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Biomedical subjects

O Aumaitre

Publications and source records attributed to O Aumaitre.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1998

Susac syndrome.

Susac syndrome is an occlusive arteriolar disease that provokes infarcts in the cochlea, retina, and brain of young subjects, mostly women. Its cause is unknown. Some infarcts may be asymptomatic and only revealed by ancillary investigation: 1) audiogram that shows bilateral sensorineural hearing loss predominating on low frequencies, 2) funduscopy and fluorescein retinal angiography demonstrating bilateral distal branch retinal artery occlusions, and 3) brain MRI T2-weighted images disclosing small multifocal hyperintensities in white and gray matter. Treatment options are not codified, ranging from antithrombotic drugs to immunomodulatory therapy. Course is self-limited after an active fluctuating phase. Dementia, blindness, and deafness are rare late sequelae, and half of patients return to normal life.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Lupus and pulmonary nodules consistent with bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia induced by carbamazepine.

Carbamazepine-induced lupus is uncommon; its frequency is less than 0.001% of the cases of lupus treated. Herein we describe a 52-year-old woman who had development of facial erythema, arthralgia, dyspnea, and multiple pulmonary rounded masses and nodules while she was taking carbamazepine for epilepsy. Pulmonary histologic examination showed bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia. Antinuclear antibodies and antihistone antibodies were present without antibodies to double-stranded DNA. Thirteen months after carbamazepine had been withdrawn, all symptoms had disappeared without the use of anti-inflammatory drugs. Even though pulmonary involvement is possible during carbamazepine treatment, to our knowledge, bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia on its own or associated with carbamazepine-induced lupus has not been previously described.

Anticonvulsants↗
PubMed1995

[Mechanisms of cardiac involvement in systemic scleroderma. Apropos of 3 cases].

To investigate myocardial manifestations in progressive systemic sclerosis, we studied three patients with transthoracic echocardiography, cardiac catheterization with coronary angiography, thallium scans with dipyridamol completed by thoracic cold exposure and endomyocardial biopsy with immunohistology. Two patients were symptomatic. In the three cases, abnormalities of myocardial perfusion were detected without coronary stenosis. Two patients had myocardial fibrosis with a coronary spasm in one case. The immunohistological study always showed an unusual expression of HLA class II antigen on cardiac fibroblasts.

Aged↗
PubMed1995

Serum erythropoietin and reticulocyte counts in inflammatory process.

The role of erythropoietin in the pathogenesis of anaemia associated with inflammatory disorders is unclear. We studied serum erythropoietin levels in patients with inflammatory process of varying aetiologies. Serum erythropoietin levels and reticulocyte counts were prospectively measured in 40 patients with inflammatory syndromes and compared with values obtained in 20 patients with myelodysplastic syndromes. Significant inverse correlation between erythropoietin levels and haemoglobin concentration were noted in the 2 groups. The slope of the regression line for patients with inflammatory disorders was lower as compared with that for the myelodysplastic syndromes. In all cases, when the erythropoietin response in relation to degree of anaemia is compared with that which occurs in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes, the inadequate erythropoietin response in patients with chronic inflammatory process becomes evident. In patients with inflammatory process, a relationship between erythropoietin levels and reticulocyte counts were only noted in patients with mildly anaemia (haemoglobin concentration higher than 10.5 g/dl). This study suggests blunted erythropoietin production and impaired marrow response to this hormone in the anaemia which occurs in inflammatory syndromes and supports the hypothesis that these disorders may contribute to the development of the anaemia associated with inflammatory disorders.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Evidence for a central long-lasting antinociceptive effect of vapreotide, an analog of somatostatin, involving an opioidergic mechanism.

The antinociceptive effect of the octapeptide vapreotide, an analog of somatostatin, was studied after systemic injection in normal mice using the hot plate and abdominal stretching assays, and in normal rats using the paw pressure analgesiometric assay. Vapreotide was ineffective at 1 microgram/kg s.c. in the hot plate test in mice, but 30 min after injection it induced an antinociceptive effect at s.c. injected doses of 8, 64, 512 and 4096 micrograms/kg, with an ED50 of 213 +/- 5 micrograms/kg. For the three highest doses this effect persisted 24 hr after the injection (maximal increase: +80 +/- 23% for 512 micrograms/kg) and disappeared at 48 hr. In the phenylbenzoquinone stretching test, in mice, the ED50 was 186 +/- 6 micrograms/kg (maximal decrease: -63 +/- 5%); the effect persisted 24 hr only for the same two highest doses. Using the paw pressure test, in rats, a dose-dependent increase in paw withdrawal and vocalization thresholds was observed for 21 and 24 hr, respectively, after s.c. injections of 16, 64 and 512 micrograms/kg. Global scores obtained for vocalization thresholds were significantly increased (vs. paw withdrawal thresholds) for 64 and 512 micrograms/kg. Carrageenan-induced nociception in rats was reduced for 21 hr by 64 and 512 micrograms/kg s.c.; scores of the contralateral noninflamed paw were also increased. Vapreotide administered locally in the inflamed paw was inactive. No change in edema volume was obtained after systemic injection of vapreotide.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1994

[Semi-invasive diffuse pulmonary aspergillosis with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies. 2 cases].

