Utility of multimodal evoked potentials study in neurofibromatosis type 1 of childhood.

A group of 21 children affected by neurofibromatosis type 1 has been investigated with the aim of studying multimodal (visual, brainstem auditory, and somatosensory) evoked potentials and their correlations with neurologic, electroencephalographic, and cranial magnetic resonance imaging. In the present series, cranial magnetic resonance imaging and evoked potentials were the most frequently abnormal instrumental tests. In approximately two thirds of the cases at least one of the evoked potentials (particularly visual and auditory evoked potentials) was compromised, always without clinical signs of related sensory (visual, auditory, and somatosensory) pathway pathology and sometimes in the absence of magnetic resonance imaging signs of central nervous system involvement.

The effects of the ketogenic diet in refractory partial seizures with reference to tuberous sclerosis.

Purpose: Tuberous sclerosis complex (OMIM 191100) is a multiorgan disease commonly associated with epilepsy refractory to anticonvulsants. Individual reports indicate that seizures in children with tuberous sclerosis might benefit from a ketogenic diet. We studied the effects of the diet introduced at 3.

Peripheral neuropathy in hepatitis-related mixed cryoglobulinemia: electrophysiologic follow-up study.

A retrospective study was performed on 27 patients with hepatitis C (HCV)-related mixed cryoglobulinemia (purpura, arthralgia, hepatitis, glomerulonephritis, peripheral neuropathy) to assess peripheral nerve involvement during follow-up of up to 8 years. All patients had the same degree of organ/system involvement initially and were clinically evaluated at least annually. All 27 patients received steroids; 15 also received recombinant interferon-alpha 2b (rIFN-alpha 2b).

Cytokine regulatory effects on alpha-1 proteinase inhibitor expression in NOD mouse islet endothelial cells.

Human microvascular islet endothelial cells (IEC) exhibit specific morphological and functional characteristics that differ from endothelia derived from other organs. One of these characteristics is the expression of alpha-1 proteinase inhibitor (Api). In this study, we observed its expression in nonobese diabetic (NOD) mouse IEC, in relation to the occurrence of type 1 diabetes and in response to cytokines, namely IL-1 beta and IL-10.