Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0004134 (ataxia)
 15,886 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

We report a 91-year-old man who had a stroke and died of renal failure. He had been treated for hypertension since 20 years before the onset of the present illness. In addition, he was operated on a gastric cancer 17 years previously. Otherwise he was doing well until May 29, 1991 (when he was 87-year-old) when he had sudden onset of dysarthria and right facial weakness. He was admitted to our hospital. On admission, general physical examination was unremarkable, and neurologic examination revealed a mentally sound man with slight dysarthria, right facial weakness, orolingual dyskinesia, and dysequilibrium in which he showed difficulty in tandem gait; however, no cerebellar ataxia was noted. A cranial CT scan revealed leukoaraiosis with multiple low density areas in the cerebral white matter. His BUN was 37 mg/dl and Cr 2.2 mg/dl. His neurologic symptoms cleared within the next few weeks and he was discharged with ticlopidine 100 mg q.d.. He had been doing well after the discharge except for gradual worsening of his renal function; his BUN was 65 mg/dl and Cr 3.27 mg/dl in April of 1994. On March 10, 1995, he fell down and hit his back; he became unable to walk because of pain, and he was admitted again on March 16, 1995. On admission, his blood pressure was 170/80 mmHg. There was an 1 + pitting pretibial edema; otherwise general physical examination was unremarkable. Neurologic examination revealed an alert and oriented man, however, Hasegawa's dementia scale was 23/30. Higher cerebral functions as well as cranial nerves were intact. He showed some unsteadiness of gait, however, no motor weakness or ataxia was noted. Deep tendon reflexes were diminished, but Chaddock sign was positive bilaterally. Vibration was diminished in the feet, however, pain and touch sensations were intact. Laboratory examination revealed a compression fracture of the twelfth thoracic vertebra. Blood count and chemistries were as follows; Hb 7.6 g/dl, Hct 23.3%, TP 6.0 g/dl, Alb 3.6 g/dl, BUN 87 mg/dl, Cr 4.53 mg/dl, T-Chol 174 mg/dl, HDL-Chol 49 mg/dl, Glu 156 mg/dl, Na 142 mEq/L, K 5.4 mEq/L, Cl 115 mEq/L. A urine specimen contained 1 + protein and 1 + glucose, and the sediments contained hyaline casts. A cranial CT scan was essentially same as that taken four years ago. His hospital course was complicated with pneumonia, congestive heart failure, and progressive renal failure. He was treated with intravenous fluid, chemotherapy, and other supportive measures, however, he expired from respiratory failure on April 30, 1995. He was discussed in a neurologic CPC, and the chief discussant arrived at the conclusion that the patient had Binswanger's disease in the brain, benign nephrosclerosis from arteriolosclerosis due to hypertension, congestive heart failure, and pneumonia. Opinions were divided regarding the question as to whether or not this patient had Binswanger's disease. Although his cranial CT scan revealed leukoaraiosis, his dementia and gait disturbance was only mild until his fall on March, 1995. Clinical features did not conform to those of Binswanger's disease. Postmortem examination of the right hemisphere revealed wide spread atherosclerosis and arteriolosclerosis. The kidney showed benign nephrosclerosis due to arteriolosclerosis. Sclerotic changes were also seen in the coronary arteries and the left middle cerebral artery with 70% stenosis. Myelin stain showed diffuse myelin pallor of the cerebral white matters with scattered small infarcts. Arterioles in the white matter showed arteriolosclerosis. Small infarcts were also seen in the putamen and in the thalamus. This patient appeared to have had circulatory disturbance of the white matter which is the basic abnormality causing Binswanger's disease. However, white matter changes in this patient were not quite severe enough to make a pathologic diagnosis of Binswanger's disease.
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PMID:[A 91-year-old man with a stroke, hypertension, and renal failure]. 899 Apr 84

