Heterozygous β-thalassaemia as a susceptibility factor in mood disorders: excessive prevalence in bipolar patients

BACKGROUND: Previous preliminary reports have suggested potential interactions between microcytic anaemia and mood disorders. In particular, heterozygous β-thalassaemia has been implicated in the bipolar spectrum. This study surveyed relevant haematological parameters in a large sample of psychiatric outpatients with the aim of clarifying previous observations. METHODS: Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV) was analysed in 1014 consecutive patients diagnosed according to modified Research Diagnostic Criteria (RDC). Haemoglobin electrophoresis and/or chromatography was performed in blood samples from 143 patients with reduced MCV. Prevalence of heterozygous β-thalassaemia was estimated based on the rates of patients with reduced MCV and increased haemoglobin A(2 )concentration. RESULTS: MCV lower than 80 μ(3 )was found in greater proportions among bipolar compared with the remaining RDC subgroups (183/732 = 25.0% versus 51/282 = 18.1%; p = 0.02; relative risk = 1.38; Fisher's exact test). This difference can mainly be attributed to heterozygous β-thalassaemia, the estimated prevalence of which was 16.4% among bipolar and 9.9% among non-bipolar subgroups (p = 0.01; relative risk = 1.65). CONCLUSION: The results are consistent with the hypothesis that heterozygous β-thalassaemia might play a role as a susceptibility factor in bipolar spectrum disorders in specific populations

Psychotic mania in glucose-6-phosphate-dehydrogenase-deficient subjects

BACKGROUND: Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency has been associated with acute psychosis, catatonic schizophrenia, and bipolar disorders by previous inconclusive reports. A particularly disproportionate rate of enzyme deficiency was found in manic schizoaffective patients from 662 lithium patients surveyed in Sardinia. The purpose of this study was to describe clinical characteristics which may be potentially associated with G6PD deficiency. METHODS: Characteristics of episodes, course of illness, family pattern of illness, laboratory tests, and treatment response of 29 G6PD-deficient subjects with a Research Diagnostic Criteria diagnosis of manic schizoaffective disorder were abstracted from available records. RESULTS: The most peculiar pattern was that of acute recurrent psychotic manic episodes, mostly characterized by loosening of associations, agitation, catatonic symptoms, and/or transient confusion, concurrent hyperbilirubinemia, positive psychiatric family history, and partial response to long-term lithium treatment. CONCLUSIONS: A relationship between psychiatric disorder and G6PD deficiency is to be searched in the bipolar spectrum, particularly among patients with a history of acute episodes with psychotic and/or catatonic symptoms or with transient confusion

Lithium treatment and thyroid abnormalities

BACKGROUND: Although the interactions between lithium treatment and thyroid function have long been recognised, their clinical relevance is still controversial. This paper sets out a review of the literature to date, considering that lithium still represents the gold standard among prophylactic treatments of manic-depression several decades after its introduction. METHOD: PubMed database was used to search for English-language articles relating to lithium treatment and thyroid function. As the amount of relevant papers totalled several hundreds, this review refers to previous reviews, especially with regard to older literature. Moreover, the authors particularly refer to a series of studies of thyroid function performed in a cohort of patients at different stages of lithium treatment, who were followed up by their group from 1989 onwards. RESULTS: The main findings from this review included: a) lithium definitely affects thyroid function as repeatedly shown by studies on cell cultures, experimental animals, volunteers, and patients; b) inhibition of thyroid hormone release is the critical mechanism in the development of hypothyroidism, goitre, and, perhaps, changes in the texture of the gland which are detected by ultrasonic scanning; c) compensatory mechanisms operate and prevent the development of hypothyroidism in the majority of patients; d) when additional risk factors are present, either environmental (such as iodine deficiency) or intrinsic (immunogenetic background), compensatory potential may be reduced and clinically relevant consequences may derive; e) hypothyroidism may develop in particular during the first years of lithium treatment, in middle-aged women, and in the presence of thyroid autoimmunity; f) thyroid autoimmunity is found in excess among patients suffering from affective disorders, irrespective of lithium exposure; g) in patients who have been on lithium for several years, the outcome of hypothyroidism, goitre, and thyroid autoimmunity do not much differ from those observed in the general population; h) hyperthyroidism and thyroid cancer are observed rarely during lithium treatment. RECOMMENDATIONS: Thyroid function tests (TSH, free thyroid hormones, specific antibodies, and ultrasonic scanning) should be performed prior to starting lithium prophylaxis. A similar panel should be repeated at one year. Thereafter, annual measurements of TSH may be sufficient to prevent overt hypothyroidism. In the presence of raised TSH or thyroid autoimmunity, shorter intervals between assessments are advisable (4–6 months). Measurement of antibodies and ultrasonic scanning may be repeated at 2-to-3-year intervals. The patient must be referred to the endocrinologist if TSH concentrations are repeatedly abnormal, and/or goitre or nodules are detected. Thyroid function abnormalities should not constitute an outright contraindication to lithium treatment, and lithium should not be stopped if a patient develops thyroid abnormalities. Decisions should be made taking into account the evidence that lithium treatment is perhaps the only efficient means of reducing the excessive mortality which is otherwise associated with affective disorders

