Monoamine oxidase-B activity in alcohol withdrawal of smokers: is there any relationship with aggressiveness?

There is a considerable inconsistency in terms of the association between alcoholism and alterations in monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity. The main objectives of this study were to investigate the changes in platelet MAO-B activity throughout the alcohol withdrawal period and whether or not MAO-B activity differed between patients with high- and low-aggression tendency. We assayed platelet MAO-B levels spectrophotometrically in 22 male inpatients with alcohol dependence in their first and fourth weeks of withdrawal and in 20 healthy controls. Patients were divided into two high- and low-aggression subgroups according to scores obtained in a Brown-Goodwin Assessment for Life History of Aggression. Our data revealed that the significantly lower platelet MAO-B activity observed during the first week of alcohol withdrawal in patients, compared to controls, did not continue in the fourth week, and that there was no relationship between aggressiveness and MAO activity. These results suggest that low platelet MAO activity may be a state marker of alcohol withdrawal period or a result of high alcohol consumption rather than a trait marker of alcoholism.     

Effects of electroconvulsive therapy on hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis activity in depressed patients

In this study, the authors aimed to test the hypothesis that electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) may cause some alterations in hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis hormones and these responses may change throughout respective ECT sessions. Nineteen depressed inpatients (8 males, 11 females; mean age+/-S.D.: 44.77+/-10.59 years) considered suitable for ECT were included in the study. Each patient was exposed to 7 ECT sessions with general anaesthesia. The blood samples for measurements of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free thyroiodothyronine (fT3) and free thyroxine (fT4) were drawn before (baseline) and after propofol, immediately after ECT, and 30 and 60 min after ECT during the first and last (seventh) ECTs. In both the first and seventh ECTs, there was a significant increase in TSH levels 30 min after ECT compared to the pre-ECT values. Additionally, a significant decrease in post-ECT fT4 values compared to the baseline values was found only during the seventh ECT. No difference was detected in the TSH, fT3 and fT4 responses to ECT between males and females, and between bipolar and unipolar depressive patients. These results show that ECT may have some effects on the HPT system. However, whether there is a relationship between these neuroendocrine responses and the therapeutic effect of ECT is not clear.     

Gamma probe-guided resection and scanning with TC-99m MIBI of a local recurrence of follicular thyroid carcinoma

A 30-year-old woman underwent two operations for multinodular goiter and follicular thyroid carcinoma. The residual thyroid tissue was ablated by I-131 therapy. After 7 years of follow-up, Tc-99m MIBI and I-131 scintigraphy were performed, because her serum thyroglobulin level was much higher compared with the control analysis performed in the sixth year. Tc-99m MIBI showed pathologic accumulation, which could be consistent with a local recurrence, whereas the results of I-131 scintigraphy were negative. The locally recurring follicular thyroid carcinoma was resected using a gamma probe and Tc-99m MIBI. The thyroglobulin level decreased to a normal level after surgery. This case shows that the intraoperative use of a gamma probe with Tc-99m MIBI allows localization of recurrent thyroid tissue in the scarred area in patients with increased radionuclide accumulation, and scanning of the affected area using the gamma probe may be helpful in determining whether resection is complete.     

Octreotide inhibits myeloperoxidase activity in rat uterus

OBJECTIVE: Several studies have demonstrated that synthetic somatostatin-analog octreotide could affect the functions of the hypothalamus, anterior pituitary gland and ovary. To date, very few studies on the effect of octreotide on uterine function have been reported. We investigated the effects of octreotide on neutrophil functions in rat uterus. METHODS: Twenty Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to a standardized uterine horn excision. To evaluate the effect of octreotide, the rats were assigned randomly to treatment (octreotide 20 microgr/kg, SC) and control groups. After two weeks relaparotomy was performed and contralateral uterine horns were excised in the same standardized manner. The excised segment was washed in cold saline solution and was frozen in liquid nitrogen immediately and homogenized. Myeloperoxidase (MPO) and elastase concentrations were determined in homogenates of uterine horns. The data were analyzed by Mann-Whitney U test. RESULTS: In octreotide-treated rats the MPO activity was significantly reduced after 14 days (14.79+/-2.08 versus 6.62+/-1.72 U/mg protein; p=0.012). There was also a significant difference in mean MPO levels between the two groups at the end of the experiment (6.62+/- 1.72 versus 18.56+/-2.49 U/mg protein; p=0.001). The octreotide administration did not affect elastase levels significantly. No differences were found in mean elastase levels in both groups after the treatment. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that octreotide has a significant effect on the neutrophil function in terms of MPO activity in rat uterus. Further studies are needed to clarify the clinical relevance of the inhibitory effect of octreotide in the uterus and the possibility of its applications.     

Acute respiratory distress due to malignant schwannoma. A case report.

A 13-year-old boy with acute respiratory distress due to a malignant schwannoma located in the neck, is reported. This case suggested that malignant schwannoma in the neck can lead to airway obstruction.     

Effect of amyloidosis on long-term survival in kidney transplantation

Amyloidosis is characterized by the accumulation of an amorphous material in various organs and tissues secondary to a variety of inflammatory, immune, infectious, and hereditary diseases. Since 1975, our transplantation team has performed 1470 renal transplantations. Between 1985 and July 2004, among 1159 kidney transplantations, 953 (82.3%) were from living donors and 206 (17.7%) from cadaveric donors. There were 32 recipients (28 men, 4 women; mean age, 31.4 +/- 1.7 years; range, 21 to 48 years) with amyloidosis, including, 28 (87.5%) who received grafts from living donors and 4 (12.5%) from cadaveric donors. Amyloidosis was secondary to familial Mediterranean fever in 22 (68.7%) patients and rheumatoid arthritis in 1 (3.1%). The remaining 9 (28.1%) patients had primary amyloidosis. The mean follow-up time was 51.2 +/- 5.7 months (range, 2-124 months). Mean HLA mismatch rate was 2.2 +/- 1. Twenty-six (81.2%) patients are alive at this time with functioning grafts, and a mean serum creatinine value of 2.1 +/- 1.5 ng/dL. The 1- and 5-year patient and graft survival rates were 90.6% and 84.3%, and 81.2% and 68.7%, respectively. We conclude that patients with amyloidosis may undergo kidney transplantation safely expecting outcomes similar to those patients who receive transplantations for other reasons.