[Role of astrocytes activated by albumin in epileptogenesis]. / Participación de los astrocitos activados mediante albúmina en la epileptogénesis.

INTRODUCTION: Epilepsy is one of the major neurological disorders characterized by spontaneous and recurrent seizures. Despite progress in the understanding of epilepsy, the exact network underlying the seizures is unclear. DEVELOPMENT: Actually the role of astrocytes in modulation of neuronal activity and the synaptic transmission is clear, making astrocytes as important players in processing of information in the central nervous system. These characteristics make us think that astrocytes have an important role in the epileptogenesis. Disruption of blood brain-barrier let the pass of albumin, and it could uptake into astrocytes. Numerous authors suggest that this can contribute to epileptogenesis. CONCLUSION: In view the data obtained from these factors (astrocytes and albumin), future studies will undoubted further to know its relation with epileptogenesis in humans and as therapeutics aims.

Participación de los astrocitos activados mediante albúmina en la epileptogénesis / Role of astrocytes activated by albumin in epileptogenesis

Introducción. La epilepsia es uno de los mayores trastornos neurológicos, afectando a cerca del 0,5-2% de la población mundial. Se caracteriza por la aparición de crisis espontáneas de forma recurrente. A pesar de los avances en el entendimiento de la epilepsia, las bases celulares exactas por las que ocurre la epilepsia humana no están claras. Desarrollo. Actualmente, el papel de los astrocitos en la modulación de la actividad neuronal y la transmisión sináptica está consolidado,ya que estas células se han convertido en unos actores importantes en el manejo de la información en el sistema nervioso. Estas características pueden hacen pensar en los astrocitos como elementos que poseen un papel importante, cuanto menos, en la epileptogénesis. Numerosos autores relacionan la rotura de la barrera hematoencefálica con la epilepsia, lo que origina laentrada masiva de albúmina al cerebro, donde ésta sería captada por los astrocitos, convirtiéndose en un factor importante en la alteración de su actividad y desencadenando cambios en ellos que conducirían a la epileptogénesis. Conclusión. A la vista de los datos observados para estos dos factores (astrocitos y albúmina), sin duda debería plantearse la realización de estudios para conocer en profundidad su implicación en la epileptogénesis y su posible uso como dianas terapéuticas

Introduction. Epilepsy is one of the major neurological disorders characterized by spontaneous and recurrentseizures. Despite progress in the understanding of epilepsy, the exact network underlying the seizures is unclear. Development. Actually the role of astrocytes in modulation of neuronal activity and the synaptic transmission is clear, making astrocytes asimportant players in processing of information in the central nervous system. These characteristics make us think that astrocytes have an important role in the epileptogenesis. Disruption of blood brain-barrier let the pass of albumin, and it could uptake into astrocytes. Numerous authors suggest that this can contribute to epileptogenesis. Conclusion. In view thedata obtained from these factors (astrocytes and albumin), future studies will undoubted further to know its relation with epileptogenesis in humans and as therapeutics aims

Substance abuse treatment linked with prenatal visits improves perinatal outcomes: a new standard.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of Early Start, an obstetric clinic-based prenatal substance abuse treatment program, on perinatal outcomes. STUDY DESIGN: Subjects were 49 985 women who completed Prenatal Substance Abuse Screening Questionnaires at obstetric clinics between 1 January 1999 and 30 June 2003, had urine toxicology screening tests and either live births or intrauterine fetal demises (IUFDs). Four groups were compared: women screened/assessed positive and treated by Early Start ('SAT', n=2073); women screened/assessed positive without treatment ('SA', n=1203); women screened positive only ('S', n=156); controls who screened negative (n=46,553). Ten neonatal and maternal outcomes were studied. RESULT: SAT women had either similar or slightly higher rates than the control women on most outcomes but significantly lower rates than S women. SA women generally had intermediate rates to the SAT and S groups. In multivariate analysis, the S group had significantly worse outcomes than the SAT group: preterm delivery (odds ratio (OR)=2.1, 1.3 to 3.2), placental abruption (OR=6.8, 3.0 to 15.5) and IUFD (OR=16.2, 6.0 to 43.8). CONCLUSION: Substance abuse treatment integrated with prenatal visits was associated with a positive effect on maternal and newborn health.