From the National Institutes of Health

Article Abstract:

Several recent research reports from the National Institutes of Health are summarized. It appears that nerve terminals (the ends of neurons that form connections, or synapses, with the next neuron, or nerve cell) in people with Alzheimer's disease (a progressive disease associated with complete cognitive loss) take up choline at a faster rate than normal. At the same time, levels of choline acetyltransferase are lower than normal. Since choline acetyltransferase catalyzes the formation of acetylcholine from another molecule (acetyl CoA), the result of this imbalance could be a deficit of acetylcholine, which is known to exist in Alzheimer's patients. Dietary supplementation of choline has not been effective in treating this disorder, perhaps because the choline does not reach the appropriate neurons. The second report discusses a study conducted in the People's Republic of China that did not find an increased risk for lung cancer in women who had been exposed to radon in residential environments. The study was carried out by placing radon detectors in the homes of 308 women with lung cancer who lived in an industrial city with one of the world's highest lung cancer rates. Control subjects were disease-free and similar to the cancer patients in age. Results showed that radon levels were no higher in houses where the women had lung cancer, even though many homes had high levels. A new test for hypothyroidism (insufficient levels of thyroid hormone) measures the increased nocturnal production of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), the hormone produced by the pituitary gland, which stimulates the thyroid gland. Normally, the surge leads to TSH levels that are 124 percent of normal levels, but hypothyroid patients have a surge of only 22 percent. This approach detects hypothyroidism more accurately than tests performed during the day. Finally, one symptom, autoimmune thrombocytopenia (decrease in blood platelets, blood cells essential for clotting), common in people with systemic lupus erythematosus (an autoimmune disease) can apparently be treated with cyclophosphamide. This drug is currently used as a chemotherapeutic agent and an immunosuppressant. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Testing, Complications and side effects, Risk factors, Physiological aspects, Alzheimer's disease, Cancer, Hypothyroidism, Thrombocytopenia, Indoor air quality, Radon

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Systemic lupus erythematosus: treatment-related complications superimposed on chronic disease

Article Abstract:

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic disease characterized by inflammatory changes in connective tissue; it can affect the joints, skin, kidneys, immune system and nervous system. SLE can also cause serious infections, fatigue, kidney failure, rheumatoid deformities of the hands, and skin lesions leading to scarring. The case of a 40-year-old woman with SLE that was followed for 19 years is described, and the disease and its treatment is discussed. The main drug therapy for SLE has traditionally been corticosteroids, and in recent years cytotoxic and antimetabolite drugs have been used. Patients with SLE suffer from both the affects of the disease and from complications caused by the drug therapy. Diagnosis of SLE has improved as immunologic tests have become available and physicians have become more aware of early manifestations of the disease. SLE can now be diagnosed at an earlier stage and consequently, survival time from diagnosis is longer. The course of SLE is characterized by disease flares that usually resolve completely with the appropriate treatment, and chronic complications are also common. Most acute inflammatory responses are effectively treated with corticosteroids. However, the long-term use of these drugs can be as damaging as the disease itself; some of the more significant complications of corticosteroid therapy are bone abnormalities such as osteoporosis, high blood pressure, obesity, cataracts, and coronary artery disease. Cytotoxic and antimetabolite drugs are used for patients with life-threatening complications of SLE. These drugs carry several serious risks, including suppression of the immune system and the development of cancer. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Care and treatment, Case studies, Collagen diseases

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Research Advances in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Article Abstract:

Systemic lupus erythematosus is an autoimmune disease with both genetic and environmental components. It is treated with general immunosuppressants but research may target specific components of the immune system that can be suppressed without affecting other components.

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