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Biomedical subjects

S Renaud

Publications and source records attributed to S Renaud.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

High-dose rituximab and anti-MAG-associated polyneuropathy.

Rituximab has been administered successfully in patients with polyneuropathy associated with antibodies to myelin-associated glycoprotein (anti-MAG). The authors present a follow-up study with high-dose rituximab. Increase of rituximab from 375 mg/m2 to a dose of 750 mg/m2 was well tolerated and led to clinical improvement in four of eight patients, along with improvement of nerve conduction velocities and a reduction of anti-MAG antibody titers.

Aged↗
PubMed2004

Flexor tendon sheath ganglion: analysis of 128 cases.

A 30-year analysis of 128 patients with flexor tendon sheath ganglion was investigated. The majority of patients were females with sex ratio of 2.6 : 1. Most of the patients are in their third to fifth decade of life. Hand dominance, previous trauma as well as other illnesses involving the hand did not show any correlation to the formation of ganglion. The middle finger was most commonly affected and 69% of the ganglion were located on A1 and A2 pulley. Recurrence was high (89%) after multiple percutaneous puncture and treatment was successful with no cases of recurrence after surgical excision.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

[Inclusion body myositis (IBM) -- a review].

Inclusion body myositis (IBM) is characterized by the insidious onset of slowly progressive proximal and distal weakness. The clinical hallmark of IBM are atrophy and weakness of the quadriceps and the wrist and finger flexors. Although frequently misdiagnosed, IBM is the most common inflammatory myopathy in patients over the age of 50 years. The diagnosis of IBM can be made, even in absence of a typical clinical history, exclusive on the basis of muscle biopsy when all of the characteristic histopathological findings are present (inflammation, rimmed vacuoles, protein deposits, and 15-18 nm tubofilaments). Apart from sporadic IBM there is a group of heterogeneous inherited myopathies with histopathologic similarities to sporadic IBM. Although some immunomodulating therapies may exert transient and mild benefits, there is no effective treatment for IBM.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗
PubMed2001

TNF-alpha expression in painful and nonpainful neuropathies.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the cytokine tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) acts as a pain mediator in neuropathic pain in humans. BACKGROUND: In animal models, inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-alpha have been shown to facilitate neuropathic pain. METHODS: The expression of TNF-alpha was analyzed immunohistochemically in 20 human nerve biopsy specimens of patients with painful (n = 10) and nonpainful (n = 10) neuropathies. Additionally, serum soluble TNF-alpha receptor I (sTNF-RI) levels were determined in 24 patients with neuropathies, 16 of which were painful and 8 that were painless. RESULTS: Colocalization studies by confocal fluorescence microscopy for S-100 and TNF-alpha showed expression of TNF-alpha in human Schwann cells. Patients with painful neuropathies showed a stronger TNF-alpha immunoreactivity in myelinating Schwann cells relative to the epineurial background staining compared with patients with nonpainful neuropathy (0.949 +/- 0.047 vs 1.010 +/- 0.053, p < 0.05). Although there was no difference in sTNF-RI levels between painful (n = 16) and nonpainful (n = 8) neuropathies (sTNF-RI: 1412 +/- 545 pg/mL vs 1,318 +/- 175 pg/mL), patients with a mechanical allodynia (n = 9) had elevated serum sTNF-RI (1627 +/- 645 pg/mL vs 1233 +/- 192 pg/mL, p < 0.05) compared with patients without allodynia (n = 15). CONCLUSIONS: TNF-alpha expression of human Schwann cells may be up-regulated in painful neuropathies. The elevation of sTNF-RI in patients with centrally mediated mechanical allodynia suggests that systemic sTNF-RI levels may influence central pain processing mechanisms.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Coronary heart disease: dietary links and pathogenesis.

For decades it has been postulated that the main environmental factor for coronary heart disease (CHD) was the intake of saturated fatty acids (SFA). Nevertheless, confirmation of the role of SFA in CHD through intervention trials has been disappointing. It was only when the diet was enriched in n-3 fatty acids that CHD was significantly prevented, especially cardiac death. In addition to n-3 fatty acids, many other foodstuffs or nutrients such as fibers, antioxidants, folic acid, calcium and even alcohol contribute to prevent CHD. Thus the relationship between diet and CHD morbidity and mortality appears to be much more complex than formerly suspected considering as key factors only SFA, linoleic acid, cholesterol and atherosclerosis. Some of the mechanisms are briefly described, but many additional nutrients (or non nutrients) may also play an important role in the pathogenesis of CHD. Finally, as a result of the most recent epidemiologic studies the ideal diet may comprise: 8% energy from SFA, 5% from polyunsaturated fatty acids with a ratio 5/1 of linoleic/alpha-linolenic acid+longer chains n-3, oleic acid as desired, large intake of cereals, vegetables, legumes and fruits, fish twice a week, cheese and yogurt as dairy products, rapeseed and olive oils as edible fat. Without side effects, such a diet can be highly palatable, easily enjoyed by many populations and may prevent effectively and rapidly (within a few weeks or months) CHD.

