Czechoslovak medicine最新文献

The authors assessed, using the method of sandwich enzyme immunoassay (ELISA), the soluble receptor for interleukin-2 (s-r IL-2). In patients with rheumatoid arthritis mean values of 620.5 = 500.0 u./ml were recorded which was significantly higher than in patients with osteoarthritis (p less than 0.001) (313.3 +/- 155 n./ml) and in healthy controls (181.7 +/- 159.6 n./ml). In patients with rheumatoid arthritis a correlation was found between the activity of the disease expressed by means of Lansbury's index (r = 0.61, p less than 0.01). There was no correlation between s-r IL-2 and the sedimentation rate (r = 0.32, p = n.s.). The author reviews the literature and discusses the hypothesis that s-r IL-2 acts as a competitive inhibitor for interleukin-2.

The authors examined, using three generally accepted methods, the personality structure of 80 semen donors (Cattell's 16-factor questionnaire, 16PF, Eysenck's personality questionnaire, EOD, and Leary's method of interpersonal diagnosis of personality). The donors were selected by means of the Questionnaire of semen donors. The group is subdivided into four sub-groups by the grade of education, i.e. university graduates, men with secondary and elementary education and university students. All are 20-40 years old. The authors describe the assembled results in different sub-groups and in the group as a whole and compare them mutually and with the standardized norm. With regard to the specificity of individual methods and their application the findings are summarized. The donors are balanced personalities, slightly extrovert, emotionally well developed with a realistic outlook. They have positive, sensitive relations with their environment an behaviour towards other people, they are considerate, careful and disciplined. They respect social norms as regards preservation of originality of personality. They have a slight tendency of sheltering behaviour, they wish to be somewhat more aggressive. No pathological phenomena were observed in the donors. Their intelligence is above average. They make a favourable impression with regard to the demand of mental health and transmission of genetic information. The authors evaluate favourably the Questionnaire for semen donors as the method for selection of donors.

The authors describe four cases of uncommon surgical findings in patients with the diagnosis of cardiac myxoma. In the first patient an encapsulated tumourous growth in the left atrium was present which was in the mural annulus of the mitral valve and in the adjacent parts of the atrial and ventricular wall and was evaluated from the histological aspect as annular sclerosis. In the second patient a tumour-like thrombus was detected in the right atrium which had the shape of a basket handle and was attached by two stalks to the atrial septum. The third patient had a myxoma of the left atrium covering a concurrent defect of the interatrial septum and the fourth patient had a large myxoma in the left atrium with three calcified small tumours in the area of the mural annulus of the mitral valve.

In 1988 the authors examined by palpation a total of 978 13--14-year-old children (490 boys and 488 girls) from two areas with a different endemic incidence of goitre (Sedlcany area high endemic, Príbram area low endemic). By palpation in this group a non-palpable thyroid gland was found in 48.2% boys and 33.2% girls. Type 1A in 44.9% boys and 50.0% girls, type 1B in 6.5% boys and 14.8% girls and type 2 in 0.3% boys and 2.0% girls. From this basic group by random selection a representative group of 200 children was selected where the following were assessed: urinary iodine/g creatinine, T3, T4, TSH and the volume of the thyroid gland. Urinary iodine in children from the Sedlcany area: boys 74.98 +/- 52.57 micrograms I/g cr, girls 75.36 +/- 77.05 micrograms I/g cr, children from the Príbram area: boys 55.0 +/- 23.36, girls 58.0 +/- 30.24 micrograms I/g cr. The difference between urinary iodine in boys from the two areas is significant (P < 0.05). The prevalence of optimal urinary iodine (i.e. 101-150 micrograms I/g cr) was in the Sedlcany area 6--13%, in the Príbram area 2.5-8.0% (girls, boys). The difference between areas was not significant. Volume of the thyroid gland in the Sedlcany area: boys 7.20 +/- 2.26 ml, girls 8.0 +/- 2.66 ml, in the Príbram area: boys 7.18 +/- 3.01 ml, girls 7.79 +/- 2.63 ml. The prevalence of children with a volume of the thyroid gland above 10 ml in the Sedlcany area was 20% in boys and 21.6% in girls. In the Príbram area 18.4% in boys and 17.5% in girls. The difference between areas was not significant. T3 in the Sedlcany area in boys: 2.43 +/- 0.53, in girls 2.42 +/- 0.51 nmol/l, in the Príbram area in boys 2.61 +/- 0.50, in girls 2.53 +/- 0.62 nmol. The difference between areas is not significant. T4 in the Sedlcany area in boys: 132.3 +/- 26.39 nmol/l, in girls: 132.92 +/- 26.77 nmol/l, in the Príbram area in boys: 126.7 +/- 23.89 nmol/l, in girls 147.8 +/- 40.2 nmol/l. The difference is significant in girls (P < 0.05). TSH Sedlcany area in boys: 1.62 +/- 0.67 mU/l, in girls 2.07 +/- 0.72 mU/l in the Príbram area in boys: 1.77 +/- 0.95 mU/l, in girls 2.10 +/- 1.25 mU/l. The difference is not significant. The prevalence of elevated T3 levels (above 3.0 nmol/l) in the Sedlcany area was 7.4% in boys and 8.9% in girls, in the Príbram area 15.4% in boys and 14.0% in girls. The difference is not significant.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

