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C Laterre

Publications and source records attributed to C Laterre.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1988

Free kappa and lambda light chain levels in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with multiple sclerosis and other neurological diseases.

Free kappa and lambda light chains were assayed by particle-counting immunoassay in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from patients with various neurological disorders. Detection limits were 25 and 50 ng/ml, respectively. Values of free kappa chain were higher than 50 ng/ml (upper reference limit) in 155 of 191 (81%) multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, in 100 of 168 (60%) patients with central nervous system (CNS) infections but in 41 of 217 (19%) patients with other neurological disorders. Free kappa chains were also assayed in 273 matched sera. The mean concentration in the control group (1.58 micrograms/ml; SD: 0.41) did not differ significantly from those in MS sera (1.63 micrograms/ml; SD: 0.43). The free kappa chain index was increased in 86% of MS patients and in 40% of patients with CNS infections. Regarding free lambda chains, CSF values were higher than 240 ng/ml (upper reference limit) in most neurological disorders (50-100%). However, the use of a lambda chain index increased the specificity of the assay as this index was higher than the upper reference value in 86% of MS patients and in only 23% of patients with infectious diseases. In MS, high levels of free kappa and lambda indices correlated significantly (P less than 0.01) with either the presence of oligoclonal bands or a high IgG index. Local synthesis of free light chains is an additional marker of an ongoing immune response within the CNS, especially in MS.

Humans↗
PubMed1988

Benzodiazepine receptors in human brain: characterization, subcellular localization and solubilization.

1. Benzodiazepine receptors have been characterized in human brain mainly using [3H]-Ro 15-1788 and [3H]-flunitrazepam. Both ligands present a very high affinity for the receptor sites (Kd values of 0.56 and 1.53 nM respectively). 2. GABA enhanced the affinity of [3H]-flunitrazepam and [3H]-diazepam, but not that of [3H]-Ro 15-1788 and [3H]-methyl-beta-carboline 3-carboxylate for their specific binding sites as well in cerebral as in cerebellar human cortex. 3. Subcellular distribution of the benzodiazepine receptors revealed a main synaptosomal localization in human cerebral cortex, cerebellum and striatum. 4. Solubilized benzodiazepine receptors were obtained using 0.5% sodium deoxycholate and were characterized with [3H]-Ro 15-1788. The solubilized receptors are still coupled to GABA receptors since the [3H]-flunitrazepam specific binding was enhanced in the presence of micromolar concentrations of GABA.

Brain↗
PubMed1988

Anti-HIV antibodies in the CSF of AIDS patients: a serological and immunoblotting study.

CSF and serum samples from 16 AIDS patients were tested for the presence of anti-HIV antibodies either by classical serological methods or by an immunoblot technique based on agarose gel isoelectric focusing and transfer of the specific IgG antibodies onto HIV antigens-loaded nitrocellulose sheets. This method enabled the demonstration of an intrathecal synthesis of anti-HIV oligoclonal IgG antibodies, often superimposed on diffuse polyclonal production, in 14 patients. The two negative cases were devoid of neurological signs or symptoms. However, two patients classified in stage II of the disease (asymptomatic infection) displayed an intrathecal synthesis of anti-HIV antibodies.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1988

[Wartenberg's disseminated sensory neuropathy].

We studied ten cases of disseminated sensory neuropathy. Both sexes were similarly involved. Except in one case, the first symptoms appeared between ages 20 and 50. The clinical disorders, their evolution and similar cases previously reported suggest and autonomous benign disease. The deficits resulted from a selective involvement of superficial cutaneous nervous fibers and appeared in different cutaneous areas. Some territories were more frequently affected (nervus peroneus, sural, radialis, cutaneous femoralis lateralis). Tinel's sign was often present. Patients sometimes described a sensation of electric discharge when elongating nerve trunks. In half of the cases the attacks of dysesthesia or of sensory loss followed one another within less than one year. The deficits were fully reversible in a third of the cases after a mean total evolution of 4 to 8 years. Blood and cerebrospinal fluid were always normal. Electromyography and motor conduction velocities were normal. Sensory conduction velocities were uncommonly decreased. On the other hand, the aspect of somesthetic potentials which were evoked from cutaneous areas involved by the disease were modified in most cases. Pathological examination of nerve biopsies which were performed in 5 cases showed non specific axo-myelinic degeneration in 3 cases and a severe sclerosis of the perineurium in one case. The etiopathogenesis of the disease is discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Resting and hypercapnic rCBF in patients with unilateral occlusive disease of the internal carotid artery.

