Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0026827 (hypotonia)
 5,860 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Our experience with a cheap contrast medium, which we prepare ourselves, is described, stretching over a period of 18 months. It is based on the bubbly barium first described by Op den Orth and is made by means of carbon dioxide in a soda water syphon. It is better for detailed contrast examination of the stomach than the commercially available contrast media. It is thought that this is due to optimal viscosity for wetting of the mucosa, optimal size of the barium sulphate particles, which are larger than one micron, and greater distension of the stomach due to greater quantities of CO2. The use of bubbly barium for routine examination of the stomach, using double contrast and hypotonia with graded compression, almost always results in demonstration of the areae gastricae in large parts of the stomach. We regard this as a sign of a good examination, since we are then able to demonstrate small lesions such as complete or incomplete erosions, ulcer scars or flat ulcers.
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PMID:[Improved radiological diagnosis in the stomach by means of an improved contrast material (author's transl)]. 15 49

We presented a 3-year-old boy, a product of consanguineous parents, with periodic apnea during waking and sleep states, severe psychomotor retardation and hypotonia. According to polysomnographical recordings, he exhibited frequent central apneas which decreased in frequency and regularity in the stage REM. He showed abnormal background EEG, undifferentiated sleep stage and very short duration of stage REM. The initiation of breathing after apnea was often accompanied with generalized muscles contraction like a startle response. In the waking state the apnea induced generalized muscular hypotonicity and the decline of wakefulness. Arterial CO2 and O2 saturation was within normal limits. It was suggested that the malfunction of the brain stem responsible for the control of breathing, sleep-wakefulness cycle and determination of sleep stages was closely connected with the pathogenesis of abnormal breathing patterns.
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PMID:[A case of three-year-old boy with periodic apnea during waking and sleep, severe psychomotor retardation and hypotonia]. 240 Jun 15

Three children from unrelated families presented in early childhood with hypoglycemia and cardiorespiratory arrests associated with fasting. Significant hepatomegaly, cardiomegaly, and hypotonia were present at the time of initial presentation. Ketones were not present in the urine at the time of hypoglycemia in any patient; however, dicarboxylic aciduria was documented in one patient at the time of the acute episode and in two patients during fasting studies. Total plasma carnitine concentration was low with an increased esterified carnitine fraction. These findings suggested a defect in mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation, and specific assays were performed for the acyl coenzyme A (CoA) dehydrogenases. These analyses showed that the activity of the long-chain acyl CoA dehydrogenase was less than 10% of control values in fibroblasts, leukocytes, and liver tissue. Activities of the medium-chain, short-chain, and isovaleryl CoA dehydrogenases were not different from control values. With cultured fibroblasts, CO2 evolution from long-chain fatty acids was significantly reduced, while CO2 evolution from medium-chain and short-chain fatty acids was comparable to control values--findings consistent with a defect early in the beta-oxidation sequence. Studies of acyl CoA dehydrogenase activities in fibroblasts and leukocytes from parents of the patients showed levels of long-chain acyl CoA dehydrogenase activity intermediate between affected and control values and indicated an autosomal recessive form of inheritance of this enzymatic defect.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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PMID:Long-chain acyl coenzyme A dehydrogenase deficiency: an inherited cause of nonketotic hypoglycemia. 402 72

Four children were found to have clinically significant obstructive sleepapnea. Hypertrophy of the nasopharyngeal lymphoid tissue, specifically the adenoid and tonsils causing obstructive sleepapnea in children, is a well defined clinical entity with nocturnal CO2 retention, retarded growth and impaired physical and psychological status. A small number of these children may develop pulmonary hypertension, cor pulmonale and ultimately death. Children with only moderately enlarged tonsils in association with neuromuscular hypotonia and anatomical defects may also develop this syndrome. Polysomnographic monitoring during natural sleep proved useful in confirming the diagnosis. All patients had improved after surgical relief of airway obstruction. The subjective impressions were documented by objective improvement: normalization of growth curves, ECG improvement of cor pulmonale and improvement of bloodgasses. Increased awareness of obstructive sleepapnea and examination of the sleeping patient and polysomnographic monitoring should result in earlier treatment and less morbidity for children with obstructive sleepapnea.
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PMID:[Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome]. 652 17

