporal hypometabolism is not evident in persons with mild age-related memory complaints, even when such subjects have a familial risk for Alzheimer's disease. Moreover, self-reports of mnemonics usage may be sensitive indicators of decreased frontal lobe function. Longitudinal study will determine whether such clinical and metabolic measures will predict eventual disease progression.

Clinical, neuroimaging, and environmental risk differences in monozygotic female twins appearing discordant for dementia of the Alzheimer type.

OBJECTIVE: The study of monozygotic twins can elucidate possible environmental causes for a disease in genetically identical subjects. To this end, we studied a pair of monozygotic female twins appearing discordant for dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT). DESIGN: Clinical and neuroimaging findings were compared in terms of potential environmental risk factors. SETTING: University referral center. PARTICIPANTS: An 81-year-old female monozygotic twin pair. OUTCOME MEASURES: Clinical assessments, standardized rating scales, and brain imaging studies, including magnetic resonance imaging, positron emission tomography, and electroencephalography, were performed. Neuropsychological tests were performed initially and after 1 year. RESULTS: Although DAT was confirmed clinically in only one twin, neuropsychological and brain imaging studies suggested that the unaffected twin may be developing the prodrome of DAT. The twins' varied life histories suggest that environmental risk factors may contribute to apparent discordance for DAT and possible delay in disease onset for the currently nondemented twin. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that both genetic and nongenetic factors influence disease onset and expression. Moreover, review of previous reports of monozygotic twin pairs concordant or discordant for Alzheimer's disease, with adequate family history data, suggest a pattern indicating interactions among age at dementia onset, sex, and familiarity. Such patterns point to hypotheses regarding neurobiologically meaningful Alzheimer's disease subgroups.

[Ferritin levels in blood serum and mononuclear cells of peripheral blood in lymphatic neoplasms of low and medium degrees of malignancy]. / Stezenie ferrytyny w surowicy i komórkach jednojadrowych krwi obwodowej w chorobach nowotworowych ukladu chlonnego o malym i srednim stopniu zlosliwosci.

Ferritin levels in blood serum and mononuclear cells of the peripheral blood were determined in 60 patients with chronic lymphatic leukemia (group I), and 31 patients with other lymphomas of the low and medium degree of malignancy (group II). Significantly higher blood serum and mononuclear cells ferritin was found in the examined patients than in 54 healthy individuals. Particularly high ferritin levels were seen in blood serum of patients of group II in whom clinical stage of the disease was high. Moreover, moderate correlation of ferritin content in mononuclear cells and absolute leucocytosis was found in group I. This parameter correlated well with the percentage of poorly differentiated cells (group II).

MMPI subtypes for chronic phencyclidine (PCP) abusers.

The present study applied empirical clustering procedures to the MMPI protocols of 196 chronic phencyclidine (PCP) abusers. Subjects were randomly divided into two groups, and two methods of cluster analysis, the average linkage method and Ward's hierarchical procedure, were performed. Both cluster methods produced highly comparable results within each group, and the MMPI profiles found in each group were quite similar. Cluster analytic studies of other substance abuse populations are needed in order to replicate the MMPI profile types found in the present study. These investigations would lead to an empirical typology across various substance abuse populations that would depict developmental stages.

Validity of the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory in the assessment of affective disorders.

The Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI) was administered to 270 adult outpatients with major affective disorders at the same time that a semistructured, diagnostic interview was conducted by a clinician. The mood of the patient was then rated, and the clinician completed the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale and the Mania Rating Scale. A consensual diagnosis was arrived at by the team of investigators using DSM-III criteria. Significant correlations were found between four MCMI affective scales and the global mood state of the patient. Analysis of covariance indicated that the MCMI affective scales are significantly related to DSM-III affective disorders even after the effect of the current mood of the patient is partialled out. The clinical usefulness of each of the scales is discussed.

The effect of alcoholism on membrane lithium transport.

Red cell lithium efflux rates in major affective disorder and alcoholic patient groups were studied. Current alcoholism was associated with significant elevation of lithium transport in white but not black subjects. This effect of alcoholism on the characteristics of membrane ion transport was independent of the blood pressure elevating effects of alcoholism and the diagnosis of major affective disorder. A model to explain the mechanism of this race-specific membrane effect of alcoholism is proposed and discussed.

Biologic markers and antidepressant response.

The use of biologic markers to predict antidepressant treatment response may lead to more rational selection of specific drugs for individual patients. Several biologic markers being developed as potential predictors of antidepressant treatment response are reviewed. Although research in this area is primarily concerned with predicting response to drug treatment, it may also prove useful in predicting which depressed patients may respond best to psychological treatments or combinations of biologic and psychologic treatments.

Abnormal red blood cell ion transport and hypertension. The People's Gas Company study.

A population-based survey of 134 white men, recruited from the Chicago People's Gas Company labor force, was carried out to examine the association between sodium-lithium (Na-Li) countertransport and hypertension. Of the 134 participants in this industry-sponsored periodic health examination, 64 were normotensive and 70 were either taking antihypertensive medications or had a systolic pressure greater than or equal to 140 or a diastolic pressure greater than or equal to 90 mm Hg. The hypertensives were older and more overweight. Countertransport was significantly higher in hypertensives than in normotensives. Among the three subgroups of hypertensives--untreated, borderline (140/90 to 160/95 mm Hg), untreated definite (over 160/95 mm Hg), and treated--an increase in countertransport was consistently observed, significant for the latter two groups. The relationship between countertransport and hypertension was independent of overweight, with countertransport being significantly related to both blood pressure and overweight. Altered ion transport may play an important role in the etiology and/or pathophysiology of hypertension.