| 1. |
- Cheng, Q., et al.
(författare)
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Clinical epidemiology of Guillain-Barré syndrome in adults in Sweden 1996-97 : A prospective study
- 2000
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Ingår i: European Journal of Neurology. - : Wiley. - 1351-5101 .- 1468-1331. ; 7:6, s. 685-692
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We described clinical manifestations, outcomes, prognostic indicators and clinico-epidemiological subgroups for 53 adult patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) in Sweden during the period 1996-97. These patients were identified from a population of 2.8 million inhabitants and prospectively followed up for one year by a network of neurologists. An additional 10 cases, of whom five were adults who had not been prospectively followed up, were not included in the analyses. At 6 months after onset 80% of the patients could walk without aid, while at 1 year 46% were fully recovered, 42% had mild residual signs or symptoms, 4% had moderate and 6% severe disabilities, and 2% had died. Intravenous human immunoglobulin or plasmapheresis were used in 72% of the patients. The sum of the Medical Research Council (MRC) score at nadir was found as the only significant predictor for residual signs at 1 year in a multivariate model. Three subgroups, with different clinico-epidemiological characteristics, were identified by using cluster analysis. In conclusion, GBS in Sweden is frequently preceded by a respiratory infection, is often treated with immunomodulatory therapies, and exhibits a high recovery rate and a low fatality rate.
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| 2. |
- Vrethem, Magnus, 1955-, et al.
(författare)
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Chronic symptoms are common in patients with neuroborreliosis - A questionnaire follow-up study
- 2002
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Ingår i: Acta Neurologica Scandinavica. - : Hindawi Limited. - 0001-6314 .- 1600-0404. ; 106:4, s. 205-208
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objectives - The existence of chronic neuroborreliosis is controversial. The aim of our study was to investigate the existence and kind of persistent symptoms in patients previously treated because of neurological symptoms as a result of neuroborreliosis. Material and methods - A total of 106 patients with neuroborreliosis, according to established criteria, and a control group of 123 patients with Borrelia induced erythema migrans diagnosed in a general practitioner office were studied. A questionnaire was sent to patients and controls concerning their health situation. Time from onset of neurological symptoms to the questionnaire sendout was 32 months (mean) for the patients with neuroborreliosis and 33 months (mean) for the controls. Results - Fifty per cent of the individuals in the patient group compared with 16% of the individuals in the control group showed persistent complaints after their Borrelia infection (P < 0.0001). The most significant differences between the groups were the presence of neuropsychiatric symptoms such as headache, attention problems, memory difficulties and depression. Paresthesia, pain and persistent facial palsy was also significantly more common in patients treated because of neuroborreliosis. Conclusion - Our study shows that persisting neurological symptoms are common after a neuroborreliosis infection. The pathological mechanisms that lay behind the development of chronic symptoms, however, are still uncertain.
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| 3. |
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| 4. |
- Vrethem, Magnus, 1955-, et al.
(författare)
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Increased plasma homocysteine levels without signs of vitamin B12 deficiency in patients with multiple sclerosis assessed by blood and cerebrospinal fluid homocysteine and methylmalonic acid
- 2003
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Ingår i: Multiple Sclerosis Journal. - : SAGE Publications. - 1352-4585 .- 1477-0970. ; 9:3, s. 239-245
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate if multiple sclerosis (MS) is associated with vitamin B12 (cobalamin) deficiency. Methods: We measured serum vitamin B12, plasma folate, serum methylmalonic acid (MMA), plasma homocysteine (tHcy) and also cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) MMA and tHcy in 72 patients with MS and 23 controls. Results: The mean plasma tHcy level was significantly increased in MS patients (11.6 ╡mol/L) compared with controls (7.4╡mol/L) (P = 0.002). Seven patients showed low serum vitamin B12 levels but only one of them had concomitant high plasma tHcy. None of them showed high serum MMA. Plasma or blood folate levels did not differ between MS patients and controls. We found no significant differences in mean values or frequency of pathological tests of serum B12, serum MMA, mean corpuscular volume (MCV), haemoglobin concentration, CSF tHcy or CSF MMA between patients and healthy subjects. There were no correlations between CSF and serum/plasma levels of MMA or tHcy. Serum vitamin B12, serum MMA, plasma tHcy, CSF Hey or CSF MMA were not correlated to disability status, activity of disease, duration of disease or age. Conclusions: The relevance of the increased mean value of plasma tHcy thus seems uncertain and does not indicate functional vitamin B12 deficiency. We can not, however, exclude the possibility of a genetically induced dysfunction of the homocysteine metabolism relevant for the development of neuroinflammation/degeneration. Our findings indicate that, regardless of a significant increase in plasma tHcy in MS patients, the MS disease is not generally associated with vitamin B12 deficiency since we did not find any other factors indicating vitamin B12 deficiency. Analysis of CSF MMA and CSF tHcy, which probably reflects the brain vitamin B12 status better than serum, are not warranted in MS. We conclude that B12 deficiency, in general, is not associated with MS.
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