Depression in Parkinson's disease: the effectiveness and risk of pharmacotherapy. Clinical review.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurological disease with a heterogeneous pattern of neurological symptoms and concomitant psychiatric syndromes. These syndromes are triggered by alterations to neurotransmission that are likely common for both neurological and psychiatric symptoms. Syndromes such as depression, anxiety, or cognitive impairment can precede motor symptoms of PD and delay its diagnosis.

RANKL/RANK/OPG system and bone status in females with anorexia nervosa.

Minimal data exist concerning the relationship between osteokines of the RANKL/RANK/OPG system, especially RANKL, and bone status in females with anorexia nervosa (AN). For this reason we investigated the relationship between bone metabolism (as assessed based on serum levels of OC and CTx), and OPG and sRANKL concentrations in females with AN. Ninety-one female patients with AN and 29 healthy female subjects aged 13 to 18 years of age participated in the study.

Bupropion in the treatment of depression in Parkinson's disease.

A 78-year-old female with a nine-year history of depression was hospitalized due to worsening depression and symptoms associated with Parkinson's disease (PD). Her motor abilities improved on levodopa and the depression improved after a trial of bupropion, following unsuccessful treatment with other antidepressants. We found four reports on successful treatment of depression in PD with bupropion.

Assessment of serum apelin levels in girls with anorexia nervosa.

Context: Pilot studies in rats have suggested that apelin (APE) is involved in the control of appetite and food intake. APE is secreted in the organs involved in the control of hunger and satiety: the stomach, hypothalamus, and fat tissue. Anorexia nervosa (AN) is an eating disorder that represents a good biological model of chronic fat tissue atrophy in humans.

Melatonin, the RANKL/RANK/OPG system, and bone metabolism in girls with anorexia nervosa.

Introduction: Young women and girls with anorexia nervosa (AN) suffer from abnormalities in melatonin (MEL) secretion, especially in the nocturnal phase. This is paralleled by a considerable bone mass loss and abnormalities of bone metabolism. As melatonin has been implicated in playing a role in inducing osteoporosis and that the effect could be mediated by the RANKL/RANK/OPG system, we decided to investigate the potential associations between MEL and bone status in girls with AN.

Effects of feminizing surgery for ambiguous genitalia - a novel scale for evaluation of cosmetic and anatomical results.

Introduction: Ambiguous genitalia always present diagnostic and therapeutic problem. Long-term results of feminizing operations are unsatisfactory in some cases and reports from follow-up after feminizing genitoplasty are rare in the literature. Systematic studies are needed to evaluate ultimate function of all girls undergoing feminizing surgery.

[Stigma and related factors basing on mental illness stigma].

Stigmatization is a common problem to overcome for people suffering from chronic diseases. It usually follows infectious diseases, disabilities and mental disorders. In our study we explained basic concepts concerning stigma, particularly health-related one, and then we presented the most important socio-demographic factors influencing attitudes towards mentally ill people exemplifying them by scientific literature on mental illness stigma.

Spirometric parameters in malnourished girls with anorexia nervosa.

Repercussions of obesity on the lung function have been widely studied. The effect of serious malnutrition is less well known. The aim of study was to determine spirometric parameters in 102 malnourished girls with anorexia nervosa.

Effects of neuroendocrine changes on results of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) in adolescent girls with anorexia nervosa.

Objectives: Anorexia nervosa (AN) is characterized by marked neuroendocrine and autonomic dysfunctions. In the recent studies using automatic blood pressure monitoring (ABPM), lower BP values and lack of circardian variation of BP in anorectic patients were demonstrated. Unfortunately effects of hormonal changes, that may explain BP abnormalities were not analysed together.

Skeletal status and laboratory investigations in adolescent girls with anorexia nervosa.

To our knowledge anorexia nervosa (AN) adversely influences bone density, but whether qualitative characteristics of bone are also affected is not known. For this reason we investigated prospectively the changes in skeletal status in a population of 18 adolescent girls with AN aged 11.5-18.

[Datura stramonium poisoning--a new problem in children and young people's toxicomania in Poland].

The aim of the study was to show the growing problem of poisoning with easily accessible shrub Datura stramonium among children and young people. 21 children with the symptoms of poisoning with this plant were treated in The Silesian Centre for Children's Diseases in Zabrze in the years 1999-2001. The majority of patients were boys (18 cases) at the age between 15-17 years (15).

[Anorexia nervosa in boys and men].

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is thought to appear predominantly in girls and young women. Twenty years ago the incidence of AN was considered as 1 boy to 10-15 girls. Recent data suggest that the girls to boys rate is 4:1.

[Familial precocious puberty -- a variant of norm or pathology?].

Since 1937, when familial precocious puberty (FPP) was described for the first time, only few reports on FPP have been published. The majority of them is concerned with the most investigated form of FPP, occurring only in male --testotoxicosis (male-limited precocious puberty -- MLPP). Recently another form of FPP -- familial hyperestrogenism (aromatase excess syndrome -- AES) has been described.

