Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0018681 (headache)
 56,091 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The study was carried out in 89 men aged 21 to 57 years with a history of exposure to mercury vapour from 2 to 26 years during occupational work involving chlorine production by the method of mercury electrolysis. The workers were divided into three groups depending on the duration of occupational exposure: 1) 32 workers with a short history of exposure 2-10 years, 2) 37 workers with medium-long exposure - 11-20 years, and 3) 20 workers with a history of long exposure - 21-26 years. The urinary concentrations of mercury in these individuals was 73 +/- 60 microliters x 1(-1), and in blood this concentration was not exceeding 50 microliters x 1(-1). The control group comprised 40 men aged 17 to 52 years. They had not had any occupational exposure to chemicals, or harmful physical factors. On the basis of clinical, haematological and biochemical studies 89 workers with occupational exposure to mercury vapour were regarded as clinically healthy. None of them had any symptoms and signs of the complete neurasthenic syndrome or organic brain injury. Increased nervous excitability was the complaint of 24 workers, 9 had headaches, sleep disturbances were reported by 5, and a feeling of tiredness and apathy was mentioned by 5 men. EEG recording demonstrated 81 normal tracings, and moderately pathological records in 8 men. The parameters of immunity and proteins acute phase reaction were determined, measuring the concentration of immunoglobulins, lysozyme, C3c, C4, alpha 1-acid glycoprotein, haptoglobin and ceruloplasmin in serum. A lower level of IgA, IgG and lysozyme was only noted in individuals with occupational exposure exceeding 20 years.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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PMID:Parameters of immunity acute phase reaction in men in relation to exposure duration to mercury vapours. 172 75

There is little absolute data in the form of prospective studies in patients with specific illnesses who are on oral contraceptives (OCs). Consequently, the clinician must depend on well-founded empiric decisions in prescribing the pill for these patients. The basis for the decision should be a firm understanding of the pathophysiology and laboratory effects of OCs. This needs to be juxtaposed with an understanding of the efficacy and effects of the estrogen and progestational components of the birth control pill and their interactions with maintenance medications. Available evidence is reviewed for the following medical disorders: central nervous system disorders (depression, Wilson's disease, headaches, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, and the eye); immunologic and connective tissue diseases; diseases of the endocrine system, the gastrointestinal system, the genitourinary system, the memopoietic system; and skin disorders. 7% of women on OCs have increased or newly reported depression. Whether these are primarily psychogenic or metabolically derived is yet to be definitively determined. Wilson's disease can be exacerbated by OCs because of increased plasma ceruloplasmin and increased absorption of copper from the gastrointestinal tract. Headaches can be either a vague or a specific symptom, such as migraines, but 1/3 of these patients will become worse on OCs. There is good evidence that the headaches are caused by falling estrogen levels. There is no good evidence that epilepsy, in general, becomes worse on OCs. OCs have relatively no effect on the longterm prognosis in multiple sclerosis. Increased corneal sensitivity has been observed with OC use, and this has usually presented an intolerance to the use of contact lenses. This is primarily the result of increased edema of the cornea and changing of its contour. By inference, OCs cause some basic universal changes in the immunologic system. OCs have been reported as a cause of a rare form of rheumatoid arthritis, but the Royal College reports a decrease in incidence of cell-mediated immunologic disease, specifically rheumatoid arthritis in its more familiar form. There is no evidence that OCs markedly influence thyroid disease, but they do markedly alter thyroid function testing. OCs do not produce a chronic addisonian state nor do they inhibit the ability of the adrenal-pituitary axis to respond to stress. OCs can be used in thyroid disease but with some caution in hypothyroid states. They should not be used in patients with Cushing's syndrome and are not recommended in patients with adenomas. In general, estrogen works as an irritant to the gastric mucosa, but there is no increase in peptic ulcer diseases associated with OC use, and the incidence of duodenal ulcer disease is decreased. The most striking liver disease seen with OCs is cholelithiasis. The incidence is increased 2-fold. OCs should not be prescribed for patients with chronic renal disease because of the vascular effects as well as the reported increased risk of urinary tract infection. The Royal College report has shown a decreased incidence of iron deficiency anemia in patients on OCs. Various skin changes have been reported in women using OCs. The most common of these is chloasma. In all the diseases studied thus far, the use of OCs has not precipitated a catastrophic change.
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PMID:The use of birth control pills in women with medical disorders. 702 14

More than 6000 residents of Latvia were involved in recovery work in Chernobyl. They were healthy men exposed to substantial ionizing radiation (0.01-0.5 Gy). Now, these recovery workers suffer from "postradiation syndrome": dizziness and poor memory, headache, local pains, and so forth. The biochemical mechanism of "postradiation syndrome" has not been completely established. In this Phase I study, we have investigated how exposure to radiation impacts antioxidative defense and trace element concentrations in the blood of recovery workers. Thirty-five patients with postradiation syndrome (men, age range 33-50 yr) and 15 healthy men similar in age as control subjects were studied for the effects on plasma chemiluminescence, the activity of antioxidant enzymes, and the concentration of ceruloplasmin and concentrations of selenium (Se), zinc (Zn), and copper (Cu) in blood. The results revealed that plasma chemiluminescence was significantly increased (3.5-fold to 5.5-fold), the activity of catalase in erythrocytes was significantly elevated, and the activity of glutathione peroxidase in plasma was significantly reduced in examined patients. Concentrations of Zn and Cu were significantly higher and the concentration of Se was lower in these patients. We conclude that the patients exposed to ionizing radiation have diminished blood antioxidant defense associated with pronounced Se deficiency and imbalance of Zn and Cu.
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PMID:Antioxidant defense and trace element imbalance in patients with postradiation syndrome: first report on phase I studies. 1109 66