Biomedical subjects

T Pirttilä

Publications and source records attributed to T Pirttilä.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1992

The decrease of CD8-positive lymphocytes in Alzheimer's disease.

The aim of this study was to analyze the possible association of the changes in systemic immunity in the neurodegenerative diseases and in brain atrophy per se. Therefore we enumerated the numbers and proportions of the CD3-, CD4- and CD8-positive cells and B-lymphocytes in peripheral blood of 136 patients with various neurodegenerative disorders of the brain and 58 healthy age-matched controls. The selective decrease of the CD8-positive lymphocytes was demonstrated in the patients with Alzheimer's disease. In contrast, in the patients with brain atrophy of unknown origin and in the patients with vascular dementia the number of the CD8-positive cells tended to increase. The results suggest that brain degenerative changes are associated with changes in the systemic immunity and the changes are linked with the underlying disorder more than brain degeneration per se.

Adult↗

PubMed1992

Brain atrophy on computerized axial tomography scans: interaction of age, diabetes and general morbidity.

We evaluated, retrospectively, the occurrence of brain atrophy in all patients (n = 416) with a brain CT scan performed during a 3-month period in 1989 at the Tampere University Central Hospital. Age, diabetes, hypertension, chronic cerebrovascular disorders and an increasing number of medications were associated with brain atrophy in the log-linear models. We suggest that the effect of various systemic medical disorders on the brain requires consideration when evaluating and assessing physiological ageing of the brain.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1991

Polyene antibiotics increase the ionic permeability of synaptosomal plasma membranes.

The effects of antifungal heptaene antibiotics candicidin and amphotericin B were investigated in isolated cerebral cortical nerve terminals (synaptosomes). The synaptosomes were incubated with candicidin or amphotericin B in the presence or absence of external Ca2+. Candicidin (0.4-0.8 I.U./mL) increased intrasynaptosomal free Ca2+ significantly. This increase was not significantly suppressed by 30 microM verapamil or 2 microM nifedipine. In the absence of extrasynaptosomal Ca2+ intrasynaptosomal free Ca2+ was not changed by candicidin. Amphotericin B increased intrasynaptosomal free Ca2+ as well. Candicidin (0.05-0.6 I.U./mL) increased the respiration rate up to 3.5-fold above the basal rate. This response was not affected by the absence of extracellular Ca2+. Ouabain completely blocked the increase of respiration caused by candicidin, whereas tetrodotoxin was ineffective. The plasma membrane depolarized in a dose-dependent manner after candicidin (0.2-0.8 I.U./mL). The mitochondrial membrane potential was little affected and only at the highest concentrations. The results indicate that heptaene polyenes increase synaptosomal ionic permeability, which is reflected in increased Ca2(+)-influx and accelerated respiration. The increment in synaptosomal free calcium takes place probably as a nonspecific leak via typical polyene-cholesterol channels. The respiration is accelerated by increased Na(+)-permeability through the plasma membrane which stimulates the function of Na+, K(+)-ATPase and thus increases the energy demand.

Amphotericin B↗

PubMed1991

CSF proteins in neurological disorders analyzed by immobilized PH gradient isoelectric focusing using narrow PH gradients.

We analyzed 352 paired CSF and serum samples with isoelectric focusing and immobilized pH gradients (IPG-IEF) using three different gradients. All MS patients (n = 35) had several (from 5 to 30) oligoclonal bands (OBs) in the CSF and most of them had few (from 1-8) OBs in serum. 54.5% patients with CNS infections (n = 12) had oligoclocal bands. OBs in these patients were fewer in number and located at the more acidic pH region compared with the MS samples. Also, corresponding serum bands were more often recognized. We suggest that IPG-IEF improves the diagnostic evaluation of the oligoclonal band pattern. The possibility of the use of extremely narrow gradients makes it a valuable tool for the analysis of selective proteins in various disorders.

Alzheimer Disease↗

PubMed1991

Celiac disease, brain atrophy, and dementia.

We report 5 patients who developed dementia before age 60 and were subsequently found to have celiac disease (CD). Intellectual deterioration ranged from moderate to severe, and diffuse cerebral or cerebellar atrophy was found on brain CT. Diagnosis of CD was confirmed by findings of subtotal villous atrophy in jejunal biopsy specimens and positive serum reticulin and gliadin antibodies. Conspicuously, gastrointestinal symptoms were mild. The gluten-free diet failed to improve the neurologic disability except in 1 patient. CD is a multisystem disorder and may play a role in some cases of presenile dementia. Although the pathogenetic mechanisms are obscure, immunologic mechanisms are implicated.

Adult↗

PubMed1990

Horizontal two-dimensional electrophoresis of cerebrospinal fluid proteins with immobilized pH gradients in the first dimension.

A horizontal two-dimensional electrophoresis method with immobilized pH gradient isoelectric focusing supplemented with carrier ampholytes in the first dimension was applied to cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) proteins. About 300 protein spots could be detected on the silver-stained two-dimensional maps of CSF samples. This high-resolution method is a tool worthy of consideration for the research of CSF proteins and disease-specific changes in different neurological disorders.

Cerebrospinal Fluid Proteins↗

PubMed1988

Immobilized pH gradient isoelectric focusing of cerebrospinal fluid proteins.

Isoelectric focusing in immobilized pH gradients, supplemented with 0.5% w/v carrier ampholytes was applied for studies of native proteins, especially immunoglobulin G, in cerebrospinal fluid and serum. All 72 paired samples were run on pH 4-10 gels; 25 of them were also examined in pH 7-10 gels. Silver staining and nitrocellulose blotting with amplified immunoperoxidase detection of immunoglobulin G were used for protein visualization. Intrathecally produced immunoglobulin G was resolved into sharply focused, straight and easily identifiable fractions. The pH gradients were stable and the inter-gel reproducibilities of individual immunoglobulin G patterns were good.

Adult↗

PubMed1987

T-lymphocyte subpopulation levels and immunoglobulin changes in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with neurologic disorders.

Immunologic mechanisms are thought to play an important role in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS). In this study we examined cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples of 29 patients with MS and of 24 patients with other neurological disorders. An elevated T-helper (Th)/T-suppressor (Ts) ratio was typical for the CSF of patients with MS. There was a clear positive correlation between the percentage of Th cells and the existence of oligoclonal bands in the CSF. On the other hand, the percentage of Ts cells correlated negatively with the existence of oligoclonal bands in the CSF. The imbalance of CSF T-lymphocyte subpopulations may be one of the fundamental defects in MS, and the observed alterations in CSF immunoglobulin synthesis pattern might only reflect these changes.

Cerebrospinal Fluid Proteins↗