Regional cerebral blood flow was measured by the 133Xe inhalation technique in 15 patients with severe unilateral internal carotid artery stenosis (75%) or occlusion, and in the absence of evidence of any sign of occlusive disease in other main afferent cerebral arteries. A comparison with normal subjects showed that lowered resting flow in both hemispheres was a common finding in all patients. Interhemispheric asymmetry was present only in patients with occlusion and the precentral, posterior temporal, and occipital regions were the most seriously affected. The CO2 reactivity was substantially reduced in both hemispheres of all stenotic and occluded patients, but occluded patients showed an increased reduction of CO2 reactivity only in the ipsilateral hemisphere. In addition to an hypothetical age effect, the atherosclerotic involvement of the cerebral vascular system leads to a reduction of flow and loss of CO2 reactivity in both hemispheres. In this context, the collateral supply capacity is not overloaded in case of a unilateral severe stenosis but fails in case of a unilateral occlusion of the internal carotid artery. A suitable estimate of the blood flow reduction as a result of occlusion is made by the hemispheric and regional laterality indices applied in resting and hypercapnia conditions. These indices could be used as indicators for endarterectomy or bypass surgery as well as a sensitive means for appreciating cerebral blood flow response to treatment.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

[Borrelia burgdorferi encephalomyelitis].

We report two patients with chronic encephalomyelitis due to Borrelia burgdorferi in whom the definite diagnosis was delayed because of atypical clinical features. The first patient presented with chronic spastic paraparesis, slight ataxia and nystagmus of several years' duration. A tentative diagnosis of multiple sclerosis was made in spite of important abnormalities of the CSF biological characteristics. The second patient presented with an acute aphasia and a bilateral Babinski's sign. He was thought to suffer from benign herpetic meningoencephalitis. Several months later, as the patient experienced relapses with cerebellar and spinal cord involvement, falsely positive tests for syphilis were found and an antibiotic treatment was given. High protein content, low glucose levels, pleocytosis and oligoclonal bands were observed in all CSF samples, but the definite diagnosis was based on the detection of serum and CSF antibodies against B. burgdorferi.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Particle counting immunoassay of S100 protein in serum. Possible relevance in tumors and ischemic disorders of the central nervous system.

S100 protein (S100) was assayed by particle counting immunoassay in serum samples from 50 healthy individuals, 325 patients with various neurological disorders, and 20 patients with malignant melanoma. The detection limit for this protein was 0.3 microgram/L. We detected none in healthy individuals or in 50 patients with multiple sclerosis, 23 with dementia, or 20 with meningitis. S100 was detectable in serum of only a few patients with meningoradiculitis (2/20), peripheral neuropathy (2/30), encephalitis (1/14), Guillain-Barré syndrome (1/25), or AIDS (2/20). In contrast, we observed high concentrations in 29 of 75 patients with tumors of the central nervous system, especially in meningioma (6/9), glioblastoma (9/23), and neurinoma (5/5). Values for S100 were mainly abnormally high (greater than 0.3 microgram/L) in serum from patients with cerebrovascular disorders (43/48) or with metastases of melanoma (9/11).

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1987

GABA induces down-regulation of the benzodiazepine-GABA receptor complex in the rat cultured neurons.

