41 research outputs found
Formation and hydrolysis of amide bonds by lipase A from Candida antarctica; exceptional features
Various commercial lyophilized and immobilized preparations of lipase A from Candida antarctica (CAL-A) were studied for their ability to catalyze the hydrolysis of amide bonds in N-acylated alpha-amino acids, 3-butanamidobutanoic acid (beta-amino acid) and its ethyl ester. The activity toward amide bonds is highly untypical of lipases, despite the close mechanistic analogy to amidases which normally catalyze the corresponding reactions. Most CAL-A preparations cleaved amide bonds of various substrates with high enantioselectivity, although high variations in substrate selectivity and catalytic rates were detected. The possible role of contaminant protein species on the hydrolytic activity toward these bonds was studied by fractionation and analysis of the commercial lyophilized preparation of CAL-A (Cat#ICR-112, Codexis). In addition to minor impurities, two equally abundant proteins were detected, migrating on SDS-PAGE a few kDa apart around the calculated size of CAL-A. Based on peptide fragment analysis and sequence comparison both bands shared substantial sequence coverage with CAL-A. However, peptides at the C-terminal end constituting a motile domain described as an active-site flap were not identified in the smaller fragment. Separated gel filtration fractions of the two forms of CAL-A both catalyzed the amide bond hydrolysis of ethyl 3-butanamidobutanoate as well as the N-acylation of methyl pipecolinate. Hydrolytic activity towards N-acetylmethionine was, however, solely confined to the fractions containing the truncated form of CAL-A. These fractions were also found to contain a trace enzyme impurity identified in sequence analysis as a serine carboxypeptidase. The possible role of catalytic impurities versus the function of CAL-A in amide bond hydrolysis is further discussed in the paper
Comportamentos agressivos em crianças e adolescentes com risco para esquizofrenia: diferenças entre gĂȘneros
OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate whether differences in aggression-related behavioral problems occur between boys and girls at high risk for schizophrenia living in the city of SĂŁo Paulo, Brazil. METHOD: Using the Child Behavior Checklist, we compared the prevalence of behavioral problems between genders for the offspring (6-18 years) of mothers with diagnosis of schizophrenia and a comparison group of children born to women with no severe mental disorders recruited at the gynecology outpatient clinic of the same hospital. The Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders, Patient Edition was applied for the evaluation of diagnostic status of mothers. RESULTS: Male children of women with schizophrenia had a lower prevalence of aggressive behavior compared to females (4% vs. 36%; p = 0.005), whereas no gender differences regarding aggression were detected in the comparison group (24% vs. 32%; p = 0.53). Logistic regression analyses showed that male gender and being a child of women with schizophrenia interacted so as to favor lower prevalence of aggressive behavior (p = 0.03). CONCLUSION: These findings reinforce the notion that behavioral gender differences related to schizophrenia are already detectable in childhood.OBJETIVO: Investigar diferenças da ocorrĂȘncia de comportamentos agressivos entre crianças e adolescentes do sexo masculino e feminino com risco genĂ©tico para desenvolver esquizofrenia. MĂTODO: A prevalĂȘncia de comportamentos agressivos foi medida utilizando o inventĂĄrio de comportamentos para crianças e adolescentes, Child Behavior Checklist, e comparada entre os gĂȘneros para o grupo de crianças filhas de mulheres com esquizofrenia e para um grupo de crianças filhas de mulheres atendidas no serviço de ginecologia do mesmo hospital. A entrevista clĂnica estruturada para DSM-IV (The Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders Patient Edition) foi utilizada para confirmar o diagnĂłstico materno. RESULTADOS: Os filhos de mulheres com esquizofrenia do sexo masculino apresentaram prevalĂȘncia menor de comportamentos agressivos quando comparados Ă s meninas (4% x 36%; p = 0,005), o que nĂŁo ocorreu para o grupo comparativo (24% x 32%; p = 0,53). A anĂĄlise de regressĂŁo logĂstica mostrou que pertencer ao sexo masculino e ser filho de mulher com esquizofrenia interagiram de forma a favorecer menor prevalĂȘncia de comportamentos agressivos (p = 0,03). CONCLUSĂO: Esses achados corroboram para a noção que as diferenças comportamentais entre os gĂȘneros na esquizofrenia podem ser detectadas precocemente durante a infĂąncia
Motherâinfant interaction in schizophrenia:Transmitting risk or resilience? A systematic review of the literature
Purpose:
The parentâinfant relationship is an important context for identifying very early risk and resilience factors and targets for the development of preventative interventions. The aim of this study was to systematically review studies investigating the early caregiverâinfant relationship and attachment in offspring of parents with schizophrenia.
