Intrathecal IgG synthesis in patients with alterations in the neurochemical dementia diagnostics.

Neurochemical Dementia Diagnostics (NDD), i.e., analysis of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) concentrations of amyloid-beta peptides and tau/phospho-tau proteins plays important role in the diagnosis of neurodegeneration and dementias.

Decreased serum activity of semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidase (SSAO) in patients treated with second generation antipsychotics: a link to impaired glucose metabolism?

Objective: Although the treatment of schizophrenia with many second generation antipsychotics is known to be associated with metabolic changes, such as hyperglycemia or hypercholesterolemia, the underlying mechanisms of these adverse reactions remain unclear. In light of the recent focus on the involvement of semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidase (SSAO) in glucose metabolism, we investigated SSAO serum activity in schizophrenic patients treated with antipsychotics with the objective of determining a possible link between SSAO and impaired glucose metabolism.

Methods: Blood samples were drawn from 44 schizophrenic patients (24 receiving second generation antipsychotics known to disturb glucose metabolism) on day 1 and day 5 of inpatient treatment.

International quality control survey of neurochemical dementia diagnostics.

Unlabelled: Currently, neurochemical dementia diagnostics (NDD) are increasingly entering routine clinical neurochemistry, offering improved early and differential diagnosis of dementias. However, there is an obvious lack of standardization in pre-analytical sample handling and systematic quality surveys. Therefore, in this study, 14 laboratories in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland were given aliquots of a human cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) sample, and were asked to measure Alzheimer's disease (AD) biomarkers (amyloid beta (Abeta) peptides, total Tau protein, and phosphorylated Tau protein (P-tau(181P))) according to their routine protocols.

Decreased serum semicarbazide sensitive aminooxidase (SSAO) activity in patients with major depression.

Semicarbazide sensitive aminooxidase (SSAO) is known to interplay with monoamine oxidases (MAO) and several antidepressants. Taking into account the monoamine hypothesis concerning the pathophysiology of depression, the aim of the present pilot study was to evaluate serum SSAO activity in depressed patients. A total of 21 inpatients with major depression and 41 healthy controls were studied.

Serum level of semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidase in children with ADHD.

Background: The objective of this study was to analyze the extracellularly acting semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidase (SSAO) serum levels in children with ADHD for the first time. SSAO is known to show deviations from normal in various somatic disorders and to interplay with the intracellularly active MAO. In humans two forms of SSAO a circulating form in plasma and a membrane-bound form are involved in monoaminergic metabolism.

Elevated homocysteine levels in aqueous humor of patients with pseudoexfoliation glaucoma.

Purpose: To determine total homocysteine levels in aqueous humor of pseudoexfoliation open-angle glaucoma patients.

Design: Case-control study.

Methods: Total homocysteine levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in aqueous humor and plasma of 29 patients with pseudoexfoliation glaucoma and 31 control patients with cataract.

Tau protein phosphorylated at threonine 181 in CSF as a neurochemical biomarker in Alzheimer's disease: original data and review of the literature.

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) concentrations of total Tau and Tau phosphorylated at threonine (position 181 [pTau181]) were studied with ELISA in a group of carefully selected patients with a neurochemically supported diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD, n = 9; age range, 51-89 yr) and in a group of sex- and age-matched nondemented controls (n = 9; age range, 52-81 yr). The concentration of both biomarkers is increased significantly in the AD group (total Tau, p < 0.0008; pTau181, p < 0.