muramidase and Nervous-System-Diseases

Topics: Amyloidosis; Bromelains; Chymotrypsin; Dimethyl Sulfoxide; Humans; Intestinal Absorption; Molecular Weight; Muramidase; Nervous System Diseases

Topics: Blood Cells; Cholinesterase Inhibitors; Contrast Media; Drug Hypersensitivity; Glucuronidase; Humans; Hypertonic Solutions; Muramidase; Nervous System Diseases; Protein Binding; Serum Albumin; Vascular Diseases; Water-Electrolyte Balance

In the present series of studies we investigated differences in vitro and in animal experiments between iopamidol (Iopamiron, CAS 60166-93-0) and ioversol (CAS 87771-40-2). The studies included the in vitro investigations partition coefficient, lysozyme inhibition, coagulation time and erythrocyte morphology as well as the in vivo paradigms acute toxicity, neural toxicity, general behavior/locomotor activity and angiography. Iopamidol was superior to ioversol in most of the tests. In spite of its higher hydrophilicity, ioversol did not show improved tolerance in comparison to iopamidol.

Topics: Angiography; Animals; Chemical Phenomena; Chemistry, Physical; Contrast Media; Erythrocyte Deformability; Female; Femoral Artery; In Vitro Techniques; Iopamidol; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred ICR; Motor Activity; Muramidase; Nervous System Diseases; Rabbits; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Triiodobenzoic Acids; Whole Blood Coagulation Time

Total neopterin (T-N), a by-product in the biopterin biosynthesis and an indicator of activation of the cellular immune system, and total biopterin (T-B) levels in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), were measured in patients with various inflammatory neurological diseases and Parkinson's disease, and the following results were obtained. (1) In patients with neuro-sarcoidosis, neuro-Behçet's disease and meningitis, CSF T-N levels were markedly elevated in the exacerbation or acute stages of their neurological symptoms and remarkably decreased in the remission or chronic stages. In the neuro-sarcoidosis and neuro-Behçet's disease patients, however, CSF T-B levels showed no substantial change. (2) There was a significant positive correlation between CSF T-N levels and CSF/serum albumin ratios only in the meningitis patients. However, increases of CSF T-N levels were not associated with those of plasma T-N levels. (3) In the Parkinson's disease patients, CSF T-N levels remained normal, although CSF T-B levels significantly decreased. (4) A gradient for the CSF T-N value (lumbar greater than ventricular CSF), being reverse to the CSF T-B value, was observed. These results indicate that the significance of CSF T-N is quite different from CSF T-B, and that CSF T-N appears to be a valuable biochemical marker for evaluating the activity of inflammation within the central nervous system. Its measurement seems useful for therapeutic monitoring, especially of patients showing the chronic exacerbating-remitting course.

Topics: Adult; Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors; Behcet Syndrome; Biopterins; Female; Humans; Immunity, Cellular; Male; Meningitis; Muramidase; Neopterin; Nervous System Diseases; Sarcoidosis

Three variants of the immunoenzymometric assay of human lysozyme with HRP-labeled antibodies were compared. The highest sensitivity (with a detection limit of 0.2 micrograms lysozyme/L) was achieved by a one-step assay lasting 2 h. Between-batch precision for the techniques was 6-11%. Lysozyme reference values were determined in serum, cerebrospinal fluid and urine. In serum they are age-dependent and in urine sex-dependent when related to creatinine excretion. Serum lysozyme is increased in only 57% of the patients with active rheumatoid arthritis and is also unreliable for indicating remission. In Crohn's disease the serum lysozyme reflects activity better, but it does not exceed the diagnostic value of alpha-1-acidic glycoprotein (orosomucoid). The lysozyme quantification in cerebrospinal fluid is useful in distinguishing between viral or bacterial meningitis.

Topics: Acute Disease; Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aging; Arthritis, Rheumatoid; Body Fluids; Clinical Enzyme Tests; Crohn Disease; Diagnosis, Differential; Enzyme Stability; Evaluation Studies as Topic; Humans; Immunoenzyme Techniques; Infant, Newborn; Meningitis; Meningitis, Viral; Middle Aged; Muramidase; Nervous System Diseases; Reference Values

The levels of lysozyme (LZM) and beta 2-microglobulin (beta 2m) were measured in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum of 32 patients with sarcoidosis, 20 of whom had neurosarcoidosis. LZM was analyzed by a new radioimmunoassay (RIA) modification. CSF LZM was elevated in 15 of 20 patients with neurosarcoidosis but in only 4 of 12 patients with extraneural sarcoidosis. CSF beta 2m values were elevated in 13 of 19 and in one of 11 patients, respectively. In neurosarcoidosis, both CSF LZM and beta 2m correlated to CSF leucocytes but not significantly to CSF albumin thus suggesting that LZM and beta 2m were secreted from cells within the central nervous system (CNS). In patients with sarcoidosis, elevations of CSF LZM and beta 2m revealed disease activity in the CNS. Both analyses were also useful in the follow-up of neurosarcoidosis.

Topics: Adult; Aged; beta 2-Microglobulin; Humans; Middle Aged; Muramidase; Nervous System Diseases; Sarcoidosis

A turbidimetric technique has been adapted to yield maximum sensitivity for the measurement of lysozyme in cerebrospinal fluid. One hundred and ninety-eight patients were studied over a total period of 9 months using this technique. In addition to the considerably elevated levels known to occur in cases of bacterial and fungal meningitis, increased activity was also demonstrated in cases of subarachnoid haemorrhage and in certain inflammatory conditions. Normal or marginally increased levels were seen in cases of viral meningitis and encephalitis.

Topics: Bacterial Infections; Encephalitis; Humans; Meningitis; Meningitis, Viral; Muramidase; Nephelometry and Turbidimetry; Nervous System Diseases

Topics: Biological Assay; Clinical Enzyme Tests; Diagnosis, Differential; Humans; Kinetics; Muramidase; Nervous System Diseases; Reference Values

Topics: Brain Neoplasms; Cerebrospinal Fluid; Cerebrospinal Fluid Proteins; Clinical Enzyme Tests; Humans; Muramidase; Nervous System Diseases; Sarcoma