Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:4.1.2.13 (aldolase)
 3,461 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

We described three children with juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM) refractory to the conventional therapy. They were successfully treated with intravenous cyclophosphamide (IVCY) pulses, and two of them were administered plasma exchange (PE) before IVCY. Case 1. A 17-year-old girl with JDM was previously treated for 2 years with the combination of prednisolone, intravenous gamma-globulin, methotrexate, and azathioprine. However, muscle weakness gradually progressed. She failed to hold her sitting position and to rise her arms, but both serum CK and aldolase were stable. After the episode of aspiration pneumonia the follow-up muscle biopsy was performed, which revealed muscle degeneration and massive mononuclear cell infiltration in perivascular area. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and fibrin degradation product E (FDP-E) levels were gradually increased. Because the active inflammation of muscle and muscle vasculature was suspected, the PE and IVCY combination therapy was administered. During the 6 courses of the therapy, muscle weakness was markedly improved so that she could hold herself at the sitting position and could have meals by herself. Case 2. A 5-year-old boy with JDM was treated for 8 months with prednisolone p.o., but his muscle strength became worse. The muscle enzyme levels, such as serum CK and aldolase, were not reflecting his status of the disease, but FDP-E levels were increased. Muscle MRI and biopsy revealed the inflammatory changes of perivascular area of muscle. The PE and IVCY combination therapy was effective, and he became able to walk and run by himself. Case 3. A 14-year-old boy was diagnosed as having JDM when he was 10 years of age, and treated with prednisolone p.o., and subsequently with intravenous methylprednisolone pulses and azathioprine. Three years later the flares were observed accompanied with the elevations of serum CK and FDP-E. The administration of IVCY improved muscle strength as well as serum muscle enzyme and FDP-E levels. These findings indicated that the clinical manifestations of JDM should be closely monitored, that the serum levels of muscle enzymes including CK and aldolase were sometimes not indicative for the flares of JDM, and that muscle MRI and re-biopsy examination were needed for the children with progressive muscle weakness. In addition, determination of ESR and FDP-E was not specific but helpful to detect flares of the disease in some cases.
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PMID:[Intravenous cyclophosphamide pulse therapy for refractory juvenile dermatomyositis]. 1263 9

Chronic graft-vs.-host disease (cGVHD) occurs in 20-50% of patients who survive for at least 100 d after allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT). cGVHD includes scleroderma-like skin changes, chronic cholangitis, obstructive lung disease and general wasting syndrome. Polymyositis or myopathy are rare manifestations of cGVHD with approximately 40 reported cases. Polymyositis accompanied by hemosiderin deposits in cGVHD has been reported only once, and there are no reports on lipofuscin deposits in skeletal muscle cells in cGVHD. We report here on a 56-yr-old male who underwent allogeneic SCT in 1999 for osteomyelofibrosis and progressive hematopoietic insufficiency. In February 2004, the patient was hospitalized for progressive muscular weakness with loss of the ability to walk. Laboratory tests demonstrated normal values for serum creatine kinase, aldolase and lactic dehydrogenase; the ferritin level was highly elevated. The femoral muscle biopsy showed mostly perifascicular atrophy as well as numerous subsarcolemmal hemosiderin and lipofuscin deposits. Intravenous administration of the chelating agent deferoxamine was ineffective. Three weeks later the patient died of aspiration pneumonia. Interestingly, autopsy disclosed moderate hemosiderin deposits in the liver, the organ usually involved in hemosiderosis.
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PMID:Hemosiderin deposits in chronic graft-vs.-host disease related myopathy. 1631 67