[Corneal endothelial density in glaucoma patients].

Purpose: To asses mean endothelial cell density in glaucoma patients.

Material And Methods: Examinations were conducted and registered using the Noncon Robo (Konan) non-contact specular microscope between years 2000 and 2004, in Tadeusz Krwawicz Chair of Ophthalmology and 1st Eye Hospital, Medical University of Lublin. The results of 159 patients (233 eyes) with glaucoma and 37 patients (44 eyes) with pseudoexfoliation syndrome were analyzed.

Negative results of antiendomysial antibodies: long term follow up.

Fifteen patients with intestinal villous atrophy, but simultaneously negative results of antiendomysial antibodies (EMA) were studied. Two patients were finally diagnosed as having coeliac disease. The predictive value of negative results of EMA assessment in children suspected of coeliac disease is high, approaching 86.

[Association of brain computed tomography images of intracranial calcifications in three different cases of hypoparathyroidism].

The problem of intracranial calcifications in children has not been widely discussed in the literature yet. The aim of this study is to emphasise different clinical aspects of intracranial calcifications found in subcortical nuclei and cerebellum in children with disturbed calcium metabolism. We report three different cases of hypoparathyroidism in children in whom similar radiological changes on computed tomography (CT) of the brain were found.

[Umbilical cord blood--invaluable source of stem cells].

The aim of the study was to discuss the role of stem cells in the organism. The paper presents the significance of stem cells in the treatment of many diseases, such as hematopoietic system disorders, muscular dystrophies, Parkinson disease, and congenital immunodeficiency syndromes. The results of investigations on stem cells carried out in recent years allow to presume, that the usage of stem cells will turn out to be a breakthrough in the history of medicine.

[Urinary system abnormalities in children of the pediatric outpatient clinics in Lublin].

The study was carried out in 3160 children screened for urinary system abnormalities. The examined group consisted of patients of the Pediatric Outpatient Clinics in town Lublin, born between 1992-1996. The comprehensive clinical, anamnestic and laboratory analysis was based on the data from case records and hospital cards.

Nephrotic origin hyperlipidemia, relative reduction of vitamin E level and subsequent oxidative stress may promote atherosclerosis.

Background: The relation between nephrotic syndrome and atherosclerosis has not yet been fully clarified, although the high levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol usually found in this syndrome may give rise to atherosclerosis. This study was intended to test the disturbances of antioxidant/oxidant status in children with nephrotic syndrome (NS).

Methods: 8 children in the active stage (AS) of NS, 7 children during the remission stage (REM) of NS, and 14 control subjects (CTRL) were enrolled into the study.

[Hepatocyte growth factor in kidney diseases].

HGF--hepatocyte growth factor--belongs to the growth factors family, derivatives of plasminogen. Authors in this study discuss HGF and its receptor structure, physicochemical properties, release of HGF and its action on cellular level, describe also methods of HGF detection. HGF is a potent mitogen for hepatocytes, plays an important role in liver regeneration after inflammation and partial hepatectomy.

[Evaluation of interleukin-6 level and its soluble receptor concentration in children with chronic renal failure].

The cytokines play a main role as mediators in immunological response. IL-6 with IL-2 and INF-gamma take a part in stimulation and differentiation of cytotoxic lymphocytes T, in stimulation and production of antibodies by lymphocytes B, in stimulation of production of acute phase proteins by hepatocytes and in proliferation of mezenchymal cells. The aim of this study was a comparison of concentrations of IL-6 and sIL-6R in children with chronic renal failure on dialysis treatment (11 children), continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (10 children) and conservative therapy (18 children).

[Interferon therapy in cildren with chronic hepatitis and chronic renal failure treated with dialysis].

The HCV proliferation occurs in patients with chronic hepatitis type C on hemodialysis treatment after the kidney graft. The replication markers of HBV also occurs in patients after kidney graft. 35 children were examined.

[Evaluation of serum sialic acid concentration in chronic renal failure children on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis and hemodialysis].

In various pathological conditions elevated serum sialic acid level, as the result of increased metabolism of glycoproteins and glycolipids, is observed. The study aimed at the evaluation of sialic acid concentration in serum of children on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) and maintenance haemodialysis (HD). Examination was performed in 27 end-stage renal disease (ESRD) children including 11 on CAPD, 16 on HD treatment.

[Blood serum hepatocyte growth factor in children with chronic renal failure treated with CAPD and HD].

HGF--hepatocyte growth factor--belongs to the growth factors family, derivatives of plasminogen. HGF is a potent mitogen for hepatocytes, and has also renotropic properties. The study aimed at analysing HGF serum concentration in 20 children on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) and haemodialysis (HD) treatment.