Cultured neurons from embryonic rat brain display central type benzodiazepine receptors characterized by high-affinity binding of [3H]flunitrazepam which is allosterically enhanced in the presence of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). A 48 h treatment of the cultured neurons with 1 microM diazepam, 0.1 microM clonazepam or 0.1 microM beta-carboline ester derivatives did not change either Bmax or KD values of the [3H]flunitrazepam specific binding. A 48 h incubation in the presence of GABA (1 mM) or muscimol (0.1 mM) induced a 30% decrease of the Bmax value of [3H]flunitrazepam specific binding without change of the KD value. The down-regulation was dependent on GABA concentrations and temperature, and was partially inhibited by bicuculline but not by the benzodiazepine antagonist Ro 15-1788. The other subunits of the benzodiazepine-GABA-chloride channel receptor complex also seemed to be down-regulated by GABA since there was a decrease of the specific binding of [3H]muscimol and [35S]t-butylbicyclophosphorothionate (TBPS) to the GABAA and chloride channel sites respectively. The GABA-induced down-regulation of the GABA-benzodiazepine receptor seems to be selective since the specific binding of ligands to other receptors was not affected. Our results suggests that activation of the low-affinity GABA subunit which is involved in cellular electrophysiological responses, induced the receptor down-regulation.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Lymphocytic meningoradiculitis and encephalomyelitis due to Borrelia burgdorferi: a clinical and serological study of 18 cases.

Clinical features of 18 patients with either lymphocytic meningoradiculitis (n = 17) or chronic encephalomyelitis (n = 1) due to Borrelia burgdorferi are reported. Arthropod bites were recorded in only seven patients. High titres of anti B burgdorferi antibodies were detected in sera from all patients and in CSF from 12 out of 17 patients tested. All patients had CSF abnormalities especially pleocytosis and oligoclonal bands. A falsely positive syphilitic serology was observed in the CSF from the patient with encephalomyelitis.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Expression of an X-linked muscular dystrophy in a female due to translocation involving Xp21 and non-random inactivation of the normal X chromosome.

A young female was diagnosed as having X-linked muscular dystrophy of the Duchenne type. Chromosome studies, including trypsin-Giemsa banding, Quinacrine fluorescence, and nucleolus organizer region (NOR) silver staining revealed an X-autosome reciprocal translocation t(X;21) (p21;p12). Utilizing both [3H] thymidine autoradiography and the BrdU-Hoechst 33258-Giemsa technique, lymphocytes and fibroblasts were found to show a preferential inactivation of the normal X suggesting the presence of a single mutant gene on the translocated X. This patient is one of seven reported cases of an X-linked muscular dystrophy associated with an X-autosome translocation. In all seven cases the exchange point in the X chromosome is in band p21 at or near the site of the Duchenne gene.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

A case of prosopagnosia with some preserved covert remembrance of familiar faces.

This paper presents the detailed analysis of a case of prosopagnosia in a 54-year-old male farmer following bioccipital vascular disease. In-depth clinical investigations confirmed the diagnosis of prosopagnosia and revealed the absence of any associated defect, except for a slight aspecific disturbance of the short-term memory. Further study of this case indicated that the trouble was not concerned with the class of complex visual stimuli, was not even concerned with facial expressions or unknown faces, was not a perceptual defect, but was related mainly to the operation of individualization. The memory hypothesis was thus retained and supported. Moreover, exploration of the difficulty indicated that the deficiency was limited to defective access to conscious information concerning faces and information associated with these faces (name, context, etc.), effectively stored in memory.

Agnosia↗
PubMed1981

[Subdural or sub-arachnoid pericerebral effusions in the infant with subdural or subarachnoid localisation (author's transl)].

Twenty-seven "subdural" effusions in infants were treated, according to our previously suggested method: a simple external drainage, followed ater one week by an internal peritoneal shunt, if the effusion did not dry up by this time. Daily electrophoresis of the fluid obtained by external drainage has been performed in 20 cases, either until the disappearance of the effusion or until the peritoneal shunting after 7 days. In 8 persistent and in 5 rapidly disappearing effusions, cerebro-spinal fluid was immediately present or appeared during the first week, simultaneously with a lowering of the total protein content. In the other 7 rapidly disappearing effusions, the protein content remained high and a conspicuous plasmatic transsudation was disclosed; the possibility that cerebro-spinal fluid could be present even in some of those last cases is discussed. The fact that some effusions display, from the onset, the characteristics of cerebro-spinal fluid, leads to the question of their subarachnoid rather than subdural localisation. For this reason, we prefer to use the less committed denomination of pericerebral effusions, in which we may distinguish subdural effusions, with or without cerebro-spinal fluid, and subarachnoid effusions. Nevertheless, it is not always easy to establish the pathogenic character of an effusion revealed by CT-scan. Pressure measurements by fontanometry appear to be a useful examination for that purpose.

