Patients' stratification and correlation of brain magnetic resonance imaging parameters with disability progression in multiple sclerosis.

Aims: The objective was to correlate the change in the lesion load (LL) and brain atrophy in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) with progression of clinical disability, represented by the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), and to test if stratification of patients according to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) criteria can increase the predictive ability of MRI for MS clinical development.

Methods: 181 patients with clinically definite relapsing-remitting MS underwent MRI for a period of up to 5 years. Grouping of patients according to the LL value at the study entry revealed a substantial increase in the Spearman rank correlation coefficient R.

Gray matter atrophy and disability progression in patients with early relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis: a 5-year longitudinal study.

We assessed the relationship between gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) atrophy and clinical status in early relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) patients over 5 years. A group of 181 patients who participated in the ASA (Avonex-Steroid-Azathioprine) study and had complete clinical and MRI assessments over 2 and 5 years was investigated. One hundred seventy (170) patients completed the 12-month follow-up, 147 the 24-month, 98 the 36-month, 65 the 48-month and 47 the 60-month.

Is obesity a preventive factor for lung cancer?

Lung cancer is a disease with multifactorial etiology, smoking playing the most important role among its risk factors. Some studies, however, indicate an inverse association between increased body-mass index (BMI) and the risk of lung cancer. In this paper, the association between BMI and lung cancer risk is analysed in two independent studies.

[Epidemiology of the metabolic syndrome and possibility for its prevention by physical activities].

An epidemiological review of the metabolic syndrome is presented. Focus is on history of the discovery of the metabolic syndrome, its definition and changes made to it, etiopathogenesis, incidence and possibility for its prevention by physical activities.

Association between obesity and cancer incidence in the population of the District Sumperk, Czech Republic.

Background: Excess body weight was shown to be associated with risk of several types of cancer. In the Czech Republic, malignant tumors are the second leading cause of death. The aim of this study was to assess the association between the most frequent types of cancer and obesity.

Obesity and insulin resistance in childhood.

Obesity is a serious risk factor for insulin resistance leading to diabetes and other disorders. As it is also occurring at ever younger age groups the aim of this study was to compare average levels of the homeostatic indices HOMA and QUICKI in obese compared to healthy children in an effort to find convenient markers for insulin sensitivity in clinical pediatric practice. Twenty one obese and 29 healthy children were selected.

Epidemiology of esophageal cancer--an overview article.

Background: Esophageal cancer is one of the most serious tumor diseases worldwide, owing to its rapid development and fatal prognosis in most cases. To compare epidemiologic characteristics, data published by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France and data from Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute, Brno, Czech Republic were used.

Methods: We conducted a search of selected Czech and foreign literature focused on the epidemiology of esophageal cancer and its main risk factors.

Serum Reg-Ialpha is not suitable marker of metabolic syndrome.

Background: Reg-1alpha plays a role in various types of tissue regeneration.

Aim: To evaluate serum Reg-1alpha for the diagnosis of metabolic syndrome.

Methods: 14 non-obese, healthy subjects and 15 individuals with metabolic syndrome were studied.

Treatment with atorvastatin reduces serum adipocyte-fatty acid binding protein value in patients with hyperlipidaemia.

Background: Adipocyte-fatty acid binding protein (A-FABP) is a circulating protein expressed in adipocytes and macrophages. Several recent studies demonstrated that A-FABP might be involved in the pathogenesis of metabolic syndrome, particularly in dyslipidaemia, insulin resistance and atherosclerosis. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of atorvastatin treatment (20 mg day(-1) for 3 months) on serum A-FABP value in subjects with hyperlipidaemia.

Evolution of different MRI measures in patients with active relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis over 2 and 5 years: a case-control study.

Background: There is growing evidence for the concept of multiple sclerosis (MS) as an inflammatory neurodegenerative disease, with a different pattern of atrophy evolution in grey matter (GM) and white matter (WM) tissue compartments.

Objective: We aimed to investigate the evolution of different MRI measures in early relapsing-remitting patients with MS and in normal controls (NCs) over 2 years. We also evaluated the progression of these MRI measures in a subset of patients who were followed for up to 5 years.

Detection of cortical lesions is dependent on choice of slice thickness in patients with multiple sclerosis.

Understanding the importance of cortical lesions in MS pathogenesis has changed. Histopathologic studies using new immunohistochemical methods show that cortical lesions can be detected more frequently than previously reported. Newer MRI sequences also detect cortical lesions more accurately.

[Pancreas cancer epidemiology].

