Serum levels of siCAM-1, sVCAM-1, sE-selectin, sP-selectin in healthy Bulgarian people.

Background: Endothelial dysfunction is increasingly recognized as an important early feature of vascular disease. As the damage to endothelium is a key underlying factor in the development and progression of atherosclerotic processes, markers of endothelial abnormalities have been sought. Increased expression of cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) on the vascular endothelium has been postulated to play a significant role in atherogenesis.

Plasma asymmetric dimethylarginine levels in healthy people.

Unlabelled: Asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) is an endogenous competitive inhibitor of the endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOs). ADMA is believed to be implicated in angiogenesis because it regulates the nitric oxide biosynthesis; any pathological abnormalities in ADMA play a crucial role in the pathogenesis and progression of atherosclerosis. The AIM of the present study was to determine the reference range for plasma concentration of ADMA in a sample of Bulgarian population.

Epidemiological, immunological and clinical characteristics of acute hepatitis C.

Unlabelled: The aim of the study was to make a clinical and epidemiological and immunological characteristic of patients with acute hepatitis C infection (AHC).

Patients And Methods: The study included 178 patients with AHC; they were studied in terms of clinical course, biochemical constellations, T and B lymphocyte subpopulations, level of TNF-alpha in the blood serum, presence of autoantibodies, and the outcome of the disease in a five-year follow-up period.

Methods: anti-HCV (EIA), HCV-RNA (PCR), HCV genotyping; ALT, AST, AP, gamma-GT; ultrasonography and liver biopsy.

Total plasma homocysteine in Bulgarian population measured by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection--comparison with fluorescence polarization immunoassay.

Over the last decade, evidence has accumulated that elevated total homocysteine (tHcy) is an independent risk factor for vascular disease. Due to the variety of Hcy determinants (age, gender, ethnicity and lifestyle), it is now recommended that the distribution of plasma Hcy concentrations should be established for different populations. Therefore the objective of our study was to evaluate a modified HPLC with fluorescence detection procedure for reliable quantification of tHcy and to demonstrate its successful application to determine the distribution of tHcy levels in healthy Bulgarians.

Early hypothyroidism after subtotal thyroidectomy in patients with Graves' disease--the role of the preoperative conservative treatment and hormonal status.

Aim: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the role of the preoperative antithyroid drug treatment and hormonal status in the development of early postoperative hypothyroidism after subtotal thyroidectomy in patients with Graves' disease.

Material And Methods: Eighty-five patients with Graves' disease (males : females ratio 1:5.54, age range 19 to 64, 37.