Bioluminescence Imaging of Adoptively Transferred Lymphocytes During Allogeneic Tumor Rejection.

Aim: The aim of the present study was to analyze the survival, spatial distribution and proliferation of adoptively transferred lymphocytes in allogeneic tumor rejection.

Materials And Methods: Transgenic β-actin-luc mice that express luciferase were sensitized against SL2 tumors and were used as lymphocyte donors to study the anti-tumor effect in SL2 tumor-bearing lymphocyte-deficient RAG(-/-) mice. Whole-body bioluminescence images of recipient mice were obtained to track the adoptively transferred lymphocytes.

Nevomelanocytic atypia detection by in vivo reflectance confocal microscopy.

Background And Objective: In vivo reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) is a promising novel technology for non-invasive early diagnostics of cutaneous melanoma. However, the possibility to detect melanocytic atypia in nevi by means of in vivo RCM remains unknown. The aim of the study was to evaluate the significance of in vivo RCM features of melanocytic atypia for the diagnosis of melanocytic nevi, dysplastic nevi and cutaneous melanoma.

Role of marker lesion when applying intravesical instillations of IL-2 for non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer comparison of the therapeutic effects in two pilot studies.

Aim: Comparison of the therapeutic effect of treatment of non-muscle invasive bladder carcinoma (NMIBC) after intravesical Interleukin-2 (IL-2) instillations in the presence and absence of a marker tumour.

Materials And Methods: Two pilot studies were performed in patients with NMIBC. The first study (10 patients) was performed in Krakow (Poland), the second (26 patients) in Vilnius (Lithuania).

Expanded effector memory T-lymphocytes in DBA/2 mice do not inhibit the growth of SL2 tumours.

Background: The aim of this study was to analyse changes in levels of memory T-lymphocytes during growth of SL2 tumours in DBA/2 mice and to evaluate whether these lymphocytes may have an inhibitory effect on tumour growth.

Materials And Methods: Percentages of naïve (CD8+CD44lowCD62L+), central memory (CD8+CD44high CD62L+) and effector memory (CD8+CD44highCD62L-) lymphocytes in the CD8+ subset in peripheral blood, spleen and lymph nodes of tumour-bearing and control mice were analysed by flow cytometry.

Results: The percentage of effector memory lymphocytes in the CD8+ subset increased during growth of tumours, whereas that of naïve CD8+ lymphocytes decreased.

Prognostic significance of peripheral blood CD8highCD57+ lymphocytes in bladder carcinoma patients after intravesical IL-2.

Background: The objective of this study was to evaluate the recurrence-preventing effect of intravesical instillations of interleukin-2 (IL-2) in patients with non-muscle-invasive bladder carcinoma. In addition, this study aimed to determine the significance of immune parameters for recurrence-free interval.

Patients And Methods: Twenty-six patients with non-muscle-invasive bladder carcinoma were treated with intravesical instillations of IL-2 (Proleukin®, Novartis, formerly Chiron) in doses of 9 × 10(6) IU on 5 consecutive days, beginning on the second day after transurethral resection (TUR) of tumours.

Aetiological diagnostics of acute bacterial meningitis in children.

Aetiology of bacterial meningitis (BM) can be confirmed by various microbiological methods. The aim of this study was to assess the role of microbiological methods used for confirmation of BM in children and determine the influence of the aetiological agent, patient age and antibacterial treatment on study results. Over a 5-y period (1998-2002) BM was diagnosed in 90 children at Vilnius University Centre for Paediatrics.

A method to estimate cell cycle time and growth fraction using bromodeoxyuridine-flow cytometry data from a single sample.

Background: Presently available flow cytometric methods of bromodeoxyuridine (BrdUrd) labelling do not provide information on the cell cycle time (TC) and the growth fraction (GF). In this paper, we describe a novel and simple method to estimate TC and GF from flow cytometric analysis of a single tumour sample after BrdUrd labelling.

Methods: The proposed method is based on two assumptions: (1) the number of labelled cells traversing the cell cycle per unit time is constant and (2) the total number of labelled cells is constant throughout the cycle, provided that cells produced after division are excluded.

Clinical presentation of pertussis in fully immunized children in Lithuania.

Background: In Lithuania, the vaccination coverage against pertussis is high. Nevertheless, there is a significant increase in pertussis cases in fully immunized children. The aim of our study was to determine the frequency of classical symptoms of laboratory confirmed pertussis and describe its epidemiology in children fully vaccinated against pertussis.

[Hypotensive epidural anesthesia in thoracic surgery].

Objective: This study evaluated effectiveness of hypotensive epidural anesthesia in decreasing blood loss, operation and extubation time, opiates use and stay in intensive care unit.

Material And Methods: Fifty-eight patients were enrolled in the study. Right (n=16) or left (n=42) pneumectomy was performed for the study patients.

Management of Lithuanian children's acute diarrhoea with Gastrolit solution and dioctahedral smectite.

Objective: Acute gastroenteritis represents a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide among children, and rehydration treatment has been one of the cornerstones in the management strategy. The natural clay dioctahedral smectite (Smecta) increases intestinal barrier function and is effective against infectious diarrhoea in children. The purpose of this work was to compare the efficacy and tolerance of Lithuanian children's diarrhoea treatment with dioctahedral smectite combined with hypotonic oral rehydration solution (ORS)--Gastrolit--versus Gastrolit alone to establish the influence of Smecta on serum electrolyte balance in young children with diarrhoea and mild or moderate dehydration.