The Effect of Dietary L. on the Populations of Pig Faecal Bacteria and the Prevalence of Skatole.

Jerusalem artichoke contains inulin polysaccharide, which has prebiotic effects and influences the microbiota of the digestive tract. The addition of Jerusalem artichoke in boar diets may decrease the content of skatole and indole, which are the main constituents of boar taint, and may also negatively affect the taste and odor. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of different levels of L.

GAI - distinct genotype and phenotype characteristics in reported Slovak patients.

Objectives: The clinical, biochemical and genetic findings in two Slovak patients with glutaric aciduria type I (GAI) are presented.

Background: GAI is a rare autosomal recessive neuro-metabolic disorder caused by deficiency of glutaryl-CoA dehydrogenase, which is involved in the catabolic pathways of lysine, hydroxylysine and tryptophan. This enzymatic defect gives rise to elevated levels of glutaric acid (GA), 3-hydroxyglutaric acid (3-OH-GA) and glutarylcarnitine (C5DC) in body fluids.

Role of NT-proBNP in detection of myocardial damage in childhood leukemia survivors treated with and without anthracyclines.

Background: Exposure to anthracyclines (ANT) during childhood represents a high risk for development of late cardiotoxicity. Cardiotoxicity is usually detected only when clinical symptoms or progressive cardiac dysfunction have already occurred. Early detection of cardiotoxicity may lead to better therapeutic outcome.

Frequency-domain analysis of the signal-averaged electrocardiogram in hematological malignancies survivors.

Objectives: The aim of the presented study was to evaluate the frequency-domain signal-averaged ECGs (SAECG) abnormalities in childhood and adolescence acute leukemia and lymphoma survivors treated either with or without anthracyclines (ANT) containing chemotherapy in comparison with healthy volunteers.

Background: The late development of chemotherapy-induced myocardial complications becomes an issue as the number of childhood cancer survivors is increasing. Underlying cardiac impairment may progress to serious cardiac diseases.

Heart transplant in a childhood leukemia survivor: a case report.

Objectives: Children with acute leukemia often receive therapy that is potentially cardiotoxic. Development of irreversible cardiac impairment requiring heart transplant may appear many years after anticancer therapy. Other possible causes are discussed.

Long-term cardiac effects of treatment for childhood leukemia.

Late cardiac complications in cancer survivors may develop from subclinical myocardial damage. Biochemical correlates of minimal myocardial changes can be analyzed using a commercially available rapid assay. Biomarkers are considered more sensitive markers of subclinical cardiotoxicity than conventional electrocardiographic and echocardiographic methods.

[Severe heart failure in consequence of late anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity--case report].

Background: Anthracyclines are known cardiotoxic agents. Anthracycline therapy increases the risk of long-term cardiac adverse effects in oncology patients.

Case Report: We report the case of a young male patient with severe congestive heart failure.

[The risk of cardiovascular diseases induced by radiotherapy].

At present the number of cancer survivors is still increasing. However, their long-term quality of life after anticancer treatment can be decreased. Radiotherapy may represent a risk for the future of some oncologic patients.

Natriuretic peptides: biochemical markers of anthracycline cardiac toxicity?

Patients with cancer are often treated with potentially cardiotoxic chemotherapeutics. Cardiotoxicity ranges from relatively benign arrhythmias to serious conditions such as myocardial ischemia/infarction, congestive heart failure, and cardiomyopathy. In spite of different diagnostic methods, with echocardiography as a gold standard, there is an intensive search for new diagnostic tools for the early detection of myocardial abnormalities.

[Cardiotoxicity of antracycline treatment in the light of new biochemical diagnostic options].

Oncologic patients often receive treatment which is potentially cardiotoxic. Cardiotoxic complications range from fairly mild (relatively benign arrhythmias) to life threatening conditions (ischemia/myocardial infarction, heart failure, cardiomyopathy). The toxic effect of chemotherapy drugs may impair the integrity of the sarcomere, cause the release of bioactive substances into both tissues and the circulatory system and, consequently, cause necrosis/apoptosis of myocytes.

Cardiac troponins--biochemical markers of cardiac toxicity after cytostatic therapy.

Cardiotoxicity is a serious adverse effect of chemotherapy that encompasses a spectrum of disorders, ranging from relatively benign arrhythmias to potentially lethal conditions such as myocardial ischemia/infarction and cardiomyopathy. The toxicity of chemotherapeutic drugs can cause loss of myocytes' sarcolemmal integrity, release of bioactive markers into the extracellular environment (tissue and circulation) and ultimately leading to the necrosis of myocytes. The extent and severity of the necrosis can be monitored by the levels of bioactive markers.

[Heart transplantation at the Institute of Clinical and Experimental Medicine in Prague].

In the Institute of Clinical and Experimental Medicine in Prague 101 orthotopic allotransplantations of the heart were performed in 100 patients (87 men and 13 women). The reason for transplantation were terminal stages in the first place dilated cardiomyopathies and ischaemic heart disease. 58% of the patients survive after transplantation, the mortality rate is 42%.

