Early maladaptive schemas in bipolar disorder

Objective. According to the cognitive model of depression, negative schemas, formed in early life, increase susceptibility to depression. The objective of this study was to investigate schemas that are proposed to increase susceptibility of depression in bipolar disorder patients who have had depressive episodes. Method. Eighteen patients diagnosed with bipolar disorder according to DSM‐IV and a healthy control group (N= 20) constituted the sample of the study. The Beck Depression Inventory, Young Mania Rating Scale, and Young Schema Scale were applied to patients in order to determine the level of symptoms and schemas. Results. When the scores obtained from Young Schema Scale were compared between groups, significant differences were observed between bipolar patients and control group on all the schemas except abandonment, emotional deprivation, defectiveness, vulnerability to harm or illness, and approval seeking. The negative schema scores of bipolar patients were significantly higher than those of the control group. Conclusion. Of all schemas included in the Young Schema Scale, the scores of bipolar group were higher than the scores of the control group. These findings suggest that, in cognitive‐based psychotherapeutic approaches for patients with bipolar disorder, it would be more effective to focus on schemas related to the perception and allowance of feelings at the proper time and the instability of self‐perceptions.     

Loss of balancing selection in the βS globin locus

Background  

Probably the best example of the rise and maintenance of balancing selection as an evolutionary trend is the role of S-haemoglobin (HbS - rs334) in protecting from malaria. Yet, the dynamics of such a process remains poorly understood, particularly in relation to different malaria transmission rates and the genetic background of the affected populations.     

Nitrite directly vasodilates hypoxic vasculature via nitric oxide-dependent and -independent pathways

Background and purpose:

It is postulated that nitrite requires reduction to nitric oxide in order to exert its relaxant effect upon isolated hypoxic vessels. Herein, we evaluate the relative contribution of nitric oxide and characterize the downstream mechanisms of nitrite-induced vasorelaxation.

Experimental approach:

Aortic rings were treated with pharmacological agents and exposed to hypoxia (<1% O₂). Following pre-constriction, nitrite (10 µM final) was added to appropriate baths; isometric tension was recorded throughout.

Key results:

Nitrite (under hypoxic conditions at physiological pH) is capable of exerting physiological effects that cannot be completely inhibited by the inhibitor of soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC), 1H [1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one or a nitric oxide scavenger (carboxy-2-phenyl-4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-imidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide). Simultaneous blockade of both sGC and cyclooxygenase (COX) completely inhibited the response to nitrite. With regard to the nitric oxide-dependent component, we confirm that aldehyde oxidase, but not xanthine oxidase or endothelial nitric oxide synthase, was important for the actions of nitrite in our model.

Conclusions and implications:

Nitric oxide generated from nitrite is not exclusively responsible for the physiological actions observed in isolated hypoxic vessels. Nitrite operates via different pathways dependent on the presence or absence of endothelium to produce vasorelaxation. In intact vessels, both sGC and COX enzymes appear to be important. Irrespective of this difference in relaxation mechanism, nitrite is capable of producing the same maximum relaxation, regardless of the presence of endothelium. Having investigated possible nitrite reduction sites, we confirm that aldehyde oxidase is important for the actions of nitrite.     

Early coagulopathy in multiple injury: an analysis from the German Trauma Registry on 8724 patients

