PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

H Meltzer

Publications and source records attributed to H Meltzer.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Neutrophil chemotaxis, phagocytosis, and superoxide release in depressive illness.

Recently, some authors have reported defective neutrophil phagocytosis during depression. The present study investigated neutrophil function in 19 healthy controls and in 41 depressed inpatients categorized according to DSM-III into minor, simple major, and melancholic depression. We determined neutrophil function by means of phagocytosis, chemotaxis, and superoxide release. The results show no significant differences in neutrophil function among any of the subtypes of depression and normal volunteers. This suggests that overall neutrophil function is normal during depression. Thus, neutrophils are unlikely to be involved in the increased susceptibility to physical illness of patients with depression.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Seasonal variation and meteotropism in various self-rated psychological and physiological features of a normal couple.

Recently, true seasonal variation with significant periodicities (circannual, semiannual, circatrimensual, circabimensual) and a significant meteotropism have been observed in a number of self-rated characteristics of normal man (arousal, mood, physiology and social behaviour). In order to replicate these findings, two normal controls (a married couple) were asked daily to complete a self-rating scale concerned with the characteristics mentioned above during one calendar year. By means of time series analysis, significant rhythmicities with recurrent cycles in the autorhythmometric data of all of the above characteristics were found. An important part of the variance in these characteristics was found, using multiple regression, to be related to various weather variables, such as mean atmospheric pressure, temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, minutes of sunlight/day and precipitation/day. These results support the hypothesis that temporal variations in human psychological and physiological characteristics may be dictated by the composite effects of past and present atmospheric activity.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Mechanisms of clozapine-induced agranulocytosis.

The aetiology of clozapine-induced agranulocytosis remains unknown. Leading candidates include an immune mechanism that is possibly complement- or drug-dependent and a toxic mechanism. We analysed these mechanisms by culturing the granulocyte precursor stem cell from the bone marrow in the presence of patients' serum, clozapine or clozapine metabolites. Studies with patients' serum failed to identify an immune mechanism. On the basis of our preliminary data, it appears that a toxic mechanism may be responsible, and this is more likely to be due to a metabolite than to clozapine itself. Further studies are required to determine the sensitivity of bone marrow precursors to these clozapine derivatives. For instance, prospective collection of serum will make it possible to evaluate whether high metabolite concentrations develop in sensitive individuals and whether they are responsible for agranulocytosis. If such elevated levels occur, further studies will be required to determine whether prospective monitoring will effectively identify patients at risk and ultimately prevent the onset of agranulocytosis by early discontinuation of the drug.

Agranulocytosis↗
PubMed1989

Serotonergic dysfunction in depression.

Various irregularities in serotonin (5-HT) function have been postulated as causes of affective disorders. Serotonin has been related to many of the major symptoms of depression, e.g. mood, appetite, sleep, activity, and cognitive dysfunction. Interference with 5-HT synthesis or storage has been shown to induce depression in vulnerable individuals. Decreased levels of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) in cerebrospinal fluid, decreased plasma tryptophan, low tryptophan neutral amino acid ratio, abnormalities in serotonergic function indicated by neuroendocrine challenge tests and various platelet measures, have been reported in depressed patients. Concentrations of 5-HIAA, the major metabolite of 5-HT in plasma, were found to be significantly negatively correlated with severity of depression as measured by the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression score and specific depressive symptoms, despite the fact that plasma 5-HIAA is largely peripheral in origin. Blood platelets, which have been suggested as models for serotonergic nerve terminals, have a significantly decreased number of 5-HT uptake sites and 3H-imipramine binding sites in depressed patients. Antidepressant drugs may act, in part, by enhancing serotonergic activity. The serotonergic deficit may occur at any of several levels: diminished availability of precursor, impaired activity of tryptophan hydroxylase, abnormalities in 5-HT release or uptake, 5-HT receptor abnormalities or interactions with other neurotransmitters.

Bipolar Disorder↗
PubMed1988

Clozapine for the treatment-resistant schizophrenic. A double-blind comparison with chlorpromazine.

The treatment of schizophrenic patients who fail to respond to adequate trials of neuroleptics is a major challenge. Clozapine, an atypical antipsychotic drug, has long been of scientific interest, but its clinical development has been delayed because of an associated risk of agranulocytosis. This report describes a multicenter clinical trial to assess clozapine's efficacy in the treatment of patients who are refractory to neuroleptics. DSM-III schizophrenics who had failed to respond to at least three different neuroleptics underwent a prospective, single-blind trial of haloperidol (mean dosage, 61 +/- 14 mg/d) for six weeks. Patients whose condition remained unimproved were then randomly assigned, in a double-blind manner, to clozapine (up to 900 mg/d) or chlorpromazine (up to 1800 mg/d) for six weeks. Two hundred sixty-eight patients were entered in the double-blind comparison. When a priori criteria were used, 30% of the clozapine-treated patients were categorized as responders compared with 4% of chlorpromazine-treated patients. Clozapine produced significantly greater improvement on the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, Clinical Global Impression Scale, and Nurses' Observation Scale for Inpatient Evaluation; this improvement included "negative" as well as positive symptom areas. Although no cases of agranulocytosis occurred during this relatively brief study, in our view, the apparently increased comparative risk requires that the use of clozapine be limited to selected treatment-resistant patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1970

Histochemical abnormalities of skeletal muscle in patients with acute psychoses.

In 29 acutely psychotic patients (mostly schizophrenic), histochemical abnormalities of a myopathic type were demonstrated in skeletal muscle biopsies from 13 and were generally correlated with elevation of the "muscle" type isoenzymes of creatine phosphokinase in the patients' serum. The incidence was much higher than found in normal controls, hospitalized neurotic psychiatric patients, or parents of acutely psychotic patients. A diazo-coupling type of "alka-line phosphatase" reaction was particularly useful in identifying abnormal muscle fibers.

Alkaline Phosphatase↗