Determination of the enantiomers of citalopram, its demethylated and propionic acid metabolites in human plasma by chiral HPLC.

A stereoselective HPLC assay has been developed to analyze the enantiomers of citalopram and of its three main metabolites in plasma after their separation on a Chiracel OD column. Using a fluorescence detector, the limit of quantification in plasma samples was 15, 4, 5 and 2 ng/ml for the enantiomers of citalopram (CIT), desmethylcitalopram (DCIT), didesmethylcitalopram (DDCIT), and for the citalopram propionic acid derivative (CIT-PROP), respectively. Except for CIT, all metabolites were derivatized with achiral reagents.

The temperature dependence of steady-state kinetics: what can be learned about pig liver esterase stereospecificity?

The steady-state kinetic parameters for pig liver carboxylesterase (PLE)-catalyzed hydrolysis of the prochiral substrate dimethyl phenylmalonate (DMPM) (product enantioselectivity) and the separate enantiomers of three chiral 2-phenylpropionic acid esters (substrate enantioselectivity) were measured at seven temperatures between 288 K and 312 K. Arrhenius plots of turnover numbers against the reciprocal of experimental temperatures yielded enthalpies and entropies of activation at enzyme saturation. (+)-(S)-methyl-2-phenylpropionate, (+)-(S)-4-nitrophenyl 2-phenylpropionate, and both enantiomers of phenyl 2-phenylpropionate showed very similar activation enthalpies and entropies (approximately 50 kJ mol-1 and -50 J mol-1 K-1, respectively), but differences were observed for (-)-(R)-methyl 2-phenylpropionate and (-)-(R)-4-nitrophenyl 2-phenylpropionate.

Sorghum-based oral rehydration solution in the treatment of acute diarrhoea.

Sixty four children between 2.5 months and 5 years of age were randomly treated in a country hospital in Jos, Nigeria, with either the oral rehydration solution (ORS) as recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO) or a cereal-based electrolyte solution, containing 60 g/l sorghum powder. Both groups were well comparable in many aspects, except for the nutritional status and the use of ORS before admission.

Werdnig-Hoffmann disease in a Nigerian infant.

A Nigerian infant with the classical features of Werdnig-Hoffmann disease is described. According to the literature the incidence in black Africans is very low. Attention is drawn to the fact that neurological illnesses are often overlooked in negroid races; several reasons are given.

Dicarboxylicaciduria and secondary carnitine deficiency in glycogenosis type IV.

A 3 year old boy developed an unusually mild form of glycogen storage disease type IV. Metabolic investigations showed severe abnormalities of fatty acid and carnitine metabolism. A muscle carnitine deficiency was found.

Subacute zinc deficiency in children with recurrent upper respiratory tract infection.

Serum, urine and hair zinc levels in 20 patients with recurrent upper respiratory tract infection are compared with those of age- and sex-matched controls. Lower hair zinc (1.44 vs 2.

The effect of large doses of ethinylestradiol on apolipoprotein levels in excessively tall prepubertal girls.

Seventeen constitutionally tall prepubertal girls, aged 10 to 14 years, were treated with large doses of ethinyl estradiol (EE) to reduce their final height. The serum concentration of cholesterol, triglyceride, and apolipoproteins before and after four to 17 months of treatment were compared with the same variables in a reference group, initially matched for bone age and height. In the patients, cholesterol rose by 24% (1.

Skeletal maturation in the XY female syndrome.

The assessment of bone age in eleven prepuberal patients with XY-female syndrome shows that skeletal maturation in these patients follow a male pattern. This supports the concept of a factor on the Y chromosome regulating skeletal maturation in the first ten years of life. Tall stature does not seem to be a feature of this syndrome in childhood.

Zinc in hair and urine of paediatric patients.

Zinc concentrations in hair and urine were measured in groups of children varying in one condition - short stature, or after prolonged upper respiratory infection, or during non-infectious diarrhea, or while on chemotherapy for acute lymphatic leukaemia and in healthy controls. As compared with controls, hair zinc was significantly low after respiratory infection (p less than 0.0001) and high in short stature (p less than 0.

