ELISA reveals a difference in the structure of substantia nigra ferritin in Parkinson's disease and incidental Lewy body compared to control.

Iron released from ferritin may trigger oxidative stress leading to progressive neurodegeneration of substantia nigra resulting in Parkinson's disease (PD). Change in the structure of ferritin may allow an easier efflux of iron. We compared with the use of ELISA the structure of ferritin (concentrations of H and L ferritins) in substantia nigra (SN) in ten cases of PD, six of incidental Lewy body (ILB) cases and 20 controls.

Serum protease inhibitor concentrations and total antitrypsin activity in diabetic and non-diabetic children during adolescence.

The aim of the study was the assessment of the concentrations and establishment of mutual relationships between three main protease inhibitors: alpha-1-antitrypsin (AAT), alpha-2-macroglobulin (alpha-2-M) and antithrombin-III (AT-III), and of the total trypsin inhibitory capacity (TIC) in the serum of diabetic and non-diabetic children during adolescence. Forty-nine children (24 girls and 25 boys) with type 1 diabetes mellitus and 24 non-diabetic children (13 girls and 11 boys) were divided according to the Tanner scale into three groups: pre-, peri- and post-pubertal. The concentrations of AAT, alpha-2-M and AT-III were determined by the radial immunodiffusion method on NOR-Partigen plates (Dade-Behring), while TIC was determined by the method using BAPNA as substrate.

Alpha-1-antitrypsin and IgA in serial meconium and faeces of healthy breast-fed newborns.

Background: Meconium is a series of layers formed in the foetal intestine from the 12th week of gestation. High content of meconial alpha-1-antitrypsin (AAT), decreasing within the first several days of extrauterine life appears to reflect the meconium clearance of the gut. At birth, IgA is not present in the meconium and breast-fed infants receive this antibody postnatally with human milk.

Trypsin and antitrypsin activities and protein concentration in serial meconium and feces of healthy newborns.

Background: Meconium has the potential for being the matrix on which markers of fetal exposure to physiologic and non-physiologic agents during intrauterine life can be analyzed. The aim of this study was to compare trypsin and antitrypsin activities and protein concentration during intra- and extrauterine human development based on an assessment of these parameters in serial meconium and first feces of healthy, term newborns during the first four days of life.

Methods: One hundred and eighteen mature, term newborns were studied.

Influence of fluvastatin on bone formation induced by demineralized bone matrix in mice.

In the last decade, statins became widely used drugs in hypercholesterolemia treatment. Several studies have demonstrated that statins may also be successfully administered in the treatment of osteoporosis. There are, however, no reports regarding the effect of statins on heterotopic ossification (HO).

A role for KIR gene variants other than KIR2DS1 in conferring susceptibility to psoriasis.

Recently we described an association between psoriasis and KIR2DS1, a gene for a stimulatory natural killer cell receptor, in a Polish population. The association was independently reported among Japanese and confirmed in a U.S.

Fluvastatin increases heterotopically induced ossicles in mice.

1. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the influence of fluvastatin (3-hydroxy-3-methylglutarylcoenzyme A reductase inhibitor) on heterotopic ossification (HO) induced by HeLa cells. 2.

AAT as a diagnostic tool.

Serum alpha-1-antitrypsin (AAT) concentration can be affected by both inflammatory and non-inflammatory conditions. This paper characterizes the nature of AAT in physiology and pathologic deficiency and increasing states. The relationships between the AAT concentration in different clinical materials (serum, urine, faeces) and various diseases connected with different organs were analyzed.

Outbreak of nosocomial meningitis caused by Acinetobacter baumannii in neurosurgical patients.

An outbreak of nosocomial meningitis caused by Acinetobacter baumannii, which developed postoperatively in seven neurosurgical patients is described. The clinical isolates of A. baumannii were typed by biochemical profiles and antibiogram patterns, and by random amplified polymorphic DNA polymerase chain reaction (RAPD-PCR) and amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) fingerprinting.

Preserved tissue allografts in reconstructive surgery.

Results of treatment with three various kinds of allografts: lyophilized bone, deep frozen bone and cartilage preserved in physiological solution, all of them radiation-sterilized are presented. We believe that this presentation may be helpful in estimating the tissue bank's allografts and in establishing indications and contraindications in the application of allografts in surgery.The 'indices of coincidence' were compared in a group of 1014 patients after bone (lyophilized and radiation-sterilized) transplantation.

Diagnosis and management of children born to HIV infected mothers in Poland.

Objective: The aim of this study was to describe the management of children born to HIV positive mothers in Poland.

Material And Methods: Between 1987 to 2003, 218 children of HIV positive mothers were admitted to the Department of Children's Infectious Diseases of the Medical University in Warsaw. Currently recommended management of newborn infants and the routine schedule of diagnostic procedures of children born to HIV positive mothers were discussed.

Antigenic and functional levels of alpha-1-antitrypsin in serum during normal and diabetic pregnancy.

Objectives: Serum alpha-1-antitrypsin (AAT) concentration may not be representative of the functional capacity of this inhibitor. The aim of this study was to determine the antigenic and functional serum levels of AAT during normal and diabetic pregnancy.

Methods: Serum AAT concentration was measured on NOR-Partigen plates (Dade Behring).

Epidemiology of clinical isolates of Candida albicans and their susceptibility to triazoles.

The study comprised strains of Candida albicans isolated from patients hospitalised in a tertiary care hospital during a 2-year period. In total 851 strains were cultured, including 379 (44.5%) strains from internal medicine patients, 243 (28.

Liver regeneration after anatomical resections.

Background: The authors present the results of investigation of liver regeneration after partial parenchyma resection.

Material And Methods: 20 patients (16 females, 4 male) aged 31-67 years were operated on because of metastatic colon cancer (7 cases), cavernous hemangioma (6 cases), hepatocellular carcinoma (1), alveococcosis (2), metastases of malignant melanoma (1), gall bladder carcinoma (1), FNH (1) and mucous cystadenocarcinoma (1). The resection according to anatomical segments by Couinaud were performed.

Risk factors for morbidity following liver surgery.

The aim of this study is to define risk factors for severe complications following anatomical liver resections. The study material consists of the first 50 patients (26 women, 24 men, at mean age 50.6 years) treated at 3rd Department of Surgery 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Medical University in Warsaw.

Efficacy of sequential antiarrhythmic treatment in sinus rhythm maintenance after successful electrocardioversion in patients with chronic non-valvular atrial fibrillation.

Background: Sequential use of antiarrhythmic drugs may improve prognosis in chronic atrial fibrillation (AF). We conducted a prospective study of the efficacy of sequential antiarrhythmic drug therapy in sinus rhythm (SR) maintenance after a successful electrocardioversion (CV) in pts with chronic AF.

Material And Methods: 58 pts (64.

Normalization of periodontal tissues in osteopetrotic mib mutant rats, treated with CSF-1.

The osteopetrotic mib mutation in rats causes defects in the skeletal bone tissue in young animals. These defects, i.e.