Elevation of cell adhesion molecule immunoreactivity in the anterior cingulate cortex in bipolar disorder.

BACKGROUND: Neuroimaging reports of increases in signal hyperintensities in white and deep gray matter and other work indicate that there might be an inflammatory response in affective disorders. METHODS: The microvascular immunoreactivity of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 was measured with image analysis in postmortem tissue from the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) from 15 unipolar and 15 bipolar subjects and compared with each other and with 15 subjects with schizophrenia and 15 control subjects. RESULTS: Intercellular adhesion molecule-1 immunoreactivity in gray and white matter of the ACC in bipolar subjects was increased compared with control subjects (gray: p =.001; white: p <.001) and schizophrenic subjects (gray: p =.016; white: p =.025) and modestly increased in white matter compared with unipolar subjects (p =.049). No such differences were found in the DLPFC. CONCLUSIONS: These findings are consistent with the presence of an inflammatory response in the ACC in bipolar disorder.     

待分类的精神病性和非精神病性精神障碍与精神分裂症的对比分析

目的 探讨待分类的精神病性和非精神病性精神障碍临床特征。方法 对待分类的精神病性和非精神病性精神障碍与精神分裂症临床资料进行对比分析。结果 待分类的精神病性障碍与精神分裂症在发病年龄、复发率、阳性家族史、治疗和疗效上无显著性差异；待分类的非精神病性精神障碍在复发率、阳性家族史及治愈率上与前两者有显著性差异。结论 待分类的精神病性障碍与精神分裂症可能具有同源性，部分非精神病性精神障碍与两者可能不同源。     

Marital status and depression: a study of English national admission statistics

Data are presented from the English national statistics for first admissions with affective disorders during the years 1982-1985. Overall rates per 10(5) of the population aged over 15 years were 36.1 for men and 59.1 for women. The peak incidence for depressive neurosis was middle adulthood, that for affective psychosis much later. The widowed and divorced showed much higher rates than the single and married for all types of disorder. Marriage appeared less protective for women than for men. The age-incidence relationship among the divorced and widowed was exaggerated for depressive neurosis and reversed for psychosis. The results are interpreted in terms of a (possibly biological) releasing effect of age upon affective psychosis that could be overwhelmed by severely adverse social circumstances. The findings support the validity of the distinction between affective psychoses and depressive neurosis.     

Serum and red blood cell folate in depression

Serum folate concentrations were estimated in patients with major depressive disorders, lithium-treated patients, detoxified alcoholic patients and normal controls. Red blood cell (RBC) folate concentrations were also estimated in subgroups of patients with major depressive disorder and normal controls. Results showed significantly lower serum and RBC folate concentrations in patients with major depressive disorder than in normal controls. Lower serum folate concentrations were associated with greater severity of depression. There was no association between serum and RBC folate concentrations and endogenicity of depression or the presence of weight loss.     

Applying item response theory to enhance health outcomes assessment

Background Health-related quality of life (HRQL) is an accepted outcome measure in patients with mood and anxiety disorders. Yet, surprisingly little attention has been paid to the determinants. In this paper we test the hypothesis that it is associated with personality traits while controlling for mental disorders. Methods A large sample of outpatients (n=640) with mood and anxiety disorders was studied. The empirically supported five factor model of normal personality traits was assessed using the NEO-FFI and includes: neuroticism, extraversion, openness to experience, agreeableness, and conscientiousness. Mental disorders were assessed with the CIDI, and HRQL with the SF-36. Results Regression analyses revealed that the NEO-FFI scores, with the exception of conscientiousness, were significantly associated with SF-36 subscales and summary scores, independently from the mental disorders. The percentage of explained variance due to the personality traits was highest for the subscales Vitality (10.0%), Mental Health (13.3%) and the Mental Health Summary Score (9.5%). Furthermore, specific personality traits were related to specific SF-36 subscales. Conclusions A low HRQL of patients with mood or anxiety disorders is not only determined by the disease or the current health but is also shaped by personality traits that are relatively stable throughout an individual's life time.     