We report two cases of semi-invasive pulmonary aspergillosis with a thoracic wall extension in the first case and a parietal vasculitis without Aspergillus invasion in the second. Semi-invasive pulmonary aspergillosis is an identifiable entity. It is characterized by impairment of local pulmonary defense mechanisms and/or a mild systemic immunosuppression as well as a slowly progressive course. Pulmonary symptoms are not specific. The thoracic wall involvement subsequent to a contiguous pulmonary lesion occurs rarely and indicates poor prognosis. CT scan improves diagnosis significantly, confirmed by histology and/or by the biopsy growth of Aspergillus. Itraconazole, tolerated better than amphotericin B, is an efficient treatment though prognosis remains poor (28% of deaths). Detection of anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (diffuse cytoplasmic staining) evolving conversely to this disease seems to be associated with infectious vasculitis. These antibodies are found in vasculitis and especially in Wegener's granulomatosis with a high specificity. They have also been described in a few patients with infectious diseases.

Aged↗
PubMed1994

[Painful chronic thyroiditis. A rare cause of thyroid pain].

The usual clinical presentation of Hashimoto's chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis is a firm and painless goiter. We report two atypical observations with painful symptoms. Case 1: a 33 year old woman with a two months history of L-thyroxine treated primary hypothyroidism associated with elevated antithyroglobulin and antithyroperoxydase antibodies (respectively 36.000 and 7.000 U/l, normal values < 100 U/l) presents with anterior cervical pain. She is euthyroid, but displays biological inflammatory syndrome. Neck ultrasonography reveals low amplitude echoes of the thyroid gland. Antithyroid antibodies remain at high titers. After failure of NSAI drugs, prednisolone (oral 30 mg/day for 10 days, followed by degression) allows rapid disappearance of both pain inflammatory syndrome. When treatment was stopped pain recurred and required steroids for 3 months. After one year, the patient is painless and only receives L-thyroxine. Case 2: a 36 year old woman is referred for anterior neck pain, fever and hypothyroidism. Biological inflammation is also noted. High levels of antithyroglobulin and antithyroperoxydase antibodies are found. Thyroid uptake was maintained. L-thyroxine and prednisolone (oral 20 mg/day) therapies are associated with rapid pain relief. After two months, steroids are stopped. The patient remains normothyroid under L-thyroxine. Antithyroid antibodies persist at high levels. Other aetiological diagnosis of painful thyroid include acute infectious thyroiditis, cancers, intracystic hemorrhages and mainly subacute De Quervain's thyroiditis. Beyond clinical symptoms (revelation with hypothyroidism), persistent scintiscan uptake and prolonged elevated levels of antithyroglobulin and antithyroperoxydase antibodies remain the strongest arguments in favor of the 33 reported cases of painful Hashimoto's chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis. Eventually, among various therapies used, steroids in conjunction with thyroid hormones, seem the most efficient.

Adrenal Cortex Hormones↗
PubMed1993

[Mechanisms of cardiac involvement in systemic scleroderma, apropos of 3 cases].

We studied myocardial manifestations of systemic sclerosis in three patients. Two patients were symptomatic. A transthoracic echocardiography, a coronary angiography, a cardiac catheterization, thallium scans with dipyridamol completed by thoracic cold exposure and endomyocardial biopsy with immunohistological study were performed. None of them have coronary stenosis. In the three cases abnormalities of myocardial perfusion were detected, two of them have fibrosis. The immunohistological study always showed an anusual expression of HLA DR on cardiac fibroblasts.

Aged↗
PubMed1992

Antinociceptive activity of metapramine in mice. Relationship with its pharmacokinetic properties.

The antinociceptive effect of acutely and chronically (every brain elimination half-life time) administered metapramine, a tricyclic antidepressant without anticholinergic or cardiotoxic effects, was studied in three different pain tests. In the hot plate test, its action was more potent when jumping was used as a pain parameter (acute ED50 = 19 +/- 3 mg/kg, i.p.) than when pain was assessed by licking of forepaws (only 20 mg/kg, i.p. was weakly active). Five chronic doses of 15 mg/kg were as active in the tail-flick test as an acute dose of 20 mg/kg (only active dose). Metapramine was more effective in the PBQ-induced writhing test after acute (ED50 = 9.9 +/- 0.1 mg/kg, i.p.) and chronic administration. A significant linear correlation was found between the effect in this test and plasma and overall brain levels of metapramine. No correlation was observed with levels of its three desmethylated metabolites. The usefullness of using a well-defined pattern of administration based on pharmacokinetic parameters and the involvement of monoaminergic mechanisms and of some metabolites of metapramine are discussed.

Animals↗