Coelectrodeposition of Ternary Mn-Oxide/Polypyrrole Composites for ORR Electrocatalysts: A Study Based on Micro-X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy and X-ray Fluorescence Mapping

Low energy X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and soft X-ray absorption (XAS) microspectroscopies at high space-resolution are employed for the investigation of the coelectrodeposition of composites consisting of a polypyrrole(PPy)-matrix and Mn-based ternary dispersoids, that have been proposed as promising electrocatalysts for oxygen-reduction electrodes. Specifically, we studied Mn–Co–Cu/PP, Mn–Co–Mg/PPy and Mn–Ni–Mg/PPy co-electrodeposits. The Mn–Co–Cu system features the best ORR electrocatalytic activity in terms of electron transfer number, onset potential, half-wave potential and current density. XRF maps and micro-XAS spectra yield compositional and chemical state distributions, contributing unique molecular-level information on the pulse-plating processes. Mn, Ni, Co and Mg exhibit a bimodal distribution consisting of mesoscopic aggregates of micrometric globuli, separated by polymer-rich ridges. Within this common qualitative scenario, the individual systems exhibit quantitatively different chemical distribution patterns, resulting from specific electrokinetic and electrosorption properties of the single components. The electrodeposits consist of Mn3+,4+-oxide particles, accompanied by combinations of Co0/Co2+, Ni0/Ni2+ and Cu0,+/Cu2+ resulting from the alternance of cathodic and anodic pulses. The formation of highly electroactive Mn3+,4+ in the as-fabricated material is a specific feature of the ternary systems, deriving from synergistic stabilisation brought about by two types of bivalent dopants as well as by galvanic contact to elemental meta

High-Performance Corrosion-Resistant Polymer/Graphene Nanomaterials for Biomedical Relevance

Initially, pristine polymers were used to develop corrosion-resistant coatings. Later, the trend shifted to the use of polymeric nanocomposites in anti-corrosion materials. In this regard, graphene has been identified as an important corrosion-resistant nanomaterial. Consequently, polymer/graphene nanocomposites have been applied for erosion protection applications. Among polymers, conducting polymers (polyaniline, polypyrrole, polythiophene, etc.) and nonconducting polymers (epoxy, poly(methyl methacrylate), etc.) have been used as matrices for anticorrosion graphene nanocomposites. The corrosion-resistant polymer/graphene nanocomposites have found several important applications in biomedical fields such as biocompatible materials, biodegradable materials, bioimplants, tissue engineering, and drug delivery. The biomedical performance of the nanomaterials depends on the graphene dispersion and interaction with the polymers and living systems. Future research on the anti-corrosion polymer/graphene nanocomposite is desirable to perceive further advanced applications in the biomedical arenas

From ceria nanotubes to nanowires through electrogeneration of base

The preparation of Ce(OH)3/CeO2 nanostructures (NSs) through electrogeneration of base into anodic alumina membranes was studied. The effects of solvent (alcohol and/or water), Ce3? partner anion nature (chloride or nitrate) and concentration, applied potential or current density in driving the morphology toward nanowires (NWs) and/or nanotubes (NTs) was described. The structural analysis performed by X-Ray Diffraction and Raman Spectroscopy allowed to evidence that the presence of Ce(IV) into the nanostructures strongly depends on the oxygen content in the growing environment

Template electrosynthesis of La(OH)3 and Nd(OH)3 nanowires using porous anodic alumina membranes

High quality arrays of Ln(OH)3 (Ln = La, Nd) nanowires have been successfully fabricated for the first time by an electrochemical process using anodic alumina membrane templates. A physico-chemical characterisation of electrodeposited hydroxides has been carried out by different techniques (XRD, SEM and EDX). The results show that the synthesized nanostructures are crystalline, dense, continuous, well aligned, and with high aspect ratio, suggesting further development of possible applications in the lanthanide family species

Room temperature electrodeposition of photoactive Cd(OH)2 nanowires

Cd(OH)2 nanowires (NWs) were successfully prepared by room temperature electrogeneration of base using Cd(NO3)2 aqueous electrolyte and Anodic Alumina Membrane (AAM) as template. Cd(OH)2 films have been also deposited on tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) for comparison. SEM analysis shows high quality deposits made of closely packed nanowires (NWs) into AAM and uniform flake-like surface on ITO. XRD analysis reveals that Cd(OH)2 films on ITO are polycrystalline, while the nanowires grow along the preferential directions [100] and [110]. Photoelectrochemical measurements show that Cd(OH)2 NWs are photoactive materials with indirect and direct band gap of 2.15 and 2.75 eV, respectively. Keywords: Electrogeneration of base, Cd(OH)2, Nanowires, Band ga