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目的通过对比合并与不合并注意缺陷多动障碍(ADHD)的阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停低通气综合征(OSAHS)儿童的多导睡眠监测指标,试图从睡眠结构和睡眠主要参数的层次上来探讨ADHD的发病机制。方法选择2004-01—2006-10于广州市儿童医院就诊的OSAHS患儿36例作为OSAHS组,合并有OSAHS的ADHD患儿20例作为观察组,选取无OSAHS及ADHD的儿童30例作为对照组,三组之间在年龄、性别、体重指数等方面相比,差异无显著性。通过多导睡眠监测(PSG),并由神经康复科专科医生对其是否患有ADHD作出诊断。采用相应的统计学方法,对OSAHS组、观察组及对照组的睡眠结构进行比较,并对OSAHS组和观察组进行呼吸事件及血氧状况的比较。结果(1)与对照组相比,OSAHS组及观察组睡眠Ⅰ期增加,睡眠Ⅱ期、SWS及REM睡眠减少,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05),OSAHS组的REM%为8.66±3.94,观察组的REM%为5.65±5.41,REM%的改变有统计学意义(P<0.05)。(2)观察组儿童呼吸事件的次数与持续时间及血氧饱和度下降较OSAHS儿童严重,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。结论观察组儿童REM%及血氧饱和度的下降可能在ADHD的发病中起一定的作用。     

Dissociation of Depletional Induction and Posttransplant Lymphoproliferative Disease in Kidney Recipients Treated With Alemtuzumab

Transplant patients are at the risk for posttransplant lymphoproliferative disease (PTLD), a virally-driven malignancy. Induction with the depleting antibody preparations Thymoglobulin and OKT3 is associated with PTLD suggesting that the T-cell depletion increases PTLD risk. We therefore studied 59 560 kidney recipients from the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network/United Network for Organ Sharing (OPTN/UNOS) database for a relationship between induction agent use and PTLD. Two agents with comparable T-cell depletional effects, alemtuzumab and Thymoglobulin, were compared to nondepletional induction agents or no induction. The overall incidence of PTLD was 0.46% and differed significantly by induction strategy (p < 0.01): without induction (0.43%), basiliximab (0.38%), daclizumab (0.33%), Thymoglobulin (0.67%) and alemtuzumab (0.37%). Thymoglobulin was associated with significantly increased PTLD risk (p = 0.0025), but alemtuzumab (p = 0.74), basiliximab (p = 0.33) and daclizumab, which trended toward a protective effect (p = 0.06), were not. Alemtuzumab and Thymoglobulin treated patients did not differ in any established parameter affecting PTLD risk although alemtuzumab is known to have a more pronounced B-cell depleting effect. Interestingly, maintenance therapy with an mTOR inhibitor was strongly associated with PTLD (0.71%, p < 0.0001). Thus, depletional induction is not an independent risk factor for PTLD. Rather, maintenance drug selection or perhaps the balance between B- and T-cell depletion may be more relevant determinants of PTLD risk.     

Narrowband UVB therapy for vitiligo: does the repigmentation last?

BACKGROUND: Since 1997, a number of trials have shown promising results in treating generalized vitiligo with narrowband ultraviolet B (UVB) both in adults and children. However, there is little knowledge concerning the duration and permanency of the treatment-induced repigmentation. OBJECTIVE: Our main objective was to perform a follow-up trial of successfully treated patients receiving narrowband UVB for generalized vitiligo. METHODS: We have investigated to what degree the treatment-induced repigmentation remains stable for up to 2 years post-treatment. We performed an initial open trial including 31 patients with generalized vitiligo. They received narrowband UVB thrice weekly for up to 12 months. Patients experiencing > 75% repigmentation were defined responders and were included in the follow-up trial. Responders were followed every 6 months for up to 2 years after cessation of treatment. We observed the pigmentation status and registered any changes indicating loss of pigmentation and relapse. RESULTS: Eleven of the 31 treated patients were included in the follow-up trial. Six patients had relapse and five patients had stable response 24 months after cessation of treatment. Four out of six relapses were within 6 months post-treatment. CONCLUSION: In our study population of 31 patients with generalized vitiligo, five patients (16%) experienced > 75% stable repigmentation 2 years after cessation of a treatment programme of up to 1 years narrowband UVB therapy.