Alcohol Drinking↗
PubMed2001

The clinical and laboratory features of chronic sensory ataxic neuropathy with anti-disialosyl IgM antibodies.

The clinical and laboratory phenotype of a paraproteinaemic neuropathy syndrome termed chronic sensory ataxic neuropathy with anti-disialosyl IgM antibodies is described in a series of 18 cases. Previous single case reports have outlined some features of this syndrome. All 18 cases were defined by the presence of serum IgM antibodies which react principally with NeuAc (alpha2-8)NeuAc(alpha2-3)Gal-configured disialosyl epitopes common to many gangliosides including GDlb, GD3, GTlb and GQlb. In 17 out of 18 cases, the serum contained benign IgM paraproteins, and in four of these cases at least two IgM paraproteins were present. The IgM antibodies were also cold agglutinins in 50% of cases. The clinical picture comprised a chronic neuropathy with marked sensory ataxia and areflexia, and with relatively preserved motor function in the limbs. In addition, 16 out of 18 cases had motor weakness affecting oculomotor and bulbar muscles as fixed or as relapsing-remitting features. When present in their entirety, these clinical features have been described previously under the acronym CANOMAD: chronic ataxic neuropathy, ophthalmoplegia, IgM paraprotein, cold agglutinins and disialosyl antibodies. This distribution of clinical features is reminiscent of Miller Fisher syndrome, in which acute-phase anti-disialylated ganglioside IgG antibodies are found. Clinical electrophysiology and nerve biopsy show both demyelinating and axonal features. A partial response to intravenous immunoglobulin and other treatments is reported in some cases.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Intake of flavonoids and risk of dementia.

It has been postulated that oxidative stress may play a key role in dementia. This is substantiated by the recent discovery of the protective effect of wine. In wine, the flavonoids--powerful antioxidant substances also contained in tea, fruits and vegetables--have been thought to offer such protection. We investigated whether flavonoid intake could be associated with a lower incidence of dementia in a cohort of 1367 subjects above 65 years of age (Paquid). A questionnaire was used to evaluate their intake of flavonoids and subjects were followed-up for 5 years between 1991 and 1996: 66 incident cases of dementia were observed. We estimated the relative risk (RR) of dementia according to tertiles of flavonoid intake using a Cox model. The age-adjusted RR of dementia was 0.55 for the two highest tertiles compared to the lowest (95% CI: 0.34-0.90; p = 0.02). After additional adjustment for gender, education, weight and vitamin C intake, the RR was 0.49 (95% CI: 0.26-0.92; p = 0.04). We conclude that the intake of antioxidant flavonoids is inversely related to the risk of incident dementia.

Aged↗
PubMed2000

Role of plant-derived omega-3 fatty acids in human nutrition.

An international workshop on the role of plant-derived omega-3 fatty acids in human nutrition took place in Milan on February 9, 2000. The meeting was sponsored by the Nutrition Foundation of Italy and was organized by its Scientific Director, Dr. Andrea Poli. It was attended by experts in polyunsaturated fatty acids and human lipid nutrition. This is the first meeting devoted to the health aspects of alpha-linolenic acid, the omega-3 fatty acid contained in plant-derived edible products, as distinct from the more widely studied long-chain omega-3 products typically present in fish and fish-derived products. This report, which is based on updated scientific evidence presented and discussed at the workshop, was prepared by the international expert panel.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

The French paradox and wine drinking.

Despite a high level of risk factors such as cholesterol, diabetes, hypertension and a high intake of saturated fat, French males display the lowest mortality rate from ischaemic heart disease and cardiovascular diseases in Western industrialized nations (36% lower than the USA and 39% lower than the UK). By contrast, mortality from all causes is only 8% lower than in the USA and 6% than in the UK, owing to a high level of cancer and violent deaths. In a recent study of 34,000 middle-aged men from Eastern France with a follow-up of 12 years we have observed that for 48 g of alcohol (mostly wine) per day as the mean intake, mortality from cardiovascular diseases was lower by 30%, all-cause mortality was reduced by 20%, but mortality by cancer and violent death was increased compared with abstainers. Thus the so-called 'French Paradox' (a low mortality rate specifically from cardiovascular diseases) may be due mainly to the regular consumption of wine.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Platelet aggregation and incident ischaemic heart disease in the Caerphilly cohort.

