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Comparative Study 2007; 28(5): 693-698 PubMed PMID: 17984926 Citation  Keywords:  Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Biomarkers, Brain Ischemia:blood, Female, Humans, Keratin-18:blood, Male, Middle Aged, Nerve Growth Factors:blood, S100 Calcium Binding Protein beta Subunit, S100 Proteins:blood, Severity of Illness Index, Stroke:blood, Tissue Pol.   

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study is to asses blood plasma concentrations of S-100B protein and Tissue Polypeptide Antigen (TPA) in patients with confirmed ischemic stroke and to correlate these concentrations with stroke severity.r />r /> METHODS: S-100B protein and TPA blood plasma concentrations were determined in 47 patients with acute ischemic infarction and in the control population. S-100B protein was assessed on the 1th day, TPA on the 1th, 7th and 14th day. The clinical status was documented using Scandinavian Stroke Scale. The functional deficit after the stroke was scored by Barthel Index.r />r /> RESULTS: The analysis of the entire examined group in relation to the control population showed elevated concentrations of S-100B protein (0.47 ng/ml vs. 0.19 g/ml). The highest concentrations were in the severe stroke group (0.89 ng/ml). The assessment of TPA blood plasma concentrations showed higher ones in the examined group of patients: 225.7 U/l on the 1st day; 96.1 U/l on the 7th day; 125.64 U/l on the 14th day after the stroke in relation to the control population.r />r /> CONCLUSION: The analysis of obtained results showed significant increase of S-100B protein blood plasma concentrations in patients with severe stroke and TPA in patients with mild stroke. S-100 protein blood plasma concentration assessed on the 1st day after the ischemic stroke is the parameter presenting the highest diagnostic utility and its value above 0.6 ng/ml was obtained only in patients with severe stroke....

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Clinical Trial 2007; 28(5): 708-712 PubMed PMID: 17984925 Citation  Keywords:  Adolescent, Adult, Analysis of Variance, Dietary Supplements, Exercise:physiology, Humans, Magnesium:administration & dosage, Martial Arts:physiology, Physical Exertion:physiology, Reference Values, Rest:physiology, Statistics, Nonparametric, Thyroid Horm.   

: The effect of magnesium on thyroid hormones of sedentars and sportsperson in Tae-Kwon-Do, has been investigated in a 4-weeks training program. Group 1 consisted of sedentars receiving 10 mg/kg/day Mg for 4 weeks. Group 2 consisted of subjects receiving magnesium (Mg) supplement and practicing Tae-Kwon-Do for 90-120 min/day, for five days a week. Group 3 consisted of subjects practicing Tae-Kwon-Do but receiving Mg supplements. TSH levels increased with training and Mg supplementation (p<0.05). Mg increased FT3 values. (p<0.05). TT3 values of groups reduced in all groups (p<005). After supplementation, group 1 had higher TT4 values than groups 1 and 3 and the group 2 had higher TT4 values than the third group (p<005). Results of this research show that training until exhaustion causes reduction in thyroid hormone activity in sedentars and sportsperson. It has been established that Mg supplementation however, prevents reduction in thyroid hormone activity in sedentars and sportsperson....

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Case Reports 2007; 28(5): 554-555 PubMed PMID: 17984924 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Antibodies, Viral:blood, Coxsackievirus Infections:complications, Enterovirus B, Human:immunology, Humans, Male, Tinnitus:immunology,.   

: Tinnitus is a frequent and often debilitating condition. There is consensus in the scientific community that there exist various forms of tinnitus, which differ in their pathogenesis. Here we report a series of five cases where the onset of tinnitus was associated with viral infections. In all five patients elevated antibodies against Coxsackie B have been detected. This observation suggests that Coxsackie B Virus infections might be involved in the development of some cases of tinnitus and indicate that further systematic investigations are warranted....

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Case Reports 2007; 28(4): 524-526 PubMed PMID: 17693989 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic:therapeutic use, Depression:diagnosis, Fatal Outcome, Female, Humans, Mianserin:analogs & derivatives, Prefrontal Cortex:drug effects, Retrospective Studies, Suicide, Theta Rhythm,.   

