A study of clinical features of cough variant asthma.

Patients with cough variant asthma (CVA) and classic asthma are frequently among subjects who present at clinics complaining of a chronic persistent cough. To reveal the features of CVA, we examined the differences in the clinical appearance between CVA and classic asthma. Ten CVA subjects and 11 classic asthmatics were enrolled in the study; they were recruited among patients who presented at the National Minamiokayama Hospital complaining of a chronic cough.

Relationship between oxidative stress and apoE phenotype in Alzheimer's disease.

Objective: To investigate the relationship between oxidative stress and apoE phenotype in dementia of Alzheimer type (DAT).

Material And Methods: Hydroxyl radical content in blood, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in red blood cells (RBC) and plasma, Cu,Zn-SOD protein content in RBC, and apoE phenotype were determined in 24 DAT patients and 25 controls.

Results: DAT patients with the apoE4 phenotype showed higher hydroxyl radical levels than DAT patients without the apoE4 phenotype or controls.

Hydroxyl radical and superoxide dismutase in blood of patients with Parkinson's disease: relationship to clinical data.

Hydroxyl radical (.OH) levels in blood, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in plasma (plasma-SOD) and in red blood cells (RBC) relative to Cu,Zn-SOD (SOD1) protein (RBC-SOD/SOD1), SOD1 protein in RBC (SOD1/RBC) and plasma (SOD1/plasma), and Mn-SOD protein in plasma (SOD2/plasma) were measured in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), multiple-system atrophy (MSA) with parkinsonism, and in control subjects. Patients with PD had significantly higher.

Free radicals and superoxide dismutase in blood of patients with Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia.

We measured hydroxyl radical (.OH) levels in blood, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in red blood cells (RBC) relative to both total protein (RBC-SOD/P) and Cu,Zn-SOD protein (RBC-SOD/SOD), SOD activity in plasma (plasma-SOD), and Cu,Zn-SOD protein relative to total RBC protein (Cu,Zn-SOD/P) in 22 patients with probable dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT group, mean age 74.8+/-9.

Free radicals in the cerebrospinal fluid are associated with neurological disorders including mitochondrial encephalomyopathy.

The free radical levels in the cerebrospinal fluid of 8 patients with neurological diseases and 9 undergoing lumbar anesthesia for surgery were measured. The ascorbate free radical level 10 min after lumbar puncture showed a positive correlation with the hydroxyl radical level. In the patient with mitochondrial encephalomyopathy, the levels of hydroxyl and ascorbate free radicals increased upon discontinuation of treatment and decreased upon its resumption, and the ascorbate free radical levels without therapy fell after lumbar puncture.

Superoxide dismutase and free radicals in sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: relationship to clinical data.

We studied the relationships between the superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, free radical (FR) levels and clinical data in patients with sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (SALS). The SOD activities and blood FR levels of 16 patients with SALS (mean age 58.6 +/- 10.

[Axonal Guillain-Barré syndrome associated with anti-GalNAc-GD1a antibody subsequent to Campylobacter jejuni (PEN 43) enteritis].

We reported a 16-year-old boy who had Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) after suffering diarrhea. Campylobacter jejuni was isolated from his stool, and the serotype belonged to PEN 43. Neurologic examination revealed distal-dominant muscle weakness atrophy, and mild sensory disturbance.

Free radicals, lipid peroxides and antioxidants in blood of patients with myotonic dystrophy.

We studied the levels of free radicals, lipid peroxides and antioxidants, as well as superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in the blood of six patients with myotonic dystrophy (MyD) (mean age 52.8, SD 5.0 years) and seven controls (mean age 48.

[Free radical, lipid peroxide and antioxidant in mitochondrial encephalomyopathy].

We studied free radical, lipid peroxide (LPO) and antioxidant levels of blood in three cases with mitochondrial encephalomyopathy. Case 1 was a 17-year-old man with MELAS. Serum vitamin E levels were decreased and LPO levels were increased after stroke-like episodes in case 1.

A family of familial hypercholesterolemia with cerebral infarction and without coronary heart disease. An unusual case with corneal opacity, polyneuropathy and carpal tunnel syndrome in the family: therapy with probucol and tocopherol nicotinate.

A study is presented of a 48-year-old female patient and her three siblings with familial hypercholesterolemia. The family members had episodes of cerebral infarction and apparently had atherosclerosis of the internal carotid artery, but no coronary heart disease due to their almost normal level of cholesterol. The laboratory studies of the family members revealed the elevations of serum lipid peroxides, serum lipoprotein(a), leukotriene C4 in blood, the thromboxane B2/6-keto-prostaglandin F1 alpha ratio in plasma and serum hydroxyl radical.

[Relation between cerebral white matter damage on CT and MRI and clinical data in DRPLA (pseudo-Huntington form)].

We studied the relation between cerebral white matter damage and clinical data in nine patients with dentatorubropallidoluysian atrophy (DRPLA). All patients showed pseudo-Huntington form. The study produced five results.

Mitochondrial encephalomyopathy (MELAS): pathological study and successful therapy with coenzyme Q10 and idebenone.

Two patients with mitochondrial myopathy, encephalopathy, lactic acidosis and strokelike episodes (MELAS) in one family are reported. Pathological examination of case 1 showed ragged-red fibers, with 7% of the fibers being unstained by cytochrome c oxidase stain, peripheral nerve damage, multiple areas of softening in the cerebrum and midbrain, and spongy changes in the cerebrum, optic nerve and pons. Electron microscopic examination revealed abnormal accumulations of mitochondria in the skeletal muscle, smooth muscle and cardiac muscle.