Test—retest reliability of the Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire: Revised

Abstract  We describe the test-retest reliability of the Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire: Revised (PDQ-R), which was developed to assess DSM-III-R personality disorders (PD). Thirty patients, diagnosed clinically with PD, filled out the PDQ-R twice at 1 month intervals after having undergone 8 weeks of treatment leading to moderate resolution of their acute axis-I symptomatology. The chance-corrected agreement was almost perfect for all DSM-III-R PD (K coefficients: 0.76–1.00). Dimensional scores for individual PD and the total PDQ-Q score were highly correlated (Pearson's correlation coefficients: 0.62–0.99) and the mean of scores did not significantly differ between test and retest. Based on these results, we propose that highly reliable PD diagnoses are possible, even using a self-report questionnaire, if the axis-I symptoniatology of depression and anxiety have moderately subsided. These results clarify controversy over how and when reliable PD diagnoses may be obtained via a self-report questionnaire in a clinical sample.     

Tubulovillous adenoma developing after urinary reconstruction using ileal segments

A case of tubulovillous adenoma arising in an augmented bladder is described. Ureteroileal substitution and ileocystoplasty was performed when the patient was 18 years old. She noticed gross hematuria 44 years after the surgery. Cystoscopy revealed a non-papillary multiple tumor at the site of ileovesical anastomosis and transurethral resection biopsy was performed. Histopathological examination revealed a tubulovillous adenoma. A tubulovillous adenoma developing at the augmented bladder is rare. To our knowledge, this is the second case in which a tubulovillous adenoma developed in an augmented bladder.     

Neurostimulation for Patients in Vegetative Status

Dorsal column stimulation has been used in four patients who were in a persistent vegetative state. There was improvement of the EEG in four patients and clinical improvement in three patients. Stimulation was for 12 hours per day at 100 Hz, 5 to 8 volts, and with a pulse width of 0.12 msec. The mechanism of improvement may involve changes in cerebral blood flow.     

Depression associated with dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and the effect of somatotherapy

Background: Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is a common type of dementia. It is difficult to make an initial diagnosis of DLB because of a variety of early symptoms, including psychosis‐like and depressive states. In this study, we examined the characteristic depressive symptoms of the prestage of DLB and the efficacy and safety of somatotherapy for depression accompanying DLB. Methods: Subjects in the study were 167 consecutive clinical cases aged 50 years or more, hospitalized at Tsukuba University Hospital from December 2002 to September 2007. At the time of admission, patients were diagnosed with certain types of mood disorders according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fourth Edition Text Revision. For each subject, a series of neuropsychological tests, along with a standard psychiatric and neurological assessment and biological examinations, were conducted. Using the data from these exams, we diagnosed probable and possible DLB according to the criteria for dementia with Lewy bodies established by McKeith et al. 1 We compared patients' depressive symptoms according to the Hamilton Depression Scale, and distinguished between patients with depression associated with DLB and those with other mood disorders. 2 We also examined the efficacy and safety of somatotherapy (electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)) for patients with drug therapy–resistant depression associated with DLB. Results: 1 The characteristic symptoms of patients with DLB were classified into two groups: psychotic and non‐psychotic. The former consisted of patients with states such as delusion and agitation, and the latter included patients exhibiting psychomotor retardation, loss of insight and hypochondriasis. 2 Eight DLB patients with therapy‐resistant depression underwent ECT. After ECT, significant improvement was observed, with no remarkable safety hazards. Six patients with drug therapy–resistant DLB underwent TMS. TMS appears to be an effective, safe remedy for this kind of patient. Conclusions: ? A total of 13.8% of patients came to be re‐diagnosed as having DLB as a consequence of a thorough examination after admission. ? Patients with depression associated with DLB were classified into psychotic and non‐psychotic clusters. ? ECT and TMS are effective and safe therapeutic tools for drug therapy–resistant depression observed in DLB patients.     

