Kinetics of Ischemia-Modified Albumin Following Exercise-Induced Myocardial Ischemia.

Background: Ischemia-modified albumin (IMA) is a potentially valuable biochemical marker of myocardial ischemia. The aim of our study was to define the kinetics and to determine the diagnostic value of IMA in detection of myocardial ischemia by using a model of exercise-stress induced transitory ischemia.

Methods: The study included 43 consecutive patients with positive exercise stress test and coronary artery disease confirmed by coronary angiography (ischemic group) and 22 healthy volunteers with negative exercise stress test (control group).

Oxidative stress impact on growth hormone secretion in the eye.

Aim: To evaluate the influence of oxidative stress on extrapituitary growth hormone (GH) secretion in the eye and to analyze the interdependence between eye and serum GH levels under normal and hypoxic conditions.

Methods: Pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) was performed in 32 patients with developed proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) and 49 non-diabetic controls, both of whom required this procedure as part of their regular treatment in the period from April 2013 to December 2014. During PPV, vitreous samples were taken and blood was simultaneously collected from the cubital vein.

Comparison of C-reactive protein and procalcitonin as predictors of postoperative infectious complications after elective colorectal surgery.

Aim: To assess diagnostic value of perioperative procalcitonin (PCT) levels compared to C-reactive protein (CRP) levels in early detection of infectious complications following colorectal surgery.

Methods: This prospective observational study included 79 patients undergoing elective colorectal surgery. White blood cell count, CRP, and PCT were measured preoperatively and on postoperative days (POD) 1, 2, 3, 5, and patients were followed for postoperative complications.

[N-terminal proBNP and high sensivity cardiac troponin I concentrations in haemodialysis patients].

Assessment of serum biomarkers that are useful in stratification of early mortality and cardiovascular risk is very important in the treatment of patients on chronic haemodialysis. This study examined the relationship between high sensitivity cTnI and NT-proBNP according to glomerular filtration rates and vascular access (native AV-fistula or permanent catheter) in patients on haemodialysis. Concentrations of hs-cTnI and NT-pro BNP were increased in 35% and 100% of patients.

Cardiopulmonary effects of hemorrhagic shock in splenic autotransplanted pigs: a new surgical model.

The spleen is an important organ for hemodynamic compensation during hemorrhagic shock. The aim of the study was to compare the hemodynamic and metabolic responses of sham-operated pigs with intact spleen, splenectomized pigs, and splenic autotransplanted pigs during hemorrhagic shock. Hemorrhagic shock was induced by 30% total blood volume bleed in sham-operated, splenectomized and splenic autotransplanted pigs (n = 20).

Effect of splenectomy and autologous spleen transplantation on the serum platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolase (PAF-AH) activity and acute phase response (APR) in a porcine model.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the inflammatory response after total splenectomy and spleen autotransplantation in a porcine model by measuring serum platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolase activity, C-reactive protein and albumin concentrations. Nineteen piglets were used in the experiment. After induction of anesthesia, animals were randomly divided into three groups: sham-operation with spleens intact (n = 6), total splenectomy (n = 6), and splenic autotransplantation (n = 7) with small fragments of the spleen autotransplanted into the greater omentum.

[Inflammatory indicators in patients after surgery of the large intestine].

Background And Aims: Despite recent advances in surgical techniques and intensive care management, infectious complications and sepsis remain significant problem after abdominal surgery. Therefore, inflammatory parameters were looked for that could help achieve an early and more reliable diagnosis of postoperative infections. C-reactive protein (CRP) is a nonspecific inflammatory mediator which is significantly increased postoperatively, regardless of the type of operation and the presence or absence of complications.

A novel method for flow injection analysis of total antioxidant capacity using enzymatically produced ABTS*+ and biamperometric detector containing interdigitated electrode.

Application of interdigitated array microelectrodes as electrochemical sensors for determination of antioxidant capacity is reported. Electrochemical measurements with interdigitated electrodes (IDE) were studied in both stationary solutions and the flow system. The method is based on biamperometric measurements using ABTS(*+)|ABTS redox couple in phosphate buffer solution, pH 7.

The study of some possible measurement errors in clinical blood electrolyte potentiometric (ISE) analysers.

The understanding of the most important sources of error in potentiometric blood analyser which might contribute to better instruments measurement repeatability is very often marginalized in fabrications and daily operation of some commercial blood analysers. In this paper ISEs-potentiometric measurements were performed and validated in Clinical Institute of Laboratory Diagnosis of the Zagreb University School of Medicine and Clinical Hospital Centre, using a carefully designed and constructed fully automated (computerised) homemade ISE-based blood electrolyte analyser constructed with an in-line five-channel flow-through measuring cell. The influence of electrolyte concentration of the salt bridge is reported.