A lower level of BEI was demonstrated in duodenal ulcer patients in both acute and chronic cases (P less than 0.01). Treatment of patients with PI increases BEI up to values found in healthy subjects, in accordance with our previous findings (17). The basal level of BOI in ulcer patients did not differ from that in healthy subjects. A transient increase of BOI was recorded during the first phase after PI application, however, BOI decreased to basal levels at the end of the therapy (P less than 0.05). The basal PPI level was higher in both groups, primarily in acute ulcer patients (P less than 0.01). During the treatment with PI the PPI level slightly increased. Mathematical correlation between BEI and BOI, and BEI and PPI revealed a significant negative correlation (P less than 0.001). However, this correlation was found in healthy subjects only, indicating that healthy subjects with a high BEI level have lower BOI and PPI values and this relation depends on BEI. This dependence is absent in ulcer patients.

The authors report their experience with about two thousand DNA amplifications by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in prenatal diagnosis of cystic fibrosis. The method is demonstrated on examples of diagnostic informativity and prenatal diagnosis examination in a family at 1 in 4 risk of the disease using closely CF-linked diagnostic polymorphisms: J3.11/MspI, MetH/MspI, CS7/HhaI, KM19/PstI, Mp6-d9/MspI and XV2c/TaqI, PCR methodology and safety precautions are discussed.

Unlabelled: The authors devised a computer model of albumin glycosylation based on irreversible glycosylation reaction of first-order kinetics. The dynamism of glycosylated albumin changes in relation to glycaemic profiles was compared with an earlier model of haemoglobin glycosylation. A non-linear regression analysis was employed to calculate the parameters of the model in three groups of patients.

Conclusions: 1. Erythrocyte pool stratification accounts for the smaller clinical difference between glycosylated protein and haemoglobin than would correspond to their respective half-life values. 2. Glycosylated proteins are probably eliminated more rapidly than non-glycosylated proteins. 3. Higher levels of glycosylated proteins are occasionally at variance with model calculations, a fact which is probably due to other factors.

A special surgical procedure was developed for the implantation of the Czech single-channel extracochlear neuroprosthesis. The implantation was performed in four adult, postlingually deaf subjects. In one patient a successful reimplantation was performed. The authors assess the implant patients' ability to differentiate changes in simple stimulation signals.

Towards the end of 1988, 85 out of 170 patients indicated for endoscopic papillotomy (EPT) were over 65 years of age, and, of these, 54% were 75 and more. EPT was successful in 90.6% of those over 65. Total morbidity was 4.7% and mortality 1.2%. Endoscopic colorectal polypectomy (EPE) was performed during the same period in 591 subjects. 143 of them (24.2%) were over 65 and had a total of 284 polyps removed. Almost half those polyps were more than 10 mm in diameter. Adenomas of the right colon were at least 3 times as frequent as in asymptomatic subjects aged 45-60 years revealed by screening for colorectal neoplasms in HaemocultR-positive subjects. Particular attention was devoted to patients with malignant polyps and with very broadly sessile adenomas--both could definitively be treated with the endoscopic method. EPT is often the only possible therapy for elderly and high-risk patients. Every colorectal polyp should be evaluated by endoscopy, and EPE, especially in patients of advanced age, is the method of choice when technically feasible.