Different Patterns of Autoantibody Secretion by Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells in Autoimmune Nodopathies.

Background And Objectives: Autoimmune nodopathies with antibodies against the paranodal proteins show a distinct phenotype of a severe sensorimotor neuropathy. In some patients, complete remission can be achieved after treatment with rituximab whereas others show a chronic course. For optimal planning of treatment, predicting the course of disease and therapeutic response is crucial.

Glycine Receptor β-Targeting Autoantibodies Contribute to the Pathology of Autoimmune Diseases.

Background And Objectives: Stiff-person syndrome (SPS) and progressive encephalomyelitis with rigidity and myoclonus (PERM) are rare neurologic disorders of the CNS. Until now, exclusive GlyRα subunit-binding autoantibodies with subsequent changes in function and surface numbers were reported. GlyR autoantibodies have also been described in patients with focal epilepsy.

Paediatric forearm fractures manipulated in the emergency department: incidence and risk factors for re-manipulation under general anaesthesia.

Aim: Re-manipulation of paediatric forearm fractures under general anaesthetic may be required following inadequate closed reduction under conscious sedation. Manipulation under general anaesthetic carries significant inherent risks and is preferably avoided. We assessed one institution's experience with paediatric forearm fracture reduction and investigate the incidence of re-manipulation under general anaesthetic of fractures initially managed under conscious sedation without fluoroscopy.

Sensitive method for the quantification of urinary pyrimidine metabolites in healthy adults by gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

Enzyme deficiencies in pyrimidine metabolism are associated with a risk for severe toxicity against the antineoplastic agent 5-fluorouracil. To assess whether urinary levels of pyrimidines and their metabolites can be used for predicting patients' individual phenotype, a new gas chromatographic-tandem mass spectrometric method was developed which allows the simultaneous determination of uracil and thymine and their metabolites dihydrouracil, dihydrothymine, beta-ureidopropionic acid, beta-ureidoisobutyric acid, and the amino acids beta-alanine and beta-aminoisobutyric acid in human urine. Small aliquots (2-20 microl) of the urine samples were evaporated and derivatized to the tert.

Highly sensitive gas chromatographic-tandem mass spectrometric method for the determination of morphine and codeine in serum and urine in the femtomolar range.

A sensitive and specific method was developed for the determination of codeine and morphine in human serum and for the determination of trace amounts of endogenous morphine in human urine. The analytes were recovered from serum by a simple liquid-liquid extraction method. Urine samples were hydrolyzed, and purified by two liquid-liquid extraction steps and a solid-phase extraction.