[Hyperthyroxinemia without hyperthyroidism].

The various causes of persisting hyperthyroxinemia without hyperthyroidism are discussed after short case histories of an infant with hyperthyroxinemia due to TBG excess, discovered by newborn screening for congenital hypothyroidism and a girl with peripheral resistance to thyroid hormones disclosed by investigation of a small goiter. The differentiation of these various causes by thyroid function-tests is indicated. Though the anomalies leading to euthyroid hyperthyroxinemia are usually harmless their timely recognition, also in other members of the family, will prevent erroneous diagnosis and treatment of hyperthyroidism.

[Diagnosis of hereditary metabolic disorders in newborn and young infants].

This report describes anamnestic, physical and biochemical data in the neonatal period which have led to the diagnosis of an inborn error of metabolism in 12 children. Even in hospital laboratories without facilities for elaborate biochemical assays, adequate investigations permitting timely referral of the patient to a more specialised hospital can often be carried out. Most important is the constant awareness of the pediatrician in case of serious illness which cannot be easily explained by more common causes.

HLA-DR antigens and phenotypes in Dutch coeliac children and their families.

In a study on the HLA-DR antigens and phenotypes in a series of Dutch coeliac children and their first-degree relatives, the B-cell antigens of 36 unrelated coeliac children, 110 first-degree relatives of 33 of them, and 201 controls were typed with the two-colour fluorescence test. The most frequent antigen was HLA-DR3 (69%), followed by DR7 (36%). The distribution of DR phenotypes showed that the most frequent was DR3/other DR (25%), followed by DR3/DR7 (17%), DR3/DR4 (14%), and DR3/DR3 (14%).

Successful treatment of severe carbamyl phosphate synthetase I deficiency.

We describe a girl with neonatal hyperammonaemia due to carbamyl phosphate synthetase I deficiency. Treatment consisted of protein restriction from the second day of life. Sodium benzoate was given for three weeks after birth and again from 7 months of age together with sodium phenylacetate to improve protein tolerance.

Glutaric aciduria type II: treatment with riboflavine, carnitine and insulin.

A boy, now 22 months old, is described who presented at the age of 6 weeks with hypoglycaemic coma. The excretion pattern of organic acids in the urine was consistent with glutaric aciduria type II (GA II). A high energy diet low in fat and protein was given.

Female pseudo-hermaphroditism due to an adrenal tumour in the mother.

This is a report of a case of almost complete external virilisation of a girl due to an adrenocortical adenoma of the mother. The tumour, though present for many years, caused only mild symptoms in the mother; therefore detection followed only after birth of the virilised girl.

Fukuyama type congenital muscular dystrophy--two Dutch siblings.

Two Dutch siblings, diagnosed as suffering from Fukuyama type congenital muscular dystrophy (FCMD) on the basis of clinical, computerized tomography (CT), and muscle and brain biopsy findings, are reported. Hypoplasia of the chorioidea was observed for the first time in FCMD. Autopsy of the first case revealed the major pathological changes of FCMD, i.

[The excretion of N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase in the urine of children with urinary tract diseases].

In 81 children without any urinary or kidney disease and in children with various diseases of the urinary tract, the excretion of N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) was measured in an urine sample and related to creatinine excretion. The values of the first group of children accorded well with normal values reported in the literature. The age dependency (1-12 years) of the ratio NAG/creatinine is not of great importance, a single normal value for mean and mean + 2SD can be used.

The prognosis of hyperlysinemia: an interim report.

Ten patients with familial hyperlysinemia with lysine-ketoglutarate reductase deficiency, identified through newborn screening programs or family surveys, were selected for review. Ages ranged from 2 to 24 years when last examined. A low-protein diet had been administered to two patients, which reduced the plasma lysine levels from 20 mg per dl or more to about 12 mg per dl.

Urinary retention without organic cause in children.

Acute urinary retention without organic explanation is well known in adults but has only rarely been described in children. Six cases (four boys and two girls) of non-organic acute urinary retention are reported. The diagnosis was based on negative findings on extensive urological examination.