[The level of Interleukin-6 in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis]. / Poziom interleukiny--6 u chorych ze stwardnieniem zanikowym bocznym.

The role of immune factors in the pathogenesis of ALS is taken into account and, in view of this, it was decided to study the role of interleukins (IL) taking IL-6 as an example. Its concentration was determined in blood and CSF with Amersham RIA kits. The study was carried out on 16 ALS patients and 16 patients with low back pain who served as controls. The IL-6 level in blood and CSF did not vary between these groups statistically significantly. Then from the ALS group the cases with only bulbar symptoms or with predominance of bulbar symptoms were isolated. This subgroup comprised 6 patients, their mean age was higher, and disease duration was shorter. The IL-6 level in the CSF was 27.1 +/- 8.6 nmol/ml and was statistically significantly higher than in the remaining cases. The specificity of this finding is discussed.

[Calcitonin level in cerebrospinal fluid of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis]. / Stezenie kalcytoniny w plynie mózgowo-rdzeniowym chorych na stwardnienie zanikowe boczne.

Several data indicate that the dysfunction of some neuropeptide function may play a role in the pathogenesis of the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Therefore, the authors decide to determine a concentration of one of them in CSF, namely calcitonin. Calcitonin is widely distributed in CNS, including both anterior and posterior horns of the spinal cord. It was confirmed with immunohistochemical assays and an examination of the human CSF. Calcitonin concentration in CSF has been assayed in 12 patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and in 12 patients of the control group. Calcitonin concentrations in CSF have been measured with RIA technique, using appropriate kits manufactured by Mallinckrodt Dgn. Mean calcitonin CSF concentration in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis was 448. +/- 74.3 pg/ml, and was lowered in comparison with that in the control group, i.e. 613.9 +/- 147.2 pg/ml. The results confirm the authors' previous reports on the reduced content of some neuropeptides in CSF of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and suggest a possible calcitonin role in the pathogenesis of this disease.

[Concentration of epidermal growth factor in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis]. / Stezenie czynnika wzrostowego naskórka (EGF) w plynie mózgowordzeniowym u chorych na stwardnienie zanikowe boczne.

In 15 patients with SLA and 15 with discopathy regarded as a control group the level of epidermal growth factor (EGF) was determined by radioreceptor assay in the serum and cerebrospinal fluid. The EFG level in the serum could not be determined by this method. In the CSF of SLA patients this level was 587.6 +/- 257.7 pg/ml and was significantly lower in relation to the control group in which it was 990.9 +/- 297.5 pg/ml. The authors discuss in this connection the role of EGF in SLA pathogenesis.

[Effect of thyroliberin treatment on the thyrotropin and prolactin levels in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis]. / Wplyw leczenia tyreoliberyna na stezenie hormonu tyreotropowego i prolaktyny u chorych z SLA.

The blood serum TSH and PRL levels were studied in 12 ALS patients after TRH stimulation. The TSH test was repeated after 4-weeks TRH treatment. The results were compared with the data obtained in the control group. It was shown that after TRH stimulation the TSH responses did not reveal greater abnormalities, but PRL responses were significantly diminished. The results could confirm our previous observations concerning the dysregulation of dopamine metabolism in ALS patients.

[Clinical trial of the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis with bromocriptine]. / Próba leczenia stwardnienia zanikowego bocznego bromokryptyna.

The authors accepting the hypotesis that in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis the hypothalamic dopamine receptor function is impaired tried to treat this disease with bromocryptine as an agonist of this receptor. The observation was carried out in 19 patients with moderately advanced amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Bromocryptine was given to the patients in tablets Parlodel Sandoz 7.5 mg daily. No improvement was noted in the efficiency of the muscles of extremities in most patients. The improvement in the function of isolated muscles tested by Lovette's test was transient. A trial of treatment with low bromocryptine doses for short time periods (3 weeks to 4 months) was considered by the authors as unsuccessful.

[THyroliberin test in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis]. / Test z tyreoliberyna u chorych na stwardnienie zanikowe boczne.

