Wiener medizinische Wochenschrift
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Wien Med Wochenschr · Jan 1996
[In vitro transformation of amniotic cells to muscle cells--background and outlook].
DNA analysis of peripheral blood leucocytes is routinely used to demonstrate mutations in the dystrophin gene in patients with Duchenne's muscular dystrophy. In approximately 35% of patients. DNA studies are not informative; in these patients immunochemical analysis of a muscle-biopsy specimen can determine whether dystrophin, the protein product of the gene for Duchenne's dystrophy, is absent. ⋯ After 6 weeks skeletal-muscle proteins could be detected in 10 amniocyte cultures. Cultures from fetuses with no family history of Duchenne's dystrophy expressed dystrophin, cultures from patients with Duchenne's dystrophy were dystrophin-deficient. Immunochemical analysis of dystrophin in genetically altered non-muscle cells may be applicable to the prenatal diagnosis of Duchenne's muscular dystrophy when conventional DNA analysis is not informative.
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Wien Med Wochenschr · Jan 1996
Review[Sleep fragmentation as the cause of daytime sleepiness and reduced performance].
Studies in healthy young adults revealed that periodic arousals during the night result in increasing sleepiness as a function of the interval of time between arousals. When arousals are frequent, deficits similar to those seen after total sleep deprivation have been found. Observed decrements appear to be specifically related to EEG arousals and do not require complete awakening. In patients with fragmenting sleep disorders such as periodic leg movements and central sleep apnea, improved nocturnal sleep is related to increased alertness and daytime performance.
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Wien Med Wochenschr · Jan 1996
Review[Not all coughing is asthma--on differential bronchial asthma diagnosis in childhood].
Cough and wheezing are typical symptoms of asthma in childhood. But depending on age there are also other causes for the appearance of such complaints. A systematic approach to the differential diagnosis will clarify the situation in most of the patients.
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Wien Med Wochenschr · Jan 1996
[Magnetic resonance tomography of the brain in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis].
We compared the magnetic resonance imaging results of 15 patients suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) with those of 30 age-matched controls to search for disease specific cerebral abnormalities. Symmetric hyperintensity along the corticospinal tract on the proton density spin-echo sequence was exclusively found in 4 ALS patients. ⋯ Signal loss of the motor cortex on T2-weighted images was frequently seen in ALS (9 patients) but was also observed in controls. As MRI is capable of providing direct evidence for ALS besides excluding other diseases it should be included in the diagnostic work-up of these patients.