Protective effect of a cephalosporin, Shiomarin, plus a new potent protease inhibitor, E3123, on rat taurocholate-induced pancreatitis

Abstract The role of infectious factors in the pathogenesis of acute pancreatitis and the protective effect of combined therapy with a new potent synthetic protease inhibitor, E3123, and a new potent synthetic cephalosporin, Shiomarin were examined in rat acute pancreatitis. Sodium taurocholate injection into the pancreatico-biliary duct of rats caused severe pancreatitis with a high mortality rate, characterized by hyperamylasaemia, high amylase activity in ascitic fluid, hyperendotoxaemia and a high serum level of fibrin degradation products (FDP) and redistribution of cathepsin B from the lysosomal fraction to the zymogen fraction. Sodium taurocholate injection into the pancreatico-biliary duct also caused the bacterial growth in the pancreas. In rats with E3123 infusion almost all parameters were improved, including mortality rate, serum and ascitic fluid amylase levels, plasma endotoxin and serum FDP levels, and distribution of lysosomal enzyme. But combination therapy with E3123 and Shiomarin was significantly more protective than E3123 therapy alone.
These results indicate that infection plays an important role in the development of severe pancreatitis and that combination therapy with a new synthetic protease inhibitor and a new potent antibiotic may be useful in the treatment of severe pancreatitis.     

Impact of sociodemographic and diabetes-related characteristics on depressive state among non-insulin-dependent diabetic patients

Abstract  One hundred and fifty-one non-insulin-dependent diabetic patients were assessed to detect sociodemographic, psychological and disease-related characteristics that were related to depressive state among diabetic patients. Depressive state in the patients was correlated with poor social support and low economic status, premorbid neurotic personality and the presence of complications, retinopathy in particular. However, depressive state did not correlate with age, gender, education, serum level of HbA_1C or duration of diabetes. The severity of the depressive state in diabetic patients may vary with the cultural background of the patient and/or the country in which he or she is living. In treating diabetic patients, doctors need to pay special attention to these factors.     

Activation and Inactivation of a Variety of Mutagenic Compounds by the Reconstituted System Containing Highly Purified Preparations of Cytochrome P-450 from Rat Liver

Activation and Inactivation of a Variety of Mutagenic Compoundsby the Reconstituted System Containing Highly Purified Preparationsof Cytochrome P-450 from Rat Liver. KAWANO, S., KAMATAKI, T.,MAEDA, K., KATO, R., NAKAO, T., AND MIZOGUCHI, I. (1985). Fundam.Appl. Toxicol. 5, 487–498. Six cytochrome P-450 preparationsfrom phenobarbital (PB)-treated rats and two preparations fromß-naphthoflavone (BNF)-treated rats were purified.Using Salmonella typhimurium TA98 the ability of these cytochromeP-450 preparations to mutagenically activate and inactivatea variety of carcinogens was examined. High- and low- spin formsof cytochrome P-448 isolated from BNF-treated rats (BNF-IIaand IId) activated various carcinogens. Both forms activated2-aminofluorene, benzo[a]pyrene, and dibenz[a,c]anthracene.However, o-aminoazotoluene and 2-nitrofluorene were activatedonly by the low-spin form, and aflatoxin B1 only by the high-spinform. In contrast, only limited carcinogens were activated bysome preparations from PB-treated rats. 2-Aminofluorene wasactivated by four PB-inducible preparations (PB-Ia, Ic, Id,and IIa), but only moderately. Unexpectedly, however, the mostprominent activation of benzo[a]pyrene was observed with onepreparation (PB-Id) from PB-treated rats. Direct mutagens tothe S. typhimurium, 4-NQO and AF-2, were markedly inactivatedby NADPH-cytochrome c (P-450) reductase without cytochrome P-450,One PB-inducible form (PB-Ic) inactivted 2-nitrofluorene, andthe high- spin form of P-448 (BNF-IIa) inactivated AF-2