[In-patient withdrawal treatment of heroin addicts with neuroleptics (author's transl)]

The results are reported of 144 abrupt withdrawal treatment in heroin addicts (102 in males, 42 in females). Neuroleptics were given intravenously (partly via subclavia catheter) or orally and the results compared with one another. Parenteral treatment needed much more specialist supervision and control and had a much higher complication rate. It should be used only on the individual special case. The initial withdrawal lasts about 4 days with an oral dosage of 270 mg levopromazine in males and 240 mg in females or 540 mg chlorprothixene in males and 520 mg in females per 24 hours. The only side effects encountered were tachycardia and the occasional occurrence of extrapyramidal signs. The liver function tests did not show any significant changes during the treatment.

[Excess mortality in out-patients psychiatry: first results of a Geneva study]

The project intends to prove an excess of mortality among the out-patients of the official psychiatric center of Geneva. The study is of the follow-up retrospective type. The primary results confirm the hypothesis. They show an increased relative risk of death by suicide and other non natural causes, for both sexes, as well as by natural causes (especially respiratory diseases) but only among women.

Spurious brain creatine kinase in serum from patients with renal disease

Creatine kinase isoenzyme I(BB) is generally not detectable in normal serum, and its occurrence in serum has been documented in only a few disease states. In particular, increased activity of this isoenzyme has been reported in association with chronic renal failure, hemodialysis, and renal transplantation. The present study demonstrates that the apparent creatine kinase observed in the serum of such renal patients is an artifact, observed as a result of measuring creatine kinase isoenzymes by fluorescence. Our observations resemble those of McKenzie et al. [Clin. Chim. Acta 70, 333(1976)] concerning an artifact in the fluorometric determination of lactate dehydrogenase isoenzymes in the sera of patients with end-stage renal failure. The artifact binds to albumin, is not a protein, and occurs in some normal sera at very low concentrations. This artifact can be mistakenly identified as isoenzyme I in renal-disease patients if CK isoenzymes are determined fluorometrically.

Spurious brain creatine kinase in serum from patients with renal disease

Creatine kinase isoenzyme I(BB) is generally not detectable in normal serum, and its occurrence in serum has been documented in only a few disease states. In particular, increased activity of this isoenzyme has been reported in association with chronic renal failure, hemodialysis, and renal transplantation. The present study demonstrates that the apparent creatine kinase observed in the serum of such renal patients is an artifact, observed as a result of measuring creatine kinase isoenzymes by fluorescence. Our observations resemble those of McKenzie et al. [Clin. Chim. Acta 70, 333(1976)] concerning an artifact in the fluorometric determination of lactate dehydrogenase isoenzymes in the sera of patients with end-stage renal failure. The artifact binds to albumin, is not a protein, and occurs in some normal sera at very low concentrations. This artifact can be mistakenly identified as isoenzyme I in renal-disease patients if CK isoenzymes are determined fluorometrically.

The role of the AT pairs in the acid denaturation of DNA

It has been determined previously that the protonation of the GC pairs induces a DNA conformation change which leads to a "metastable" structure. The role of the AT pairs, however, is no well known because the protonation does not modify their spectral properties. By means of an indirect method based on the binding of proflavine, it has been determined that the AT pairs are protonated before the acid-induced denaturation and that they seem to be unable to assume a conformation change when protonated. These results would indicate that the protonated AT pairs may be responsible for the induction of the acid denaturation and not the GC pairs as it was thought previously.