Pancreas cancer is characterized by a rapid and fatal outcome. It is a non-communicable disease showing increasing incidence mainly in Europe, North America and Japan. In the Czech Republic, the incidence of pancreas cancer has more than tripled over the last 50 years.

[Adiponectin and insulin sensitivity].

Background: Adiponectin is a fat tissue protein that plays a role in maintaining the homeostasis of glucose and lipids, along with counteracting a number of risk factors associated with atherosclerosis and obesity. In addition, adiponectin has an effect on insulin sensitivity. The aim of this work was to assess concentrations of adiponectin in predefined groups of individuals and to analyse the associations between adiponectin and other metabolic parameters.

[Future possibilities of the multiple sclerosis treatment].

Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system. Pathogenetic mechanisms involve inflammation and neurodegeneration leading to myelin sheaths destruction and irreversible nerve fibre loss. At present mainly the inflammatory part can be influenced and undoubtedly only the earliest beginning of the treatment can effectively postpone irreversible disability.

Insulin resistance and birth weight.

This review article describes the scientific evidence for the relationship between birth weight and insulin resistance. Most studies demonstrate that low birth weight is closely connected to insulin resistance and later development of diabetes type II in adulthood. For this reason it is important for clinicians to focus on the personal history of the patient's birth weight.

[Assessment of the incidence of metabolic syndrome].

Background: Metabolic syndrome represents a disease with high prevalence and influence on the cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study is to estimate frequency of metabolic syndrome in the district Sumperk, in years 1979-1981 based on the analysis of large Preventive check-ups database.

Methods And Results: Database of Preventive oncologic check-ups from Sumperk district comprising 40 099 subjects with follow up in years 1979-1981 has been used to assess the metabolic syndrome prevalence.

Luminometric method for screening retroviral protease inhibitors.

We have developed a sensitive luminometric assay for determining the activity of retroviral proteases that uses proteolytic cleavage of polypeptide substrate immobilized on Ni-NTA HisSorb Strips microplates. The protease substrate derived from the Gag precursor protein of Mason-Pfizer monkey virus (M-PMV) was conjugated with horseradish peroxidase (HRP), which catalyzes oxidation of luminol in the assay. The cleavage of the substrate was monitored as a decrease in luminescent signal caused by the release of the cleavage product conjugated to HRP.

Markers of bone remodeling predict rate of bone loss in multiple sclerosis patients treated with low dose glucocorticoids.

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical value of markers of bone remodeling in assessment of rate of bone loss in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) long term treated with low dose glucocorticoids.

Methods: The study involved 70 patients with MS. Motor function of the patients was evaluated using the Kurtzke Expanded Disability Status Scale (KEDSS).

The serologic screening for celiac disease in the general population (blood donors) and in some high-risk groups of adults (patients with autoimmune diseases, osteoporosis and infertility) in the Czech republic.

The prevalence of celiac disease (CD) was determined in healthy blood donors and in high-risk groups of adults (a total of 1835 adults--randomly selected 1312 healthy blood donors, 102 patients with primary osteoporosis, 58 patients with autoimmune diseases and 365 infertile women). It was calculated on the basis of a two-step serologic screening method--in the first step IgA and IgG antigliadin antibodies (AGA) and IgA anti-gamma-glutamyltransferase ('transglutaminase') antibodies (ATG) were estimated, in the second step sera positive for IgA AGA and/or IgA ATG were examined for antiendomysial IgA (AEA) antibodies. Immunoenzymic assay (ELISA) was used for determining of AGA and ATG antibodies; immunofluorescence method, performed on human umbilical cord tissue, was used for assaying of AEA antibodies.

Mucosal immunity: its role in defense and allergy.

The interface between the organism and the outside world, which is the site of exchange of nutrients, export of products and waste components, must be selectively permeable and at the same time, it must constitute a barrier equipped with local defense mechanisms against environmental threats (e.g. invading pathogens).

Detection of insulin resistance by simple quantitative insulin sensitivity check index QUICKI for epidemiological assessment and prevention.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the recently defined simple insulin sensitivity check index QUICKI (Katz et al. 2000) for insulin resistance diagnostics in common clinical and epidemiological practice. Both the QUICKI (1/log insulin + log glycemia in mg/dL) and HOMA (insulin * glycemia in micromol/L/22.

The influence of the growth phase of enteric bacteria on electrotransformation with plasmid DNA.

Salmonella typhimurium LB5000 and Escherichia coli JM109 were transformed by electroporation. In accordance with the chemical transformation methods, the growth phase of these electrocompetent bacteria had a strong impact on transformation efficiency. Survival of bacteria after the high-voltage electrical pulse was also influenced by the growth phase.