: We present a case report of a 37-year old woman diagnosed with depressive disorder, first episode, who was admitted into a psychiatric hospital after a failed suicidal attempt. She responded to antidepressant therapy, as evidenced by a >50% reduction in MADRS total score. She was discharged after 4 weeks of treatment, denying any suicidal ideations. The following day the patient committed suicide; she burned herself to death. It is very likely that the patient dissimulated her symptoms and ideations. Subsequently, her quantitative EEG records were retrospectively analyzed. An increase of prefrontal theta cordance value after the first week of mirtazapine therapy was found. Recently three small studies have revealed that decrease of prefrontal theta cordance after 1 week of antidepressant administration can predict clinical response in patients with unipolar depression. In our previous study the absence of a decreased theta prefrontal cordance was associated with lack of treatment response with NPV 1.0 (Bares et al., 2007). Thus, we hypothesize that prefrontal theta cordance could become an objective marker of change of depressive symptoms, independent of patients' compliance and symptom dissimulation, more precise than objective and self-rated depression rating scales....

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Journal Article 2007; 28(4): 410-416 PubMed PMID: 17693988 Citation  Keywords:  Adolescent, Adolescent Development:physiology, Anorexia Nervosa:complications, Blood Pressure:physiology, Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory, Bradycardia:etiology, Case-Control Studies, Child, Circadian Rhythm:physiology, Estradiol:blood, Female, Folli.   

OBJECTIVES: Anorexia nervosa (AN) is characterized by marked neuroendocrine and autonomic dysfunctions. In the recent studies using automatic blood pressure monitoring (ABPM), lower BP values and lack of circardian variation of BP in anorectic patients were demonstrated. Unfortunately effects of hormonal changes, that may explain BP abnormalities were not analysed together.r />r /> DESIGN: The aim of our study was the assessment of ABPM and hormonal status in anorectic girls.r />r /> SETTINGS: The study was performed on hospitalized 25 female anorectic adolescents aged 12-18 years. Control group was 17 age and height matched girls with normal weight and negative history for hypertension. ABPM was performed between 5 and 7 day of hospitalization, every 30 minutes during active period and every 60 minutes during sleep. Hormones (FSH, LH, estradiol, cortisol and fT4) serum concentrations were also evaluated.r />r /> RESULTS: Mean systolic BP values were significantly lower in patients with AN in comparison to controls. Maximal diastolic and mean arterial pressure values for the whole day and active period but not for sleep were lower in AN than in controls. Anorectic girls showed tendency to night-time bradycardia. Moreover, there were no physiological circadian variations of BP in AN.r />r /> CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that hormonal regulation of blood pressure and heart rate in anorectic patients is at least partially preserved. Lower blood pressure values, bradycardia and lack of physiological night fall of BP in anorectic patients may result from altered autonomic system function resulting from hormonal disturbances and other centrally mediated mechanisms....

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Clinical Trial 2007; 28(4): 513-517 PubMed PMID: 17693987 Citation  Keywords:  Cervix Uteri:drug effects, Collagenases:metabolism, Dinoprostone:administration & dosage, Female, Humans, Labor, Induced:methods, Muscle Contraction:drug effects, Myometrium:drug effects, Oxytocics:administration & dosage, Pregnancy, Proteoglycans:metabol.   

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to estimate the influence of dinoprostone in two different forms on the ripening of uterine cervix and the course of labor.r />r /> MATERIAL AND METHODS: 128 pregnant women with indications for labor induction and uterine cervix Bishop's scores <6, divided into 2 groups: I--62 patients who had dinoprostone in the form of a gel applied for labor preinduction; II--66 women who were administered dinoprostone in the form of vaginal inserts. The effectiveness of both forms of dinoprostone were estimated and compared.r />r /> RESULTS: No differences in Bishop's score changes were noticeable between the groups after 6-8 hours from application, however they were significant at the beginning of induction: I - 7.8+/-1.3 vs. II - 6.9+/-1.6 (p=0.0007). Almost half of the patients from group II had spontaneous contractions and required no labor induction at all. The average time from dinoprostone application till delivery was shorter in group II.r />r /> CONCLUSIONS: Dinoprostone vaginal inserts seem to influence both uterine cervix and muscle, while gel-prepare uterine cervix for delivery more effectively....

