RESUMO
The growth of our understanding of the biology and treatment of schizophrenia is still very much a work in progress. In this article, which introduces a series of papers presented at a conference entitled "Schizophrenia: Doing the Right Thing Well," held at Northcoast Behavioral Healthcare System (Cleveland, May 2000), the authors provide a short overview of what is known about schizophrenia today. He briefly reviews findings concerning epidemiology, phenomenology and course, neurobiology, and treatment, and highlights some of the most significant findings to date as well as areas needing further research. Early evaluation and treatment, in advance of the florid presentation of the illness, offer much hope, but only if our knowledge of the diagnostic specificity of prodromal and neurodevelopmental precursors can be enhanced. Significant advances in medication treatment have been made, and the newer antipsychotic medications overall have a more benign adverse-effect profile than the older agents, although the specter of endocrine/metabolic complications looms as a significant long-term concern. The authors conclude that, although many advances in our understanding of the etiology and treatment of schizophrenia have been made, much remains to be learned.
RESUMO
Suppression by lead of resistance to bacterial or viral infections has been reported by several authors. We have studied, if a decrease of resistance to bacterial infection could be evaluated at blood lead concentrations (PbB), which correspond to the upper levels of environmental or occupational lead exposure regarded as tolerable (PbB = 35 resp. 60 microgram/100 ml). NMRI mice were chronically exposed to lead by feeding with lead acetate containing diets and given a challenge with Salmonella typhimurium. No increase of susceptibility to bacterial infection could be demonstrated at PbB < 90 microgram/100 g. At PbB > 100 microgram/100 g, however, an increase of lethality and a decrease of 50% survival times could be observed after bacterial infection.