BACKGROUND: There is increasing evidence for acute traumatic coagulopathy occurring prior to emergency room (ER) admission but detailed information is lacking. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis using the German Trauma Registry database including 17,200 multiple injured patients was conducted to determine (a) to what extent clinically relevant coagulopathy has already been established upon ER admission, and whether its presence was associated (b) with the amount of intravenous fluids (i.v.) administered pre-clinically, (c) with the magnitude of injury, and (d) with impaired outcome and mortality. Eight thousand seven hundred and twenty-four patients with complete data sets were screened. RESULTS: Coagulopathy upon ER admission as defined by prothrombin time test (Quick's value) <70% and/or platelets <100,000 microl(-1), was present in 34.2% of all patients. There was an increasing incidence for coagulopathy with increasing amounts of i.v. fluids administered pre-clinically. Coagulopathy was observed in >40% of patients with >2000 ml, in >50% with >3000 ml, and in >70% with >4000 ml administered. Ten percentage of patients presented with clotting disorders although pre-clinical resuscitation was limited to 500 ml of i.v. fluids maximum. The mean ISS score in the coagulopathy group was 30 (S.D. 15) versus 21 (S.D. 12) (p<0.001). Twenty-nine percentage of patients with coagulopathy developed multi organ failure (p<0.001). Early in-hospital mortality (<24h) was 13% in patients with coagulopathy (p<0.001) and overall in-hospital mortality totalled 28% (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: There is a high frequency of established coagulopathy in multiple injury upon ER admission. The presence of early traumatic coagulopathy was associated with the amount of intravenous fluids administered pre-clinically, magnitude of injury, and impaired outcome.     

Late onset rheumatoid arthritis: clinical and laboratory comparisons with younger onset patients

We aimed to compare the clinical and laboratory profiles of the patients presenting late onset rheumatoid arthritis (LORA) with younger onset rheumatoid arthritis (YORA) patients. During the period between January 1995 and December 2004, 124 patients with LORA were identified from a retrospective chart review of inpatients and outpatients. They were compared with 150 YORA patients examined during the same period including their clinical and laboratory findings. The mean ages of the patients with LORA and YORA were 71.7+/-5.9 years, and 52.1+/-11.5 years, respectively. The gender ratio (female/male) was 1.48 in LORA and 2.85 in YORA (p = 0.012). The average ages of the disease onset were 42.2+/-10.4 years in YORA and 68.4+/-4.6 years in LORA. The duration of the diagnosis was longer in LORA than in YORA (20.7+/-14.3 months versus 10.3+/-6.2 months, p < 0.001). Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) duration was shorter in LORA than in YORA (43.5+/-64.4 months versus 126.3+/-101.0 months, p < 0.001). Although LORA patients had more significant frequent shoulder joint involvements (p < 0.001), proximal interphalangeal (PIP), metacarpophalangeal (MCP), elbow, metatarsophalangeal (MTP) and ankle involvements were common in YORA. Wrist, knee and hip involvements were not different in the groups. Classical rheumatoid hand deformities, interstitial lung disease and Sj?gren's syndrome (SS) were significantly lower in LORA than in YORA. LORA patients had more common weight loss, myalgia, lymphadenopathy, polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR)-like syndrome and neuropathy. The frequencies of RF, ANA, anti-SSA/Ro and anti-SSB/La positivities were lower in LORA than in YORA, whereas elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rates (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP) and anemia associated with chronic disease were higher in LORA. Patients with LORA, according to the accepted international criteria, present with different clinical and laboratory profiles when compared with younger patients. These results suggest that age may influence the presentation of RA at onset.     

A case of overlap syndrome with rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, systemic sclerosis and secondary sjögren’s syndrome

We report an unusual case of overlap syndrome that had the coexistence of five autoimmune diseases. A 45-year-old woman initially developed seropositive erosive rheumatoid arthritis (RA) 11 years ago. She then developed progressive systemic sclerosis (PSS) (including pulmonary hypertension, esophageal dysfunction, cardiac involvement and sclerodactilitis), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) (including photosensitivity, nephritis, leukopenia, lymphopenia, thrombocytopenia and Coombs positive hemolytic anemia and positive anti-dsDNA), and secondary Sjögren’s syndrome (SSS) in the last 7 years before she was admitted to our clinic. The patient fulfilled classification criteria for RA, SLE, PSS and SSS, as determined by American College of Rheumatology. Hypothyroidism with positive autoantibodies due to Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, the beginning of which could not be defined, was coexistent with this overlap syndrome. In the literature, although overlap syndromes in different combinations were reported, we very rarely observed a complex case like this patient. In our opinion, this is the first well-documented case of RA, PSS, SLE, SSS and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis existing together in the same patient. Although immunosuppressive therapy was administered, the disease rapidly deteriorated and the patient died.