Efficacy and effectiveness of individual family intervention on social and clinical functioning and family burden in severe schizophrenia: a 2-year randomized controlled study.

BACKGROUND: Empirical evidence of the efficacy and effectiveness of psychosocial family intervention and of the specificity of its effects on the course of schizophrenia is limited. The aim was to study the efficacy and effectiveness of psychosocial family intervention with regard to clinical and social functioning and family burden after controlling for compliance and several prognostic factors. METHOD: A 2-year randomized controlled trial with blind assessments. Fifty patients with DSM-IV schizophrenia and persistent positive symptoms and/or previous clinical relapse were allocated to psychosocial family intervention, individual counselling and standard treatment versus individual counselling and standard treatment. RESULTS: Family intervention was associated with fewer clinical relapses, hospitalizations and major incidents, and an improvement in positive and negative symptoms, social role performance, social relations, employment and family burden. The reduction in hospitalizations in the family intervention group was significantly greater than that observed in the group of patients who refused to participate but this was not the case for the control group. The effects of family intervention were independent of compliance and prognostic factors. CONCLUSIONS: Family intervention is effective in severe schizophrenia independently of compliance and prognostic factors.

miRNApath: a database of miRNAs, target genes and metabolic pathways.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that regulate target gene expression and hence play important roles in metabolic pathways. Recent studies have evidenced the interrelation of miRNAs with cell proliferation, differentiation, development, and diseases. Since they are involved in gene regulation, they are intrinsically related to metabolic pathways. This leads to questions that are particularly interesting for investigating medical and laboratorial applications. We developed an miRNApath online database that uses miRNA target genes to link miRNAs to metabolic pathways. Currently, databases about miRNA target genes (DIANA miRGen), genomic maps (miRNAMap) and sequences (miRBase) do not provide such correlations. Additionally, miRNApath offers five search services and a download area. For each search, there is a specific type of input, which can be a list of target genes, miRNAs, or metabolic pathways, which results in different views, depending upon the input data, concerning relationships between the target genes, miRNAs and metabolic pathways. There are also internal links that lead to a deeper analysis and cross-links to other databases with more detailed information. miRNApath is being continually updated and is available at http://lgmb.fmrp.usp.br/mirnapath.

miRNApath: a database of miRNAs, target genes and metabolic pathways

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that regulate target gene expression and hence play important roles in metabolic pathways. Recent studies have evidenced the interrelation of miRNAs with cell proliferation, differentiation, development, and diseases. Since they are involved in gene regulation, they are intrinsically related to metabolic pathways. This leads to questions that are particularly interesting for investigating medical and laboratorial applications. We developed an miRNApath online database that uses miRNA target genes to link miRNAs to metabolic pathways. Currently, databases about miRNA target genes (DIANA miRGen), genomic maps (miRNAMap) and sequences (miRBase) do not provide such correlations. Additionally, miRNApath offers five search services and a download area. For each search, there is a specific type of input, which can be a list of target genes, miRNAs, or metabolic pathways, which results in different views, depending upon the input data, concerning relationships between the target genes, miRNAs and metabolic pathways. There are also internal links that lead to a deeper analysis and cross-links to other databases with more detailed information. miRNApath is being continually updated and is available at http://lgmb.fmrp.usp.br/mirnapath.

Glomerulopatías en el Paraguay. Reporte del registro de biopsias renales en 1072 casos / Glomerulopathies in Paraguay. Report of registry of renal biopsies in 1072 cases

La biopsia renal es el principal método de diagnóstico de las glomerulopatías. El Registro de biopsias renales es importante para conocer la situación epidemiológica y clínico­patológica de las enfermedades renales de un país y las variaciones geográficas entre los países o continentes. Para conocer la situación actual de las glomerulopatías del Paraguay se ha realizado el presente estudio en 1.365 biopsias renales registradas entre agosto de 1989 a junio de 2005 en el Departamento de Patología del IICS, que es el Centro de Referencia y Registro de Biopsias Renales del país, analizando sus aspectos histológicos, demográficos y las diferencias entre periodos quinquenales de estudio. Del total de casos, 1072 (75.5%) fueron glomerulopatías y, a diferencia de la mayoría de los países, se observó un predominio de glomerulonefritis secundarias (GNS) (57.3%) de las cuales 85.9% fueron nefritis lúpica (NL). En las glomerulonefritis primarias (GNP) la GN proliferativa mesangial (GNPM) y la membranoproliferativa (GNMP) fueron las mas frecuentes (39.8% y 28.2%), mientras que la Nefropatía por IgA (NIgA) y la Enfermedad de cambios mínimos (ECM) fueron raras (1.9% y 1.3%). No se observaron cambios significativos de incremento o disminución de tipos histológicos a través de los periodos de estudio tanto en las GNP como en las GNS. La existencia de este registro de biopsias renales fue la base para la creación del Registro de Glomerulopatías del Paraguay en el año 2004, cuyos datos son necesarios para establecer programas de tratamiento y prevención de las enfermedades glomerulares en nuestro país a fin de disminuir su progresión al estadío terminal.

