Acyl-CoA binding protein for the experimental treatment of anorexia.

Extracellular acyl-coenzyme A binding protein [ACBP encoded by diazepam binding inhibitor (DBI)] is a phylogenetically ancient appetite stimulator that is secreted in a nonconventional, autophagy-dependent fashion. Here, we show that low ACBP/DBI plasma concentrations are associated with poor prognosis in patients with anorexia nervosa, a frequent and often intractable eating disorder. In mice, anorexia induced by chronic restraint stress (CRS) is accompanied by a reduction in circulating ACBP/DBI concentrations.

Methodological considerations for ghrelin isoforms assay in clinical evaluation in anorexia nervosa.

The growing interest concerning the role of metabolic sensors in various eating disorders requires the implementation of a strict methodology to collect, store and process blood samples in clinical studies. In particular, measurement of isoforms of the appetite-stimulating hormone, ghrelin, has been challenging in clinical settings. Indeed the acyl ghrelin (AG) isoform is rapidly degraded into desacyl ghrelin (DAG) by blood esterases, thus optimal conditions for the conservation of AG and accurate determination of AG/DAG ratio should be used.

Lower leptin level at discharge in acute anorexia nervosa is associated with early weight-loss.

Objective: Predictive values of acute phase metabolic abnormalities of anorexia nervosa (AN) have seldom been studied. As early postrestoration weight loss is associated with poor outcome, discharge biologic parameters were assessed to detect an association with 2-month follow-up weight loss as a proxy to poor outcome.

Method: Fasting plasma levels of leptin, acyl-ghrelin, obestatin, PYY, oxytocin and BDNF were measured in 26 inpatients, at inclusion, at discharge and 2 months later.

Unexpected Association of Desacyl-Ghrelin with Physical Activity and Chronic Food Restriction: A Translational Study on Anorexia Nervosa.

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a severe metabopsychiatric disorder characterised by caloric intake restriction and often excessive physical exercise. Our aim is to assess in female AN patients and in a rodent model, the co-evolution of physical activity and potential dysregulation of acyl-(AG) and desacyl-(DAG) ghrelin plasma concentrations during denutrition and weight recovery. AN inpatients were evaluated at inclusion (T0, = 29), half-(T1) and total (T2) weight recovery, and one month after discharge (T3, = 13).

Propofol-interrupted tinnitus later suppressed by amantadine: a case-report.

Tinnitus is a frequent condition without consistently effective remediation. Mr V. was a 64 year old man with Behcet's disease, a generalized systemic relapsing vasculitis.

Why do people with eating disorders drop out from inpatient treatment?: the role of personality factors.

Dropout rates from inpatient treatment for eating disorders are very high and have a negative impact on outcome. The purpose of this study was to identify personality factors predictive of dropout from hospitalization. A total of 64 adult patients with anorexia nervosa consecutively hospitalized in a specialized unit were included; 19 patients dropped out.

[Depression and professional activity: results of the NEXTEP study].

Background: Depression is one of the most common diseases. It is associated with a significant psychosocial disability and many studies have shown that it results in numerous sick-leaves, with substantial economic burden. However, most of the studies have been conducted in Northern Europe and the situation in France remains unknown.

Treating the cause of illness rather than the symptoms: parental causal beliefs and treatment choices in autism spectrum disorder.

Objectives: To explore the relationship between causal beliefs on autism (CBA) and treatment choices.

Design And Methods: A cross-sectional design was employed. Parents of a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) were asked to complete the Lay-Beliefs about Autism Questionnaire (LBA-Q) and answer questions about treatments used.

Predictors of dropout from inpatient treatment for anorexia nervosa: data from a large French sample.

Dropout from anorexia nervosa inpatient treatment programs is frequent and is linked to a poorer outcome. This study aimed to identify predictive factors for dropout among anorexia nervosa inpatients. Between 1988 and 2004, 601 consecutive female inpatients with anorexia, restrictive (AN-R) or binge/purging (AN-B/P) subtype (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition (DSM-IV)), were assessed at admission (clinical, socio-demographic, and psychological data).

[Factors associated with treatment adequacy of major depressive episodes in France].

Introduction: Level of treatment inadequacy amongst people suffering from a major depressive episode (MDE) remains an important issue in the literature. Moreover, from a public health perspective, it's important to know how this situation can be improved.

Aim Of The Study: The objective of this study was to identify which factors are associated with adequate treatment for depression in France.

[Use of services and treatment adequacy of major depressive episodes in France].

Introduction: Though depressive disorders are major problems of public health, general population data about use of services and treatment adequacy are scarce in France. The literature suggests that the percentage of people suffering from mental disorders who are adequately treated is low.

Aim Of The Study: The objective of this study was to estimate the 12-month use of services in the French general population suffering from major depressive episodes (MDE) and levels of treatment adequacy.

Treatment choices in autism spectrum disorder: the role of parental illness perceptions.

A cross-sectional design was employed. Parents of a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) were asked to complete a modified version of the Revised Illness-Perception Questionnaire (IPQ-RA) and answer questions about information-seeking activities and treatments used. Internal consistency, construct validity, and factor structure were assessed.

Role of the ghrelin/obestatin balance in the regulation of neuroendocrine circuits controlling body composition and energy homeostasis.

Ghrelin and obestatin are two peptides isolated from the gastrointestinal tract and encoded by the same preproghrelin gene. They convey to the central nervous system informations concerning the nutritional status and/or the energy stores. Ghrelin, mostly acting through the GH secretagogue receptor GHS-R, is a potent GH secretagogue, an orexigenic peptide and a long-term regulator of energy homeostasis.

In-patient care costs of patients with bipolar I disorder: a comparison between two European centers.

Background: Bipolar disorder (BPD) is a disabling disease with high morbidity rates. An international (Spain, France) comparative study about hospitalizations and in-patient care costs associated with BPD I was performed. Centers were included if they had access to a database of computerized patient charts exhaustively covering a defined catchment area.

[Evaluation of perturbed body image in eating disorders using the Body Shape Questionnaire].

Introduction: Eating disorders are characterized by severe disturbance in eating behavior. A disturbance in perception of body shape and weight is an essential feature of both anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN). Eating disorder patients demonstrate the same characteristic attitude about body image, such as fear of fatness or pursuit of thinness.

Anxiety and depression prevalence rates in age-related macular degeneration.

Purpose: To estimate the prevalence rates of depression and anxiety in patients with wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and the relationship with visual acuity and to develop a simple algorithm for depression screening.

Methods: This cross-sectional, prospective, observational, multicenter study was performed in France, Germany, and Italy. Retina specialists at 10 centers per country each enrolled 12 consecutive patients with wet ARMD.

Family trios analysis of common polymorphisms in the obestatin/ghrelin, BDNF and AGRP genes in patients with Anorexia nervosa: association with subtype, body-mass index, severity and age of onset.

Anorexia nervosa (AN) affects 0.3% of young girls with a mortality of 6%/decade and is strongly familial with genetic factors. Ghrelin is an upstream regulator of the orexigenic peptides NPY and AgRP and acts as a natural antagonist to leptin's effects on NPY/AgRP-expressing neurons, resulting in an increase in feeding and body weight.