Complement C5a Alters the Membrane Potential of Neutrophils during Hemorrhagic Shock.

Background: Polymorphonuclear granulocytes (PMN) play a crucial role in host defense. Physiologically, exposure of PMN to the complement activation product C5a results in a protective response against pathogens, whereas in the case of systemic inflammation, excessive C5a substantially impairs neutrophil functions. To further elucidate the inability of PMN to properly respond to C5a, this study investigates the role of the cellular membrane potential of PMN in response to C5a.

Extracellular Vesicles: Packages Sent With Complement.

Cells communicate with other cells in their microenvironment by transferring lipids, peptides, RNA, and sugars in extracellular vesicles (EVs), thereby also influencing recipient cell functions. Several studies indicate that these vesicles are involved in a variety of critical cellular processes including immune, metabolic, and coagulatory responses and are thereby associated with several inflammatory diseases. Furthermore, EVs also possess anti-inflammatory properties and contribute to immune regulation, thus encouraging an emerging interest in investigating and clarifying mechanistic links between EVs and innate immunity.

[A method for studying total population morbidity in the Czech Republic in 1986].

The authors evaluate the method applied in an extensive investigation of the general morbidity of the Czech population implemented in 1986, based on treated morbidity, not combined with the method of actual medicinal examinations. The population sample was selected by one-stage selection, randomization was made by birth data (seventh day in odd month). In the investigation participated all health community and factory doctors, as well as paediatricians and adolescent medical officers in the Czech Republic.

[Methodical approaches to surveys of general morbidity in the population of other countries].

General morbidity surveys of the population in western countries are based on interviews, while in socialist countries general morbidity surveys are usually done by direct medical examination or by assessment of the attended morbidity, most frequently, however, a combination of both approaches is used. Neither in interviews nor in the method based on direct or indirect medical examination so far sufficient unification of methodological approaches has been achieved to compare, based on these results, the health status of the population in different countries.

[Methodical approach to a survey of general morbidity in Czechoslovakia].

The author analyzes the method of general morbidity surveys conducted in Czechoslovakia between 1951 and 1985. The method of direct medical examinations was used as well as the method of "attended morbidity", but as a rule a combination of both these methods. During the mentioned period the procedure was not unified to make comparison of results possible.