Sulfate and cysteine levels in the plasma of patients with Parkinson's disease.

The study of Heafield et al. (1990) has prompted us to compare the levels of sulfate cysteine and homocysteine in the plasma of healthy subjects and of patients with Parkinson's disease treated by L-Dopa and dopa decarboxylase inhibitors. The levels of sulfate and cysteine in the plasma of controls and patients with Parkinson's disease were not statistically different but the level of homocysteine was higher in patients.

[Pharmacokinetics of paracetamol in the cerebrospinal fluid in the elderly]. / Pharmacocinétique du paracétamol dans le liquide céphalorachidien de sujets âgés.

We investigated acetaminophen pharmacokinetics in CSF in twelve operated arteritics patients with continuous spinal anesthesia. Nine men and three women aged 77 +/- 7 years and weighing 66 +/- 15 kg entered in the study after expressing verbal informed consent. They received intravenously a single dose of acetominophen (equivalent to 1 g). Fifteen minutes to six hours after the intravenous injection, blood and CSF samples were withdrawn every thirty minutes, except during the second to the third hour were it was every fifteen minutes. Acetaminophen concentrations in blood and in CSF were assayed by HPLC. Acetaminophen was detected in the earliest samples (1.32 +/- 1.32 micrograms.ml-1) and then increased up to 8.16 +/- 3.04 micrograms.ml-1 at 186 +/- 56 minutes. From 135th to 345th minute, acetaminophen concentration in CSF stay at about 6 micrograms.ml-1, which is the duration of its maximal analgesic central effect.

[ImmunoComb--reliability and reproducibility]. / ImmunoComb fiabilité et reproductibilité.

ImmunoComb is a solid phase in vitro immunological test for the measurement of serum or plasma total IgE. The technique was compared with PRIST for measurement of total IgE. The study also included reproducibility, on a test serum dilution both on a complete plate and plate sections. Statistically the conclusion is that ImmunoComb is a colourimetric test that gives the exact total IgE titre with good reproducibility. Use of a photometer greatly improves the sensitivity of assessing the results.

[The human basophil degranulation test. Attempt at determining its reliability]. / Etude du test de dégranulation des basophiles humains (TDBH). Essai de détermination de la fiabilité.

A single-blind assay was made between a laboratory in Paris and our own, in order to assess objectively the Human Basophil Degranulation test (TDBH). The study was made on 28 subjects. They presented with anaphylactic or systemic reactions to hymenoptera venom. The samples from these patients were sent to Paris without any other diagnostic information. Agreement of results between ANGERS and PARIS was very poor, at around 38.5%. Agreement between the TDBH at ANGERS and PARIS with other biological parameters and skin tests was also weak, at 41.7 to 55% in ANGERS and 45.8 to 58.3% in PARIS. The techniques used at ANGERS and PARIS were the same. Overall, TDBH does not seem to be either reliable or reproducible between two laboratories, in the special case of hypersensitivity to hymenoptera venoms.