Drainage↗
PubMed1978

[Pathogenesis of persistent subdural effusions in infants (author's transl)].

Current theories on the pathogenesis of persistent subdural effusions in infants are not supported by our clinical and operative data. In our more recent cases, a daily electrophoretic analysis of the fluid obtained by external subdural drainage has been performed and allowed to disclose the presence or progressive appearance of cerebro-spinal fluid. The relative concentrations, observed for some proteins present in the fluid collected in this way, cannot be explained by simple filtration, but enforces us to postulate the existence of a free communication between the subarachnoid and the subdural spaces. These first results support our initial hypothesis assuming that persistent effusions are supplied and even replaced by cerebro-spinal fluid, due to the occurrence of a communicating hydrocephalus ruptured in the subdural space. There is thus no sound physiopathological basis for treating these cases with membranectomy and we suggest instead that the treatment of choice should be a fluid derivation.

Brain Diseases↗
PubMed1976

Changes in clinical signs after decompressive laminectomy in cervical spondylosis with myelopathy.

One to seven years after decompressive laminectomy a global improvement of symptoms is observed in ten patients out of 17. The importance of the diagnosis criteria is emphasised. Only the complete clinical form of sensitive and motor disablement has been considered. Attempts were made to quantify the degree of handicap and to follow the modifications of the elementary signs in the postoperative state. The operative results were better when the surgical intervention was performed early in the course of the illness.

Cervical Vertebrae↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Monoclonal IgM gammopathy with anti-myelin associated glycoprotein (MAG) activity and polyneuropathy. A study of three cases.

The authors describe three patients with a chronic sensory-motor polyneuropathy associated with a monoclonal IgM gammopathy. In each case, the M-component was shown to display an antibody activity against the Myelin-Associated Glycoprotein (MAG) in a western blot technique. Sera from the three patients stained specifically the myelin sheaths of normal human peripheral nerves after incubation with rabbit anti-IgM. Motor conduction velocities were very low in each case. Morphological studies of the sural nerve from one patient revealed a moderate loss of myelinated fibres, some onion-bulbs but also a microangiopathy and signs of axonal degeneration.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Antibody activity of CSF oligoclonal IgG in infectious neurological diseases. Detection using immunoblotting].

The authors describe various applications of an immunoblot technique which allows the qualitative determination of the specific antibody activity of oligoclonal IgG intrathecally synthesized in infectious diseases of the nervous system. After dilution of sera to the same IgG concentration as the paired CSF samples, 10 microliters of both fluids are applied side by side on agarose gel plates and isoelectrically focused. Precipitated IgG or specific IgG antibodies are then blotted onto a nitrocellulose sheet previously coated with either a rabbit anti-IgG antiserum or the antigen under study, respectively. The immunoblot is successively incubated with biotinylated anti-IgG antiserum and with the streptavidin-biotin-peroxidase complex before staining with 4 chloro-1-naphthol. This method was applied to samples from patients with subacute sclerosing panencephalitis, herpetic encephalitis, meningoradiculitis due to Herpes Zoster, neuro-AIDS, neurobrucellosis, meningoradiculitis or encephalomyelitis due to Borrelia burgdorferi, and tuberculous meningitis. In each case, specific oligoclonal IgG antibodies, superimposed or not on a diffuse polyclonal synthesis were detected in the CSF, but not, or more faintly, in the corresponding serum. This was taken as evidence for an intra-thecal synthesis of these antibodies. In contrast, when a "mirror effect" was observed, i.e. similar oligoclonal bands in both serum and CSF after dilution at the same IgG concentration, an intra-thecal synthesis was ruled out.

Central Nervous System Diseases↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Anterior choroid artery syndrome with neuropsychological and oculomotor disorders].

A patient with infarct in the region of the right anterior choroidal artery presented neuropsychological signs corresponding to a minor hemisphere syndrome and disorders of horizontal oculomotricity similar to those obtained in unilateral parietal-occipital lesions. An anatomic interpretation of the latter finding is attempted.

Aged↗