To provide histological diagnoses of brain diseases, CT-guided stereotactic brain biopsy (CT-SBB) has been widely used because of its less invasive technique compared with open brain biopsy (OBB). However, CT-SBB is not always diagnostic. We report a case of multiple intracranial tuberculoma whose diagnosis was not made by CT-SBB but by OBB. The patient is a 46-year-old man with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus who had been receiving immunosuppressive agents (azathioprine, cyclosporin, and prednisolone) after renal transplantation for diabetic renal failure for 9 years. He gradually developed febrile, headache and unsteady gait. Brain MRI demonstrated multiple intracranial lesions involving left fronto-temporal and right parietal lobes, left cerebellar hemisphere, and the fourth ventricle. Although the MRI findings were consistent with those of previously reported cases of intracranial tuberculoma, other conditions, such as malignant lymphoma and toxoplasmosis, were not ruled out. Therefore, CT-SBB targeting the left temporal lobe lesion was done for definitive diagnosis, but it revealed only mild perivascular infiltration of mononuclear cells and hemorrhage. He was transferred to our clinic for further evaluation. On examination, mild truncal and limb ataxia on the left were noted in addition to the neurological findings corresponding to diabetic retinopathy and neuropathy. Despite vigorous laboratory examinations, including repeated bacterial cultures and PCR of cerebrospinal fluid, no evidence of tuberculous infection was obtained. A tentative diagnosis of multiple intracranial tuberculoma was made, and anti-tuberculous drugs (isoniazid 400 mg, ethambutol 750 mg, and pyrazinamide 1.5 g) were administered. Since his symptoms deteriorated because of ventricular dilatation resulting from the enlarged lesion in the fourth ventricle after a temporary clinical improvement, VP-shunting and OBB from the left temporal lobe lesion were done. The excised lesion was firmly encapsulated and the histological examination revealed typical pathology of tuberculoma. Ziehl-Neelsen staining and PCR for Mycobacterium tuberculosis of the biopsied specimen were also positive. Further administration of increased doses of anti-tuberculous drugs (isoniazid 600 mg, ethambutol 500 mg, pyrazinamide 2.0 g and intramuscular injection of streptomycin 0.3 g twice a week) eventually ameliorated the symptoms and shrank the lesions. In case of intracranial tuberculoma, the needle of CT-SBB may not penetrate the firm capsule of tuberculoma and only the surrounding brain tissue may be obtained as in the present case. Therefore, it is recommended to consider OBB from the beginning for definitive diagnosis of intracranial tuberculoma. Paradoxical worsening of the clinical and laboratory findings of tuberculosis in spite of appropriate anti-tuberculous therapy as seen in the present case has been described in both pulmonary and extra-pulmonary tuberculosis. The phenomenon, called transient worsening, could happen and we have to keep it in mind during the treatment of intracerebral tuberculoma.
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PMID:[A case of multiple intracranial tuberculoma diagnosed by open brain biopsy]. 949 Sep

We reported a family with dentato-rubro-pallido-luysian atrophy (DRPLA) and chronic renal failure. The proband was a 66-year-old woman who developed gait disturbance, limb ataxia, pyramidal tract signs, and dementia since age 54. T2-weighted brain MR images revealed symmetric high-signal lesions in the cerebral white matter, in addition to cerebellar, brainstem, and cerebral cortical atrophy. She suffered from renal failure and became dialysis-dependent at the age of 59, four years after the onset of chronic nephritic syndrome. At the age of 66, she was admitted to our hospital because of hyperthermia and disturbance of consciousness, and died of DIC. Her CAG repeats in the DRPLA gene were 58 and 12. An autopsy was performed. The brain weighed 910 g. Histological findings confirmed the diagnosis of DRPLA. Her mother died of chronic renal failure. All three siblings had cerebellar ataxia, and two siblings had chronic nephritic syndrome. Among them, only her younger brother was diagnosed as non-IgA glomerulonephritis based on kidney biopsy findings at the age of 48. Though the nature of the association between DRPLA and renal dysfunction remains obscure, the DRPLA gene abnormality may be correlated with chronic renal failure in this family.
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PMID:[A family with DRPLA and chronic renal failure]. 1096 59

Vitamin E deficiency is frequently observed in human pathology. In most cases, deficiency is moderate and asymptomatic. Severe deficiency is rare and presents as a progressive neurological syndrome including cerebellar ataxia and posterior cord injury. Neuropathological and electrophysiological features confirm spinocerebellar degeneration. The pathophysiology of vitamin E deficiency nervous dysfunction is still unknown. Oxidative alterations due to the lack of the main lipid-soluble antioxidant could be involved. A few causes of vitamin E deficiency are recognized (malnutrition, impaired lipid absorption, specific anomaly of hepatic or intestinal secretion of vitamin E, excessive endogenous consumption), but diseases associated with vitamin E deficiency are numerous and divers. Symptomatic severe deficiency is constantly observed in ataxia with vitamin E deficiency and abetalipoproteinemia. Intestinal, hepatobiliary, and pancreatic diseases are often associated with more or less marked deficiency. Other pathological circumstances such as malnutrition, alcoholism, hemolytic anemia, renal failure and hemodialysis could be associated with moderated and asymptomatic vitamin E deficiency. Oral or regular administration of high-dose vitamin E is required for patients with symptomatic severe deficiency. An adapted supplementation is recommended for patients with a marginal vitamin E status.
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PMID:[Vitamin E deficiency. Etiopathogenesis, clinical, histopathologic, and electrical features, and main etiologies]. 1190 52

