Contents of pentosidine in the tissue of the intervertebral disc as an indicator of the human age.

The study deals with the post-translational modifications of proteins - glycation of the tissue of the intervertebral disc and determination of one of advanced glycation end's products - pentosidine in the relation to the age. Pentosidine was detected in the hydrolysate of the intervertebral discs from persons between the ages of 16 and 95 years. 142 samples were analysed by high performance liquid chromatography, and the detected amounts of pentosidine were processed statistically.

Impact of essential hypertension and primary aldosteronism on plasma brain natriuretic peptide concentration.

Introduction: Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) has important role in the diagnosis and management of heart failure. Data on the impact of blood pressure (BP) on BNP are controversial. In primary aldosteronism (PA), BNP production can be affected by both hypertension and specific endocrine mechanisms.

Performance characteristics of seven neuron-specific enolase assays.

Background/aims: The determination of neuron-specific enolase (NSE) is relatively frequently requested in the differential diagnosis of small-cell lung carcinoma and non-small-cell lung carcinoma. The individual results of different immunoassays are often not comparable, which has been confirmed by long-term external quality assessments. In this study, we assessed the possible sources of these differences.

International Staging System required standardization of biochemical laboratory testing in multiple myeloma.

The standardization of biochemical measurement procedures in multiple myeloma is necessary for reliable prognostic stratification of patients in multicentric trials. The new prognostic index International Staging System for multiple myeloma uses only two laboratory markers, albumin and beta-2 microglobulin. Our study compared results of albumin, beta-2 microglobulin and monoclonal immunoglobulin measurements from six centers which provide treatment for multiple myeloma in the Czech Republic and attempted to standardize the analytic procedures.

[Prenatal diagnostics during the first trimester in the clinical praxis].

Background: Biochemical screening test for Down's syndrome now offered in the 16th to 20th week of pregnancy reaches 60-65% sensitivity with 5% false positives. Newly introduced combined test done between 11+0 to 13+6 weeks of pregnancy, maternal serum biochemistry (free beta hCG a PAPP-A) and foetal nuchal translucency measurement, offer very early identification of Down's syndrome in foeti. The purpose of our study was the introduction of the new method and confirmation of the expected sensitivity and false positivity in our conditions.