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N I Levitskaia

Publications and source records attributed to N I Levitskaia.

18 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

[Detoxication gene polymorphism and susceptibility to sporadic motor neuron disease in Russian population].

Motor neuron disease (MND) is caused by selective degeneration of motor neurons of the cerebral cortex, brain stem and spinal cord. Many genetic systems are thought to be involved in pathogenesis of this complex disease. A significant etiological factor of MND may be oxygen free radicals, which damage neuronal cells when they are present in high concentrations. Detoxication processes resulting in the formation of free radicals, which subsequently transformed into nontoxic products, are also critical for the disease development. The major participants of these processes are cytochromes P-450 (CYP2E1, CYP2D6), glutathione-S-transferases (GSTM1, GSTT1, GSTP1) and N-acetyltransferases (NAT2). To investigate a role of genes of detoxication system in development of MND, we study polymorphisms in these genes in 72 patients with MND from Moscow and controls from Russia. Significant statistical differences have been found in frequency of the alleles CYP2E1*1D, CYP2D6*4 and GSTM1(0/0) and genotypes homozygous for GSTM1 (0) between the study and control groups. The analysis of GSTT1, GSTP1 and NAT1 gene polymorphisms has revealed no between-group differences in distribution of different alleles and genotypes. The GSTP1*A/ GSTP1*A genotype was associated with a classical upper and lower motor neuron involvement and the GSTP1*A allele with predominant lower and upper motor neuron involvement.

Alleles↗
PubMed2003

[Association of homozygosity for short allele (S) of heavy neurofilament subunit gene with motor neuron disease and oxidative stress development].

We analyzed distribution of heavy neurofilament (NF-H) gene S/L-polymorphic variants in 51 patients with idiopathic motor neuron disease (MND) vs control group and in relation to superoxide dismutases (SODs) activity and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) level in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), erythrocytes and blood serum. We found that individuals with homozygosity for NF-H gene short allele (S/S-genotype carriers) in MND group predominate significantly over those in control one (p < 0.001). We revealed significant increase of oxidative markers in CSF and blood serum in MDN patients vs controls (p < 0.05), but not in patients with spondylogenic myelopathy, conforming non-specific role of oxidative stress in MND pathogenesis. There were no differences between TBARS level in CSF and serum in relation to the rate of MND progression, suggesting that oxidative stress does not influence the MND course. We showed normal SOD-1 activity in erythrocytes and CSF of MND patients that argued for the absence of these antioxidant enzymes deficiency in MND without SOD-1 gene mutations. We found significant association between homozygosity for short allele (S) and increased TBARS level in CSF (p < 0.02). These findings specify the role of NF-H with lower molecular weight in MND pathogenesis and make expedient antioxidants administration to MND patients homozygous for S-allele of NF-H gene.

Alleles↗
PubMed2003

[Peculiarities of sporadic motor neuron disease associated with D90A and G12R mutations in Russian population].

Fifty-one blood samples of Russian patients with sporadic motor neuron disease were examined for mutations in Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD-1) gene. One female patient with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) was heterozygous for G12R mutation. This patient suffered from ALS with cervical cord onset, pyramidal variant and fast progression. Mutation was also detected in her healthy son. Earlier, such mutation was described in 5 Italian patients with slow progressive ALS. Also, D90A SOD-1 gene associated haplotypes of the female ALS patients previously examined by the authors have been analyzed. A homozygous female patient with ALS was characterized by typical lumbar onset and extremely slow progression, as well as a female patient with heterozygous mutation and moderate progression carried so-called "Scandinavian" haplotype. To our knowledge, it is the first report on the finding of the haplotype considered as a "protective" one in the subjects heterozygous for D90A mutation with clinical symptoms of ALS. Mechanisms of "protective" influence of this haplotype on ALS course are not yet elucidated. Our finding suggests that the presence of "Scandinavian" haplotype does not completely protect from the disease development in patients exposed to other more pathogenic causative factors. This assumption is in line with modern conceptions on motor neuron disease as a complicated multifactor disorder.

Aged↗
PubMed2002

[Disrupted circle of Willis and crisis course of arterial hypertension].

Two patients, aged 17 and 55 years, with partly or completely open circle of Willis were examined using cerebral magnetic resonance angiography. A role of anatomical structure of circle of Willis and other anastomotic peculiarities of brain blood supply in cerebral vascular crises development is demonstrated. The latter can proceed as hypertensive ones on the background of emotional overloading and also reflect other features of brain blood supply in its clinical picture e.g. an absence of one of spinal arteries on the background of atherosclerosis and arterial hypertension.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

[Sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis associated with Asp90Ala CuZn-superoxide dismutase mutations in Russia].

16 blood samples from Russian patients (Moscow) with idiopathic motor neuron disease were analysed for mutations in the CuZn-superoxide dismutase gene. Two patients (12.5%) with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) were found to have a disease related mutation. One patient appears to have autosomal recessive adult-onset ALS associated with homozygosity for Asp90Ala and presents the characteristic phenotype of very slowly ascending paresis with both lower and upper motor neuron signs. The other patient heterozygous for Asp90Ala presents ALS with lumbar onset and rapid progression. Both of cases are apparently sporadic.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

[Control and assessment of the quality of professional competence among physicians and students].

The paper presents a new test method of control which permits to estimate objectively both formal knowledges of students, hospital physicians, post-graduates, physicians and their ability for logical reasoning, for determination of cause-effect relationships between separate phenomena. The list of the standards generally accepted for the test's tasks is proposed as well as recommendations for the users are given. 6 variations of the test's tasks are presented as the examples.

Education, Medical↗