An 8-year-old boy with galactose-1-phosphate uridyl transferase (GALT) deficiency presented with hypotonia, muscle hypotrophy, hepatomegaly, bilateral cataract and mild mental retardation. Two brothers showed a GALT activity consistent with a homozygotic condition and both parents were found to be heterozygotes for this defect. Histological and ultrastructural examination of muscle biopsy specimens showed several necrotic fibres. GALT activity was undetectable in skeletal muscle and muscle tissue cultures; myotubes converted galactose to CO2 at a lower rate than controls. Galactose-1-phosphate was increased in the patient's red cells and muscle tissue. GALT deficiency, not previously described in muscle, may be of pathogenic relevance in determining the myopathic features present in GALT deficiency syndrome.
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PMID:Clinical and biochemical evidence of skeletal muscle involvement in galactose-1-phosphate uridyl transferase deficiency. 832 30

A 4-month-old baby girl, after a period of apparent good health, began to have aphonia, dyspnea, difficulties with swallowing, cyanosis, apnea, and hypopnea during sleep that resulted in admission to an intensive care unit for intubation and mechanical ventilation. At the age of 9 months she was admitted to our hospital with a possible diagnosis of central hypoventilation syndrome. A polysomnographic study showed apnea and hypopnea (apnea + hypopnea index = 47.1), hypercapnia (mean end-tidal PCO2 89 +/- 15.0 mmHg), and arterial desaturation (mean SaO2 91 +/- 1.7%; lowest SaO2 < 50%; 68% of total sleep time at SaO2 below 93%); the study also showed an absent ventilatory response to CO2, absent cardiac responses to apnea during sleep, and right ventricular hypertrophy. Nocturnal nasal bi-level positive airway pressure (BIPAP), applied initially at 6 cmH2O and gradually increased to 16 cmH2O, caused the sleep-related abnormal respiratory events to disappear. End-tidal PCO2 decreased to 39 mmHg, and SaO2 increased to 94%. After 6 months of nocturnal BiPAP ventricular right hypertrophy reversed and arrested growth and hypotonia normalized. The child has tolerated and has remained on BiPAP support up to her current age of 3 years and continues to use this form of ventilatory assistance without difficulties.
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PMID:Bi-level positive airway pressure (BiPAP) ventilation in an infant with central hypoventilation syndrome. 926 57

The in vivo oxidation of fatty acids (FA) of different chain length was investigated in three patients with documented mitochondrial FA oxidation disorders: one patient with mild multiple acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency (MADM), one with medium chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency (MCAD), and one with carnitine palmitoyltransferase I deficiency (CPT I). Breath tests were performed after oral administration of 1-13C butyric. 1-13C octanoic, and 1-13C palmitic acids. 13C/12C ratio in the expired oxidative end product CO2 was measured. The cumulative 13C elimination was calculated and expressed as a percentage of the administered dose. In the MADM patient the influence of carnitine therapy (or deprivation) on the utilization of 1-13C palmitic acid was also examined. In the MCAD and CPT I patients, the 1-13C butyric, 1-13C octanoic and 1-13C palmitic acids in vivo oxidation were similar to five healthy controls. In the MADM patient, the oxidation of 1-13C butyric and 1-13C octanoic acids were normal, whereas the metabolism of 1-13C palmitic acid ranged from 33% of 66% of controls. In this patient the serum carnitine level decreased from 60 to 27 mumol/l without carnitine supplementation. Clinically there was mild hypotonia. 1-13C palmitic acid oxidation compared to controls was 50%. After 2 further weeks of carnitine deprivation the serum carnitine was 10-15 mumol/l. Clinically he was very hypotonic and had a large liver. 1-13C Palmitic acid oxidation was 33%. After 6 weeks of readministration of carnitine (L-carnitine 100 mg/kg/day p.o.) the serum carnitine was 60 mumol/l and the patient was in good clinical condition. 1-13C palmitic acid oxidation was 66% compared to controls. Our study implies that this simple fatty acid breath test is not of diagnostic use for detection of enzymatic defects in FA oxidation disorders. The carnitine dependent 1-13C palmitic acid oxidation indicates that this test might be of some value in cases with primary or secondary carnitine deficiencies.
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PMID:In vivo stable isotope studies in three patients affected with mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation disorders: limited diagnostic use of 1-13C fatty acid breath test using bolus technique. 926 22

Tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) is synthesized from guanosine triphosphate (GTP) by GTP cyclohydrolase I (GCH), 6-pyruvoyltetrahydropterin synthase (PTS), and sepiapterin reductase (SPD). GCH is the rate-limiting enzyme. BH4 is a cofactor for three pteridine-requiring monooxygenases that hydroxylate aromatic L-amino acids, i.e., tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH), and phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH), as well as for nitric oxide synthase (NOS). The intracellular concentrations of BH4, which are mainly determined by GCH activity, may regulate the activity of TH (an enzyme-synthesizing catecholamines from tyrosine), TPH (an enzyme-synthesizing serotonin and melatonin from tryptophan), PAH (an enzyme required for complete degradation of phenylalanine to tyrosine, finally to CO2 + H2O), and also the activity of NOS (an enzyme forming NO from arginine), Dominantly inherited hereditary progressive dystonia (HPD), also termed DOPA-responsive dystonia (DRD) or Segawa's disease, is a dopamine deficiency in the nigrostriatal dopamine neurons, and is caused by mutations of one allele of the GCH gene. GCH activity and BH4 concentrations in HPD/DRD are estimated to be 2-20% of the normal value. By contrast, recessively inherited GCH deficiency is caused by mutations of both alleles of the GCH gene, and the GCH activity and BH4 concentrations are undetectable. The phenotypes of recessive GCH deficiency are severe and complex, such as hyperphenylalaninemia, muscle hypotonia, epilepsy, and fever episode, and may be caused by deficiencies of various neurotransmitters, including dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin, and NO. The biosynthesis of dopamine, norepinephrine, epinephrine, serotonin, melatonin, and probably NO by individual pteridine-requiring enzymes may be differentially regulated by the intracellular concentration of BH4, which is mainly determined by GCH activity. Dopamine biosynthesis in different groups of dopamine neurons may be differentially regulated by TH activity, depending on intracellular BH4 concentrations and GCH activity. The nigrostriatal dopamine neurons may be most susceptible to a partial decrease in BH4, causing dopamine deficiency in the striatum and the HPD/DRD phenotype.
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PMID:Regulation of pteridine-requiring enzymes by the cofactor tetrahydrobiopterin. 1032 73

The biological effects of low intensity ultrasound (US) in vitro; the mechanisms involved; and the factors that can enhance or inhibit these effects are reviewed. The lowest possible US intensities required to induce cell killing or to produce free radicals were determined. Following sonication in the region of these intensities, the effects of US in combination with either hyperthermia, hypotonia, echo-contrast agents (ECA), CO2, incubation time, high cell density or various agents were examined. The results showed that hyperthermia, hypotonia and microbubbles are good enhancers of the bioeffects, while CO2, incubation time and high cell density are good inhibitors. Cellular membrane damage is pivotal in the events leading to cell death, with the cellular damage-and-repair mechanism as an important determinant of the fate of the damaged cells. The optimal level of apoptosis (with minimal lysis) and optimal gene transfection efficiency were attained using a pulsed low intensity US. In summary, the findings suggest that low intensity US is potentially useful in therapy, while on the other hand, they also call for further investigation of such clinical scenarios as high-grade fever, edema or use of ECA which may lead to the lowering of the threshold for bioeffects with diagnostic US.
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PMID:Biological effects of low intensity ultrasound: the mechanism involved, and its implications on therapy and on biosafety of ultrasound. 1563 56

We report on a 19-year-old Russian man with Friedreich ataxia with an expanded GAA repeat. The symptoms include ataxia of the trunk and lower extremities, dysdiadochokinesia of the upper extremities with left side dominance, square wave jerks, dysarthria, decreased muscle tone, areflexia, hypesthesia, decreased vibration sense and weakness in the lower extremities, extensor plantar response, skeletal abnormalies, and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Somatosensory Evoked Potentials elicited by median nerve stimulation suggested involvement of the central pathways, including the posterior column with lateral dominance. Sural nerve biopsy showed a marked decrease in large myelinated fibers (120/mm2) and a moderate decrease in small myelinated fibers (1430/mm2) with normal density of unmyelinated fibers. Carbon dioxide laser stimulation of the upper limbs demonstrated "C-fiber component" toward Adelta fibers and a normal component toward C fibers. Immunohistochemical staining of a skin biopsy from the lateral malleolus for protein gene product 9.5 demonstrated a normal density (18/mm) of intraepidermal nerve fibers. To our knowledge, this is the first report using CO2 laser stimulation, skin biopsy, and sural nerve biopsy that unmyelinated fibers are not involved in Friedreich ataxia.
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PMID:[Neurological findings, neurophysiological examinations, and sural nerve biopsy in a case of Friedreich ataxia]. 1706 2


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