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Biomedical subjects

M Strahilevitz

Publications and source records attributed to M Strahilevitz.

18 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1984

Growth hormone and prolactin response to apomorphine in schizophrenia and the major affective disorders. Relation to duration of illness and depressive symptoms.

The responses of serum prolactin (PRL) and growth hormone (GH) to the dopamine agonist apomorphine hydrochloride (0.75 mg subcutaneously) were studied in a large group of unmedicated hospitalized patients with functional psychoses. There were no differences in the GH response in various diagnostic groups. The PRL response was greater in patients with affective disorders. The GH response was inversely related to total duration of illness in the entire sample of patients, but this correlation was independent of age effect only in the group of patients with major depression. In schizophrenics, the effect of the two factors, age and duration of the illness, could not be separated. The apomorphine-induced GH response was significantly correlated with psychosis ratings and negative symptom scale scores. The apomorphine-induced PRL suppression correlated significantly with various measures of depression across diagnostic groups.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

Air pollutants and the admission rate of psychiatric patients.

The authors studied the correlation between mean daily levels of several air pollutants and the number of emergency room visits and inpatient admissions to a psychiatric hospital in St. Louis during one summer and fall. Nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide showed a positive correlation with emergency room visits by all patients, and nitrogen dioxide also had a positive correlation with inpatient admissions of subjects with diagnoses that were unknown or could not be specified as psychotic. Nitrogen monoxide showed a negative correlation with inpatient admissions during working days (but not during weekends and holidays) for all patients, as well as for those with diagnoses that were unknown or could not be specified as psychotic.

Air Pollutants↗
PubMed1977

Possible utilization of extracorporeal hemoperfusion in the treatment of coronary artery disease. A hypothesis and proposal for animal studies.

It is proposed that in vivo immunoadsorption may be utilized in the treatment of coronary artery disease. The proposed method is based on binding of low density lipoproteins and cholesterol to antibodies directed against low density lipoproteins which are bound to a matrix in an extracorporeal hemoperfusion column. The various observations that suggest the hypothesis are presented. The feasibility of the proposed method and some of the problems that may be encountered in its utilization are discussed. The method should be evaluated in animal studies prior to consideration of clinical trials in patients.

Animals↗
PubMed1977

Plasma indolethylamine-n-methyltransferase activity and growth hormone level during sleep: a pilot study.

Polygraphic recordings and sequential growth hormone (GH) samplings were performed in eight healthy adult males. In the plasma samples from seven of the subjects, indolethylamine-N-methyltransferase (INMT) activity was also determined. Five of eight subjects showed significant fluctuation in plasma GH level, and six of seven subjects showed significant fluctuation in plasma INMT activity level. There were also significant positive correlations between plasma GH and INMT activity level during the second episode of NREM sleep stage 1 and during the third episode of NREM sleep stage 2. A significant negative correlation between plasma GH and INMT activity level during the seventh episode of sleep stage 2 and during the fifth episode of post sleep-onset wake was found. In view of a previous finding that INMT activity in the serum of psychiatric patients is positively correlated with severity of delusions, the observation that NREM sleep is associated with mental activity characterized by repetitive thoughts, and the result that GH level in plasma is increased in NREM sleep early at night, our present findings suggest the hypotheses that increased plasma INMT activity during sleep is indicative of both increased INMT activity in the central nervous system (CNS) and the activation or maintenance of NREM mental activity during sleep. Additional research will be needed in order to validate our observations and test these hypotheses.

Adult↗
PubMed1976

Immunoglobulin levels in psychiatric patients.

In a study of 19 schizophrenic patients, 7 nonschizophrenic patients, and 31 controls, the authors found significantly higher mean serum levels of 1) immunoglobulin A in schizophrenic women then in control women and in schizophrenic blacks than in either schizophrenic whites or black controls. 2) immunoglobulin D in schizophrenic blacks than in schizophrenic whites, 3) immunoglobulin M in controls than in nonschizophrenic patients, and 4) immunoglobulin G (IgG) in schizophrenics whose urine was positive for phenothiazines than in schizophrenics whose urine was negative for phenothiazines. High serum levels of IgG were associated with no or mild hallucinations and low levels with moderate or severe hallucinations. Black female patients had significantly more severe hallucinaions than white female patients. The authors discuss the possible implications of these findings.

Black People↗
PubMed1975

Indolethylamine-N-methyltransferase activity in psychiatric patients and controls.

The level of INMT activity was determined in the sera of 29 psychiatric patients and 11 healthy controls from St. Louis; and in 13 psychiatric patients and 15 healthy controls from Chicago. The level of enzyme activity in the serum of paranoid schizophrenics in the St. Louis group was significantly higher than in other types of schizophrenics. The mean level of enzyme activity in the serum in nonschizophrenic psychiatric patients in the Chicago group was significantly higher than that in the same group of patients from St. Louis. The serum level of INMT activity in all psychiatric patients and schizophrenic patients from St. Louis was positively correlated with severity of delusions. The only significant difference in the Chicago patients was that the occurrence of depressive features was greater in the group of patients with a low serum INMT level than in the group with a high enzyme level.

Acute Disease↗