BACKGROUND: Platelets are involved in myocardial infarction but evidence of prediction of infarction by measures of platelet function are sparce. METHODS: Platelet aggregation to thrombin and to ADP in platelet rich plasma was recorded for 2176 men aged 49-65 years in the Caerphilly cohort study. RESULTS: Results from 364 men were excluded, 80 of whom had not fasted before venepuncture; most of the others were excluded because antiplatelet medication had been taken shortly before the platelet tests. During the five years following the platelet tests 113 ischaemic heart disease (IHD) events which fulfilled the World Health Organisation criteria were identified--42 fatal and 71 non-fatal. No measure of platelet aggregation was found to be significantly predictive of incident IHD. The possibility that platelet function is predictive for only a limited time after it is characterised, and that prediction falls off with time, was tested. When IHD events are grouped by their time of occurrence after aggregation had been measured, the test results show a gradient suggestive of prediction of early IHD events. Thus, 24% of the men who had an event within 500 days of the test had had a high secondary response to ADP while only 12% of those whose IHD event had been 1000 or more days after the test had shown a high platelet response at baseline. The trend in these proportions is not significant. CONCLUSIONS: Platelet aggregation to thrombin and ADP in platelet rich plasma was recorded in the Caerphilly cohort study. No measure of aggregation was found to be predictive of IHD.

Adenosine Diphosphate↗
PubMed1997

Wine consumption and dementia in the elderly: a prospective community study in the Bordeaux area.

Alcoholism is a possible cause of dementia, mainly through associated nutritional deficiencies and, rarely, through acute direct toxicity. However alcohol consumption was not found to be a risk factor in previous epidemiologic studies. We prospectively studied 3,777 community residents aged 65 and over, in the districts of Gironde and Dordogne. Average daily alcoholic consumption was recorded at baseline. Incident cases of dementia and Alzheimer's disease were screened at follow-up with explicit criteria. At 3 years, 2,273 subjects not demented at baseline were still available for follow-up. Wine was the only alcoholic beverage reported by more than 95 p. 100 of regular drinkers. In the 318 subjects drinking 3 to 4 standard glasses per day (> 250 and up to 500 ml), categorized as moderate drinkers, the crude odds ratio (OR) was 0.18 for incident dementia (p < 0.01) and 0.25 for Alzheimer's disease (p < 0.03), as compared to the 971 non-drinkers. After adjusting for age, sex, education, occupation, baseline MMSE and other possible confounders, the ORs were respectively 0.19 (p < 0.01) and 0.28 (p < 0.05). In the 922 mild drinkers (< 1 to 2 glasses per day) there was a negative association only with AD, after adjustment (OR = 0.55; p < 0.05). The inverse relationship between moderate wine drinking and incident dementia was explained neither by known predictors of dementia nor by medical, psychological or socio-familial factors. Considering also the well documented negative associations between moderate wine consumption and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in this age group, it seems that there is no medical rationale to advise people over 65 to quit drinking wine moderately, as this habit carries no specific risk and may even be of some benefit for their health. Advising all elderly people to drink wine regularly for prevention of dementia would be however premature at this stage.

Aged↗
PubMed1995

Cretan Mediterranean diet for prevention of coronary heart disease.

As a result of the Seven Countries Study, the Mediterranean diet has been popularized as a healthy diet. Nevertheless, it has not replaced the prudent diet commonly prescribed to coronary patients. Recently, we completed a secondary, randomized, prospective prevention trial in 605 patients recovering from myocardial infarction in which we compared an adaptation of the Cretan Mediterranean diet with the usual prescribed diet. After a mean follow-up period of 27 mo, recurrent myocardial infarction, all cardiovascular events, and cardiac and total death were significantly decreased by > 70% in the group consuming the Mediterranean diet. These protective effects were not related to serum concentrations of total, low-density-lipoprotein (LDL), or high-density-lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. In contrast, protective effects were related to changes observed in plasma fatty acids: an increase in n-3 fatty acids and oleic acid and a decrease in linoleic acid that resulted from higher intakes of linolenic and oleic acids, but lower intakes of saturated fatty acids and linoleic acid. In addition, higher plasma concentrations of antioxidant vitamins C and E were observed. We conclude that a Cretan Mediterranean diet adapted to a Western population protected against coronary heart disease much more efficiently than did the prudent diet. Thus, it appears that the favorable life expectancy of the Cretans could be largely due to their diet.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Platelet rebound effect of alcohol withdrawal and wine drinking in rats. Relation to tannins and lipid peroxidation.

