Diagnostic value for acute myocardial infarction of creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase isoenzymes compared with total enzymes. Creatine kinase isoenzyme specificity for myocardial damage

The diagnostic value of creatine kinase (CK) and lactate dehydrogenase isoenzymes was investigated in a prospective study of 201 patients with suspected acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The isoenzymes were analyzed with a column chromatographic method. The patients' final diagnoses were made according to the WHO criteria without knowledge of the isoenzyme results. The prevalence of AMI was 50%. The diagnoses were predicted with significantly greater reliability with the isoenzyme than with the total enzyme determinations in most of the patients. However, the greater diagnostic reliability had sufficient therapeutic consequence to justify the extra analytical cost only in patients for whom the diagnosis must be based mainly on the enzyme results. The CK isoenzyme specificity for myocardial damage was studied in populations with low prevalence of heart disease. In a group of 39 patients who had elevated total CK due to noncardiac disease there were five with elevated isoenzyme values, but since among 69 young healthy persons none had elevated isoenzymes, this was taken to indicate that the isoenzymes may be leaked into the blood from other organs than the heart.

Modafinil augmentation in depressed patients with partial response to antidepressants: a pilot study on self-reported symptoms covered by the Major Depression Inventory (MDI) and the Symptom Checklist (SCL-92)

Treatment-resistant depression, i.e. partial or non response to antidepressants in spite of various treatment attempts with optimized doses and combinations, is rather common. With residual symptoms such as tiredness, anhedonia and concentration disturbances, the treatment strategy has often been to use monoamino-oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs). Their use, however, is limited due to interaction problems. Modafinil is recently developed wake-promoting drug with only minor side-effects. Pilot studies indicate that it appears to have an augmentation effect in treatment-resistant depression. This open-label study performed in the private psychiatric practice setting is the first to make a comprehensive evaluation of the target patient profile based on patient-reported symptoms. Modafinil in doses of 100-400 mg was administered as augmentation to ongoing antidepressant therapy in patients with partial response and suffering from hypersomnia. The total number of patients was 21 and 43% of these were responders (i.e. had a score reduction of >50% on the Major Depression Inventory (MDI) as well as remitters, i.e. the remission rate was 43%. At endpoint, the responders had psychological distress scores on the Symptom Checklist (SCL-92) on the level of the general Danish population. Baseline characteristics for responders were lower scores on depression, hostility, anxiety, somatization, obsession and psychoticism. Modafinil thus appears to be an appropriate augmentation to antidepressant treatment, leading to a remission rate of 43%. However, the results from this open-label study need ot be confirmed in a placebo-controlled trial.

Flunarizine versus metoprolol in migraine prophylaxis: a double-blind, randomized parallel group study of efficacy and tolerability

The prophylactic effect of flunarizine and metoprolol was studied in a multi-center randomized, double-blind trial of 149 patients with migraine with or without aura. After a 4-week placebo run-in period, patients were randomly allocated to treatment with flunarizine 10 mg daily or metoprolol 200 mg daily for 16 weeks (parallel group design). Both drugs reduced the number of migraine days per month by 37% (95% confidence interval 21-53%) compared with the placebo run-in period. All efficacy parameters were significantly reduced by both drugs and no significant difference was found between the two drugs at any time of the treatment period. However, calculation of the 95% confidence limits showed that each drug may have a superiority of more than 100% on a single main effect parameter. The most common adverse experiences were day-time sedation (both drugs) and weight gain (flunarizine). Depression was the most serious side-effect occurring in 8% on flunarizine and 3% on metoprolol. We conclude that both drugs are effective in the prevention of migraine attacks but a higher number of dropouts occurred on flunarizine because of depression or weight gain.

Testicular hydrocele: an initial sign of colon carcinoma. Case report

Metastasis of carcinoma to the testes is rare. A case of caecal carcinoma presenting as testicular hydrocele is reported. The possibility of secondary tumour should be considered when a testicular mass or hydrocele arises in a patient above the age for primary testes tumour and the clinical picture suggests involvement of other organs.