Familial dysautonomia (FD) is a neurodevelopmental genetic disorder within the larger classification of hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathies, each caused by a different genetic error. The FD gene has been identified as IKBKAP. Mutations result in tissue-specific expression of mutant IkappaB kinase-associated protein (IKAP). The genetic error probably affects development, as well as maintenance, of neurons because there is neuropathological and clinical progression. Pathological alterations consist of decreased unmyelinated and small-fiber neurons. Clinical features reflect widespread involvement of sensory and autonomic neurons. Sensory loss includes impaired pain and temperature appreciation. Autonomic features include dysphagia, vomiting crises, blood pressure lability, and sudomotor dysfunction. Central dysfunction includes emotional lability and ataxia. With supportive treatment, prognosis has improved greatly. About 40% of patients are over age 20 years. The cause of death is usually pulmonary failure, unexplained sudden deaths, or renal failure. With the discovery of the genetic defect, definitive treatments are anticipated.
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PMID:Familial dysautonomia. 1498 33

Mitochondriopathies (MCPs) are either due to sporadic or inherited mutations in nuclear or mitochondrial DNA located genes (primary MCPs), or due to exogenous factors (secondary MCPs). MCPs usually show a chronic, slowly progressive course and present with multiorgan involvement with varying onset between birth and late adulthood. Although several proteins with signalling, assembling, transport, enzymatic function can be impaired in MCP, most frequently the activity of the respiratory chain (RC) protein complexes is primarily or secondarily affected, leading to impaired oxygen utilization and reduced energy production. MCPs represent a diagnostic challenge because of their wide variation in presentation and course. Systems frequently affected in MCP are the peripheral nervous system (myopathy, polyneuropathy, lactacidosis), brain (leucencephalopathy, calcifications, stroke-like episodes, atrophy with dementia, epilepsy, upper motor neuron signs, ataxia, extrapyramidal manifestations, fatigue), endocrinium (short stature, hyperhidrosis, diabetes, hyperlipidaemia, hypogonadism, amenorrhoea, delayed puberty), heart (impulse generation or conduction defects, cardiomyopathy, left ventricular non-compaction heart failure), eyes (cataract, glaucoma, pigmentary retinopathy, optic atrophy), ears (deafness, tinnitus, peripheral vertigo), guts (dysphagia, vomiting, diarrhoea, hepatopathy, pseudo-obstruction, pancreatitis, pancreas insufficiency), kidney (renal failure, cysts) and bone marrow (sideroblastic anaemia). Apart from well-recognized syndromes, MCP should be considered in any patient with unexplained progressive multisystem disorder. Although there is actually no specific therapy and cure for MCP, many secondary problems require specific treatment. The rapidly increasing understanding of the pathophysiological background of MCPs may further facilitate the diagnostic approach and open perspectives to future, possibly causative therapies.
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PMID:Mitochondriopathies. 1500 63

We report a case of serotonin syndrome that occurred in a patient with chronic heart failure associated with a panic disorder. The 39-year-old Japanese man had been treated with paroxetine at 20 mg/d for 1 1/2 years. He presented with rhabdomyolysis, renal failure, fulminant liver failure, cardiac conduction disturbance, and disseminated intravascular coagulation, as well as conventional symptoms of serotonin syndrome including alterations in cognition (disorientation, confusion) and behavior (restlessness), autonomic nervous system dysfunction (fever, shivering), and abnormal neuromuscular activity (ataxia, hyperreflexia, myoclonus). All medications prescribed before hospital admission were discontinued. After 24 hours of continuous venovenous hemofiltration, diuresis resumed and renal and liver function improved rapidly. Disorientation, restlessness, hyperreflexia, and myoclonus abated slowly over the next 72 hours. The patient's anxiety subsided more slowly, and he recovered completely 1 week later. The plasma concentration of paroxetine was elevated far above the upper limit of the therapeutic range. The patient had cytochrome P-450 (CYP) 2D6*1/*5, a heterozygosity of an inactivated allele of CYP2D6, which metabolizes paroxetine. The patient was determined to be an intermediate metabolizer who was potentially vulnerable to paroxetine, a major inhibitor of CYP2D6. Heart failure is often accompanied by psychiatric disorders. A wide range of drugs commonly prescribed for these conditions, including beta-blockers, antiarrhythmics, and antidepressants, are metabolized by CYP2D6. Genetic screening for CYP2D6 in patients with these conditions may prevent life-threatening drug intoxication.
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PMID:Life-threatening serotonin syndrome in a patient with chronic heart failure and CYP2D6*1/*5. 1554 25