We investigated in rats fed a purified diet for 2 and 4 months whether wine drinking was associated with the rebound effect on thrombin-induced platelet aggregation observed after alcohol withdrawal. With 6% ethanol drinking or its equivalent in red or white wine, platelet aggregation was reduced similarly by 70% when the animals drank the alcoholic beverages up to the venipuncture. Depriving the rats of alcoholic beverages for 18 hours was associated with an increase in the platelet response of 124% in those receiving 6% ethanol, of 46% with white wine but a decrease of 59% in those with red wine. The protective effect of red wine on platelets could be reproduced by tannins (procyanidins) extracted from grape seeds or red wine and added to 6% ethanol, but not by glycerol or wine without alcohol. That was related to inhibition of the alcohol-induced lipid peroxidation as shown by the lowering of conjugated dienes, lipid peroxides, and the increase in vitamin E in plasma. Owing to tannins, the platelets of rats drinking red wine did not exhibit the rebound effect observed hours after alcohol drinking, eventually associated with sudden death and stroke in humans.

Alcohol Drinking↗
PubMed1994

Effects of dietary supplementation with alpha-tocopherol on myocardial infarct size and ventricular arrhythmias in a dog model of ischemia-reperfusion.

OBJECTIVES: We investigated whether dietary supplementation with the antioxidant vitamin alpha-tocopherol (500 mg daily) might reduce lethal ventricular arrhythmias and infarct size. BACKGROUND: Previous studies suggested that dietary supplementation with alpha-tocopherol may be associated with a reduced risk of ischemic heart disease. However, the mechanism of this protection remains unknown. METHODS: Beagle dogs were randomized to either a supplemented or a control group. Because of the low mortality rate in the supplemented group, five dogs were added to the control group. After 2 months, dogs were anesthetized and underwent a 2-h coronary artery occlusion and 6-h reperfusion. Plasma vitamin E, retinol and malondialdehyde concentrations were assessed in all dogs. RESULTS: Fourteen dogs (11 of 25 control vs. 3 of 19 supplemented dogs, p < 0.05) developed ventricular fibrillation during either ischemia or reperfusion. Malondialdehyde concentrations were higher in dogs that subsequently developed arrhythmias (2.7 +/- 0.2 mumol/liter, mean +/- SEM) compared with dogs that did not (2.1 +/- 0.2 mumol/liter, p = 0.03). Among survivors with significant ischemia, infarct size was larger in supplemented (n = 12, 58.5 +/- 3.3% of area at risk) than in control (n = 11, 41.9 +/- 6.5%, p < 0.04) dogs. In addition, for a given collateral flow, supplemented dogs (n = 16) developed larger infarct size than control dogs (n = 15, p < 0.001, analysis of covariance). CONCLUSIONS: The data suggest that dietary alpha-tocopherol supplementation prevented lethal ventricular arrhythmias associated with ischemia and reperfusion. However, its influence on infarct size and long-term prognosis warrants further investigation.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Fluctuating asymmetry in the Mus musculus hybrid zone: a heterotic effect in disrupted co-adapted genomes.

Developmental stability reflects the organism's ability to buffer minor developmental accidents and is often estimated by measuring the fluctuating asymmetry. Either implicitly or explicitly, numerous authors have assumed that developmental stability is correlated with overall fitness. If this is the case, changes in morphological asymmetry across a hybrid zone could be used as a measure of the selection on hybrid genomes. Developmental stability in hybrid populations is theoretically related to the genetic distance between hybridizing taxa, and results from a balance between the stabilizing effect due to increased heterozygosity and the disruptive effect caused by breakdown of genomic co-adaptation. Here we have compared the amount of fluctuating asymmetry across a transect of the hybrid zone between the two European subspecies of the house mouse (Mus musculus domesticus and M. m. musculus) in Denmark. For the first time in any natural hybrid zone we found an increased developmental stability in the populations with mixed genomes. Moreover, the apparently beneficial effect of hybridization on the developmental stability of the hybrid mice contrasts with the results of both genetic and parasitological studies which show that hybrid dysgenesis occurs in this zone. Our results suggest that the barrier to gene flow in the Mus musculus hybrid zone may result from the disruption of relatively few gene systems. They also lead us to reassess the relation between developmental stability expressed as fluctuating asymmetry, co-adaptation and overall fitness.

Adaptation, Physiological↗