Decreased Palpebral Fissure in Patients with Parkinson's Disease.

BACKGROUND: The diagnosis of Parkinson's disease (PD) is based exclusively on clinical criteria established by the Queen Square Brain Bank. On occasion, these clinical symptoms may be subtle and inconclusive; therefore, it becomes necessary to appeal to contributory criteria to establish a correct diagnosis. The authors propose the observation of palpebral fissure (PF) asymmetry as an additional criterion for the diagnosis of PD. OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to determine whether decreased PF (DPF) is more prevalent in patients with PD than in the general population and whether DPF in PD coincides with the side of onset of parkinsonian symptomatology. METHODS: In total, 112 consecutive patients with a diagnosis of PD and 112 control participants without PD were selected between April and June 2014. At the office visit, it was established through clinical observation whether DPF was present. In patients with PD, it was determined whether the DPF was consistent with the side of onset of parkinsonian symptomatology. RESULTS: Of 112 patients with PD, 39 (35%) had DPF clinically evident DPF, and, in 34 (87%), the DPF was consistent with the laterality of parkinsonian signs. In the control group, only 12% (14 of 112 controls) had PF asymmetry. The difference in prevalence of DPF between these groups was statistically significant (P < 0.0001), with an odds ratio of 3.7 (95% confidence interval, 1.8-7.3). Twenty-eight of the 39 patients with PD who had PF asymmetry were treated with levodopa. CONCLUSIONS: Although the data are purely observational, it may be concluded that DPF coincidental with the side of initial parkinsonian symptomatology in patients with probable PD is an additional sign worth considering.

Capillary electrophoresis method for fexofenadine hydrochloride in capsules.

A simple, accurate, and effective capillary electrophoresis method with ultraviolet absorbance detection was developed and validated for the quantitation of the antihistamine fexofenadine in capsules. The separation was performed with an uncoated fused-silica capillary (47 cm x 75 microm id) and was operated at 20 kV potential. Temperature was maintained at 25 degrees C. The run buffer was prepared with 20mM Na2B4O7 x 10 H2O. Software was used for system control, data acquisition, and analysis. Method validation was performed by evaluation of the analytical parameters linearity, precision, accuracy, limits of detection and quantitation, and specificity. The method was linear (r = 0.9999) at concentrations ranging from 20 to 100 microg/mL, precise (relative standard deviation intra-assay = 1.2, 1.6, and 1.8% and interassay = 1.5%); accurate (recovery = 98.1%); and specific. The limits of detection and quantitation were 0.69 and 2.09 microg/mL, respectively. The method was compared to the liquid chromatography method developed previously by the authors for the same drug, and no significant difference was found between the 2 methods in fexofenadine hydrochloride quantitation.

Validation of a capillary electrophoresis method for analysis of rabeprazole sodium in a pharmaceutical dosage form.

Rabeprazole sodium is an antisecretory agent that inhibits the enzyme H+/K+ ATPase present in the stomach parietal cells. There are few data about its quantitative determinations in laboratorial routines. Capillary electrophoresis is a method being used increasingly for analysis of pharmaceutical compounds, the main advantages of which are the simplicity of instrumentation, low consumption of sample and reagents, and fast analysis. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a capillary electrophoresis method for determination of rabeprazole sodium in coated tablets. The conditions used were a bare fused silica capillary with 48.0 cm length (39.5 cm effective) and 75 microm id; a 10mM, pH 9.0, sodium tetraborate run buffer; a diode array detector set at 291 nm; hydrodynamic injection (50 mbar/5 s); and a voltage of 20 kV. HP Chemstation CE rev. A.06.03 software was used for system control, data acquisition, and analysis. The method was demonstrated to be linear in the concentration range of 5.0-40.0 microg/mL (r = 0.9993), precise (interday relative standard deviation = 0.49), accurate (mean recovery = 103.1%), and specific. The limits of detection and quantitation were 1.29 and 3.91 microg/mL, respectively.