[Carnitine deficiency myopathy: a case of late diagnosis].

Myopathies caused by lipidic metabolism alterations are very infrequent. Carnitine deficiency-associated myopathies are included in this group. Two main types of carnitine deficiency syndromes have been delineated: a predominantly myopathic form, with normal serum and low muscle carnitine levels, and a systemic form, with encephalopathy, hepatic dysfunction, muscle weakness and low muscle, liver and serum carnitine levels.

[Influence of glycemic blood glucose control and incipient diabetic nephropathy on the urinary excretion of N-acetyl-glucosaminidase (NAG) in diabetes mellitus].

Plasma glucose, glycated hemoglobin lc (HbAlc), urinary albumin excretion rate (AER) and urinary N-acetyl-glucosaminidase (NAG): creatinine ratio were studied in 100 normotensive diabetic patients with no evidence of overt renal disease and in 45 controls, to find out whether the glycaemic control and incipient nephropathy may influence the urinary excretion of NAG. Twenty-three of the diabetics had microalbuminuria (group II). Group I comprised the 77 diabetics without microalbuminuria.

[Angioimmunoblastic lymphadenopathy. Apropos a case with unusual clinical manifestations and evolution to T-cell lymphoma].

We present the case of a 67-years-old patient which, after treatment with ciprofloxacin, developed fever, exanthema, arthralgias, polyadenopathies, hepatosplenomegaly, autoimmune hemolytic anemia, hypergammaglobulinemia and severe inversion of the CD4/CD8 ratio. Latter, he developed ischemic signs in several locations (splenic and cerebral infarcts), as well as polyneuropathy and inflammatory myopathy. The diagnosis of angioimmunoblastic lymphadenopathy was established through ganglionary biopsy.

[Significance of apolipoproteins A and B and the remaining lipid fractions as indicators of protein-calorie malnutrition in the elderly].

Effects of calorie/protein malnourishment have been studied on plasma concentrations of cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL-C, LDL-C and apolipoproteins A and B, in institutionalized elderly people, 53 males and 62 females, of whom 19 females and 12 males were malnourished. In malnourished patients, total cholesterol and LDL-C were significantly lower both in males and in females, but HDL-C was lower only in females. No significant differences in plasma triglycerides were found between the control and the malnourished groups.

[The importance of a diet survey in the early detection of malnutrition in the elderly].

Background: The elevated incidence of malnutrition in the elderly and its close relation with the prevalence and evolution of determined diseases raises the need for early identification. Despite the existence of numerous indicators, specificity, sensitivity or occasionally both are lacking.

Methods: One hundred fifteen institutionalized elderly of which 19 females and 12 males had signs of malnutrition were studied.

[Clinical remission in Cushing's disease through treatment with sodium valproate and bromocriptine].

A patient suffering Cushing disease is presented in whom the administration of ciproheptadine, bromocriptine and sodium valproate in a single dose did not manage to control the clinical-biologic manifestations of the process. Combined treatment with 1.200 mg/day of sodium valproate and 15 mg/day of bromocriptine induced a complete clinical-biological remission, being arterial pressure the last parameter to normalize.

[Changes in the hypophyseal-thyroid axis and their prognostic value in sepsis].

The alterations in serum concentration of thyroxine (T4), tri-iodine-thyronine (T3), reverse tri-iodinetiroinine (rT3), thyrotropine (TSH and free thyroxine index (IT4L), are studied in 37 patients diagnosed of sepsis who were divided into two groups according to their evolution: Group A: 22 patients who evolved favourably, and Group B: 15 patients who died, as well as in 14 healthy controls; this was carried out in order to establish, on one hand, its prognostic value, and, on the other, which of these parameters is most useful in the evaluation of thyroid function in these patients. A decrease in serum T3 levels was observed in patients from both groups (p less than 0.001) which was accompanied by an increase in rT3 levels (p less than 0.

[The partial inhibition of the growth hormone response to growth hormone-releasing hormone after the administration of the calcium antagonist verapamil].

The changes produced by administering a calcium channel antagonist on the releasing of growth hormone (GH) induced by the growth hormone-releasing factor (GHRF), are studied. The study was performed on 7 healthy males between 25 and 35 years old, fasting and in bed. We measured the release of GH after the intravenous administration of 250 micrograms of GHRF on 2 successive occasions; one baseline and the second after 3 previous continuous days of 240 mg/day of verapamil.

[Serum levels of lipids, lipoproteins and apoproteins (A, A-1, and B) in diabetes mellitus type I. Their relationship with the degree of metabolic control].

We studied the role played by an adequate metabolic control on lipids, lipoproteins, apolipoprotein A (apo A), apolipoprotein A-I (apo A-I) and apolipoprotein B (apo B), in 30 type I diabetic patients at different states of the diseases. We did not observe significant differences, comparing the mean values of lipids and lipoproteins, in the group of patients with good metabolic control. Patients, without appropriate diabetic control, showed values significantly higher in triglycerides and VLDL-C and significantly lower in HDL-C compared to the values of the control group.