Renal biopsy is the main diagnostic method of glomerulopathies. The registry of renal biopsies is important to know the epidemiological and clinical and pathological situation of renal diseases of a country and the geographic variations between countries or continents. In order to know the current situation of glomerulopathies in our country, we studied 1,365 renal biopsies registered between August 1989 to June 2005 at the Pathology Department of the IICS, the reference center and the Renal Biopsy Registry of the country, analyzing histological and demographic aspects as well as the differences between five­year periods of study. On the total cases, 1,072 (75.5%) were glomerulopathies while secondary glomerulonephritis (SGN) were more frequent (57.3 %) with 85.9% of lupus nephritis (LN) in contrast to most countries. Among primary glomerulonephritis (PGN), mesangioproliferative GN (MPGN) and membranoproliferative GN (MPGN) were predominant (39.8% and 28.2%) while IgA Nephropathy (IgAN) and Minimal Change Disease (ECM) were rare (1.9% and 1.3%). We did not observe significant changes of increases or decreases of histological types through the study periods in PGN as well as in SGN. The existence of this registry of renal biopsy was the base for the creation of the Paraguayan Registry of Glomerulopathies in 2004, which data are necessary to establish treatment and prevention programs of glomerular diseases in our country in order to decrease their progression to end­stage renal disease.

A computer-assisted approach for chemotaxonomic studies--diterpenes in Lamiaceae.

This paper describes a new computer approach for chemotaxonomic studies. The methodology employed enables the search for chemical substructures as taxonomic descriptors using an expert system built with plant natural products. The operation of the system was tested with diterpenes as taxonomic markers in Lamiaceae.

Evidence suggesting that gonadal hormones influence benzodiazepine withdrawal-induced weight loss in rats.

1. In experimental animals, benzodiazepine (BZ) withdrawal syndrome includes anorexia and acute weight loss. The literature shows several sex-based differences in the expression of BZ dependence; however, the authors did not find studies dealing with the influence of gonadal hormones on BZ withdrawal-induced weight loss. Thus, this study was designed to investigate the effects of castration on diazepam (DZ) withdrawal-induced weight loss in rats. 2. Male (260-330 g) or female (220-260 g) Wistar rats were anesthetized with ether and submitted to surgical castration or sham-operation. Seven days later, recovered from the surgery, the animals were injected i.p. with DZ (4 mg kg-1 day-1) or appropriate vehicle (VEH; 2 ml kg-1 kg-1 day-1) for 28 days. In the next 7 days, the rats received the same doses of DZ (four groups) or VEH (eight groups). Weights of all animals were recorded daily to the nearest gram at 09:00 h. To assess the degree of weight loss and make statistical comparisons, weights over days 29-34 were expressed as percentage of those recorded in the morning of day 28. 3. Sham-operated female rats from the group DZ-VEH showed a small but statistically significant weight loss on days 29 and 30 (P < 0.05) when compared with groups VEH-VEH and DZ-DZ. Ovariectomized rats, however, did not show any significant change in body weight from days 29-34. 4. Sham-operated male rats did not exhibit any significant weight loss after DZ withdrawal. Orchidectomized animals, however, showed a small but statistically significant weight loss on day 31 (P < 0.05) when compared with groups VEH-VEH and DZ-DZ. 5. These results show a gonadal influence on DZ withdrawal-induced weight loss in Wistar rats; in particular, they also suggest that female hormones (progesterone and/or estrogen) facilitate whilst male hormones inhibit this phenomenon.

Cutaneous polyarteritis nodosa in a child with positive antiphospholipid and P-ANCA.

A case of juvenile cutaneous polyarteritis nodosa (cutaneous PAN) is presented. Since early infancy the child underwent attacks of fever and cutaneous rash that occasionally progressed to gangrene and amputations of distal portions of toes and fingers. Although occasional episodes of high blood pressure and persistence of moderate eosinophilia were present, the clinical pattern was mostly restricted to the musculoskeletal system and skin. The authors discuss the definition of the disease and its present therapeutic possibilities, calling attention to a feature not referred in previous reports: the unique co-existence of cutaneous PAN plus antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) and perinuclear antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (p-ANCA).