Chlorophenoxy herbicides are used widely for the control of broad-leaved weeds. They exhibit a variety of mechanisms of toxicity including dose-dependent cell membrane damage, uncoupling of oxidative phosphorylation and disruption of acetylcoenzyme A metabolism. Following ingestion, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhoea and, occasionally, gastrointestinal haemorrhage are early effects. Hypotension, which is common, is due predominantly to intravascular volume loss, although vasodilation and direct myocardial toxicity may also contribute. Coma, hypertonia, hyperreflexia, ataxia, nystagmus, miosis, hallucinations, convulsions, fasciculation and paralysis may then ensue. Hypoventilation is commonly secondary to CNS depression, but respiratory muscle weakness is a factor in the development of respiratory failure in some patients. Myopathic symptoms including limb muscle weakness, loss of tendon reflexes, myotonia and increased creatine kinase activity have been observed. Metabolic acidosis, rhabdomyolysis, renal failure, increased aminotransferase activities, pyrexia and hyperventilation have been reported. Substantial dermal exposure to 2,4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid (2,4-D) has led occasionally to systemic features including mild gastrointestinal irritation and progressive mixed sensorimotor peripheral neuropathy. Mild, transient gastrointestinal and peripheral neuromuscular symptoms have occurred after occupational inhalation exposure. In addition to supportive care, urine alkalinization with high-flow urine output will enhance herbicide elimination and should be considered in all seriously poisoned patients. Haemodialysis produces similar herbicide clearances to urine alkalinization without the need for urine pH manipulation and the administration of substantial amounts of intravenous fluid in an already compromised patient.
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PMID:Poisoning due to chlorophenoxy herbicides. 1557 61

Eight yearling cattle were accidentally poisoned with the agricultural organophosphate insecticide trichloronat. One animal showed signs of acute organophosphate poisoning and died. The others showed signs of chronic organophosphate poisoning (organophosphate-induced delayed neuropathy) after 2-3 weeks and one animal died from renal failure at 12 weeks. High levels of trichloronat were measured in fat samples at 6 1/2 weeks. The remaining animals still showed signs of ataxia, possibly due to distal axonopathy, 1 year later but no trichloronat was detected in fat samples at this time.
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PMID:Accidental poisoning of a group of yearling cattle by the organophosphate insecticide trichloronat. 1603 1

Type 1 nephronophthisis (NPHP) with homozygous deletions of nephrocystin [NPHP1, DEL] has been considered a pure renal disorder, but co-occurrence of extrarenal symptoms, mainly retinitis pigmentosa, is observed in a subset of patients. Recently, [NPHP1, DEL] has been detected in three patients with Joubert syndrome-related disorders (JSRDs), who associated neurological signs with a peculiar neuroradiological malformation known as the 'molar tooth sign' (MTS). To define the frequency of JSRD spectrum in NPHP1 patients, we re-examined 56 cases with [NPHP1, DEL] and found an overall incidence of 8.9% (five out 56 patients). All had small hyperechoic kidneys and had developed advanced renal failure within 15 years. Two patients presented the complete features of JSRD with cerebello-renal-retinal association and MTS. Two others showed, instead, severe intentional tremor and thick superior cerebellar peduncles on brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and one of them had associated retinopathy. The fifth patient presented with hypotonia, developmental delay, central deafness, and ataxia associated with Leber congenital amaurosis and liver fibrosis but with normal brain MRI. Marked intrafamilial variability of associated extrarenal symptoms was observed in familial cases. Deletion extension did not differ in patients with isolated renal phenotype and in those with associated neurological symptoms. In conclusion, neurological defects varying from subtle involvement of cerebellum with thickened peduncle to both JSRD and diffuse central hypotonia are frequent in [NPHP1, DEL] patients. Prevalence of such association may justify systematic neurological and neuroradiological evaluation.
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PMID:Nephronophthisis type 1 deletion syndrome with neurological symptoms: prevalence and significance of the association. 1690 87


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