Giant brain aneurysm--difficulties in diagnosis and treatment. Case report.

Aneurysms of diameter above 25 mm, determined as giant aneurysms, are thought to be surgically difficult. The most common symptom of the presence of aneurysm is subarachnoidal hemorrhage. Giant aneurysm may cause focal neurological symptoms, very rarely may show symptoms of intracranial hypertension.

Pseudoaneurysm of the gastroduodenal artery as a cause of obstructive jaundice.

A 35-year-old man presented to our emergency room with asymptomatic jaundice. A physical exam revealed a palpable mass with audible bruit in the epigastrium. Total serum bilirubin was 21.

Cladribine in the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Cladribine (2-chlorodeoxyadenosine, 2-CdA) is a nucleoside analog with substituted halogen atom at position 2 in its purine ring that makes it resistant to deamination by adenosine deaminase (ADA). 2-CdA is the drug of choice in the treatment of hairy cell leukemia, but it is also highly active in other low grade lymphoid malignancies including chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). The results of the studies presented so far have shown that 2-CdA gives similar complete response (CR) rate and overall response (OR) rate to fludarabine but the influence of both agents on survival times of the patients with CLL is still uncertain.

Relationship between circulating interleukin-10 (IL-10) with interleukin-6 (IL-6) type cytokines (IL-6, interleukin-11 (IL-11), oncostatin M (OSM)) and soluble interleukin-6 (IL-6) receptor (sIL-6R) in patients with multiple myeloma.

We investigated the serum concentration of the interleukin-10 (IL-10), along with cytokines of interleukin-6 (IL-6) family (IL-6, IL-11 and oncostatin M - OSM), as well as soluble receptor for IL-6 (sIL-6R), in 121 patients with multiple myeloma (MM) and 28 healthy subjects. We studied the interactions between IL-10 and other cytokines, and the receptor. The correlation between IL-10 and some clinical and laboratory parameters associated with the disease activity were also analysed.

Circulating TCR gammadelta cells in the patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a disorder with a wide range of immunological abnormalities. The results of the studies undertaken in the last decade indicated that SLE pathogenesis was mainly connected with the breakdown of the activation control of B and T cells, generating humoral or cell-mediated responses against several self-antigens of affected cells. The last studies demonstrate that the role of gammadelta T lymphocytes in autoimmune diseases can be especially important.

Serum levels of IL-6 type cytokines and soluble IL-6 receptors in active B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia and in cladribine induced remission.

We have investigated the serum concentrations of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and two IL-6 family cytokines-oncostatin M (OSM) and leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF)-in 63 patients with B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) and 17 healthy controls using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. Simultaneously, we measured the serum levels of the soluble forms of two subunits of the IL-6 receptor complex-ligand binding glycoprotein 80 (sIL-6R) and glycoprotein 130 (sgp130). The cytokines and receptors were evaluated in 25 untreated patients and 38 patients treated with cladribine (2-CdA), as well as in 17 healthy controls.

The surgical treatment of adrenal gland tumors--incidentaloma.

Analysis of 32 patients operated on because of accidentally discovered adrenal tumors "incidentaloma" is presented. In 12 of them there was subclinical hormonal activity, in 9 of them tumors turned out to be pheochromocytoma and 3 of them were cortex adenoma. There were 20 hormonally inactive tumors, in 5 of them there were malignant lesions (4 of the cortex and 1 of the medulla).

Circulating IL-6-type cytokines and sIL-6R in patients with multiple myeloma.

We investigated the serum concentration of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and four IL-6 family cytokines - oncostatin M (OSM), leukaemia inhibitory factor (LIF), interleukin-11 (IL-11) and ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) as well as IL-6 soluble receptor (sIL-6R) - using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 67 patients with multiple myeloma (MM) and 24 healthy controls, for a possible association between the serum levels of these peptides with disease activity and known prognostic factors. sIL-6R was detectable in all 67 and IL-6 in 65 (97%) patients. Both peptides were measurable in all healthy controls.

Serum levels of interleukin-6 type cytokines and soluble interleukin-6 receptor in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

We investigated the serum concentrations of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and two IL-6 family of cytokines (leukaemia inhibitory factor (LIF) and ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) as well as IL-6 soluble receptor (sIL-6R) using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 66 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and 24 healthy controls. We examined a possible association between the serum levels of these peptides and RA activity according to the Mallya and Mace scoring system and Ritchie's index. We also evaluated the correlation between the serum levels of IL-6, LIF, CNTF and sIL-6R and duration of the disease and calculated sIL-6R/IL-6 ratio in RA patients and in the control group.

Expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and p53, bcl-2 or C-erb B-2 proteins on Reed-Sternberg cells: prognostic significance in Hodgkin's disease.

Expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) as well as p53, bcl-2 and C-erb B-2 genes protein products on Reed-Sternberg/Hodgkin's (R-S/H) cells was analyzed by immunohistochemistry in 65 patients with Hodgkin's disease (HD). Their significance as markers of clinical malignancy and prognostic factors was evaluated. Positive reaction for PCNA was present in 57 cases (87.

Fulminant 2-chlorodeoxyadenosine-related peripheral neuropathy in a patient with paraneoplastic neurological syndrome associated with lymphoma.

2-chlorodeoxyadenosine (2-CdA) has been demonstrated to be a neurotoxic agent when used at significantly greater doses than currently recommended for clinical use. In this report we describe a case of a 37-years-old man lymphoplasmacytoid malignant lymphoma and pre-existing paraneoplastic neurological syndrome who died of an apparent rapidly progressive sensorimotor peripheral neuropathy after completing treatment with two courses of low-doses of 2-CdA.

The influence of recombinant human tumor necrosis factor-alpha, alone and in combination with cyclophosphamide or methotrexate, on leukemia L1210 and normal hematopoiesis in mice.

We investigated the influence of rh-TNF administered as a single agent or in combination with CY or MTX on the survival time of mice inoculated with lymphoid leukemia L1210 and the effects of similar treatment on normal hematopoiesis in mice. The MST of rh-TNF--treated mice was longer than that of control animals. The longest survivals were observed in mice treated with 250 and 275 micrograms/kg of rh-TNF.

The effect of lithium on haematopoiesis of patients with acute myeloid leukaemia.

In 40 patients receiving induction therapy for acute myeloid leukaemia the influence of lithium carbonate on the regeneration of haematopoiesis was investigated. It was observed that lithium treatment decreases chemotherapy-induced suppression of granulo- and megacariopoiesis. The frequency of remissions and the survival time were significantly higher for the patients receiving lithium if compared with the control group.

The effect of lithium chloride on granulocyte-macrophage progenitor cells (CFU-GM) and clonogenic leukaemic blasts (CFU-L) in the cultures in vitro.

The influence of lithium chloride on the proliferation of normal granulocyte-macrophage progenitor cells (CFU-GM) and clonogenic blasts (CFU-L) from patients with acute myeloid leukaemia in the semisolid cultures in vitro was investigated. It was observed that while lithium chloride with the concentration of 2 mmol/l increases the number of CFU-GM colonies, it does not increase the number of CFU-L colonies and clusters. Our studies indicate that lithium salts can be used for the treatment of patients with acute myeloid leukaemia after intensive chemotherapy.