Production of interleukin-10 in asthmatic children after Beta-1-3-glucan.

BACKGROUND: Beta-1-3 Glucan is a polysaccharide extracted from Saccharomyces cerevisiae with a possible immunomodulating action that may have a favourable action on asthma symptoms and other allergic diseases. An experimental study carried out using a murine respiratory model detected a decrease in pulmonary tissue eosinophilia, as well as an increase in Interleukin-10 (IL-10) after glucan use. METHODS: This open, exploratory study with blind outcome evaluation included asthmatic children between 6 and 12 years of age with mild to moderate persistent asthma and inadequate disease control (rescue medication needed more than twice a week) in spite of inhaled budesonide 400 microg/day. After a four week run-in period, subcutaneous Beta-1-3-glucan injections were given weekly for the first four weeks and then every two weeks for the last four weeks. IL-10 levels, measured by the immunoenzymatic method (ELISA), were compared before and after glucan administration. RESULTS: Twenty patients (14 male and 6 female) were included. Mean IL-10 levels were 6.4 pg/ml and 11.3 pg/ml before and after glucan, respectively (p = 0.02). There was also a reduction of asthmatic symptoms score at the end of study. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study which shows that subcutaneous particulate Beta-1-3-glucan increases serum IL-10 levels in asthmatics. The possibility of glucan being able to modulate allergic sensitisation and having a beneficial action in restoring Th2 function should be assessed by means of properly planned controlled clinical trials, as it may represent a new therapeutic strategy.

Production of interleukin-10 in asthmatic children after Beta-1-3-glucan

Background Beta-1-3 Glucan is a polysaccharide extracted from Saccharomyces cerevisiae with a possible immunomodulating action that may have a favourable action on asthma symptoms and other allergic diseases. An experimental study carried out using a murine respiratory model detected a decrease in pulmonary tissue eosinophilia, as well as an increase in Interleukin-10 (IL-10) after glucan use. Methods This open, exploratory study with blind outcome evaluation included asthmatic children between 6 and 12 years of age with mild to moderate persistent asthma and inadequate disease control (rescue medication needed more than twice a week) in spite of inhaled budesonide 400 µg/day. After a four week run-in period, subcutaneous Beta-1-3-glucan injections were given weekly for the first four weeks and then every two weeks for the last four weeks. IL-10 levels, measured by the immunoenzymatic method (ELISA), were compared before and after glucan administration. Results: Twenty patients (14 male and 6 female) were included. Mean IL-10 levels were 6.4 pg/ml and 11.3 pg/ml before and after glucan, respectively (p=0.02). There was also a reduction of asthmatic symptoms score at the end of study. Conclusions: This is the first study which shows that subcutaneous particulate Beta-1-3-glucan increases serum IL-10 levels in asthmatics. The possibility of glucan being able to modulate allergic sensitisation and having a beneficial action in restoring Th2 function should be assessed by means of properly planned controlled clinical trials, as it may represent a new therapeutic strategy (AU)

[Electroencephalographic evolution in women with refractory epilepsy]. / Evolução eletrencefalográfica em mulheres com epilepsia de difícil controle.

We reviewed 444 EEGs of 62 women with medically refractory epilepsy, followed up for at least 5 years and that had 5 or more EEGs. According to our definitions we found 18 patients (29%) with frequent seizures, 16 (25.8%) with very frequent seizures, 16 (25.8%) with controlled seizures and 12 (19.3%) with occasional seizures. Four patients (6.5%) always showed normal EEGs, 30 (48.4%) had normal and abnormal EEGs and 28 (45.2%) only abnormal EEGs. Among the patients who had only normal EEGs, two had all seizures controlled, one had occasional seizures and one had frequent seizures. Among the patients who had normal and abnormal EEGs, 10 had controlled seizures, 5 had occasional seizures, 9 had frequent seizures and 6 had very frequent seizures. In the group of patients with always abnormal EEGs, 4 had controlled seizures, 6 had occasional seizures, 8 had frequent seizures, and 10 had very frequent seizures. In relation to the last EEG, it was normal in 7 (43.7%) of 16 patients with controlled seizures, in 3 (25%) of 12 patients with occasional seizures and in 7 (38.9%) of 18 patients with frequent seizures, and in none of the patients with very frequent seizures. The patients who had only normal EEGs seem to have a better outcome than those with abnormal EEGs. We observed that the last EEG was normal in 43.7% of the patients with controlled seizures. These data may suggest a relative importance of the EEG considering the long-term prognosis regarding seizure control.

Lupus eritematoso sistêmico (LES) induzido por carbamazepina (CBZ): relato de caso / Systemic lupus erythematosus (LES) induced by carbamazepine (CBZ): repor a case

C. M. M. A., 32 a., fem, bca, severo atraso no desenvolvimento neuropsicomotor desde o nascimento. Iniciou, aos 13 anos, crises parciais complexas com ou sem generalizaçäo secundária. Foi submetida a vários esquemas medicamentosos sem controle completo das crises. Com a introduçäo de CBZ em 05/88, houve evidente reduçäo da frequência das crises. Em 11/89 passou a apresentar apatia, febre, emagrecimento (13 kg em 4 meses), náuseas, vômitos, rash malar e artrite de tornozelos. Laboratorialmente, o hemograma mostrou anemia miocrítica, Hb=9.8, Ht=31, VHS=100mm, células LE: 40 por cento , fator antinúcleo (FAN) = 10240 padräo periférico e homogêneo, anti SM-RNP-PO-LA-DNA negtivos; RX tórax mostrou finas áreas de atelectasia na base pulmonar direita. Com estes elementos, foi feito o diagnóstico de LES induzido por CBZ e introduzido 20mg de predinisona, com retirada lenta e gradual em 7 meses. Substituído a CBZ por valproato de sódio (VA), houve piora das crises, porém com desaparecimento da sintomatologia e normalizaçäo das provas laboratoriais, exceto a manutençäo da positividade do FAN, com títulos baixos (1:2560 - 05/91). Ressaltamos a importância de investigaçäo laboratorial para LES, em pacientes em uso de drogas antiepilépticas com manifestaçöes sistêmicas, particularmente em pacientes com retardo mental severo, cujos dados clínicos podem näo ser confiáveis. A evoluçäo favorável, na ausência de tratamento específico, e diminuiçäo significativa do FAN, após a suspensäo da CBZ, sugerem tratar-se de LES induzido por droga