Different clinical effect of several types of airborne allergens on the severity of bronchial hyperreactivity.

Background: Atopic sensitization belongs to the most common risk factors for bronchial asthma. However, in clinical practice, it is not clear whether sensitization against pollen and perennial allergens is differently associated with the severity of bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR).

Aim: To find out whether patients sensitized to perennial allergens differ in severity of bronchial hyperresponsiveness from patients sensitized to pollen allergens.

Determination of immunological stress and oxygen free radical formation in white blood cells during allergen immunotherapy.

Background: Airway inflammation represents the basis of respiratory allergic disease and is generally associated with increased oxidative stress. As a consequence of successful treatment leading to hyposenzibilization and remission of symptoms, decrease of reactive oxygen formation is expected.

Material/methods: This preliminary study evaluates the production of oxygen free radicals in white blood cells and changes in basic immunological parameters in a cohort of 50 patients (27 females and 23 males, age 14-48 years) with upper airway allergic inflammation caused by pollens, before and during specific immunotherapy.

Potential association between Coxiella burnetii seroprevalence and selected risk factors among veterinary students in Slovakia.

The present study investigated the prevalence of antibodies to Coxiella burnetii and the possible factors predisposing students of veterinary medicine to C. burnetii infections. IgG antibodies to phase I and phase II C.

Relationship between type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.

Introduction: Hypercortisolism often leads to impaired glucose tolerance or type 2 diabetes mellitus. On the other hand, changes in the regulation of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis become a matter of debate in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus/metabolic syndrome.

Patients, Materials, And Methods: Authors assessed the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity and subclinical Cushing's syndrome occurrence in 50 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in comparison to 25 sex-, age-, and BMI-matched control nondiabetic subjects.

Pathological findings in cornea tissue of patients with penetrating keratoplasty.

The aim of this clinical study was to examine corneas extracted from the patients during penetrating keratoplasty for the presence of immunoglobulins and inflammatory cells that can be warning for the graft failure. Individual clinical diagnoses were correlated to the presence of the inflammatory signs in corneal tissue. The signs of inflammation in corneal layers were detected especially in group of patients classified as viral keratitis but were also found in corneas of patients with degenerative diseases of the cornea.

Adiponectin as a biomarker of clinical manifestation of metabolic syndrome.

Objectives: To search whether there are differences in serum levels of adiponectin in subjects with metabolic syndrome (MS) as compared to the healthy controls.

Methods: Serum levels of adiponectin were measured by ELISA in 22 subjects with MS (MS group: 9 males and 13 females, average age +/- SD 43.19 +/- 6.

Vitamin E-coated dialyzer and antioxidant defense parameters: three-month study.

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is the most frequent cause of death in patients with end-stage renal disease who have undergone dialysis treatment. Oxidative stress, increased lipid peroxidation, and impaired function of antioxidant systems may contribute to the accelerated development of atherosclerosis in chronic renal failure patients during renal replacement therapy. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of a vitamin E-coated dialyzer on antioxidant defense parameters in hemodialysis (HD) patients.

Oral use of iron with vitamin C in hemodialyzed patients.

Objective: To investigate if oral use of Sorbifer Durules (EGIS Pharmaceutical Ltd, Budapest, Hungary) (1 tablet/d) is adequate for the maintenance of serum iron and vitamin C in normal range during recombinant human erythropoietin treatment in hemodialyzed patients. One tablet of Sorbifer Durules contains 100 mg of Fe(2+) and 60 mg of vitamin C.

Design: Short-term, open-label clinical trial.