Partial epileptic seizures of different origin variably affect cardiac rhythm.

Purpose: The present study was aimed at evaluating electrocardiographic (ECG) changes associated with partial epileptic seizures without seizure activity secondarily generalized.

Methods: We assessed heart rate (HR) changes occurring during 100 partial epileptic seizures, as recorded by ambulatory EEG-ECG in 50 outpatients. Consecutive R-R intervals were measured for the 30 s immediately preceding the onset and for the first 10-s period of discharge.

Lack of both spinal fluid oligoclonal bands and complement 4A protein in an MS patient.

We report the case of a multiple sclerosis (MS) patient without oligoclonal bands (OCB) in three cerebrospinal fluid samples. Restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of Class 3 genes with radiolabelled specific cDNA probes showed a homozygous deletion of the complement 4A (C4A) genes. Consequent lack of C4A protein can alter the development of humoral immune response probably preventing OCB production.

Myoclonus epilepsy and ragged-red fibers: blood mitochondrial DNA heteroplasmy in affected and asymptomatic members of a family.

By a rapid PCR-based method to assess the 8344 mtDNA mutation associated with MERRF disease, we have studied DNA from blood samples of 10 individuals belonging to a family spanning four generations in which one patient showed the complete MERRF phenotype, three other members were less severely affected, while the remaining were unaffected. The percentage of mutant mtDNA was quantified by laser-densitometric scanning of the negative photographic sheets of the agarose gels. The results showed that the MERRF patient had 53% of mutated mtDNA while the two less affected patients had 62% and 14% of mutated mtDNA, respectively.

Dementia of the Alzheimer type and hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenocortical axis: changes in cerebrospinal fluid corticotropin releasing factor and plasma cortisol levels.

The activity of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis was explored in 10 patients with dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT) and in 11 age-matched controls, by measuring 1) corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) levels in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), 2) the circadian changes of plasma cortisol, 3) and 4) the plasma cortisol response to dexamethasone suppression test (DST) and to CRF stimulation test. CSF CRF levels in DAT were significantly higher than in controls and inversely related to the Mini Mental State (MMS) score. The patients also displayed increased morning (0800 h) plasma cortisol values, with higher mesor and amplitude in the circadian pattern.

Performance and clinical significance of the new fructosamine assay in diabetic patients.

The performance of the assay and the clinical usefulness of a new short-term index (Fructosamine Plus: FP) of metabolic control in diabetes was evaluated. The FP concentration was determined with the Hitachi 704, Cobas Mira, and Cobas Fara analyzers. The "within run" and "between run" CVs were less than 2.