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Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) can be classified into typical and incomplete/atypical types. While accompanying severe abdominal pain by serositis is characteristic of typical FMF, periodic fever, aphthous stomatitis, pharyngitis, cervical adenitis syndrome (PFAPA)-like symptoms have been observed in atypical FMF harbouring P369S-R408Q mutations in exon 3 of MEFV gene (i.e. exon 3 variants), treatment of which is often difficult. This study describes the clinical findings of a patient with FMF exon 3 variants and the effectiveness of tocilizumab therapy. We also surveyed the literature to identify the characteristics and treatments of MEFV exon 3 variants. An 8-year-old boy with FMF experiencing recurrent fever accompanied by strong abdominal pain and PFAPA-like symptoms was found to possess heterozygous alterations involving E148Q/P369S/R408Q. Corticosteroids produced a partial response, colchicine was largely ineffective, and a persistent cure was not obtained by tonsillectomy. However, further attacks were completely prevented by monthly administration of tocilizumab. We believe this to be a rare case of paediatric FMF exon 3 variants that showed a complete response to tocilizumab. A comprehensive review of 23 reported cases of FMF carrying P369S-R408Q alterations revealed that patients displayed various manifestations, such as abdominal pain, uveitis, osteomyelitis, and renal failure with amyloidosis, in addition to PFAPA-like symptoms. A wide range of responses was seen for colchicine, infliximab, etanercept, adalimumab, anakinra and another adult case of tocilizumab treatment. Tocilizumab therapy for FMF exon 3 variants may prevent the development of amyloidosis, and improve patient quality of life from recurrent fever attacks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Only a few studies have examined the relationships between affective symptoms, cognitive function (e.g. verbal fluency), quality of life (QOL), and brain activation in a nonclinical population. The aim of the present study was to assess these relationships and examine the underlying cortical mechanisms in a nonclinical population. Fifty-two healthy male volunteers were assessed for depressive symp- toms using the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), for apathy using the Apathy Scale, and QOL using the Medical Outcomes Study short-form 36-item questionnaire (SF36). The volunteers also performed a verbal fluency test (VFT) while hemoglobin concentration changes were assessed on the surface of the frontal cortex using 24-channel near-in-frared spectroscopy (NIRS).The SDS and Apathy Scale scores showed significant negative correlations with the scores of most of the SF36 subscales. Frontal activation had a significant negative correlation with the SDS scores and the Apathy Scale. These results suggest that the degree of affective symptoms is associated with a lower QOL in a nonclinical population, and that cortical hypoactivation during a VFT measured by NIRS may objectively identify individuals with a high degree of affective symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Several reports on patients with chronic schizophrenia suggest that atypical versus typical antipsychotics are expected to lead to better quality of life (QOL) and cognitive function. Our aim was to examine the association of chronic treatment with typical or atypical antipsychotics with cognitive function, psychiatric symptoms, QOL, and drug-induced extrapyramidal symptoms in long-hospitalized patients with schizophrenia. Methodology and Principal Findings: The Hasegawa Dementia Scale-Revised (HDS-R), Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), the Schizophrenia Quality of Life Scale, translated into Japanese (JSQLS), and the Drug-Induced Extrapyramidal Symptoms Scale (DIEPSS) were used to evaluate cognitive function, psychiatric symptoms, QOL, and drug-induced extrapyramidal symptoms. We examined the correlation between the dose of antipsychotics and each measure derived from these psychometric tests. The student t-test was used to compare scores obtained from psychometric tests between patients receiving typical and atypical antipsychotics. Results showed significant correlations between chlorpromazine (CPZ)- equivalent doses of typical antipsychotics and atypical antipsychotics, and the total BPRS score and BPRS subscale scores for positive symptoms. CPZ-equivalent doses of typical antipsychotics were correlated with the JSQLS subscale score for dysfunction of psycho-social activity and DIEPSS score. Furthermore, the total BPRS scores, BPRS subscale score for positive symptoms, the JSQLS subscale score for dysfunction of psycho-social activity, and the DIEPSS score were significantly higher in patients receiving typical antipsychotics than atypical antipsychotics. Conclusion and Significance: These findings suggest that long-term administration of typical antipsychotics has an unfavorable association with feelings of difficulties mixing in social situations in patients with chronic schizophrenia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The therapeutic use of interferon-alpha (IFN-α), a proinflammatory cytokine, is known to cause various neuropsychiatric adverse effects. In particular, depression occurs in 30–45% of patients, frequently interrupting treatment. IFN-α-treated animals also show depression-like behaviors. However, mechanisms underlying the depression caused by IFN-α remain to be defined. Recently, a decrease in adult hippocampal neurogenesis was revealed as a possible neuropathological mechanism of depression. Therefore, we investigated the effect of subchronic IFN-α treatment on neurogenesis in the adult rat dentate gyrus (DG). Immediately after the administration of IFN-α for 1 week, a decrease in the number of 5-bromo-deoxyuridine-labeled proliferating cells was observed in the DG; however, no effect was detected on the expression of mature neuronal phenotype in the newly formed cells 3 weeks later. Also, an increase in the level of interleukin-1beta (IL-1β), a major proinflammatory cytokine, was observed in the hippocampus following the administration of IFN-α. Furthermore, coadministration of an IL-1 receptor antagonist completely blocked the IFN-α-induced suppression of the cell-proliferative activity in the DG. Our results indicate that IFN-α suppresses neurogenesis in the DG, and that IL-1β plays an essential role in the suppression. The decreased cell proliferation caused by IFN-α-induced IL-1β may be responsible, at least in part, for IFN-α-induced depression.Neuropsychopharmacology (2006) 31, 2619–2626. doi:10.1038/sj.npp.1301137; published online 5 July 2006 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on the localization of the gene for human protein Z to the chromosome 13 at band q34. Appearance of protein Z; Reference to the spanning of gene; Consistency of the mature human protein Z.

The article analyzes phenothiazines in human body fluids through the use of disk solid-phase extraction and liquid chromatography. Perazine, perphenazine, prochlorperazine, propericiazine, thioproperazine, trifluoperazine and flupentixol were found to be extractable from human plasma and urine samples. Disk solid-phase extraction was used. Drugs were eluted with chloroform-acetonitrile. Regression equations for the phenothiazine derivatives showed excellent linearity.