Many hormonal dysfunctions were noticed in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The study aimed at measuring blood serum level of TSH and PRL after THR loading in 10 ALS patients and in the 10 healthy individuals. Mean baseline levels of TSH and PRL in ALS patients were with in normal range. After TRH loading, the TSH responses in the ALS patients were with in normal range, where as PRL responses were diminished. The obtained results could indicate some disorders on the dopaminergic neurons level.

[Preliminary evaluation of diagnostic usefulness of digital subtraction angiography (DSA) in the diagnosis of brain diseases]. / Westepna ocena przydatnosci diagnostycznej cyfrowej angiografii subtrakcyjnej (DSA) w diagnostyce chorób mózgu.

On the ground of an analysis of 64 patients the authors present their opinion on the clinical usefulness of digital subtraction angiography in the diagnosis of cerebrovascular diseases. It is believed that this method provides in most cases information which are not necessary to be confirmed by other methods. Digital angiography has a lower resolution ability than conventional angiography but is less invasive and may be presently a good screening or control technique.

Effect of bromocriptine and metoclopramide on serum prolactin levels in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Secretion of prolactin in nine patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and in seven healthy men was investigated with the use of metoclopramide stimulation and bromocriptine inhibition tests. Blood serum prolactin concentration was determined in the basal state and 30, 60 and 120 minutes after oral administration of 10 mg metoclopramide or 2.5 mg bromocriptine. A period of 3 days intervened between testing each drug in the same individual. It was shown that basal prolactin levels in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients and the controls did not differ significantly, whereas in the metoclopramide stimulation test seven amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients showed a very exaggerated response. The mean value of maximal prolactin increment was 1609.90% (SD 456) in comparison with the control group 638.3% (SD 89.7) (p less than 0.01). In the bromocriptine inhibition test the mean value of maximal prolactin percentage decrement was 50.4% (SD 6.1) in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and 66.5% (SD 5.3) in the controls and this difference was statistically insignificant. These data suggest that exaggerated prolactin response to metoclopramide in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis may be a result of a decreased activity of central dopaminergic neurons.

[Treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis with TRH]. / Leczenie stwardnienia zanikowegò bocznego przy pomocy TRH.

In view of earlier reports in the literature it was tried to use TRH (thyrotropin releasing hormone) in cases of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. TRH was given during 3 weeks once daily intravenously in drip infusions in a 0.4 mg dose. For objectivization of the results the muscle power was assessed using a five-grade scale of Lovette. TRH effect on EMG was analysed also. It was found that in only 3 out of 14 patients with moderately progressed disease no improvement was achieved, while in 11 cases the improvement was from 10 to 20%. However, the improvement was transient, and TRH treatment failed to stop the progression of the disease.

Epidermal growth factor in human cerebrospinal fluid: reduced levels in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Epidermal growth factor (EGF), a mitogenic peptide, is widely distributed within the brain and endocrine cells of the gastro-intestinal tract. Using EGF radioreceptor assay, the EGF level was measured in lumbar cerebrospinal fluid from five patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and seven patients with intervertebral disc disease as a control group. The patients with ALS showed reduced EGF levels to 662.4 +/- 207 pg/ml as compared with controls 1013 +/- 182.8 pg/ml (P less than 0.02). These results indicate a possible EGF involvement in the pathogenesis of ALS.

Reduced lumbar cerebrospinal fluid corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) levels in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) is widely distributed within the brain and spinal cord and may have direct extrahypophysiotrophic effects, independent of its pituitary action. The CRF level was measured using, the RIA method in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from 5 patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and in CSF from 10 patients with discopathy, treated as a controlled group. The median values of CRF level in the patients with ALS was 27.5 pg/ml, and this value was significantly lower than in controls, 53.5 pg/ml (P less than 0.05). These results suggests that CRF may be related in the pathophysiology of ALS.

[Favorable outcome using indomethacin in a case of temporal arteritis]. / Pomyslny wynik zastosowania indometacyny w przypadku zapalenia tetnicy skroniowej.

The authors described a case of temporal arteritis in which only biopsy of the artery made the correct diagnosis possible. The patient had contraindications to steroid treatment and thus a trial of Metindol therapy was undertaken. After the treatment a rapid regression of symptoms occurred.