[Frequencies of HLA-A, C and Bf antigens in schizophrenic patients originated from Alsace (author's transl)]. / Etude de la fréquence des antigènes HLA-A, B, C et Bf chez des schizophrènes d'origine alsacienne.

A comparison of the frequency of HLA-A, B, C and Bf antigens observed in a group of 75 chronic schizophrenics and in a control group of 184, all strictly from Alsace, does not carry any argument in favour of a strong genetic association between schizophrenia and the antigens studied. In effect, the modifications observed in the schizophrenic sample--decrease in the frequency of A10 and B5 antigens, and increase of A29 and BfF--are not statistically significant when the probabilities are multiplied by the number of tested antigens. These preliminary results however do not permit to exclude the possibility of an association between schizophrenia and the tested antigens.

[Confusional form of Chlamydia psittaci encephalitis. Diagnostic value of microimmunofluorescence. A case]. / Forme confusionnelle d'une encéphalite à Chlamydia psittaci. Intérêt diagnostique de la micro-immunofluorescence. Une observation.

A rare case of Chlamydia psittaci encephalitis is reported. The disease started with anxiety, agitation and fever (38.5 degrees C) accompanied with hallucinations and regressed within 48 hours, but a confusional syndrome persisted for 9 days. Alterations in the blood-brain barrier with low CSF protein levels and signs of lateralization could be demonstrated. The inflammatory syndrome remained discrete. The cause of the disease was disclosed by serology and epidemiological investigations. The spontaneous outcome was favourable, thus confirming that neurological forms of psittacosis are benign. This case shows that microimmunofluorescence is more sensitive than the complement fixation test and that significant levels of antibodies directed against Chlamydia psittaci may persist for almost one year in the absence of treatment.

[Different effects of tricyclic (clomipramine and amitriptyline) and tetracyclic (maprotiline) antidepressors on the release of thyroid stimulating hormone, prolactin and growth hormone to thyrostimulating releasing hormone in patients with psychoaffective disorders (author's transl)]. / Effets différents d'antidépresseurs tricycliques (clomipramine et amitriptyline) et tétracyclique (maprotiline) sur la réponse de thyrostimuline, de prolactine et d'hormone somatotrope après thyroliberine chez des patients atteints de psychose maniaco-dépressive.

The hormonal alterations induced by tricyclic and tetracyclic antidepressors (AD) were studied in patients with psychoaffective disorders (PAD) to ascertain the role of certain biogenic amines in the regulation of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), prolactin (PRL) and growth hormone (GH). The responsiveness of plasma TSH, PRL and GH to synthetic thyrostimulating release hormone (TRH; 250 microgram i.v.) was determined in 57 patients distributed in 5 groups according to the treatment: 10 non treated patients, 16 tricyclic (clomipramine and amitriptyline) treated patients, 6 patients treated by clomipramine in association with lithium, 6 tetracyclic (maprotiline) treated patients and 19 patients treated by major neuroleptics. Results of untreated patients were compared to those observed in 10 age and sex matched normal subjects. Basal plasma levels of TSH were normal in all the patients. The TSH response to TRH (delta TSH) was blunted in non treated patients. delta TSH was normal in the patients treated by maprotiline or neuroleptics and increased in the group treated by tricyclic AD in association with lithium. Basal plasma levels of PRL and PRL response to TRH (delta PRL) were decreased in the women treated by tricyclic AD, but remained normal under maprotiline. They were markedly increased in the neuroleptic group. No inadequate response of GH to TRH was noted in our series of patients. The different hormonal effects induced by AD--dissociation between delta TSH and delta PRL under tricyclics and normal or increased delta TSH under maprotiline--may be logically explained by the various ways of action of these AD on the brain monoamines. delta TSH decrease and tendency to an increased delta PRL observed with clomipramine argue for a serotoninergic regulation of these two hormones, whereas the normalisation of delta TSH under maprotiline argues for a noradrenergic regulation of this hormone. Effectively, tricyclic AD inhibits mainly the serotonin recaptation and tetracyclic inhibits rather norepinephrine recaptation. The persistent delta TSH increase observed in the group treated by the association clomipramine-lithium demonstrates that the tricyclics do not interact with the hypophyso-thyroid positive feedback.

[A study of thyroid function in patients with psychoaffective disease (author's transl)]. / Etude de la fonction thyroïdienne dans la psychose maniaco-dépressive.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate dysfunctions in thyroid gland secretion and regulation among patients with manic-depressive psychosis. Plasma levels of thyroxine (T4), triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) were measured by radioimmune assays, and TSH responsiveness (delta TSH) to synthetic TSH-releasing hormone (TRH) 250 microgram IV was determined in 20 untreated patients, 19 patients under neuroleptics and 19 patients under antidepressants. Untreated patients were compared with 15 age - and sex-matched controls. They were found to have significantly lower plasma T3 levels than controls (121.0 +/- 6.0 ng/dl as against 144.5 +/- 3.3 ng/dl; p less than 0.01) and blunted TSH response to TRH (delta TSH 4.1 +/- 0.6 instead of 12.6 +/- 2.1). Other thyroid function parameters were unchanged. Under neuroleptic treatment T3 levels tended to increase and delta TSH returned to normal. Manic-depressive psychosis is characterized by hypothalamic-pituitary dysfunction. Thyroid secretion is normal, and the decrease in T3 is probably due to impaired peripheral T4 to T3 conversion.