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Journal Article 2007; 28(4): 382-385 PubMed PMID: 17693986 Citation  Keywords:  Animals, Biological Assay:methods, Cells, Cultured, Dose-Response Relationship, Drug, Enzyme Stability:physiology, Growth Hormone:metabolism, Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone:analogs & derivatives, Male, Pituitary Gland:cytology, Rats, Rats, Inbred WKY,.   

OBJECTIVE: It has been found that hGH-RH analogues with increased resistance to enzymatic degradation have a much higher potency than the native hGH-RH (1-29)-NH2 and have an ability to partially reverse growth hormone deficiencies.r />r /> THE AIM: The aim of these studies was to elaborate a method which can be used for preliminary evaluation of new GH-RH analogues both from the point of view of their potency to release GH and enzymatic stability.r />r /> METHOD: Two highly active GH-RH analogues with increased resistance to trypsin-like enzymes, and hGH-RH(1-29)-NH2 used as a standard, in doses 1 nM, 10 nM, and 100 nM were added to pituitary rat cell culture, and medium was collected after 30, 60, 120 and 240 min. GH concentration was measured by RIA kit.r />r /> RESULTS: It was observed that the potency of these two GH-RH analogues was several times higher than that of native compound. Moreover, the stimulation was much longer. This suggests that high activity of these analogues in vivo could be the result of increased enzymatic stability.r />r /> CONCLUSION: This method can be used for selecting more potent and more stable releasing peptides before in vivo evaluation....

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Comparative Study 2007; 28(4): 341-350 PubMed PMID: 17693985 Citation  Keywords:  Adenoma:diagnosis, Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Biomarkers, Tumor:metabolism, Biopsy, Carcinoma, Medullary:diagnosis, Carcinoma, Papillary:diagnosis, Cyclin D, Cyclins:metabolism, Female, Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic, Goiter, Nodular:diagnosis, Huma.   

OBJECTIVE: Cyclin D1, encoded by CCND1 (cyclin D1) gene with locus in chromosome 11q13, is a protein that plays the key role in the passage through the restriction point in G1 phase of cell cycle. The aim of the study were: 1) an assessment of CCND1 gene expression level in benign and malignant thyroid lesions and 2) the evaluation of possible correlations between gene expression and the histopathological variants of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC), or tumour size, classified according to TNM definition of primary tumours (in case of PTC only) or patient's sex or age.r />r /> DESIGN: Thirty five (35) tissue samples were analysed: 24 cases of PTC, 4 cases of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC), 4 cases of follicular adenoma (FA) and 3 cases of nodular goitre (NG). In real-time polymerase chain reaction (real-time PCR), two-step RT-PCR (reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction) in an ABI PRISM 7500 Sequence Detection System was employed. Cyclin D1 gene expression level was assessed, calculating the mean relative quantification rate (RQ rate) increase for each sample.r />r /> RESULTS: The level of cyclin D1 gene expression was significantly higher in malignant thyroid tumours (PTC, MTC), as compared with that in macroscopically unchanged thyroid tissue, FA and/or NG groups. However, the differences of RQ rate value between different PTC variants were statistically insignificant. No correlation was found between RQ values and patients' sex or age. On the other hand, the correlation was observed between RQ values and tumour size.r />r /> CONCLUSIONS: Cyclin D1 gene expression in various thyroid lesions may be helpful in diagnostically doubtful cases. However, our results--mostly due to the small numbers of cases in the groups other than PTC--do not yet allow considering cyclin D1 gene as a molecular prognostic marker....

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