Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
9
pubmed:dateCreated
1990-1-5
pubmed:abstractText
Neurological disorders, such as seizures, are not infrequently associated with anti-leukemic therapy. It has been hypothesized that a disrupted peptidergic transmission between neurons could be the cellular basis of the neurological dysfunction. Since endogenous opioids have been recently found to alter neuronal function and possess anticonvulsant properties, the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) immunoreactive beta-endorphin levels in children with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) during chemotherapy and cranial irradiation have been studied. Twenty-seven children, 2 at low, 20 at medium and 5 with high risk ALL, undergoing prophylactic treatment for meningeal leukemia, entered the study. Sequential lumbar punctures with introduction of MTX combined with oral prednisone therapy were performed; each lumbar puncture sample was collected and assayed for immunoreactive beta-endorphin. All the patients studied showed a biphasic profile of the peptide with the minimum levels reached during the induction (days 14-28) and the maximum levels detected at the end of the intensification chemotherapy (days 49-55). In the 3 groups the beta-endorphin decrease corresponded to the period of prednisone therapy; the increase was concomitant with the suspension of oral glucocorticoids. 3 patients showed tonic-clonic seizures which coincided with the lowest cerebrospinal fluid beta-endorphin levels and, in the follow-up, 13 out of 27 patients displayed EEG abnormalities. From these findings a relationship between cerebrospinal fluid beta-endorphin concentrations and neuronal excitability in patients with ALL can be suggested. It is also evidenced that oral glucocorticoid therapy has profound inhibitory effects on central beta-endorphin levels.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Oct
pubmed:issn
0391-4097
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
12
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
623-9
pubmed:dateRevised
2007-11-15
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
1989
pubmed:articleTitle
Immunoreactive beta-endorphin levels in cerebrospinal fluid of children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia: relationship with glucocorticoid therapy and neurological complications.
pubmed:affiliation
Istituto di Clinica Pediatrica, Università di Roma, La Sapienza, Italy.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't