[Myocarditis and endomyocardial biopsy].

In a group of endomyocardial biopsies (EMB), performed in 45 patients with the clinical diagnosis of suspect myocarditis or dilated cardiomyopathy, positive findings (including histologically suspect lesions) were made in 53.3% of first EMB. Myocarditis, particularly its focal or multifocal forms, is bound to pose a major challenge not only in clinical diagnosis but, often, also in histological diagnosis.

Electron microscopic and light microscopic investigation of endomyocardial biopsies in the transplanted heart.

Samples from 16 endomyocardial biopsies obtained from three patients, provided cyclosporine immunosuppression, at 3-6 years since heart transplantation were examined in light and electron microscopy. In light microscopy, the endomyocardial biopsies of the patients examined within that period were free of signs of acute rejection, practically within the normal range. In electron microscopy, intercalated discs, glycogen, mitochondria, myofibrils, lipid droplets, lipofuscin granules, sarcoplasmic reticulum in myocytes and interstitial space were examined.

[Coronary disease in patients after heart transplantation].

Coronary artery lesions are evaluated in a group of 43 patients surviving for more than 3 months after heart transplantation. An angiographic finding was obtained from 35 patients, autopsy findings were available in eight cases. Angiography demonstrated coronary artery lesions in 12 out of the 35 patients whereas autopsy findings were positive in five out of the eight post mortem examinations.

[Infectious complications in patients after heart transplantation].

The incidence of infectious complications was monitored in a group of the first 100 patients undergoing orthotopic heart transplantation at the Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine from January 1984 through May 1993. The definition of an infectious complication was a clinically manifest infection requiring treatment. Cytomegalovirus infection and Epstein-Barr virus infection were evaluated by the development of antibody against IgM.

[The patient after heart transplantation].

The data of the first 100 patients undergoing heart transplantation in the period between January 1984 and May 1993 were analyzed. Of this group, 57 patients are alive. Out of the total of 43 deaths, 14 patients died from graft failure within the first postoperative days, 6 died from surgical complications, 11 from infection, 10 deaths were due to accelerated coronary atherosclerosis, and 2 patients died from tumours.

[Standardization in the evaluation of acute rejection in heart transplantation].

The author presents a review of acute rejection classifications from the point of view of histology. She examines the relationship between conventional and cyclosporin immunosuppression and the differences in clinical practice and morphology. The article includes Stanford, Texas, Hannover and Brigham's classifications.

[Noninvasive diagnosis of myocardial rejection using echocardiography].

The potential of echocardiography in evaluating myocardial rejection was determined in 56 patients (8 females) following orthotopic heart transplantation. The patients' average age was 42.3 (range 18-67) years.

[A fistula between the aorta and esophagus--an uncommon sequela of dissection of the thoracic aorta].

In a patient with repeated dissection of the ascendent aorta where the first episode was resolved surgically by an intraluminal prosthesis the authors describe the rare consequence of the development of a new dissection manifested by an aorto-oesophageal fistula. In the described case an inoperable episode was involved which fully confirmed the clinical validity of the pathognomic Chiari triad.

The effect of polyamines on the endothelium and vascular wall metabolism in the rat.

Administration of putrescine, a polyamine, to rats leads to endothelial injury manifesting itself by an increased number of endothelial cells circulating in blood. Moreover, putrescine affects the metabolism of the arterial wall itself, primarily by increasing the activity of phosphomonoesterases I and II and by decreasing the activities of Krebs cycle enzymes, both of which are phenomena that can be regarded as "preatherogenic" changes 5, 6, 8, 11 preceding the onset of pathological processes in the arterial wall. Putrescine significantly decreases aortic ATPase (adenylpyrophosphatase) both in the acute and chronic phases of experiment.

[Complications and causes of death in heart transplantation].

Complications and causes of death in patients with transplanted heart were analyzed in various intervals after operation. They comprised early deaths in the first week, short-time survival until one year, and long-time survival over one year. Acute heart failure of varied nature prevailed in early deaths as well as in long-time survival.

[Thromboembolic incidents in the cardiology department].

The authors evaluate the incidence of pulmonary embolism (PE) and its impact in patients who died in the cardiological department of the Institute of Clinical and Experimental Medicine during two five-year periods (1979-1983 and 1984-1988). These two periods are compared with the period 1974-1978 in the same department. The purpose was to assess the trend of fundamental findings (number of post-mortem examinations, number of PE, number of fatal PE, source of thrombosis in PE etc.

[Endomyocardial biopsy and acute rejection in heart transplantation].

Nearly 6-year experience with EMB in patients with transplanted heart concerned especially problems of acute rejection. EMB proved to be a sensitive and for the time being unique method for the detection of acute rejection in patients treated by Cyclosporine immunosuppression. EMB were also criterion of correctness of immunosuppression because they reflected changes in treatment.