Methods:
We searched computerized databases for relevant articles investigating the relationship between early caregiverâinfant relationship and outcomes for offspring of a caregiver with a diagnosis of schizophrenia. Studies were assessed for risk of bias.
Results:
We identified 27 studies derived from 10 cohorts, comprising 208 women diagnosed with schizophrenia, 71 with other psychoses, 203 women with depression, 59 women with mania/bipolar disorder, 40 with personality disorder, 8 with unspecified mental disorders and 119 non-psychiatric controls. There was some evidence to support disturbances in maternal behaviour amongst those with a diagnosis of schizophrenia and there was more limited evidence of disturbances in infant behaviour and mutuality of interaction.
Conclusions:
Further research should investigate both sources of resilience and risk in the development of offspring of parents with a diagnosis of schizophrenia and psychosis. Given the lack of specificity observed in this review, these studies should also include maternal affective disorders including depressive and bipolar disorders
Gender differences in aggressiveness in children and adolescents at risk for schizophrenia
Wellbeing and resilience:Mechanisms of transmission of health and risk in parents with complex mental health problems and their offspringâThe WARM Study
The WARM study is a longitudinal cohort study following infants of mothers with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression and control from pregnancy to infant 1Â year of age.
Background:
Children of parents diagnosed with complex mental health problems including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and depression, are at increased risk of developing mental health problems compared to the general population. Little is known regarding the early developmental trajectories of infants who are at ultra-high risk and in particular the balance of risk and protective factors expressed in the quality of early caregiver-interaction.
Methods/Design:
We are establishing a cohort of pregnant women with a lifetime diagnosis of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder and a non-psychiatric control group. Factors in the parents, the infant and the social environment will be evaluated at 1, 4, 16 and 52Â weeks in terms of evolution of very early indicators of developmental risk and resilience focusing on three possible environmental transmission mechanisms: stress, maternal caregiver representation, and caregiver-infant interaction.
Discussion:
The study will provide data on very early risk developmental status and associated psychosocial risk factors, which will be important for developing targeted preventive interventions for infants of parents with severe mental disorder
Attention and executive function in people with schizophrenia: Relationship with social skills and quality of life
Original article can be found at: http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/title~content=t713657515 Copyright Informa. DOI: 10.1080/13651500701687133Executive function and attention are highly complex cognitive constructs that typically reveal evidence of impairment in people with schizophrenia. Studies in this area have traditionally utilised abstract tests of cognitive function and the importance of using more ecologically valid tests has not been extensively recognised. In addition, there has been little previous examination of the relationship between these key cognitive abilities and social functioning and quality of life in this population. Thirty-six schizophrenic patients and 15 controls were assessed on the Behavioural Assessment of the Dysexecutive Syndrome (BADS) test, three subtests from the Test of Everyday Attention (TEA), a measure of social functioning and a quality of life measure. Analysis of subtest scores revealed that patients were impaired on all attentional measures, but only one BADS subtest score in addition to the BADS profile score. However, 23 patients demonstrated no impairment in their BADS profile scores whilst being impaired on at least one attentional measure. Only the BADS profile score predicted social functioning and quality of life in schizophrenic patients. We conclude that ecologically valid tests of attention and executive function can play an important role in defining the cognitive deficits in schizophrenia and how such deficits relate to social function and quality of life.Peer reviewe
Rifampicin reduces the plasma concentrations and the renin-inhibiting effect of aliskiren
A cross-sectional study to investigate current social adjustment of offspring of patients with schizophrenia
Objective To investigate the impact of parental disorder in the life of adult offspring by evaluating education, current employment and marital status of a sample of offspring of patients with schizophrenia and comparing findings with population rates. Methods A sample of 489 patients with DSM-IV diagnoses of schizophrenia was identified in the public outpatient mental health services of the city of Cuiaba, Brazil. Of these patients, 294 had children, and a total of 828 offspring were identified. Data for 431 offspring aged 18 years or older were collected using a structured questionnaire answered by the patient-parent and a family member. Results The percentage of age-grade discrepancy for offspring aged 18 and 19 years was 59.2% (95% CI 45.4-73.0), not significantly different from the discrepancy rate for the same age group in the general population, which was 71.1%. Offspring of patients with schizophrenia had a significantly poorer employment situation than the general population (66.7% and 75.6%; 95% CI 62.1-71.3). Fewer male offspring were married than males in the general population (54.7% and 66.0%; 95% CI 48.2-61.2). Conclusion Adult offspring of patients with schizophrenia had social adjustment problems that were markedly reflected in employment and marital status