Sleep apnea in Machado-Joseph disease: a clinical and polysomnographic evaluation.

OBJECTIVE/BACKGROUND: Machado-Joseph disease (MJD) or spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3) is the most common type of autosomal dominant spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA). Sleep disorders have been described as frequent non-motor symptoms in MJD, and with marked impairment on quality of life. However, few studies have evaluated the frequency and characteristics of sleep apnea in MJD. PATIENTS/METHODS: This study analyzed the prevalence of sleep apnea in 47 patients with MJD by using polysomnography. Clinical variables such as age, age at onset of symptoms, duration of symptoms (at time of evaluation), body index mass, ataxia scales severity and CAG repeat length were compared with polysomnographic findings. RESULTS: Thirty four percent of MJD patients had OSAS, and 42.5% had excessive daytime somnolence. There were no differences considering ataxia severity, CAG repetition length or other clinical variable. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with MJD have high frequency of obstructive sleep apnea, and this sleep disorder is not correlated with ataxia severity, CAG repetition length or other clinical variable.

An analysis of the influence of sex hormones on Balb/c mice infected with Plasmodium berghei.

Sex steroids can determine several responses in the clinical evolution of malaria. Seventy Balb-c mice were randomly distributed into 7 groups (10 mice per group): G1 to G6 corresponding to castrated females, castrated females that received estradiol cypionate, uncastrated females, castrated males, castrated males that received intramuscular testosterone decanoate and uncastrated males infected with Plasmodium berghei, and G7, the control group. The mice were evaluated with regard to survival, parasitemia, temperature, body weight, hemoglobin level (anemia) and splenic index. Castrated infected females had lower rates of survival. In the castrated male, the administration of testosterone had a negative influence on survival. There was a progressive increase in parasitemia without repercussions for survival. Castration had a significant influence on weight gain in females. Weight loss was observed in all mice, except those in groups G2 and G5, although this bore no direct relation to parasitemia. A significant and progressive decline in temperature and hemoglobin levels occurred in mice over the course of their infection, which differed from the G7 group. The weight of the spleen in relation to total body weight did not differ among the groups of infected mice, but was significantly higher than it was for the control group.