[Anti-elastin antibodies in systemic lupus erythematosus].

Immunological response to elastin-derived peptides may cause tissue damage with subsequent degradation of the elastic fibres. Therefore, an incidence of anti-elastin antibodies in sera of patients with the systemic lupus erythematosus was studied. Sixty sera from 50 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and 50 healthy subjects were assayed with dot-immunobinding technique.

[2 cases of acute disseminated intravascular coagulation in normal pregnancy and as the first symptom of acute promyelocytic leukemia].

Two cases of the acute disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) are presented. DIC in the first case was diagnosed in healthy pregnant woman without any obstetric pathology. This patient recovered completely.

[Prevention of systemic lupus erythematosus in children born to mothers treated for this disease].

Genetic predisposition and environmental factors (physical, chemical, hormonal and drugs inducing collagen-like syndrome) play an important role in the pathogenesis of the systemic lupus erythematosus. Elimination of these factors from the environment of the genetically predisposed individuals may prevent part of them against the disease. Basing on the above assumption, a chart of prophylaxis has been constructed and distributed among the mothers with the systemic lupus erythematosus, recommending prophylactic measures in both mothers and children.

Studies on the activity of selected lysosomal exoglycosidases in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

The activity of selected lysosomal hydrolases ( (beta-galactosidase, beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase, beta-xylosidase, alpha-mannosidase, alpha-fucosidase) was determined in the blood serum of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). An increased activity of all the enzymes studied was found as compared to control subjects. Presumable mechanisms of the observed changes are discussed.

[Many-year course of systemic lupus erythematosus with cerebral symptoms].

During 20 years of disease duration in the reported woman aged 47 years at the time of death articular involvement was followed by cardiac involvement and after labour renal signs appeared. Cerebral signs developed about 11 years before her death and manifested themselves as several typical strokes. The observed systemic affections, including the neurological signs, responded favourably to immunosuppression.

[High titre of antibodies to ds-DNA in a case of visceral lupus erythematosus with remission during many years].

In a 21-year-old female patient with lupus erythematosus exacerbation of the disease developed during pregnancy leading to eclampsia and birth of a stillborn fetus. After 10 years of immunosupressive treatment the patient continuing treatment with prednisone had another sucessful pregnancy with birth of a healthy child. Serious organ changes observed in the first years of the disease regressed completelt during 12 years of immunosupressive treatment.

[Impulse-cytophotometric determination of DNA content in blood cells in patients with leukemia].

The method of impulse cytophotometry was applied for determination of DNA content of blood cells in patients with various types of leukaemia. It was found that at the time of improvement in acute leukaemia the proportion of cells in the non-proliferative stage increases. In chronic leukaemias the improvement was associated with shifts in reverse direction.