Mixed chimerism induction influences cytokine release from chimeric mice cells.

Interest in mixed chimerism has evolved from its role in the induction of alloantigen tolerance. However, its precise impact on the host organism remains to be elucidated. In the present work, we analyzed cytokine secretion from chimeric mice cells to assess the influence of different mixed chimerism induction protocols on immune system function in recipient mice.

Psychosocial characteristics of benzodiazepine addicts compared to not addicted benzodiazepine users.

Objective: Although the addictive potential of benzodiazepine drugs has been known for a long time, new cases of benzodiazepine addictions keep emerging in clinical practice. The etiology of benzodiazepine addiction seems to be multifactorial. The objective of this study was to investigate and measure psychological and situational factors differentiating benzodiazepine addicts from not addicted users.

Computed tomographic angiography and perfusion in the diagnosis of brain death.

Introduction: According to Polish brain death (BD) criteria, instrumental confirmatory tests should be used in certain clinical situations, particularly any case for which clinical examinations seem inadequate. Electrophysiological tests are often unavailable. Therefore, cerebral perfusion testing is the method of choice with four-vessel digital subtraction angiography (DSA), the gold standard.

Influence of gender on diagnostic accuracy of rapid atrial and ventricular pacing stress echocardiography for the detection of coronary artery disease: a multicenter study (Pol-RAPSE final results).

Background: Rapid cardiac pacing using a permanent pacemaker may be used as a nonpharmacologic stress during echocardiographic imaging for diagnosing coronary artery disease (CAD). We presented the final results of a national multicenter study, the Polish study on Rapid Pacing Stress Echocardiography (Pol-RAPSE), aimed at the assessment of the safety and accuracy of rapid cardiac pacing for the noninvasive diagnosis of CAD in women and men.

Methods: We have analyzed 149 tests performed in 100 patients with permanent pacemakers (27% ventricular pacing [VVI], 10% atrial pacing [AAI], 63% dual chamber pacing [DDD]) referred for stress echocardiography.

Long term follow-up after finger replantation.

The aim of this retrospective study was to assess objective and subjective aspects of the long-term results of finger replantations and revascularisations. Forty patients with 59 successfully replanted or revascularised fingers, who had a mean age of 38 years, were followed-up over an average of 3.5 years.

Factors influencing serum creatinine level in kidney recipients in a multivariate analysis.

The serum creatinine level is one of the earliest metrics of kidney metabolic function. We examined 146 potential donors and their 232 kidney recipients. Donor data included gender, age, cause of death, mean arterial pressure (MAP), central venous pressure (CVP), pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP), systemic vascular resistance index, cardiac output (CO), and dopamine consumption.

[Occurrence of malignant lesions in patients referred to 131I therapy due to benign thyroid diseases].

Introduction: (131)I therapy should be performed after exclusion of any morphological pathology that needs surgery--usually malignancy or its suspicion. The aim of the study was to evaluate the range of this problem in patients considered for radioiodine therapy due to benign thyroid diseases.

Material And Methods: In 2000-2005 year 3663 patients with hyperthyreosis were referred to (131)I therapy.

Experiences in kidney transplantation with duplicated ureters.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the complications of duplicated ureters in renal transplant recipients.

Methods: Between 1983 and 2004, 12 patients (median age 34 years) received renal transplants from donors with duplicated ureters. In four patients the ureter to bladder anastomoses were performed separately according to the method described by MacKinnon, including two cases transplanted with ureteral catheters because of narrow widths.

Morphology of the testis and the epididymis in rats with dihydrotestosterone (DHT) deficiency.

The aim of the study was to estimate morphology in the testis and epididymis of adult rats, treated with finasteride for 28 days (the time period of two seminiferous epithelium cycles) and 56 days (the time period of one spermatogenesis). A 28 days long DHT deficiency did not significantly influence the structure of seminiferous epithelium. After 56 days of treatment, finasteride induced sloughing of immature genninal cells (spermatids and rarely pachytene spermatocytes) into the lumen of the seminiferous tubules.