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Summary Forty-four Parkinson patients (19 patients of the rigid-akinetic type, 13, of the rigid-akinetic-tremor type, and 12, of the tremor type) were included in a study in order to analyse correlations of the expression of the motor symptoms tremor, rigidity, akinesia, with other clinical parameters, computertomographic aspect of brain atrophy and psychometrically assessed cognitive parameters. Rigidity and akinesia are significantly positively correlated with the severity of motor dysability, stage of the disease, and brain atrophy, as is akinesia with a history of pharmacotoxic psychosis. Tremor is significantly negatively correlated with motor dysability, stage of the disease, and history of pharmacotoxic psychosis. Akinesia is correlated with visuomotor dysfunction (tested with Bender Gestalt Test) and rigidity with the depression score (Zung scale). The tremor type is favorable, the rigid-akinetic type unfavorable with respect to motor disability and psychosis.

Abstract. In 32 patients with macroprolactinomas or functionless pituitary macroadenomas biochemical and clinical data were correlated with PRL immunocytochemistry. Serum PRL levels revealed a positive correlation with tumour PRL content. Hyperprolactinaemia of 3000 mU/l or more was found only in patients with PRL-positive tumours. In 15 patients with borderline hyperprolactinaemia (below 3000 mU/l), 7 PRL-positive and 8 PRL-negative macroadenomas were found, and in 9 normoprolactinaemic patients 4 PRL-positive and 5 PRL-negative macroadenomas. Patients with PRL-immunostainable tumours had significantly higher median basal serum PRL (P≤ 0.05) than patients with PRL-negative tumours. PRL stimulation after TRH, basal and GnRH-stimulated FSH and LH did not show significant differences between the two groups. A discriminant analysis using 6 biochemical variables was attempted to differentiate between PRL-negative and -positive tumours, which would be helpful in patients with borderline hyperprolactinaemia. Dopamine agonist therapy led to suppression of serum PRL with few exceptions in patients with PRL-positive and -negative tumours, whereas shrinkage was only observed in PRL-immunostainable tumours with high serum PRL levels (over 18 000 mU/l). All patients with PRL-negative tumours showed no change or even growth of the tumour despite dopamine agonist therapy. Our observations indicate that a pituitary macroadenoma associated with serum PRL of more than 3000 mU/l is most probably a prolactinoma (tumour immunostainable for PRL). Dopamine agonist therapy is effective in PRL suppression and tumour shrinkage in most of these patients. Macroadenomas without hormone hypersecretion or with borderline hyperprolactinaemia below 3000 mU/l may or may not contain PRL-immunostainable cells. Dopamine agonist therapy is effective in suppression of serum PRL also in most of these patients, but definite tumour shrinkage was not observed even in patients with PRL-immunostainable tumours of this group.

Plasma exchange has been used for therapy in eight patients with the Guillain-Barré syndrome. All patients were severely ill. They became tetraplegic and showed cranial nerve involvement. Five patients received assisted respiration, but the others were also at risk of ventilatory insufficiency. Recovery was abrupt in all cases after the first plasma exchanges. Improvement was more marked when plasmapheresis was done on three successive days with plasma exchanges of 2.0–3.01 each in the initial progressive stage of the disease. A considerable advantage of this therapy is the avoidance of continued artificial respiration and nutrition, which both carry the risk of further complications.

The stability, pH-dependence and kinetic properties of the Mn2+ and FDP-activated NAD-dependent lactic acid dehydrogenases from Lactobacillus casei ssp. casei (ATCC 393) and L. curvatus (DSM) 20010) were studied after the enzymes were purified to homogeneity by affinity chromatography. Both enzymes are virtually unidirectional, catalysing efficiently only the reduction of pyruvate. They are similar with respect to the effector requirement and pH-optimum. They differ, however, in their electrophoretic mobility, heat stability, pH-dependence of the Mn2+ requirement and several kinetic properties. It is suggested that most of these differences are caused by differences of the negative charges in the vicinity of the FDP-binding site or the site responsible for the interaction of the subunits of the enzymatically active oligomeres.

Computed tomography and magnetic resonance (MR) studies were done in one case of Behcet disease and showed a focal lesion in the upper brain stem. Early institution of therapy was followed by a complete clinical remission and disappearance of the CT and MR changes. Computed tomography and MR are important modalities for the early detection of Behcet disease when reversibility of the pathological changes is still possible.

We describe a de novo constitutional (X;17) (q13;p13) translocation in a girl with the clinical features of hypomelanosis of Ito and plexus papilloma.